- Alia Bhatt highlighted that many global box office hits have strong female audiences
- She questioned why Indian films are still made mainly for male audiences despite trends
- Alia noted 75% of Indian moviegoers are male, often leading to male-focused films
At the 2026 edition of the Cannes Film Festival, Alia Bhatt did more than just make a stylish red carpet appearance. The actor also shared her thoughts on how films are still often designed with male audiences in mind, and questioned why that mindset continues to dominate conversations around box office success in India.
Alia Bhatt, who returned to Cannes this year as a global ambassador for L'Oréal Paris, spoke to The Hollywood Reporter India during the festival and reflected on how storytelling should move beyond gender-based targeting.
Talking about the current state of cinema, the actor said she finds it strange that films are still discussed in terms of whether they appeal more to men or women. She pointed out that many globally successful films with strong female audiences have gone on to become massive box office hits.
“When I look at the landscape, I think we're in a very fascinating time today… If you take a look at the box office, you'll see the films that have done phenomenally well: Barbie, Wuthering Heights, and The Devil Wears Prada. These are a few; I am sure there are way more, and their main audience, perhaps, was women. Women were showing up, watching these films, which have now become massive hits,” Alia Bhatt told The Hollywood Reporter India on the sidelines of the festival.
The actor then addressed a common industry argument often heard in Bollywood discussions around commercial cinema.
“But in India, when we talk about box office and numbers, there is a conversation that comes up pretty often, which is 75% of the movie-going audience is male, so we need to cater to the masses. This conversation comes up quite a bit. I wonder if we are catering just to the men, then what happens to the women?” she said.
Alia Bhatt clarified that she is not suggesting films should exclude male audiences. Instead, she believes stories should connect with everyone equally. “I am not saying alienate the men, but why do we have to alienate anyone? Why do we have to cater to one gender? Why can't we make movies that are gender-agnostic, where the storytelling takes centre stage?” she added.
Apart from speaking about films, Alia also looked back at her first Cannes appearance in 2025, calling the experience “chaotic” because everything happened so quickly. This time, she said she feels more settled and is enjoying the atmosphere more.