Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt is not one to mince his words, even while critiquing daughter, actor Alia Bhatt’s onscreen performances. Praising Alia’s turn in Highway (2014) and Udta Punjab (2016), the filmmaker called her debut as Shanaya Student Of The Year (2012) mannequin-like.

“Her raw power and her ability to get into such a vulnerable space, and bare her heart. Highway and Udta Punjab… It was a departure from that girl who was just a mannequin in Student Of The Year. You see the evolution in your child also,” he told India Today when asked about Alia’s filmography and her growth as an actor since her debut performance.

Student Of The Year, directed by Karan Johar saw Alia play the role of a pampered rich girl, caught in a love triangle with Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra’s characters. Eventually the actor went on to do meatier roles in films such as Kalank (2019), Darlings and Gangubai Kathiawadi (both 2022).