Following recent speculation surrounding Alia Bhatt being the prime candidate for Gurinder Chadha’s Disney musical centered on an Indian princess, the filmmaker has addressed the rumors. Responding to a new report titled “Alia Bhatt to star in Gurinder Chadha’s next, backed by Disney?” the Bend It Like Beckham director took to Twitter on Saturday to set the record straight.
In her tweet, Chadha employed capital letters to emphasize her point, stating, “This is not true. Not sure where this started. The script is still in the works. Alia and I had a meeting about another project and I attended her charity gala recently.”
This is NOT TRUE. NOT SURE WHERE THIS STARTED. THE SCRIPT IS STILL IN THE WORKS. ALIA AND I HAD A MEETING BOUT ANOTHER PROJECT AND I ATTENDED HER CHARITY GALA RECENTLY.
Alia Bhatt to star in Gurinder Chadha’s next, backed by Disney? https://t.co/oIG3pkGb7u
— Gurinder Chadha OBE 💙 (@GurinderC) April 6, 2024
Gurinder Chadha, renowned for directing films like Bend It Like Beckham (2002) and Bride and Prejudice (2004), has been enlisted by Disney to helm an original musical focusing on an Indian princess.
According to a recent report from Mid-Day, discussions were underway for Alia to take on a role in Chadha’s Disney venture. The report suggested that Alia and Gurinder convened in January during the filmmaker’s visit to India for actor Aamir Khan’s daughter Ira Khan’s wedding to Nupur Shikhare.
A source disclosed to the portal, “The two (Alia and Gurinder) have been in talks for a while. The final casting will happen only after the script is developed, but Alia is among the top casting choices.”
The source elaborated, “After portraying a singer in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period drama and an undercover agent in Shiv Rawail’s film, playing a Disney princess would be a noteworthy addition to Alia’s portfolio. Leading this big-budget international project could also pave the way for her Hollywood presence post-Heart of Stone. If all goes well, she will commence work with Gurinder in the latter half of 2025.”
Rumors gained traction further when Gurinder attended the actor’s Hope Gala in London last month, where Alia was also photographed with the filmmaker on the red carpet.