Imtiaz Ali: We stopped and shot wherever convenient

At the 10th edition of the India International Foreign Tourism Conclave (IIFTC), Imtiaz Ali shared some of his experiences from his extensive filmmaking journey. He spoke at length about his approach towards shoot locations – it is a well-known fact that the director has been apt at choosing eclectic international locales for his films like Love Aaj Kal, Rockstar, Cocktail, Tamasha, and Jab Harry Met Sejal.

Commenting on the subject the director said “I always prefer shooting at newer locales and try to never repeat a location or a shot. After an initial recce by the team, I always personally do a location recce. Many a time, even during the recce we miss out on some parts of the location, which get covered when we eventually go to shoot. During the shooting of Tamasha on the French island of Corsica, we have a famous scene where Ranbir Kapoor is sitting on a cliff. We decided on that particular shot after reaching the location for the shoot, it was that spontaneous. However, many times the local crew also helps us know the finer details – that eventually lead to marquee shots.” The film – the cast – and the crew received many awards and got nominated for many more including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Film, Best Director, Best Singer, Best Music, Best Pair, Best Song, and Best Lyricist.

Adding further the director said “Highway was the only film – where we never did any recce. We just hit the road with our filming gear and whenever we found good locations, we stopped and shot. We could do that because we were shooting in our own country. For foreign locations, the regulatory and budgetary constraints prevent us from doing so.” The 2014 film, written and directed by Imtiaz Ali starred Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda in the pivotal roles. It was screened at the Berlin International Film Festival and upon release, received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. At the 60th Filmfare Awards, Highway received 9 nominations, including Best Actress (Bhatt) and Best Story (Ali), and won Best Actress (Critics). It was the first film from the director’s film production company, Window Seat Films, and was also co-produced by Sajid Nadiawala.

"Locations are the heart of storytelling. I rely on them to create an evocative narrative that could captivate the viewer. These backdrops hold the power to convey emotion, history, and atmosphere, contributing to the depth of the story. While rebates play a role in decision-making for filmmakers and producers; creativity, collaboration, and resource availability are the most essential components of the equation. The tourism development councils should start looking beyond rebates now. Indian cinema has a universal appeal, particularly among the diaspora. Whichever location we shot at - crowds gathered Ali to have a look at the renowned actors. Without unwavering commitment and passion, projects like these could not have been brought to life.” concluded Ali.

Ali's session was a hit amongst the international delegates who had come from the countries where he had already shot his films like the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Italy, Czech Republic, France, Austria, Portugal, and Hungary.  The evening was the first day of the 3-day mega film tourism event featuring over 50 international companies from over 20 countries coming to Bollywood, and Mumbai to woo Indian filmmakers.