Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali has shared insights into the creative process behind his most beloved films, revealing that he never set out to write conventional love stories. Known for directing movies such as 'Socha Na Tha', 'Love Aaj Kal', and 'Rockstar', Ali explained that romance naturally evolved from the emotional journeys of his characters.
'Jab We Met' Originated with Two Opposite Individuals
During an interview with News18, Imtiaz Ali disclosed that the core idea behind 'Jab We Met' was never intended as a romantic film. He stated, "If you say that my films are love stories, I would take it as a compliment. But I didn't start writing any of my films as a love story, including 'Jab We Met'." The filmmaker elaborated that the story began with two emotionally contrasting characters meeting unexpectedly during a train journey.
"So, how did it begin? It started with these two people who meet – one is full of life and one wants to kill himself. And they meet on a train because where else can two such opposite people meet! If they're on a train, she has to be going somewhere. That's how I started writing 'Jab We Met'. And I, obviously, had this fascination of a girl on a train," he remarked.
Romance as a By-Product
Imtiaz further shared that he viewed the story as an emotional transformation between two personalities rather than a typical romance. "That, for me, is a very romantic idea. I didn't think the film was going to be a love story. It was about two people meeting and affecting each other and somehow becoming each other, becoming the opposites of who they were," Imtiaz added. According to the filmmaker, emotional connection and personal growth often become stronger themes than romance in his films.
Perspectives on Legendary Love Stories
Speaking about classic romance tales from literature and cinema, Imtiaz Ali suggested that many legendary stories may not have originally been written purely as love stories. "I think a lot of love stories qualify to be one where there's fulfilment in the end. But by that measure, 'Laila Majnu', 'Heer Ranjha', and 'Romeo & Juliet' aren't love stories. I think that when many of these stories were being written, the writers weren't thinking that they're making a love story," the filmmaker said.
He also referenced William Shakespeare while discussing emotional conflict and storytelling. "Maybe Shakespeare was thinking that he was writing a story about opposites attracting, about two warring families and how dramatic it would be if their children liked each other," he continued. The director dismissed the notion that emotional storytelling has lost relevance in modern cinema dominated by action spectacles.
"I don't think so. Maybe I choose to watch films that have some bit of emotional content in them. 'Hamnet', for instance, is a wonderful film and it has so much love and heart in it! Love need not exist in the most typical fashion of a boy and a girl wanting to get married. There's so much more that love does in life. I think every good film is a love story. 'Saving Private Ryan' is also a love story and so is 'Interstellar'," Imtiaz shared. He also stated that themes of longing, love, and emotional attachment naturally continue appearing in his work.
"I'm always trying to do something I haven't done before. But there's still an accent that comes through in the way that I'm telling a story. I can only say that I'm not deliberately doing it at all," he said.
On the professional front, the filmmaker is currently preparing for the release of 'Main Vaapas Aaunga', a Partition-era romantic drama scheduled to hit theaters on June 12, 2026.
