The man behind Jab We Met, Rockstar and Highway, loves challenging himself. Born in Jamshedpur and starting as a director of TV episodes and one-hour specials, Imtiaz Ali struggled initially with the commercial failure of his directorial debut Socha Na Tha.
Continuing the movie’s failure as a screenwriter for the Fyodor Dostovoesky-inspired romance Ahista Ahista also didn’t change his fate. But his sophomore directorial venture Jab We Met made Ali a household name. The delightful rom-com starring Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor subverted Bollywood romance cliches with Ali’s dialogues reflecting the late 2000s-era youth of an ever-changing India.
Jab We Met opened new avenues for Ali who went on to address modern love stories with the Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone-led drama Love Aaj Kal. As a director-writer, Ali became a true tour de force in 2011 when he helmed Rockstar, one of Ranbir Kapoor’s best movies that found the actor playing a musical genius tortured by his artistic ego and tragic love life. Oscar-winner AR Rahman’s accompanying soundtrack blends some hard rock power anthems with some soul-stirring ballads, making Rockstar an unforgettable musical journey even after a decade since its release.
Over the years, Imtiaz Ali has been slightly criticised for repetitively exploring, or at times rehashing, his notions of romance. For instance, his collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan Jab Harry Met Sejal failed to win him any new fans while his spiritual sequel to Love Aaj Kal (also called Love Aaj Kal) earned him negative reactions among both critics and audiences. But none of the criticisms have deterred him from experimenting with the romance genre.
Highway is a notable example with Ali penning a heartbreaking story of a girl being kidnapped and falling in love with her abductor. The movie could have played out as an ordinary case of Stockholm Syndrome but it doubles as an atmospheric road movie with some scenes addressing sexual harassment in a sensitively mature manner.
Ali isn’t always content with just directing and has dabbled in other ventures as well, such as serving as the showrunner, producer, and writer of the Netflix thriller series She, producing the Sony LIV sex comedy series Dr. Arora, and penned the screenplay of his brother Sajid Ali’s directorial debut Laila Majnu.
The latter proves how some of Ali’s works are revered years after their theatrical release. Released in 2018 to a lukewarm response, the reworking of an Indian romantic folk tale earned a cult status later. Critics have reassessed their views and the audiences are more generous to Ali’s introspective screenplay. Similarly, his coming-of-age drama Tamasha also flopped in its time but resonated emotionally with many younger viewers in the years to follow, with some relating to the struggles of Ranbir Kapoor’s protagonist to balance his professional commitments with artistic pursuits.
Why Highway is Imtiaz Ali’s best movie?
When a wealthy girl is abducted for ransom, she embarks on a life-changing road trip that forces her to acknowledge past traumas while forging new relationships. With this expansive premise and a powerhouse lead act by Alia Bhatt, Highway is an unforgettable ride in Imtiaz Ali’s career. It has the wandering sense of adventure from Jab We Met but also evokes the brutal facets of human nature resonant in Rockstar. All in all, it mixes the best parts of Ali’s work with a narrative that continues to be fresh in contemporary Bollywood. Couple that with some of AR Rahman’s finest work in Hindi-language music and you get a modern classic in your hands.
Where can you stream Imtiaz Ali’s filmography?
Netflix, Prime Video, ZEE5, and others.
