Initial struggles and directorial debut (1994–2006) Ali began his career directing TV programs including
Kurukshetra for
Zee TV and
Imtihaan for
Doordarshan. His initial work also includes a forty-five-minute slot telefilm for series Rishtey on Zee TV; he later made the story into a feature film named
Highway. He moved on to Bollywood films. In 2005, he made his directorial debut with the romantic comedy,
Socha Na Tha, starring
Abhay Deol and
Ayesha Takia. He got to direct the film following a meeting with
Sunny Deol, who agreed to review his script and produce the film. Reflecting on this pivotal moment, Ali remarked that, "he didn’t ask me where I was from or about my experience. He holds a significant place in my life because he gave me my first film." Upon release, it received mixed-to-positive reviews from the critics, but emerged as a commercial failure at the box office. He quoted, later in an interview, that it took him three years to make the film.
Success (2007–2015) His second directorial venture, the
romantic comedy Jab We Met starring
Kareena Kapoor and
Shahid Kapoor, emerged as a major critical and commercial success. The film earned him the
Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue, in addition to his first nomination for the
Filmfare Award for Best Director. It has been consistently ranked as one of the most popular romantic films of Bollywood. His next film, the
romantic comedy-drama starring
Saif Ali Khan and
Deepika Padukone, emerged as his biggest commercial success to date. The film received widespread critical acclaim, earning Ali his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director. It has gone to achieve
cult status, and has been acclaimed for its depiction of the feeling of pure love which never changes, although the perspective of realizing one's soulmate changes over time. Ali's fourth directorial venture, the
musical romantic drama Rockstar starring
Ranbir Kapoor and
Nargis Fakhri, also emerged as a major commercial success at the box office and received widespread critical acclaim with high praise for Ali's direction, Kapoor's performance and
A. R. Rahman's music. The film earned him his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director. It has now achieved
cult status, and also has been frequently ranked in the lists of most iconic musical romances of Bollywood. Post
Rockstar, Ali penned the story and screenplay for the romantic comedy-drama
Cocktail (2012), directed by
Homi Adajania, starring Deepika Padukone, Saif Ali Khan and
Diana Penty in lead roles. The film received positive reviews from critics upon release, and emerged as a commercial success at the box office. Ali founded his film production company, Window Seat Films in 2013, whose first release was the
road drama Highway (2014). Starring
Alia Bhatt and
Randeep Hooda, the film was highly appreciated by critics upon release, and also emerged as a commercial success at the box office. The film has been widely credited as one of Bollywood's best films depicting mental disorders (in this case,
Stockholm syndrome). His next directorial venture, the
coming-of-age romantic drama
Tamasha (2015), starred Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone in lead roles. Despite major hype, the film emerged as a moderate commercial success, but received positive reviews with high praise for Kapoor's performance upon release; however, it has gone on to achieve
cult status for its subject and has also been recognised as one of Ali's best films.
Creative decline (2017–2020) His next directorial, the romantic comedy
Jab Harry Met Sejal starring
Shah Rukh Khan and
Anushka Sharma in lead roles, was released on 4 August 2017. The film released to mixed-to-negative reviews, and emerged as a commercial failure at the box office. He then wrote the screenplay for his brother Sajid Ali's romance film
Laila Majnu (2018), starring newcomers
Avinash Tiwary and
Tripti Dimri in lead roles. The film received mixed reviews upon release, and emerged as a commercial disaster at the box office. After a gap of three years, his next directorial venture was the romantic drama
Love Aaj Kal, starring
Kartik Aaryan and
Sara Ali Khan in lead roles. The film was the
spiritual successor to
Love Aaj Kal (2009), starring
Saif Ali Khan and
Deepika Padukone, also directed by Ali. The film, which released on 14 February 2020, received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, and emerged as a commercial failure at the box office.
Resurgence (2024–present) In his first film collaboration with
Netflix, Ali directed
Amar Singh Chamkila, a biopic on the assassinated
Punjabi musician Amar Singh Chamkila, starring
Diljit Dosanjh and
Parineeti Chopra in the lead roles. It was released on 12 April 2024 to positive reviews from critics and audiences, alike. Many considered it to be a huge return to form for Ali. Ali is set to continue his partnership with Netflix through the upcoming romance series
O Saathi Re, directed by his brother Arif Ali with
Arjun Rampal in the lead role. ==Filmography==