Imtiaz Ali has made a name for himself in mainstream Bollywood, ever since his debut in 2005. His expertise is not confined to directing; he also writes the scripts for every film he makes. As a result, his films frequently have a particular feel to them. He has won Best Dialogue for Jab We Met and has been nominated several times for Best Director for his work.
Imtiaz began his career on television before moving on to direct big-budget films. In the mid-1990s, he created and directed television series including Kurukshetra, Naina and Imtehaan, for which he earned positive reviews. In 2005, he eventually directed his debut picture Socha Na Tha, which was a flop at the box office. Nonetheless, Imtiaz persisted, and we are thankful that he did.
Today, let us look at his best works on the occasion of his birthday:
TAMASHA (2015)
The second collaboration between Ali and Ranbir Kapoor, this film is the perfect example of complex non-linear screenplay in recent times. The plot of Tamasha centers around Ved Vardhan Sahni portrayed by Kapoor in three stages–as a 9-year-old child, a 19-year-old adolescent and a 30-year-old adult who actually wants to shatter all the stereotypes of life and become a master storyteller. A brilliant Kapoor, a praiseworthy Deepika Padukone and a fantastic A R Rehman, this film is supremely artistic execution by Imtiaz Ali.
HIGHWAY (2014)
This was the first movie which was produced, written anddirected by Imtiaz. Highway received widespread critical acclaim, and rightly so. Taking his fascination with travel in a more local direction, and with a much-needed change to his usual pattern, the filmmaker tells the storey of Veera played by Alia Bhat, and Mahabir played by Randeep Hooda.
ROCKSTAR (2011)
This film has Ranbir Kapoor all over it. One of the biggest collaborations between Imtiaz Ali and A R Rehman happened with Rockstar as the film revolves around a highly talented albeit misguided and short-tempered musician and his journey through stardom. Ali created a musical journey with this film so brilliant that it went to become one of the highest grossing films of 2011 and has gone on to achieve a cult following over the years.
JAB WE MET (2007)
The second directorial venture of Imtiaz Ali after Socha Na Tha, this film is the first major success for Ali and a milestone film for Kareena as Geet and Shahid Kapoor. A film revolving around a quirky runaway girl and a battle weary businessman, this film was extremely high on entertainment, musical and emotional quotient. Jab We Met, the fourth collaboration between both the Kapoors, received universal critical acclaim and has developed a cult following and been remade in several languages since its release. You will be able to find this movie on Netflix.
LOVE AAJ KAL (2009)
Even though the reboot may have failed in front of the original,Love Jaj Kalis a must-see film for everyone. Following Imtiaz Ali’s Jab We Met, the Saif-Deepika tale of past and present works in different ways, and the film is appreciated by many. Non-linear storytelling is a feature that hasn’t been seen much on the big screen, but Imtiaz pulls it off admirably.
