Imtiaz Ali reveals he wrote dialogues for Highway after reaching location; Alia would ask him, ‘Bolna kya hai?’

In a new interview, Imtiaz Ali has shared that he didn't write dialogues for his 2014 film Highway till the time they reached the location. The film starred Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda in the lead roles.

Alia Bhatt in a still from Highway.

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In an earlier interview, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali revealed his initial desire to cast Sunny Deol for his 2014 film Highway, envisioning a mainstream storyline on a grand scale. However, Imtiaz decided to challenge himself by attempting to create a film using just a camera and a compelling story, which ultimately led to the creation of Highway in the form we saw in theatres.

During a recent conversation with Roshan Abbas on his YouTube channel, Imtiaz elaborated on this decision and shared insights into the making of the movie. Imtiaz revealed that he wrote the film’s dialogues after reaching the location with Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda.

He said, “The thought of being able to compete with new directors led me to make Highway. There was no light in the film, except for one or two sequences. There was no light, there was just a camera on a stick and, this time, I did not write the dialogues of the film. We used to reach the location and then I would write the scene and we would shoot it. Sometimes, I am taking Alia to a hill with no scene written. One of the challenges was to get to the location. You can’t get to the best places in this country with heavy equipment. So, we took cameras and lugged the actors there. Randeep and Alia both would climb the mountains. Alia would ask me, ‘Sir bolna kya hai? (What are the dialogues?)’ I would tell her, ‘I don’t know. Let’s get there and by the time we are there, you will know.'”

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At the time of Highway’s release, Alia Bhatt was relatively new to the industry, with just one film under her belt. Highway proved to be a game-changer for her as she received widespread critical acclaim. Not only did the film impress critics, but it also fared well at the box office.

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