Film maker Imtiaz Ali he opened up about his admiration Alia Bhatt and why she hopes to collaborate with him again after their famous film ‘Highway’. Talking about the actor, Imtiaz praised her emotional honesty and described her as someone who completely surrenders to a character. The filmmaker recalled his creative memories of ‘Highway’, where Alia first witnessed an instinctive understanding of acting and filmmaking, despite being young at the time.“While we were shooting ‘Highway’, we were traveling in very confined spaces. The camera would be somewhere and I would be lying on the floor or curled up in a corner in that truck. He was acting, talking to someone or singing,” he told NDTV.Imtiaz revealed that a special quality about Alia stood out to him during the shoot. According to him, the actor would subtly adjust his position while acting so that his expressions and emotions could be properly observed even in difficult shooting conditions. “He had this incredible tendency to bend in standard ways so that I could see his performance as well. He was very young then. He would get this little angle so that I could see his performance while he was acting,” he said.The director admitted that he deliberately avoided arguing with her at the time because he was afraid she might be too self-conscious during the scenes. Later, he encouraged her to focus on the performance instead of worrying about whether she could watch it.Talking about Alia’s growth as an actress after ‘Highway’, Imtiaz praised her ability to move effortlessly between commercial entertainers and emotionally layered films. “Alia is someone who operates from a very strange space of emotional honesty. When we did ‘Highway,’ she was very young, but even then, her instinct was never just to act. It was always to completely surrender and feel the weight of the character,” he explains.The filmmaker pointed to films like ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ and ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ as examples of his range and adaptability as a performer.
Imtiaz Ali suggests another collaboration
Imtiaz also expressed that he would love to direct Alia again if the right script comes his way. Calling him “greedy” as a filmmaker, he explained that directors naturally want to work time and time again with actors who are emotionally fearless on screen. “As a director, you’re always eager to work with actors who don’t hold back, who are willing to be raw and vulnerable on screen. We talk often, and there’s always a desire to find the right script to collaborate on,” he said.
to Sharva and Vedang Raina kudos to Alia Bhatt
Actor Sharvari, who will soon be sharing screen space with Alia in spy thriller ‘Alpha’, also spoke for the younger actors who have been the inspiration for the actor’s career. “For our generation of actresses, I think watching Alia’s career is incredibly inspiring. The way she balances mass stardom with brilliant, critically acclaimed performances is a master class in itself,” Sharvari said.Meanwhile, Vedang Raina, who appeared alongside Alia in ‘Jigra’, praised the sincerity she brings to each role. “There’s an authenticity to his screen presence that hits you immediately as a viewer. He definitely sets a benchmark for what you want to achieve when you’re just starting out in your career,” he said.
Imtiaz Ali’s next film
On the work front, Imtiaz Ali is gearing up for the release of ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’ starring Vedang Raina, Sharvari, Diljit Dosanjh and Naseeruddin Shah. The film will be released in theaters on June 12.
