Alia Bhatt has offered a rare and intimate glimpse into her personal journey through a heartfelt letter addressed to her younger self. In a poignant video produced for Esquire India, the acclaimed actor tenderly communicates with the little girl she once was, imparting wisdom forged by the passage of time, life experiences, profound love, and deep self-discovery.
What Did Alia Bhatt Reveal in Her Letter?
Alia begins by reassuring her younger self that dreaming is not a vulnerability but a formidable strength that must be fiercely guarded. She emphasizes, "Dear little me, I know you're always dreaming. Please don't stop doing that. The dreamer in you is your superpower, protect her fiercely. Take that ballet class, don't listen to mumma, it's not that far away. It will help you in your dance and posture."
Reflections on Family Bonds
As the letter unfolds, Alia turns her attention to her family, starting with her mother, actor Soni Razdan. With the insight gained from becoming a mother herself, she urges her younger self to be more vocal in expressing love and gratitude. "Please praise mama's cooking some more. Say it out loud. One day you'll be a mother yourself and you'll realise how much love went into everything she made and did for you, even on days you didn't notice enough. So give her more love."
Her thoughts then shift to her sister, Shaheen Bhatt, as she encourages more presence, patience, and affection. "Be nice to your sister, one day she's going to be your best friend. Don't brush her off or take her for granted. Give her more time, more attention, more love, you will be so grateful that you did."
Discussing her father, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, Alia advises, "Spend time with Papa. One day he will offer you a film, not because of the result of the film but because you want to spend more time with him and those memories are going to be most wonderful memories of your life."
Friendships also receive special mention, with Alia adding, "Hold on to your friends, really hold on, life gets busy, work gets loud and those friendships are anchors, you need them more than you know."
Alia Bhatt on Marrying Ranbir Kapoor
Alia comforts her younger self over past heartbreaks, hinting at the unexpected arrival of true love. She fondly refers to her husband, Ranbir Kapoor, as the "best boy in the whole world." "Dear little me, please don't cry over that stupid boy in high school, it's not worth it. I promise you that one day, you'll meet the best boy in the whole world. The one you've always secretly had a crush on and he's going to love you with respect, comfort, peace and laughter, he will be your safest place, your best friend and he knows everything about you. You know that thing you always wanted, someone to read your mind, he will do that for you."
Encouragement to Embrace Life
Urging herself to live more freely, Alia advises, "Travel, be adventurous, say yes more often because you're going to turn into a homebody, not wanting to go out, so be adventurous now." She follows this with a reminder to enjoy life without guilt, "Watch movie till 2am, eat chips straight out of packet, eat everything that you want because you will spend most part of your life being very strict with yourself, always dieting, always working out. And yes you will love working out, at this moment it seems that you don't want to get out of the couch but you're going to love taking care of yourself and you are going to love padel tennis."
Perspectives on Failure and Growth
Alia speaks candidly about failure, reframing it as a necessary component of growth rather than something to fear. She states, "You don't have a fear of failure, you will not be scared of failure, you will be scared of not trying and remember you are gonna fail a lot and you are gonna learn a lot." She adds, "Choose your work honestly, make mistakes, it is all a part of it."
Alia Bhatt on Motherhood and Daughter Raha
One of the most touching segments of the letter revolves around motherhood and her daughter, Raha. Alia shares, "You will be going to have good and bad days but you are mostly going to have grateful days and that dream of taking care of mini you that comes true. You're going to have the most beautiful daughter in the world and your heart will grow in ways that you cannot imagine." On a light-hearted note, she remarks, "She's also going to be a little lawyer, so prep up."
She concludes the letter with a powerful message of self-acceptance: "Enjoy being yourself, stay curious, continue being you because you brought me to me and that's a really good place to be."
Alia Bhatt on Navigating Public Scrutiny
In a related interview with Esquire, Alia Bhatt opened up about how she and Ranbir Kapoor handle the constant public buzz surrounding their relationship. She explained, "The noise doesn't reach us. Because it's not real. They're responding to three-and-a-half seconds or seven seconds of what they're seeing. We've been together for seven years. That's way more seconds than what people are commenting on."
Alia also shared that while she and Ranbir occasionally find humor in some online memes, most commentary fades into the background without impacting them. She added, "Even the B of bother doesn't enter our life. If you're in a room of fifty people, maybe only four actually care about you. The rest might be thinking terrible things, but you can't hear them. Is my reality changing? No. Is my family dynamic changing? Not at all. Am I living my dream? Yes. Do I go to sleep every day with a grateful heart? One hundred percent."
Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor tied the knot on April 14, 2022, at their Mumbai residence. Later that year, on November 6, 2022, the couple welcomed their daughter, Raha, marking a new chapter in their lives filled with joy and gratitude.
