'The story should matter': Alia Bhatt questions Why Indian cinema still focuses male audiences at Cannes 2026

Alia Bhatt has taken over the internet with her dreamy looks at the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. But alongside her red carpet appearances, the actor is also making headlines for her take on the Indian film industry’s continued focus on male audiences. She has recently stated that cinema should move towards more inclusive storytelling where gender does not define a film’s commercial potential.

Alia Bhatt on the male-centric approach

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, she spoke about the changing film landscape and highlighted that in recent years, multiple female-led projects have done well at the international box office, such as Barbie and The Devil Wears Prada 2.

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The actor noted that conversations around commercial cinema in India often revolve around attracting the so-called "mass audience," which is mostly assumed to be predominantly male.

According to the actor, this mindset mainly influences the kind of stories being promoted. "It shouldn't matter whether a film stars a man or a woman. The story should matter."

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She further said that recent global box office trends show how strongly women audiences have contributed to the success of several films. As per Bhatt, conversations in India still tend to focus heavily on statistics suggesting that most theatre-going viewers are men, which in turn shapes filmmaking choices.

Questioning this approach, the actor asked what happens to women viewers if films continue to be made primarily for male audiences. However, she clarified that she was not arguing for excluding men from mainstream cinema.

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Alia Bhatt turns heads at Cannes 2026

For one of her red-carpet outings, the actor wore a couture ensemble inspired by the French Riviera, while another look featured a peach-toned gown paired with a dramatic, flowing drape.

Alia Bhatt's work front

She is currently gearing up for the release of Alpha, which is said to be the first women-led installment in Yash Raj Films’ Spy Universe. The film also stars Bobby Deol and Sharvari Wagh. Bhatt also has Love & War in the line.