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Alia Bhatt (born March 15, 1993, Mumbai [Bombay], India) is an Indian-born actress known for her contributions to contemporary Bollywood cinema. She is celebrated for her endearing screen presence, versatility, and success at the box office. She is also an entrepreneur, producer, and fashion trendsetter. Bhatt belongs to a new wave of Bollywood stars who use the acute lens of social media to frame their cinematic achievements. She was featured on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people of 2024.
Early life and family
Bhatt was born to filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and actress Soni Razdan. She is of multicultural heritage with Gujarati, Kashmiri, British, and German ancestry. Her elder sister Pooja Bhatt was a leading Bollywood actress in the 1990s. Alia Bhatt is married to actor Ranbir Kapoor, who is part of a vast film dynasty. Each generation of the Kapoor family has produced prominent members of the film industry: Prithviraj Kapoor; his sons Raj, Shammi, and Shashi Kapoor; Raj’s sons Randhir and Rishi; Randhir’s daughters Karisma and Kareena. Randhir Kapoor’s wife, Babita, and Rishi Kapoor’s wife, Neetu Singh, were also prominent actresses of their time.
Career and stardom
Bhatt’s exposure to the film world at a young age was instrumental in her choice of an acting career. As a child, she had a brief role in Sangharsh (1999; “Struggle”), cowritten by her father. In 2012 she played the female lead in Student of the Year, helmed by filmmaker Karan Johar, who would go on to cast her in subsequent projects directed or produced by him. The success of Student of the Year made stars of Bhatt and actors Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra, the film functioning as a launchpad for the three young performers.
Critical and commercial success
Established as a box office draw with her first film, Bhatt next starred in Highway (2014)—a critically acclaimed film that dealt with the subject of sexual abuse and challenged Bhatt as a performer. Her next films tapped into her commercial popularity while also exploring complex depths. She played a survivor of sexual assault in Udta Punjab (2016; “Flying Punjab”), a young woman struggling with mental health issues in Dear Zindagi (2016; “Dear Life”), an Indian spy living in Pakistan in Raazi (2018; “Agreement”), and a possessive romantic partner in Gully Boy (2019; the film was India’s official Oscar entry the next year).
Other films from this period include 2 States (2014), Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014; “Humpty Sharma’s Bride”), Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017; “Badrinath’s Bride”).
Bhatt delivered a career-defining performance in the title role of Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022), playing a sex worker turned social activist. The role won her the National Film Award for best actress. The same year she appeared in the blockbusters RRR and Brahmastra Part One: Shiva (“Weapon of Brahma”). In 2023 she starred in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (“The Love Story of Rocky and Rani”), which was well received both at the box office and by film critics.
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National Film Award for best actress
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Gangubai Kathiawadi (2023)
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Filmfare Award for best actress
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Udta Punjab (2017)
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Raazi (2019)
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Gully Boy (2020)
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Gangubai Kathiawadi (2023)
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Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2024)
Producer and international career
Bhatt made a double debut as producer and streaming star in the 2022 Netflix release Darlings, a black comedy that tackled the sensitive subject of domestic violence. In 2024 she starred in and produced her second film, Jigra (“Courage”). She made her Hollywood debut in the Gal Gadot-led Heart of Stone (2023), playing a hacker. Bhatt represents the fashion house Gucci as a brand ambassador; in 2024 she was praised for wearing a sari (a traditional Indian garment) to the Met Gala, an international fashion fundraising event held annually.
Off-screen work
Bhatt is an entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. She launched Ed-a-Mamma, a maternity wear and children’s clothing brand, in 2022. She has collaborated on a fashion range with the e-commerce portal Jabong (since acquired by Myntra) and a handbag line with top Indian luggage manufacturer VIP Industries. She is an investor in the beauty company Nykaa and the biomaterial start-up Phool.co. She supports various charitable causes related to animal welfare and sustainability. Bhatt has been associated with Bollywood actor Aamir Khan’s Paani Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works on drought prevention and watershed management in rural India.
Controversies
Bhatt has often been subject to criticism and derision on social media platforms, such as in 2014 when she failed to correctly answer a general knowledge question on the talk show Koffee With Karan hosted by Karan Johar. She was widely praised for her response to the controversy, in which she took control of the narrative by collaborating with a comedy collective on a self-deprecatory, satirical video titled “Alia Bhatt: Genius of the Year.” Bhatt has frequently been accused of benefiting from nepotism and endures intense public scrutiny of her personal life.
