Alia Bhatt on nepotism: I acknowledge that I have a privilege

Alia Bhatt has time and again, found herself in the center of the nepotism debate in India. The actress is the daughter of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and actress Soni Razadn and was launched by Karan Johar in 2012. Bhatt has over a period of time, proved her mettle as an actor yet has been often called a product of nepotism. Now, in a recent cover story for Harper's Bazaar Arabia, the actress has opened up about her thoughts on nepotism.

"It has definitely come up a lot in conversation over the last couple of years. The long and short of it is, I empathise. I understand that it's possibly been easier for me to get through the door than maybe the next person. And I compare my dreams to another person's dreams: no dream is bigger or smaller, or more intense. Everybody's dreams are the same, everybody's desire is the same," said the actress.

Bhatt also acknowledged that she had a relatively early start thanks to her family lineage.

"I completely understand where that conversation comes from. The only thing I can say is that I acknowledge the fact that I have gotten that head start. I acknowledge the fact that I do have that privilege, which is why I give 100 percent every day and I never take my work for granted. The only thing I can do is keep my head down and keep working."

Also see:Alia Bhatt becomes first Indian brand ambassador for Gucci

The debate on nepotism started on Karan Johar's chat show Koffee With Karan, when Kangana Ranaut labelled Karan Johar as the "flagbearer of nepotism," when she made an appearance on his chat show in 2016. Johar has been known to launch fresh faces in Bollywood through his movies - some of these actors belong to film families.

Alia also spoke about cancel culture and how she deals with it. "I have many thoughts. I also have many opinions. But I also feel like the world is full of opinions right now. So, I think the kind of person I want to be is one that keeps my opinions to myself and leads with kindness and silence. Because we're missing a lot of that. And yeah, I do feel people are very quick to judge. But there's also a lot of good in the world that's happening. So I choose to focus on that, and as long as I'm not adding to the noise and staying away from it, I'm okay."

Bhatt will be making her Hollywood debut later this year in Heart Of Stone co-starring Gal Gadot. She also has two Bollywood releases lined up - Karan Johar's Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani with Ranveer Singh, and Farhan Akhtar's Jee Le Zaraa with Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif. She is married to actor Ranbir Kapoor. The couple welcomed their daughter, Raha in November 2022.

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