I wanted 'Highway' to be my first film: Imtiaz Ali

Over the years, Imtiaz Ali got busy directing romances like 'Socha Na Tha', 'Jab We Met' and Rockstar' but finally he is happy to revisit his dream story in his upcoming film 'Highway'.
The director, who has redefined romance in Bollywood by giving lovable, relatable characters to audiences, says he is intrigued by the story and by the fact that it has refused to leave him all these years.
"I intended this to be my first film. I thought of it first while I was directing TV serials. Over the years, I wrote the script, forgot about it and continued to visit it time and again but I would always end up doing other movies," Ali told PTI in an interview.

"After I finished 'Rockstar', I realised that I will keep not making 'Highway' forever unless I jumped into it right now," says Ali, who has completed 70 per cent of the film.
Starring Randeep Hooda and Alia Bhatt, 'Highway' is co-produced by Ali and Sajid Nadiadwala under a new banner, White Window. It is slated to release on December 13 this year.
The director believes it is his most honest work till date.
"I have thought of making this story in so many ways that finally what has come is the very essence. All the hard substances are gone from it. Also, I wanted to do it in a very pure manner and not contaminate it because sometimes your own incapacity as a storyteller comes in the way and you think of shortcuts.

"I am also trying to discover what it is that this story has always been in my mind. What is so intensely fascinating about it that I have not let it go," says Ali.