Alia Heads For Rajamouli, Will Resume With Bhansali In A Week

At a time  when several A-listers are  jobless, Alia Bhatt’s date diaries  is  as scrambled as the eggs she cooks up every morning in her swanky new kitchen. Three of her films  demand her  immediate  and  near-simultaneous  attention .And  Alia is  going crazy trying to accommodate them all into her  busy schedule.

 She is in the middle of a  long schedule for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi.  But had to take  a break from  Bhansali’s schedule to join  S  S  Rajamouli’s  team for her  long-pending shooting  spell in RRR.

Says an informed source, “It’s just a 6-day shooting for  Rajamouli, and  Alia will be done with RRR. She will then  return to   join the unit of  Gangubai  Kathiawadi, as  Bhansali requires  additional dates  from her.”

 Then  there  is of course Alia’s own Pakeezah.  Like Kamal Amrohi’s classic,  the shooting of  Ayan Mukerjee’s Brahmasastra   threatens to stretch into  years.

Says a source,  “The  project is demanding  more and more dates out  of  Alia, and she meekly  complies. Can’t say  no to a film whose producer  Karan  Johar is her godfather, co-star Ranbir Kapoor is the love  of  her life and  director Ayan Mukerjee is her  best friend.”

In an earlier  interview with me Alia  had expressed her  incredulous  gratitude at  being able to work with  the two directors on her wishlist. “I always  felt that until  one is signed  for a  Sanjay Leela Bhansali film  one has not really arrived.Would you believe I first went to audition for him when I  was 9?I  had gone to audition  for Black and he told my mother , ‘No(to Black) ,she’s  meant to be  a star’. I felt I had to prove him right  some day. And  now for us  to be collaborating  ….It’s a dream come true.When  I  walked  in to his office I felt I had to be  part  of that world. It excites me so much to just sit with him and  discuss scenes.  He is  so  passionate  about his work, it is supremely  inspiring.I am ready go back to Ground Zero , unlearn  everything I’ve learnt so far  about acting and start  from scratch with him.The opportunities  keep coming and  I keep grabbing  them hungrily. From the time I was  3, I was meant to do something special. At that age I didn’t  know what  it was. …maybe touch some people’s hearts…Or maybe be an actor …. do something special. Even as a kid I knew I’d get what I wanted. I am not talking about toys.  If I wanted to be the  lead in  a play  or  the monitor  of my class I’d get it.I wanted to start my career  not with my father’s production but outside. I  got that.  I  wanted  to work with Sanjay Bhansali. I got that.I wanted  to work with  Rajamouli. I got it.”