AI Session by Students of the TechPreneur Club
August 4, 2026
What message can a nationally renowned artist from the entertainment industry of Bollywood potentially have for a group of academically motivated, high-achieving students in a serious learning environment at Seth M. R. Jaipuria School, particularly in a way that transcends the popular culture discourse? It turns out that his frequent recourse to humour notwithstanding, the acclaimed filmmaker Imtiaz Ali had a series of philosophically enriching and deeply meaningful messages for his young fans on the evening of 4 August 2026.
The interaction with Imtiaz Ali covered a broad range of topics, including his creative process, community collaboration, self-discovery, and overcoming failures. The conversation with the ace filmmaker featured two formats: first, an exclusive podcast with two students from Seth M. R. Jaipuria School, followed by a larger interaction with students at the JIM auditorium, which brought together students from the wider Jaipuria community. Laced as his conversations were with wit and humour, making them effortlessly lively and vibrant, the touch of levity cannot belie some deep and profound messages he shared generously with the students. The conversation was interspersed with performative tributes, where the students recreated the iconic world of Imtiaz Ali’s cinema by performing some memorable sequences from his creations. They also gifted him with handmade memorabilia to express their gratitude and admiration.
Fareeha Khan (Grade 10) asked the filmmaker about what drives him to create some of the characters in his films such as Tamasha and Rockstar who embark on a journey of self-discovery. This prompted Imtiaz Ali to reflect upon the question and share a powerful message. He said that just as a movie could be an adventure for the viewer, or a journey of self-discovery for the character, so it is for the director, who is also equally on a journey of self-discovery in the process of crafting his character. He acknowledged that self-discovery was never intended, but rather that ‘self-discovery happens like a collateral damage in the process’ of creating the characters.
The director heartily congratulated Seth M. R. Jaipuria’s School on its recognition by T4 Education among the World’s Top 10 Best School Prizes under the ‘Community Collaboration’ category. In response to Siddhi Misra’s (Grade 9) question about the importance of community collaboration in the filmmaking process, the director responded saying: ‘Actually, film is much more about community than people can imagine’. For instance, he explained, his recent film Main Vapas Aaunga (2026) deeply involved local communities, with them sharing ideas, acting parts in the film, and researching stories about their ancestors. He underscored that community collaboration is a defining feature of filmmaking. He also said that of all the categories that Seth M. R. Jaipuria School could have been nominated in, ‘Community Collaboration’ is the best category. He explained that this is because individual success and achievement do not bring happiness or fulfilment. It is only through ‘community collaboration’ that one can produce ‘well-rounded’ individuals who contribute to the growth of society at large and make a difference to the world. He said that ‘community collaboration makes learning relevant to the world’.
The conversation then moved to the JIM auditorium, where the director continued to enchant the audience with his wisdom, humour, and experience. Shivangi Singh (Grade 12) and Arna Tiwari (Grade 12), Head Girl and Vice Head Girl respectively of Seth M. R. Jaipuria School, along with three other Jaipuria students, engaged the director in a memorable conversation. He urged the students to thank the previous generations for the sacrifices they made, which have enabled them to enjoy the freedoms they have today. He also emphasised the importance of inclusivity by highlighting the value of showing empathy to others who are marginalised or vulnerable and by treating with respect those who hold opinions different to oneself.
By referring to the social media trend of celebrating the ‘Women Written by Imtiaz Ali’, he was asked what inspires him to write about strong and independent women in his films. He said that he took his inspiration from the real women he met in his life, whom he always admired for their intelligence and individuality. When he was asked about the lessons that failure taught him, he shared his personal anecdote of failing Class 9 and how he learnt to overcome that failure by eventually becoming a better student, in particular, scoring well in subjects that he was previously not good at. He said that ‘failure will definitely teach you more than success’. He also alluded to the central message encapsulated in a poem in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring, ‘All That is Gold Does Not Glitter’, an inversion of the popular adage ‘All that glitters is not gold’,
When a student asked what story today’s generation should tell, he reflected for a moment and said that they are born at a time when communication and technology have reached their zenith, and consumerism has reached its peak. He said: ‘When I was your age, I mean, till I started working, there was no internet in this world. You can’t even imagine that such a world can exist, right?’. Therefore, he said: ‘You guys should be talking about slowness. You guys should be talking about being unplugged’. He then continued: ‘Because you have so many things, so many things… Literally, you open your refrigerator, there are a variety of things because it’s possible now. In India, when I was your age, it wasn’t possible’. ‘So’, he added, ‘you should talk about minimalism’. He recalled that the Pope had said that filmmakers should focus on ‘slowness’. He continued: ‘And this is a difficult concept to understand, but I’m sure you guys are smart because you are in a good school. Think about slowness and minimalism. That should be your story’.
When another student asked Imtiaz Ali what was the one message he could give to Jaipurians that they could take with them for life, he took a long pause and said that he was careful not to overwhelm students with advice and felt that they would sometimes be better off embarking on a journey of self-discovery. He then said: ‘I would write: Fill in the Blanks—Write your own story’. This was the message he gave to his star-struck young admirers.
