Dares to be different

Among the young actors storming Bollywood, Alia Bhatt stands out with her distinct sense of dressing on and off screen

Alia Bhatt

From starring as an impeccably dressed diva in Student of the Year to an abducted teenager in oversized clothes in Highway , Alia Bhatt refrains from being monotonous. The actor has a valiant attitude of taking risks off-screen when it comes to fashion as long as it reflects her personality, is high on

comfort and gives her an edge.

She talks about her style quotient and artificial beauty standards.

As an actor, how far would you go and make a statement about redefining natural beauty?

No matter how much we talk about it, nobody seems to really believe in it. I’m not saying being a natural beauty is not enough but everybody has a certain image of themselves in their head. You want to look desirable for yourself and for others.

You boldly experiment with your dressing sense, how do you feel when you experience a fashion disaster?

Whenever I’m not comfortable with what I’m wearing, it always shows. But the minute I am at ease and happy, no matter what anybody says about my dressing, I love the clothes I am in. Yet, there have been times when an outfit didn’t work.

In Humpty Sharma ki Dulhania , you were seen in numerous ethnic clothes, how fond are you of wearing them off-screen?

I love Indian wear but I’d save it for traditional occasions. It wouldn’t be something I’d wear on a daily basis because after shooting when I go home, I want to be comfortable in my track pants and a loose T-shirt.

The film industry is known for setting unrealistic beauty standards (through digital modification), and for somebody who has been on magazine covers and part of several photo shoots, what’s your take on that?

When a picture is taken, everybody says, ‘Make me look good or thin’. To me, ‘thin’ and ‘fit’ mean two different things. Sometimes, people become obsessive about looking stick thin. At least as a woman, you have to have your curves. That’s what we’re known for. People shouldn’t chase that extra skinny figure and starve themselves to achieve it. As for photo-shopping, it only means that as a celebrity you want to look good. And there’s nothing wrong with it. Nobody wants to see your tummy sticking out. That’s the kind of mindset that we’ve always been brought up with. You must have a flat tummy to look good. It also definitely reflects your fitness levels.

Ideal red carpet outfit?

I want to wear pyjamas on a red carpet one day.

A sinful style fetish...

Rings.