Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar penned an appreciated note for her 'Rani', actress Alia Bhatt. Karan stated that before 2023 ends, he felt like expressing his love for the actress. He also said that he doesn't want to take any credit for her Bollywood career and in the same post, he thanked director Imtiaz Ali for making Highway with her. Alia made her Bollywood debut with Karan's Student Of The Year, however, she garnered immense praise for her role in Highway.
"Before the years wraps I felt like sharing this with all of you…
I hadn’t directed Alia since 2012 and the day she walked onto set In her @manishmalhotra05 plus @mickeycontractor plus #flavian look I knew we had the Rani I had always envisaged …. What followed was an actor I wasn’t prepared for…. And I can take zero credit … will always be grateful to Imtiaz ali for taking her on a highway of life and moulding her into the actor she finally became …. SOTY is technically her launch but her true launch as an artist will always be highway," Karan wrote.
Further praising Alia, Karan wrote, "Alia is such a pride and pleasure on a film set…. She had a ticking kind constantly questioning Rani and trying her best to make her strong and yet identifiable and likeable … again for that I take no credit that is her evolution as an artist! Was blessed to have her as Rani Chatterjee and I do hope her character keeps resonating …. Love you @aliaabhatt."
In the same post, Karan also penned a lengthy note of appreciation for Ranveer Singh and called him the 'irreplaceable force of nature'.
He wrote, "The actor prepares and never comes in your way … he never ever let me know the extent he was prepping to play Rocky Randhawa… he planned his prep with my team, spent months in Delhi, hung out in west Delhi, met the West Delhi gram boys, worked on his dialect like an obsessed artist! Kept improvising dialogues till it reached perfection for him … I saw this as a bystander, a filmmaker in awe and was blown away by his process (which initially can be daunting but when you see the dailies you’re sold and he’s won your heart)."
Karan added, "I feel like the perception of RS is so different from his labour and passion as a true artist! You see designer clothes om magazine covers I see a hungry actor only seeking love and validation from his audiences! ROCKY RANDHWA and RANVEER were irreplaceable! (styled impeccably by @ekalakhani )No one could have done what he did! Absolutely No one and I feel grateful for him and Alia ! The three of us also built a friendship for the ages as a trio! This is not just an appreciation post as a filmmaker but a post of gratitude to the universe that bought these blessed artists to play my leads! Karan Johar this side … signing off."
Karan returned to direction after six years with Alia and Ranveer's Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani in 2023.
