Alia Bhatt is debutant of the year

Bollywood is gearing up for the most anticipated film of the year, the Karan Johar-directed Student Of the Year (SOTY) that marks the debut of three newcomers, one of them being Mahesh Bhatt’s 19-year-old daughter, Alia Bhatt. With promotions of the film going full swing, Alia spills the beans on her debut film and all the madness that went with it!

What was your first day of shooting on the sets of SOTY like?

We were shooting a song. My first shot required me to walk down a couple of stairs and do the filmy turn and then look into the camera. I was wearing a heavy lehenga (dress) and walking in high heels, something I’m not used to. I can’t tell you how nervous I was … but fortunately, I got the shot in two takes and was quite excited!

Are you anything like your character Shanaya? Have you met anyone like her?

I have a couple of friends who are just like Shanaya, but I am nothing like her. She is very glam-conscious, hoity-toity ... a fashion icon and that’s something I’ve never been used to. I’m more of a high street brand person and more into brands like Top Shop, Forever 21 and Zara. I’m not a Gucci, Stella McCartney, Jimmy Choo kind of girl.

The last film Karan directed was My Name is Khan; was it scary to know that the maestro was directing SOTY too?

The fact that it’s a Karan Johar film is very nerve-wracking, but what makes it such a beautiful experience is that he’s gone all out and portrayed us as stars. Not once has he looked at us as newcomers and said let’s cut low on the budget and not do much for promotions.

The boys, Varun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra, have made quite an impression on everyone. What is your impression of them?

They’re brilliant and very different from each other and I got to learn a lot from both. I am pretty sure they will make it big because they have that star quality.

Now that you’re famous, does it get difficult to hang out with your friends openly?

I still go with my friends to coffee shops. It’s too soon to say anything about fame affecting my life, but I will never let go of them just because I am becoming an actress.