Art & Entertainment

Alia Bhatt Birthday Special: 5 Best Films That You Must Watch

Easily one of the most talented and sought-after actresses in Bollywood, Alia Bhatt, has contributed significantly to the industry with her strong portrayals in women-centric films. Check out her top 5 films below.

Alia Bhatt Photo: Instagram
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Debuting with ‘Student of the Year’ in 2012, Alia Bhatt has continued to expand her horizons. 2023 saw the release of ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani’ in which she starred alongside Ranveer Singh. She also marked her debut in Hollywood with ‘Heart of Stone’ alongside Gal Gadot. Currently, the actress is gearing up for the release of her first action-oriented film, ‘Jigra’ with Vedang Raina

Joining the lists of highest paid Bollywood actresses and Forbes India’s Celebrity 100, Bhatt has played a perfect blend of roles spanning across genres till date.

On the personal front, Alia Bhatt married actor Ranbir Kapoor in 2022 and has a daughter named Raha Kapoor. On the occasion of her birthday, let’s take a look at Bhatt’s top 5 films:

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1. ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ (2022)

'Gangubai Kathiawadi'
'Gangubai Kathiawadi' Photo: YouTube
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Deemed as one of the best performances of Bhatt’s career, ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, was screened at 72nd Berlin Film Festival. The film is based on the life story of Gangubai Kothewali, who went down the spiral of prostitution business, after running from her home to become an actress. The film goes on to tell her struggles, rise to power and fight for the legal rights of prostitutes. 

Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the film also stars Shantanu Maheshwari, Vijay Raaz, Seema Pahwa, Jim Sarbh and Ajay Devgn. The movie also won big at the 69th National Film Awards including the Best Actress Award for Bhatt. The film is streaming on Netflix.

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2. ‘Raazi’ (2018)

'Raazi'
'Raazi' Photo: YouTube
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Going for another portrayal of a strong, determined and brave woman, Bhatt starred in the spy thriller film ‘Raazi’ directed by Meghna Gulzar. The movie is based on ‘Calling Sehmat’, a novel by Harinder Sikka. It follows the life of an undercover RAW agent, portrayed by Bhatt, who is married into a Pakistani militant family just before 1971’s Indo-Pakistani War to relay information. 

The film also stars Vicky Kaushal, Shishir Sharma and Jaideep Ahlawat. It is available to watch on Prime Video.

3. ‘Dear Zindagi’ (2016)

'Dear Zindagi'
'Dear Zindagi' Photo: YouTube
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Having seen commercial success, ‘Dear Zindagi’, is about a wannabe cinematographer who returns to Goa to her fear of abandonment and insomnia, failing to succeed. She meets a cheerful psychiatrist who then helps her in non-conventional ways to get out of the past and gain a new perspective to life. Shading light on mental health issues and creating awareness, the film is directed by Gauri Shinde. 

It also stars Shah Rukh Khan, Kunal Kapoor, Angad Bedi and Rohit Saraf. The film is available on Netflix.

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4. ‘Udta Punjab’ (2016)

'Udta Punjab'
'Udta Punjab' Photo: YouTube
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Alia Bhatt delivered yet another exceptional performance as a labourer who dreams of playing hockey for India. Instead, she gets trapped in a drug spiral and ends up being abducted by a gang, who then physically and sexually abuse her and feed her drugs. The film tells the story of different people, highlighting the effects of drug abuse in the youth of Punjab.

The film directed by Abhishek Chaubey also stars Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh in crucial roles. 

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5. ‘Highway’ (2014)

'Highway'
'Highway' Photo: YouTube
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Directed by Imtiaz Ali, ‘Highway’ marked a significant pivot in Alia Bhatt’s career, becoming her first majorly acclaimed performance. The movie is based on a young girl who is molested as a child by her own uncle, who later gets kidnapped by goons. She slowly unfolds the true meaning of life while traveling with the goons from city to city and eventually decides to face the demons of her past. 

The film stars Randeep Hooda opposite Bhatt in the lead role. 

Wishing the multi-talented Alia Bhatt a very Happy Birthday!

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