Happy birthday Imtiaz Ali: Here’s what Bollywood has to say about the filmmaker

Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali’s films are known for their unconventional stories, flawed characters and picturesque locations. Besides actors Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma, who will be seen in Imtiaz Ali’s film jab Harry Met Sejal, the filmmaker has worked with some of the biggest names in Bollywood such as actors Deepika Padukone, Saif Ali Khan and Shahid Kapoor. Here is what they have to say about him.

Deepika Padukone

Before her film Tamasha (2015) released, in which she was seen alongside actor Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika had said that she was looking forward to work with Imtiaz again. “I have worked with Imtiaz in Love Aaj Kal (2009) and he also wrote Cocktail (2012). We are on good terms with each other and I am really glad that he has roped me in for the movie. I always wanted to work with this combination where Imtiaz would direct me opposite Ranbir,” she was quoted as saying.

Shah Rukh Khan

Actor Shah Rukh Khan is gearing up for the release of Imtiaz’s film Jab harry met Sejal and says, “In a certain way, he reminds me of Mr Yash Chopra because he writes love stories, which travel all over India too and have a Punjab taste. His writing is fantastic.”

Saif Ali Khan

Actor Saif Ali Khan worked with Imtiaz in his film Love Aaj Kal (2009) and says that his wife, actor Kareena Kapoor Khan, who worked with the filmmaker in Jab We Met (2007) convinced him to work with Imtiaz. “Kareena highly recommended Imtiaz when I decided to produce a film. At that time,Jab We Met hadn’t released. So I met him. It was the script and the way he narrated it to me that really impressed me and we decided to make Love Aaj Kal,” Saif said at the time.

Shahid Kapoor

Actor Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan worked with Imtiaz in Jab we Met (2007). The film did exceedingly well and Shahid says that this increased people’s expectations from Imtiaz. “I think Imtiaz is one of the most talented people I’ve worked with...I feel Jab We Met is a film that happens and people shouldn’t put that pressure on Imtiaz. It’s very difficult to live up to a film like Jab We Met, though as a director, in the long run, I’m sure he will prove to be better than what people judge him on the basis of Jab We Met to be,” he said.

Nargis Fakhri

Actor Nargis Fakhri, who Imtiaz roped in for his film Rockstar (2011), alongside Ranbir Kapoor, says, “When I met Imtiaz Ali in Prague, I was blown away; his energy was just fantastic! I sat and listened to his story, and what a story! After our second meeting he asked me if I’d like to take a chance and come to audition in India after some tuition and acting classes – he never said I had the job.”

Randeep Hooda

During the shoot of his film Highway (2014), actor Randeep Hooda felt that Imtiaz was being partial to actor Alia Bhatt, who is filmmaker Mahesh Bhat’s daughter. Talking about the shoot, he says, that one night he got quite emotional and Imtiaz understood what he was going through. “One night when we were filming the Kashmir scene, Alia had to shoot for something else and I was nearing the end of my shoot. That night I broke down in my hotel room. Imtiaz heard it. He sat with me beside my bed for three hours. I was crying and doing what not, he just sat there with me. I appreciate that about him. That is when I found something within myself,” he said at the time.