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At a time when action-heavy, hyper-masculine films like Dhurandhar and Animal are dominating the box office, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali has offered a refreshingly honest take on where his cinema stands. Speaking at the ABP Network’s India@2047 Conclave in New Delhi, the celebrated director reflected on storytelling, audience taste, and why he continues to stay committed to emotionally driven love stories in an evolving film landscape.

'I Don't Have A Choice'

When asked how he continues to create love stories successfully in an era where films like Dhurandhar and Animal, marked by intense action and hypermasculine themes, are dominating the box office, the filmmaker responded candidly.

He said he does not consciously choose trends, but simply follows the stories that come to him. According to him, filmmaking demands long-term commitment, and he prefers to dedicate that time to narratives he genuinely believes in.

Speaking about his approach, he said, "I don't have a choice, I can only make the stories that come to me. When you make a movie as a director you have to commit to something for 2 years. It's a log committment, i better love what i'm doing"

He further added that audiences are far simpler in their expectations. He said, "Audiences simply want to watch a good, entertaining film. They don't think about the strategic calculations behind it. Someone recently told me that, in the current film landscape, this is actually the best time to make love stories".

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'What Is Love?' Imtiaz Ali’s Honest Confession

When asked to define love, Imtiaz Ali offered a surprisingly candid and self-aware response.

The filmmaker said, "I wish i knew, meri bahut saari dikkate khatam ho jati".

He went on to reflect that his filmmaking journey is still an ongoing search for understanding the emotion by saying, "I'm still looking for the defition of love through making movies".

In a lighter yet philosophical remark, Imtiaz said, "I hope I never find the meaning of love".