Imtiaz Ali carries with him a different aura — a calm demeanour, down-to-earth nature, enquiring eyes and a man always ready to tell a story. The magic of his films lies in the fact that they linger in our hearts. Love Aaj Kal, Tamasha, Jab We Met, Rockstar, Highway and more have done that through their characters, music, theme and evolving relationships. A recent Indian Chamber of Commerce session, featuring the filmmaker in conversation with past president Shashwat Goenka, had the same effect. This was at ICC’s centenary celebrations at Raasmanch in Swabhumi. Excerpts.
Inspiration and self-discovery
The Q&A kicked off with what inspires Imtiaz, given the kind of characters he sketches and the dynamics in relationships that he brings to his cinema. “I feel blessed that I was always interested in people. To be interested in people, and to be able to imagine their lives, to imagine their conditions… I think that holds the key to cinema. As a kid, and even now, when somebody I have met and they leave, I imagine what they could be doing now or what could have happened after they left. So, eventually, I started to write all that down. Those became stories and I’m still really doing that. So, people are really the inspiration for my work,” said the ace filmmaker who values Calcutta and its people, with who he feels closely connected.Goenka picked up on the theme of self-discovery that are defining factors of his films like Socha Na Tha, Tamasha and others. “A lot of things that one does in their own cinema are retrospectively understood. I don’t understand why I’m doing it, but I do it in reflex. Personally, I don’t know whether I am seeking answers, but I must be, because that becomes a common theme in many of my films. And I don’t want to change something which is organically coming to me. I just keep going on in that direction, and I think that’s a very important lesson for us as we are on our journeys,” elucidated Imtiaz.
Looking inwards and listening
What makes a film a true hit, Imtiaz is asked. “I feel that it is intangible. But you can reach this intangible (status), not by an outward mathematical calculation, but by an insight into yourself. So, it’s almost like as (poet and mystic saint) Kabir says, you have to look inward if you want to search for God. In this case, the audience is God.”
Ali was candid, honest and authentic. It’s these traits that kept the audience glued to their seats, listening to him with eagerness. “We are just drifters and dreamers, and we are getting our daily bread because we tell stories. So we must find out what the real authentic story is, the one that I can tell, which other people can’t. What you feel passionately about is what is authentic in you,” shared Ali as the moderator proceeded with his question on handling commercial pressure with artistic integrity. The humble filmmaker highlighted the collaborative process between different stakeholders and the director’s ability to listen with patience.
Music, women and the power of cinema
The chat then pivoted to music, which forms an integral part of his craft, and something that he enjoys making. Calling it a third dimension, Ali said: “Through music, you can express a lot of things. Music is very important for Indian cinema because I feel that Indians are very philosophical and they will never be satisfied if the film is philosophically lacking. Unlike any other country, even if the film is a comedy or an action thriller, one will find an ounce of philosophy. So, in order to bring a certain philosophical status to the film, songs play a big part and some songs outlast the film itself.”
Ali wears multiple hats, but he enjoys directing more. He shared that he is still the kid in class who used to call friends to convince them to perform a play.
Moving on to the significant topic of cinema contributing to shaping India’s cultural and emotional identity, Ali underscored its power. “There are a few things that hold the whole country together and cinema has the potential to be one of them. It is something which is entertaining, that nobody resents, and I think it can become one of the unifying fabrics of the Indian community, and that will be very important for India at 2047.” He also mentioned how America progressed with the help of its cinema and how India can follow suit. “I feel that there is everything in India to look up to for the world. But it can only be brought to the fore by popular Indian cinema going abroad. Also, one needs to look internally. When we are looking for role models, let’s look at ourselves, what we have. We have to be a bit more aware of the people of the country. The more we are aware, the more we know the stories of India.”Whether it’s Geet in Jab We Met or Veera in Highway or Tara in Tamasha, the women in Ali’s films stand out. Talking about his approach, he shared: “Sometimes I feel that since I didn’t have a sister, I was always looking at women with a lot of fascination. The other reason is that the women in my life — my mother, cousins… have been very interesting and intelligent. By comparison, I felt that men were a bit unidimensional. Women always had this layer. And that’s what comes across in my movies.”
Jordan, two-part audience and heartbreak
Among the many characters he brought to life on the big screen, he is asked about which one had a lasting impact on him. “Jordan from Rockstar,” quipped the filmmaker. Elaborating on his choice, he added: “Jordan (played by Ranbir Kapoor) is so dumb that he doesn’t understand what he himself is feeling and what he wants to express, he cannot express. It’s only in his songs and through the music that he can at least reach his own emotion. When we were making Rockstar, we were very emotionally charged.”Ali also talked about the different reactions his films have elicited from his audience. How Rockstar had a ‘two-part audience’, one feeling strongly for Jordan, while others found him to be grossly flawed. His Tamasha had a similar fate. He said: “I remember when Tamasha came out, the audience was so divided that some people were almost angry with the film, while some thought their lives changed. This two-part thing started from Rockstar. It was a matter of great responsibility and almost fear for me.”
Goenka then touched the nerve of heartbreak, which has breathed life into many of Ali’s characters. To the question: “What do you think heartbreak can teach you that happiness cannot,” Imtiaz took a leaf out of mythology. “I am very fascinated with this thought: Why did Ram have to go to vanwaas? What is it that the forest had to teach him that he already didn’t know in order to become God? Why did Krishna have to go through heartbreak in order to become who he had to? Because without heartbreak, very little has been achieved, at least in mythology.” Adding further, he said: “When I sit to write, I always have something like a heartbreak coming around the corner, or some sort of mountain to be climbed before you step into the valley of roses.”
Role of AI
“AI is not an enemy. AI can be a friend and whether it will make a humans redundant or not that we will get to know later. This whole sphere of AI should be understood individually. Creativity is not something you can borrow from AI but a lot of repetitive work can be done with AI,” said Ali, taking a neutral stand on the technology that is taking over the world.
In the concluding minutes of the chat, the rapid fire round revealed his favourite character, Tara from Tamasha, his love for Darjeeling tea, his comfort food and how he would have been a retired basketball coach if not a director. An actor he wished he had cast and a film he wished he had directed? “Dilip Kumar and Munna Bhai 2,” said Ali.
