Alia Bhatt: Princess on Her Terms

2016 has been a fruitful year for Alia Bhatt. From the non-glamorous country girl in Udta Punjab to the urban day girl in Dear Zindagi, she explored various roles and played them to the ‘T’. For a girl in her early twenties, stardom might seem like a big deal, but this actress makes a new beginning with every new sun. With this approach, she is all set to catapult to great heights in the coming year. Nawaz Kochra gets into a free-wheeling tete-a-tete with the youngest and currently most popular Bhatt prodigy, about her latest film, working with bigwigs of B’town, future plans and what not.

- Nawaz Kochra

How dear was your zindagi while shooting with Gauri Shinde and Shah Rukh Khan?

(Laughs) Quite dear! Obviously it was quite a fresh experience for me, not only because I was working with Shah Rukh Khan or Gauri Shinde for the first time, but because the film was like that. You cannot compare this film to another film, the story was so different. So I felt very different while working for the film, and different is always dear.

Why was the film called Dear Zindagi?

The answer to that, I guess, would be that when we speak to life or we write to someone, we use the word ‘dear’. So, when you speak to life, what would you say? Dear zindagi. So the film was about life, and a letter to life.

How much did you relate to your character in the film?

A lot. In fact, I related to this character the most from all my films. Not that I’ve done 50 films, but I related to it the most. That was because the situations were so relatable. There were a few traits that I couldn’t relate to. She was way too impulsive, but I am someone who won’t say much, or rather, think and then say anything.

How do you keep yourself positive?

It’s very difficult to stay positive always. What I try to do is not be negative. Maybe, you cannot be totally positive, but you shouldn’t be negative either. You can stay in-between. Being negative is a waste of emotion and time.

What is your biggest takeaway from Shah Rukh Khan?