The younger brother of popular Bollywood writer-director Imtiaz Ali, Sajid Ali started out in Bollywood by co-writing the romantic comedy-drama Cocktail (2012) along with Imtiaz. The movie, which starred Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Diana Penty in central roles, was a critical and commercial success.

In 2018, Sajid made his directorial debut with the romantic drama Laila Majnu, which he also co-wrote. A contemporary retelling of the eponymous classic folklore, the movie featured Tripti Dimri and Avinash Tiwary in the titular roles.