After the four back-to-back masala entertainers, Alia could have easily been typecast as the girl-next-door capable of just song and dance. However, she left the critics stunned with Udta Punjab where she played a Bihari migrant who becomes an unlikely victim of rampant drug trade. Almost unrecognisable and with few dialogues, Alia broke hearts with the violence her character suffered in the film. But just like the climax of the movie, the actor achieved victory in her career as well. The film faced several cuts at the hands of the censor board and leaked before its release but Alia won praise for her portrayal — every bit as important as box office figures.
Alia Bhatt’s career choices have been unpredictable.
A resounding victory for Alia, Dear Zindagi has her playing Kaira, a young woman with serious emotional baggage. With some deep yet breezy help from Shah Rukh Khan, Alia effortlessly carried the film on her shoulders and made her character believable and empathetic.
After this film, she again returned with a romcom in Badrinath Ki Dulhania, her third film with Varun Dhawan. As a woman who walks away from her wedding to forge her own career, Alia again brought pizzazz to the role.
From the masala entertainer, she went on to play Sehmat in Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi. The vulnerability she infused in the delicate but strong-willed Sehmat tugged at the heartstrings of the audience. The actor not only proved that she can deliver hits single-handedly, she also showed that she can deliver mature performances well beyond her years. Raazi went on to become her biggest solo hit and highest grosser of her career.
After Gully Boy, Alia has two more releases this year. With a period multi-starrer Kalank opposite her favourite co-star Varun and a fantasy flick Brahmastra opposite boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor, the future certainly looks bright but equally unpredictable for Alia.