She frowned upon Hindi film tropes and mainstream Bollywood movies, but in 2012, discovered a new actor who made her sit up and take notice despite the cliched debut. Sucharita Tyagi writes about the allure of Alia Bhatt, and how she grew into an ardent admirer of the young superstar’s evocative performances
As a girl growing up into a woman, I went through various phases of taking myself too seriously. In 2012, I frowned upon make-up, pretty dresses and song-and-dance routines in Hindi cinema. Good sense has prevailed since then, but yes, a 24-year-old me couldn’t wrap her head around “Radha on the dance floor....” That is until I actually saw Student Of The Year (2012), a movie I’d already decided I wasn’t going to like.
But as hard as I tried, I just could not tear my eyes away from the screen for even a second every time this new girl appeared. This was despite the numerous cliches including slow motion bikini shots and unreal high school romances. What was it about this actor? What made me want to watch her do this again and again?
I didn’t get an answer until her second release: Imtiaz Ali’s heartbreaking directorial, Highway (2014). Here, a mere 21-year-old Alia was seen living a life full of horrors that I would imagine, she had been sheltered from in real life. This was a performance so masterful, I didn’t even realise how badly I had been waiting to watch something like this. I left the theatre in tears, unable to put my thoughts together for a couple of hours — I was feeling way too many emotions all together, but was also numb.
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Denne historien er fra June 2018-utgaven av Verve.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Making Amends
This generation’s penchant for thoughtless consumption gets Madhu Jain roiled up, and she wonders if nature is getting its own back for our missteps…
Diamonds With Provenance
In keeping with the company’s commitment to environmental and social responsibility, Anisa Kamadoli Costa, chief sustainability officer at Tiffany & Co. and chairman and president at The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, enlightens Shirin Mehta on the efforts that make the jewellery giant an industry leader in transparency
SARTORIAL ECONOMICS
Sisters Tashi and Tara Mitra demonstrate to Akanksha Pandey how deviating from the mainstream can bend the way we think, live and dress
NOTES TO SELF
An anthropomorphized tiger’s perspective, a viscerally worded futuristic interpretation of loss, a critique of performative activism, a meta reflection on the earth’s crises. Told through different lenses, Janaki Lenin, Indrapramit Das, Keshava Guha and Roshan Ali’s stories — written exclusively for Verve — attempt to make sense of the fraught reality that we exist in today
The Eternal Optimist
As Generation X and xennials grapple with fully transitioning to conscious living, young millennials and Generation Z are leading the charge to reverse human-caused environmental damage. Sahar Mansoor, founder and CEO of the Bengaluru-based zero-waste social enterprise Bare Necessities, has a simple overarching philosophy: consume less and stay positive. Verve gets deeper into the mindset of the action-oriented earth advocate
Redemption SONGS
Indian music festivals have been demonstrating a refreshing sense of responsibility in terms of their ecological impact. Interacting with stakeholders who strive to make these large-scale events greener, Akhil Sood investigates the reasons behind the improved attitudes of audiences and the increase in corporate support.
earth hour
Crafted using nature’s elements, these dials draw inspiration from the many heterogeneous materials and hues around us.Verve turns its lens onto a mesmerising few
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Children are holding adults accountable for both the grim future they are facing and the toll this is taking on their mental health. Madhumita Bhattacharyya initiates conversations with families of young climate activists and observes the extent to which parenting has changed in the face of catastrophe
NATURAL JUSTICE
Most of us are only just waking up to the urgency of climatic action. When the stakes are so high, what can individual action solve? Mridula Mary Paul, an environmental policy expert, is proof of the tenacity needed to effect systemic change. It’s not glamorous, and the rewards are few and far between, but that doesn’t stop her from aiming big, finds Anandita Bhalerao
Along For The Ride
Navigating Indian streets as a woman is hard enough. But what is it like while riding a bicycle? Bengaluru-based Shreya Dasgupta, a regular cyclist, speaks to five urban women about the pros and cons of this increasingly popular means of transport.
