Imtiaz Ali Films: Ranked from Worst to Best

Perhaps one of the maestros, though he wouldn’t like being addressed as that, but he certainly is, Imtiaz Ali turns 54 today. It’s a little crazy to think that Ali is already in his mid-50s. With his trademark curls and that ever-curious gleam in his eyes, he doesn’t look a day over a soulful, brooding 35. And while the maverick already has a couple of intriguing projects in the works, we would never get enough of Ali and his films, equal parts whimsical, maddening, heartfelt, and overthought.

Today, as cinephiles everywhere remember dialogues, scenes, and that unmistakable Imtiaz Ali feeling, we take a look at his filmography and do the almost sacrilegious task of ranking his work from the not-so-great to the absolute game-changers. Maybe, apart from a couple of blanks, even Ali’s underwhelming work has sparked debate, been dissected on Reddit threads, and inevitably compared to his own loftier creations.

Once again, we go from the worst to the best. So let’s dive in and say it like it is

9. Love Aaj Kal (2020)

The internet agrees on this more than it agrees on anything else. Ali’s intention with the film might have been noble, maybe even artistically ambitious, but absolutely nothing else about this film worked. And that’s putting it kindly. We are still haunted by a rather bizarre sequence of scenes, awkward editing transitions, and performances from the leading stars that, well, shouldn’t have been. Sara Ali Khan’s histrionics became memes overnight, and Kartik Aaryan couldn’t salvage the emotional beats despite trying. A film that perhaps shouldn’t have been made at all, or at the very least, should have been left on paper as a personal journal entry, never a public release.

8. Jab Harry Met Sejal

On paper, this was a dream. Imtiaz Ali and Shah Rukh Khan, a coming together of two forces known for love, longing, and self-discovery. But this was a cinematic cautionary tale of what happens when you fail to cater to the iconography of your lead star. Ali’s vision seemed dwarfed by the sheer presence of SRK, and instead of channeling his charisma into something heartfelt, we got a film that felt as lost as Harry himself. The storyline had decent bones, but it lacked authenticity and texture. Anushka Sharma’s poorly rendered Gujarati accent didn’t help either. It felt like a totally lost opportunity, like a postcard with no message, sent to no one.

7. Socha Na Tha

It’s fascinating that while audiences revisit Imtiaz Ali’s films with newfound affection, his debut feature Socha Na Tha has somehow remained in the shadows. It wasn’t a bad film by any means, but it lacked the polish and existential poetry that became synonymous with the director’s later work. Then debutant Abhay Deol and the relatively new Ayesha Takia gave performances that were endearing but not exactly memorable. There’s a certain charm to the film’s rawness, but it never entirely evolved into nostalgia. It feels more like a sketchpad than a finished painting.

6. Tamasha

Now this one might be a bit unpopular here, but then again, isn’t Tamasha’s trajectory a curious case in itself It’s one of those films that split rooms. Over the years, it has developed a cult following and become shorthand for misunderstood souls and corporate disillusionment. But even today, it’s debated, was it truly that good What cannot be denied, however, is Ranbir Kapoor’s knockout performance. As Ved, he delivered layers of repression, chaos, and eventual catharsis. Deepika Padukone too was quietly stellar. The film is a puzzle box of ideas, some glorious, some indulgent. For many, it’s a masterpiece, for others, a mood board. Either way, it’s a good film that thinks it’s great, and maybe, that’s enough.

5. Love Aaj Kal

This might also surprise a few as to why it sits here on the list and not closer to the very top. But in essence, the original Love Aaj Kal is just a good film that was elevated to near-greatness mostly due to the on-screen electricity between Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone, and of course, that unforgettable soundtrack. The film wasn’t without its flaws, the back-and-forth narrative, though novel, occasionally fumbled. But still, it gave us moments of such aching beauty that it deserves a comfortable spot on the higher end of this ranking. It gave modern love its cinematic vocabulary at a time when Bollywood was still caught up in outdated tropes.

4. Rockstar

So much can be said, dissected, and argued about this film, both in glowing and questioning tones. Rockstar remains one of those rare instances where the actor’s performance overwhelms the actual story. Ranbir Kapoor, still in his early career years, portrayed Jordan with such visceral grit and emotional finesse that it was difficult to look away even when the narrative meandered. The film’s music, composed by the wizard A R Rahman, was eternal. Ali’s idea and vision, exploring the paradox of suffering and creativity, aged beautifully. While not perfect by any means, Rockstar was raw, poetic, and bruised. A film that lives longer in feeling than in logic.

3. Amar Singh Chamkila

This was the return to form that not just fans but perhaps Ali himself didn’t know he needed. After stumbling with JHMS and LAK 2020, Amar Singh Chamkila was not just a comeback, it was a reaffirmation. Classic Ali elements of eccentricity, emotional excavation, and cultural texture came together in perfect sync. This time, he wasn’t telling a love story from scratch but dramatizing a real one, charged with danger, art, and politics. Diljit Dosanjh was perfectly cast, embodying Chamkila’s contradictions and charisma. Parineeti Chopra too impressed. It’s a story that could have been done loudly but Ali did it with nuance, grace, and his unique brand of lyrical storytelling.

2. Highway

Risks galore with this one here. After his streak of big-budget romances, Ali went indie, at least in spirit. Highway was his experiment with minimalism and vulnerability. And then came the massive gamble, casting Alia Bhatt, a starkid who had just debuted in a bubblegum Karan Johar film, as the emotionally scarred protagonist in a Stockholm Syndrome-laced narrative. But boy, did that gamble pay off. Alia’s real debut happened here and it was revelatory. Randeep Hooda was all restrained rage and broken dreams. Ali proved his range with this one, creating a story that went beyond what we expected of him. It was intimate, aching, and quietly devastating.

1. Jab We Met

This isn’t a perfect film, not by a long shot. The second half does lag. Some scenes are too broad. But honestly none of it matters. Jab We Met is cinema as emotional comfort food, warm, flawed, nourishing. It made people feel things they didn’t even know they needed to feel. Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor created lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry, while Ali’s screenplay struck that elusive balance between whimsy and wisdom. It is his most loved film. His most replayed film. His most quoted film. It’s also, without question, his most memorable. Jab We Met may never be topped, not because it’s his most artistic work, but because it’s his most human.

Imtiaz Ali’s filmography is not a straight line. It is a winding road through deserts, railway platforms, concert stages, and emotional baggage carousels. There are missteps and magic, indulgence and insight. But more than anything, there is intent, an earnest, romantic, slightly chaotic intent to tell stories that mean something.

And as he celebrates his 54th birthday, we’re reminded that while the man may not like being called a maestro, his films, at their best, speak a language only maestros can write.

Happy birthday, Imtiaz Ali. May the next story be as maddeningly beautiful as the last.

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