Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has directed some of Hindi cinema's most memorable actresses. Yet, when he speaks about daughter Alia Bhatt, there is genuine surprise in his voice. During an interview when asked if he is proud of her daughter being the biggest star in the country, he first corrects us, 'one of the biggest stars of the country', and then goes on to say,

"She's astounded me because Soni and I never thought she had this kind of latent talent in her. We didn't really have what you would call a film culture at home. I kept making movies, but that was my work. When I saw her in Highway, I was astounded. I'm again astounded by her in Gangubai Kathiawadi. From where did she get that body language? She was never exposed to that kind of society or culture. I woke up to her exactly the way the nation woke up to her."

One compliment, in particular, convinced him she had truly disappeared into the character. "For me the greatest compliment to performance came from an event to Jharkhand. A tribal woman who watched Udta Punjab said she believed Alia belonged to her community. I thought, 'Oh my God, this is as real as it can get.'"

He goes on to add, "I always tell my children that whenever you feel you're soaring towards the zenith, remember you haven't even scratched the surface."

Asked whether he sees shades of his younger self in Alia, Bhatt smiles before saying evolution has made her better than the previous generation.

"She has a drive. Every generation is superior to the previous one. Evolution has its own way of improving itself. There is this thirst she has. She oscillates between Mumbai, Cannes, Singapore and Hyderabad, shoots films, fulfils professional commitments, comes back home and continues to play the role of a wife and a mother. It is an astounding kind of energy. (However), One of the greatest roles she's playing today is the role of a mother. It is very humbling to watch. You're such a big star, but you never make anyone around you feel that. The role of a mother becomes the most important role you will ever play. She's promoting films across the country, yet she's constantly running her home," he explains.

If Alia continues to surprise him as an actor and mother, granddaughter Raha Kapoor has transformed the entire family's dynamic. "She'll outdistance Ranbir Kapoor and Alia by miles. She's different. She has a different vibe. When she comes, the whole house becomes hostage to her energy. For those few hours, she becomes the centre of everything," he confesses.

Does he spend a lot of time with her? Bhatt replies, "I recently went with Neetu (Kapoor) to her school for her Grandparents' Day. Soni was in Istanbul. We were walking through a cloud of soap bubbles. I was holding Raha's hand while Neetu was holding the other. It was a beautiful moment. That was something which I remember doing with only Pooja. It brought back memories of walking with Pooja when she was little. Suddenly, time collapsed. She is a vibrant version of Puja. (Eventually) The same kind of family."

Bhatt laughs while describing his unusual bond with his granddaughter. "She can't quite figure me out. She probably wonders, 'Who is this man and why does he speak the way he speaks? I manage to tell her one story. She enjoys correcting me whenever I pronounce the name of an animal incorrectly. Soni is very protective of her. She has got the best Nani, and Dadi," he explains.

He continues, "And her father. Oh my God. I'm also astounded by the role he's playing as a parent. And they both are stars. It just shows that this narrative that, working actors especially stars neglect their children, which we heard in our days is a thing of the dark past and is not true anymore. Today you have better communication. You have CCTV cameras shooting for and you can see what's going on at home."

As Raha reminds him of Pooja, his eldest daughter, one cannot help but mention her. Bhatt's bond with eldest daughter Pooja Bhatt has often fascinated the industry, but he believes their closeness was forged long before fame arrived.

"When you become a father at 22 and you're struggling, life is different. I'd carry her water bottle to school. I'd wait around Bandra because I didn't have enough money to travel back and forth. I was unemployed. I spent a lot of time with her. I'd take her to my music sittings. She would sit there in her school uniform while the sessions went on. She, amongst my children, has spent the maximum time with me in those days. She has the courage to stand alone," he ends.