For all those who've wondered what makes Bipasha Basu so Bong, here's the answer: she speaks Bengali fluently and is a complete Bengali woman at heart.

To prove this, she's all set to do her first Bengali film. "Dates permitting," she warns with a chuckle.

"But yes, I'm in serious negotiation with Rituparno Ghosh. We met in Mumbai when he was here earlier this week. I had spoken to him on phone for so long and so warmly that I felt I knew him from long before we actually met."

Says Bipasha, "I'm a complete Bengali at heart. I speak Bengali fluently. And my parents have long egged me on to do a Bengali film. Really, you can't be a Bengali actor and not do a Bengali film."

In fact Bipasha was chosen to do the lead in Buddhadeb Dasgupta's "Kaal Purush". But the role finally went to a non-Bengali actress, Sameera Reddy.

Says Bipasha, "Ritu and I are very keen to work together. And hopefully things will be in place soon."

Ghosh has in turn long nursed a desire to direct Bipasha. The prolific director, now putting finish touches to his latest Bengali film "Dosar" with Konkona Sen-Sharma and Prosenjeet, lights up at the mention of the actress.

"Yes, we met very warmly. Actually I had offered both 'Chokher Bali' and my new film 'Dosar' to Bipasha. Things didn't work out then. Now I'm working on a couple of ideas for her specially."