What makes Alia Bhatt even more special is her ability to strike a balance between the commercial and offbeat roles, or so to say, her desire to find a middle ground. In this cover story, JYOTHI VENKATESH, who was among the few journalists who had the privilege of attending the wedding of Alia’s parents Mahesh Bhatt and Soni Razdan, predicts that Alia Bhatt with films like Highway, Udta Punjab, Raazi etc will turn out to be one of the most promising stars of Bollywood in the years to come.
Alia Bhatt who is only 25 started as a child actor with Sangharsh (1999), but her debut in Bollywood as an adult heroine happened with Karan Johar’s Student of the Year in 2012. After six years and 10 films, she is now among the few dependable actresses filmmakers look beyond their regular roles for women. Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi will have Alia as an Indian spy who marries a Pakistani soldier for the love of her country has again proved the actor’s skills.
What is Raazi all about?
Junglee Pictures and Dharma Productions’ Raazi, directed by Meghna Gulzar, is an adaptation of Harinder Sikka’s novel, Calling Sehmat, and stars me and Vicky Kaushal in pivotal roles. I play a young, naive girl who decides to risk her life for her country.
How did you prepare for your part?
It was the most beautiful aspect as I did not have to enact anything, because a lot of technical preparation went into playing Sehmat. I had to improve my Urdu and then unlearn what I had picked up, because I play a Kashmiri and I wasn’t required to speak chaste Urdu or Hindi. I also learnt how to drive a Jonga (a kind of jeep used by the armed forces). Emotionally, one would have never been able to prepare for the journey I set out on, because once they started shooting, it was relentless. They even shot nine scenes a day once, and that’s something that I had never done before.
Which role was the most difficult for an actress- the daughter, the wife or the spy?
The guilt that Sehmat feels as a wife was the toughest to portray. What I learnt from the character was the sheer selflessness of people and the willingness with which they would give up everything for their nation. Someone once said to Sehmat that there is no such thing as a selfless deed, but she doesn’t think that is true, especially in this case. I don’t think I could have played a more selfless character than Sehmat. A parent putting a child’s interest before his or hers is a great deal, but to put your country’s interest before everything else is even greater.
How easy was it for you to transform yourself into Sehmat?
There were a lot of spy activities that I had to do on the sets and one of them was morse code. The film has a lot of intel that I transfer through morse. I actually had to memorize the codes and ended up mugging up all the codes. The terrifying part was when I had to drive a Jonga jeep. I have never driven in my life ever before so I was a little nervous about it because there is a very important sequence where I had to drive that car. My driving lessons happened in the basement of the Dharma Productions at 7 in the morning.
How was Meghna as the director?
Meghna was very clear that she wants the character of Sehmat to be a young, feminine and gentle girl who is a spy. So whatever I was learning was a genuine training session.
Which was your favourite sequence in the movie?
For some strange reason, I loved all the sly spy sequences in the movie where I was doing all the bugging and debugging,
Student of the Year chose you. Did you choose 2 States?
My debut film as an actress -Student of the Year chose me. I did not choose it. Similarly I’d say that 2 States chose me and I it was not the other way round because I was signed for the film within 15 days of the release of Student of The year. Yet I would have chosen the film anyway given the choice because I fell for the book when I had read it and I knew that it could be easily made into a good film. The film is about the North South face off.
Are you as outspoken as your dad Mahesh Bhatt?
The main difference between my dad and me is that though I am not as blunt as he is, whereas he does not mind talking too much.
What was your reaction when Highway did not do as well as it was expected to do at the box office?
I feel that Highway did better business than what was expected from it. Though frankly no one expected that the film would collect 100 cr at the box office, the live which people showered on the film was fantastic and mind boggling and it worked in favor of the film. I should confess that Highway swayed me not only personally but also a lot emotionally.
What do you like the most about your job of acting?
What I like about the job of acting is the fact that I get to live an entirely different life with each character that I set out to play in my films, whether it was Student of The Year or Highway or 2 States or Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya. It is all about getting the right note.
You shot to the top in a short period. How do you view competition?
I do not consider any actress to be a competitor or feel that I should try to keep other actresses at bay because first and foremost I do not view at the competition as a hostile factor as I feel that there is a place for every good actress in the film industry. Frankly, I feel that Parineeti Chopra and Shraddha Kapoor are my only competitors if you consider it on a healthy note.
What do you feel when you look back at your role as Shanaya Singhania in SOY?
Shanaya Singhania was a rich and pampered girl who was basically very witty and intelligent in Student of The Year. It was not difficult but different from what I am in real life. Not many are aware of the fact that I am good in Hindi because I had topped in Hindi in the 12th standard in school. I had taken Hindi, History and Arts as my subjects but was not interested in pursuing my graduation. Though my dad knew that I was raring to act, I was very keen on being launched by an outside production house.
Why do you say that Varun and Siddharth are like opposite poles?
Both Varun and Siddharth are like North and the South Pole. While Varun is loud and good at improvisation because he had studied at Barry John’s Acting School, and I used to feel inferior in front of him since I am not trained in the craft of acting, Sidharth is quite subtle, soft and relaxed and does not become nervous because he has already done modeling and is comfortable in front of the camera.
How will you describe Emraan Hashmi and Mohit Suri?
I am very happy for Emi because he is doing very well for himself as an actor. He is a great, easy and natural actor and though he is also from a filmi family, like me, he has had to struggle a lot to reach the position in which he is today. Mohit is also a cousin of mine and he has also evolved as a director and quite close to me. I am attached to my family. I am quite close to Pooja, Shaheen and Rahul. Shaheen is five years older to me and is interested in writing and not acting.
Who are your favourite directors?
My favorite directors are besides Karan, Anurag Basu and Raju Hirani. I’d be thrilled to do a film for Anurag if he feels that I am capable of doing his film.
How did you get the break?
The offer came to me all of a sudden when I was in Class 12th. I was actually planning to go in for drama studies. I confess I was nervous when I first met Karan but soon I realized that he was not only entertaining but also funny. I was pampered on the sets because I was the youngest
Was it a cakewalk to get your part?
I had first of all to shed 16 kgs, because I was quite overweight. I and to go on a crash diet and do a lot of work outs and avoid drinking Pepsi, eating cakes, ice cream, bread, roti and forego all the joys of life. I was not chosen just because I happen to be the daughter of Mahesh Bhat and Soni Razdan but I was selected out of the 500 girls who had to go through auditions for the part.
Why did you not opt for a launch pad by Vishesh Films?
Though my dad knew that I was raring to act, I was very keen on being launched by an outside production house and not that of our home production, because getting launched by my own dad and uncle was an easier option for me
What was dad’s reaction?
Dad was quite close to Yash Uncle since he had directed his films like GUMRAAH and DUPLICATE and hence was happy that I was being launched by Karan. I really feel that it is a great deal to be launched by Dharma Productions. I am grateful to Karan, who I had never met earlier though I remember having met Yash Uncle on the sets of GUMRAAH.
How tough was it for you to get into the shoes of Sanaya in the film?
You said it correctly. I had to get into the heels of the shoes that I was asked to wear to get into the skin of the character of Sanaya. It was not difficult but different from what I am in real life. The role required me to be stylish though I am not stylish in real life.
Your instinct seems to have worked very well, except for “Shaandaar”. What went wrong with that one film?
I still feel like the film I chose would have been fabulous. It didn’t pan out like that and a lot of things changed. Had those changes not happened, things would have been different. But I have no regrets, which is why whenever I go with my instinct, there’s always a satisfaction.
Where does this instinct come from?
I don’t know. I think your first gut feeling is the correct feeling. Whenever you do a film for the wrong reasons, it may or it may not pan out. Sometimes people do it because it is a good move, or the right move. I don’t know, maybe one day I will do a film for the wrong reasons and it will work for me. I don’t know because I have never tried that. I know this one way. Gut feeling is the best indicator because then you can’t blame it on anyone.
You play a girl who has a lot of pent-up emotions. Do you know people like that?
I am like that. I am expressive, but secretive about my emotions. One of the things that the film says is – it is OK not to be OK. I think that is really important.
What did your mum Soni advise you?
My mum told me that less is more and asked me to basically underplay my role if I have to make an effect on the audiences. I cherish her advice because besides being my mother and well wisher, she is also an actress as well as a director, having directed the film Nazar.
And what did your sister Pooja tell you?
Pooja is very sweet. She kept on reminding me how lucky I was to have got a break with Karan Johar right at the beginning of my career and advised me to love myself if I have to evolve as a good actress eventually, since she also loves herself a lot.
How is Karan Johar as a director?
Karan is a great director. What I like the best about him is that he lets you create your own magic without imposing himself on the actors.
Can you see yourself acting in the kind of films that your dad has been producing of late?
For me, Mr Mahesh Bhatt is not Mr Mahesh Bhatt but my father. What I like about dad as a writer is that all his films are hatke. Obviously I am far too young now and cannot do a film like say Jism. I would not want to do a film like Murder too, as I would not be comfortable.
Does it mean that you will never be part of films like Jism?
I do not mean to say that it is wrong to do such roles. I have appeared in a bikini in Student of The Year. I am comfortable when it comes to exposure, if the script demands that I do justice to my role.
What is your forte as an actress?
As an actress, I want to do all kinds of roles. Kareena is my inspiration. Look at the wide variety of roles that she has done till date. I’d like to be versatile like her and set out to do films like Jab We Met, Chameli and Golmaal 3. If a role is correct for me, I‘d see whether I’d be able to fit into the shoes of the character and relate to it
Is it true that Pooja Bhatt is planning to remake Dil Hai Ke Maanta Nahin?
Pooja has expressed her interest to make Dil Hai Ke Maanta Nahin since she feels that I can easily replicate her role in the film but has not yet taken a call. I’d love to do the part as and when Pooja offers me the film.
Filmography of Alia Bhatt
1999 Sangharsh
1999 Sangharsh
2012 Student of the Year
2014 Highway
2014 2 States
2014 Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania
2014 Ugly
2015 Shaandaar
2016 Kapoor & Sons
2016 Udta Punjab
2016 Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
2016 Dear Zindagi
2017 Badrinath Ki Dulhania
2018 Welcome to New York
2018 Raazi
