Actor Alia Bhatt made some comments about film viewership in India, comparing to what it is like in Hollywood. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter India at the Cannes Film Festival, Alia said that Hollywood makes films with female leads that achieve commercial success.

"Look at the films that have done phenomenally," the actor said before mentioning Barbie, Wuthering Heights, and The Devil Wears Prada 2 as the examples. "To name a few, I am sure there are way more. Their main audience is women. Their women show up and watch these films, and they are massive hits."

Comparing the situation with her home turf, Alia Bhatt said, "But in India, somehow, when we talk about box office numbers, there is a conversation that comes up pretty often, 'Oh, 75 per cent of movie-going audiences is male, so we have to cater to the mass.' This conversation comes up quite a bit."

The actor questioned this trend of male-centric storytelling. She added, "I wonder if by catering just to the men, what happens to the women? I am not saying we alienate the men. But why do we have to alienate anybody? Why do have to cater to one gender? Why can't we make movies that are gender-agnostic where the storytelling takes centre stage? Whether it stars a man or a woman, that should not matter. It's the storytelling that should matter."

It is worth noting that, besides her roles in ensemble pieces, the actor is known for her characters in female-oriented films such as Dear Zindagi, Raazi, Gangubai Kathiawadi, and Jigra. Notably, she plays one of the lead roles in the upcoming film, Alpha, co-starring Sharvari. Directed by Shiv Rawal of The Railway Men fame, Alpha is slated for a July 10 release in theatres.