Alia Bhatt lauded for her performance in Udta Punjab

With just her second film, Alia Bhatt, proved that she has substance and not just shimmer. Having made her debut in Karan Johar’s Student of the Year, Bhatt quickly rose to prominence with Imtiaz Ali’s Highway.

She followed it up with a bunch of rom-coms like 2 states (with Arjun Kapoor), Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (with Varun Dhawan) and Shandaar (with Shahid Kapoor), the last of which was an absolute dud but its 2016 that’s proving to be a sensational year for the star.

After starring in Karan Johar’s Kapoor & Sons earlier this year (with Fawad Khan and Siddharth Malhotra), Bhatt stole the show with her performance as a Bihari migrant in the controversial new release, Udta Punjab.

Among those who have taken notice are her co-stars in the film, Kareena-Kapoor Khan and Shahid Kapoor, both of whom feel that Bhatt deserves a National Award.   Other stars to congratulate Alia on her fine performance include notable others like Hrithik Roshan and father Mahesh Bhatt.

The actress, who was seen recently in Berlin enjoying a Coldplay gig alongside fellow actor Deepika Padukone, as a result of her fierce talent, has scored a combination of offbeat, ambitious and mainstream projects.

Bhatt is starring as the lead in Gauri Shinde’s Dear Zindagi which will also feature Shah Rukh Khan and Pakistan’s Ali Zafar in significant roles, a sequel to Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania with Varun Dhawan and most significantly in terms of box office pull, Mohit Suri’s musical drama Aashiqui 3 with Sidharth Malhotra.

- Originally published in The News on Sunday