It's not shallow to care about clothes, make-up: Alia

Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) Alia Bhatt, who sported a de-glam look in her second film "Highway", may not be "constantly fashionable" but she says there is nothing wrong in being fashion conscious.

The actress made her debut as an upmarket glamorous girl in "Student of the Year".

"I am closer to my second character. But I don't think it's shallow to care about clothes and make-up. Every girl likes to dress up. I didn't really begin to care about my looks until I started acting. Now I enjoy dressing up. But I am not constantly fashionable. There are days when I am in pyjamas at home," she said in an interview.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q. Which is closer to the real Alia, the shallow clothes horse in "Student Of The Year" or the sensitive pained girl in "Highway"?

A. I am closer to my second character. But I don't think it's shallow to care about clothes and make-up. Every girl likes to dress up. I didn't really begin to care about my looks until I started acting. Now I enjoy dressing up. But I am not constantly fashionable. There are days when I am in pyjamas at home.

Q. Not looking good is not an option for you?

A. You think so? (laughs) In that case I'll have to be more careful about my appearance.

Q. How do you rate yourself in "2 States"?

A. I haven't seen the film. But I love my character in "2 States". She is very different from the girls that I've played in my first two films. She is strong and mature. Which I am at times. At other times, I am not. But the emotions in "2 States" were all new to me. I may be speaking too soon. But the director Abhishek Varman is absolutely fantastic.

Q. Will you live up to the audience's expectations in "2 States"?

A. Expectations will always be there. But I can't be thinking about that all the time. Only when the film is out, then all the anxieties will sink in. But I still feel I am too new to raise too many expectations. I am okay with failing.

Q. That's Mahesh Bhatt's daughter speaking?

A. My father was the most excited after seeing "Highway". He told me he couldn't sleep after seeing my performance. To me that's very personal triumph. My father's approval means a lot to me. Actually, my entire family's approval means a lot to me. But my father's approval means a little more since he is a fantastic filmmaker and can separate Alia the daughter from Alia the actress.

Q. Maybe you bring out the fantastic side of all your directors?

A. Nooooo, that's giving me too much credit. The novel "2 States" was so good. We could easily go wrong in the screen adaptation. I hope people don't feel so. Because we've worked genuinely hard to keep the spirit of the novel intact in the film.

Q. Which was harder in "2 States" - playing a South Indian or playing a wife?

A. Speaking Tamil was really hard for me. Fortunately, I didn't have to play the Tamil girl in a loud caricatural way. She is a city girl. She can be from any part of the world. The Tamil side of her comes out when she's speaking to her parents. I didn't have to learn too much Tamil.

Click the Movie button below for more info:
Highway