On Top Of Her Game

Cinematic powerhouse, commercially bankable actor, fashionista, investor, environmentalist, dreamer, pragmatist. The epithets haven’t stopped rolling in for Bollywood sensation Alia Bhatt.

- Debojyoti Ghosh

ALIA BHATT’S WORK schedule is relentless. On any given day, the 25-year-old actor is busy juggling meetings, film promotions, and shoots across different studios, cities, and time zones. Even when she’s in Mumbai, her hometown, she keeps 18-hour workdays either spent at studios or dubbing for films. The occasional break she takes is spent on two causes closest to her heart—animal and environmental welfare. “During the shooting of Brahmastra [slated to release this year], I injured my ankle. For a day, I was on bed rest. That’s the only day I remember sitting on my bed without doing anything,” she laughs. “I am not complaining. I have gotten used to this lifestyle; so much so that when I slow down, I feel something is not right.”

It is hardly surprising then that it was tough for us to pin her down. After monthslong e-mail and WhatsApp exchanges with her team, she eventually agreed to a meeting. It is a relatively warm January afternoon when I meet Bhatt at Mehboob Studio in Mumbai’s suburban Bandra area. She is shooting for director Ayan Mukerji’s Brahmastra, a fantasy film produced by Karan Johar. Besides Bhatt, the film also stars Amitabh Bachchan and Ranbir Kapoor in lead roles.

I am waiting in her brightly lit, colourful, and cosy vanity van. She breezes in and greets me cheerily while apologising profusely for not being able to spend more time. I have to squeeze in as many questions I can in just half an hour so she can take a few minutes for lunch before the next shot. Also, the leading men of Brahmastra are waiting for her to finish up.