Alia Bhatt reveals she gained newfound respect for her body during pregnancy with daughter Raha Kapoor: 'I used to be like, Once a fat kid, always a fat kid'

Alia Bhatt's weight loss journey has been a significant part of her transformation in the film industry. When she first entered Bollywood with her debut in Student of the Year (2012), she had to lose weight to fit into the role, shedding around 16 kgs in just three months. During a recent conversation, Alia reflected on beauty standards in India, especially given the industry's rigid beauty standards that often favor tall, slim, and lighter-skinned looks.
In her interview with Allure, Alia shared how she was a 'chubby, healthy' child, 'very happy with life' and didn’t initially see anything wrong with her appearance. However, she admitted to struggling with body image issues after joining the industry.
"I have struggled with body-image issues since then. No matter how much weight I lost, I always struggled. My friends would say, ‘Alia, you need to stop dieting. Just be calm, live a little, eat some food.’ And I used to be like, Once a fat kid, always a fat kid. I used to say that in my head, no matter how much weight I lost,” Alia said.
However, during her pregnancy with daughter Raha Kapoor, Alia experienced a change in perspective. She gained a newfound respect for her body and became more accepting of herself. She realized that she didn’t need to be overly critical of her appearance or stress about a few extra kilos. This shift helped her embrace a more balanced approach to health and body positivity.

"I had so much respect for my body and was so enamored with what it could do. It made me realize that even though I was in this business, I would never be hard on myself about the way I look or certain extra kilos over here or a certain bloated belly over there,” she reflected.
Over a career spanning more than 20 films, Alia has portrayed strong, independent female characters and, in the process, learned to unapologetically set her own standards in real life. She confidently declares, "This is me, and this is why."

Alia's upcoming film Jigra, which she co-produced, revolves around sibling love and protection. Also starring Vedang Raina, the film is set to release on October 11. Alia is also working on Alpha, the seventh installment in YRF's spy universe, starring alongside Sharvari, Bobby Deol, and Anil Kapoor.