'Raha Now Asks Me Where I’m Going': Alia Bhatt Opens Up At Red Sea Film Festival

Alia Bhatt reveals daughter Raha now asks where she’s going, discusses motherhood, global events, authenticity, and how her mindset has evolved since the Red Sea International Film Festival

Alia Bhatt at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2025

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Alia Bhatt returned to the Red Sea International Film Festival this year, but the experience, she said, felt markedly different. The actor revealed that her daughter Raha is now old enough to notice her absence — and even query it. “Now Raha has her own relationship with the paparazzi, and is old enough to ask me where I am going, and when I will be back," Alia shared, adding that her toddler has already developed her own equation with the media.

Alia explained that motherhood has further strengthened her belief in “authenticity,” a quality she said guides the majority of her creative decisions today. According to her, audiences respond strongly to what feels real — even if reactions are not always uniform.

Alia on Managing Global Red-Carpet Moments

Discussing her increasing global presence at events like Cannes and the Met Gala, Alia joked that the glamour usually ended the same way — “in my pyjamas eating pizza.” She acknowledged that while these high-pressure appearances may seem effortless from the outside, they come with their own share of chaos.

Reflecting on her early years, the actor said she had been “all over the place” in her twenties. “I’m still enthusiastic and full of beans, but the approach is more silent,” she said. With time, she added, success and failure inevitably make one more cautious.

‘Part of Me Wants to Hold On to That Girl at 18’

Alia spoke at length about how her attitude toward her work — and herself — had changed with age and experience. “When I was young…I’m still young, but when I was in my 20s, I was all over the place, trying to do everything,” she said. She recalled entering rooms fearlessly at 18, driven by instinct and without preconceived notions.

Today, however, her choices come from a place of intention. “I think now with success, with failure, with knowing, sometimes you tend to become a little more tentative,” Alia admitted. Yet she emphasized her desire to remain curious “no matter what happens in the future.”

Alia on Nepotism and International Representation

Asked whether representing India on world stages created pressure, Alia said it felt more like pride than responsibility. When a Pakistani fan asked if she would visit their country someday, the actor sidestepped the topic diplomatically, saying she would go wherever work took her.

Addressing nepotism, she reiterated a belief she has voiced before: “When the audience saw someone ‘bringing something to the table, sab kuch maaf hai.’”