Alia Bhatt on nepotism: ‘It’s possibly been easier for me to get through…’

Alia Bhatt has reacted to the debate around nepotism and privilege and said that she acknowledges it and never takes her work for granted. The actor has faced a lot of unfavorable attention regarding the topic of nepotism in the past. (Also read: Alia Bhatt says this recent habit of daughter Raha has become the best thing in her life: ‘It’s like a romantic moment’)

This is not the first time that the actor has responded to the debate around nepotism. The daughter of film director Mahesh Bhatt and actor Soni Razdan, Alia had said in an earlier interview that she had not got her first break because of her parents but after auditioning for Karan Johar. Alia debuted with Karan Johar’s Student of the Year in 2012, alongside Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra.

Now, in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, Alia opened up about the existence of privilege and nepotism in the industry and said, “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. 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.”

Alia completed ten years in Bollywood in October last year. She recently won her fifth Filmfare award, this time for her performance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi. She also marked her debut at the Met Gala red carpet in a white Prabal Gurung gown earlier last week.

Alia will be making her Hollywood debut with Heart of Stone, where she stars alongside Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan. She has Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani with Ranveer Singh in the pipeline. Alia is yet to start shooting for Farhan Akhtar’s Jee Le Zaraa.