Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt has come a long way since her debut in the Student of the Year. Shabana Azmi, the co-star of his rocky and queen’s Prem Kahani, recently praised him for breaking the traditional mold in the industry. He said how, in the past, marriage and children were seen as the end of an actress’ career, but Alia and others have changed that story.
In an interview with Bharat Today, Shabana Azmi shared that the first marriage had often ended the career of many actresses in Bollywood. She mentioned that women had a small shelf life, it is unimaginable for an actress to marry and continue acting after children.
He said, “But people like Alia Bhatt and others have broken that mold.” He also expressed that roles are being made for senior actors, which is a great change given the wealth of his experience.
The Dabba Cartel actress also discussed the ongoing changes in the entertainment industry, especially with the rise of OTT platforms with traditional cinema. Praising the industry’s ‘phase of transition’, he opened up about the impact of OTT on film revenue, as many prefer to wait to stream films instead of watching them in theaters.
Shabana Azmi also stressed that while the material is being produced rapidly, the story will require more depth. Sharing the advice given by her husband Javed Akhtar, she stressed the importance of having a solid story in the form of a foundation before experimenting with how it has been told.
On the work front, Shabana Azmi was recently seen in Dabba Cartel, a recreational Netflix series, which follows the lives of women running a traditional lunchbox service. The conspiracy takes a dark turn when they inadvertently join the drug cartel transporting illegal goods. It also stars Jyotika, Shalini Pandey, Nimisha Sajayan and Anjali Anand.
Meanwhile, Alia Bhatt, who was last seen in Jigra, will be seen next time in Alpha, a Yash Raj Films Spy thriller, where she acts with Sharvari. Directed by Shiva Rayel, the film is scheduled to release during Christmas 2025.
In addition, she also has love and war, a period drama by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, where she will share the screen with Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal. It is set to hit theaters in March 2026.
Also read: Alia Bhatt’s father Mahesh Bhatt was going through a ‘personal crisis’ during the shooting of Arth, Shabana shows Azmi; Accepts not being script
