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Imtiaz Ali (Director) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth16 June 1971

Age52 Years

BirthplaceJamshedpur, Jharkhand, India

ProfessionFilm Director and Writer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusDivorced

SpousePreety Ali (divorced)

FamilyFather - Mansoor Ali; Brothers - Arif Ali, Sajid Ali; Daughter - Ida Ali

Imtiaz Ali (Director) Biography

Imtiaz Ali is an Indian film director and writer known for character-driven stories and notable films including Socha Na Tha, Jab We Met and Highway. Born

Early life and background

Imtiaz Ali was born on 16 June 1971 in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, and grew up between Patna and Jamshedpur. His father worked in the Irrigation Department, and Ali spent parts of his childhood staying with an aunt in a house attached to a cinema, where he developed an early fascination with films by watching screenings and spending time with the projectionist.

Ali attended St. Michael's High School in Patna and D.B.M.S. English School in Jamshedpur before moving to Delhi for higher education. At Hindu College, University of Delhi, he became active in dramatics and helped start the college theatre group Ibtida. After completing his studies in Delhi he relocated to Mumbai to pursue filmmaking, earning a diploma in filmmaking from the Xavier Institute of Communication. He also completed a course in advertising and marketing and worked as a copywriter early in his career.

Career

Imtiaz Ali began his on-screen career with a television credit in the mid-1990s and appeared as an actor in the film Black Friday (2004). He made his directorial debut with Socha Na Tha in 2005. His second film, Jab We Met (2007), brought him wider recognition and commercial success.

Ali has worked both as a writer and director, scripting films and cultivating a reputation for explorations of personal identity and relationships. In 2014 he released Highway, a film that drew critical attention; Ali noted that the script for Highway had been written roughly two decades prior to its production. Over the years he has collaborated closely with several actors and developed notable professional relationships with performers such as Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone.

Before establishing himself as a filmmaker, Ali gained experience in television and production roles. Early jobs included work with Zee TV and Crest Communications, where his responsibilities ranged from supporting programming to writing, often involving long hours and hands-on production tasks. His first major break as a scriptwriter came when he brought the script of Socha Na Tha to actor-producer Sunny Deol, who agreed to the project.

Public profile

Ali is known for personal interests that feed into his creative work. He has expressed admiration for lyricist Irshad Kamil, composer A. R. Rahman and singer Mohit Chauhan, and has cited a range of films from world cinema among his favorites. He enjoys traveling and writing, and follows sports such as basketball and cricket. In interviews he has spoken about being uncertain about aspects of his own personality, an ambivalence that he says often appears in the characters he creates for film.

Personal life and family

Imtiaz Ali is Indian by nationality and practices Islam. He was married to producer Preety Ali; they divorced in 2012. He has a daughter named Ida Ali. His family includes his father Mansoor Ali and brothers Arif Ali and Sajid Ali; Arif Ali has also worked as a film director.

Other details

Ali's physical profile as reported includes a height of approximately 178 cm (5'10") and a weight around 74 kg (163 lbs). He has black eyes and black hair. Reported personal habits include smoking and occasional alcohol use. He lists Ruskin Bond among his favored writers and Kapil Dev among favorite cricketers.

Latest updates

In April 2020, during the nationwide lockdown, Ali shared a memory on Instagram about his first car, a Maruti 800, recalling its first long drive to Goa. That post was part of his public social media reflections on personal memories during the lockdown period.
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Recent Work

Highway

A 2014 film written and directed by Imtiaz Ali that received critical attention; the script was written decades before production.

2014
Jab We Met

Ali's second film which became a commercial breakout and established his reputation as a director.

2007
Socha Na Tha

Imtiaz Ali's directorial debut released in 2005; he also wrote the script.

2005
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Career Highlights

  1. Directed debut feature Socha Na Tha (2005)
  2. Achieved breakout success with Jab We Met (2007)
  3. Directed Highway (2014), a long-gestating script that drew critical notice
  4. Worked as a writer and in television early in his career
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Imtiaz Ali (Director) born?

16 June 1971

What is Imtiaz Ali (Director) known for?

Film Director and Writer

What is Imtiaz Ali (Director)’s marital status?

Divorced

Who is Imtiaz Ali (Director) married to?

Preety Ali (divorced)