Alia Bhatt considers her home to be where Raha laughs and has real joy. The actress became a parent with husband Ranbir Kapoor in November 2022, and she claims her toddler has a “lot of fun” with her father, who is always looking for inventive ways to make her smile.
After dating for over four years, Alia and Ranbir married in April 2022. After their marriage both have seen professional success, further work, with popular films, and even an international debut. But closer to home, the dynamics are beautifully placed.
“Nothing surprised me,” Alia Bhatt said when asked if there was an aspect of Ranbir Kapoor as a father that she didn’t see coming. The actress said even if something did spring as a surprise, it wasn’t like she “wasn’t expecting it.”
“I always inherently felt that he would be a wonderful father. The bond that they share is of much fun and… They are just so much fun together. Raha and Ranbir are always troubling each other, pulling each other’s legs, they have the funniest conversations, and they make each other laugh!”
“One of the things that I didn’t see coming was how specific Ranbir is about Raha’s fashion choices! I have to go and ask him, ‘Ranbir, what should Raha wear for this today?’ Then he will come, rummage into the wardrobe, and find the best for her. He gets so involved deeply in that. You’d think I am dressing her up, but I am like no, leave it up to him! He will do it well.”
Alia Bhatt's debut book ‘Ed Finds a Home'
Alia Bhatt's debut book, Ed Finds a Home, was released on Sunday by Penguin. The first book in The Adventures of Ed-a-Mamma series is written in conjunction with Vivek Kamath and Shabnam Minwalla, and illustrated by Tanvi Bhat.
Alia, who spoke on the sidelines of the event, said she often marvels at Ranbir's “creative ways” to play with their daughter, who will turn two in November. Alia Bhatt describes it as a sight that often leaves her in wonder, highlighting Ranbir's ease as a father.
“I was watching a reel recently and it said that there is a certain release of this oxytocin in your brain with father and daughter when they play and have fun. Mom and daughter can have fun together as well but there is a different level of fun that father-daughter have. Mother-daughter is perhaps more about sleeping, feeding, and nurturing. That’s my safe space, I am happy doing that. But when it comes to creative ways of having fun, it is. I can’t even think of the ways he uses to entertain her and in turn, she entertains him”.
She added, “So, I always expected this, but this creativity is a surprise on a day-to-day basis. He is just wonderful, in a basic, simple, primal way. He doesn’t even have to try too hard; it just naturally comes to him”.