Imtiaz Ali, known for the art of storytelling in his movies, is gearing up for his latest project, "Amar Singh Chamkila," featuring the versatile duo of Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra.
In an exclusive interview with an online daily, he talked about his upcoming movies and also revealed his plans for making sequels of his biggest blockbuster movie, to date- Jab We Met.
When asked about potential sequels, Imtiaz expressed, “Well, no. No Love Aaj Kal 3, no Jab We Met 2 as of now. I don't know whether I should ever make a sequel but let's see.” He elaborated further, stating, “I never say never but no plan as of now. But then yes I have 3 scripts that I am now crazily desperate to start getting onto making. I can't wait to start filming again.”
Imtiaz also shared his thoughts on the evolution of cinema, emphasizing the evolving preferences of audiences. He highlighted the constant quest for novelty among viewers, noting, “It is always changing and always constant. What is constant is the fact that a new good unique thing comes and the audience laps it up. They don't want to see something they’ve seen before. They don't want to waste their time.”
Regarding the rapid changes in the industry, Imtiaz remarked, “The audience is changing, the filmmakers are changing but this is not something new. It has been happening all the time. Maybe it is faster, the changes because the media explosion in the last five years has been just phenomenal and unprecedented.”
Discussing the abundance of choices presented by OTT platforms, the director noted, “Like when I go to the table it seems like a full feast is laid as far as the OTTs are concerned, the choices are so many. That choice was not available. There was a time when I was a kid in Jamshedpur and that one movie that came was the only thing that you could ever watch.”
Imtiaz highlighted the expanded opportunities in filmmaking, stating, “But I also feel the available opportunities, a new kid coming out wanting to make films can do a million things. And over there back in the day, all we could do was hope to get into some film bandwagon as whatever and then learn from there. So things have changed and new opportunities have been created.”
He concluded, “Before you could only make films of 2 hours, 2 and a half hours duration. Now I can make stories which are of 7 hours duration, make it episodic. So, I think I’m happy to be a part of this era rather than any other.”
The biographical film "Amar Singh Chamkila," starring Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra, is set for release on Netflix on April 12.
