'Tamasha', Imtiaz Ali's next venture, is about the journey of someone who has lost his edge in trying to conform to the society.
Central to the movie, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone, is the theme of "abrasion and loss of self" that happens in attempting to fit in.
"You meet a certain person and you are very enchanted by him. He is free flowing and your type and then you lose touch... Years later when you meet, he is absolutely somebody else," Ali told PTI here.
"Sometimes in trying to belong, you lose your edge, you become blunt and you forget who you are unless someone comes to remind you, someone who has seen you at that time. It's not that simple because it takes the undoing of entire life's experience to get in touch with yourself and your wild energy."
In the movie, Ranbir's character is someone who is enchanted by stories, has grown up hearing them and expresses himself by performing them.
"It is about not fitting in and this comes through a very personal story of these two people. What 'Tamasha' is trying to say is that don't be satisfied with the stories you hear around you, create your own myth, choose your own story."
The director, who worked with Ranbir earlier, says while 'Rockstar' was about a "daft-headed guy who happened to have talent", the actor's role in 'Tamasha' is that of a thinking person. Deepika and Ali collaborated on 'Love Aaj Kal'.
Given Ranbir and Deepika's personal history, they end up being a subject of headlines when they work together but it is not a concern for the actors or for Ali as he believes the viewers don't come to theatres for sensationalism.
"Individually, they were very suited to the role and they are very good actors. They are my friends. Ranbir as an actor is moving towards purity and it is exciting to work with him because he is so interested in his craft.
"I always thought that Deepika was a special actress. I have seen a big change in her post 'Love Aaj Kal'. Earlier, she wanted to remain hidden as she is a very shy person but now she is too involved in being the character to care about the attention.
