Bollywood star Alia Bhatt made a historic debut at the 79th British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards 2026 on Sunday, February 22, winning over the global audience by opening her presentation speech in Hindi. Stepping onto the stage at the Royal Festival Hall in London, United Kingdom, Alia Bhatt greeted guests with a warm "Namashkar". She continued in Hindi, saying: "Agla award ek aisi film ke liye hai, jo angrezi mein nahi hai." (The next award is for a film that is not in English.) She followed the remark with a witty quip, "Don’t reach for the subtitles just yet". Alia went on to explain that while films speak in many voices, the "language of cinema" is universal. She presented the BAFTA 2026 award for Best Film Not in the English Language to the Norwegian film Sentimental Value, directed by Joachim Trier. Check out Alia Bhatt’s video at the BAFTAs 2026. BAFTA Film Awards 2026: Alia Bhatt Turns Heads in Shimmering Gucci Gown.

Alia Bhatt Speaks Hindi at BAFTAs 2026 – Watch Viral Video:

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Alia Bhatt’s Style at BAFTA 2026

Alia Bhatt turned heads on the red carpet and awards ceremony at the BAFTAs 2026. Dressed in a custom silver-sequined Gucci gown with a vintage-inspired white fur stole, the actress described her look as a tribute to legends like Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe and Bollywood icon Rekha, aiming for "elegant but high-glam." Citadel: Honey Bunny actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu hailed Alia Bhatt’s presence at the BAFTAs stage, reposting her video on her Instagram Stories with a heart emoji. BAFTA 2026: India's 'Boong' Clinches Best Children's and Family Film Award, Farhan Akhtar’s Production Makes History.

Samantha Ruth Prabhu Cheers on Alia Bhatt's Presence at BAFTA - See Post:

Samantha Ruth Prabhu reposts video of Alia Bhatt at BAFTAs 2026 (Photo Credit: @samantharuthprabhuoffl/Instagram) 

Alia Bhatt Wins Hearts With Her Hindi Speech at BAFTA 2026

Alia Bhatt’s gesture of speaking Hindi sparked an immediate viral reaction online, with fans and industry peers labelling the moment “iconic” and netizens praising her for "representing her roots without compromise." Before Alia Bhatt, global actresses Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone, who have worked in both Bollywood and Hollywood, have presented at the BAFTAs as well as the Oscar Awards.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 23, 2026 11:42 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).