Alia Bhatt reveals she finds Aishwarya Rai Bachchan 'mesmerizing' and can't help but think of her

Alia Bhatt has truly showcased her acting skills by taking on a variety of roles in her successful Bollywood career. Her ability to adapt to diverse characters like Veera in Highway, Bauria in Udta Punjab, and Gangubai in Gangubai Kathiawadi highlights her versatility. Starting with Karan Johar's Student of the Year in 2012, she has evolved through popular films like Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Highway, and 2 States. The rising star, Alia Bhatt, recently reminisced about how Aishwarya Rai Bachchan influenced her and shared her practice of observing Aishwarya's expressions in songs.

In a recent chat with Allure on the Favorite Things Of All Time show, Alia Bhatt was quizzed about her top picks from Indian cinema. Following Shah Rukh Khan, Alia singled out Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, whose influence has deeply resonated with her.

The Rocky Ki Raani actress revealed that she began grasping the essence of movies through the music, songs, and dance sequences in Indian cinema as time passed. She expressed how these elements form a significant part of the festive spirit portrayed in films.

"When it comes to learning or being inspired by somebody who's embodied dance in the most beautiful way on screen, I can't help but think of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. She was absolutely and is still just mesmerizing," Alia expressed.

The actress praised the Ae Dil Hai Mushkil star for imparting direction and intellect to her thoughts. The Alpha star reminisced about how she used to study the former beauty queen's acting in her films.

Alia detailed that whenever she had to act in a song from her movie, she would watch Aishwarya's songs to "capture her expressions." The Love and War actress also observed the graceful movements of the Devdas star and how she presented herself throughout the songs.

Alia went on to shower more praise on the 50-year-old actress, describing her performances as "perfect and precise" and emphasizing how beautiful she is to watch.

Back in March this year, Alia Bhatt graced a Forbes event where she shared her Hollywood experience post her debut in Gal Gadot's Heart of Stone. Alia expressed her admiration for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, and Priyanka Chopra, acknowledging them as a "huge source of inspiration" for her.

The Heart of Stone actress shared her profound admiration for Aishwarya, Deepika, and Priyanka. Alia also commended these actresses for clearing the path for her in Hollywood. Essentially, they made it more common to opt for roles in the Hollywood industry.

For those unfamiliar, prior to Alia Bhatt, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was initially considered for the role of Veera in Imtiaz Ali's 2014 film, Highway. In a previous interview with MidDay, director Imtiaz disclosed that he initially envisioned Veera as a more mature character but changed his perspective after meeting Alia. The director mentioned that Aishwarya Rai would have been a great fit for the role even without makeup. However, he clarified that he did not approach her for the part.

On the professional front, Alia Bhatt has the film Jigra in the pipeline. Directed by Vasan Bala, this upcoming movie also features Vedang Raina from The Archies. Additionally, Alia is set to star in Yash Raj Films' spy thriller, Alpha, alongside Sharvari. Furthermore, the actress is set to appear in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love & War, where she will share the screen with Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal. The filming for this movie is scheduled to commence next month, with a release date set for March 20, 2026.