One of the most talented and gorgeous actresses in Bollywood, Alia Bhatt has raised the bar of acting with every performance. She has immensely grown as an actor from her debut movie, Student of the Year, to her last release, Poacher.

In a recent interview with Mukesh Chhabra, Tamasha director Imtiaz Ali spoke about his casting choices for his 2014 film Highway. He revealed that the film's lead actress, Alia Bhatt, was definitely not his first choice for the film.

Highway stars Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda in the lead roles.

Imtiaz Ali on Alia Bhatt: 'A Very Unexpected Actor' for Highway

Highway is a road drama film that deals with sensitive issues like sexual abuse, child abuse, and mental trauma. Talking about the film, Imtiaz Ali once said, 'Highway has been a story that has stayed with me for 15 years. There was something in it that didn't die.'

As it was a very important project for him, the director initially thought he'd cast an older and more experienced actress, possibly over 30. At the time, Alia Bhatt must have been around 20, much younger than what the director was looking for.

Also Read: Alia Bhatt Birthday Special: Throwback To When A Young Alia Dreamed To Become An Actress

Speaking to Mashable India, Imtiaz Ali said, 'During Highway, I always thought I would cast an older actress. Since it was a mature subject, I wanted someone who was above 30. Alia was young, but I could see potential in her. I had not watched Student Of The Year by then. I met Alia when she came to watch the movie Love Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana with her mother. There is grace and beauty to her as an actor, and a lot of emotional potential. So I asked her if she would read the script I was sending.'

After this incident, Alia took almost two days to go through the script. When Imtiaz Ali contacted her about her decision, the actress shared that she was a 'bit overwhelmed' by her character, as it was a lot of work.

Imtiaz added, 'Alia was a very unexpected actor for Highway, and the unit was not convinced about how she would do this role. So, to convince them, I made her tell the story in her way. By the end, everyone was like, Nobody else could do this role but Alia.'

Alia Bhatt's upcoming projects

Later this year, Alia will be seen in 'Jigra', directed by Vasan Bala, opposite Vedang Raina and Aditya Nanda. She is also producing this film under the banner of her production house, 'Eternal Sunshine Productions'.