From Flunking To Filmmaking |

Stumble with Roshan Abbas is where culture and creativity collide.
Roshan Abbas brings on board the most creative voices shaping the cultural zeitgeist in India. He sparks a freewheeling conversation about fascinating and unexpected insights, stories, and ideas in the unique way he’s been doing for 30+ years.

Welcome to the very first episode with our first guest Imtiaz Ali, a film director, producer, and screenwriter.

Did you know that Roshan Abbas and Imtiaz Ali knew each other in college!?

In this conversation, he talks about never-heard-before stories from College, his experiences in Delhi, the making of Highway, his post-Tamasha films, and the beautiful places, stories (and food) he has stumbled upon in his journey.

Credits:
Video Recording & Editing: Ocean Motion Pictures
Studio Space: ASR Studio
Artist Management: Mitali Rathod

Book mentioned in the episode:
Stolen Focus by Johann Hari

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Chapters:

00:00 - Opening
00:51 - Introducing Imtiaz Ali
01:32 - What is Stumble?
01:53 - Imtiaz on Roshan’s Constant Support
02:15 - Reminiscing about College Days
02:55 - Escaping Engineering to do Theatre, Media or Arts
04:07 - "Yeh is batch ka Roshan Abbas hain."
04:40 - First time Imtiaz met Roshan in Hindu College
06:12 - Imtiaz about Ibtida and its initial plays
07:15 - Miranda House Booing Controversy
09:03 - First Creative Experience In Life
10:25 - How films moved and inspired him
11:28 - First play he directed in Jamshedpur and his dad's reaction to it
13:54 - His Mother as his support system
14:55 - Writing Poetry in English - the first creative thing he ever did
15:37 - His English Teacher's support
15:54 - Indirect support from some people
16:42 - When he was the Class Monitor in school
17:27 - Struggles during the early days
18:25 - Unafraid of Failure
19:23 - Imtiaz talks about his First Salary
20:10 - About his Writing journey
21:40 - The current generation- the possibilities and difficulties
24:58 - Why he came to Bombay - The Real Reason
26:40 - How studying Advertising and Marketing helped him
27:47 - Difference between Delhi and Bombay
30:57 - Jamshedpur kid at Heart
33:08 - Hygiene in street food
34:45 - Imtiaz on his 'Socha na tha' journey
36:01 - Meeting Sunny Deol for the First time
39:40 - How Socha na tha became a learning experience
41:40 - The Team he has formed and worked with
44:50 - His struggles while directing TV Shows
45:58 - The job of a director
46:39 - The making of Rockstar
47:49 - First meeting with A R Rahman
52:14 - The influence of Hindu College on Rockstar
53:47 - the Attachment of Passion in making the Film
55:39 - Imtiaz's beliefs on Self Exploration
56:55 - Imtiaz on wanting to do new things; things he hadn't done before.
58:25 - Tamasha made people take him seriously
59:48 - The reason for making Harry Met Sejal
01:00:27 - Why 'Love Aaj Kal 2' was made
01:02:03 - Some subjects are risky
01:02:25 - What it takes to make a film
01:06:02 - What makes you the best director
01:06:58 - The making of 'Highway'
01:11:26 - Imtiaz on the efforts an actor needs to put in their performance
01:12:36 - To be able to Surrender is the biggest art
01:16:40 - Imtiaz on 'Black Friday'
01:17:53 - People were ready to pay Imtiaz money to cut his hair!
01:19:30 - Imtiaz about his Love for Travelling
01:22:48 - Things he has Stumbled across
01:26:46 - The Delhi Attitude
01:28:33 - What is he currently Reading
01:29:18 - How he draws inspiration from Rumi
01:30:27 - A Travel Story from the Himalayas
01:35:22 - Big Screen vs Small Screen
01:37:26 - About 'Chamkila' and how it was a Rejuvenating experience
01:40:00 - What Directing means to him
01:40:20 - His return to Theatre
01:42:45 - His favourite Ganjifa cards
01:44:33 - Why he's going to be at Stumble
01:45:06 - Stumbler's Joys