Imtiaz Ali reveals his unit was not convinced if Alia Bhatt would be able to do the role in Highway: ‘I could see potential in her’

In a recent conversation, Imtiaz Ali revealed how he initially wanted to cast an older actress for Alia Bhatt's role in Highway.

By: Entertainment Desk

Mumbai | March 14, 2024 07:19 PM IST

2 min read

Imtiaz Ali on casting Alia Bhatt in Highway

Imtiaz Ali opens up on casting Alia Bhatt in Highway. (Photos: Imtiaz Ali/Instagram)

Imtiaz Ali’s film Highway was truly a game changer for Alia Bhatt. At a time when everyone saw the then-debutante as just another pretty face, the actor made critics and the audience sit up and take notice. Recently, Imtiaz revealed that casting Alia for Highway was not his initial plan. His entire unit was also unsure of this decision, but the actor changed everyone’s perception.

Narrating that story to Mukesh Chhabra on his Mashable India show, Imtiaz said, “During Highway, I always thought I would cast an older actress. Since it was a mature subject I wanted someone who was above 30. Alia was young, but I could see potential in her. I had not watched Student Of The Year by then. I met Alia when she came to watch the movie Love Shuv Tey Chiken Khurana with her mother. There is grace and beauty to her as an actor and a lot of emotional potential. So I asked her if she would read the script I was sending.”

Also Read: Revisiting Alia Bhatt’s Highway: The road movie that marked actor’s birth as an artiste

The director continued, “She did not call me for 2 days after that, so I called her and asked if she read the script. She was a bit overwhelmed and felt it was too much to do. She had an issue that she was there in every scene. Alia was a very unexpected actor for Highway and the unit was not convinced about how she would do this role. So, to convince them I made her tell the story in her way. By the end, everyone was like nobody else could do this role but Alia.”

Alia Bhatt will next been in Vasan Bala’s Jigra. She also has Jee Le Zaraa in her kitty. As for Imtiaz Ali, his next directorial Amar Singh Chamkila will begin streaming from April 12 on Netflix.

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