Imtiaz Ali has a way with writing women. His female characters are flawed, broken and in many cases, not completely healthy. And yet, that’s what makes them real. They are who they are, because of the circumstances around them. Here is a look at women written by Imtiaz Ali, that we couldn’t help but connect with.
1. Heer in ‘Rockstar’
Heer fell in love with a man she couldn’t keep, and did everything she could to make sure he succeeded in music, despite being on the brink of death. She was passionate, free-spirited and yet afraid to fight the world.
2. Geet in ‘Jab We Met’
Only his second film, Imtiaz wrote Geet the way he grew to writing his men in the later films. A layered character who changed mid-film after a major plot-twist. However, what made Geet so relatable was the way she dealt with heartbreak, and yet was actually ready to give this man a second chance.
3. Tara in ‘Tamasha’
Tara went from running away from Veer, to looking for him, and when she found him, her trajectory of knowing she loves him – to knowing he deserves better was so well portrayed.
4. Veera in ‘Highway’
Veera’s character grew, broke through her shackles and lost love, all while dealing with the repercussions of a suppressed childhood trauma. She didn’t pretend to be a happy, bubbly girl who didn’t let the world stop her. Instead, she faced those who had hurt her and left home to find herself again, putting her own well-being over everything else.
5. Meera in ‘Love Aaj Kal’
Meera had a bit of a manic pixie dream girl vibe to her, which changed in the later half of the film. She wasn’t a good person, but she didn’t pretend to be. She was driven, when it came to work and when it came to love. She left her husband a day later, and went back to a man she had broken up with – now that’s a layer character.
6. Aditi in ‘Socha Na Tha’
She is confused, young and doesn’t want to be forced into something that doesn’t make her happy, just for the sake of her family. Aditi is vulnerable and fragile in some scenes but she doesn’t let her family dictate how she lives her life. And even though she was a huge screw-up, Aditi’s innocent stupidity made her relatable.
Imtiaz Ali doesn’t always get them right, but does get them real.