Guftugu With Imtiaz Ali | Indian Filmmaker | Rekhta

In this episode of Guftugu, Imtiaz Ali looks back at the life that shaped his cinema, from Jamshedpur to Delhi and Mumbai, and the inner questions that keep returning in his stories.

He speaks about early failures in school, the turning point that pushed him toward discipline, and how theatre became his real training ground. Imtiaz shares what he learnt in Delhi’s theatre culture, why surrender and dedication matter to any creative life, and how a series of unexpected turns led him from television work to directing films, without ever going to a film school.

The conversation also touches on the filmmakers and world cinema influences that shaped his taste, the importance of unlearning, and why his films often circle back to one theme: an individual trying to breathe inside society’s expectations. He reflects on the market realities of filmmaking, the economics that make stars so central, and what this does to the health of film culture.

There are also warm moments around Rekhta and Jashn-e-Rekhta, including a clip of Imtiaz speaking about the Bhagavad Gita, and a closing note that urges people to build their own perspective and find their own voice.