Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali spoke about the safety of women on film sets during his appearance at the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. He recalled firing a crew member from the set of his film Highway due to inappropriate behavior towards Alia Bhatt, who played the lead role.
Imtiaz Ali shared, “We were shooting on the rural highway with Randeep and Alia, and there were no proper vanity vans back in 2013. Alia had to change and go for nature’s call in different, unusual places. Once, I had to send this guy back from the set when he was trying to be around her during that time.”
The filmmaker experienced similar instances on his film sets thrice in his career, but not anymore. “Times have changed drastically. Actresses are really safe on sets now,” Imtiaz assured, adding, “The film industry in Bombay is remarkable for the way it treats its women. With 200 people working in a unit, it is a very safe space for them.”
During the interaction, Imtiaz Ali also mentioned how Kareena Kapoor felt safe on the sets of Jab We Met and narrated an incident from the film’s set. “There was a shot in Jab We Met when the cameraman said that I needed a light in the shot at the last moment. Kareena was ready for the shot and on the top berth in a railway compartment. She had to mumble in her sleep in the scene, and we needed extra lights on the berth. I asked her to come down until the crew members finished putting the light on,” recalled Imtiaz Ali.
Alia Bhatt in highway ❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/Gvx79EOdYb
— भाई साहब (@Bhai_saheb) October 5, 2024
But Kareena Kapoor was unwilling to step down and told him, “Abhi kon utrega aur phir chadhega!” Though Imtiaz said that Kareena didn’t understand why he was asking her to come down, he stressed, “That’s because she felt so safe with those three men hovering over her to put the light. Nobody looked at her wrong in any way.”
Jab We Met, also starring Shahid Kapoor, released in 2007 and is a landmark film in both Kareena and Imtiaz’s careers.
See Also: Imtiaz Ali Calls Deepika Padukone The ‘Easiest’ Actor To Work With: ‘She Gets Ready Before Any Co-Actor’
