Bollywood superstar Alia Bhatt lit up the Red Sea Film Festival with a heartwarming glimpse into life as a mom, revealing new details about her daughter Raha’s blossoming curiosity, and her surprisingly cute rapport with the paparazzi.
Appearing at the festival on Wednesday for a special retrospective celebrating her cinematic journey, the actor reflected on how much has changed since her last visit. “The last time I was here, Raha was one and now she is three. Where are you, how far away, what are you bringing me when you come back,” she shared onstage, adding that “Now, Raha has her own relationship with the paparazzi, and is old enough to ask me where I am going, and when I will be back.”
Alia also delighted the audience by singing Raha’s favourite lullaby and revealed that her daughter has begun making specific song requests, asking her mother to sing “this or that song.” She explained that motherhood has reshaped her priorities: “My priorities are my daughter and my family so I have to focus on what really matters.”
Switching gears to her professional life, Alia spoke about Alpha, her upcoming spy thriller and the first female-led film in the YRF Spy Universe. Starring alongside Sharvari and Bobby Deol and directed by Shiv Rawail, the movie marks a bold new direction for the franchise. “Alpha is the first female-led action film from the YRF universe, so that’s also a risk, because you’ve not historically seen that perform in the same way that the other male-led films have performed,” she noted.
Alia was also honoured with the Golden Globe Horizon Award at the festival.
In her personal life, Alia’s journey with Ranbir Kapoor continues to captivate fans. After dating for several years, the couple married in April 2022, their romance having sparked on the sets of Brahmāstra. They welcomed their daughter Raha in November that same year, later making their first public appearance with her on Christmas 2023.
Next on Alia’s slate is Alpha, releasing December 25, in which she portrays a commanding officer leading an elite all-women combat unit alongside Sharvari Wagh. She will also star with Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love & War, a sweeping period romantic drama.