Alaya F

FIERY AND FASHIONABLE, BOLLYWOOD'S LATEST "IT GIRL' LETS US IN ON HER FAMILY DYNAMICS, MOVIES AND WHAT MAKES HER TICK

Alaya F is perky and oozes high-octane glamour before the camera. She became Bollywood's new 'it girl with her debut in the 2020 sleeper hit Jawaani Jaaneman with Saif Ali Khan and Tabu, breezy comedy highlighting the coming-of-age story of a young girl as she comes to terms with her divorced parents and their shenanigans. No one expected Alaya to make as big an impact as she did her performance was confident and remarkably polished for a fresher.

The pandemic may have put a temporary pause on her film releases, though Alaya shot two projects back-toback since her first release. Coming up next year is Freddy with new-age heartthrob Kartik Aryan and Ekta Kapoor's next production U-Turn.

“Both are wonderful roles and projects that I really love! I'm very excited for people to see me do what I love once again. Most of my two-year career went by in two lockdowns. So I've decided that 2022 will be the year that I'll be out there and make my mark," Alaya says.

Serendipity has played a significant role in her fledgling career. “It happened the way all movies happen! With hard work, some good timing and a lot of luck," says the actor who is especially gung-ho about Freddy. “I don't want to give away too much yet because there are so many fun and interesting stories about how Freddy happened for me. I want to tell them when the time is right! It's a very special movie.'

Family first

Jawaani Jaaneman was a poignant debut for Alaya, given that her real-life parents, too, are divorced like her reel life ones. But the similarity ends there. Alaya's mum Pooja Bedi and dad Farhan Furniturewallah, who parted ways when she was very young, are still great friends, and the 23-year-old enjoys a unique bond with both of them.