Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali Recounts Shocking Kidnapping Incident During College Days in Delhi

Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali recently shared a shocking incident from his college days, revealing that he was once abducted from his Delhi hostel by a local gang in the middle of the night. What began as a dispute over a political poster soon escalated into a frightening ordeal, though an unexpected twist eventually helped him escape unharmed.

Imtiaz graduated from Hindu College in 1993. During a conversation on Unfiltered with Samdish, he revisited the episode from his college days and shared how a seemingly minor disagreement on campus escalated into a late-night confrontation. He recalled being abducted from his hostel in Delhi by a local gang.

He said, "At that time, there was the usual NSUI versus ABVP rivalry in universities. Someone had put up a poster on the wall of my hostel. I told them not to put it on the front face of the hostel and instead use the side walls. They deliberately pasted it on the front wall. In front of them, I removed it and put it up on the side. They left. A few days later, around 2 am, one of my hostel mates came and told me to run because those people were coming. They arrived and said, ‘Come with us.’ I asked where, but they had come in a cycle rickshaw to take me away."

He revealed that the group forced him into a cycle rickshaw and took him to a government-quarters-type place. According to Imtiaz, a gang leader associated with a political organisation questioned him about the incident. The filmmaker explained that he had not torn the poster. Instead, he had merely removed it from the front wall of the hostel and placed it elsewhere because he felt it spoiled the appearance of the building.

Recalling how he finally escaped, Imtiaz said, "The gang leader then asked one of his men whether I had torn the poster. He replied, ‘It’s the same thing. Whether he removed it or tore it, it’s the same.’ The gang leader got angry and said, ‘You told me he had torn the poster, and now you’re saying he only removed it?' They got into an argument, and the gang leader slapped his own man twice for lying to him. That’s how I got away."

Imtiaz is awaiting the release of his upcoming film, Main Vaapas Aaunga. The film stars Diljit Dosanjh, Vedang Raina, Sharvari and Naseeruddin Shah in lead roles. It explores a poignant love story set against the backdrop of Partition, alternating between past and present timelines while delving into themes of love, longing and intergenerational connections. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on June 12.

Riya Sharma is a content producer at Hindustan Times who lives and breathes entertainment. If there’s gossip making noise in Bollywood or a reality show moment breaking the internet, chances are she’s already writing about it. She loves digging out the juiciest stories, spotting viral pegs and turning it into easy-to-read content. A journalism graduate from IP University, Riya began her career as a social media executive, where she learned the art of grabbing attention in a scroll-heavy world. But her love for showbiz soon pulled her into entertainment journalism, because for her, it’s always been entertainment, entertainment and more entertainment. An artist at heart, Riya has a deep passion for acting, music and dance, which shapes how she watches and writes about films and reality shows. She loves sharing her views and reviews, especially when something excites, surprises or completely disappoints her. A hardcore reality show fan, Riya enjoys tracking every twist, task and meltdown, and breaking them down for readers who can’t get enough of high-voltage drama. Movies are equally close to her heart, whether it’s a big theatrical release or a binge-worthy OTT series, she’s always watching, and analysing what’s worth the time. She loves talking to celebrities, asking questions that go beyond the usual. When she’s not working, she’s either glued to a new web series, hunting for underrated thrillers on OTT platforms, or rewatching iconic Bollywood moments.Read More