Happy Birthday Alia Bhatt: Her picture-perfect romance with Ranbir Kapoor, in 23 photos

On Alia Bhatt’s birthday today, we recount her relationship with her ‘special man’ Ranbir Kapoor. The couple which started dating in 2017 has stayed steady over the years. Both Alia and Ranbir have publicly acknowledged their relationship, as have their family members. As Alia Bhatt turns 28 today, here’s recounting her picture perfect romance with Ranbir.

This is one of the first photos of Ranbir Kapoor that Alia Bhatt shared on her Instagram handle. She captioned the picture, "its just the beginning.. 💫" Ranbir's close friend Ayan Mukerji, who is directing the couple’s next film Brahmastra, is also seen in the photo. (Photo: Alia Bhatt/Instagram)

The rumours of Ranbir dating Alia first started in 2017. While the couple refrained from commenting on the relationship, Ranbir often featured in photos posted on Alia's social media handles. (Photo: Alia Bhatt/Instagram)

Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt made their first appearance as a couple at Sonam Kapoor’s wedding reception in 2018. (Photo: Alia Bhatt/Instagram)

Around the same time, Ranbir Kapoor confirmed their relationship in an interview with GQ. (Photo: Alia Bhatt/Instagram)

In December that year, Alia Bhatt featured in a family photo of the Kapoors. Besides Alia, the photo featured Ranbir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor, Riddhima Kapoor Sahani, Bharat Sahni and Samara Sahni. (Photo: Neetu Kapoor/Instagram)

Alia's father and director Mahesh Bhatt spoke about the couple in an interview in December 2018. He said, "Well, of course, they are in love. You don’t need to be a genius to get that! I love Ranbir… He is a great guy." (Photo: Alia Bhatt/Instagram)

Reacting to her father’s comment, Alia, at an event in Mumbai, said, "To be honest I don’t want to talk about it because I feel shy. I love my father. Anything he says obviously means the world to me. Apart from that, I don’t want to say anything." (Photo: Neetu Kapoor/Instagram)

In March 2019, Alia bagged the Best Actress award for Raazi, and Ranbir got the Best Actor trophy for Sanju. In her speech, Alia mentioned Ranbir, calling him her ‘special man’. Alia said, "Meghna for me Raazi is you, your blood and sweat. You are my main chick. Vicky without you, the film wouldn’t be complete. Thank you my mentor Karan for being my mentor, father and my fashion police. Tonight’s all about love there is my special one, I love you." Alia also shared a long note on Instagram. A part of the note read, "And last but not the least MY special one - the one that makes my heart smile and eyes shine ❤️ And shine I will.. Because there's soo much to do in life.. And this is just the beginning." (Photo: Neetu Kapoor/Instagram)

Since then, from going on vacations together to attending family and public functions, Ranbir and Alia have been inseparable. (Photo: Alia Bhatt/Instagram)

Alia Bhatt is quite close to Ranbir Kapoor's sister Riddhima Kapoor Sahni. (Photo: Riddhima Kapoor Sahni/Instagram)

After Ranbir's dad, actor Rishi Kapoor’s death, Alia was by the family's side. Alia had shared a long note about Rishi that read, "What can I say. About this beautiful man… who brought soo much love and goodness into my life. Today, everyone speaks of the legend that is Rishi Kapoor… and though I’ve known him like that all my life…for the past two years I’ve known him as a friend, a fellow Chinese food lover, a total cinema lover, a fighter, a leader, a beautiful storyteller, an extremely passionate tweeter and a father! In these past two years the love I have received from him is like a warm hug that I will always cherish! I thank the universe for giving me this opportunity to know him…today probably most of us can say he is like family – because that’s how he made you feel! Love you, Rishi Uncle! Will miss you forever! Thank you for being you!" Alia also posted this picture of Ranbir and Rishi, and captioned it, "beautiful boys." (Photo: Alia Bhatt/Instagram)

Alia once shared how post Kalank's failure Ranbir advised her that hard work will eventually pay off. The actor said she was talking to Ranbir who gave her an advise which “made a lot of sense” to her. "He said, you put in the hard work, it doesn’t have to pay off immediately. It’ll pay off in your life, someday. That’s what it means to be a hardworking actor or a person. Someday the goodness will come to you in another film." (Photo: Alia Bhatt/Instagram)

Alia soon became a regular fixture at the Kapoors’ get-togethers. (Photo: Kareena Kapoor Khan/Instagram)

Number eight being Ranbir's lucky number, the infinity sign has always been this couple’s symbol. (Photo: Alia Bhatt/Instagram)

It seems like Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor were meant to be together. Once talking about her crush, Alia had said in an interview that ever since she was 11-years-old, she had a crush on Ranbir. She had apparently auditioned for ‘Black’ and that’s when she fell for Ranbir, who was the assistant director to Sanjay Leela Bhansali on the film. (Photo: Alia Bhatt/Instagram)

It seems like Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor were meant to be together. Alia had said in an interview that ever since she was 11-years-old, she had a crush on Ranbir. She had apparently auditioned for Black and that’s when she fell for Ranbir, who was the assistant director to Sanjay Leela Bhansali on the film. (Photo: Alia Bhatt/Instagram)

Last year in late December when Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt were clicked at Jaipur airport, reports emerged online that the actors are all set to get engaged in Ranthambore. But the two were just there to ring in the New Year together, along with other Family members and friends like Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone. Ranbir’s uncle Randhir Kapoor has refuted the reports and had then told indianexpress.com, "It is not true. If Ranbir and Alia were to get engaged today, my family and I would have also been there with them. Ranbir, Alia and Neetu have gone there for holidays and to bring in the new year. The news of their engagement is incorrect." (Photo: Neetu Kapoor, Soni Razdan/Instagram)

Alia and Ranbir fans have been waiting to see the two married for the longest time now. (Photo: Neetu Kapoor/Instagram)

In an unseen footage of Alia Bhatt and Deepika Padukone's Koffee with Karan season 6, Alia shared how she was earlier being calculative about getting married. Alia indicated that the feeling of getting married eventually comes to you when you meet the right person. She said, "Honestly, there was a time in my life when I was like I am not going to get married till I am 30. I need to act. But when you feel like you are in a space where you are comfortable and it feels peaceful and right, then there is no timing that really matters." (Photo: APH Images)

In an interview with Rajeev Masand in December last year, Ranbir Kapoor said that he would have been married had it not been for the coronavirus pandemic. He said, "Well, I think it (the wedding) would have already been sealed had the pandemic not hit our lives. But I don’t want to jinx it by saying anything. I am going to tick mark that goal very soon in my life." (Photo: Alia Bhatt/Instagram) (Photo: Neetu Kapoor/Instagram)

Apart from his wedding plans, Ranbir Kapoor had also opened up about how he spent the lockdown, while calling Alia Bhatt an overachiever. "You know my girlfriend Alia (Bhatt) is an overachiever. She probably took every online class there is — from guitar to screenwriting. And I always feel like an underachiever next to her." On the film front, Ranbir and Alia will soon come together on the silver screen for Ayan Mukerji’s Brahmastra. Alia Bhatt recently shared a post for beau Ranbir Kapoor. The latter is in quarantine after testing positive for the coronavirus, and Alia took to Instagram to express her feelings. The picture is of the couple holding hands and the caption read, "major missing ♾💗." (Photo: Alia Bhatt/Instagram)

Alia and Ranbir will tie the knot on April 14 in Mumbai. (Photo: Alia Bhatt/Instagram)