Alia Bhatt is crafting a significant legacy not just as an acclaimed actor but also as an entrepreneur, producer, and recently, a storyteller, with her daughter Raha and husband Ranbir Kapoor by her side.
Alia aims to avoid stress on Raha
Alia’s foremost aim is to avoid imposing any pressure on her daughter to follow a predetermined path. She emphasizes the importance of allowing Raha to discover her own unique identity, highlighting her belief that every child is born with a distinct personality.
Raha was born in November 2022, and Alia took her time before introducing her to the public eye, making her first official appearance in December 2023 during Christmas. During an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times, Alia opened up about her natural instincts as a mother guiding her decisions.
Alia’s Importance of individuality for her daughter
Alia mentions, “My approach to the legacy I wish to build as both an actor and a mother isn’t something I’ve meticulously planned. The decisions I make concerning my child stem from a very instinctive place, balancing meticulousness with spontaneity.”
She further stresses the importance of individuality for her daughter, affirming her intention to let Raha grow into her true self without constraints. Her aim is for Raha not to feel compelled to conform to expectations that don’t resonate with her, a philosophy she shares with Ranbir Kapoor.
Alia and her business world
Beyond her acting career, Alia ventured into the business world with her sustainable apparel brand, Ed-a-Mamma, launched in 2020. Furthermore, her foray into storytelling has recently seen her publishing a children’s picture book, ‘Ed finds a Home’, marking the start of a new series.
Alia is also expanding her horizons in cinema, preparing for a groundbreaking role as a super agent alongside Sharvari in the YRF Spy Universe’s first female-led film, under Shiv Rawail’s direction.
On the topic of her acting philosophy, Alia remarked that the roles she plays on-screen may not always reflect her personal values, underscoring the distinct separation between an actor’s professional and personal decisions.
Àlia uses Shah Rukh Khan as her analogy while selecting movies
However, she admitted that her projects often encapsulate themes she feels passionate about, such as women’s empowerment, family values, and kindness, among others.
Explaining her selection process for movies, Alia used Shah Rukh Khan as an analogy, expressing how his representation of love elicits joy and warmth, an effect she aspires to reproduce through her diverse film choices.
In essence, Alia aspires to create an unquantifiable legacy, hoping to leave an emotional imprint on people’s hearts, somewhat akin to the spontaneous happiness that Shah Rukh Khan brings to his fans..
Transitioning to a Storyteller
Her debut into children’s literature, “Ed Finds A Home,” aims to kindle a passion for nature in young readers. This marks the inaugural publishing effort by Ed-a-Mamma, collaborating with Puffin, a branch of Penguin Random House India. The creation of the book saw her partner with Vivek Kamath, Shabnam Minwalla, and Tanvi Bhat.
Discussing the project, Alia remarked, “The concept for the book originated long ago, well before the pandemic’s onset. It traces back to when I launched Coexist, an initiative intended to foster a harmonious relationship between humanity and the Earth… I discovered my life’s primary goal is storytelling.
Hence, I decided it was crucial to begin with a profound yet straightforward story for children, one that influences them from a young age,” she concluded.