OTTplay Awards 2025: Imtiaz Ali recalls how he first met Rockstar collaborator Irshad Kamil; says, ‘Jo bhi me kehna chahun barbaad kare Irshad mere’

The magic that comes with Imtiaz Ali’s cinema is unparalleled, and the beautiful rhythm that it brings to our lives is exactly what we love about the filmmaker. But the soul of his movies is the poetry that flows through the songs, and that is because of his longtime collaborator and good friend Irshad Kamil. The two together have given some of the most beautiful music albums such as Rockstar, Tamasha, Highway, Amar Singh Chamkila, and more.

Last night, at OTTplay Awards 2025, Imtiaz Ali was honored with the award for Best Director for the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Netflix movie, and Irshad Kamil was on stage to present the award. Coincidentally, this happened to be the first time ever that the two stood on the same stage together—and history was made.

Imtiaz Ali & Irshad Kamil on the Same Stage for the First Time

Talking about his bond with Irshad Kamil, Imtiaz Ali said,"20 saal ho gaye. 20 s aal se main films bana raha hoon, aur 20 saal se jo bhi main kehna chahta hoon, barbaad kar dete hain Irshad (Kamil). Is baar toh inhone keh diya finally, ‘Menu vida karo.’ Phir bhi main keh raha hoon, ‘Naadan parinde ghar aaja.’ Mumbai was very flooded during the monsoon, and Irshad came to me with a book when I was making a film."

To this, Irshad Kamil recalled their first meeting and added, "It so happened that I found his number, called him, and said, ‘I am Irshad Kamil. I write songs, and you make films. I want to write songs for them.’ He then said that it's raining heavily, and there is a lot of waterlogging in my area, so you won't be able to come, so let's skip it. The next day, I called him again and said, ‘I am Irshad, and you told me to call you again.’ Imtiaz told me to come over."

Also Read: Imtiaz Ali at 53: Look back at the films that shaped Bollywood

To this, Imtiaz Ali added, "That diary continues. Such relationships are formed over time, and I am as shy about praising Irshad Kamil as I am about praising myself. This means we have a lot of work to do together."

Irshad concluded, "This is a similar feeling to when you are making a movie, and as part of the film, you praise yourself and your teammates. He is a part of me. Imtiaz is me. This is the first time we both are standing together on any stage—we have never been on the same stage before."

OTTplay Awards 2025: Celebrating the Best in Streaming & Cinema

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 to binge-worthy content throughout the year.

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OTTplay Awards 2025 is co-presented by Real Juice and Kuhl and powered by Stock Gro. The marquee event, held in partnership with HT City and Zoom as 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 the special partners, UDigital as the ISP and iPTV partner and Hyperlink as the event partner.

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