Imtiaz Ali’s U-Turn About Firing Crew Member To Ensure Alia Bhatt’s Safety On ‘Highway’ Sets

Mumbai: Hours after stating that he had to fire a crew member on the sets of ‘Highway’ to ensure young Ali Bhatt’s safety, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali retracted his statement.

Speaking at a panel discussion on women’s safety in Bollywood during the 55th International Film Festival Of India (IFFI) at Goa, Imtiaz cited two examples — one involving Kareena Kapoor on the sets of ‘Jab We Met’ and the other involving Alia from the sets of ‘Highway’.

However, the director took to Instagram on Saturday to issue a clarification, saying that there was no misdemeanour on the sets of ‘Highway.’

Imtiaz shared a screenshot of an article referring to his anecdote at the IFFI panel discussion, and wrote, “Making a slight clarification – there was no misdemeanour on the sets of the movie Highway and nobody was sent back from that unit. The unit of highway was exemplary :)”

This is completely contradictory to what the filmmaker had said at the IFFI event.

“There have been three times in my entire life that I’ve sent people back, from different places, from different sets. I am happy that it’s only three. I remember once it happened on the sets of Highway. We were shooting on the rural highway with Randeep (Hooda) and Alia and there were no proper vanity vans back in 2013. Alia had to change, 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,” Imtiaz had said.

Calling out Imtiaz, filmmaker-writer Vinita Nanda posted, “Why has IFFI Goa selected him to speak on behalf of women? Is it to whitewash the truth? If men like him had the courtesy to abstain from speaking o a subject they have no experience about, one will believe that change is indeed taking place”.