Alia Bhatt: I Started Therapy As A Hygiene Thing

Actress Alia Bhatt admitted that she has been "very hard" on herself over the years, and that she is in therapy to help her cope with body image issues. She stated that 'food, dieting, weight, and the way (she) looks' have always been major concerns for her.

In a conversation with journalist Barkha Dutt on Mojo Story, the actress said, “That’s a struggle that’s been constant. Everyone around me would see it, but I would not see it.”

Bhatt admitted that she understands the need to 'tick certain boxes' as a public figure, but she realised she was being 'too hard' on herself after a while. She stated that she would tell this to 'young girls out there,' who may feel pressured to present the best versions of themselves due to 'Instagram culture.'

The Gangubai actress also revealed that she goes to therapy once a week. She said, “When I started therapy, I did it just as a hygiene thing. To take care of my body, I go to the gym; I need to take care of my mind as well. It’s something I started amidst the lockdown, when everybody was going through a hard time, and I thought that maybe this would be a good time to start. I started as a generic thing, but what I discovered through those sessions is that I have so many issues when it comes to… I always knew I was anal when it comes to my weight, because I’m facing the camera.”

Bhatt added she learned to 'listen' to those around her when they told her she shouldn't be obsessed with her weight and appearance.

“How I dealt with it? I’ll be honest, sometimes I would just tell myself, ‘It’s all fine, you have to do this because you have to look good’. I would convince myself that this is something I have to do, but I realised over time that I don’t have to do this.”

Bhatt also discussed her relationship with boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor, claiming that he frequently compares her to an alien. In fact, he and her father, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, have become close over this.

The actress also revealed her reaction to Kapoor’s comparison. She said, “I don’t probe too much. I find it cute, so I just blush and I take it in. Even when Ranbir looks at my childhood photos, he says, ‘Look at your eyes. God, you’re an alien. What is this? What are these eyes?’ So he’s seeing something.. So my father and he bond on this.”

Bhatt was last seen in ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, a period drama about a brothel madame's rise through the ranks of the Mumbai underworld. The film, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, has grossed over Rs 100 crore worldwide. ‘Heart of Stone’, a Netflix thriller starring actors Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan, is also set to be her Hollywood debut.