Imtiaz Ali says, ‘hopefully I will be able to make good films finally,’ talking about completing 20 years in Bollywood | Exclusive

Imtiaz Ali can start a cult, and he will have a massive number of followers already ready to march alongside him. The filmmaker, over the past two decades, has woven stories that have spoken to audiences in a deeper way than just a mere film. The characters have traveled to the real world from the screen, and everyone is trying to find answers in his movies. Be it Rockstar, Tamasha, or the recent Amar Singh Chamkila, the filmmaker has only soared higher with all that he has done. So when he landed in the Winner's Lounge at the OTTplay Awards 2025, we had to ask him about completing 20 years as a director and how he looks at the journey ahead.

Imtiaz Ali on Completing 20 Years as a Director

Imtiaz Ali won Best Director for his film Amar Singh Chamkila at the OTTplay Awards 2025. The filmmaker, who is now busy with three projects, is also making a new show for Netflix titled O Saathi Re, starring Avinash Tiwary, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Arjun Rampal. So, as we had the chance to speak with him, we asked how it feels to complete 20 years in the industry as a director. Imtiaz Ali debuted as a director with Socha Na Tha in 2005. Salman Khan's Eid releases to watch on OTT: Dabangg to Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan

Imtiaz Ali said, “It feels great to have been here for so long, but it also feels slightly disorienting because I don't get the feeling that I have been here for any duration of time at all. It just seems like a lot of things are beginning now, and hopefully, I will be able to make good films finally.”

When we spoke about the fact that many called Amar Singh Chamkila his return-to-form film, Imtiaz Ali added, “Well, that is up to the audience. You will always hear things like form, non-form for, let's say, a cricketer, but then Sachin Tendulkar is Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar is Sunil Gavaskar. So I feel these things are for the audience to say. One must always endeavour as a director to try to be more pure in his communication and surrender more fully to the story he is making.”

Also Read: OTTplay Awards 2025 full winners list: Kajol, Jaideep Ahlawat, Jyotika, and others who won the prestigious trophy

And, of course, we had to try our luck with O Saathi Re. When asked, he said, “O Saathi Re is a show that we are making for Netflix. You already know it, but if I tell you more about it, Netflix will sue me, and I will come to you to fund the legal battle.”

About OTTplay Awards 2025

The OTTplay: One Nation, One Awards, powered by Dabur and StockGro, is a pan-India OTT awards platform that recognizes the most compelling films, series, and talents from across the country. The grand celebration brought together the best of Bollywood and regional cinema, honoring those who kept audiences hooked on binge-worthy content throughout the year.

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OTTplay Awards 2025 is co-presented by Real Juice and Kuhl and powered by StockGro. The marquee event, held in partnership with HT City and with Zoom as the TV broadcast partner, has Flipkart Spoyl as the exclusive style partner, D Pauls as the travel partner, Amante as the premium lingerie partner, Propshop as the real estate partner, Aussie Lamb and Krishinet Fiber as special partners, UDigital as the ISP and IPTV partner, and Hyperlink as the event partner.

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