She is known for taking on challenging roles and proving her detractors wrong time and again. But by her own admission, talented diva Alia Bhatt admits that her role in Udta Punjab has been one of the toughest so far.
Alia, who plays a Bihari migrant working in the fields of Punjab, says about the role, “I knew nothing about the character. There was no familiarity. I will never go through something like what the character goes through.” But that said, Alia reiterates that she is not one to shy away from challenges.
A time for risks
The young actress, who has already delivered quite a few hits in her short career, feels that this is the right time for her to take up challenges. She says, “I want to do different characters. And besides, only by taking such chances, can I continue forging ahead in my career.” About getting the role in Udta Punjab, she says, “I had read the script even before it was narrated to me as Shahid (Kapoor) had given it to me. He had asked whether I would agree if the makers approached me for the girl’s role. My only response was an obvious yes! It was only later that director Abhishekh Chaubey narrated the story.”
A late compliment
Alia explains why she feels self-love is the best compliment and says, “I don’t remember my mother ever telling me that I was beautiful. I was a chubby kid, but as far as I was concerned, I found myself beautiful even then. I believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So when you love yourself, you will find yourself beautiful in any shape or size.”
Alia adds, “When my 70-year-old grandmother saw Udta Punjab’s poster recently, she was literally in tears. She could not see me in that condition; it looked so real. Coming from my grandmother, this was the finest compliment I have ever received.”
On Siddharth Malhotra
Now to the million-dollar question: What’s with her and her Kapoor And Sons co-star Siddharth Malhotra? Are they together or not?
Alia says, “The media blows things out of proportion. They see us together at certain occasions and then we are not seen together. It’s just that when we are working together we are in constant touch. Otherwise we are separate, that’s a simple funda. But it’s the media who feels our relationship might have changed.”
Mahesh Bhatt’s influence
Speaking of her father, veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, Alia says, “He has had the biggest influence on my life… I have grown up in his house, under his shadow. He is known for being outspoken and so am I and like him, I always react to people’s opinion when they ask me not to do this or that. Why should I act in accordance to the whims and fancies of others? My dad has always been a fighter, however, he always fights for the right things. My parents have always been very liberal. I might have offended them as a kid but they knew that I was a responsible child and I would never mess up.”
On failed relationships
Among the other things she has learnt from her father is how to never let failed relationships get in the way of one’s life and career. “My father has had his share of failed relationships. And I suppose all of us have gone through them. Failed relationships help one to grow. I have also had one and I moved away from it because I wanted to achieve something with my career. And somehow that enabled me to focus on my work,” adds Alia.
On stardom
To have achieved and dealt with stardom at her age is not an easy business. On how she deals with it, she says, “I know that if I allow stardom to get to my head, I will always be looking for adulation and attention. I am grateful for the love and respect I am getting from my fans and I do not want to let go of it. However, I know that if I am grounded at this point of my success, I will not feel the pinch when I lose this love and adulation. Sooner or later what rises, falls too.”
