Imtiaz Ali’s debut film Socha Na Tha was released in theatres in 2005. The director completes 25 years in the industry this year. It has been a splendid ride for him with acclaimed movies like Jab We Met, Highway, and Rockstar, to name a few.

As quoted on Hindustan Times, Imtiaz shared, “It’s a dream run. I never would have expected to be here. I still can’t believe I am here, getting to do such fascinating work and being paid for it! I am the luckiest person on Earth, especially because I have got support from strangers in the film industry.”

Interestingly, one of Imtiaz’s biggest hits, Highway is also set to re-release in theatres on March 7, 2025. The film had Randeep Hooda and Alia Bhatt in the lead.

Imtiaz reflected on the same, “I had initially thought of casting someone a lot more experienced than Alia, perhaps older. When I met her though, I thought she would have the emotional maturity to do this part, and it would look very interesting. I was getting a package from someone who has emotional depth and is very young. That’s how the casting worked out.”

He added, “Everybody was very encouraging. I was already committed to making Tamasha (2015). However, Ranbir (Kapoor) encouraged me to make Highway before that film because there was some time in between. Sajid (Nadiadwala, Highway’s producer) was encouraging too. Everybody was in love with the story, though it was a bit different. I knew I had to make it at a small cost, then I could be a bit more experimental.”

Imtiaz Ali’s last project Amar Singh Chamkila with Parineeti Chopra and Diljit Dosanjh in the lead was a massive success on Netflix