Actress Alia Bhatt says that director Abhishek Chaubey was sceptical to cast her as a Bihari girl in 'Udta Punjab'.

"I think our director Abhishek Chaubey was sceptical to have me in the film. I am happy I am a part of it. This character is completely different from what I am in real life. I felt there will be out of box things in the film and it has," Alia told reporters here at the trailer launch of "Udta Punjab" last night. For her role of a Bihari migrant, Alia had to learn the dialect.

"I had to learn Bihari. Though I talk less in the film but the dialogues are powerful. For a month or so I worked on my dialect with the help of a trainer. And for my look I have to give credit to the costume designer and our director Abhishek Chaubey," she added.


'Udta Punjab' highlights the problem of drug addiction, which has become a serious issue in Punjab. Alia credited her co-star Shahid Kapoor for getting her this film. "I am thankful to Shahid for bringing up this role to me. I wanted to be part of this film. It's a lifetime opportunity. It's a great story," she said.

The movie also marks the Bollywood debut of Punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh, who plays a cop in the film.