Karan Johar reflects on Alia Bhatt’s journey; says, “Her emotional launch is Student of the Year, but her professional launch is Highway.”

Alia Bhatt’s journey to stardom began with her debut in Karan Johar’s Student of the Year, where she appeared alongside Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra. However, Karan feels her real “professional launch” happened with Imtiaz Ali’s Highway. He explained that the film allowed Alia to prove her acting abilities beyond just being a star. While Karan always believed in her potential, he admitted he never expected her to become a superstar who would inspire future generations. He also reminisced about the bond he shared with Alia, Varun, and Sidharth during the making of SOTY.

Karan Johar reflects on Alia Bhatt’s journey; says, “Her emotional launch is Student of the Year, but her professional launch is Highway.”

While speaking on Komal Nahta’s YouTube show Game Changers, Karan Johar stated, “I always thought Alia would be a star, but I could not imagine that she would become this kind of actress. I didn’t think of that. I knew she was a star and she was a good actress. She is solid, she can face the camera but I always say that her emotional launch is Student of the Year, but her professional launch is Highway.”

Karan Johar considers Highway to be the film that truly established Alia Bhatt as an actress, allowing her to prove her talent beyond stardom. He believes that having both exceptional acting skills and widespread popularity is what makes someone stand out. In his view, Alia is lucky to possess both, distinguishing her from many others in the industry.

Reflecting on launching Sidharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan, and Alia Bhatt, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani director Karan Johar revealed, “When I launched these three, I told my team that you should treat them like a mega stars only. So they were like, ‘What does that mean?’ I said, ‘Treat them like they’re already superstars because if you give them that confidence, they will face the camera like a star. If you treat them like a newcomers, they’ll give you a newcomer performance.’ They were given the best treatment. That didn’t mean I was spoiling them.”

Karan Johar aimed to boost the confidence of the debutant actors, ensuring they felt like stars rather than newcomers. He treated them as friends and prioritized their comfort. Instead of traditional rehearsals, he held a 12-day workshop at his empty flat, where he focused on understanding them personally. Through conversations about their lives, thoughts, and insecurities, they developed a strong bond by the end of the workshop.

Also Read : Karan Johar reveals Rajamouli films don’t rely on ‘logic’ but ‘conviction’; says, “This holds true for all major blockbusters, including Animal, RRR and Gadar”

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