Alia Bhatt turns 25, says movies make her feel alive

Mumbai: Actress Alia Bhatt, whose look from her upcoming film Raaz was unveiled on her 25th birthday on Thursday, says movies keep her alive. 

Alia and Raazi producer Karan Johar treated her fans to a glimpse into her look for the film, which is directed by Meghna Gulzar. It is a period drama based on Harinder Sikka's novel Calling Sehmat, about a Kashmiri spy married to a Pakistani man during the 1971 India-Pakistan war. 

Alia, who started her film journey with Student of The Year and has impressed critics and audiences with projects like Highway, Udta Punjab, Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Dear Zindagi among others, shared two images from Raazi on Instagram. 

"Movies, or in this case my movies, aren't just something I do for a living. It's kind of the reason I feel like I'm alive. So... On my 25th birthday I've randomly picked out two images from the 25th day of shoot of 'Raazi' and the trailer will be out 25 days from today (April 9)... Happy Birthday to me," wrote the daughter of cinema veterans Mahesh Bhatt and Soni Razdan. 

Alia's Raazi look, as shared by Karan, features a close shot of the actress' face, which has minimal make-up. She is seen wearing simple golden earrings and a nose stud for jewellery. 

Vicky Kaushal, her co-star from the film, described her an "amazing human". 

The Twitter world was abuzz with wishes for the young talent, who is counted amongst the best actresses in Bollywood today. 

"Your growth as an actor has been phenomenal and this is just the beginning. Keep doing what you do best! Good luck," wished Anil Kapoor via Twitter. 

Akshay Kumar called her "immensely talented", and said: "You're the perfect example of 'good work speaks for itself'." 

Composer Shankar Mahadevan wished Alia a "journey full of happiness and success ahead". 

Her Udta Punjab and Shaandaar co-star Shahid Kapoor had a word of advice for Alia. 

"Happy birthday! Enjoy these years, they don't come back. May you grow creatively even more than you already have. And may you be happy... always." 

Designer Maseba Mantena, who lovingly calls Alia as Aloo, said: "It's hard to believe you're just 25. You've come a long way and I can hardly wait to see what you do in the next leg of your incredibly inspiring life." 

Others who wished her include Neha Kakkar, Riteish Deshmukh, Shraddha Kapoor, Pulkit Samrat, Maniesh Paul, Sophie Choudry and Nimrat Kaur.