Stories told with honesty help define who we are becoming: Imtiaz Ali
Filmmaker
Imtiaz Ali
captivated audiences at the Centenary Celebration of the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Kolkata, offering profound personal insights into his cinematic journey and the evolving role of storytelling in shaping India's future.
Reflecting on his return to the City of Joy, Imtiaz Ali began on an emotional note, 'Calcutta feels like coming home, a city deeply interwoven with my personal and familial history, and it continues to anchor me both emotionally and creatively.'
He spoke candidly about the genesis of his passion for storytelling, 'My storytelling journey began with an instinctive curiosity about the lives of strangers, fleeting moments that sparked an urge to imagine, to interpret, and eventually to narrate.
That impulse matured into filmmaking, a craft I have come to see as governed not by formulas or trends but by authenticity.'
Ali underscored the importance of truth in storytelling, noting, 'When a story arises from a place of truth, it resonates far beyond technique or timing.' He emphasised that filmmaking is not a solitary act but a collective endeavour, 'It is a deeply collaborative process rooted in intuition, listening, and shared vision.'
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
M.Tech. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning For Working Professionals.
BITS Pilani WILP
Apply Now
Undo
On the integral role of music in cinema, he remarked, 'Music plays a vital role in this, not as ornamentation but as the emotional core that speaks where language cannot, often outliving the story itself.'
Recounting his earliest creative expressions, the acclaimed director shared, 'As a director, I still carry the spirit of the child who once gathered classmates to stage plays, guided by the need to shape something meaningful from imagination.'
Ali paid heartfelt tribute to the women in his life, 'The women in my life my mother, cousins, wife, and daughters, have always inspired me with their complexity and intelligence, and portraying them with honesty has never been a conscious agenda but a natural act of reverence.'
Looking ahead, Imtiaz offered a powerful vision for the future of
Indian cinema
as the country approaches the centenary of its independence in 2047, 'I believe cinema holds immense potential not just as entertainment but as a cultural force that can help shape national identity and global perception.'
Check out our list of the
latest Hindi
,
English
,
Tamil
,
Telugu
,
Malayalam
, and
Kannada movies
. Don't miss our picks for the
best Hindi movies
,
best Tamil movies,
and
best Telugu films
.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Deccan Herald
5 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
Those things should look after themselves: Fan boy Root on chasing Tendulkar's Test record
More than three decades on, Root now finds himself second only to Tendulkar in the list of all-time Test run-getters as he reflected on the Indian maestro's legacy his own journey as a youngster inspired by the Indian icon.
Pink Villa
5 minutes ago
- Pink Villa
Box Office: Saiyaara enters Rs 200 crore club in 9 days flat; 2nd Hindi film of 2025 to do so after Chhaava
Saiyaara has become the talk of the town since its massive theatrical release. It has been flying high at the box office with its historic run. Starring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda starrer, the film entered Rs 100 crore club in four days. Directed by Mohit Suri, Saiyaara has now achieved new milestone at the box office. Saiyaara crosses Rs 200 crore mark in nine days Produced under the banner of Yash Raj Films, Saiyaara entered the Rs 200 crore club at the box office within nine days of its release. The Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda starrer earned Rs 27 crore on the second Saturday. The cume collection of Aditya Chopra's production stands at Rs 217 crore net at the box office. Saiyaara emerges second Hindi film of 2025 to enter the Rs 200 crore club, Chaava remains on top With the new achievement, Saiyaara has now become the second Hindi film to cross the Rs 200 crore mark this year. Previously, Chhaava entered this club in nine days. Released in February this year, Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna's all-time blockbuster film still remains on top with a net collection of Rs 270 crore. Saiyaara In Theatres Saiyaara plays in theatres now. Tickets for the same can be booked from the box office, or from online ticketing websites. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates. Disclaimer: The box office figures are compiled from various sources and our research. The figures can be approximate, and Pinkvilla does not make any claims about the authenticity of the data. However, they are adequately indicative of the box-office performance of the films in question.
Pink Villa
5 minutes ago
- Pink Villa
Mahavatar Narsimha Day 2 India Box Office Hindi: Hombale's cinematic epic grows by a shocking 150 percent; Adds Rs 3.35 crore
Mahavatar Narsimha, directed by Ashwin Kumar and produced by Hombale Films, after a super strong first day where it netted Rs 1.35 crore in Hindi, showed astronomical 140-150 percent growth on day 2. With Rs 3.25 - 3.45 crore net on day 2, the two day cume of the movie stands at Rs 4.70 crore. The movie has not just grown in Hindi but all the other languages that it is playing in, as well. The Day Wise Hindi Net Collections Of Mahavatar Narsimha Are As Under Mahavatar Narsimha Will Post Its Biggest Single Day Collections On 1st Sunday On Sunday, Mahavatar Narsimha is expected to register its biggest single day. Based on its trend, the day 3 collections may end up being higher than the sum of the first and the second day. The trend also suggests a sort of a breakout where Monday collections will be well higher than the opening day and also likely first Saturday. It's too early to confirm that the same will happen, but there sure are very visible indications to deduce the same. In today's day and age, if a film gets the approval of the audience, it trends spectacularly. We saw it last week with Saiyaara, which is putting up identical collections as its first weekend, in its second, and then there of course was Chhaava, which really showed the potential of a well-received religion-based historical epic. Mahavatar Narsimha Is Acting As A Living Proof That Animated Movies Can Work At The Box Office The biggest takeaway from Mahavatar Narsimha's run is the acceptance of the audience to watch animated content. Animated films are usually seen as films for children but this movie looks to break that myth. Hopefully, with the success of this movie, there will be an influx of more animated films. Hombale Films itself has a slate of 6 animated films from the Mahavatar Cinematic Universe, that shall release in the next decade or so. Animated Films Should Get Mainstream Attention In India Hollywood's animated films have always got mainstream attention in their home markets, and now China's highest grossing film is also an animated film, Ne Zha 2. Japan has always had a bigger market for animes than the conventional films. It's about time that Indian audiences also jump on this bandwagon so that there can be more individual voices to tell stories using the animated mediun. One doesn't necessarily have to rely upon a hero, to make and sell their films. The story and the acceptance shall do the talking.
