In 2012, actor Alia Bhatt made her grand Bollywood debut with Karan Johar’s Student of the Year. She went on to make her mark in the industry with films like Highway, Raazi and Gangubai Kathiawadi, among others. Now turned producer, she recently spoke about launching outsiders with her upcoming production, Don’t Be Shy, and here’s how Karan reacted to it.
Karan Johar reacts as Alia Bhatt says she’s launching outsiders
On Thursday, Alia, along with her sister Shaheen Bhatt, attended Amazon Prime Video’s event, #ItStartsHere, where the OTT platform unveiled its 2026 slate. One of Prime Video’s upcoming originals is Alia’s Don’t Be Shy. She spoke about the film and had a fun exchange with host Karan Johar. During the event, KJo told Alia, “You’ve truly mastered the art of being a seasoned producer already, Alia, because your answers seem beautifully independent of my questions for some reason.” Alia replied, “Yes, Karan, because there is a way to launch actors.”
Karan jokingly added, “And clearly I wouldn’t know that, would I? I’ve never done something like that,” referring to how he launched Alia in Bollywood.
Alia responded, “Well, what can I say? We’ve learnt from the best. And the best have always taught us that there is a timing for everything.” KJo then said, “I have a very important question to ask you. It’s crucial and critical and it’s not on the script. Are they outsiders?” As the actor confirmed that the cast of her upcoming production comprises outsiders, KJo told her, “I’m so proud of you.”
About Don’t Be Shy
Helmed by Sreeti Mukerji, the film is produced by Alia and Shaheen under the banner of Eternal Sunshine, in association with Chalkboard Entertainment. It follows the story of Shyamili ‘Shy’ Das, a 20-year-old who believes she has everything figured out until her perfectly planned life takes an unpredictable turn and begins to spiral out of control. The cast and release date are yet to be announced.
Alia Bhatt’s upcoming work
Alia is currently awaiting the release of her upcoming film, Alpha. Helmed by Shiv Rawail, the film is the seventh instalment in YRF’s spy universe. It also stars Sharvari, Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol in key roles and is scheduled to release in theatres on July 10, 2026. Apart from this, she also has Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love & War in the pipeline, which is currently under production. The film also stars Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal.
