Was Alia Bhatt's stardom a game-changer or creative hurdle for Darlings and Poacher? Kankhajura actor Roshan Mathew reveals

Pink Villa

26-05-2025

Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt has become one of the most celebrated actresses in the industry. She has given many hits to the industry and her impeccable performances made a special place in the hearts of the audiences. The actress also has a huge fan following not only in India but globally. However, despite her stardom, she is quite a humble person and every individual who has worked with her knows it. Now, Kankhajura actor Roshan Mathew, who has worked with Alia in Darlings and Poacher, shared that her stardom never hindered filmmaking but only helped the process.
In an interview with Mid-day, Roshan Mathew opened up on Anurag Kashyap's statement about Malayalma film industry being 'anti-hierarchical' unlike Bollywood. He admitted agreeing to his statement, however, shared that he didn't have any negative experience in Bollywood yet.
Roshan also opened up on working with Alia Bhatt and how her stardom proved to be a help. He said, 'I've been lucky that even when I worked with a big star like Alia, I never felt that her stardom was hindering (filmmaking). In fact, her being the star only helped the process, be it Darlings or Poacher.'
The actor however shared that in the Malayalam film industry, everybody is equal and people react if any star throws tantrums.
Roshan Mathew will soon be seen in Kankhajura in the role of Ashu. The series explored the changing relationships between him and his brother (played by Mohit Raina). Talking about the preparation that went behind the role, he told the portal that he first began knowing about the core of his character. The actor tried to understand what's his base layer that no one else sees because he is pretending in front of almost everyone?"
In Kankhajura, the narrative delves into family conflict, buried secrets, and the complex layers of relationships, as Ashu returns to a world that has long moved on without him.
On the work front, Roshan Mathew made his Bollywood debut with Anurag Kashyap's Choked in 2020, directed by Anurag Kashyap. He then went on to star in several Hindi films and series like Darlings, Ulajh, and Poacher.
For the unversed, in Darlings, Alia Bhatt played the lead role of Badrunissa Sheikh alongside Vijay Varma. Roshan plays a supporting role in the film and develops an interest in the actress' on-screen mother played by Shefali Shah.
He also worked with Alia in Poacher. Though she isn't a cast member in the Amazon Prime Video series, she worked as an executive producer. Roshan Mathew was seen in the role of Alan in the crime drama based on a real-life incident.