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Imtiaz Ali, in a CC BY-SA 2.0 photograph from Wikimedia Commons
Photograph: Richter Frank-Jurgen. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons, File:Imtiaz Ali at Horasis Global India Business Meeting 2012 crop.jpg. Licence confirmed on the Commons file page on 22 October 2026. ShowBuzz resized the file and converted it to WebP for page speed, and did not otherwise alter it.

Celebrities / Director

Imtiaz Ali

Filmmaker

Imtiaz Ali is a filmmaker best known for romances about restless people. He was born in Jamshedpur and spent part of his childhood in Patna. His maternal uncle is the Pakistani television actor, director and producer Khalid Ahmed. At Hindu College, University of Delhi, he started Ibtida, the college's dramatics society, and he then moved to Mumbai to study.

He wrote and directed the romantic comedies Socha Na Tha (2005), Jab We Met (2007) and Love Aaj Kal (2009), then the dramas Rockstar (2011), Highway (2014), Tamasha (2015) and Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017). Amar Singh Chamkila (2024) is his biopic of the Punjabi singer.

In 2026 his credits include Main Vaapas Aaunga. His younger brother, Arif Ali, is also a director. He made his debut with Lekar Hum Deewana Dil (2014). On this guide Imtiaz Ali directed Jab We Met, with Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor, and Rockstar, with Ranbir Kapoor and music by A. R. Rahman.

He started in television, directing Kurukshetra for Zee TV and Imtihaan for Doordarshan, and a telefilm for Zee's Rishtey whose story he later expanded into Highway. Socha Na Tha, with Abhay Deol and Ayesha Takia, happened because Sunny Deol read his script and agreed to produce it. He has said the actor never asked where he came from or what experience he had. The film was well reviewed but lost money, and it took three years to make.

Credits in detail

Rockstar (2011, Hindi) was released 11 November 2011. Imtiaz Ali directed it. The cast also includes Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri.

Jab We Met (2007, Hindi) was released 26 October 2007. Imtiaz Ali directed it. The cast also includes Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan.

Known for

Jab We Met · Rockstar · Amar Singh Chamkila

Work on ShowBuzz

  • Rockstar

    Film · 2011 · Director. A Delhi college musician is told he cannot be a real artist until he has suffered. Imtiaz Ali directs. A. R. Rahman wrote the songs, with lyrics by Irshad Kamil. Ranbir Kapoor plays Jordan. The album outlived the arguments about the film.

  • Jab We Met

    Film · 2007 · Director. A quiet businessman and a talkative woman miss their trains and end up on the road to Punjab. Imtiaz Ali’s breakthrough romance. Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan lead. The songs are still played at weddings.

Sources