Bollywood has always been full of surprising family connections, but the relationship between Emraan Hashmi and Alia Bhatt is one that many fans may not know about. Despite belonging to different generations and having completely different career journeys, the two actors are actually related through the extended Bhatt family.
The family connection goes back to their grandmothers. Emraan Hashmi’s grandmother, Meherbano Mohammad Ali, better known by her screen name Purnima, was the sister of Shirin Mohammad Ali. Shirin was the mother of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and producer Mukesh Bhatt.
That makes the relationship fairly straightforward. Mahesh Bhatt is Alia Bhatt’s father, while Emraan Hashmi’s father, Anwar Hashmi, was Mahesh Bhatt’s first cousin. As a result, Emraan Hashmi and Alia Bhatt are second cousins.
Interestingly, both actors have been closely associated with the Bhatt family professionally as well. Emraan worked extensively with the Bhatt camp during the early and middle stages of his career, appearing in films connected with Vishesh Films, while Alia made her own mark in Hindi cinema with films such as Student of the Year, Highway, Raazi and Gangubai Kathiawadi.
The connection also has another fascinating Bollywood link. Emraan’s grandmother Purnima was herself an actress who worked in Hindi cinema during the 1940s and later appeared in Amitabh Bachchan’s iconic film Zanjeer.
So, while fans may associate Emraan primarily with romantic thrillers and intense dramas and Alia with contemporary Hindi cinema, their family histories are actually intertwined with Bollywood across several generations.
There is also an interesting coincidence in their careers: Emraan and Alia have never appeared together as lead actors in a film, despite their family connection. Their professional paths have remained largely separate.
Emraan is currently enjoying renewed attention following the release of Awarapan 2, the sequel to his 2007 film Awarapan. The film has brought the actor back into the spotlight and revived interest in some of his most popular franchises.
Alia, meanwhile, continues to be one of the most prominent names in contemporary Hindi cinema. Her own journey has taken her far beyond the Bhatt family’s legacy, establishing her as an actress with a major body of commercially successful and critically acclaimed work.
The revelation about their relationship has once again highlighted just how interconnected Bollywood’s major film families can be. From Meherbano Mohammad Ali and Shirin Mohammad Ali to Mahesh Bhatt and Anwar Hashmi, the family tree eventually connects two familiar faces of Hindi cinema—Alia Bhatt and Emraan Hashmi.