Imtiaz Ali shares he wrote Highway dialogues on the fly: Alia Bhatt would ask 'sir bolna kya hai?'

Imtiaz Ali revealed that he originally wanted to cast Sunny Deol in his 2014 film Highway, envisioning a mainstream storyline on a grand scale. However, Imtiaz decided to test himself by making a film with only a camera and a compelling story, which eventually led to the creation of Highway in its current form. Imtiaz elaborated on this decision and shared insights into the film's production during a recent conversation with Roshan Abbas on his YouTube channel. Imtiaz revealed that he wrote the film's dialogues after meeting Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda on set.

Imtiaz Ali shares intriguing details about Highway

Imtiaz Ali went on to say that he wouldn't have had dialogues written before reaching on set. Instead, they would arrive at the location, then he would write and film the scene. Imtiaz also revealed that he used to take Alia Bhatt to a hill without having her dialogue. He admitted that getting to these picturesque locations was difficult due to the inaccessibility of heavy filming equipment. So they brought just a camera on a stick and actors to these locations.

He said, "We used to reach the location and then I would write the scene and we would shoot it. Sometimes, I am taking Alia to a hill with no scene written. One of the challenges was to get to the location. You can’t get to the best places in this country with heavy equipment. So, we took cameras and lugged the actors there. Randeep and Alia both would climb the mountains. Alia would ask me, ‘Sir bolna kya hai? (What are the dialogues?)’ I would tell her, ‘I don’t know. Let’s get there and by the time we are there, you will know.'"

Alia's performance in Highway

Alia Bhatt was relatively new to the industry at the time of Highway's release, having only one film under her belt. Highway was a game changer for her, receiving widespread critical acclaim. The film not only impressed critics, but it also performed well at the box office.