Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt has spoken up about how she was confronted with allegations of nepotism at the beginning of her career. Before joining the Hindi film business, Alia admitted to being ignorant of her privileged status in an interview with InStyle Australia. In 2012, Alia made her Bollywood debut in the movie Student of the Year, directed by Karan Johar.
In the interview, Alia stated, "I was aware that my family was in the film industry, so I naturally was also more drawn towards it, but it's not like my father ever spoke to me like, 'Oh, the day you want to act, we will offer you this movie'. He never mentioned it. My mother suffered as an actor, in reality. Few individuals are aware of this. Despite being married to a director and producer, she felt that she wasn't getting enough acting work and was always seeking more.”
When asked about nepotism in the early stages of her professional career, Alia remarked, "My original answer to it was extremely defensive because I just felt like, you know, I work hard, so why the question? However, I believe that when you become older and see that there are many others who struggle, you may make a case for appreciating my head start and the simpler route I took to enter the room.”
Alia is the daughter of actress Soni Razdan and director Mahesh Bhatt. The two exchanged vows on April 20, 1986. Shaheen Bhatt, the couple's daughter, was born in November 1988, and Alia was born in March 1993.
After Student of the Year, Alia featured in Highway, 2 States, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Shaandaar, Kapoor & Sons, Udta Punjab, Dear Zindagi, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, Raazi, Gully Boy, Kalank, Gangubai Kathiawadi, Darlings, Brahmsstra: Part One: Shiva, and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, among others.