Alia Bhatt on nepotism: The award-winning actor gets candid with us here…

With a major Hollywood debut and no less than five Filmfare Awards under her belt, India’s most exciting cinematic talent is not only a force to be reckoned with on screen, but is pretty formidable in the flesh, too.

Here she speaks to Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s Editor in Chief Oliva Phillips about growing up with privilege, dealing with nepotism, and how she gives it her 100 per cent every day…

Alia Bhatt
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Alia Bhatt on nepotism and privilege

“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, ” Alia states.

Alia Bhatt
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“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. So 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 per cent every day and I never take my work for granted. The only thing I can do is keep my head down and keep working,” she adds.

Alia Bhatt
Dress, POA, Sara Mrad

Indeed, the day after our shoot, Alia collected her fifth Best Actress Filmfare Award, this time for Gangubai Kathiawadi, and as we went to press made her Met Gala debut in pearl-encrusted Prabal Gurung. Her foray into Hollywood also hits this summer, with blockbuster action flick Heart of Stone launching on Netflix on August 11th. It’s all less than 18 months after she got married to fellow actor Ranbir Kapoor and had a baby, no doubt transforming her life completely. Is she slowing down? It certainly doesn’t look like it.

For more information and to read the full exclusive interview click here.

Photography by Francesco Scotti. Styling by Seher Khan

Editor in Chief: Olivia Phillips. Art Director: Oscar Yáñez. Senior Producer: Steff Hawker. Make-Up: Sharon Drugan. Hair: Deena Alawaid. Art Direction: Yehia Bedier. Lighting Technician: Shameem Shaheed. Set Assistant: Omar Shaban. Fashion Assistants: Imogene Legrand & Christina Aralikatti. Hair Assistant: Lindie Benade.

Via Harper’s Bazaar Arabia‘s May Issue