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Imtiaz Ali
Occupation:Director • Screenplay • Writer • Producer • Editor • Actor • Choreographer
Born:June 16, 1971
Birthplace:Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India
Spouse:Preety Ali
Children:1
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About
Known for redefining modern, urban romances, Imtiaz Ali is a director, producer, and writer, whose movies offer a new bird`s-eye view on relationships. After directing TV shows, Imtiaz made his Hindi movie directorial debut with the romantic drama Socha Na Tha (2005). He then made movies like Jab We Met (2007), Love Aaj Kal (2009), Rockstar (2011), and Tamasha (2015).

Early Life
Born in Jamshedpur, Imtiaz Ali had a very humble upbringing. His father Mansoor Ali did irrigation jobs, where Imtiaz would sometimes go along with him. He did his schooling from St. Michael`s High School, Patna and D.B.M.S. English School, Jamshedpur, from where he passed out. For his graduation, Imtiaz went to Hindu College, Delhi University and found Ibtida, the theater society there. After that, he shifted to the city of dreams, Mumbai and did a diploma course in Film and Television from Xavier Institute of Communications.

Imtiaz also has an elder brother Arif Ali, who directed the Bollywood film Lekar Hum Deewana Dil.

Personal Life
Imtiaz Ali divorced his wife, Preety Ali, who he was married to, for 10 years in 2012. Preety and Imtiaz, both hail from Jamshedpur and had been together since the director`s struggling days. They have a daughter, Ida Ali.

Movie Career
As a Director
Imtiaz forayed into the film industry with the romantic drama Socha Na Tha, starring the then-debutants Abhay Deol and Ayesha Takia. Although the movie failed to generate the desired revenue, it still received acclaim critically. Released in 2005, the film was produced by the veteran actor Dharmendra. In 2007, he directed the Kareena Kapoor Khan and Shahid Kapoor starrer Jab We Met. The movie which is said to be one of Kareena Kapoor Khan`s best, received a phenomenal box office response, with the critics also going gaga over it. For Jab We Met, Imtiaz received a Filmfare nomination for Best Director. He next helmed another romantic comedy drama Love Aaj Kal. Starring Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone in lead roles and Rishi Kapoor in a supporting role, the movie established Imtiaz Ali as the Yash Chopra of contemporary cinema.

In 2011, Imtiaz Ali directed the romantic drama Rockstar. Starring Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri, the movie was particularly praised for its breathtaking music, composed by A.R. Rahman. Rockstar received mixed to positive reviews, with Imtiaz being nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Director. He next directed Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda in the drama film Highway. Alia Bhatt garnered rave reviews for her sensitive and heartfelt performance as Veera, winning the Best Actress (Critics choice) Award at the Filmfare Awards.

Imtiaz`s next directorial venture Tamasha, starring ex-flames Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor received mixed to positive response at the box office, with some critics completely panning the film. Celebrated film critic Rajeev Masand called Tamasha an uneven film that oscillates between inventive and indulgent, never quite striking a consistent tone. He criticized the script but praised the performances of Kapoor and Padukone.

His 2017 directorial venture includes the Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, and Evelyn Sharma starrer Jab Harry Met Sejal.

As a Producer
Imtiaz Ali formed his own production company, Window Seat Films; whose first release was Highway, co-produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. Imtiaz also co-produced Tamasha and Jab Harry Met Sejal.

As a Writer
Except for writing the screenplay of all his directed films, Imtiaz Ali has also written the screenplay of Shivam Nair`s Ahista Ahista and Homi Adajania`s Cocktail. For his film Jab We Met, Imtiaz also took home the Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue.

Television Career
Before venturing into the Hindi film industry, Imtiaz directed television shows like Imtihaan for Doordarshan and Kurukshetra for Zee TV.

His 2020 release include Love Aaj Kal, directed by Imtiaz Ali.
Peers & More
Anurag Kashyap
Director
Rajkumar Hirani
Director
Zoya Akhtar
Director
Dibakar Banerjee
Director
Family
Preety Ali
Spouse
Ida Ali
Daughter
Mansoor Ali
Father
Arif Ali
Brother
Popular Movies
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My Melbourne
Thai Massage
Love Aaj Kal
Jyaare Ame Maliya
Laila Majnu
Jab Harry Met Sejal
Tamasha
Highway
Cocktail (Hindi)
Rockstar

Did You Know? (9)

  • Kareena Kapoor was writer-director Imtiaz Ali`s first choice for the role of Geet.
  • Deepika Padukone was the first choice for Rockstar but Imtiaz Ali realized it would look a lot like Love Aaj Kal.
  • The multi-faceted Imtiaz Ali made his debut as a choreographer with 'Laila Majnu', which he also wrote and co-produced.
  • Although Imtiaz Ali made his debut in 2005 with the movie Socha Naa Thaa, it took him four years to make it, which is when he learnt tapes, assembling machines, and editing. During this time, he also wrote ten movie scripts that he later went on to make movies out of such as Rockstar and Jab We Met.
  • Highway was one of the first scripts that Imtiaz Ali wrote, roughly 20 years prior to its release. When he bumped into Alia Bhatt at one of the screenings, he knew Highway had to be made with her playing the lead role.
  • Imtiaz Ali's brother and he lived with his aunt in Jamshedpur in an old mansion that had two theatres attached to it, which is where his love for cinema began.
  • Of all the movies that Imtiaz Ali has directed, his least favourite is Jab We Met. He doesn't quite understand why it went on to become such a huge success given nothing important happened in the movie.
  • Making a cameo, Imtiaz Ali was seen in Anurag Kashyap's Black Friday, playing the role of Yakub Memon.
  • Known for using Rumi's quotations in his movies, Imtiaz Ali had decided to not use them anymore. However, the director couldn't help but use another of Rumi's quote for Jab Harry Met Sejal, which is seen on the movie's poster - 'What you seek is seeking you', since it captures the essence of the movie.
  • Personal Quotes (10)

  • "Long flights, I like that. And a brand new country and culture - I live for that."
  • " I think I am a travel junkie, and I have never enjoyed anything else in my life more than travelling and going to places."
  • " When you write a story, it just flows and you don't control it. It's subconscious."
  • " All the conscious decisions that I have taken in my life have never borne fruit. Not even come close! So, I am just very happy not planning."
  • " I was interested in theatre and media and came to Mumbai to get a job. I imagined that the film industry would be a white building with producers sitting in different rooms, and you could walk in and meet them, and they would interview you and select you."
  • "The physical journey in my films is indicative of the internal journey that my characters take. "
  • " I come from a middle class background. I have traveled a lot by trains and have lived in the world. It is a world I cannot get away from; I would not even want to."
  • " I want to direct what I feel is interesting - not what is supposed to be my zone."
  • " I think 'Rockstar' is more dear to me than any of my other films."
  • " I used to love Kapil Dev and, like any schoolboy, wanted to become a cricketer till I started dreaming of making movies. "
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