Alia Bhatt interview: Choice of roles, fear of failure and upcoming films

Alia BhattStriking up a conversation with Alia Bhatt is easy Known for being candid she constantly springs surprises with her unique take on everything After a successful 2016 the young actress is gearing up for her upcoming film Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya Alia talks about her choice of roles why she fears failure and why she likes to be the quintessential Hindi film heroineAfter Dear Zindagi there is an image of you being an opinionated young girl that everyone looks up to Has this feeling sunk in yetNot really I detach myself from a film after it releases especially when it becomes successful This is when it becomes dangerous for any actor My father always says people who have tasted success will feel they have nailed it and made it big in the process they tend to take things easily which is not a good thing I actually tend to forget the aftermath and go back to square one and start afresh I won a lot of honours at recent film awards galas and everyone told me to celebrate in a big way but I refrained as I wanted to focus on working harder A lot of people say I am a youth icon it feels nice but I dont really let it go to my headIs this thought process the reason behind the daring choices you have made in BollywoodYes because I dont want to be rehearsed about my choices and become complacent There is an image of me being strong minded but what if I want to do a film which is a masala entertainer If I start taking myself seriously then I wont be able to make such choicesDid you always have a plan in mind about the kind of films you want to doI always wanted to become an actor and not just another pretty face When Student Of The Year 2012 released a lot of people wrote me off but I didnt feel bad There was never a vendetta to prove them wrong I knew I would be able to prove myself but I didnt know when it would happen Luckily it happened in my second film Highway 2014 I feel people would kill for a debut like mine and I love that kind of cinema where I feel like a complete Hindi film heroine I want to merge a good role with a great storyDo you fear the constant attention that comes with being a star and being successful Fear is a dominant emotion in a performers life As an actor I constantly fear failure There is a fear of being insecure Sometimes there is a fear of too much attention and at the same time when you dont get it you fear that too I think the way to deal with it is that I need to focus on the longevity of my work My father says as human beings we are constantly trying to be immortal either through our work or in our personal life I try and interact with all my fans and that is not because in return I will get constant love but because till the time I am here I want to make my journey worthwhileWith love comes criticism too There are times when actors who dont belong to a filmi family often complain of nepotism How do you look at itI think a star kid can get that first film due to nepotism But to constantly get films just because you belong to a filmi family is not possible I dont want to take any names but there have been many examples of sons and daughters of lineage who have come and gone without achieving anything What about that Eventually people come to see you as an actor and not because your family is famous and you cant fool them I am aware people do struggle to make a mark in the industry but its not right to blame nepotism I didnt plan my birth in the Bhatt family Laughs I cant change that and today I am successful not just because my family is famous but also because I have worked hard and you cant take it away from meYou have always been known as the industrys little girl from SOTY After so many films and these many successes you think it has changedNot until another little girl comes along Laughs I think I will always remain the young girl in the industry but I dont think so far Its fun because you get pampered a lotThere is already talk about your next film Gully Boys with Ranveer Singh Have you started preparing for itI havent started on it yet We have discussed the script with Zoya Akhtar director but I guess we will do it once we are done with Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya I cant wait to work with her I have worked with Ranveer in a few commercials and I am excited to team up with him in a film Both of us are passionate about our work so it is going to be an amazing journey