Masaba praises Bipasha Basu's 'muscles'. Internet smells a dig at Mrunal Thakur

Fashion designer Masaba Gupta appears to have entered the chat and brought a little muscle appreciation with her. She recently shared Bipasha Basu's latest Elle India digital cover, calling the actor "the last of the OGs" and praising everything from her individuality to her famously athletic physique. But it was one particular line in her otherwise glowing tribute that sent social media detectives reaching for their old screenshots."Too bad if someone doesn't see that as feminine," Masaba wrote while talking about Bipasha's muscular build. She did not name anyone. The internet, naturally, had other plans.Several users immediately linked the remark to an old comment by actor Mrunal Thakur about Bipasha's physique, which resurfaced online in 2025 and sparked criticism over its description of a muscular woman as "manly".Masaba's tribute began with her celebrating Bipasha's return to the magazine-cover spotlight. Sharing the cover, she wrote, "I am very happy to see Bipasha on a cover. You see, she is the last of the OGs." And Masaba was not done reminiscing. She praised Bipasha for having an identity that, according to her, is increasingly rare in the industry today. "There won't be another Bipasha because everything is a cookie cutter template today," she wrote, before taking a rather less-than-gentle swipe at the current crop of stars, whom she described as "boring and dull".According to Masaba, the present generation "does not inspire one bit of confidence". She then turned her attention to Bipasha's fitness, writing, "I love your athletic build. I love the muscle - and I want more thanks to the standard of fitness you set." Then came the line that got social media connecting dots faster than a Bollywood casting rumour. "Too bad if someone doesn't see that as feminine," Masaba added.Although there was no name attached to the statement, social media users were quick to connect it with Mrunal Thakur's old remarks about Bipasha.The comments in question date back to Mrunal's television days, when she appeared in an interview with her Kumkum Bhagya co-star Arjit Taneja. While discussing fitness and the kind of physique one might prefer in a partner, Mrunal brought up Bipasha."Do you want to marry a girl who is manly with muscles? Go marry Bipasha. Listen, I am far better than Bipasha, ok," she had said.The clip remained buried in the internet archives for years before resurfacing in 2025. Once it did, it predictably travelled at the speed only an old celebrity clip with fresh controversy can.Mrunal was criticised for allegedly body-shaming Bipasha and for suggesting that a muscular female physique was somehow "manly". She later apologised for the remark, explaining that she was 19 when she made it and did not fully understand the impact of her words.Mrunal clarified that she never intended to body-shame anyone and admitted that she wished she had chosen her words differently.Before Mrunal released a statement, Bipasha herself reacted to the video and asked women to, in fact, "build muscles".Fast-forward to 2026, and Masaba has now praised precisely the aspect of Bipasha's appearance that had once become the subject of controversy. She hasn't mentioned Mrunal by name, though the internet has apparently decided that names are optional when context is available.Whether Masaba intended the line as a pointed reference or was simply defending the kind of female fitness she admires is anyone's guess.- EndsPublished By: Vineeta KumarPublished On: Sep 7, 2026 12:40 IST