In Screenwriters Inc, Mihir Chitre sits down with 33 masters of storytelling—including Imtiaz Ali, the mind behind Jab We Met, Rockstar, and Amar Singh Chamkila. In a candid conversation, Ali traces his artistic evolution from the rigid English theatre of Jamshedpur to the raw, experimental street plays of Delhi, and finally to the cinematic pulse of Mumbai.
Ali reveals that his stories often begin with lived experience but take flight through imagination. “Jab We Met started with a simple fantasy—what if I missed a train with a girl?” he says. That spark turned into one of Bollywood’s most beloved romances, written in just two nights.
He also reflects on his television days in the 1990s, calling Star Bestsellers his true film school. His first film, Socha Na Tha, was born from a cancelled TV project and greenlit by Sunny Deol over a casual lunch in Shimla.
Ali’s journey—from nukkad nataks to national blockbusters—is a testament to how personal grit and creative freedom can shape unforgettable cinema.
Excerpted from Screenwriters Inc – 33 Masters on the Art and Craft of Screenwriting by Mihir Chitre, published by Om Books International.
