Jigra star Alia Bhatt wants to work with Samantha Ruth Prabhu, makes a special request to Trivikram Srinivas

    Alia Bhatt, calling Samantha Ruth Prabhu a "pan-India star," praised her resilience and talent, while also sharing her desire to collaborate on a future project with the actress.

    Alia Bhatt at the Jigra event.

    Alia Bhatt at the Jigra event.

    Actress Alia Bhatt couldn't stop gushing about her South Indian counterpart, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, during a promotional event for her upcoming movie Jigra in the Telugu states. Describing Samantha as a "pan-India star," Alia expressed her deep admiration for the actress, especially in light of Samantha’s recent support for Jigra.

    "You are a hero on-screen and off-screen. I have so much admiration for your talent, resilience, and strength. It's not easy to be a woman in a man's world. But you have surpassed gender. You stand tall on your two feet, you have talent and strong kicks to be the example for everyone," Alia said during the Jigra pre-release event. 

    Alia's comments come shortly after Samantha faced public scrutiny and personal attacks regarding her previous marriage with actor Naga Chaitanya, following unsavoury comments made by a Telangana politician. Alia, showing solidarity made Samantha visibly emotional at the event. 

    On a lighter note, Alia also expressed her wish to collaborate with Samantha on a future project, addressing director Trivikram Srinivas, who was a special guest at the event.

    "Trivikram sir, I think Samantha and I should be in a film, written and directed by you. They say that actresses compete with each other, but there is no such thing. Today, I have a pan-India superstar (Samantha) to support me and say kind words about my film. Thanks, Samantha," she said, drawing cheers from the audience.

    Alia also touched on her growing popularity in the Telugu-speaking regions, which started after her role in RRR. She shared how the success of her previous films, Gangubai Kathiawadi and Brahmastra, encouraged the makers of Jigra to give the film a wide release in the Telugu states.

    "The Telugu audience is known for appreciating good cinema beyond language barriers. That’s why we released Gangubai Kathiawadi and Brahmastra here, and now Jigra. I’m hoping the love I received in the last couple of years will also extend to our small film," Alia added.

    Jigra, directed by Vasan Bala, tells the story of an older sister fighting to rescue her younger brother, who is imprisoned in a foreign country. The film is set to release in cinemas on October 11.