Alia Bhatt
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Alia Bhatt (; born 15 March 1993) is a British actress of Indian descent who predominantly works in
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
films. Known for her portrayals of women in challenging circumstances, she has received several accolades, including a
National Film Award The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...
and six
Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Indian cinema.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were introduced by Filmfare magazine of The Times G ...
. She is one of India's highest-paid actresses. ''Time'' awarded her with the Time100 Impact Award in 2022 and named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2024. Born into the Bhatt family, she is a daughter of filmmaker
Mahesh Bhatt Mahesh Bhatt (born 20 September 1948) is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter known for his works in Hindi cinema. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Mahesh Bhatt, a number of accolades, including four Nati ...
and actress Soni Razdan. After making her acting debut as a child in the 1999 thriller film '' Sangharsh'', she played her first leading role in
Karan Johar Karan Yash Johar (born Rahul Kumar Johar; 25 May 1972), often informally referred to as KJo, is an Indian filmmaker, producer and television personality who primarily works in Hindi cinema. He has launched the careers of several successful ac ...
's teen film '' Student of the Year'' (2012). She won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for playing a kidnapping victim in the road drama ''
Highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It includes not just major roads, but also other public roads and rights of way. In the United States, it is also used as an equivalent term to controlled-access highway, or ...
'' (2014) and went on to establish herself with starring roles in several romantic films produced by Johar's studio Dharma Productions. Bhatt won Filmfare Awards for Best Actress for playing a victim of drug abuse in the crime drama '' Udta Punjab'' (2016), an undercover spy in the thriller '' Raazi'' (2018), a possessive girlfriend in the musical drama '' Gully Boy'' (2019), and the
title role The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piëce. The title o ...
of a prostitute in the biopic '' Gangubai Kathiawadi'' (2022). The last of these also earned her the
National Film Award for Best Actress The National Film Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India since 1968 to an actress for the best performance in a leading role within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry. ...
. She expanded to film production with the black comedy '' Darlings'' (2022) and had her biggest commercial success in the fantasy film '' Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva'' (2022) and the romantic comedy '' Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani'' (2023). The last of these earned her a record-tying fifth Best Actress award at Filmfare. In addition to acting, Bhatt supports various charities and is an investor and prominent brand endorser. She founded an
ecological Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels. Ecology overlaps with the closely re ...
initiative, CoExist, in 2017, a production company, Eternal Sunshine Productions, in 2019, and a
sustainable Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...
clothing brand, Ed-a-Mamma, in 2022. Bhatt has sung eight of her film songs, including the single " Samjhawan Unplugged" in 2014. She is married to actor Ranbir Kapoor, with whom she has a daughter.


Early life and background

Bhatt was born into the Bhatt family on 15 March 1993 in
Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...
(now Mumbai), India. She is a daughter of Indian filmmaker
Mahesh Bhatt Mahesh Bhatt (born 20 September 1948) is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter known for his works in Hindi cinema. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Mahesh Bhatt, a number of accolades, including four Nati ...
and British actress Soni Razdan. Her father is of Gujarati descent, and her mother is of Kashmiri-Pandit and German-British ancestry. Bhatt holds British citizenship. She is the granddaughter of producer-director
Nanabhai Bhatt Nanabhai Bhatt (12 June 1915 – 24 April 1999) was an Indian film director and producer who worked in Hindi cinema, Hindi and Gujarati cinema. He is known for making over a hundred fantasy and mythological films, including ''Mr. X'' (1957), ' ...
. She has an elder sister, Shaheen, and two half-siblings, Pooja and Rahul Bhatt. Actor Emraan Hashmi and director Mohit Suri are her paternal cousins, while producer Mukesh Bhatt is her uncle. Educated at the Jamnabai Narsee School, Bhatt dropped out of her
twelfth grade Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...
to pursue acting. Describing her childhood, Bhatt said, "I had a rather grounded and modest upbringing. I didn't get the pleasures that people assume I would've got because I am Mahesh Bhatt's daughter." Growing up, she was not close with her father; Razdan said that she raised her children mostly as a single parent as her husband did not take much interest in their lives. Bhatt said that as a child, she "didn't miss him as such because I did not really have him", adding that they developed a closer bond only when she became an actress. Bhatt aspired to act from a young age, saying that she first realised her interest while rehearsing for the school choir in kindergarten. She soon began dance lessons at Shiamak Davar's institute. Her first acting role was at age five in her father's production venture '' Sangharsh'' (1999), in which she briefly played the younger version of Preity Zinta's character. Talking about her experience, Bhatt later remarked that she did not remember much of it. At age nine, she auditioned for a role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film ''
Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
'' (2005), but did not get the part. Three years later, Bhansali cast Bhatt opposite Ranbir Kapoor, who is 10 years her senior, to make their debuts in his film ''Balika Vadhu'', which was shelved.


Career


Early work and breakthrough (2012–2015)

Bhatt had her first leading role in 2012 with
Karan Johar Karan Yash Johar (born Rahul Kumar Johar; 25 May 1972), often informally referred to as KJo, is an Indian filmmaker, producer and television personality who primarily works in Hindi cinema. He has launched the careers of several successful ac ...
's teen film '' Student of the Year'', alongside newcomers Sidharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan. She auditioned alongside 500 girls and was cast by Johar on the condition that she lose , which she did in three months. She played a sophisticated teenage girl involved in a love triangle. Anupama Chopra of ''
Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter o ...
'' mentioned similarities between her character and Kareena Kapoor's role in Johar's (2001), but noted that her performance was "without the killer attitude". Lisa Tsering of ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' dismissed her as "a washout", finding her "inelegant in the dance numbers" and her "expressions o belimited". The film grossed at the box office, becoming a commercial success. Dismayed by the critical response to ''Student of the Year'', Bhatt was keen to play a challenging role. She found it in Imtiaz Ali's coming-of-age film ''
Highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It includes not just major roads, but also other public roads and rights of way. In the United States, it is also used as an equivalent term to controlled-access highway, or ...
'' (2014), in which she starred as a young woman from a wealthy family who, after being abducted, develops
Stockholm syndrome Stockholm syndrome is a proposed condition or theory that tries to explain why hostages sometimes develop a psychological bond with their captors. Emotional bonds can possibly form between captors and captives, during intimate time together, ...
towards her captor (played by Randeep Hooda). She took diction lessons to improve her
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
, and was challenged by the emotional and physical requirements of the part. Ali shot the film sequentially and several scenes were improvised on set based on Bhatt's reactions. She said that several aspects of her character's journey mirrored her own, as it was the first time she experienced situations that were different from her own privileged upbringing. Ronnie Scheib of '' Variety'' took note of her "endearingly cockeyed perf" and commended her for "bringing an underlying sadness and wistful intelligence" to her part. The film underperformed at the box office, though Bhatt won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress and also gained a Best Actress nomination at the ceremony. Also that year, she led ''Going Home'', a short film directed by
Vikas Bahl Vikas Bahl is an Indian filmmaker, best known for directing Chillar Party (2011), ''Queen (2013 film), Queen'' (2013), ''Super 30 (film), Super 30'' (2019), and ''Shaitaan (2024 film), Shaitaan'' (2024). Early life and education Bahl was born a ...
for '' Vogue India'' to promote women's safety. Continuing her collaboration with Johar's company, Dharma Productions, Bhatt starred in the romantic films '' 2 States'' and '' Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania'' (both 2014). The former was an adaptation of
Chetan Bhagat Chetan Prakash Bhagat (born April 22, 1974) is an Indian author, columnist, screenwriter, and YouTuber. He was included in ''Time (magazine), Time magazine’s'' list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2010. Several of his nove ...
's novel of the same name, and is about two management students who have trouble convincing their parents of their relationship. For her role as a headstrong Tamil girl, she learnt to speak her lines in
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
with help from a tutor. Shubhra Gupta of ''
The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...
'' was appreciative of Bhatt, labelling her "easy and fresh and natural". She played a girl who has an affair before her wedding, in ''Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania'', directed by Shashank Khaitan. It was described as a tribute to '' Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge'' (1995) by Johar. Writing for ''
India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media, Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' laun ...
'', Rohit Khilnani thought that Bhatt had pitched in "one of her best performances so far", though Nandini Ramnath of ''
Mint Mint or The Mint may refer to: Plants * Lamiaceae, the mint family ** ''Mentha'', the genus of plants commonly known as "mint" Coins and collectibles * Mint (facility), a facility for manufacturing coins * Mint condition, a state of like-new ...
'' found her lacking in subtlety, writing that she was "more comfortable acting out her feelings through dialogue and actions". Both films were commercially successful, each earning over worldwide. The box-office performances of her films in 2014 established her career. Bhatt reunited with Bahl for the romantic comedy '' Shaandaar''. Released in 2015, the film features
Shahid Kapoor Shahid Kapoor (; born 25 February 1981) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films. Initially recognised for portraying romantic roles, he has since taken on parts in action films and thrillers, and is the recipient of List of awards and n ...
and Bhatt as insomniacs who fall in love during a
destination wedding A wedding is a ceremony in which two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnicity, ethnicities, Race (human categorization), races, religions, Religious denomination, denominations, Cou ...
. Kunal Guha of '' Mumbai Mirror'' criticised the film and wrote that Bhatt "socks life into her character but fails to pump any into this film". The film did not perform well commercially.


Career progression (2016–2021)

Bhatt began 2016 with a supporting role in Shakun Batra's ensemble drama '' Kapoor & Sons'', starring alongside Malhotra and Fawad Khan, which was a critical and commercial success. She next took on the part of a poor Bihari migrant in '' Udta Punjab'' (2016), a crime drama about
substance abuse Substance misuse, also known as drug misuse or, in older vernacular, substance abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods that are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder, differing definition ...
from writer-director Abhishek Chaubey. The intense role marked a departure from the mostly light-hearted parts she had played before, and in preparation, she watched documentaries on drug abuse and learned to speak a Bihari dialect. The film's depiction of drug use generated controversy and censorship in India. Bhatt's performance was critically acclaimed. Raja Sen of Rediff.com wrote that she "commits to her accent and deals with the film's most unsavoury section, and is stunning during an incendiary speech that elevates the entire film to a whole other level." She next played a troubled young woman who consults with a therapist (played by
Shah Rukh Khan Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as the "Padishah, Baadshah of Bollywood" and "King Khan", he has Shah Rukh K ...
) in Gauri Shinde's coming-of-age film '' Dear Zindagi'' (2016). Writing for IndieWire, Anisha Jhaveri commended her for providing millennial angst with "a three-dimensionality". ''Udta Punjab'' and ''Dear Zindagi'' gained Bhatt awards attention; for the former, she won the Screen Award and the Filmfare Award for Best Actress, and for the latter, she received an additional Best Actress nomination at Filmfare. The series of successful films continued with her next projectthe romantic comedy '' Badrinath Ki Dulhania'' (2017)which reunited her with Khaitan and Dhawan. It tells the story of an independent young woman (Bhatt) who refuses to conform to patriarchal expectations from her chauvinistic fiancée (Dhawan). Rachel Saltz of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' took note of the film's statement on
gender equality Gender equality, also known as sexual equality, gender egalitarianism, or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making, an ...
and wrote, "Without ever falling into the clichés of spunky Bollywood heroine, hatteffortlessly embodies that admirable thing: a modern woman." She received another Filmfare nomination for Best Actress. Meghna Gulzar's espionage thriller '' Raazi'' (2018) starred Bhatt as Sehmat Khan, a Kashmiri spy married to a
Pakistani Pakistanis (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. As much as ...
army officer (played by Vicky Kaushal). Set during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the film is an adaptation of Harinder Sikka's novel '' Calling Sehmat''. The film was shot entirely in a span of 48 days and Bhatt found herself emotionally drained by the experience. Anna M. M. Vetticad of ''
Firstpost Firstpost is an Indian news website owned by Network18 Group, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC TV18. It has posted misinformation on multiple occasions. The Network 18 group was originally owned by Raghav Bahl. In January 2012, the gro ...
'' wrote that she displayed "the maturity and confidence of a veteran on camera". Writing for the journal ''
Film Quarterly ''Film Quarterly'' (FQ), published by University of California Press, is a journal devoted to the study of film, television, and visual media. When FQ was launched in 1945 (then called ''Hollywood Quarterly''), it was considered "the first serious ...
'', Bilal Qureshi believed that her performance captured the film's humanist themes. ''Raazi'' proved to be one of the highest-grossing female-led Hindi films, and its success led
Box Office India Box Office India is an Indian film website dedicated to tracking, reporting, and analyzing the financial performance of films released in the Hindi entertainment industry. Established in 2003, Box Office India has become a prominent source of ...
to credit Bhatt as the most successful contemporary actress of Hindi cinema. She won another Best Actress award at Filmfare. Bhatt launched her own production company named Eternal Sunshine Productions in early 2019. Her first appearance that year was opposite Ranveer Singh in Zoya Akhtar's '' Gully Boy'', a musical inspired by the life of the street rappers
Divine Divinity (from Latin ) refers to the quality, presence, or nature of that which is divine—a term that, before the rise of monotheism, evoked a broad and dynamic field of sacred power. In the ancient world, divinity was not limited to a singl ...
and Naezy. She attended acting workshops to learn Bambaiya Hindi to enable her to improvise on set. The film premiered at the
69th Berlin International Film Festival The 69th annual Berlin International Film Festival took place from 7 to 17 February 2019. French actress Juliette Binoche served as the Jury President. Lone Scherfig's drama film '' The Kindness of Strangers'' opened the festival. The Golden ...
. Writing for ''
Screen International ''Screen International'' is a British film magazine covering the international film business. It is published by Media Business Insight, a British B2B media company which also owned '' Broadcast''. The magazine is primarily aimed at those involv ...
'', Lee Marshall opined that "it's Bhatt's sharp performance that carries most successfully the mix of wry humour, romance and social comment that ''Gully Boy'' essays". With global earnings of over , the film emerged as Bhatt's highest-grossing release to that point. ''Gully Boy'' won a record 13 Filmfare Awards, and Bhatt was awarded with her career's third Best Actress trophy. The ensemble period drama '' Kalank'' (2019) marked Bhatt's biggest-budget film to that point. Set in the 1940s prior to the
partition of India The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India, Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Paki ...
, it featured Dhawan and her as star-crossed lovers. She watched the films ''
Mughal-e-Azam ''Mughal-e-Azam'' () is a 1960 Indian Epic film, epic historical drama film produced and directed by K. Asif. Starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, and Durga Khote, it follows the love affair between Mughal Empire, Mughal Prince ...
'' (1960) and '' Umrao Jaan'' (1981) to learn the body language of women from the era; to better her
Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
-speaking skills, she watched the Pakistani television series '' Zindagi Gulzar Hai''. Shubhra Gupta bemoaned that she was "watchable, if increasingly, exasperatingly familiar". The film did not perform well at the box office. Bhatt next starred in '' Sadak 2'' (2020), a sequel to her father's crime film '' Sadak'' (1991), which, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in India The COVID-19 pandemic in India is a part of the COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). As of , according to Indian government ...
, could not be released theatrically and instead streamed on
Disney+ Hotstar Disney+ Hotstar, also known as JioHotstar or simply Hotstar, is an Indian subscription video-on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Disney Star. The brand was introduced as Hotstar for a streaming service carrying content from Di ...
. The death of Sushant Singh Rajput sparked a debate on nepotism in the Hindi film industry; his fans blamed Bhatt for being one of the beneficiaries of nepotism and for once speaking dismissively of Rajput on Johar's chat show '' Koffee with Karan''. This led to vote brigading on the film's trailer on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
, on which it became the second most-disliked video to that point. The film received negative reviews, and Pallabi Dey Purkayastha of ''
The Times of India ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...
'' dismissed Bhatt's performance "by her own high standards" to be "strictly average".


Established actress (2022–present)

Bhatt gained further success in 2022. She portrayed the
title role The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piëce. The title o ...
of a prostitute in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's biopic '' Gangubai Kathiawadi'' (2022), which premiered at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival. In preparation, she studied the work of actress Meena Kumari, and watched films such as '' Mandi'' (1983) and '' Memoirs of a Geisha'' (2005). Commenting on media speculation that Bhatt had been miscast in such an assertive part, Saibal Chatterjee of
NDTV New Delhi Television Ltd is an Indian news media company focusing on broadcast and digital news publication. It was founded in 1984 by economist Prannoy Roy and journalist Radhika Roy. NDTV began as a production house for news segments, ...
opined that "the actress puts all doubts to rest with a marvellously lively performance". Additionally, Stutee Ghosh of ''
The Quint ''The Quint'' is an English and Hindi language Indian general news and opinion website founded by Raghav Bahl and Ritu Kapur after their exit from Network18. The publication's journalists have won three Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism ...
'' commended her for playing the part with a "rare mix of innocence and jaw clenching seething anger". It emerged as her third release to gross over worldwide. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' featured her portrayal in their listing of the best big-screen performances of all time, and she was awarded with her fourth Best Actress award at Filmfare in addition to the
National Film Award for Best Actress The National Film Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India since 1968 to an actress for the best performance in a leading role within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry. ...
(shared with
Kriti Sanon Kriti Sanon (born 27 July 1990) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. She has received a National Film Award and two Filmfare Awards, and was featured in ''Forbes India'' Forbes Celebrity 100, Celebrity 100 list of 2019. Af ...
for '' Mimi''). Cultural professor
Rachel Dwyer Rachel Dwyer is a professor of Indian Cultures and Indian cinema, Cinema at SOAS, University of London. Life Dwyer took her BA in Sanskrit at SOAS, followed by an MPhil in General Linguistics and Comparative Philology at the University of Oxford. ...
noted, "Meena Kumari was a heroine of the post-Independence cinema ust asAlia Bhatt is of today’s post-Bollywood". In the same year, Bhatt took on a brief role in the Telugu-language period film '' RRR'', starring
N. T. Rama Rao Jr. Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao Jr. (born 20 May 1983), popularly known as NTR Jr, is an Indian actor, producer, and television presenter who primarily works in Telugu cinema. He is one of the highest-paid actors in Indian cinema and has been featur ...
and Ram Charan. Even though she learnt to speak her dialogues in the language, a dubbing artist voiced her lines. It emerged as the third highest-grossing Indian film of all time. She next starred as a victim of domestic abuse in the
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
black comedy film '' Darlings'', which marked her first production venture under her company Eternal Sunshine Productions. Namrata Joshi found her to be "perfectly at home in the role of an ordinary Mumbai chawl girl". The film became the most watched Indian film globally in its opening weekend on Netflix, and won her the Filmfare OTT Award for Best Actress in a Web Original Film. In her final release of 2022, Bhatt starred opposite Ranbir Kapoor in
Ayan Mukerji Ayan Mukerji (born 15 August 1983) is an Indian filmmaker who works in Hindi films. A member of the Mukherjee-Samarth family, he is known for his collaborations with actor Ranbir Kapoor under Karan Johar's production banner Dharma Productions. ...
's fantasy film '' Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva''. The first part in a planned trilogy, the film took five years to film. Made on a production and marketing budget of around , the film is one of the most expensive Indian films. Simon Abrams of the
TheWrap ''TheWrap'' is an American online news organization that covers the business of entertainment and media. It was founded by journalist Sharon Waxman in 2009 and is based in Los Angeles. The site features original reporting, analysis, and editor ...
bemoaned that Bhatt had been underused in a poorly written part, and disliked her chemistry with Kapoor. It earned to rank as the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2022. Bhatt reunited with Johar for his directorial, the romantic comedy '' Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani'' (2023), co-starring Ranveer Singh. Filming and release were delayed by a few months due to her pregnancy. Praising her look in the film, WION's Shomini Sen believed that Bhatt had improved upon a predictable character, but preferred the meatier role of Singh. Earning over worldwide, it emerged as the year's seventh highest-grossing Hindi film. She won her fifth Best Actress award at Filmfare, tying the record for most wins in the category with Nutan and Kajol. Bhatt expanded to American cinema in the same year with '' Heart of Stone'', a Netflix spy film co-starring Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan. Playing a villainous computer hacker, she performed her career's first action sequences while pregnant. Critics panned the film; IndieWire's Kate Erbland wrote that Bhatt "sells a role that is thinly written to the point of insult". The film had strong viewership on Netflix. Bhatt attached herself as an executive producer on the crime drama series '' Poacher'' for its streaming release on
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in 2024, after it premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. In '' Jigra'', an action thriller produced under Dharma Productions and her company Eternal Sunshine, she played a troubled woman who attempts to rescue her brother (played by Vedang Raina) from an East Asian prison. Bhatt said that she was drawn to the protective character due to the recent birth of her daughter. Citing it as one of her weaker performances in a mixed review of the film, Saibal Chatterjee was appreciative of her against-type portrayal of a heroic character challenging gender norms. ''Jigra'' emerged as a
box office bomb A box-office bomb is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the combined production budget, marketing, and distribution costs exceed the revenue after release has te ...
. Bhatt will next join the YRF Spy Universe in a female-led instalment titled ''Alpha'', and will reteam with Bhansali in the romantic drama ''Love & War'', co-starring Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal.


Other work


Singing and stage performances

Bhatt has performed playback singing for the song "Sooha Saaha" in ''Highway'' (2014).
A. R. Rahman Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967), also known by the initialism ARR, is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and philanthropist known for his works in Indian cinem ...
, the composer of the film, invited her to his
music school A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger in ...
to undergo training. In the same year, she sang the acoustic version of the song "Samjhawan", for the composers Sharib- Toshi, in ''Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania''. For the soundtrack of ''Udta Punjab'' (2016), she sang an alternate version of the song "Ikk Kudi", with her co-star Diljit Dosanjh. She reunited with Dosanjh in 2024 for the song "Chal Kudiye" from the soundtrack of ''Jigra''. Bhatt has performed on stage at the
Filmfare ''Filmfare'' is an Indian English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of India's most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, reviews, events, ...
, Screen and Stardust award ceremonies, and has also participated in a stage show in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
alongside Dhawan and Malhotra. She participated in a charity event with Dhawan, Malhotra, Aditya Roy Kapur, Shraddha Kapoor and Huma Qureshi to raise funds for the victims of the 2013 North India floods. She also performed in various cities of America for the "Dream Team 2016" tour, alongside Johar, the actors Dhawan, Malhotra, Roy Kapur, Katrina Kaif, and Parineeti Chopra, and the singer Badshah.


Philanthropy

Bhatt supports various causes and charitable organisations. She took part in a campaign for
PETA People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; ) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. Founded in March 1980 by Newkirk and animal right ...
in 2013 to raise awareness on homeless animals. In 2021, PETA India named her as the Person of the Year for her work in support of an animal-friendly fashion industry and her advocacy for dogs and cats. She joined a charity fundraiser in 2015 organised by Cuddles Foundation for cancer-stricken children, and in 2017, she performed in a fashion show to support the cause. Also in 2017, she launched an ecological initiative named CoExist to raise awareness about the welfare of street animals. The initiative launched a donation drive that year, to make dog collars from discarded denims. Bhatt collaborated with Facebook for a campaign named Find Your Green, to campaign for
environmentalism Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement about supporting life, habitats, and surroundings. While environmentalism focuses more on the environmental and nature-related aspects of green ideology and politics, ecolog ...
. In 2018, Bhatt joined
Aamir Khan Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, and television personality who works in Bollywood, Hindi films. Referred to as "Mr. Perfectionist" in the media, he is known for his work in a variety of film g ...
's Paani Foundation; she visited Latur, a village in
Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
, and helped Khan with on-ground
watershed management Watershed management is the study of the relevant characteristics of a watershed aimed at the sustainable distribution of its resources and the process of creating and implementing plans, programs and projects to sustain and enhance watershed f ...
work. She also launched an initiative named Mi Wardrobe is Su Wardrobe (MiSu), through which she auctioned clothes from her personal wardrobe to provide electricity to a village in
Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...
. Bhatt collaborated with the Indian arm of the NGO ActionAid in 2021 to provide essentials to underprivileged communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, she became the first actress from India to partner with the
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group International Limited is a multinational hospitality and management group focusing on luxury hotels, resorts, and residences, with a total of 43 properties worldwide, 20 of which it either wholly or partially owns ...
for their "I'm a Fan" campaign, through which she raised funds for the Salaam Bombay Foundation, which helps underprivileged adolescents. Under MiSu, Bhatt sold the
sari A sari (also called sharee, saree or sadi)The name of the garment in various regional languages include: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * is a drape (cloth) and a women's garment in the Indian subcontinent. It consists of an un-sti ...
s she wore in her film ''Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani'' (2023) to raise funds for women's healthcare. The following year, she hosted a charity gala in London for the Salaam Bombay Foundation.


Entrepreneurship

Bhatt designed her own clothing line for women in 2014 for the online fashion portal Jabong.com and in 2018, she launched her own line of handbags for
VIP Industries VIP Industries is India's largest luggage manufacturing company which manufactures luggage and travel accessories. It is based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India and is the world's second-largest and Asia's largest luggage maker. The company has mor ...
. She is also an investor in the beauty company Nykaa and in India's first
biomaterial A biomaterial is a substance that has been Biological engineering, engineered to interact with biological systems for a medical purpose – either a therapeutic (treat, augment, repair, or replace a tissue function of the body) or a Medical diag ...
startup Phool.co. In 2022, she launched her own
sustainable Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...
maternity and children's clothing brand, named Ed-a-Mamma. For helping to nurture kids’ love for animals and nature, Ed-a-Mamma was awarded the PETA India's Vegan Fashion Award for Best Vegan Kidswear Brand in 2021. As of July 2023, the company has an estimated valuation of . In September that year,
Reliance Retail Reliance Retail is an Indian retail company and a subsidiary of Reliance Industries. Founded in 2006, it is the largest retailer in India in terms of revenue. Its retail outlets offer foods, groceries, apparel, footwear, toys, home improvement ...
acquired a majority stake of 51% in the company. The following year, Bhatt wrote the children's picture book ''Ed Finds a Home'', the first part in a planned ''The Adventures of Ed-a-Mamma'' series, about a young girl with supernatural abilities.


Personal life

Bhatt has frequently combated negative attention, including online
trolling In slang, a troll is a person who posts deliberately offensive or provocative messages online (such as in social media, a newsgroup, a internet forum, forum, a chat room, an Multiplayer video game, online video game) or who performs similar be ...
, for benefiting from nepotism within the Hindi film industry. When asked about how she deals with it, she said, "Of course, I felt bad. But feeling bad is a small price to pay for the work that you are respected and loved for." This criticism has extended to Johar, who often praises her publicly and casts her in most of his productions; their critics believe that this favouritism comes at the cost of opportunities for other actresses. Johar defended his admiration of Bhatt by saying that he feels parental towards her. During an appearance on Johar's talk show ''Koffee with Karan'' in 2014, Bhatt incorrectly named
Prithviraj Chauhan Prithviraja III (IAST: Pṛthvī-rāja; 22 May 1166 – February 1192), popularly known as Prithviraj Chauhan or Rai Pithora, was a king from the Chahamanas of Shakambhari, Chauhan (Chahamana) dynasty who ruled the territory of Sapadalaksha, w ...
as the
President of India The president of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, and the commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the Indian Armed ...
. This led to widespread trolling of Bhatt's IQ. Bhatt countered this by acting in a satirical
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
video for All India Bakchod, named ''Alia Bhatt - Genius of the Year''. Journalist Malavika Sangghvi noted that by making fun of herself, Bhatt had "managed to counter all her critics and, in fact, endear herself to them". Early in her career, Bhatt was reluctant to discuss her personal life, stating that she would never publicly talk about her relationships. Despite media speculation, she did not speak about dating actor Sidharth Malhotra, but spoke fondly about their bond in 2019, after they had broken up. In 2018, Ranbir Kapoor, her co-star in ''Brahmāstra'', revealed that he and Bhatt were dating. They married on 14 April 2022 in a traditional Hindu ceremony at their apartment in Mumbai. On 6 November that year, she gave birth to their daughter, Raha. As of 2022, Bhatt lives primarily in Mumbai, and also has a home in London. In 2023, she called out two
paparazzi Paparazzi (singular form paparazzo) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people, such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities who go about their daily life routines. Paparazzi are known f ...
for invading her privacy by taking pictures of her in her living room from an adjoining building. In the book ''Being Bollywood: Postfeminism, Celebrity Culture and Femininity in the Global South'' (2023), author Viraj Suparsad wrote that Bhatt was among a new generation of Indian actresses who successfully balanced her professional life alongside marriage and motherhood. He also took note of how she had to portray herself as subscribing to existing social mores of domestic servitude to not alienate a largely patriarchal audience. In 2024, Bhatt revealed that she was diagnosed with
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple con ...
.


Media image and artistry

The writer Sucharita Tyagi describes Bhatt's personality as "funny, endearing, silly and unapologetic". The journalist Raja Sen, in 2022, described Bhatt as "petite compared to her contemporaries" and wrote that she uses her "girlishness and diminutive size" to surprise those who might underestimate her ability to play certain roles or dominate the screen. Suhani Singh of ''India Today'' wrote that despite her petite frame, she "can appear larger than life on screen". Laura Zornosa of ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' magazine believes that Bhatt specialises in playing "fiercely tenacious lead roles", and Liz Kang of
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
has identified a theme of "dynamic, unconventional female characters in troubling circumstances". Journalist Ishita Sengupta, writing for '' Frontline'', noted that she has "played women who have opinions, ambition, independence, and intent. But more crucially, they have the space to be unlikeable." Ranjita Ganesan of Rediff.com opined that she is "known for her moving portrayals of breakdowns". Bhatt relies on instinct and spontaneity in her performances. Her directors, Meghna Gulzar and Shakun Batra believe that she prepares extensively for a part, but according to Gulzar, she internalises her character and ultimately "act from her gut". Bhatt said that she does not deconstruct her craft, believing that "I'd become a machine rather than a human being", adding that she chooses contrasting projects to "satisfy my extremely impatient, monotony-abhorring kind of brain". Analysing Bhatt's career trend, Ganesan believed that unlike her contemporaries, she quickly emerged as a bankable star. Trade journalist Joginder Tuteja calculated that by 2022, she had a "track record of 13 hits out of 15 releases". Box Office India ranked Bhatt as the most successful Hindi film actress in both their 2018 and 2023 reports. In 2023, journalist Rajeev Masand named her one of Hindi cinema's best actresses of all time. '' Forbes Asia'' has featured Bhatt in their 30 Under 30 list of 2017 and in their 100 Digital Stars list of 2020. She has appeared in ''
Forbes India ''Forbes India'' is the Indian edition of ''Forbes'', which is managed by the Reliance Industries-owned media conglomerate, Network 18. History and profile Since its founding in 2008, ''Forbes India'' has achieved a circulation of 50,000 copies ...
'' Celebrity 100 list since 2014, peaking at the eighth position in 2019. That year, the magazine estimated her annual income to be and listed her as the highest-paid actress in the country. In 2018 and 2019, the Indian edition of '' GQ'' featured her among the nation's 50 most influential young people and credited her for "striking a balance between big-budget, all-star blowouts and more script-oriented films". Bhatt was listed in first place in ''The Times of India''s "50 Most Desirable Women" list of 2018, and she was named the "Sexiest Asian Woman" by the UK magazine '' Eastern Eye'' in 2019. In 2020, ''Eastern Eye'' also featured her in their dynamic dozen for the decade list. Also in 2018, the market research firm
YouGov YouGov plc is a international Internet-based market research and data analytics firm headquartered in the UK with operations in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. History 2000–2010 Stephan Shakespeare and Nadhim ...
named her India's ninth most influential celebrity. The magazine '' Femina'' has featured her in listings of women achievers in 2019 and 2021. From 2022 to 2025, she was featured in ''The Indian Express''s listing of the most powerful Indians, and she was featured in a similar list by ''India Today'' in 2023. Also in 2022, ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' magazine awarded her with the ''TIME''100 Impact Award. In the same year, she was also placed in ''
Outlook India ''Outlook'' is a weekly general interest English and Hindi news magazine published in India. History and profile ''Outlook'' was first issued in October 1995 with Vinod Mehta as the editor in chief. It is owned by the Rajan Raheja Group. Th ...
''s "75 Best Bollywood Actresses" list. ''Variety'' featured her in their listing of the Impactful International Women of 2023. In the same year, the British newspaper ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...
'' featured her among the 25 most influential women and '' Business Today'' featured her in their listing of the most powerful women in business. She was also featured by the Indian edition of '' Hello!'' magazine in their 100 most influential list. In 2024, ''Time'' named Bhatt as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and the Gold House organisation featured her in their 100 most impactful Asians list. In 2020, Bhatt was invited to join the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...
. In 2023, she was named the first Indian global ambassador for the luxury brand
Gucci Guccio Gucci S.p.A., doing business as Gucci ( , ), is an Italian Luxury goods, luxury fashion house based in Florence. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and ...
. As ambassador, she attended Gucci's fashion shows in
Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
and at the
Milan Fashion Week Milan Fashion Week () is a clothing trade show held semi-annually in Milan, Italy. Upcoming autumn/winter fashions are showcased in February/March of each year, and upcoming spring/summer fashions are showcased in September/October of each year ...
. The following year, she was announced as one of the global ambassadors for the beauty brand
L'Oréal L'Oréal S.A. () is a French multinational personal care corporation registered in Paris
, and walked for them at the
Paris Fashion Week Paris Fashion Week (, commonly ) is a series of designer presentations held semi-annually in Paris, France, with spring/summer and autumn/winter events held each year. Dates are determined by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. Pa ...
. Bhatt is the celebrity endorser for a number of other brands and products, including
Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...
, Garnier and
Maybelline Maybelline New York (formerly The Maybelline Company and Mabelline and Co.), trading as and commonly known as simply Maybelline ( ), is an American multinational cosmetics, skin care, perfume, and personal care company, based in New York City. ...
. Bhatt's brand value was estimated by Kroll Inc. (formerly Duff & Phelps) to be US$36.5 million in 2018, the eighth-highest among Indian celebrities. With a brand value of US$68.1 million, she held the seventh position for the next two years; she peaked at the fourth position in 2021 and 2022, with an increased brand value of US$102.9 million in the latter year. The following year, she placed fifth, with a value of US$101.1 million. As of October 2023, she is the third most-followed Indian actress on Instagram.


Accolades

Bhatt won the National Film Award for Best Actress for ''Gangubai Kathiawadi'' (2022). She received the Filmfare Award for Best Actress a record-tying five times for her roles in ''Udta Punjab'' (2016), ''Raazi'' (2018), ''Gully Boy'' (2019), ''Gangubai Kathiawadi'' (2022) and ''Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani'' (2023), in addition to the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for ''Highway'' (2014). She also won the Filmfare OTT Award for Best Actress in a Web Original Film for ''Darlings'' (2022).


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bhatt, Alia 1993 births Living people Alia British film actresses British female models British playback singers British people of Indian descent British people of Gujarati descent British people of Kashmiri descent British people of German descent Gujarati actresses Kashmiri people Actresses in Hindi cinema Actresses in Telugu cinema British expatriate actresses in India Best Actress National Film Award winners Filmfare Awards winners Bollywood playback singers Screen Awards winners Zee Cine Awards winners International Indian Film Academy Awards winners 21st-century British actresses People with Overseas Citizenship of India People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder