Born on January 7, 1979 in New Delhi, India, Basu hails from a Bengali family. She is the second of three daughters to her parents, the elder being Bidisha, and the younger—Vijayeta. Although she was born in Delhi, her family later moved to Kolkata.
According to her, she had come into modelling and acting quite by accident, because initially she had planned to study medicine. Basu studied science till the 12th standard, and later took up commerce. Although, as pointed above, she intended to become a doctor, her aversion for dissections made her opt for chartered accountancy. However, in 1996, she met well-known model Mehr Jessia in Kolkata; the latter suggested that Basu take part in the the Godrej Cinthol Supermodel contest. She eventually participated, and won the contest.
