Alia Bhatt – one of Bollywood’s most popular actresses – certainly knows how to wow in songs.
Since her debut in 2012, Alia has flourished into a magnificent performer, showcasing her talent in music and dance to dizzying heights. The feisty actress charms, dazzles and impresses in her efforts to present a viewing experience that is original and effervescent.
In celebrating the power and fervour of women, 10 songs celebrate the freshness and modernity of Alia Bhatt within Bollywood chartbusters. Kicking off the list is where it all started for her when she made her debut in Karan Johar’s ‘Student of the Year’.
In the film, Alia plays Shanaya Singhania – a wealthy and popular college student whom many admire. This admiration is clear for viewers to see in ‘Radha,’ which features Shanaya dancing with Abhimanyu ‘Abhi’ Singh (Sidharth Malhotra), Rohan ‘Ro’ Nanda (Varun Dhawan).
Yogendra ‘Yogi’ Vashisht (Rishi Kapoor) also joins in briefly. Shreya Ghoshal, Udit Narayan, Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani energetically belt out the track.
Alia is sexy, graceful and dainty in the song. From her confidence in front of the camera, it is hard to believe that this is her first film.
In ‘Radha’, audiences get a first glimpse of the flawless performer Alia is. An adaptation of Chetan Bhagat’s novel, ‘2 States’ stars Alia Bhatt as Ananya Swaminathan and Arjun Kapoor as Krish Malhotra.
The film follows the story of the couple struggling to convince their parents of their love and desire to get married. This formula could easily transcend into melancholy and woe, but 2 States is full of comedic moments including terrific music.
One of the songs – ‘Iski Uski’ – presents Ananya and Krish swaying merrily at a function. This duet is brought to life by Akriti Kakar and Shahid Mallya.
Alia has a solo dance as part of the number, which encapsulates her talent and handle on film music. Joginder Tuteja from Rediff praises the number: “‘Iski Uski’ is a peppy song that will be played at celebratory events.”
Alia headlines this celebration, and it is this song that contributed significantly to the success of ‘2 States’. The unplugged version of ‘Samjhawaan’ marks the debut of Alia Bhatt as a playback singer.
Alia emimbueselody and love into her rendition, showing what a multi-faceted artist, she is. In ‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’, Alia portrays Kavya Pratap Singh, a girl desperately in love with Rakesh ‘Humpty’ Sharma (Varun Dhawan).
Her sweet tone and mellifluous control over the tempo warm the listener, inducing emotion within them. A fan comments on YouTube: “She won many hearts with this song. Love it!”
Another adds: “Some songs take you to that special place where nothing else matters.
“You just stop and listen and feel blessed to be alive. Thanks for giving us one such gem, Alia.
“Love you!” These thoughts aptly convey the love Alia spread through her sparkling rendition. In Shakun Batra’s masterpiece ‘Kapoor & Sons’, Alia inhabits the carefree world of Tia Malik.
Riding on spontaneity and fun, Tia adorns ‘Kar Gayi Chull’ with enthusiasm and joyful expression. The song is filled with the iconography of Alia swinging her hips, letting her hair go wild and unabashedly using physical contact to her advantage.
The result is a peppy, solid track which entices viewers and listeners to shake a leg along with it. Aishwarya S from Urban Asian delves into her addiction fotohe song: “This is a supremely addictive house party track sung by Badshah, Fazilpuria, Sukriti Kakar, and Neha Kakkar.
“In addition to the great beats, I simply loved the dance moves and Adil Shaikh’s choreography in the video.” For great choreography to score highly, the performer needs to justify it.
Alia undoubtedly ticks all the boxes for a groovy experience in ‘Kar Gayi Chull’. Alia Bhatt melds into the soul of the aspiring cinematographer Kaira in Gauri Shinde’s thought-provoking film.
Kaira seeks therapy from Dr Jehangir ‘Jug’ Khan (Shah Rukh Khan). With the support of Jug, Kaira transforms into a bubbly personality who is more accepting of her life and circumstances.
This fresh attitude is underlined beautifully by ‘Love You Zindagi’. Jasleen Royal’s voice fills the song with zest and happiness.
Alia dances and moves in the song in a gratifying, childlike manner which makes viewers connect with the optimism Kaira has found. Rinky Kumar from Times of India highlights this happiness: “The song, which is all about embracing life with a smile, is light, breezy and the kind that you would like to hum yourself when you are happy.”
Alia Bhatt shines with glory as Vaidehi Trivedi alongside Varun Dhawan’s Badrinath ‘Badri’ Bansal in this film. ‘Badri Ki Dulhania’ is the anthem of the movie, which illustrates the bond between the characters.
It is sung masterfully by Dev Negi, Neha Kakkar, Monali Thakur and Ikka. The song plays over the ending credits of the film and is decorated with fabulous beats.
In glistening pink attire, Alia entertains with gusto as she aces the steps shown in the number. DJ Munks of Biz Aisa Live underscores the commercialism of ‘Badri Ki Dulhania’: “It has the right mix to match the stature of the film on the commercial aspects.
“There is so much going on in this song that one cannot really get bored listening to it. A sure shot hit.”
Alia is a scene-stealer in the number. She proves that her feistiness makes her a force to reckon with.
Meghna Gulzar’s ‘Raazi’ presents Alia at her very best as the formidable yet resolute Sehmat Syed. The legendary maestro Arijit Singh uses his majestic voice to sing the title song with perfection.
Lilting, unique and serene, the title song is an ode to feminism. Viewers can enjoy a determined Sehmat going about her mission with terrific slyness and meticulous planning.
The famous shot of Alia aiming at a target with a gun depicts her seamless transition into the character. Writing for Filmfare, Devesh Sharma speaks glowingly of the instrumentation in the song: “The instrumentation makes you want to listen to it again as its rare nowadays to find Indian instruments in Bollywood tracks.”
Unsurprisingly, Alia won the 2019 Filmfare award for ‘Best Actress’ for ‘Raazi’. Her splendid act in the title track is just a single indication of her marvellous acting prowess.
Janhvi Shrimankar and Shail Hada lead the singing of this Sanjay Leela Bhansali composition. Alia silences her naysayers and strengthens the love of her fans as the titular character in this picture.
‘Dholida’ showcases an unflinching Gangubai glide and prance in an opulent display of colour and purity. ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ documents the true events of a girl who upon being lured into the world of prostitution stands up for the rights of sex workers.
The role requires Alia to be tender, scary and vulnerable. This song has traces of classical Indian music and Bhansali accurately blends melody with orchestration.
Discussing the song, Prathyush Parasuraman, from Film Companion breaks down the incredible vocals of Janhvi: “That strength is so visible, so confident, so unshaken.” Strength, confidence and steely grit are what Alia Bhatt also brings to every frame of ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ – a mesmeric act that rightfully won her the 2023 Filmfare Award for ‘Best Actress’.
‘Dholida’ is an amalgamation of all the elements that made the film an intrinsic highlight of Alia’s filmography. The first instalment of Ayan Mukerji’s fantasy trilogy, ‘Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva’ is incomplete without its jaw-dropping soundtrack.
The most popular song is ‘Kesariya’, in which Shiva (Ranbir Kapoor) romances Isha Chatterjee (Alia Bhatt). ‘Kesariya’ flits between flowers, temples and alleyways, each professing a haven for the blossoming love between the couple.
Although Arijit Singh does the majority of the heavy lifting, Antara Mitra touches hearts when Alia has one line onscreen. The actress’ smitten expressions aid the lyrics as the song is all about falling in love and abiding by it.
A fan expresses the naturalism and authenticity of the real-life couple Ranbir and Alia in the number: “Ranbir and Alia don’t need to act – they look natural.
“Emotions can be felt by the way they stare at each other. It seems very authentic and original.”
These emotions are one of many magic tricks that are up Alia’s sleeve which enable her to project as naturally as possible on celluloid. Alia reunites with Karan Johar for this family drama.
She dives into the character of Rani Chatterjee. ‘What Jhumka’ is colourful and flamboyant, and it presents Rani swaying along with the gregarious Rocky Randhawa (Ranveer Singh).
Clad in a beautiful saree, Alia relies on the power of her expressions and her gorgeous smile to ace this song. This duet of Arijit Singh and Jonita Gandhi is a dynamic addition to ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’.
Tellychak reported the adulation viewers heaped on Alia for ‘What Jhumka’. One fan tweeted: “She gave so many expressions in just 15 seconds any other actress could never.”
Echoing similar sentiments, another viewer says: “Listening to ‘What Jhumka’ at work – got me shaking ass at my desk.” Choreographer Ganesh Acharya won a Filmfare Award for this song, which would not have been possible without the glorious presence of Alia.
Alia Bhatt is an actress who can entertain and inspire via her films. However, her performances in the songs of those films also earn her widespread acclaim and positivity.
Whether it be in a saree, jeans or a salwar-kameez, she can perform with equal grace and elegance. A versatile artist like her deserves nothing but respect and applause.
So, put on your dancing shoes and let Alia Bhatt help you have a good groove with her modern freshness and feisty screen persona.
