Alia Bhatt: Symbol of today

Iam not Bejan Daruwala. Nor am I a tarot card reader. But I am reasonably intuitive and something tells me, 2016 will belong unambiguously to the young, restless and talented. Not just in Bolllywood, but across diverse fields. This is the energy I am sensing. And in a way, Alia Bhatt encapsulates it. I am using her as a symbol of this big shift taking place in India. Strictly speaking, my first column in this brand new year is not about Alia Bhatt per se. It is about the Alia Bhatt syndrome.

As the latest 'Savvy' cover girl, Alia has talked candidly about herself, with the sort of transparency only the young can afford. She has dealt with her insecurities and fears in ways that are upfront, straight forward and out there. What I liked was the absence of manipulation. Most movie stars these days are pretty clued in, cool and calculating. They know exactly which buttons to push and do so with enormous panache. They talk about their lives far more openly than the earlier generation, but all of it sounds like a well thought through PR exercise - which it probably is. Alia sounds real. Credible. Especially when she discusses being the daughter of an iconoclastic father - Mahesh Bhatt.

She refers to him as 'Mahesh Bhatt' , like she is talking about a semi-stranger. Perhaps, that's exactly what he has been to his children. Any other young girl in her specific situation would have attempted to gloss over the remoteness of the relationship (he hardly ever chatted with her, took precisely one, three-day holiday with the family, and advised Alia to drop out of school - or fail!). But Alia deals with this and more in a no-nonsense way that, in fact, negates the general perception of her as a monumentally ignorant, vain and rather flaky young girl.

There are so many talented contemporaries of hers, who are better looking, possibly, and far better actors as well. That's fine. Alia is enjoying her hard-won success. This message is for those clinging on and refusing to make space for the next wave of energetic, fabulous, disciplined professionals. Viewers are tired of watching 50-year-old men - no matter how amazing - as they cavort around with the Alias of the film industry. Ditto for the jaded stalwarts dominating other arenas - business, politics, sports, the arts.

Isn't it high time most of them stepped back and allowed younger people to come up? Clinging on stubbornly to power and position in an environment that is ripe and ready for change shows a person's selfishness and shortsightedness. Frankly, the picture of a brash young Bihar politico (28- year-old Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav ) on horseback, merrily riding through the busy streets of Patna, brought a smile to my face. It's good to break a few boring rules occasionally. The young must challenge the status quo. Shock value is not such a terrible thing.

Often, this leads to much desired change in a stale and static environment. We live in a world that's spinning at unheard-of speeds. It is exciting and filled with possibilities. Why hang on to systems and personalities that no longer work- ...that have outgrown their original use... lost their appeal? Someone pretty smart and politically shrewd told me, "Don't scoff just yet at Arvind Kejriwal. He is the future of India. He will be Prime Minister soon."

My jaw took a while to close. I got home and thought about the political pundit's prediction. He could be bang on target. People are sick and tired of the same old rogues in politics. The new rogues have not performed so far. The thought of the annoying former bunch coming back to power is revolting. That leaves Arvind - chakram as he is. Voters believe his heart is in the right place, even if his mind isn't. Arvind Kejriwal is the Alia Bhatt of politics in a weird way. He says the most outrageous things. Gets away with a few, and gets slammed for the rest. People think he is dumb.

People also think Alia is dumb. His style quotient is uniquely his own (loved his ' four unaccounted for mufflers' quote). Alia also puts herself together in an unconventional way. He puts both his feet in his mouth on a regular basis. She does the same. He frustrates rivals. So does she. He is odd looking. So is Alia. He is succeeding. Alia has succeeded. The new India is going to be dominated by people like Arvind and Alia. Their thinking is out of the box. And they challenge the status quo. Alia was written off after her first film. Arvind was also considered a political novice without a future.

Both of them have managed to navigate shark-infested waters skilfully. Both get routinely mocked, but have mastered the art of giving it back to detractors very smartly. Alia spoofs herself. Arvind has started to do the same. These two represent a brave new breed in their respective spheres. I like their kind of 'toofan'. 2016 will be the Year of Toofans. How prepared are you for stormy weather?