Alia Bhatt Responds To Criticism For Her New Film

“There Will Always Be Those Who Don’t Like What I Do…”  Among  other things, Shashank Khetan’s Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya (BKD) has been accused of misogyny and encouraging stalking.

Alia Bhatt who plays the object of Varun Dhawan’s (unwanted) attention is unfazed by the criticism. “No matter what I do there’ll always be  people who disapprove and express their dislike vocally. My father(filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt) calls it an occupational hazard. I’ve learnt to live with criticism early in my career. I see it as a chance to improve myself.”

As for Varun’s character “stalking” Alia in BKD  she reiterates very strongly, “No,  he doesn’t play a stalker.Badri is  not stalking Vaidehi. From the beginning we were very clear on this.Varun wouldn’t play a stalker.And I wouldn’t encourage that  kind of attention. Yes the couple have their issues. But she is in  love with him all the same.”

Alia plays a runaway bride in BKD, a  situation she wasn’t comfortable being in as an actor. “I  kept our director Shashank Khaitan, how could she do this? But I guess my character Vaidehi had her dreams. Maybe her timing to fly with her dreams sucked. Hota hai.”

I tell Alia this is her first full-fledged latka-jhatka role, and she corrects me. “No, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniyawas my first latka-jhatka role.I had fun doing that. I had even more fun doing  Badrinath. But I remember duringHumpty I couldn’t get one of the dance steps right. No matter what I did our choreographer GaneshMaster(Acharya) was not happy with that step until I realized I was being too subtle with that step.”

The dance steps in  BKD remind us of Govinda and Raveena Tandon.

Alia laughs, “It wasn’t intentional.  But yes,if our movements give off those vibes it is because we grew up watching them and and we love those films.”