Jyotsna Basotia

With his signature curly hair and dimpled smile, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali walked into a darkened theatre to surprise teary-eyed audiences as the credits rolled on Main Vaapas Aaunga . Sharing the deeply personal memory that inspired the film, he said, “I visited my childhood home almost a decade ago, and was very moved. Now that I’ve made this film, I feel the whole idea of Main Vaapas Aaunga began with that visit.” In a candid chat with Bangalore Times, the filmmaker spoke about childhood loneliness, love, Bengaluru and the stories still waiting to be told.

‘I was always talking to myself, sometimes even aloud'

Born in Jamshedpur, Imtiaz’s life has unfolded much like one of his road movies — from his hometown to Delhi, where he founded a drama society in college, and eventually to Mumbai. But before making his debut film, Socha Na Tha, did he undergo a phase of self-discovery similar to that of his characters? “I was always talking to myself,” Imtiaz says. “As a child, especially during middle school and even before that, I was very lonely. That was when I discovered myself as someone I could talk to. I would constantly talk to myself, sometimes even out loud.” Did his family and friends worry that he was always lost in his own world? “Well, I was so good at being lost that I could even pretend I wasn’t,” he says with a smile. “I could sit, look at somebody and talk to them while actually being completely absent.”

‘I’m not trying to make films only about love’

Love has been a recurring theme in Imtiaz Ali’s films. Is there any aspect of love he still feels remains unexplored? “I’m not trying to make films only about love,” he says. “But when you think about love, you’re thinking about something infinite — almost like the universe itself. Some questions can never truly be answered: ‘Who is God?’, ‘What is the extent of the universe?’ or even ‘What is love?’ Human storytelling will always remain obsessed with love because there are infinite aspects of affection to explore.”

‘I’ll always come back to AR Rahman ’

The creative partnership between AR Rahman and lyricist Irshad Kamil has gifted audiences some memorable music. Asked which musician he would most like to collaborate with, Imtiaz says, “Even if I were in a room full of musicians, I think I’d always come back to AR Rahman.” He adds, “I’d also love to hang out with Billy Joel and see what he’s up to, or even Jimmy Page.”

‘Bengaluru has faces I’d love to write about’

Rockstar lived in Imtiaz’s mind long before it became a script. Are there more characters waiting to emerge? “There are a few,” he says with a smile, “but right now, they don’t even have names.” Speaking about Bengaluru, Imtiaz says the city is filled with people who could easily become characters in his films. “Just now, I was in a theatre full of people. I saw so many faces with a unique fragrance and personality that could find a place in my films,” he says.

‘I love Bengaluru’s cosmopolitan spirit’

On his latest visit to the city, Imtiaz says, “I’m coming to Bengaluru after a long, long time.” Asked what he would like to capture about the city on screen, he says, “What I love most is Bengaluru’s cosmopolitan attitude. People from so many different places live here, yet they’ve found a common language and a shared way of being.” He believes the city’s pleasant weather also shapes its people. “The climate in Bengaluru is lovely, and maybe that’s why people become warm and welcoming too. I really like that cosmopolitan spirit. Even in this room, you’ll find people from different places who now call Bengaluru home.”