Imtiaz Ali’s College Life: How Hindu College & ‘Ibtida’ Shaped His Filmmaking Journey

There was a time when stories of love, longing, and self-discovery stayed with us long after the screen went dark. When we laughed, cried, and found pieces of ourselves in characters navigating messy emotions and life-changing journeys. Films like Jab We Met, Rockstar, Highway, and Tamasha didn’t just entertain — they lingered, whispered, and reminded us of the restless, romantic heart within us all.

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At the helm of these unforgettable tales is Imtiaz Ali, a filmmaker whose cinema has a distinct emotional rhythm: deeply human and tenderly honest. 

But long before film sets, box office numbers, and cult classics, Imtiaz Ali was discovering something even more formative: freedom.

Freedom, surprisingly, was not found in a studio but on the streets and stages of Hindu College, Delhi University, as part of its iconic theatre culture.

Before the camera, there was the campus

Imtiaz Ali graduated from Hindu College in the early 1990s, and in several interviews over the years, he has spoken fondly about his time at the college. He often describes Hindu College as the place where he first truly experienced independence and creative freedom.

Coming from a small town, the campus — alive with ideas, debates, art, and performance — opened up an entirely new world for him. It was here that curiosity was encouraged, voices were heard, and self-expression found space to grow.

Hindu College, after all, has long been known as more than just an academic institution. It is a cultural crucible — a place where students are pushed to think deeply, speak freely, and create boldly. For Imtiaz, this environment proved transformative.

At the heart of this creative awakening was ‘Ibtida’, the college’s legendary theatre society, founded by Imtiaz Ali in 1991 — a space that would go on to shape not just his artistic voice but also his enduring love for storytelling.

Where stories met the streets

Founded in 1991, Ibtida takes its name from an Arabic-origin word meaning ‘beginning’ or ‘commencement’. Today, it stands as one of the oldest and most respected theatre societies at the University of Delhi.

Known especially for its strong street theatre tradition, Ibtida has always believed in taking performance beyond enclosed auditoriums — carrying stories directly into courtyards, streets, and public spaces.

Imtiaz Ali became actively involved in Ibtida during his college years, performing in and absorbing the spirit of nukkad nataks — plays that are raw, direct, and deeply connected to social realities. These performances demanded immediacy: no elaborate sets, no second takes, just voice, body, emotion, and conviction.

It was here that storytelling stopped being abstract and became alive. Theatre, in this form, wasn’t about applause — it was about connection.

The making of a storyteller

If you look closely at Imtiaz Ali’s films today, the Ibtida influence is hard to miss. His characters speak with an unpolished honesty. His stories often unfold like journeys rather than neatly packaged plots. There’s vulnerability, spontaneity, and an insistence on emotional truth — all hallmarks of street theatre.

College theatre also taught him collaboration. Every production at Ibtida is a collective effort — writing, acting, directing, rehearsing, and problem-solving, often under tight constraints. It’s the kind of learning no classroom can replicate.

As Imtiaz has often reflected, Hindu College gave him the space to explore who he was without fear of judgment, an experience that shaped not only his craft but also his worldview.

Hindu College and DU’s starry theatre legacy

Imtiaz Ali isn’t alone. Hindu College, Delhi University, has long been a quiet incubator of creative talent in Indian cinema and the arts. Over the years, the college has produced a remarkable range of cultural voices — filmmakers, musicians, and actors who went on to shape contemporary popular culture.

Its alumni include Vishal Bhardwaj, the acclaimed filmmaker and composer; Rekha Bhardwaj, whose voice has become integral to modern Hindi film music; actors Arjun Rampal, Tisca Chopra, and Saqib Saleem; and filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, known for redefining romantic storytelling in Hindi cinema. 

Together, they reflect the deep artistic legacy nurtured within Hindu College’s classrooms and cultural societies.

Over the years, Ibtida became known for staging and adapting powerful nukkad nataks such as Halla Bol, along with original works that speak directly to the times. From questioning democracy in plays like Outvoted to taking on media trials and misinformation, the society’s productions — KAL(K)I and MAAYA, blend strong writing with multimedia storytelling, often going viral for centring survivor stories and urgent social issues.

These plays weren’t meant to entertain alone. They were meant to provoke, but to stop passers-by mid-walk, spark conversations, and ask uncomfortable questions. Loud, urgent, and unapologetic, they reflected the spirit of campus theatre at its most honest.

Why this story matters

In an age of overnight fame and viral success, Imtiaz Ali’s journey is a reminder that creative roots matter. That sometimes, the most important beginnings happen gradually, in college corridors, under open skies, with students rehearsing lines and discovering themselves.

Before he became the filmmaker who redefined modern romance, Imtiaz Ali was a student performing street plays at Hindu College, learning how stories could move people.

At its core, this is a reminder that campuses shape more than careers—they shape conviction. Great journeys don’t always begin on grand stages but often on campuses where one is encouraged and beginnings feel possible.

Sources:

‘Imtiaz Ali: Hindu College was the place where I first experienced freedom’: by Abhimanyu Mathur for The Times of India, Published on 28 August 2019.

DRAMATICS SOCIETY – HINDU COLLEGE

‘DU’s starry theatre connection’: by Namya Sinha for Hindustan Times, Published on 16 February 2012.