When ‘Jab Harry Met Sejal’ hit the screens, it was expected to be another blockbuster in Shah Rukh Khan’s glittering career. Instead, it turned out to be one of his biggest box office disappointments. Recently, the film’s director, Imtiaz Ali, has been candid about what went wrong, even going so far as to call the film “an unfortunate child” in a previous interview. Now, he’s shedding more light on the missteps that led to the film’s lackluster performance.
In a chat with Mid-day, Imtiaz opened up about his approach to filmmaking, which has always been rooted in storytelling above all else. “I’ve always approached films the same way I approached television and theatre—there’s a story, and there are actors who bring that story to life. The story comes first, and everything else fits into it, including me,” he said.
But when it came to working with Shah Rukh Khan, arguably the biggest star he’s ever collaborated with, Imtiaz admits he didn’t fully harness the actor’s superstar power. “Shah Rukh is the biggest star I’ve worked with, but he’s so accessible that you forget just how massive he really is,” Imtiaz shared. “He’s just a regular guy, sitting and talking. That down-to-earth nature made me overlook the need to leverage his stardom in the film.”
Reflecting further, Imtiaz acknowledged that he might have miscalculated. “If I had considered Shah Rukh’s star power more carefully, I would have written and directed the film differently. I wouldn’t have made it overly ‘filmy,’ but I would have added elements like flashbacks and scenes that could showcase his strengths as both an actor and a superstar. I didn’t factor that in, and it showed.”
On the other side, Shah Rukh Khan himself has taken the film’s failure in stride. In an interview with Telegraph India, he reflected on the disappointment, saying, “I let people down. I didn’t want to, but I just liked the simplicity of the story—two people crossing paths for the sake of a ring and getting caught in a situation. It was organic, a slice-of-life kind of story.”
In typical SRK fashion, he added a humorous twist to his reflection, saying, “The other day I met a director who mentioned the term ‘slice-of-life,’ and I said, ‘No, this time I need a whole pumpkin.’”
‘Jab Harry Met Sejal’ is a 2017 Bollywood romantic drama directed by Imtiaz Ali, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma in the lead roles. The film follows the journey of Harinder ‘Harry’ Singh Nehra, a tour guide in Europe, and Sejal Zaveri, a young woman searching for her lost engagement ring. What begins as a simple quest for a missing ring quickly turns into a deeper exploration of love, identity, and self-discovery.
Set against the picturesque backdrops of European cities, the film delves into the evolving relationship between Harry, a man with a troubled past and commitment issues, and Sejal, a spirited yet uncertain woman on the verge of marriage. As they travel together, searching for the ring, they begin to unravel their own emotional insecurities, ultimately finding solace and connection in each other.
Despite its star-studded cast and stunning visuals, ‘Jab Harry Met Sejal’ was met with mixed reviews and is considered one of the more polarizing films in Shah Rukh Khan’s career. Critics pointed to the film’s inconsistent tone and underdeveloped plot as some of the reasons it didn’t resonate as strongly with audiences. However, fans of the actors appreciated the chemistry between Khan and Sharma, and the film’s exploration of themes like love, loneliness, and the search for meaning in life.
The movie also features a popular soundtrack by Pritam, with songs like ‘Radha,’ ‘Hawayein,’ and ‘Safar’ becoming hits. Despite its commercial underperformance, Jab Harry Met Sejal remains a topic of discussion for its unique take on the romantic comedy genre, and for its introspective approach to the characters’ personal journeys.
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