Have you heard? Alia Bhatt on launching newcomers; Rashmika Mandanna collaborates with HYBE
Updated On: 13 September, 2026 08:20 AM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist Team
Fourteen years after her acting debut, Alia Bhatt is now backing new talent as a producer with Don’t Be Shy. The coming-of-age romantic comedy gives four newcomers their big-screen break and marks Sreeti Mukerji’s directorial debut
Alia Bhatt and Rashmika Mandanna. Pics/AFP, Instagram
Love of art
Fourteen years after stepping in front of the camera with Student of the Year (2012), Alia Bhatt is now pulling the strings behind it, and giving four newcomers their big-screen break with Don’t Be Shy. The coming-of-age romantic comedy, which she is producing with sister Shaheen Bhatt, also marks Sreeti Mukerji’s directorial debut. And if Alia thought being the star was nerve-racking, she admits launching new talent comes with its own butterflies. “Fourteen years later, I am introducing four new actors and a director. And I’m way more nervous than they are. It gives me another level of joy,” said Alia at the trailer launch.
For those chasing dreams
Becoming one of India’s biggest pan-India star, Rashmika Mandanna knows a thing or two about taking that first leap. Now, she is passing the baton to aspiring artistes as she joins Hybe India’s audition campaign. Encouraging young women, she said, “Every journey begins with an opportunity and the courage to take that first step. There are so many girls who dream of becoming artistes, I hope they make the most of this chance.” The audition is open to women born between 2005 and 2011.
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