Alaya F on rejection: My first instinct is to ask what it's trying to teach me

Alaya shared, “As an actor, when you face constant rejection, there are different ways to cope with it. It’s not like you handle every rejection the same way. But when you look back, there’s always a lesson to be learned, always a reason why it happened.

The actress said that she cannot think of a single terrible thing in her life that she doesn't look back on and see the lesson in.

Alaya, who is the daughter of actress Pooja Bedi, added, “In fact, when something bad happens, my first instinct is to ask what it’s trying to teach me, what I need to learn from it, and why it’s happening.”

“Maybe it’s a defense mechanism that protects me, but I think it’s a very productive one—and it’s my go-to. I’ve also noticed that certain projects I didn’t get or was replaced in later didn’t perform well. That reinforced my belief that everything happens for a reason.”

She continued, “Especially before my first film (Jawaani Jaaneman), there were so many projects I was desperate to be a part of. I thought if I got them, my life would be made. But those films came out, and no one cared about them.”

“Jawaani Jaaneman” was released in 2020. The comedy-drama is directed by Nitin Kakkar. A remake of the 2010 Argentine comedy Igualita a mí, the film stars Khan and debutante Alaya in the lead roles and explores the story of Jazz, a property broker and party animal in London, who has to confront a daughter he never knew he had, who is also pregnant.

“So I realized that something was protecting me and leading me to Jawaani Jaaneman, which was an unconventional choice. Looking back, I think I couldn’t have had a better debut film. It all played out so beautifully that I started trusting that the universe had a bigger plan for me.”

“Eventually, things always work out for the better. I’ve noticed that when I’m thriving emotionally, I thrive in every aspect of my life.”