Imtiaz Ali recalls ‘strange depression’ after Jab Harry Met Sejal scandal: ‘I was trying to make a light, easy-going film’ : Bollywood News
Jab Harry and Sejal: A critical and commercial flop
Imtiaz Ali has delivered one critically acclaimed hit after another. Socha na ta, jab we met, and Rockstar Jab Harry meets Sejal It didn’t live up to expectations. Speaking to Ranveer Allabadia’s podcast, the director confessed that the film’s failure caused a “weird melancholy” years later. He admitted, “I felt a sense of ownership over the film. I wanted to say, ‘I’m not ashamed of you, you’re mine, just like any other film.’ So, at that moment, I felt a strange melancholy. Like, ‘Oh, this is a failed film.’ I never felt that way at the time.”
“But at this point I could feel it. The calculations were there then and I could read people’s expressions and sense the disappointment. I had dengue fever and was bedridden for a month,” Imtiaz said.
Dealing with failure and embracing experimentation
Ali revealed that his initial disappointment with the film’s box office success was compounded by personal health issues he was having at the time, but he added: “I have to forget… I consider my failures fortunate. Now Jab Harry and Sejal Even if it didn’t work out, I felt something good was happening. I wasn’t upset about it. No one should be so bothered by success or failure.”
Unconventional: Jab Harry met Sejal as an experiment
Ali explained: Jab Harry and Sejal The film was a conscious effort to move away from his signature style. He tried to make a lighter, more easy-going film compared to his philosophically layered stories. “I tried to make a light film, an easy-going film. It was a pure idea. Some experiments don’t work,” he said.
Imtiaz Ali’s recent success with Amar Singh Chamkira
Despite the challenges Jab Harry Met Sejal, Imtiaz Ali continues to push the envelope. His latest directorial venture is Amar Singh ChamkiraStarring Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra, received rave reviews from critics.
Also read: Imtiaz Ali on vulgarity allegations against Amar Singh Chamkira song: “Other Punjabi singers have also sung vulgar lyrics, why didn’t they become equally popular?”
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