Alia Bhatt Backs Five Newcomers in Coming-of-Age Film Don’t Be Shy

Fourteen years after making her acting debut, Alia Bhatt is marking a full-circle moment in her career by supporting a new generation of talent. Through her production banner Eternal Sunshine Productions, Alia Bhatt and Shaheen Bhatt, alongside co-producers Grishma Shah and Vikesh Bhutani, have launched five newcomers in the project Don’t Be Shy.

The project features first-time filmmaker Sreeti Mukerji and four fresh actors: Aarushi Bajaj, Bianca Arora, Ansh Duggal, and Piyush Khati. Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Don’t Be Shy explores life, love, friendship, and the uncertainties of finding oneself during college years.

For Alia, this represents a shift from being a newcomer in the Hindi film industry to a producer creating opportunities for emerging talent. The coming-of-age film brings together its young ensemble in a contemporary setting, focusing on college-life relationships and experiences, while Mukerji steps into feature filmmaking for the first time.

Discussing the project's coming-of-age narrative, Alia previously shared what drew her to the film. She stated that Eternal Sunshine has always wanted to back honest stories and unique voices, noting that the film spoke to them immediately because of its sincerity and Sreeti's passion.

Calling the project a personal milestone, she highlighted the partnership with Prime Video for supporting distinctive storytelling. Additionally, Alia previously joined the cast for a 'Re Bawri' music video ahead of the Prime Video premiere.