‘Alia Has Astounded Me’: Mahesh Bhatt Says Daughter Is Self-Made, Calls Ranbir Kapoor ‘Laid-Back’

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has praised daughter Alia Bhatt for carving her own path in Bollywood, calling her a ‘self-made girl’ despite industry privilege.

Mahesh Bhatt says he never saw Alia Bhatt’s acting fire coming.

Source : Instagram/@aliaabhatt

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt didn't launch his daughter Alia Bhatt, and he’s the first to admit he never saw her screen potential coming. In a candid conversation on The Himanshu Mehta Show podcast, Bhatt praised the actor’s fearless choices, calling her "a self-made girl" who keeps surprising him as both an artist and a person.

“I’m very happy she’s a self-made girl. Alia has astounded me! What is unique about her is that she has a taste for taking risks, and she’s taken detours into diverse narratives,” Mahesh Bhatt shared. Reflecting on her transformation after motherhood, he added, “There’s a coming-of-age of a different kind, a different kind of maturity in her.”

He also recalled being taken aback by her audition for 'Student of the Year'. "I didn’t launch Alia Bhatt. Karan Johar launched her… I was shocked because I hadn’t seen any such traits in her,” he said.

Mahesh Bhatt on Nepotism

Bhatt didn’t shy away from addressing the nepotism debate either. "Nepotism is a reality, but it’s also not. Just because my child is talented, that doesn’t mean I disqualify them,” he said, while also acknowledging how access still creates imbalance: "Talented people don’t even get access for years."

Speaking about Alia’s relationship with husband Ranbir Kapoor, he noted how different the two are in temperament. He described the 'Ramayana' actor as “laid-back” and admitted Alia continues to astonish him on every front.

The couple married in 2022 and welcomed their daughter Raha later that year.

On the work front, Alia is on a roll — from a cameo in 'War 2' to a lead in 'Alpha', she’s also currently shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s epic drama 'Love & War', co-starring Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal.