Actress. Entrepreneur. Producer. Activist — Alia Bhatt wears many hats. From fashion to film production, the National Award-winning actress has spread her wings in all directions, winning us over with her socially-relevant initiatives. As the Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani star turns 31 today, we celebrate her achievements within and beyond the entertainment industry.
Ed-a-Mamma:
Alia launched her own sustainable clothing range for kids in 2020. Named after her cat Edward, Ed-a-Mamma caters to the needs of infants and kids aged two to 14 years. In 2022, shortly before Alia gave birth to daughter Raha, she decided to include maternity wear that would make use of breathable fabrics like cotton, viscose and linen. The range was absolutely plastic free with buttons being made out of wood or coconut shells. The actress had revealed in an interview that she would like to introduce a range for teenagers soon. Ed-a-Mamma clothes are available on other online platforms including Myntra and Tata CLiQ. In 2023, Isha Ambani’s brand Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd. (RRVL) acquired a 51% stake in Ed-a-Mamma. The collaboration hinted at a possible extension into other categories including personal care, baby furniture and children’s story books.
Eternal Sunshine Productions:
In 2019, Alia ventured into film production with her own banner Eternal Sunshine Productions. The production house’s maiden project was the 2022 dark comedy Darlings. Starring Alia, Shefali Shah, Vijay Varma and Roshan Mathew in the lead roles, the movie was co-produced by Gauri Khan and Gaurav Verma under the banner of Red Chillies Entertainment. Darlings, which premiered on Netflix on August 5, focused on the issue of domestic abuse. The Brahmāstra actress attached herself as an executive producer to the 2024 Amazon Prime Video crime-drama series Poacher. Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker Richie Mehta, the eight-episode series uncovers the largest ivory poaching ring in Indian history. Alia recently announced on social media that she has completed filming for her banner’s third project, Jigra. Helmed by Vasan Bala, the thriller also stars Vedang Raina. The makers first announced Jigra in September last year. The teaser revealed that the storyline would follow a sister’s courageous attempts to protect her brother at all costs. Jigra is slated to hit the theatres on September 27.
Heart of Stone:
The Gangubai Kathiawadi actress made her Hollywood debut in August last year with Tom Harper’s Netflix spy action thriller Heart of Stone. In the film, Alia plays a hacker Keya Dhawan, who is after ‘The Heart’, an AI device with the potential to annihilate the world. Heart of Stone also stars Gal Gadot, Jamie Dornan, Sophie Okonedo and Matthias Schweighöfer in the lead roles.
A singer:
Alia lent her voice to the track Sooha Saaha from Imtiaz Ali’s 2014 road drama film Highway. She also sang the unplugged version of Samjhawan from Dharma Productions’ 2014 romcom Humpty Sharma ki Dulhania. In 2016, the actress recorded an alternate version of Ikk Kudi for the Udta Punjab soundtrack alongside her co-star Diljit Dosanjh.
CoExist:
As a philanthropist and activist, Alia has made sincere attempts to conserve nature and protect animals. In 2017, the actress started an initiative titled CoExist, which aims to establish a harmonious relationship between humans and nature. The platform addresses issues surrounding animal and ecological welfare in order to protect biodiversity.
