Alia Bhatt on her experience working with her co-stars, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra the second time around, how much she's learned since her debut and how it’s all about family
Upala KBR (DNA; March 9, 2016)

Alia Bhatt is candid. She is at times, childlike and otherwise, worldly-wise. ‘How many interviews to go?’, she asks the team that has fixed up media interactions as we finish our chat. She curls up and tries to take a quick nap on two chairs, before her next appointment arrives. I find this quixotic, adorable child-woman sharp and clear when it comes to expressing herself. Over to Alia on relationships, Kapoor And Sons and what makes her what she is.

Kapoor And Sons appears to be about a dysfunctional family. Have you ever met one?
I would start off by saying that I wouldn’t call it dysfunctional because it sheds a negative light on it, when it’s not. What is a dysfunctional family? In terms of it’s not always happy-go-lucky, right? I would not call that dysfunctional, but normal. A modern-day family is not always smiling, happy, sitting together at the dinner table and not always together at the same time. I would say Kapoor And Sons is a take on the modern-day family and dysfunctional or not — I wouldn’t use that word — but yes, it’s a film that is high on emotions, high on joy but also high on tears, high on laughter but also high on anger... that’s how your life is… never on one plane, always up and down, round and round and so that’s the journey of Kapoor & Sons.

Tell me about your role.
It’s almost like I offer a third-person perspective into the Kapoor family. I play the role of the audience because the film is about the relationships that they share with one another. I also have my own baggage, my relationship trauma or depth that I have been through. So even though Tia (my character’s name) is the lightness in the film — she is happy, candid, always playing pranks on people and always joyful, really happy — but there’s also a great amount of depth in her that you can see for what she’s gone through in life and learned for various reasons. It’s an ensemble cast and no one hero or heroine is driving the film. It’s about how each and every character has a graph.

In the film, there’s a daadu (grandfather) played by Rishi Kapoor. What’s your relationship with your grandpa like?
Yes, of course! I haven’t really interacted with my daada and daadi as they are no more, but I am very close to my maternal grandparents (Soni Razdan’s parents) or naana and naani. My real naana is similar to daadu in the film in his attitude towards his life. My naana is 87 years old, still plays golf every day and goes to work every day either by taxi or drives himself. He’s an architect and just finished doing the interior décor of our beautiful farmhouse in Karjat with my mum. My naana is a very happy-go-lucky person, he’s constantly telling jokes and making everybody laugh. He loves his whisky in the night, and family gatherings. If you look at him you won’t believe he’s 87 years old as he doesn’t look that at all. He loves life and that’s why I keep stressing every now and then that age is just a number. If you are happy mentally and physically there’s no stopping you.

Is that why you connected with the on-screen daadu?
Definitely! Daadu is a different kind of daadu on a completely distinct level. He checks chicks’ photos on Instagram and videos on YouTube, is fun-loving like a child or almost a teenage boy. He wants to hang out with the boys and it’s his state of mind that he’s that way. For me, the essence of the film is the last line where he says, ‘Marne se pehle main chahta hoon ke mere pariwar ke saath ek family photo ho... jiske neeche title hoga Kapoor And Sons, since 1921.’

You are the first of your actresses of your age to do a love triangle twice.
Kapoor And Sons is not a love triangle. It’s a film about a family and relationships that engulf it. Of course, the romance is there, but that’s not the plot of the film. The plot of the film is relationships.

Which is your favourite love triangle?
My favorite love triangle is Dil Toh Pagal Hai and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.

Was it easier working with Varun Dhawan (Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania) or Sidharth Malhotra (Kapoor And Sons), the second time around?
I wouldn’t compare them, but both experiences the second time round were not easier, but more comfortable as they were more comfortable in front of the camera than the first time (Student Of The Year). They were more aware and thinking less about hitting the right mark or looking in this direction, saying this dialogue, and thinking more about the character and scenes. Today it’s like second nature shooting in front of the camera. That’s something we didn’t know enough first and that really is a big part and we just have fun with the characters, dialogues, scenes, moments and create whatever we are creating.

What were the changes you saw in them?
Sid has opened up fully as a person — he’s way more open on the sets. He used to be this serious, intense, brooding character before, but Sid’s not like that anymore. Now he constantly interacts, plays games... he even started this whole cricket team on the sets. Earlier, he wasn’t like that, and would keep to himself. Now he wants to socialise more. He’s so much more comfortable in front of the camera today. He knows all the technical things as he’s an observant person. Sid is very sharp — kya karna hai, kya nahi karna hai and all that. So now, we have so much fun performing together. One thing I have observed about him is that I never knew that he used to do comedy and he’s so good in this film. He would improvise in a comical way and I would be like ‘Wow! Since when did you become so good at comedy?’

And Varun?
VD is the same (smiles). He’s as passionate, as crazy… he is just a ball of energy. The thing is, he’s really done well for himself. All his films have done well and they have done well because of him, his dedication and hard work that he puts into them. Hats off to him for that. With ABCD2, he’s outdone himself as a dancer and performer, but I think his best work as an actor is yet to come. He has a lot to offer. Varun has an acting keeda inside him. Right now, all the films he’s done have done well commercially, he’s great in front of the camera, but I feel he also has a Marlon Brando hidden in him.

Is it easier with friends in front of the camera?
No, I think at the end of the day, you are playing characters so it doesn’t really matter. Off-screen friendships, etc. don’t exist once the camera is on. Then you are just the character. I have to switch on and off accordingly. That’s the only way that one can get the realness of the situation. It doesn’t matter for me, friend or no friend when I am in front of the camera. What do you do when you are playing a character who’s your mother or father? You don’t know them at all but pretend as if they are your real parents. In that sense you have to forget who you are and who that other person is.

You all began together. Who do you think among the three has had the most interesting journey so far?
I don’t think you can compare anybody’s journey like that… Everybody’s story is different. Nobody knows what paths we walk. You can’t say this is more interesting as they are all different stories. Sid has had one of the biggest hits that any of us had (Ek Villain) — opened by himself solo, which had a Rs 16-crore opening. He was the next after me (2 States) to get a film that made Rs 100-crore. Varun is the only one who’s had only successes, he has never gone wrong. I am the only one who got a Filmfare award for Highway, so we all had our different journeys and all have taken our own paths. We all are grateful to Karan for giving us this choice in the first place.

You are working with a senior hero Shah Rukh Khan for the first time. Comment.
It was lovely working with him on the show and on Gauri’s film when we recently shot in Goa. He’s probably the only actor or person in the world whom I probably don’t mind staying awake till 3 am for, just to be able to hang out or interact with him. He’s a late bird and doesn’t sleep because of which I landed up staying awake many a night. I totally don’t mind because I am getting to learn and absorb so much from him. Shah Rukh is a fantastic person to be around and it’s a pleasure to work with him because he’s so giving and he takes so much care of you. I can’t wait to get back on set again with him.

You mentioned your family’s farmhouse in Karjat. Would you ever want to buy your own?
Of course! I would definitely want to buy way too many houses. I have started off by buying my own house; now, let’s see if I can get myself my own farmhouse.