Imtiaz Ali has been a trailblazer in Hindi cinema when it comes to integrating the theme of mental health into mainstream films such as Tamasha and Highway. During a recent interaction, the director revealed that many times his stories got rejected by actors because they didn't find the characters heroic enough. Reflecting on the mental health element in his films, Imtiaz told Film Companion, "When I started writing these stories, I never thought that I am talking about mental health at all. So, when I was making Tamasha, Highway, Jab We Met or Socha Na Tha..it's what I saw around me and it's the issue that people have. I never mentioned a technical term in the films because I felt that's not what I am trying to do. I was just writing characters and stories." Addressing the challenge of conveying the depth of his characters to actors and producers, the filmmaker noted, "Sometimes they don't understand what is happening but then they look at my track record and feel like he has made these films, so whatever he is saying must be correct. So, there have been times when people have commented on my stories and my stories have also been rejected. Sometimes the characters don't sound very heroic and for that reason a lot of actors also reject your story. They feel that it is too grey. But nobody talks about the mental health aspect of it. They say this is not the typical Hindi film character, so do we need so much grey or can it be a bit more heroic. I can only make films about people I understand." Imtiaz Ali is anticipating the release of Chamkila, a film exploring the life and legacy of renowned singer Amar Singh Chamkila. It stars Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra in pivotal roles.
