Red Sea Festival 2025: Alia Bhatt slays in black lace fit, opts for pastel make-up; slammed for sharing heavily edited photos

At the ongoing Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, Alia Bhatt graced the Wednesday evening event, looking stunning in a black outfit. At the festival, the actor interacted with the media and also took selfies with fans and attendees. Alia also unveiled a video montage celebrating her journey as an artist. The clip featured moments from some of her notable films, including Gangubai Kathiawadi, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Highway, Brahmāstra, and Dear Zindagi.

During her appearance, she also offered an early tease of Alpha, her upcoming project with Yash Raj Films.

Alia Bhatt reminisces on her decade-long journey in Bollywood

Alia spoke at length about her decade-long journey in cinema and mentioned how her daughter Raha is waiting for her back home in India. She said, "I was way more enthusiastic and fuller of beans, trying really hard because it's normal when you're just starting out. I'm still enthusiastic, still full of beans, but the approach is more silent..."

Reflecting on her previous visit to the festival, she added, "When I came here a long time back, my daughter was one. Now she is three. She always asks, 'What are you bringing for me when you come back?'"

Talking about balancing work and motherhood, Alia shared, "I am a scheduling machine. I love planning, and I micromanage. And when I choose a film, I always rely on instinct. Success does matter in a business sense—you know the fate of the film—but instinct is key. My priority is my daughter. I focus on what truly matters."

On red-carpet experiences, she said, "I love major red carpet moments. It's chaos—beautifully chaotic. So many different things come together. It's a lot of fun, and once it's done, you can finally breathe."

Addressing the decision to keep Raha's face private, Alia explained, "The paps shower love on Raha, but as a mum, I want to separate the fact that we are public figures—she doesn't need that public eye. She is super chilled. We have requested Indian media not to film her and paps not to shoot her, and they have been respectful."

She also shared that her friends call her "weird," and lastly sang a lullaby.

Alia took to her Instagram and shared an Instagram carousel of photos. She wore a long black net gown. The actor chose a subtle makeup, focusing on her eyes, and completed the look with dark sunglasses.

She captioned the post as, 'The magic of the movies.'

Netizens had mixed reactions to her outfit and appearance. While many called her beautiful, several others claimed that she had heavily edited her photos on social media, especially to make her arms look slimmer. Some said her pastel makeup made her look dull.

A user wrote, "This girl's love for pastel make up is ruining her style. A nice pop of bright red would have elevated this look and brought it together. Sigh..."

Another wrote, "The styling is good and suits her but she looks so much better in the video or in motion than these pictures.."

The third one mentioned, "Heavily edited.."

Work Front 

Alia Bhatt is gearing up to star in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love and War opposite Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal. She is also set to lead the first female-driven spy film of the YRF Spy Universe. Sharvari and Bobby Deol will also be seen in the film Alpha, alongside her. The film is set to release in April 2026.