Tuesday Trivia: Did you know Pankaj Tripathi was Alia Bhatt's tutor for 'Udta Punjab'?

Pic Courtesy/ Instagram

Shortly before he became the OTT sensation/star of sorts, actor Pankaj Tripathi used to be Alia Bhatt's tutor - for a month. This is when Bhatt was preparing to play Kumari Pinky, a brutally abused, drugged-out migrant girl from the under-classes in 'Udta Punjab' (2016). "There is a ‘Pankaj Tripathi wave' that came, na, but it came after that," Bhatt recalls her trainer, whom she'd meet every day, mastering body language, Jharkhandi dialect, down to how her character sits on haunches for hours.

It's the only time in her career that Bhatt confesses she went "method" on herself. Meaning, abandoned cell-phone, never stepped out of hotel room, consumed no entertainment, spent time interacting/empathising with local youth, never switched on the TV, and simply marinated in the character, until the shoot ended. Why? Because she wanted to prove she was "a chameleon as an actor." To whom? To herself, she says.

Meanwhile, Alia Bhatt made her grand debut at this year's Met gala in New York, becoming one of the few Indian faces on the red carpet. The gala's theme this year was "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty." For her debut look, the actress wore a pristine white gown with a billowing silhouette designed by Prabal Gurung.

The actress shared photos from the Met Gala 2023 red carpet and explained her inspiration behind the look. "I have always been fascinated by the iconic Chanel brides. Season after season, the genius of Karl Lagerfeld shone through in the most innovative and awe-inspiring couture. My look tonight was inspired from this and in particular by supermodel Claudia Schiffer's 1992 Chanel bridal look," she wrote in her caption.

Alia also said that she wanted to wear something made in India. She added, "I wanted to do something that felt authentic (hello, pearls!) and proudly made in India. The embroidery, made with a 100,000 pearls is a labour of love by @prabalgurung. I'm so proud to wear you for my first Met. A girl can never have too many pearls… and the right accessories to complement the look which in our case translated to the bow of pearls on my hair. Oh, and it's white, for my Choup-ED."

Also read: When Varun Dhawan revealed he called Alia Bhatt 'Aamir Khan' for her fashion sense