Alia Bhatt says she was initially defensive when asked about nepotism, later realised her privilege

Alia Bhatt is the daughter of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and actor Soni Razdan. She debuted in Bollywood with Karan Johar's Student of the Year in 2012.

Actor Alia Bhatt has opened up about facing questions on nepotism during the early days of her career. Speaking with InStyle Australia, Alia also shared that she was naive about her privileged position before entering the Hindi film industry. Alia made her Bollywood debut with Karan Johar's film Student of the Year in 2012.

Alia Bhatt was last seen in Heart of Stone.(PTI)

Alia Bhatt on her privileged position

In the interview, Alia said, “I was aware that my family was in the movie industry so I naturally was also more inclined towards it, but it’s not like my father ever spoke to me like, ‘Oh, the day you want to act, we will give you this movie'. He never brought that up. Never. And, in fact, my mum struggled as an actor. Not many people know this. She was always looking for more work as an actor, she doesn’t feel like she got her acting due, and this is being married to a director and producer. You know, I’ll find a way to just enjoy that passion, even if I don’t make it big as an actor. I always had that doubt. It was not like it was ever a sure thing.”

Alia Bhatt on nepotism

Talking about questions on nepotism during the initial days of her career, Alia said, “My initial response to it was very defensive because I just felt like, you know, I work hard, so why the question? But I think with time and with age, you realise that there’s a lot of struggle in the world and there is a case to be made in acknowledging the headstart and acknowledging I had an easier path to get into the room.”

About Alia Bhatt

Alia is the daughter of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and actor Soni Razdan. They got married on April 20, 1986. The couple welcomed daughter Shaheen Bhatt in November 1988 and Alia in March 1993. Mahesh is also a father to actor-director Pooja Bhatt and Rahul Bhatt, who he shares with his ex-wife Kiran Bhatt.

All about Alia's projects so far and her upcoming films

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.

Alia also made her Hollywood debut this year with Heart of Stone. Alia will be next seen in Farhan Akhtar’s next directorial film Jee Le Zaraa which also stars Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif in the lead roles.