Imtiaz Ali, who recently directed the film Amar Singh Chamkila starring Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra, gained popularity in Bollywood after the success of Jab We Met (2007). Even though many actors and filmmakers aspire to work with Amitabh Bachchan, Imtiaz initially had reservations about collaborating with him due to his apprehension. The filmmaker admitted that he was initially hesitant and only wished to greet Mr. Bachchan from a distance.
During a recent interview with MidDay, Imtiaz Ali shared that he was afraid to meet Amitabh Bachchan as he was sure that Big B would agree to work with him.
The Amar Singh Chamkila director stated that Big B is “too big” as the megastar and compared him with Shah Rukh Khan’s stardom. He added that SRK isn’t that big for him as he is younger than Big B.
Imtiaz recalled his experience of watching Amitabh Bachchan‘s 1985 film Geraftaar in a theater. He shared that the audience would get very excited after watching his scene. They were so enthusiastic that they ended up breaking the seats of the cinema hall “out of excitement and frenzy”.
“I still feel that frenzy so I thought Bachchan, yaar inko door se hi pranaam karunga (I will greet him from a distance). He is such a person and so down-to-earth,” he added.
In the same interview, Imtiaz Ali also revealed that he received a letter from Amitabh Bachchan after the release of Rockstar. According to the director, Big B appreciated his 2011 film starring Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri. He added that the megastar mentioned the exact timing of finishing the movie in the letter.
Imtiaz Ali and Amitabh Bachchan have not collaborated on a movie yet; however, they once worked together on a TV commercial. In 2017, the director shared a picture of himself with Big B on Instagram.
In the picture, Imtiaz can be seen sharing a warm hug with the megastar on the sets. He also wrote a heartwarming note for Big B. “Ab tum director ban gaye” (“Now you have become a director”) my mom told me when I worked with Amitabh Bachchan. Amitabh Bachchan…” read the caption.
Imtiaz Ali’s other notable works include Tamasha, Love Aaj Kal, and Jab Harry Met Sejal.
