- Craig Macrae called Alia Bhatt’s work ethic “absolutely incredible.”
- He said she spent months preparing physically and mentally for Alpha.
- Macrae believes her dedication will enhance her on-screen presence.
- He praised both Alia and Sharvari for their intensive stunt and skills training.
- The director said it is rare to find actors willing to put in so much effort for an action role.
Craig Macrae has spent years working on some of Hollywood's biggest action movies, like Mad Max: Fury Road and Resident Evil, and has worked with Charlize Theron and Milla Jovovich. Now, Macrae is working on Alpha, the next film in the YRF Spy Universe. During the project, he spent months working closely with Alia Bhatt, who leads the film alongside Sharvari.
While Macrae has worked with many established action stars, he said Alia Bhatt stood out because of the amount of time she dedicated to preparing for the role.
“What sets Alia Bhatt apart from those other female stars is that I think her work ethic is absolutely incredible. She’s really put in a lot of time and a lot of effort into preparing for Alpha. She was really dedicated to the movie, and I think that’s going to be the thing that really makes a huge difference in her on-screen presence,” Macrae said.
The director explained that Bhatt's preparation involved much more than learning action scenes. She spent time training physically, developing new skills, and preparing for the demands of the character.
“She’s one of those people that you can really feel is willing to put in the amount of work that is required and then some, to go above and beyond what’s needed for the film,” he added.
For Macrae, the experience highlighted the amount of work that goes into creating an action performance. Audiences often see the final result on screen, but months of training usually happen before filming begins.
He said Bhatt approached that process with focus and commitment. According to him, she consistently showed up prepared and willing to keep improving.
Macrae also praised Sharvari, who underwent similar preparation for the movie.
“Alia and Sharvari were absolutely incredible for this movie. The preparation that they put into it, the work that they put into preparing for this movie, physically and with their skills training and stunt training, was absolutely incredible. It’s very rare to find people who are willing to put in the amount of time and effort that Alia and Sharvari put into this movie,” he said.
As Alpha prepares for release, Macrae believes viewers will see the results of that work on screen. For him, Bhatt's performance is not only about acting or action sequences. It is also about preparation, discipline, and the willingness to put in the hours required to learn something new.
Those qualities, he suggests, are what helped make her stand out during the making of the film.
