In a new cover story for Vogue India’s May-June issue, the multifaceted actor Alia Bhatt meets with writer Sadaf Shaikh. During their conversation, she discusses building a new life with her five-month-old daughter Raha and husband Ranbir Kapoor in tow, the importance of mental well-being and the nepo-baby tag that has been glued to her since the start of her career.
On being a mother to Raha, Alia says:
“I’m not putting too much pressure on either Raha or myself to be together as a family unit with Ranbir all the time. She’s just five months old and I’m so impressed with how well-behaved and peaceful she is. Raha is such a happy baby. You just need to give her a little smile and she will return it tenfold.”
On the pressure of championing both her career and motherhood, Alia says:
“There is still a healthy amount of mom guilt. It does make me anxious to think whether I am doing right by my baby and work. There’s so much pressure on women to ace both...almost like this oldschool dogma that once you have a baby, you have to martyr your career or you’re not a model mum.
It’s very important for new mothers to get that time off work to gather their bearings, and it’s equally crucial for corporations and industries to grant them that time instead of writing them off.”
Alia on how she feels about herself and her mental health:
“I’m always wondering what people are thinking. Do they actually think I’m managing well or are they only saying it to placate me? Even if there isn’t judgement, you feel very critical of yourself. But I work hard at my mental health—I go to therapy every week where I voice these fears.
And it helps me understand that this is not something that I will be able to figure out on day one or five or even ten; it’s an ever-evolving, ever-growing process. You have to be able to pick up the pieces of yourself and build anew every day.
There’s nothing like, ‘Oh I’ve got it together… I’m coping excellently… I have all the answers.’ No one has all the answers.”
On Ranbir embracing his new role as a father, Alia says:
“The Ranbir I know has always been very sensitive, loyal and supportive. But he has become even more sensitive since Raha was born. He absolutely dotes on her. It’s adorable to watch the two of them together because he’s had to bulk up quite a bit for his character in Animal, so when he carries her, it’s like this giant picking up a little puppy.
Ranbir is such a hands-on father at home that it sometimes gets difficult for me to even hold her for a second. And he’s got very unique ways of hanging out with Raha—he likes to sit with her in front of the window where the breeze comes in and make sure she spends a good amount of time looking at the big green plant there.
He thinks of her as this earthly sprite. He’s travelling at the moment, so I try to recreate that same routine with Raha because Ranbir’s constantly nervous that she’ll forget him.”
Alia on her being a nepo-baby:
“The only thing I can do is build a body of work which hopefully proves I belong in this industry. I always make it a point to acknowledge the easy start I got at the beginning of my career. And sure, it will get you in the room, but then it’s up to you to work that room.
The audience is actually the best judge of talent. You could come from a background that props you up but the audience will ultimately decide whether or not you belong there.”