Alia Bhatt reveals therapy helped her cope with body image issues

Actor wants to share her struggle with young girls who might be under pressure because of ‘Instagram culture’

Actor Alia Bhatt recently opened up about some details from her private life. The star admitted that she has been very hard on herself over the years, adding that she has started seeking therapy and how it is helping her cope with body image issues. She said that she has always been very concerned with food, dieting, weight and the way she is looking on a particular day, reported The Indian Express.

“That’s a struggle that’s been constant,” she told journalist Barkha Dutt on Mojo Story. “Everyone around me would see it, but I would not see it.” Alia said that she understands that as a public figure, she needs to tick certain boxes, but after a point she realised she was being too harsh on herself. She said that this is something she would want to share with young girls who might be under pressure to present the best versions of themselves because of ‘Instagram culture’.

Revealing that she takes therapy once a week, Alia said, “When I started therapy, I did it just as a hygiene thing. To take care of my body, I go to the gym; I need to take care of my mind as well. It’s something I started amidst the lockdown when everybody was going through a hard time and I thought that maybe this would be a good time to start. I started as a generic thing, but what I discovered through those sessions is that I have so many issues. I always knew I was anal when it came to my weight because I’m facing the camera.”

The Kapoor & Sons actor said that continuous therapy taught her to listen to the people around her, referring to the time her loved ones would keep telling her not to be obsessed with her appearance and weight. “How I dealt with it? I’ll be honest, sometimes I would just tell myself, ‘It’s all fine, you have to do this because you have to look good’. I would convince myself that this is something I have to do but I realised over time that I don’t have to do this,” she said. 

Alia also spoke about her relationship with boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor, and said that he often compares her to an ‘alien’. In fact, this is something that him and her father, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, have bonded over. She said, “It’s strange. Ranbir says that to me all the time… He says this to me. You’re a strange person, strange being. He says that a lot. You’re an alien. What are you? You’re an alien.”

She added, “I don’t probe too much. I find it cute, so I just blush and I take it in. Even when Ranbir looks at my childhood photos, he says, ‘Look at your eyes. God, you’re an alien. What is this? What are these eyes?’ So he’s seeing something. So my father and Ranbir bond over this.”

Alia was recently seen in the period drama Gangubai Kathiawadi. Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the film crossed the INR100 crore mark at the global box office. She is also set to make her Hollywood debut with a Netflix thriller Heart of Stone, starring Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan.