Exclusive | Ida Ali on turning director like dad Imtiaz Ali: I don't want anyone to do me any favors

Ida Ali, daughter of filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, aims for independence in storytelling through her short films.

Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali’s daughter Ida Ali has grown up surrounded by stories, but when she decided to make her own short film, she wanted to do it on her own terms. She recently directed a short with her friend Kareema Barry, with whom she also runs a podcast channel centered on Hindi films.

Ida with dad Imtiaz Ali

“I had been wanting to direct something which is not related to any brand or any music video. I wanted to do something of my own,” Ida says in a chat with HT City. Since the duo already had their podcast, they wondered if they could make a film as well, “Of course, we could only make a short film. And so we were like, okay, let's see what ideas we can get. And on a whim, made a short film.” Within a month, they have released a second short film as well, titled GUL.

A story-first upbringing

Ida grew up in a household where stories were part of everyday life. Her father, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali would tell her stories every day.

“I think I always wanted to be a storyteller,” she says. It was during her teenage years that she realised she was visualising her stories as films. At 15 or 16, she made her first short film and immediately knew she had found what she wanted to do.

She adds, “The way that I think about characters is guided by the way my dad thinks about characters because he is the person that I first told my stories to."

Choosing independence

Ida and Kareema have also taken the unconventional step of building their own production company, Blue Curtain Films. The venture grew out of the foundation they established through their podcast, which has been around for about a year.

Ida says she could have used her industry connections to approach established filmmakers, actors or production houses, but deliberately chose not to, “I don't want anyone to do me favors either. For a short film, if some known name or production house is backing us, it kind of takes away, I think it is not fair. I want everyone who comes on to a project to come on because they are excited about it,. When I have something like that to offer to someone with a bigger name, then I would be very happy to work with them,” she says.

Making work that stays

In an age where social media has made everyone a potential content creator, Ida believes filmmakers should focus less on chasing numbers and more on creating a lasting connection with audiences.

She points out that a reel can accumulate enormous views and still be forgotten within minutes. A short film that someone takes ten minutes to watch, however, can stay with them for much longer. “They will remember it, which is, I think, a little more valuable, at least for the filmmaker, than just a bunch of content being put out.”

The response to her short has encouraged her, particularly because viewers from her generation have found its humor and language relatable.

Away from filmmaking, Ida has also been celebrating a major personal milestone. She recently got engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Krish Agrawal, whom she has been dating for seven years. “It's been so good,” she says, admitting that the engagement “completely took over my life” for a month.