‘If Alia thinks she is the best, it will be the end’

Actor Soni Razdan hopes that daughter Alia Bhatt never lets success get to her head

Actor Soni Razdan is a proud mother. Her younger daughter Alia Bhatt, has emerged as one of the most bankable stars in Bollywood, and hers was a rapid ascent right from the start.

On how she feels about her daughter’s career, Soni says, “Alia wants to grow. She’s not complacent; I hope she is not. She doesn’t think she’s the best thing to happen to cinema. The day she thinks that, that will be the end, so she should never think so. It’s difficult when you are doing really well, and people keep telling you, ‘You are the best thing on the planet’.”

Soni adds that Alia remains unaffected by all the praise that comes her way each time her film fares well at the boxoffice. “That’s the good thing about Alia. She kind of has this ability to not be swept away by her own self. She focuses on her work, and that will help her a lot in the future,” says Soni, who turned a year older yesterday.

The senior actor, who began her career with the film 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981), is making sort of a comeback with the film, Yours Truly, that features her in the lead.

With the experience that she has gathered over the years, she has one piece of advice for Alia. “The day, as an actor, you start thinking you are great, something goes away from your performance. It’s not about you being great; it’s about you getting into a role and making that character breathe onscreen. That’s the true mark of a great actor. I hope this is something she’ll carry with her through her career,” Soni signs off.

PHOTO: AALOK SONI/HT Soni Razdan (left) with daughter Alia Bhatt