Age of Innocence: Alia Bhatt

From being a fan girl to being a showtime princess, Alia Bhatts is a coming-of-age fairytale writes Ashwini Deshmukh.

- Ashwini Deshmukh, photography by Errikos Andreou

They keep cracking jokes about her intelligence, more often than not making her out to be a facsimile of the Hollywood blonde. Yes, she’s just as good looking as those golden-haired dames from LA. But there’s something more... A sense of gravitas lurking behind the veil of beauty and fluff. Also, she’s just as popular. Alia Bhatt is enjoying a whole new level of popularity. Films like Shandaar, Udta Punjab, Kapoor & Sons and Ayan Mukerji’s next opposite Ranbir Kapoor are in her kitty. The latest trophy is the much-talked-about Shuddhi from Karan Johar’s stable. Many would say Alia has arrived and she’s even cemented her own space. The young actress though isn’t flattered. “Shuddhi’s a big project and also a world I’ve not been a part of. I’m excited about it but I feel excited and charged about every film I do. For me the measure of the magnitude of a film is its popularity with the audiences. You only realise how big a film is when it’s out there,” she says adding, “Yes, there’s a lot on offer right now. And the best part is, each film is distinct from the other. I’ve haven’t had a release for a year. So I’m excited about Shandaar, more excited about Udta Punjab and even more excited about Kapoor & Sons.”