Happy birthday Alia Bhatt: From padel matches to opening up about ADHD challenges, here’s glimpse into celebration

There are two types of people one who are unfazed with birthdays and celebrations, and the second ones are overenthusiastic and have multiple countdowns, post-birthday stories, and have month-long celebrations. Actor Alia Bhatt is definitely in the second category. The actor turned 33 on March 15, 2026, and she rang in her special day in Hong Kong with her daughter Raha and actor husband Ranbir Kapoor.

Alia, after her romantic getaway, dropped an Instagram carousel of photos and pictures from her birthday trip that features Raha’s playdate and trip to Disney park. Alia posted the Instagram carousel last week. And on Tuesday, dropped another set of photos wherein she rang in her birthday with her friends from paddle classes.

Alia Bhatt opens up about ADHD

If you are following Alia, you must have come across her love the new sport paddle. In the photos, Alia was seen with her paddle squas. Dressed in sporty outfits, the group twinned in matching caps, with Alia sporting a pink-violet one that read “in my padel era.” One of the photos captured her cutting a birthday cake amid the celebrations.

She wrote, “birthday celebrations continue with the best best mamas/ladies playing a lot of padel. The last few weeks have been a bit challenging getting into my days with focus (hello adhd) but this morning was just everything. Also, there’s just something about women showing up for you (and playing 2 hours of padel because you reaalllyyy wanted to!!).”

Alia once again opened up about the challenges she has faced in recent weeks, mentioning difficulty staying focused due to ADHD. This isn’t the first time Alia Bhatt has spoken or opened up about her battle with ADHD and anxiety. At Jay Shetty’s podcast, Alia shared in detail.

She said, “I was recently clinically diagnosed with it (anxiety). I had a proper backing for me to not just say I am just having an anxious day, it’s not just that. ADHD and anxiety.”

“I was finding it very hard. My body was heating up at social gatherings, and I was physically responding to it. I was also finding it hard to focus on certain things,” she added.

“So, I took a professional test over three days, not just a random personality quiz, and I was diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety. Strangely, I felt happy because my ADHD diagnosis gave me information. Lack of information is what throws me off the most, and I’m always seeking clarity and comfort. I’m very averse to change. But once I became aware of these things, dealing with them became much simpler.”

“I am not on any medication or anything, although I can be, but I chose not to, and I am just actively working on it to help get through it. And I think I manage pretty well,” the actress said.

What is ADHD?

For the unversed, Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. Individuals with ADHD may have trouble focusing their attention on a single task or sitting still for long periods of time. They may also find it hard to control impulsive behaviours or be overly active.

ADHD commonly presents with a range of symptoms that can vary from person to person. Some common symptoms include:

Forgetfulness in daily activities, being easily distracted, Difficulty organising tasks, having trouble concentrating, and difficulty completing tasks

Earlier in 2024, in an interview, Alia Bhatt shared that she had been zoning out during conversations since childhood, though she wasn’t aware of her condition at the time. She said, “I used to get zoned out from a young age. I used to get zoned out in the classroom or during conversations. Recently, I did a psychological test and found out that I am high on the ADHD spectrum. I have ADHD – Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Whenever I talked about this to my friends, they were like, ‘We always knew. This is not some sort of revelation. But, I didn’t know..”

Work Front

Alia Bhatt will be seen in YRF’s Alpha, alongside Sharvari Wagh, Anil Kapoor, and Bobby Deol. Directed by Shiv Rawail and produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films, the film marks Alia’s first collaboration with the banner.

She next has Love And War alongside Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal.