After making his debut with Socha Na Tha in 2005, Imtiaz Ali gained fame with the success of Jab We Met (2007), Love Aaj Kal (2009), Rockstar (2011), and Highway (2014). By then, Imtiaz had avoided repeating his actors, even though he had seen success with almost all of them. In a chat with Hindustan Times, he reveals that, in those days, he opposed the idea of repeating actors.
Imtiaz Ali on not wanting to repeat actors
“Initially, I used to think I should never go back and work with the same actor again. thought I would have a hangover from the previous film,” he tells us. Imtiaz says this notion changed when he wrote Tamasha. In the 2015 film, he cast Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone, both of whom he had already worked with. The filmmaker says the hangover he feared did not exist. “There was none, with Diljit or even with Ranbir or Deepika,” he argues.
Diljit Dosanjh, the third name he mentions, is one of the leads in his new film, Main Vaapas Aaunga. The actor-singer was also the star of his previous release, Amar Singh Chamkila. Talking about casting Diljit, he says, “I always write first, and then see which actor suits this part. With Diljit, I realised he is the most suited for this part (in Main Vaapas Aaunga). Why should I have the notion of not working with the same actor back-to-back if he is the best actor for this film?”
On casting Ranbir and Diljit again
Imtiaz says the same philosophy worked with Ranbir, who played two drastically different roles in Rockstar and Tamasha. “With Ranbir, it was a different guy (in Tamasha). Here too, Nirvair (Diljit’s character) is a completely different person from Chamkila. This role wouldn’t be possible in this way if he weren’t playing it,” he tells us.
{{/usCountry}}Imtiaz says the same philosophy worked with Ranbir, who played two drastically different roles in Rockstar and Tamasha. “With Ranbir, it was a different guy (in Tamasha). Here too, Nirvair (Diljit’s character) is a completely different person from Chamkila. This role wouldn’t be possible in this way if he weren’t playing it,” he tells us.
{{/usCountry}}Tamasha, the first film in which he worked with repeat actors, was only a moderate success at the box office, earning ₹136 crore. However, over the years, it has become a cult film. Imtiaz’s last release, Amar Singh Chamkila, was released directly on Netflix. It received widespread acclaim from both critics and audiences.
About Main Vaapas Aaunga
His next, Main Vaapas Aaunga, is a romantic drama set during the Partition. Apart from Diljit, the film also stars Vedang Raina, Sharvari, and Naseeruddin Shah. Main Vaapas Aaunga hits the screens on June 12.
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