Biographer Meena Iyer on the many contradictions of the star who never said anything off-the-record, and yet remained deeply private
Meena Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 1, 2020)

What can I write about Chintu (Rishi Kapoor) without letting him down? He was a private person. All the blabber on Twitter — which frequently struck as relevant and sometimes drew flak for its candour — was still just the tip of the iceberg. Ranbir Kapoor, when asked about his father’s social media presence, is quoted as saying in my book, Khullam Khulla: Rishi Kapoor Uncensored, “I do not have a take on his Twitter personality, though that is usually the first question anyone asks me about my father. All I can say is, so long as he is being honest and having fun, it’s his prerogative.”

I digress. But Rishi really was buried somewhere deep within the public persona, and few people were allowed to see that side of him. Most of the things I learnt about him were gauged and gathered from whispers, things he would speak about in private. Like his love and respect for his wife, Neetu, a no-tolerance policy towards certain colleagues, his love and admiration for Ranbir, and the urge to indulge daughter Riddhima and granddaughter Samaira.

He was fiercely protective of his family. Anything aimed at his siblings, parents, wife or son would hurt him. He wouldn’t bother about himself as much. Besides being a superstar, Rishi was a well-meaning father and a great companion to Neetu.

There were many highs and lows in the 40 years that we knew each other. In the early days, I recall meeting him as a cub reporter from Star & Style, sent over by senior colleagues to broker peace between him and the magazine. Rishi had been seething over something one of the columnists had written about his family. Oh boy, did I get an earful! Soon, he realised that I was just the messenger and cooled off. That was the beginning of our friendship. Chintu never asked me to keep things “off the record” and I loved that about him.

He had no patience for stupidity, especially towards the end. Perhaps, he knew that time was running out. Sometimes, I could see him exasperated by inane pleasantries. But he rarely brought up his illness with me. When my publisher asked me to do a reprint of our book, with an additional chapter on his battle with cancer, he flatly refused. “I don’t think there is any merit in it,” he said. Instead, he wanted me to do a book with Neetu on how she got through the difficult phase. “Ask her about our one year in New York.

Ask her how she brought me back from the brink. She’s the hero,” Chintu said. Some meetings with Chintu stayed in mind more than others. Like the time he returned from Mauritius in June, 2018, and we went to watch Sanju in Worli. He couldn’t stop raving about Ranbir’s performance in the film. Pouring us drinks at his house later, he thumped his chest, exclaiming that Ranbir had “surpassed” him and Neetu as an actor. When he couldn’t get through to Ranbir (the actor was rehearsing for a film elsewhere) he impatiently dialled Sanjay Dutt, who was overseas, to tell him that Ranbir had done him justice. Then, he turned around to explain, “Ranbir will call me back but I had to share my excitement with someone. Who better than the real Sanju?”

Our last meeting was on March 9, at his residence. He and Neetu had just retired to their fifth-floor apartment after participating in a Holi function. “Let’s hope all the negativity is gone in that fire,” Neetu remarked, while Chintu and I had a quick drink. He was faithful to his Johnny Walker Black Label but opened a Hibiki for me.

As Neetu and he reclined in their individual lazy-boys that evening, everything seemed normal. We watched old Hindi songs on TV and each time he, Raj Kapoor, Neetu or Randhir Kapoor appeared on the screen, Chintu would rattle off tit bits about the song. “This is my favourite pastime. I love the nostalgia it brings,” he’d confess.

At the dinner table, he reprimanded me for the umpteenth time for being a “boring” vegetarian, as he tucked into an extra-small portion of an exotic chicken dish whipped up by Neetu. That evening, I learnt that the couple and Ranbir were likely to celebrate Alia Bhatt’s birthday (March 15) together. Though he was in the middle of chemotherapy, Chintu told Neetu that he wanted to take his son and Alia out for a meal.

Later, he said to me that he would be okay if Ranbir wanted an intimate wedding. “It’s their call. I am okay with 45-odd people too. I will tell my friends, well-wishers to bless them. I will apologise and explain that everyone couldn’t be invited because Ranbir is a private person. I respect his privacy,” he said.

As I got up to leave, he apologised for not seeing me to the door and requested Neetu to walk me to the lift. Like always, a box of See’s Candies (sugar-free peanut brittle) was my parting gift. Now, I see the box staring back at me from the refrigerator. But the man who made sure I was always stocked up is gone.

BOMBAY TIMES (March 15, 2018)

The upcoming film Raazi, directed by Meghna Gulzar, narrates the true story of an ordinary Indian girl, who finds herself in extraordinary circumstances. The young girl, portrayed by Alia Bhatt on screen, was sent to Pakistan in 1971, to source information from across the border, as both countries were on the verge of a war.

On the occasion of Alia’s 25th birthday today, BT brings you her exclusive look from the movie, which has been shot across various locations.

Junglee Pictures and Dharma Productions present Raazi, a Dharma Productions film. Produced by Vineet Jain, Karan Johar, Hiroo Johar and Apoorva Mehta, it releases on May 11, 2018.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 13, 2018)

Twenty-five is a landmark year in everybody’s journey and Alia Bhatt hits the mark this Thursday without a big birthday bash. The actress who is busy filming Ayan Mukerji’s action-adventure, Brahmastra, in Bulgaria with Ranbir Kapoor has opted for a working birthday. “Alia will spend her day shooting. It’s a hectic schedule so she can’t afford a day off but there will definitely be a celebration on set,” reveals a source.

Alia is not expected to return to Mumbai before the end of the month but her parents, Mahesh Bhatt and Soni Razdan, or sister Shaheen, will not be flying down to be with her on her special day this time around. “No we won’t be going to Bulgaria,” Soni confirmed.

Mentor Karan Johar had planned to air-dash to the East European country but won’t be able to because his mother, Hiroo, turns 75 on Sunday and he is planning a gala to bring in the milestone birthday. “It’s a 10 hour flight to Bulgaria one way and it would’ve got too rushed,” reasons the source.

Last year, Alia brought in her birthday in Mumbai, promoting her film Badrinath Ki Dulhania and had gifted herself a new cat, Edward Bhatt. She owns two other cats, Sheeba and Pica.
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DNA (March 13, 2018)

In February, the team of Brahmastra kick-started their first international schedule in Bulgaria. Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Ayan Mukerji along with Mouni Roy and the entire crew have been camping in the European country since then.

Alia, who turns 25 on Thursday (March 15), will also spend her birthday on the sets of Brahmastra. Apparently, Ranbir and Ayan have made some secret plans to celebrate the occasion. “It’s Alia’s 25th birthday, so it’s a landmark year in that sense. Ranbir and Ayan want to make the day special for her, especially since she is away from home. So, they have planned a huge surprise party on the sets for the actress. To add to the fun, they have a particular theme for the bash.”

When we had spoken to the actress recently, she had revealed that she will be stationed in Bulgaria until the end of March, which meant she wouldn’t be back home for her birthday. But we wonder if Alia will manage to make time for a quick trip back to India to spend some time with her family on the special occasion.

Mahesh Bhatt wished his lil’ girl a day before her 24th birthday to beat everybody at the draw and yesterday was busy redirecting gifts and bouquets to her bachelorette pad
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 16, 2017)


Alia Bhatt turned 24 on Wednesday with a quiet celebration at her bachelorette pad. The actress, who had been living with dad Mahesh Bhatt and mum Soni Razdan, moved into her own apartment last year with sister Shaheen and her doting dad says he’s happy to send all the gifts and bouquets arriving at his door for her to Alia’s new home.

“I’m happy to play the traffic cop and redirect all the gifts and flowers which have been descending all day in Soni’s and my space and ask them to take them to the lady’s house across the street. Her mom and me are mighty pleased to be in her new house and bring in her birthday with her,” says Bhatt, recalling the baby who’d entered the world at 4 am, 24 years ago today, is one of Bollywood’s bright young stars.

Bhatt smiles as he remembers his friend, philosopher and guide, U G Krishnamurti, telling him, “This lil’ girl of yours will be a star one day.” Alia was barely nine at the time and it seemed like the kind of a statement to pep up a youngster. “He saw in her the potential that we as parents don’t see in our little ones,” admits Bhatt.

The past year has brought Alia awards and accolades galore for her performances in Abhishek Chaubey’s dark drug drama, Udta Punjab, and Gauri Shinde’s coming-of-age story, Dear Zindagi. Bhatt is proud that his daughter remains grounded thanks to her mother and her upbringing.

“The family is very supportive and Alia is lucky to be in a space where everybody celebrates her achievements. She is constantly given a reality check and made to look at the achievements of other actors and performers to keep her hunger alive. Fortunately, she’s not a person who is easily satiated by what she has achieved,” asserts the admiring father, who on the eve of her birthday sent her a quote from the Psalm Ode, stating, ‘Teach your tongue to say I do not know, and you will progress’, insisting that once people start believing that they know everything there is to know, it makes them rowdy.

Bhatt wanted to be the first one to wish his baby so the day before, he walked up to her house at around 7 pm. “She was surprised. She reminded me that her birthday was the next day and I told her I wanted to beat everybody at the draw. I wished her again on Wednesday morning. The rest of the day is always planned by her mother who is very particular about celebrating birthdays. I’m just informed and toe the line,” he laughs.

He nostalgically says they all have a collage of memories of her birthdays which melt into each other. “Before I could blink my eye, my lil’ girl is a shining star in the sky. I was awestruck when I first laid my eyes on her in the early hours of the morning. I’m still awestruck when I see her going from strength to strength, doing things which are beyond my imagination. My wonderful baby has always had this ability to astound me and keep marvelling at this gift of life,” he says emotionally.

While he is happy to cater to all his daughter’s demands, Bhatt who has given up direction, says he has no plans to return with a film for Alia. “She knows that page has turned. She is doing brilliant work and there are brilliant filmmakers and writers around to contribute to her evolution as an actor. I can hopefully put together a project in my company for her but Mahesh Bhatt, the director, bloomed and then crumbled into dust. I don’t believe in reincarnation,” he signs off.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 8, 2016)

Alia Bhatt, who turns 22 today, finds throwing parties very tedious and wants to have a working birthday each year
Sneha Mahadevan (DNA; March 15, 2015)

Ever since her debut film Student Of The Year released in 2012, young actress Alia Bhatt hasn't had the chance to celebrate her birthday. This will be her first birthday in three years where she will actually get to spend time with her friends and family. But Alia is far from excited as she treats her birthday like just another day, something her dad Mahesh Bhatt has inculcated in her. "The last time I celebrated my birthday elaborately must be when I was a teenager. I am not one of those people who makes a big deal about celebrations. This will be the first time in three years since I started working that I will be at home on my birthday. I am just looking forward to eating some great food and spending time with family and friends," says Alia.

The actress however, has a unique demand for a gift this year. Alia has been working out a lot and over the past couple of months has really started to enjoy her workouts. "I don't believe in materialistic gifts, but I really needed gym clothes. So I asked my sister Shaheen to order some for me. I am very bad at this so she is the one who orders stuff for me from international websites and she has done that already. Besides that, I had told her that I didn't want to do the usual dinner so she has booked a really nice place for brunch. Both my demands have been met so I am happy," she smiles. Throwing a bash is however, not her thing as she gets too worked out when hosting a party, so she'd rather people throw a party for her. "I spent the last two birthdays on sets working and that is actually the best way. I want to have a working birthday every year," she signs off.

We threw a few fun questions at the birthday girl and this is what she had to say. Check it out!

Do you enjoy being complimented?
Of course I do. 

Which are three physical features you often get complimented on?
I think the most I get complimented for is my dimples. Then its my skin and ummm, my nose, I guess. 

Who do you think should make the first move, a guy or a girl?
I think it could be either of them. 

Do you think there is something special about a person's first love? Why?
Definitely. There is always something special about the first heartbreak as well. 

Do you believe in 'love at first sight'?
Yes. 

What is your idea of a romantic evening?
Sitting at home in my pyjamas and watching all seasons of Friends back to back. 

What would your dream house be like?
I would like a sea-facing apartment. Not too big, just about 3-4 bedrooms with either a garden or a terrace. Bliss! 

What are you excessively obsessive-compulsive about?
My phone. It is irritating actually. I want to actually cut off for a bit. I think I am going to stop taking my phone to the sets. 

Which is one rule you are proud of breaking?
It is not really a rule but then when someone tells me that this is something I can't do, I have always managed to do that. 

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
I am not really a calculative person and I don't think that far but hopefully I would still be working and people would still want to see me on screen. 

In your opinion, which are the most important traits in a man?
Sense of humour, chivalry and the ability to hold a conversation. 

What can totally impress you?
Sense of humour. 

If your life was a book, how would you want it to end?
I would have an open ending. 

Which is the funniest pick-up line that has been used on you?
Someone once asked me, 'Is your father a terrorist? Because you are a bomb'. 

What are the three things that make you happy instantly?
Good food, my cat and music. I am very moody, so music helps. Actually, these days it will be a good workout. If I wake up and start my day with working out, my mood considerably improves. 

Do you believe that a soulmate exists for every person?
Yes 

Are you self obsessed?
I can be. 

Do you Google yourself?
I used to Google myself but not anymore. I haven't done that in a while actually.

BOMBAY TIMES (March 16, 2014)

Alia Bhatt, who turned 21 yesterday, had a working birthday on the set of her film with Varun Dhawan. In the absence of her family, she was taken out to dinner by Varun, some of the key crew members and even Nargis Fakhri, who was there to promote her own film with Varun.

But one hears Alia wished to call it a night early because she wasn’t keeping too well. A concerned Soni Razdan (Alia’s mother) and the actress’ elder sister Shaheen flew to Chandigarh, to spend the day with the 2 States heroine. Alia was completely overwhelmed by the wishes she got across social networking platforms.

Seema Sinha (MID-DAY; March 2, 2014)

This birthday will indeed be special for Alia Bhatt, who got a lot of appreciation for her latest outing. However, the actress, who will turn 21 on March 15, is unaffected. “I am the same person,” she says.

Her filmmaker dad Mahesh Bhatt recalls how Alia was born during turbulent times. “Alia came into this world in 1993, around the time Bombay was burning. The city was engulfed in riots.”