In year 2022 alone, Alia Bhatt has single-handedly powered a film (Gangubai Kathiawadi) to a box-office haul of Rs 200-crore-plus. She has featured in one of the biggest Indian films (RRR) in recent times, one which has become a global phenomenon and is generating strong Oscar buzz.

She has turned producer with a film (Darlings) which told an unconventional story, marrying uninhibited laughs with harsh truths, and which has become one of Netflix’s top watches in recent times, clocking a whopping 30 million hours of viewing time within the first three weeks of launch. She has been an indelible part of the humongous success of Brahmastra: Part One — Shiva, with her presence in the Ayan Mukerji directorial giving rise to fan theories about the impact and importance of her character Isha in the much-awaited Part Two.

She is all set to make her big Hollywood debut, alongside Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan, in the Netflix action thriller Heart of Stone. She has a huge Bollywood film — Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, directed by mentor Karan Johar and co-starring Ranveer Singh — up for release early next year. On the personal front, Alia, who got married to Ranbir Kapoor earlier this year, is expecting her first child. She’s not even 30.

POCKET-SIZED PHENOM

Now multiply these achievements, give or take a few, into a decade of being in the movies. That is enough to gauge what makes Alia Bhatt one of the biggest, if not the biggest, star-actor of this generation. Solid acting chops, the ability to pick scripts that not only showcase her versatility but are also strong box-office prospects have been her strengths. Brand Alia — both on screen and off it — has only gone grown, with her success and prowess providing a benchmark for her peers to follow.

When she made her debut with Johar’s Student of the Year on this day a decade ago, few would have guessed that Alia would come this far. Playing a version of a ditsy blonde, she was praised for her screen presence, but not much else. She was quickly forgotten, apart from becoming a meme generator.

But a year-and-a-half later came Highway, where Alia made the world do a double take, effortlessly embodying the part of a young woman with both angst and innocence, who finds her freedom when she is fettered. “The film belongs to her Veera and Alia makes sure that your attention doesn’t waver even for a moment as she transitions from naive brat to wide-eyed lover to woman of the world. Veera is very much an Imtiaz Ali heroine, but Alia invests much of her own to make it a standout character,” is what I had to say in my review of Alia in the Imtiaz Ali film in 2014.

NO LOOKING BACK

After that, it’s just been a string of memorable parts from the young actor, parts that perhaps no one else could have played with the kind of abandon yet control that she has. The fresh-faced Ananya in

2 States to the steel magnolia Bauria/ Mary Jane in Udta Punjab; the complex Kaira in Dear Zindagi to the conflicted Sehmat in Raazi; the pocket dynamite Safeena in Gully Boy to the firebrand Gangu in Gangubai Kathiawadi... it’s been one winner after another from Alia. Turning producer has simply been a step forward. “My brand needs to help create other brands,” is what Alia had told me earlier this year, just before the release of Gangubai Kathiawadi.

Apart from her success on screen, what makes Alia both refreshing and relatable is the fact that she’s so comfortable in her skin. She isn’t afraid to put herself out there and laugh at herself, sometimes even contributing to the memes that make fun of her. She owns up to the fact that she isn’t great with her spellings or her general knowledge. And she will never pretend to be someone she isn’t.

DESI GIRL GONE GLOBAL

Alia may be making her Holly debut only now, but she has been a name to reckon with globally for a while. The world premieres of Gully Boy and Gangubai Kathiawadi have taken place at the Berlin International Film Festival, with both receiving standing ovations and standout praise for Alia. In its recent list of the 100 best performances of all time, The Guardian has picked Alia in Gangubai Kathiawadi, alongside the likes of Ralph Fiennes in Schindler’s List and Tom Hanks in Cast Away. And she’s just been honoured with the Time100 Impact Award, being the only Indian on the list this year.

But anyone who knows Alia knows that she’s just getting started. Here’s looking forward to Alia@20. And beyond.