Alia Bhatt's films and her versatility - In pics

As Kaira in Dear Zindagi directed by Gauri Shinde, Alia outdoes herself. The actress plays a young girl thoroughly depressed in life and the challenges thrown at her.  She changes her perspective towards life after she finds a guide in the form of Jehangir Khan (played by Shah Rukh Khan).

In Udta Punjab Alia Bhatt plays Kumari Pinky (Bauria), a young girl from Bihar who aspires to play Hockey for the country starts working as a labourer in Punjab. But circumstances force her to sell drugs and this lands her in deep trouble. She is physically abused by drug-peddlers and even forced into prostitution. The film showcases the struggles of common girls like Bauria.

Alia Bhatt played a South Indian girl in Abhishek Varman's romance drama 2 States based on Chetan Bhagat's namesake 2009 novel. Alia essayed Ananya Swaminathan to the T and looked beautiful in the south Indian avatar.

Imtiaz Ali's Highway helped Alia showcase her acting prowess in its fullest glory. She played a young girl who gets abducted by a gang of goons and later develops Stockholm syndrome. She was paired with method actor Randeep Hooda in the film and shared an unusual but refreshing chemistry with him on-screen.

Alia Bhatt was launched by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions in Student of the Year in 2012. She played the quintessential Bollywood heroine in this high-school romantic drama which also featured debutants Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra.