Jamshedpur, Oct. 24: Before he can say Jab We Met to his friends overseas, city lad Imtiaz Ali has to wait anxiously to see the audience response to his second release.

Jab We Met, which has been in the news for sometime now, will hit theatres tomorrow. But director Imtiaz Ali is as relaxed as he can possibly be. He is looking forward to a three-week vacation with friends in the United States.

What makes this trip special for him is the fact that he has been invited by school friends who hail from Jamshedpur and are now settled in the US.

“I am looking forward to jamming with them after an interval of so many years. There are some I haven’t met even once in the past 15 years,” said an enthusiastic Imtiaz, while speaking to The Telegraph from Mumbai.

So, what does he plan to do during his break? “Well, I don’t even know what my friends have in store for me. I just hope they have lined up a string of surprises. But knowing them, I am a little apprehensive,” added Imtiaz, on a lighter note. His wife and kids would accompany him to New York and Los Angeles. Imtiaz is looking forward to meeting old pals Raghavan Bharadwaj and Naveen Ori and also some of his cousins settled there.

Jamshedpur has also been special for Imtiaz as he has very fond memories of his hometown. “Bauwa Ji in Bistupur is one joint which I used to frequent during my school days and I must admit that a lot of ideas have generated from that place itself,” pointed out Imtiaz. Significantly, two assistants who work with him are also from Jamshedpur.

While speaking about his expectations from Jab We Met, which premieres at Cinemax in Mumbai tomorrow, he assured that people would not be disappointed. He has dealt with the subject in an innovative way.

He has sent an open invitation to everyone in the film fraternity and has booked all five screens at the multiplex for the night show. Imtiaz’s parents, who stay in Jamshedpur, would join him in Mumbai on Friday.

“This film is starkly different from my debut movie Socha Na Tha. People are sure to get their money’s worth,” assured the young filmmaker, who is all set to work on a series of low-budget travel series for a television channel as part of his forthcoming venture. Having had preliminary talks with quite a few producers, the director has planned a 10-minute capsule that focuses on the people and culture of various picturesque locations across the country.

The audience might just have to wait a little longer for his next full-length feature film as he plans to even initiate talks on the project only after a month. For now, one can look forward to Jab We Met!