Artificiality in film makes it redundant, says Imtiaz Ali

Imtiaz, whose last directorial Jab Harry Met Sejal failed to garner the response that the team had expected, made Love Aaj Kal, Rockstar, Cocktail, Highway and Tamasha after the success of Jab We Met.

October 26 will mark a decade since Jab We Met released, but to many Bollywood buffs, it feels as fresh as ever. Director Imtiaz Ali says keeping a movie “pure” is important for it to be remembered.

Imtiaz Ali’s last film Jab Harry Met Sejal failed at the box office.

Imtiaz, whose last directorial Jab Harry Met Sejal failed to garner the response that the team had expected, made Love Aaj Kal, Rockstar, Cocktail, Highway and Tamasha after the success of Jab We Met. But the story of the vivacious and spirited Punjabi girl Geet and her tryst with a Mumbai businessman left a lasting impact with its simple story told in an entertaining way through performances by Kareena Kapoor Khan and Shahid Kapoor.

“When making a movie, you try to do your best, you write your best, you try to make it as natural and fun. But one thing I have realized is that if you put artificiality in a film and try to make it spicy for that moment, those things start looking very redundant very soon. Keeping it pure is very essential in order for it to be remembered,” said Imtiaz.

Are they romantic? “When I did Jab We Met, I thought it is not a romantic film, but obviously it is because everyone says so. It is only after my film is made, released and reacted to... As far as I think, it is not a romantic type.”