Imtiaz Ali admits feeling 'a lot of pain' over 'Jab Harry Met Sejal' failure

Imtiaz Ali addressed the shortcomings of Jab Harry Met Sejal, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma, acknowledging his willingness to take creative risks.

During a conversation with Ranveer Allahbadia, Imtiaz delved into the film's reception, acknowledging its status as one of Shah Rukh Khan's notable career disappointments.

The Jab We Met director said, "I was reminded, 'Even though it didn’t do well, it's still your film,' he recalled. So, I felt a lot of pain. It's like an unfortunate child. I felt a strong sense of ownership over the film."

"As if saying, I'm not ashamed of you, you're mine, just like any other film of mine. In that moment, I felt a strange melancholy, a strange pain, which I didn't feel back then," he added.

Imtiaz also shed lights on his experience of being disheartened after receiving not so good reviews from people for the film. 

He divulged, "Back then, I could sense disappointment from people's expressions. I had dengue, so I was bedridden for a month," adding that he "processed the pain over time."

The 52-year-old Indian filmmaker stressed the importance of not allowing setbacks to deter one's progress.

"You have to let it go… I consider myself fortunate for all my failures. Even though Jab Harry Met Sejal didn't work, I still felt there was something positive happening. I'm not disturbed by it. You shouldn't be too concerned with success or failure." 

Jab Harry Met Sejal was released on August 4, 2017. The film grossed INR 153.43 crore worldwide.