She didn’t merely put in an appearance on IGL 2; for all intents and purposes, it was a reset. The internet had been having its way with her in the wake of Jigra’s misstep, and here she was, right in the middle of the Alpha hype, not running from the jokes but making them her own. Opinions were divided, as they tend to be. Some will have you know they like her easygoing side and that she can take a ribbing. Others are still on about the usual. But the divide is what is interesting. You can see how the kind of vitriol you find online is starting to set the tone for how her movies are received even before the first frame is up.
Why this appearance lands now
It is no coincidence. Jigra did not do as well as hoped, and that has the nepotism-merit argument going round again, especially since it was yet another Karan Johar-Alia Bhatt project. Then you have the mixed feelings over the Alpha trailer, and the conversation is no longer just about film.
There is more to Alpha than your typical star show. Being in the Yash Raj Films’ Spy Universe puts a certain pressure on it. Sharvari and Bobby Deol have their moments, but the eyes are on Alia. A little damage control, then, is only sensible. The trolling has been in the works for a while. Go back to 2013 and Koffee With Karan, when she bumbled the President’s name. Toss in some of the unending support from Karan Johar and you have a case for privilege. Her films have done their job to put a lid on it, but the story never goes away.
Inside the India’s Got Latent turn
Samay Raina’s India’s Got Latent 2 is made to rattle the polished veneer of a guest. They come to be the judge and end up being the one on the receiving end of a quip. Forget a comfortable chat; this is a bit of a free-for-all. Alia was in on it. She was hugging the contestants, dancing, and putting in a good word for a joke at her expense. When Avinash Agarwal put on a ‘Donald Trump’ voice to have at her, she said she was put off, but she let it go. That is what you get for on that show.
Some on the web saw it for what it was. For those tired of a defensive front, there was something genuine in her spontaneity. It was a nudge toward being relatable, a way of showing she is in tune with the audience, whether in the studio or on a screen.
The power of self-deprecation in Indian pop culture
Self-deprecation is nothing new for Indian stand-up. Before it was the thing to do to make a clip go viral, comics would use it to put a room at ease. It is a way of saying you are not above it all. It’s a ploy some of the more unapproachable types have been using to put on a little humanity. The thinking is straightforward: let the star make the first joke at their own expense and you can count on the room to relax. Alia has a way of turning the page without so much as a press release. Put it in plain terms: I see the memes, I’m part of the fun.
Alia in 2013: making the joke her own
She’s done this before. In the wake of Student of the Year and the Koffee fiasco, she put in with AIB for “Alia Bhatt – Genius of the Year,” a bit of a takedown of her public persona and the quips about her wits. Even her dad Mahesh and sister Shaheen were in on it; they made short work of even Taare Zameen Par. The point was to have the last word on yourself. And it worked. People didn’t come for her, they had a good time with her. It was one of those pop-culture moments that did wonders for her standing.
Then there are the hits and the Jigra hangover
Over the years, you had Raazi, Highway, Gangubai, Udta Punjab, Rocky Aur Rani… the kind of work that makes naysayers put down their pens and shows you’re not just your mentor’s shadow. Jigra put a damper on things. All the build-up for what was to be her big Hindi actioner came to naught. Being another Karan Johar-Alia project, it put the old nepotism talk back on the table. Before you knew it, the trolling was in her interviews and at Cannes. That’s where we are now. Even the Alpha trailer got a lukewarm response. Sure, it’s an Alia show, but with Sharvari and Bobby Deol in the mix under the Yash Raj Films banner, the pressure is on.
So, what’s next?
You can’t undo a decade of internet history in a day. But by going with the flow of the roast instead of shutting it down, Alia is in the driver’s seat. You don’t have to engage with every hater, but you can set the mood. Here’s how it breaks down: – The underperformance of Jigra brought the trolls out in force. – India’s Got Latent 2 was her chance to stand up to them. – She let the roasts fly and, for once, the viewers were on her side. – Now Alpha is in the crosshairs of the Spy Universe. Will all that goodwill put butts in seats for Alpha? We’ll see. What it does tell you is that Alia is aware of the times. These days, a star is as much about handling the feedback loop as it is about the movie. For her fans, it was a good-natured reminder of why they like her. For the rest, it was a show of good humour. As for what we have coming with Alpha, it has set the stage.
