‘I CAN’T GET TOO ATTACHED TO SUCCESS OR FAILURE’
Alia Bhatt says she has ‘understood the balance’ required in her ‘obsession with work’ and that beyond a point, she has to withdraw
It’s a rare feat of sorts that since her debut in 2012 [with Student of The Year], Alia Bhatt hasn’t witnessed too many professional [box-office] setbacks. But 2019 was an aberration. While on one hand, she got rave reviews for her outing in Gully Boy, she also starred in Kalank that didn’t draw many to the theatres. And the actor readily admits the “disappointment” that came along with the failure.
“Anyone who goes on a journey that you have a lot of expectations from is going to feel a certain kind of disappointment. Till date, I have not had too many failures; maybe just two. And my learning through both of them has been very different. But the main thing I’ve learnt is that you’ve to keep your head down, work hard and give your best at everything you do. Sometimes, you’ll go right and at times, you’ll go wrong as well,” says the actor.
Alia, who has had several hits to her credit by now, feels that failures have only “taught her invaluable lessons”. “As an actor, an entertainer and even as a person, I have understood the balance that is required in my obsession with work, wherein I am very ambitious and passionate about films, acting, the art and everything. But beyond a point, I can’t get too attached to the successes or the failures,” says the actor, who has a packed line-up this year with several back-to-back biggies.
“I derive my joy and happiness from being in front of the camera and learning through people I interact with on sets — whether it’s my director, co-actors or even the technicians. That’s my bliss. And after that, whatever happens, is the result of the hard work that everybody puts in. Hopefully, one goes more right than wrong but I feel sometimes, you have to go wrong to understand the importance of going right. And that’s something that is not in your control,” says Alia.
Vis-à-vis her film choices, Alia has been mixing it up since the start of her career, and she continues to do the same in 2020 as well. But does she find a lot of difference in terms of approaching her parts in completely dissimilar films such as Raazi (2018) and Gully Boy? “Shooting for Raazi was a little emotional [experience], also because I shot it at one go, with no break. Probably, that’s why the character connected and stayed with me. But vis-àvis Gully Boy, the way I looked at the character was really fun and easy. It was like a break from all my other intense characters,” she says.
Hopefully, one goes more right than wrong but I feel sometimes, you have to go wrong to understand the importance of going right.
ALIA BHATT, ACTOR