Rise and shine

In December 2015, Shaheen Bhatt, in an article for a fashion glossy, wrote about how her little sister, Alia Bhatt, at the age of five, wanted to be a “star” and nothing else. “At the age of five she had her mind made up—she was going to be a star,” wrote Shaheen. “It’s not a decision she ever questioned and that unwavering certainty is the only thing I have ever envied her for. While I went back and forth between vet, astronaut, writer and unemployed millionaire, Alia always staunchly maintained that she was going to act. And act, she did.”

When you talk to Bhatt, now one of the most sought-after actors in Bollywood, you realise that she does not even have a hobby other than acting. Her ‘hobbies’ are going to the gym or a Pilates workout. She nonchalantly says, “I never thought of doing anything else. I think the lack of a plan B drives me to do better in the only plan I have.”

A year after Shaheen’s column, Bhatt has three more films to her credit. A total of eight in a four-year career. The year began on a good note for her with Kapoor & Sons, followed by the controversial and hard-hitting Udta Punjab, which saw her playing a Bihari migrant, and the most recent Dear Zindagi in which her urbane portrayal of Kaira has been applauded by many.

Kaira is broken, but childlike. She chuckles when Jug (Shah Rukh Khan), the psychiatrist, tells her a few amusing stories. Much like Kaira, at times during our conversation, Bhatt, too, chuckles. And every time she does that, she reminds you of all her appearances—onscreen as well as live. At one film awards function, which I had been a part of, almost two years ago, Bhatt indulged in banter with Shah Rukh Khan—the host that night—after receiving an award. On Khan’s request, she broke into an impromptu jig. She came down from the stage, checked with her manager if she had performed well, and then, on her way back to the green room, spoke about Khan, quite fondly.

The fondness comes across in our conversation too. Kapoor & Sons, her first film this year, doesn’t see her in a central role. You quiz her about selecting it and she quotes Khan. “Being part of a good film matters more,” she says. “Shah Rukh once told me that there’s no small part, there are always small actors—it’s up to you, how big you make that part. How you make that your own. Sometimes, actors come in one scene and make their presence felt. The screen time doesn’t matter, screenplay does.”

Her understanding is much clearer than you would think. Shakun Batra, who first worked with her in Genius of the Year (a 10-minute spoof video which Bhatt made after she got the name of the president of India wrong in an episode of Koffee With Karan and was mocked for her lack of general knowledge) and more recently directed her in Kapoor & Sons, says that she is very evolved as an actor. “She is mature when it comes to work,” he says. He recalls that many people had said she might not accept the role in Kapoor & Sons because it was not a central character. “But she said yes immediately after reading the script. That’s where maturity plays a part.”

Batra says that Bhatt’s ability to connect with the characters is what helps her excel. “She always understands the characters inside out.”

Bhatt recalls how people were doubtful about whether she would be able to convincingly play a Bihari migrant worker in Udta Punjab who goes through physical as well as substance abuse. “It was such a different world, a complete departure from the reality I have seen,” she confesses. She does not know a single person like the characters in Udta Punjab. “It was an alien world for me. We live in a bubble. We are busy with our own lives. We are not even aware that a space like that exists,” she says.

But, Bhatt had to put her point across. She was really sure about the film. “I liked the screenplay, I liked my character and I also liked each of the other characters in the film,” she says. Besides the technical preparation—the body language and the dialect—the only thing that she could do was “empathise”. “Try to see and understand the psyche of the character, her circumstances, her struggles. That was the only way I could emote,” she says.

To portray Kaira, she repeated the same process. “I could connect to Kaira more because she is a city girl. She is kind of cool,” she says. But then every role has its challenges. Kaira was broken inside. “It’s a personal thing, something that has scarred you for life,” she says. “To get that was quite a big challenge. I had to constantly keep in mind that Kaira’s struggle is my struggle; that this is the conflict I am going through, the one thing that I cannot discuss with people. I am sure everybody is scared of talking about what’s not working out for them.”

Her only fear is failure—professionally or personally. She took the criticism for Shaandaar last year in her stride, but it deeply affected her. This year she came back with three strong performances and is set to star in a slew of films in the coming years. She has a bag full of endorsements too.

Critic and trade analyst Vinod Mirani says that the willingness to experiment is helping her image. Taking every role as a challenge works in her favour. “Both in terms of films and cracking the brand deals. Age, too, is on her side,” he says.

As for Bhatt, she does not look back. “I don’t even look too much ahead. I focus on now, on this moment,” she says. The actor adds she does not evaluate her journey. “That is for others to do. I know things are going well and that’s how I want it to be.”