Alia Bhatt already seems to be getting experimental - after playing a fashion-conscious and arrogant young girl in her debut film "Student Of The Year" she will now be seen as a deglamourised character in "Highway". She says she won't do something as bizarre as going bald for a movie, but she's game to being bold.
Her father, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, is known to have produced several bold movies like "Murder", "Jism" "Raaz" and "Kalyug" and Alia doesn't find it tough to take up bold roles.
So what if she started her career with a typical Karan Johar film? The actress said: "I would love to do a film like 'Murder'."
"As far as my limitations are concerned, I would never shave my head for any role and so far as bold scenes are concerned, I have no issues at all," the 20-year-old told IANS in an interview here.
Her connect with her father goes beyond her appreciation for his body of work. She keeps her personal life private, but admits she turns to him for advice regarding her professional decisions.
"I don't discuss my personal life with my father, but I discuss my work with him a lot. We have become closer since I have become an actor. My mother (Soni Razdan) tries to ask everything, but I keep things to myself," she said.
As a person, she believes she is like her father.
"I have his will power. I am like him and I value my audience," she said.
Alia is also very sensitive and protective of what people say of her family members.
"I don't like it when people go on about my family. Because of me, they bring in my father and sister (Pooja Bhatt) and I don't like it. Write as much as you want to about my clothes...I don't care, but I am very protective about my family.
"It affects me a lot and that's the only thing that goes down badly. Still, I have a very strong person inside me," said the petite actress, who wonders if the people who write stories about her repeating her clothes, ever repeat their clothes or not!"
Nevertheless, her focus is now on the Friday release of Imtiaz Ali's "Highway".
While she made her debut with newcomers Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra, it was a new ballgame to work with an experienced actor like Randeep Hooda in "Highway". She admitted she was apprehensive.
"Initially, I was a little apprehensive about it but when you start shooting, you forget the person in you and get more involved with the character.
"There were times when I would take lesser takes than Randeep or at times more, but I don't feel it's right to think that if someone is taking a long time for a scene, he or she is not a good actor.
"I think it's not the take that matters, you must hit the emotions at the right time. If I take eight takes for those emotions, then also it means the same to me," she added.
Alia is confident that "Highway" will get a good opening and she credits this to its director.
"This film is not about the opening. It is about the word-of-mouth. I think the opening will not be because of me, it will be (because of) Imtiaz. He is a brand name and people have loved his films.
"And the love for a particular film lasts more than the box office," Alia concluded.
(Uma Ramasubramanian can be contacted at umasagit@ians.in)
