From Shanaya to Gangubai: Alia Bhatt’s decade-long rise to Bollywood royalty

Alia burst onto the scene as Shanaya Singhania, a fashion-forward rich girl with attitude to match. While her role was more style than substance, it made her an instant youth icon. The film may not have tested her acting chops, but it put her firmly on the Bollywood map and made her the face of Gen Z glamour.

Two years later, Alia shocked critics and audiences alike with her raw, vulnerable performance as Veera, a young woman who finds unexpected freedom in captivity. Directed by Imtiaz Ali, Highway proved she wasn’t just another pretty face — she was here to act.

In Raazi, Alia played Sehmat, an Indian spy who marries into a Pakistani military family during the Indo-Pak war. Her restrained yet impactful performance carried the entire film and became one of the highest-grossing female-led films of all time.

As Safeena, a fiery medical student in Gully Boy, Alia delivered punchy dialogues and unforgettable moments. Her chemistry with Ranveer Singh was electric, but she stood tall on her own, balancing fierce possessiveness with comic timing.

Arguably her most transformative role yet, Alia slipped into the role of Gangubai, a brothel madam turned social reformer, with stunning conviction. Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the film was a career-defining moment and earned her the National Award for Best Actress.