Bipasha Basu's ditching act

Neha Dhupia and Bipasha Basu

Bipasha Basu's last-minute decision to not perform at an awards gala in Sri Lanka sent the organisers into a tizzy. Though the actress had flown down to Colombo especially for the show, she backed out at the eleventh hour. Neha Dhupia, who was also attending the event, stepped in for the Bong bombshell. Result? The audience saw Neha performing to Bipasha's songs!

Neha Dhupia and Bipasha Basu. Pic/Atul Kamble

The awards event to promote Lankan cinema was held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo over the weekend. As Bollywood is a big draw in the island country, several B-Town folk had been invited. Among those in attendance besides Bipasha and Neha were Anil Kapoor, Sunil Shetty, Vivek Oberoi and Alka Yagnik.

Says a source, "Bipasha had confirmed her act. She attended a press conference the previous day and also walked the gold carpet on the awards night, but chose not to perform. She even watched Neha's act at the gala who rehearsed on Bipasha's songs just before the show began."

A source close to Neha says, "She agreed to perform in Bipasha's place just to save the face of the Indian film industry at an international event."

Bipasha's spokesperson, however, says that an ankle injury during the shoot of her film, Alone, prompting her to pull out of her act. "She was limping and had been advised to rest her foot. As committed, she attended the event that aimed to bring the Indian and Lankan entertainment industry on a common platform. But when her performance was ruled out, she explained her reasons to the Lankan media," the spokesperson adds.