I’m the first fan of my brother: Sajid Ali : The Tribune India

Join Whatsapp Channel

I’m the first fan of my brother: Sajid Ali

Laila Majnu director Sajid Ali, younger brother of filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, says he is highly influenced by the Rockstar maker who is like a father figure to him.

I’m the first fan of my brother: Sajid Ali

Sajid Ali



Laila Majnu director Sajid Ali, younger brother of filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, says he is highly influenced by the Rockstar maker who is like a father figure to him.

Sajid, who is making his debut with Laila Majnu, said, “I am the first fan of my brother. Since he is 12 years older to me, he is more like a father than a sibling. So naturally, I am highly influenced by him — but more so as an individual, than a filmmaker.” 

Recounting his childhood, he said, “Bhai is a natural storyteller. When I was a baby and he was in his boarding school, during his vacation, he used to put me to bed telling stories in a very engaging manner. He used to sing and do voice acting to tell a story. I used to close my eyes and imagine the visuals.” Sajid claims that then itself he knew that his brother is a great storyteller. 

“I was never a good storyteller like him, but he constantly inspired me to be the one I am today,” he said. Anything about Sajid that Imtiaz got inspired by?

“Yes, his hairstyle is actually influenced by mine,” Sajid said with a smile. “It was the time around my college days after the release of his debut film Socha Na Tha when he came to visit our family home. I had long hair and he said, ‘Wow! I like your hairstyle, I think I am going to grow my hair’. So by the time Jab We Met released, the world saw Imtiaz Ali with long hair. “But I doubt if he remembered because it was that small talk,” he quipped.

Imtiaz smiled and said: “That is possible if he says so, but I must say he always had good long hair.” The film Laila Majnu, releasing on September 7, is written and presented by Imtiaz and directed by Sajid. Asked if he noticed any of his influence in Sajid’s work in the film, the Tamasha director said: “I think my brother is emotionally very articulate when he explains a scene to an actor. I tend to give example when explaining a scene. But he tells the exact thing that needs to be done to get the scene right.  “Sajid is very pure with his craft,” Imtiaz added. Citing an example, he said: “It is tempting for a director to set a scene in a beautiful background just to impress the audience with the beauty of Kashmir. But no, if the scene needs to be in a kitchen, he sets in the kitchen and not in an apple orchard. —IANS

Top News

Jailed gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies of cardiac arrest

Jailed gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies of cardiac arrest

Ansari was hospitalised after he complained of abdominal pai...

Delhi High Court dismisses PIL to remove Arvind Kejriwal from CM post after arrest

Delhi High Court dismisses PIL to remove Arvind Kejriwal from CM post after arrest

The bench refuses to comment on merits of the issue, saying ...

Arvind Kejriwal to be produced before Delhi court today as 6-day ED custody ends

Excise policy case: Delhi court extends ED custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till April 1

In his submissions, Kejriwal said, ‘I am named by 4 witnesse...

‘Unwarranted, unacceptable’: India on US remarks on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest

‘Unwarranted, unacceptable’: India on US remarks on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest

MEA spokesperson says India is proud of its independent and ...

Gujarat court sentences former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt to 20 years in jail in 1996 drug case

Gujarat court sentences former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt to 20 years in jail in 1996 drug case

Bhatt, who was sacked from the force in 2015, is already beh...


Cities

View All