Mahesh Bhatt has opened up about embracing the role of grandfather to Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor’s daughter, Raha Kapoor. Mahesh said that he had barely come to terms with Alia Bhatt’s life journey when
Raha came into their lives like “a drop of divinity”.
Mahesh Bhatt told ETimes, “Raha came into our lives like a drop of divinity. I had barely absorbed the astonishing journey of Alia Bhatt becoming what she has… and then this child arrives. Just the thought of her brings a smile into every pore of my being. Her vitality is fierce.”
He added, “Her mind—sharp, almost evolutionary. She gives you a sense of time. You stand at a vantage point and watch the stream—your daughter, her child—and suddenly you see the continuity of life that has flowed for millennia and will continue long after you are gone. And yet, I know I am no different from any other grandfather. Each one, in that moment, rediscovers life. To simply speak to her… that is enough for a day.”
Mahesh Bhatt has often spoken fondly about his granddaughter. Previously, in a conversation with Navbharat Times, Mahesh Bhatt called his granddaughter a “crossbreed” since she has Punjabi Hindu, Muslim, and even German DNA. He added that she will replace Ranbir and Alia.
Mahesh Bhatt said in Hindi, “Raha is about to turn three. I’d say she’ll replace Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. She has that energy of life. Every generation is more dynamic than the previous one. When I look at Raha, I feel she has a different kind of energy.”
The filmmaker explained, “I met her just yesterday. She’s a crossbreed, very special, and I think this is the pride of India, the Ganga-Jamuni culture. I’m proud that my Muslim mother’s major influence has been in my DNA. This is an amazing country, where so many different cultures coexist.”
Mahesh Bhatt also previously revealed that most people speak to Raha in English, except him. In a chat with Siddharth Kannan, Mahesh Bhatt recalled, “A few days ago, my granddaughter Raha came home. I noticed everyone was speaking to her in English, so I said, ‘You all speak to her in English, I’ll speak to her in Hindi.’ As Alia was leaving, she said, ‘That will be your only contribution to her life.’”
Mahesh was shocked by Alia’s comment, and he asked, “Only contribution to her life?” Alia retracted her statement. Mahesh said, “She quickly corrected herself, saying, ‘No, no, sorry! I meant to say great contribution.’ I said, ‘So now you are taking a step back and correcting yourself?’” “She said, ‘You’re the one who taught me never to make anyone wait, to always be on time — no matter how ordinary the person may be, always respect their time and be five minutes before time,'” Mahesh Bhatt said.
