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Imtiaz Ali

Imtiaz Ali

Writer, director and producer, also editor · Born June 16, 1971 (55) · Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India

Imtiaz Ali is an Indian film director and writer. He started his career with writing and directing television shows. He directed shows like Imtehaan, Naina and Kurukshetra. In 2005 he made his directorial debut with Socha Na Tha, that did not do well. Then he earned critical and commercial success for his direction of Jab We Met (2007). Love Aaj Kal (2009) and Rockstar (2011) made him known amongst youngsters.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
June 16, 1971 (55)
From
Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India
Works as
Writer, director and producer, also editor
Titles
13 on MovieCove · 37 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 12% in 30 days

What are Imtiaz Ali's films like?

Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 94th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
43%
Self
35%
Society
12%
Survival
4%
Ideas
4%
Power
2%
Romantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 6 · Serious 1 · Dark 4

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 8 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 4 · Charged 5 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 2

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 6 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 4

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 7 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Romantic
8
Melancholic
8
Hopeful
6
Tense
4
Joyful
4
Other
7

How their films linger

Bittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet3
  • Tragic2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Imtiaz Ali's films?

As of October 24, 2026, all 13 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Imtiaz Ali's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

37 credits, 13 with a MovieCove page; 4 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Side Heroes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2027)

    Producer

  • Main Vaapas Aaunga(2026)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Metro in Dino(2025)

    as Cameo

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • My Melbourne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Creative Director

  • Bobby Beauty Parlour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Presenter

  • Amar Singh Chamkila(2024)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Thai Massage(2022)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Dr. Arora (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 8 episodes · Creator · Story · Writer

  • She(2020)

    Show Creator · Writer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all shows

  • Love Aaj Kal(2020)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · Script Supervisor · Story

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Laila Majnu(2018)

    Choreographer · Producer · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Other Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Director · Writer

  • Jab Harry Met Sejal(2017)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Bruno & Juliet: A True Love Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Presenter

  • Roots (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Actor

  • #IndiaTomorrow: MyDream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · Writer

  • Tamasha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · Story

  • INT. CAFÉ – NIGHT (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Thanks

  • Window Seat in Rajdhani Express (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director · as Self

  • Highway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

  • Window Seat in Kashmir (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director · Writer

  • Cocktail(2012)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Rockstar(2011)

    Director · Story

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Teen Maar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Original Story

  • Kanden Kadhalai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Original Story

  • Love Aaj Kal(2009)

    Director · Story

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Jab We Met(2007)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Ahista Ahista (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Screenplay · Story

  • Socha Na Tha(2005)

    Director · Editor · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Black Friday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Yakub Memon

  • Witness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director · Writer

  • Star Bestsellers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Writer

  • Gubbare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Heer Ranjha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Screenplay

  • Imtiaz Ali's Next (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • O Saathi Re (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Creator · Writer

  • The Idiot of Istanbul (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Screenplay

Career shape

A full career of 37 titles, 32 of them dated from 1999 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Love Aaj Kal (2009)

$21M worldwide

Highest rated

Main Vaapas Aaunga (2026)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Rockstar (2011)

Film career

  • 2004Screen debut· Black Friday

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting3 of 37: 3 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting19 of 37: 3 only directing, 16 with another role · typical Midcredits score89thWriting24 of 37: 5 only writing, 19 with another role · typical Midcredits score89thProducing7 of 37: 2 only producing, 5 with another roleEditing1 of 37: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew9 of 37: 5 only other crew, 4 with another role

37 titles, 19 with more than one role — writing and directing overlap on 16 of them.

By decade

1990s2 · crew2000s7 · 1 acting · 6 crew2010s14 · 1 acting · 13 crew2020s9 · 1 acting · 8 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Imtiaz Ali's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 81st percentile, the median of all 12; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 74th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

90thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

78thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 13 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 13 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Divisive2
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · director, writer

Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017)

96th percentile spread · 34% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, writer

Main Vaapas Aaunga (2026)

Midcredits 98th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 60/100 and the plot and story 50/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Imtiaz Ali's work okay for kids?

Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles14–58 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity9 titles10–55 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles8–63 · median 25 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles1–57 · median 35 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles13–60 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Imtiaz Ali work with?

People who share at least 2 of Imtiaz Ali's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Aarti Bajaj shares the most, 7.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers