Mumbai: In a candid revelation that has sparked a new conversation about the lifestyle of Bollywood stars, veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has shared that his granddaughter, Raha, has her own dedicated vanity van on her mother, Alia Bhatt’s film sets. Bhatt described the van as a “temple,” emphasizing the unique approach of “new-age heroines” to balancing work and motherhood.
The news comes amidst a long-standing debate in the film industry about the rising entourage costs of actors, with many filmmakers and producers complaining that excessive demands for staff and multiple vanity vans inflate production budgets.
In a recent conversation with Humans of Bombay, Mahesh Bhatt spoke about his daughter’s unwavering passion for acting, which he says has remained “unquenched” even after she became a mother. “She has astounded me; I didn’t think she was capable of this,” he said, citing her performances in films like Highway and Udta Punjab.
Bhatt recounted a recent experience while shooting an advertisement with Alia and legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan. “I saw that there was a vanity for Raha,” he said, adding that Alia offered him a chance to sit in her daughter’s van. He described the van as feeling like a “nursery school” or a “temple” and joked, “the old man has no place there.”
He lauded Alia for her ability to seamlessly manage her career and family life, noting, “Alia chose to get married to Ranbir, her films only got bigger, she had a child, and she continues to work. She just went to Milan for the Gucci event, carrying her daughter with her… But that’s the new-age heroines. They work, they parent, they attend Gucci events while carrying their babies with them.”
Alia Bhatt recently featured in a viral Flipkart advertisement alongside her father, Amitabh Bachchan, and a host of other celebrities. The ad’s star-studded cast and larger-than-life feel drew comparisons to the iconic “Deewangi Deewangi” song from the film Om Shanti Om.
Meanwhile, Alia is gearing up for the release of her highly anticipated film Alpha, directed by Shiv Rawail. The movie, which also stars Sharvari and Bobby Deol, is the seventh installment in Aditya Chopra’s YRF Spy Universe and is scheduled to be released in cinemas on December 25, 2025.