Actor Alia Bhatt has shared a warm childhood memory of her filmmaker father Mahesh Bhatt, describing him as “highly theatrical” and recalling how his larger-than-life personality once helped her prepare for a spelling test.
Alia spoke about the memory at a special screening of Om Ka Hari, which stars her mother, actress Soni Razdan. The film, directed by Harish Vyas, is set to release theatrically on September 18.
Recalling an incident from when she was in Class 1, Alia said she had been worried about forgetting the spelling of the word “the” during a school spelling test. Her father, she recalled, came up with an exaggerated gesture to make sure the spelling stayed in her memory.
“My father is very theatrical and that sometimes makes for great memories,” Alia said, recalling how Mahesh Bhatt used an “overbearing gesture” to teach her the spelling.
She added that the moment left her with an enduring image of her father as a “grizzly bear, highly theatrical and highly entertaining.”
The anecdote came in the context of Om Ka Hari, a family dramedy centred on the complicated relationship between a father and his son. Anshuman Jha and Raghubir Yadav play the titular roles of Om and Hari, whose relationship is shaped by generational differences, disagreements and emotions left unspoken. Soni Razdan, Ayesha Kapur and Samta Sudiksha also feature in the film.
The story follows Hari, who becomes convinced after a health scare that he has only a few days left to live. He sets out for Varanasi, accompanied by his son Om, and the journey gradually forces the two to confront their differences, hurt and affection.
Produced by First Ray Films, Om Ka Hari explores the age-old father-son conflict while asking whether families express their love openly enough. The film releases in theatres on September 18.
