Exclusive: Alia Bhatt opens up on becoming an author, childhood & Raha’s role in new book

Known for not playing by the books, Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt dons a new hat as a storyteller. In her recent debut novel, ‘Ed Finds a Home,' Bhatt merges reality with fantasy, tracing the outdoor adventures of a young girl (with supernatural powers) and her canine companion (a rescued pup). As we turn pages, nature personifies as a talking tree, a chatty crow, whispering birds and grumbling leaves. Turning into an animated, talking universe.

Together, the two duo forges a connection with their surroundings in a deep, intimate way which as Bhatt, puts, "is to encourage kids to interact with nature through outdoor activities and reading." In an exclusive interaction with Midday, the actor-entrepreneur tells us about the book's genesis, how Raha (her daughter) inspires her storytelling, reflections from Alia's childhood that find a space in the book and her upcoming plans for "Ed-a-Mamma."

Published by Puffin, the children's division of Penguin Random House, the book has been co-authored with Vivek Kamath and Shabnam Minwalla, with illustrations by Tanvi Bhat. First in ‘The Adventures of Ed-a-Mamma' series, this book will be followed by five more editions centred on themes of environmental responsibility.

Edited excerpts:

Congratulations on the book, Alia. What has prompted a Bollywood diva to take up writing for a children's beat?

Alia: (Laughs) Thanks, like I said, things happen in their own time. What drives my passion as an actor is my deep fascination with the storyline. I'm really into the overall universe of the whole plot. When scripts come to me, I get too excited! Even if I'm not taking on the role, I'll still chime in with my suggestions: ‘Hey, maybe try this, or maybe do it that way.'

I recall, the transition into writing happened around five years ago, when Covid hit us. I had attempted to write earlier but those words seldom saw the light of day. To this day, I've managed to finish just one full story, besides ‘Ed Finds a Home.'

It was during lockdown, I took up a script writing course and completed my first story on a kid struggling with his shoelaces. Well, you ask why children's stories? It's because they speak to me. As a little girl, I've been a bit of an oddball, living in my world of imagination, different from everyone else's. And I feel every kid feels that way. That's why I'm writing about it trying to make sense of things.

I suppose I am still like a kid in many ways.

Finishing that story taught me that writing has to come from within you've gotta dig deep and bring it out. And, fiction writing can get tough as it comes from your imagination. Sometimes I lost sight of the plot and the story just slipped away from me.

That's when I know I need my pencil-pushers to help break through that writer's block. For the Ed-a-Mamma series, I would not have been able to do it without Vivek and Shabnam. I discovered that the key is to blend my own voice with elements from other writers. That's why I'm really looking forward to collaborating with my sister, Shaheen, who may come on board as a co-storyteller for the upcoming edition.

The book is printed in full colour on sustainable paper, marking an industry first for any publishing house.

Talking about the storyline, do we find reflections of your childhood in the book?

Alia: In the book, there's this part where a crow swipes food from these two kids in class. Those kids are named after my school-time friends, Kanchi and Bobby. Kanchi's sandwich and Bobby's parathas were to die for! And genuinely, the truth is, I used to steal their food. Not steal exactly, but take their food in front of their nose and eat it myself.

Apart from fun stuff, writing this book also took me back to my childhood when I used to be this daydreamer, looking outside the window, figuring the ‘hows' and ‘whys' of life. As a kid, you kind of feel like your story is unusual. Even if it's not, even if you're doing normal things, you just tend to live a different reality in your head.

So I've put those things in the book. I think every kid and grown-up goes through similar beats and broad strokes in life. That's why I'm trying to make it something everyone can relate to and to pass on the values we want to teach young readers.

And again, it's something that I want to do very casually through entertainment. I don't think that anything that is said too loudly or in a very preachy way is ever received very comfortably. Thus, a bit of reality mixed with a bit of wonder becomes the medium to propel the message.

Speaking of a child's imagination, has Raha influenced the book's universe? If yes, how?

Alia: Yeap. Right before the book went to print, I did one final draft where I focused on how the words flowed and sounded when rolled off the tongue. This happened after reading to Raha every night which sparked a few last-minute changes. It was a good exercise; I feel it added more clarity and a better understanding of how the story unfolds.

We recently saw a photo of you reading to Raha on a Sunday morning. What is your take on nurturing reading habits, something often lacking in today's digital-focused kids? What guidance do you have for young parents wanting to foster reading habits in their children?

Alia: Oh, I haven't reached that stage yet. I have no real advice to give. Also, in general, I always steer away from giving advice because I feel everybody has their own journey and experience. And I'm telling you as a first-hand kid. Because as a child, my mother used to force me to read.
I never did it. I just could never read. My sister was always the reader. I was more interested in doing things outdoors and getting lost in my imagination. And my mother finally let me do that which turns out, had its own benefits.

However, for my daughter, what I'm trying to do is what comes to me naturally as a parent. We make sure to read to her every night. It's like a norm, a routine that we have been doing since day one. And it doesn't change ever, so you try and keep it up for as long as possible until either they reject it or keep accepting it.

Do you think you'll write for films in the future?

Alia: Again, I would say I won't be able to do it on my own. It'll have to be through a collaborative effort of co-storytellers and co-writers. But yeah, possible, way more of a possibility than me being a director.

People often ask me, if I'll ever turn into a director, to which, I deny upfront. It's too much and I'll just be a pain as a director. People will be confused on a daily basis because I keep changing my mind. (laughs)

I think I'll make a better producer as I am good at collaborating.

How has the journey of crafting a graphic novel been with Vivek Kamath and Shabnam Minwalla? What lies ahead for Ed?

Alia: Vivek and I sat down, decided to create a book for children, and pretty much right away settled on a girl and her dog as the main characters. We planned to make the book into a series that we will be publishing over the years. This came at a time when animated series and stuff for kids were booming and finding their own space in the content world.

Shabnam brought her own quirks to Ed-a-Mamma's universe with her knowledge of classrooms, bringing the school environment into the book. So far, it has come off well and will connect with kids who are going to be reading the book.

For the duo to meet, we figured let's do a rescue story. Pretty straightforward, right? Post the rescue, the adventures begin when they embark on outdoorsy activities and derive from each other's strengths. Building on a child's imagination we gave this little girl a superpower where she can communicate with animals, trees and birds. This is how nature becomes her confidant and guides her in helping those in need around her.

So, Ed Finds a Home is number one. It's basically how your protagonists meet, And now, part two, three, as in the next couple of books, would be the different journeys that they go on, and how they, in their own way, save the day. We also plan to turn the books into an animated series in the future.

About the book

The book is printed in full colour on sustainable paper, marking an industry first for any publishing house. This also aligns with Alia's new sustainable clothing brand and vision to inspire a generation of mini-planeteers through storytelling. As an entrepreneur committed to environmental advocacy, Alia views Ed-a-Mamma as a movement toward positive change. By expanding the Ed-universe, starting with clothes, now books and to toys and a baby care range next - the objective is to infuse sustainability principles into every aspect of childhood.

Alia and her husband actor Ranbir Kapoor welcomed their daughter Raha in November 2022. Speaking about her journey of parenthood while reflecting on her privileged background which allows her more agency to seek help, she emphasises, "I have no real advice to give. Also, in general, I always steer away from giving advice because I feel everybody has their own journey and experience."

Alia Bhatt was last seen in the film 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani' opposite Ranveer Singh. She also turned producer in 2022 with the film 'Darlings'. Recently, she turned executive producer for Richie Mehta's web series 'Poacher' which highlights the menace of elephant poaching in Kerala. The actress will next be seen in the film 'Jigra' directed by Vasan Bala. She has also been signed in for the YRF Spy Universe.