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Imtiaz Ali on the Ache of a Womaniser in 'Jab Harry Met Sejal': 'Wasn't Easy for People to Accept SRK Like That'
'Jab Harry Met Sejal', co-starring Anushka Sharma, marked the first collaboration between Imtiaz Ali and Shah Rukh Khan.
Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali looks back at his romantic drama Jab Harry Met Sejal with a lot of fondness, describing it as a film which not only chronicled the story of a tour guide who is lost but also attempted to examine the "ache of being a womaniser" through its lead character, played by superstar Shah Rukh Khan.
Both known for their distinct romances, the collaboration between Khan and Ali was highly anticipated. However, Jab Harry Met Sejal fumbled along the way, disappointing fans when it released in August of 2017.
At the latest edition of THR Talks, Ali was asked about the film, which co-starred Anushka Sharma, and if he thinks he could make something on similar lines to explore the ache in Harry's character.
"I would love to. Because there is also the ache of being a womaniser. I've met many such in my life. They're very lost and lonely and each one of them has a backstory. It's very dissatisfying being like that. And what makes one be like that, that couldn't come through (in the film). I don't know whether it was easy for people to accept Shah Rukh like that," Ali said.
The filmmaker added that the "unease" of being a womniser is very "dramatic" as it is a lonely process where one is looking for something deeper but is afraid of getting hurt. "So you say the worst thing possible about the little intimacy you have had and walk out of it," he said.
Over the years, Ali has been candid about how he couldn't live up to the myth and stardom of Khan in Jab Harry Met Sejal— which was a quieter, smaller film as compared to the larger-than-life romances the actor is known for.
When asked if that's something he struggles with, wanting to cast someone but being reluctant to sign them because of their oversized mythology, Ali said that hasn't happened since Jab Harry Met Sejal.
"With the experience of working with Shah Rukh, I understood that it's not just him playing this part and doing it good. It is also everybody else who will watch, will have a certain expectation. It hasn't happened since. But now, I don't know whether I'll still be aware of it. I think I'm pretty shameless about certain things. And sometimes I choose to forget certain learnings. Because that's how you retain the inner sense of making a mistake and, but at least taking a chance."
The filmmaker, who has teamed up with actors like Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor and Diljit Dosanjh in his career, said if he ever finds himself in a similar crossroads, he'll set expectations right from the start.
"Hopefully, the next time around, I'll know that we are expecting a certain type of audience to come in because of this particular actor or at least to let them know very clearly what the film is. I think that's the solution. No, I will not be worried about working with a big star or for a part that might not do justice to the expectations of every fan. But at least I'll inform every fan that this is what the movie is. This is what you can expect," he added.