Alia Bhatt turns 30: Let’s revisit her journey from SOTY’s bubbly girl to Gangubai Kathiawadi’s mafia don

Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt recently clinched the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke trophy as the Best Actress for her stellar performance in Gangubai Kathiawadi. Now, the actress is prepping up for her upcoming Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani opposite Ranveer Singh. 

Born on March 15, 1993 into the Bhatt family to director Mahesh Bhatt and actress Soni Razdan, Alia turns 30 today. Though Alia didn’t have an impressive start as a lead actress, with her efforts and charisma, she won the hearts of movie lovers which finally led her to bag the Dadasaheb Phalke award.

Here’s a sneak peek into her filmy career. 

Before debuting in Karan Johar’s Student Of The Year in 2012, Alia played a minor role in Sangharsh as a child artist. Ace filmmaker introduced three young faces to Bollywood with the teen film, including Sidharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan. In SOTY, Alia portrayed the character of bubbly and proud Shanaya Singhania. Though Alia was awarded Best Female Debutant at the 58th Filmfare Awards and was praised for her onscreen performance, she also had to face criticism. 

However, two years later, she gained the trust of movie lovers in Highway as an actress and not as a nepo kid or a bubbly girl. Her performance in the movie alongside Randeep Hooda was highly appreciated. 

Be it 2 States with Arjun Kapoor or Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Alia continued an impressive journey with her onscreen character portrayal. 

Next, it was Udta Punjab with which again she grabbed the limelight. She continued to win the hearts of movie lovers as well as critics in Dear Zindagi, Raazi and Gully Boy. Even she garnered appreciation for Kalank and Darlings. 

‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial ended up as one of the highest-grossers of 2022 (Rs 209 crore) and also established Bhatt a breakout global star as the film created waves in not just India but several countries across Asia like Thailand, Japan, South Korea etc. and was one of the most watched non-English films on Netflix. Bhatt was equal parts luminous and menacing as Gangu Bai, the bordello madam turned politician who fights tooth and nail to empower the sex workers of Kamathipura.

Bhatt in Udta Punjab took on one of the most challenging roles of her career – Bauria a destitute migrant worker from Bihar who ends up in the human trafficking and drug peddling racket. Although she was not the protagonist in the movie, Bhatt stole the show as a vulnerable yet gritty woman who hides nerves of steel beneath her frail, impoverished exterior. She nailed each gut-wrenching scene without fail.

With a continual play in Bollywood, Alia forayed into Tollywood with RRR sharing screen space with Ram Charan and Jr NTR. RRR will be remembered as the first Indian movie to clinch the prestigious Oscars this year for its original song Naatu Naatu. Though Alia didn’t have a major role in RRR, she will be remembered as a part of the historic movie. 

Following RRR, she featured in Brahmastra: Part One- Shiva alongside hubby Ranbir Kapoor. The movie went on to script a remarkable success at the box office and Ranbir was conferred with Dadasaheb Phalke Award as the Best Actor. However, Alia was brutally criticised by movie lovers for her character Isha. 

There was a time when movies used to be ‘male-dominated’ with all credits going to the male actors. However, time has changed and female actors have started carrying the burden of the entire movie on their shoulders. Alia with her impeccable performances in a bunch of movies has proven her calibre and talent as an actress. Filmmakers certainly can blindly bet on Alia for her proficiency in acting.

After Bollywood and Tollywood, Alia paved the way to leave her footprints globally with her Hollywood debut in Heart of Stone. However, all eyes are on her next Hindi movie Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani. Directed by Karan Johar, the movie also stars Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, Shabana Azmi and Ranveer Singh. With multiple veteran actors on board, the expectations of movie lovers are likely to remain high. 

Throughout her acting career spanning over a decade, Alia has allured movie lovers with different impressive characters. With time and the growing requirements, Alia has shaped herself to fit into the characters. And possibly, she won’t leave any stone unturned to maintain her charisma onscreen and impress movie lovers with her performances.