AT a time when the Hindi film industry appears to be going through a rough patch with several big-budget releases not faring well, actor Alia Bhatt delivered a hit with Gangubai Kathiawadi. The successful theatrical run of this Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directed movie, in which the 29-year-old Alia played the titular protagonist, cemented her position as one of contemporary Indian cinema’s most accomplished actors.
Alia is the chief guest at Express Adda on Monday.
Daughter of director-producer Mahesh Bhatt and actor Soni Razdan, Alia is making her debut as a producer with Darlings, which releases on Netflix on August 5.
Alongside Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan, she will also feature in the Hollywood thriller Heart of Stone, directed by British filmmaker Tom Harper, while her much-anticipated superhero movie, Brahmastra Part One: Shiva, is scheduled for a September release.
Alia made her debut with Karan Johar-directed Student of the Year (2012), and has since proved her versatility with a slew of successful movies. She has delivered powerful performances in Highway (2014), Udta Punjab (2016), Raazi (2018) and Gully Boy (2019), matching critical acclaim with mass entertainment in films such as 2 States (2014) and Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017).
After her April wedding to Ranbir Kapoor and the announcement of her pregnancy, she has entered a new phase in her personal and professional life. Ambitious and hard working, the talented actor also has several major projects in the pipeline.
At the Express Adda, Alia will be in conversation with Anant Goenka, executive director, Indian Express Group, and Shubhra Gupta, film critic, The Indian Express.
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The Express Adda is a series of informal interactions organised by the Indian Express Group and features those at the centre of change.
Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and MSMEs Nitin Gadkari, election strategist Prashant Kishor, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs and Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, and Union Minister of Health Mansukh Mandaviya, were among previous guests at the Adda.
