‘You have not even scratched the surface’: Mahesh Bhatt recalls advising Alia to learn from Meryl Streep, shares thoughts on her career and parenting

The director also opened up about the way Alia balances her thriving career with her responsibilities as a wife and mother. “Alia chose to get married to Ranbir, her films only got bigger, she had a child, and she continues to work. She recently attended the Gucci event in Milan, bringing her daughter along with her. I recently did an ad with her and Mr Bachchan. I saw that there was a vanity for Raha. And Alia said, ‘Why don’t you go and sit in Raha’s room, papa?’ I didn’t want to contaminate it. It felt like a nursery school. It almost looked like a temple. I said, ‘No, no, no, the old man has no place there.’ But that’s the new-age heroines. They work, they parent, they attend Gucci events while carrying their babies with them.”

So, what does this reveal about the changing expectations of women in professional settings and society at large?

Psychologist Rasshi Gurnani tells indianexpress.com, “Mahesh Bhatt’s acknowledgement reflects a shift from the earlier patriarchal script that positioned women as primary caregivers who had to compromise professional identity after marriage or childbirth. Psychologically, this aligns with the growing acceptance of role integration instead of role conflict, where a woman’s maternal and professional selves are not seen as competing but coexisting.” 

Sociologically, she mentions that it signals a slow dismantling of traditional gender role expectations within influential industries, where visibility of successful working mothers helps redefine what is considered normative.

On lifelong learning in professions

When a professional seeks inspiration from global professionals, it reinforces the concept of a growth mindset and creative neuroplasticity. Even seasoned employees benefit from observational learning, where modelling excellence helps expand emotional range, adaptability and performance depth.

“Continuous exposure to diverse expressions helps prevent cognitive stagnation and supports sustained artistic evolution,” states the expert. 

 

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Broader acceptance of flexible parenting roles in India

Gurnani mentions, “This kind of visibility normalises maternal mobility and signals that attachment and ambition can coexist.”

Observational influence plays a strong role in shaping cultural attitudes, she says, and when professional women across industries embody flexible parenting models, it contributes to desensitising stigma around working mothers. It can also encourage restructuring of the gendered division of labour, making space for co-parenting, shared caregiving and institutional support systems in India.