Mahesh Bhatt doesn't want to 'use' brand Alia for his film Aashiqui 3

Mahesh Bhatt doesn't want to use' brand Alia for his film Aashiqui 3

• Kavita Awaasthi, Hindustan Times, Mumbai|
• Updated: Sep 01, 2016 07:58 IST

Even before it has gone on the floors, the third instalment of the Aashiqui film franchise has been creating quite a buzz. There were rumours that Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra will star in the movie. But nothing has been confirmed yet.

Ask filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, who is the producer of the movie, if any casting decisions have been taken regarding the film, and he says, "We are nowhere close to seriously talking about it. Let's see where we go. Whether Alia will star in it or someone else will is something we will answer later."

Even though Bhatt has written and directed popular and thought-provoking films such as Arth (1982), Saaransh (1984) and Zakhm (1999), among others, Alia always wanted to be an actor.Even though his daughter is one of the top actors in the industry today, Bhatt says he doesn't like using his children as "meal tickets". "If I don't bring something new to brand Alia, then why should she do the film? I don't use my children as my meal ticket, and I have an aversion to stars," says the 67-year-old, laughing.

In fact, recently, she was quoted as saying that she isn't a great writer, and doesn't want to direct either.

But Bhatt feels the 23-year-old has it in her to become a writer. "I think she proved everyone wrong by writing a lovely piece for HT Caf's anniversary edition. Everyone, including Pooja and Shaheen (his other daughters), was surprised. It is only a writer who knows how putting one word after another is a huge achievement. I think sooner or later, Alia will arrive at a point when she will want to write. At the moment, she doesn't feel that she has enough to write. She is playing characters that are written for her. Once she has enough life experiences, they will compel her to become a storyteller," he says.