Alia Bhatt’s Screen Awards Hosting Debut: Top Female Comics Jamie Lever and Aditi Mittal Weigh In

Social media trolls recently attacked actress Alia Bhatt for what they called a “disastrous outing” as an anchor. Alia, who hosted the Screen Awards 2026 alongside prolific stand-up comedian Zakir Khan and actor Sunil Grover, was targeted for everything, from her punchlines not landing to a perceived lack of flair for comedy. While online hate peddlers were busy pouring out poison, singer Sona Mohapatra hailed Alia’s performance as “brave,” saying that in a live event like this, there is “no retake, no edit, no filter, no rethink,” and that “most desi actors wouldn’t even pick up that mic.” 

Zarna Garg, the stand-up comic based in the U.S., commented on Mohapatra’s post, asking why a female comic wasn’t brought in to co-host alongside Zakir Khan. Variety India spoke to two female stand-up comedians, Aditi Mittal and Jamie Lever, who are not only very popular on the live comedy circuit but also among the most sought-after stand-up acts in the country. Listen in…

Was Alia the Wrong Choice?
Stand-up comedian Jamie Lever says having Alia Bhatt as an anchor was a masterstroke. “The Screen Awards is a prestigious event, and getting Alia Bhatt onboard was a great plan. Pairing one of Bollywood’s biggest stars with Zakir Khan is definitely going to get them all the eyeballs they want. I don’t think they expected a lot of humor from her. They wanted the glamor. They wanted the name. And that’s what they got.”

Aditi Mittal feels that having Alia anchor the event was not wrong per se, though the actress could have played to her core strengths and, as a Bollywood insider, hit harder with her lines. “The hosting lineup for this show was pretty unique. There was a journalist, an actor, a comedian, a soap maker, and a chef! It seemed like a very odd mix of people, but an interesting mix to host an awards show. Having said that, I don’t understand why they made Alia do jokes. They could have left that to Zakir. “She comes from a position of authority and could have used that to bring in cool stories, grace, or a stronger connection with the people in the room, which felt like a missed opportunity.”

Would a Female Stand-Up Have Been a Better Idea?
In the West, whether it’s the Oscars or the Emmys, female comedians often take center stage: think Ellen DeGeneres, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and Mindy Kaling. Even screenwriter and stand-up comedian Zarna Garg wondered why a female stand-up wasn’t considered to host alongside Zakir Khan.

Jamie says, “They usually hire stand-up comedians to host the Oscars or the Emmys. But again, who would watch two comedians in our country at an awards event? It’s certainly not a gendered thing. It’s cultural. We are not there yet. And to be honest, Zakir was representing the entire stand-up community. It’s very encouraging for us to know that a stand-up comic can also host a very commercial award show.”

She adds, “Sadly, we don’t even have a ‘Best Comedian’ category anymore. Comedians are not respected or appreciated enough in our country. My father, Johny Lever, has been performing in Bollywood for over 40 years—almost 50 on stage. Ask anybody today who they want to watch, and they will probably name a bigger actor. Nobody wants to watch comedians; they want to watch big actors.
“They got Zakir, which is great. Kudos to him for working so hard to get there. It took something as big as Madison Square Garden for him to get to the Screen Awards,” she says.

Aditi also believes we should cut performers some slack. “A live event is a crazy beast—not to mention one that is being performed live while simultaneously being broadcast on TV and YouTube. The moving parts are immense. Oftentimes, live events in India run on hope and a prayer!”

Script Was the Big Letdown
Jamie says, “Every year, they pair a famous actor with someone funny. But does Alia have a knack for comedy? No, it doesn’t come intuitively or naturally to her. So, it was the writer’s job to give her better jokes. “A comedian would’ve improvised on the jokes. Had I been there, I would have added some physical comedy. That’s the difference between a comic and an actor. If you get an actor to host a show, they’re just going to deliver the lines.

“I feel like she did her best. She’s an artist, not a comic, so I won’t blame her. The producers and writing team go through three or four drafts before the script reaches the actor—they could have done a better job.
“I’ll also blame the edits. The clips we’re seeing on social media make it look like everything fell flat. I saw some edits, where even Sunil Grover was saying something, but there were blank expressions.” 

Aditi feels it was a missed chance for Alia to push the envelope. “Alia is an insider. So she has a connection with everyone in the room. They were automatically listening to what she was saying on stage. She should have gone much harder. Because she can do it without the fear of offending anyone, losing work, or all that stuff, right? Because she is at the apex of the power structure. If she had gone super hard on the jokes, that would have been actually freaking funny as hell.”