OTTPlay Awards 2025: Imtiaz Ali quotes Ranbir Kapoor’s Rockstar as he wins Best Director for Amar Singh Chamkila-OxBig News Network

Imtiaz won the Best Director award for his effective visual storytelling in Netflix’s Amar Singh Chamkila (2024). Starring Diljit Dosanjh in the titular role along with Parineeti Chopra who played his wife Amarjot Kaur, the film was a roaring critical success on the platform.

Now while the night was of course about Chamkila the film, it’s impossible for the audience to not reminisce about some of the director’s most era-defining films — and the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Rockstar (2011) definitely makes the cut for this.

Now for a little context, the award was presented to Imtiaz by OTTPlay’s Chief Business Officer Inderpreet Singh and long-time friend and legendary lyricist Irshad Kamil. Seeing as the two old friends who have also extensively collaborated professionally were on stage together, Imtiaz started his speech by referencing a very popular lyric from Rockstar, albeit with a cheeky twist: “Jo bhi main, kehna chahoon, barbaad kare, Irshad mere”. Not just this, Imtiaz also peppered his speech with a Nadaan Parinde reference from Rockstar. Incidentally, Irshad has penned the lyrics for both Rockstar and Amar Singh Chamkila.

As heartening as the moment was, last evening was about Amar Singh Chamkila and Imtiaz wasn’t about to forget that. He said, “About Chamkila, it was a very special experience for me. I felt I have closer to our country, the people and once in a while one needs an opportunity like that, to reintegrate with the masses, so called. Ultimately, the glory is always going to belong to Amar Singh Chamkila”.

Truly well-deserved, we say!