Alia Bhatt has had quite a year. In February, Imtiaz Ali’s coming-of-age road film Highway had Alia play a sheltered rich girl from Delhi who discovers herself and a brand new world. In April came 2 States where Alia transformed into an urban Tamilian who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to ask. Two months later came Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania — a tribute to Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Not only did all three films do well at the box office, Alia’s performances in each made the industry and the audience sit up and take notice.
“Every other director who has approached me with a script this year has wanted to work with Alia,” says Sajid Nadiadwala, who produced both Highway and 2 States. “Alia has the perfect combination of talent and looks. The kind of versatility she has shown this early in her career happens only once a decade in Bollywood,” adds Sajid.
The 21-year-old followed it up with multiple endorsement deals and two viral videos that have garnered close to 10 million views on YouTube. Back in India after a long schedule in the UK and Poland for Shandaar with Shahid Kapoor, Bollywood’s standout girl in the Year of the Woman, chatted with t2.
Why was it important for you to do Highway immediately after Student of The Year?
When I was offered Highway, it was a shock to me. I couldn’t believe Imtiaz was offering me a film! He was on my list of filmmakers I wanted to work with. Any offer from Imtiaz would have been a big deal for me. I would have been interested without even reading the script. Thankfully, when I did read the script, I connected instantly. There was no doubt in my mind that I have to do the film.
What was Imtiaz’s brief to you?
On paper, Veera is a very simple character. Before she is kidnapped, Veera is a simple rich girl. She knows there is something missing from her life, but she doesn’t know what it is. She knows that there is a world outside the world she lives in, but again she doesn’t know what to expect from that world. In a lot of ways, Veera was very similar to me in real life. I was a city girl from Juhu Scheme who hadn’t travelled…who didn’t know the world. My experiences were very limited.
Imtiaz shot the film linear, so as Veera discovered the world around her, so did I. When you see the joy on Veera’s face after having climbed a tree for the first time, that’s exactly how I was feeling as well.
What are your memories of shooting Highway and travelling across north India for 50 days?
This was the toughest film I have shot as yet. I still remember each day so vividly. Before I left Mumbai for Delhi, I remember my dad (Mahesh Bhatt) saying that this would be a mammoth schedule and it was, both physically and mentally. I was completely drained by the time I finished. This film tapped into a part of me I didn’t know existed. Imtiaz is not the sort of director who would sit behind a monitor and tell you what to do. My favourite part of the day would be those five-10 minutes just before a shot when he’d talk to me about emotions and memories.
Highway also gave you an opportunity to sing for A.R. Rahman!
(Laughs) Yes! I was just so excited when I realised that I am going to be singing for him. But the enormity of the occasion hit me only once I was in his studio, singing. I remember I sang a couple of lines and he said: ‘It sounded beautiful’. I couldn’t stop grinning after that! I have always loved singing and it’s something that I am not coy about. I know I can sing and I am very keen on pursuing music. Every time I hear that there is an opportunity to sing, my ears perk up.
You also had 2 States and Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania this year. Did you connect with the other two films as much as you did with Highway?
I am a very sensitive person. I have connected with every single film and role that I have done till now. I really hope that I never get blase about the work I do and that I am always excited and learning new things. With
2 States, I played a very mature and sexy girl who is confident in who she is. I learnt so much about inter-caste marriage, thanks to this film. I never understood what the fuss was all about, but now I do. There are so many layers to giving a daughter away. No matter how liberated the parents are, it is a big deal. And if your parents don’t want you to marry someone, it becomes a battle. As a culture, parents’ approval is important to us.
Humpty... was a fun and mad film. Again, my character was way different from anything I had played. She was really aggressive.
There has been so much fuss about your love life. Has it been easier for you to deal with because you grew up in the industry?
To begin with, I don’t really come from the industry. When I was growing up, I didn’t spend all my time on film sets. Also, my father is not an actor, so I didn’t read about link-up rumours involving him. When I decided to become an actor, my parents did tell me that this would be a part of my life. I remember, even before we started shooting SOTY, there were articles about Varun (Dhawan) and me. These
rumours never bothered me, until now. I don’t want rumours about link-ups to take away from my work.
I am not saying that I don’t want to date. I am not going to lie. I will have a boyfriend at some point. But I will never talk about him. I only want to be known for the work I do and not for who I am or I am not seeing.
After that Koffee with Karan episode last December, you started 2014 being an Internet meme. What is the funniest joke you’ve heard or seen about yourself.
There was something about me walking into a shop wanting to buy the Indian flag, and then I ask for it in different colours! Some of the jokes people came up with were very funny (laughs).
Your ‘Genius of the Year’ video with AIB has had almost 7 million views. Did you think it would become so popular?
Not really. I just did it for fun. I know the (AIB) boys. I did their first ever sketch which was a parody of Ishq waala love (from SOTY). Contrary to what people think, I had no agenda when I agreed to do the video.
Celebrities in India rarely laugh at themselves…
But that should be the easiest thing to do, right? If you can’t laugh at yourself, there is a problem. You can’t take yourself too seriously.
You are friends with Shraddha Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra. Does being friends with competition work for you?
Initially, I also thought that two actresses can’t be friends. After all, we are competing for the same work. But it’s not really true. Both Shraddha and Parineeti are really nice and I share a great relationship with both. I would even like to work with both of them. Every actress from Priyanka (Chopra) to Deepika (Padukone) and Anushka (Sharma)... everyone has been very warm to me. You’d imagine that there would be animosity, but there isn’t.
Do you keep track of what your contemporaries are doing?
(Laughs) Who told you? I am very well aware of what everyone is doing. I am very curious like that.
What is your state of mind today?
Good question…. I am very excited. The next year is going to be very interesting. I am feeling very alive and motivated.
That’s very cryptic. You are clearly talking about another film project, apart from Shandaar...
(Laughs) I am, but it’s nothing that I can talk about as yet. I normally never planned for the future, but for the last two years I have been doing that. Next year, I will have Shandaar with Shahid. It’s been an enriching and mad experience.
Karishma Upadhyay
Is Alia Bolly’s woman of the year?Tell t2@abp.in
What’s on your…
Mind: Food. I am very, very hungry. I’d love some fish right now.
Perennial to-do list: To get into shape (laughs).
Credit card bill: Oh gawd! I just paid it off… I don’t remember… I was in London, so I guess there were a lot of boots.
Film-to-watch list: I want to watch Forrest Gump.
Ideal dinner party guest list: I have been away from home for so long that all I want to do is spend time with my family. So, I’d pick my mom (Soni) and sister (Shaheen).
Feet: Gladiators. I have black nail polish on my baby toes and nude on the first four. I just forgot to take the black nail polish off! (Laughs)
Playlist: Dangerous by David Guetta. I am also completely hooked to Shahid Kapoor’s SoundCloud page. I listen to his playlist every day.
Books-to-read list: I am waiting to start Beautiful Chaos by R.M. Drake. I am not a big fan of fiction. I last read one of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels. I love books that intertwine philosophy and interesting stories.
Night stand: Some medicines and water.
Fantasy itinerary: I haven’t been to New York ever and I’ve heard so much about how it’s a fun city. I’d want to go to Central Park and shop on 5th Avenue and watch Broadway shows. I also want go to Greece.
SHASHANK KHAITAN
Directed Alia in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania
She’s just a few films old, but Alia is all ready to explode into a superstar. When I wrote Humpty... I always knew that I wanted Alia to play the lead. She’s dedicated, she’s talented and she’s very professional. She prepares well, she knows her lines and she has an amazing memory. She kept surprising me at different stages of the shoot. She’s an actress who is in perfect control of her craft and she knows what emotion to come up with for every dialogue she says. What’s best about Alia is that she’s a team player and has no starry airs. She overturns all the cliches associated with a filmstar — she’s cool, she’s chilled-out and she’s an absolute darling on set. If I could, I would work with her in all my films!
ABHISHEK VARMAN
Directed Alia in 2 States
Alia is an actress Bollywood had been waiting for for a long time. She’s just this naturally gifted performer who never takes her talent for granted. She will read the script three-four times, make notes about her character, rehearse her lines diligently and then come and give the perfect shot, 99 per cent of the time. What I like about her is that she is very respectful of deadlines and schedules and I don’t remember a single instance when a shoot of 2 States was held up because of her. I loved her in everything she’s done so far, but I am obviously biased towards my film. I know that no one could have played Ananya in 2 States better than Alia. A great actress apart, I also like how she doesn’t take anything too seriously and has the ability to laugh at herself. That’s so rare and refreshing.
VIKAS BAHL
The Queen man directs Alia in her next film Shandaar and he also made the short film Going Home with her
Alia is pure magic. She is a very spontaneous actress, but she is also someone who comes prepared to shoots. I think she’s struck the perfect balance of knowing how much to prepare and how much to play it off-the- cuff. During the shoot of Shandaar, there were so many moments when she did something magical and just brought a smile to my face. She’s just this immensely talented 21-year-old who’s very excited about whatever she does — and that shows in her work on screen. I believe that an actress like her happens only once in a lifetime and I consider myself lucky to be making films at a time when Bollywood has Alia. Not only is she a great actress, but she’s someone who is professionally outstanding, which is kind of a rarity in Bollywood. Most often, she is the first one on set, even before the production guys arrive!
As told to Priyanka Roy
