Won't let Karan Johar down, says Alia Bhatt

Mahesh Bhatt's 19-year-old daughter Alia Bhatt, who is making her debut with Karan Johar's Student of the Year, says she will prove that her director's confidence in newcomers was right.

The young actress has been promoting the film with two other newcomers Sidharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan, son of director David Dhawan. Alia says she is determined to prove her acting capabilities with this film.

"He (Johar) has worked with the best in the industry while neither of us had ever faced the camera before. I have to ensure that he is not let down. There is a pressure of different kind. We all want to make the audience happy as once they accept you, all noises die down," she said.

Alia says Karan, who is working with the newcomers for the first time, was patient with them. "I was very nervous working with Karan. I couldn't ever imagine that he would be so patient with us. He has worked with the best people and we used to give so many takes. He understood that we were newcomers and had to be guided."

The actress admits that having a cinema background helps initially but says ultimately it all comes down to talent. "Yes, being from a film family helps because you get a good platform and recognition. However, many people don't understand that at the end of the day, I am an individual performing in front of the camera and Bhatt lineage doesn't make any difference whatsoever," she said.

Alia says her director father is very excited about her debut film. "He is the most excited of the lot. He has been sharing feedback with me on a constant basis. Whenever he likes something, he tells me," she said.

Student of the Year releases all over this Friday.