ENTERTAINMENT
Chip off the Bhatt block
Her first film was an unqualified success, the second won her critical acclaim and now Alia Bhatt is all set to rock with 2 States. But she won’t let success go to her head and fully understands that audiences’ love is not unqualified
Nonika Singh

she could well be like any 21-year-old girl who wants to be taken seriously yet doesn’t mind the ‘very cute’ tag. Only extraordinarily pretty, exceptionally talented and daughter of the Mahesh Bhatt, Alia Bhatt is not just any other girl but so unlike a regular new entrant in the filmdom struggling to find her feet.

Rarely has a newcomer created so many ripples in the film as she has with just two releases in her kitty and a third just round the corner. All set to wow audiences in her upcoming film 2 States, it is indeed true that after wrapping up the shooting schedule of the film, she actually shed tears. In a conversation, she shares how being a highly emotional person, she becomes attached to all her characters.

Certainly coming from a multi-religious and multi-cultural background (she even has German genes running in her blood), she can’t really relate to the south Indian girl from a conservative background that she plays in 2 States. But that she admits is the beauty of cinema to get into the shoes of someone you really aren’t. Among her many characters, she has come closest to Veera of Highway. Like Veera and more importantly like daddy dearest, she has the same chutzpah.

Being the daughter of a man who has lived life on his own terms means she gets the dose of the famous Bhattism one-on-one on a daily basis. But she reminds, "For me, more than being Mahesh Bhatt, he is a father to whom I am grateful for proffering advice that has made me a better person and an actor."

Like her father, she is outspoken and wouldn’t mind airing her opinion on contentious issues like pre-marital sex, etc. But she is as much a closed secretive person. So, you would rather catch her dead than find her posting the pictures of her bathroom. On a serious note, she wouldn’t care to wear her heart on her sleeve.

To the world, her rumoured romantic liaisons might change by the minute, but she wouldn’t spill the beans when she is actually serious about someone. She reasons, "As it is, there is so much media glare that at least there should be something I can treasure and cherish and keep to myself."

Yet she enjoys basking in the limelight. Only when the camera freezes on her, it’s not only viewers but even critics sit up and pay attention. On being compared to the likes of all-time greats like Meena Kumari and Nargis, she admits it is flattering and welcomes the praise with open arms. Only she wouldn’t let it go to her head. It’s where her family, especially her writer sister Shaheen’s critical opinion, comes in handy.

When asked what should her fans expect from her latest film, she replies, "A very real quirky, sensitive and emotional love story."

And where does she go from here? There is no roadmap in her mind except that she would rather take a six month hiatus than act just for the heck of it. But then chip off the Bhatt block or very much her own person, this Bhatt babe knows she can certainly call the shots. On the highway to success, her ticket to superstardom is almost assured.

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