Ranbir Kapoor said it without saying a single word. Asked by paparazzi how he liked the trailer of girlfriend Alia Bhatt's new film Gangubai Kathiawadi, the actor spun around and raised his arms over his head to form a backwards namaste pose. It was more, much more than the few words of appreciation the paparazzi had expected - "are baap re," they responded. For those who didn't get the reference, the backwards namaste is an Alia-special pose and one she struck while unveiling the trailer of her new film for the media on Thursday in Mumbai.
Watch Ranbir Kapoor do an Alia Bhatt here:
Here's the original:
Alia Bhatt
Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor began dating on the sets of the long-in-the-making and much-awaited trilogy Brahmastra, which finally releases this year. However, the first time they met was years ago when Alia, now 28, was all of 11 and a prospective cast member of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 2005 film Black.
Speaking to Film Companion, Alia said, "I got rejected for Black but I spent a lot of time with Mr Sanjay Leela Bhansali after the film for something else, which never happened eventually. I never felt bad about that because I was just eleven and I had no idea what was happening. And I got to spend some time with him and I was just dancing on Dola Re Dola (from the director's film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam) for him. That's actually where I met Ranbir for the first time. He was assisting him for Black. Then at that time, there were plans of doing something else and not Black, which eventually never happened. But I have no regrets." The role, as the younger version of Rani Mukerji's character, went to Ayesha Kapoor.
Alia's experience on the sets of Black set in motion future events - she eventually did end up being directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Gangubai Kathiawadi (with a false start previously in the now-shelved Inshallah), and she and Ranbir Kapoor eventually fell in love. She's been open about him being her childhood crush and, as per unconfirmed reports, a wedding could be on the cards.
Meantime, Alia Bhatt's performance in and as Gangubai Kathiawadi is taking everyone's breath away. Watch the trailer here:
Apart from Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, Brahmastra also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna, and Mouni Roy.
After Gangubai Kathiawadi and Brahmastra, Alia Bhatt has S S Rajamouli's RRR, her home-production Darlings, and Zoya Akhtar's Jee Le Zaraa.