Bollywood’s queen turns desi princess?

Sources say Alia, who recently met Gurinder at Hope Gala in London, top contender to lead filmmaker’s Disney musical about Indian princess
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 5, 2024)

Filmmaker Gurinder Chadha, the mind behind Bend It Like Beckham (2002) and Bride & Prejudice (2004), has been signed on by Disney to helm an original musical feature inspired by a dynamic princess from Indian history. It’s not surprising that the film, which is being written by Chadha and screenwriter Paul Mayeda Berges, has quickly caught everyone’s attention.

While there were murmurs about Alia Bhatt being a strong contender for the lead role, the rumours intensified further when Chadha attended the actor’s Hope Gala in London last month.

Sources reveal that Chadha and Bhatt had met in January this year when the filmmaker flew down to attend Aamir Khan’s daughter Ira’s wedding.

A source tells mid-day, “The two have been in talks for a while. The final casting will happen only after the script is developed, but Alia is among the top casting choices.”

Bhatt, who recently wrapped up her home production Jigra, will soon begin shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love & War opposite actor-husband Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal. She also has the YRF spy film with director Shiv Rawail.

The source adds, “After playing a singer in Bhansali’s period drama and an undercover agent in Rawail’s movie, a Disney princess will be a great addition to Alia’s repertoire. Leading the big-budget international project will also be a step forward towards making her presence felt in Hollywood after Heart Of Stone [2023]. If things fall in place, she will kick off work with Gurinder in the second half of 2025.”
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HINDUSTAN TIMES (April 7, 2024)

There has been a lot of chatter around actor Alia Bhatt being the top choice for Gurinder Chadha’s upcoming musical about an Indian princess. Now, the filmmaker has responded to the speculation and set the record straight. 

On Saturday, the Bend It Like Beckham (2002) director tweeted in reaction to a new report with the headline, “Alia Bhatt to star in Gurinder Chadha’s next, backed by Disney?”

The filmmaker used Caps lock to catch the attention of her X followers and tweeted alongside the article, “This is not true. I’m not sure where this started. The script is still in the works. Alia and I had a meeting about another project, and I attended her charity gala recently.”

The Bride and Prejudice (2004) maker has been signed on by the international studio to helm an original musical around an Indian princess. A recent report by Mid-Day claimed that Bhatt was in discussions with Chadha for the film, stating that they met in January this year. “The two (Alia and Gurinder) have been in talks for a while. The final casting will happen only after the script is developed, but Alia is among the top casting choices,” the report quoted a source as saying. 

The rumours further intensified when Chadha attended the Hope Gala in London, which was hosted by Bhatt, last month.