Alia Bhatt (born March 15, 1993) is an Indian actress known for her work in Bollywood cinema. She is known for her versatility, screen presence, and box office success. In addition to acting, Bhatt is an entrepreneur, producer, and fashion trendsetter. Bhatt's acting career began with a brief role in Sangharsh (1999). She gained recognition in Student of the Year (2012). Other films include Highway (2014), Udta Punjab (2016), Raazi (2018), and Gully Boy (2019). In 2022, she starred in Gangubai Kathiawadi , winning the National Film Award for best actress. Bhatt is of multicultural heritage and is married to actor Ranbir Kapoor. She has been recognized as one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024.

Which country does Alia Bhatt work in as an actress?

Alia Bhatt , an Indian-born actress, is known for her work in Bollywood, the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai, India. Bhatt began her acting career with a role in Sangharsh (1999) and later gained recognition in Student of the Year (2012). She has starred in critically acclaimed films such as Highway (2014), Udta Punjab (2016), and Gully Boy (2019). In 2022, she received the National Film Award for best actress for her performance in Gangubai Kathiawadi . In addition to her Bollywood career, Bhatt made her Hollywood debut in Heart of Stone (2023).

What was Alia Bhatt’s first movie?

Alia Bhatt's acting career began with a brief role in Sangharsh (1999) as a child. In 2012, she played the female lead in Student of the Year , a film directed by Karan Johar. The success of Student of the Year served as a launchpad for Alia Bhatt, along with actors Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra. Bhatt has since become known for her versatility and box office success in Bollywood cinema.

What types of roles has Alia Bhatt played in her films?

Alia Bhatt is an Indian actress known for her versatility in Bollywood cinema. Her acting career began with a brief role in Sangharsh (1999). In 2012, she played the female lead in Student of the Year , a commercially successful film that launched her career. Bhatt has since taken on a variety of roles, including a survivor of sexual assault in Udta Punjab (2016), a young woman struggling with mental health issues in Dear Zindagi (2016), an Indian spy in Raazi (2018), and a possessive romantic partner in Gully Boy (2019). In Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022), she played a sex worker turned social activist, winning her a National Film Award for best actress. She also starred in RRR and Brahmastra Part One: Shiva in 2022, and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani in 2023.

What are some of Alia Bhatt’s most popular movies?

Alia Bhatt, born in Mumbai on March 15, 1993, is celebrated in Bollywood for her versatility and box office success. Her career took off with Student of the Year (2012), launching her into stardom. Bhatt gained critical acclaim for her role in Highway (2014), which explored the topic of sexual abuse. Other popular films include Udta Punjab (2016), where she played a sexual assault survivor, Raazi (2018), where she played an Indian spy, and Gully Boy (2019). Bhatt won a National Film Award for her performance in Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022), where she played a sex worker turned social activist. In 2024, she was featured on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people.

How has Alia Bhatt’s work influenced Indian cinema or inspired young actors?

Alia Bhatt, born in 1993, is celebrated for her versatile acting and endearing screen presence in Bollywood. Bhatt's early exposure to film led to her debut in Karan Johar's Student of the Year (2012), which launched her into stardom. Bhatt gained critical acclaim for her roles in Highway (2014), where she played a sexual abuse survivor, and Udta Punjab (2016), where she played a character struggling with mental health issues. Her role as a sex worker turned social activist in Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022) won her a National Film Award for best actress. Featured on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people of 2024, Bhatt is also a fashion trendsetter who uses social media to frame her cinematic achievements.

Alia Bhatt

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Born:: March 15, 1993, Mumbai [Bombay], India (age 33)

Notable Family Members:: spouse Ranbir Kapoor

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Alia Bhatt

Indian-born actress

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Gitanjali Roy

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Top Questions

Who is Alia Bhatt?
Alia Bhatt (born March 15, 1993) is an Indian actress known for her work in Bollywood cinema. She is known for her versatility, screen presence, and box office success. In addition to acting, Bhatt is an entrepreneur, producer, and fashion trendsetter.

Bhatt's acting career began with a brief role in Sangharsh (1999). She gained recognition in Student of the Year (2012). Other films include Highway (2014), Udta Punjab (2016), Raazi (2018), and Gully Boy (2019). In 2022, she starred in Gangubai Kathiawadi, winning the National Film Award for best actress.

Bhatt is of multicultural heritage and is married to actor Ranbir Kapoor. She has been recognized as one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024.
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1. Alia Bhatt
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Which country does Alia Bhatt work in as an actress?
Alia Bhatt, an Indian-born actress, is known for her work in Bollywood, the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai, India. Bhatt began her acting career with a role in Sangharsh (1999) and later gained recognition in Student of the Year (2012). She has starred in critically acclaimed films such as Highway (2014), Udta Punjab (2016), and Gully Boy (2019). In 2022, she received the National Film Award for best actress for her performance in Gangubai Kathiawadi. In addition to her Bollywood career, Bhatt made her Hollywood debut in Heart of Stone (2023).
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What was Alia Bhatt’s first movie?
Alia Bhatt's acting career began with a brief role in Sangharsh (1999) as a child. In 2012, she played the female lead in Student of the Year, a film directed by Karan Johar. The success of Student of the Year served as a launchpad for Alia Bhatt, along with actors Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra. Bhatt has since become known for her versatility and box office success in Bollywood cinema.
1 Britannica Source
1. Alia Bhatt
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What types of roles has Alia Bhatt played in her films?
Alia Bhatt is an Indian actress known for her versatility in Bollywood cinema. Her acting career began with a brief role in Sangharsh (1999). In 2012, she played the female lead in Student of the Year, a commercially successful film that launched her career.

Bhatt has since taken on a variety of roles, including a survivor of sexual assault in Udta Punjab (2016), a young woman struggling with mental health issues in Dear Zindagi (2016), an Indian spy in Raazi (2018), and a possessive romantic partner in Gully Boy (2019). In Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022), she played a sex worker turned social activist, winning her a National Film Award for best actress. She also starred in RRR and Brahmastra Part One: Shiva in 2022, and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani in 2023.
1 Britannica Source
1. Alia Bhatt: Critical and commercial success
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What are some of Alia Bhatt’s most popular movies?
Alia Bhatt, born in Mumbai on March 15, 1993, is celebrated in Bollywood for her versatility and box office success. Her career took off with Student of the Year (2012), launching her into stardom. Bhatt gained critical acclaim for her role in Highway (2014), which explored the topic of sexual abuse.

Other popular films include Udta Punjab (2016), where she played a sexual assault survivor, Raazi (2018), where she played an Indian spy, and Gully Boy (2019). Bhatt won a National Film Award for her performance in Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022), where she played a sex worker turned social activist. In 2024, she was featured on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people.
1 Britannica Source
1. Alia Bhatt: Critical and commercial success
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How has Alia Bhatt’s work influenced Indian cinema or inspired young actors?
Alia Bhatt, born in 1993, is celebrated for her versatile acting and endearing screen presence in Bollywood. Bhatt's early exposure to film led to her debut in Karan Johar's Student of the Year (2012), which launched her into stardom.

Bhatt gained critical acclaim for her roles in Highway (2014), where she played a sexual abuse survivor, and Udta Punjab (2016), where she played a character struggling with mental health issues. Her role as a sex worker turned social activist in Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022) won her a National Film Award for best actress.

Featured on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people of 2024, Bhatt is also a fashion trendsetter who uses social media to frame her cinematic achievements.
1 Britannica Source
1. Alia Bhatt
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Alia Bhatt (born March 15, 1993, Mumbai [Bombay], India) is an Indian-born actress known for her contributions to contemporary Bollywood cinema. She is celebrated for her endearing screen presence, versatility, and success at the box office. She is also an entrepreneur, producer, and fashion trendsetter. Bhatt belongs to a new wave of Bollywood stars who use the acute lens of social media to frame their cinematic achievements. She was featured on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people of 2024.

Early life and family

Alia Bhatt was born to filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and actress Soni Razdan. She is of multicultural heritage with Gujarati, Kashmiri, British, and German ancestry. Her elder sister Pooja Bhatt was a leading Bollywood actress in the 1990s. Alia Bhatt is married to actor Ranbir Kapoor, who is part of a vast film dynasty. The couple have a daughter named Raha. Each generation of the Kapoor family has produced prominent members of the film industry: Prithviraj Kapoor; his sons Raj, Shammi, and Shashi Kapoor; Raj’s sons Randhir and Rishi; Randhir’s daughters Karisma and Kareena. Randhir Kapoor’s wife, Babita, and Rishi Kapoor’s wife, Neetu Singh, were also prominent actresses of their time.

Career and stardom

Bhatt’s exposure to the film world at a young age was instrumental in her choice of an acting career. As a child, she had a brief role in Sangharsh (1999; “Struggle”), cowritten by her father. In 2012 she played the female lead in Student of the Year, helmed by filmmaker Karan Johar, who would go on to cast her in subsequent projects directed or produced by him. The success of Student of the Year made stars of Bhatt and actors Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra, the film functioning as a launchpad for the three young performers.

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Critical and commercial success

Established as a box office draw with her first film, Alia Bhatt next starred in Highway (2014)—a critically acclaimed film that dealt with the subject of sexual abuse and challenged Bhatt as a performer. Her next films tapped into her commercial popularity while also exploring complex depths. She played a survivor of sexual assault in Udta Punjab (2016; “Flying Punjab”), a young woman struggling with mental health issues in Dear Zindagi (2016; “Dear Life”), an Indian spy living in Pakistan in Raazi (2018; “Agreement”), and a possessive romantic partner in Gully Boy (2019; the film was India’s official Oscar entry the next year).

Other films from this period include 2 States (2014), Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014; “Humpty Sharma’s Bride”), Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017; “Badrinath’s Bride”).

Bhatt delivered a career-defining performance in the title role of Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022), playing a sex worker turned social activist. The role won her the National Film Award for best actress. The same year she appeared in the blockbusters RRR and Brahmastra Part One: Shiva (“Weapon of Brahma”). In 2023 she starred in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (“The Love Story of Rocky and Rani”), which was well received both at the box office and by film critics. Bhatt plays the YRF Spy Universe’s first female secret agent to headline a film in Alpha (July 2026), joining Shah Rukh Khan (Pathaan), Salman Khan (Tiger series), and Hrithik Roshan (War series) in one of Bollywood’s most successful franchises

Alia Bhatt’s Major Awards

National Film Award for best actress
Gangubai Kathiawadi (2023)
Filmfare Award for best actress
Udta Punjab (2017)
Raazi (2019)
Gully Boy (2020)
Gangubai Kathiawadi (2023)
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2024)

Producer and international career

Alia Bhatt made a double debut as producer and streaming star in the 2022 Netflix release Darlings, a black comedy that tackled the sensitive subject of domestic violence. In 2024 she starred in and produced her second film, Jigra (“Courage”). She made her Hollywood debut in the Gal Gadot-led Heart of Stone (2023), playing a hacker. Bhatt represents the fashion house Gucci as a brand ambassador; in 2024 she was praised for wearing a sari (a traditional Indian garment) to the Met Gala, an international fashion fundraising event held annually. She attended the Cannes film festival for the first time in 2025, and wore a sari created by Gucci on the red carpet. In 2026 Bhatt presented the award for best film not in the English language at the BAFTAs, and made headlines by beginning her speech in Hindi. She attended the Cannes festival again in 2026.

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Off-screen work

Bhatt is an entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. She launched Ed-a-Mamma, a maternity wear and children’s clothing brand, in 2022. She has collaborated on a fashion range with the e-commerce portal Jabong (since acquired by Myntra) and a handbag line with top Indian luggage manufacturer VIP Industries. She is an investor in the beauty company Nykaa and the biomaterial start-up Phool.co. She supports various charitable causes related to animal welfare and sustainability. Bhatt has been associated with Bollywood actor Aamir Khan’s Paani Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works on drought prevention and watershed management in rural India.

Controversies

Alia Bhatt has often been subject to criticism and derision on social media platforms, such as in 2014 when she failed to correctly answer a general knowledge question on the talk show Koffee With Karan hosted by Karan Johar. She was widely praised for her response to the controversy, in which she took control of the narrative by collaborating with a comedy collective on a self-deprecatory, satirical video titled “Alia Bhatt: Genius of the Year.” Bhatt has frequently been accused of benefiting from nepotism and endures intense public scrutiny of her personal life.

In November 2025 Bhatt’s absence from the trailer of Dining with the Kapoors, a Netflix documentary, was widely discussed on social media. The documentary, centered on a family meal celebrating Raj Kapoor’s 100th birth anniversary (which was in 2024), featured members of the Kapoor family, among them Ranbir Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor, as well as Kareena’s husband, Saif Ali Khan.

Gitanjali Roy

Alia Bhatt

Early life and family

Career and stardom

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Critical and commercial success

Producer and international career

Off-screen work

Controversies