London-based author Nayanika Mahtani was drawn to Imtiaz Ali's because of an unfinished conversation with her grandfather, she said in a recent interview.
Mahtani co-wrote the film with Ali and the film went on to become one of the year's biggest word-of-mouth successes.
The Partition-era romance, starring Naseeruddin Shah, Diljit Dosanjh, Vedang Raina and Sharvari, is set to premiere on Netflix next week after a successful theatrical run. For Mahtani, the film is far more than a historical drama - it is a deeply personal tribute to her grandparents and their untold stories.
"I really believe stories choose us, and this one chose me because of an unfinished conversation with my grandfather," Mahtani told PTI.
The roots of the story stretch back to , her award-winning 2020 novel set against the backdrop of Partition. But she says finally allowed her to complete the conversation she had been carrying within herself.
"I think that conversation wasn't over. This film became my tribute to my grandparents. We are overwhelmed by the audience's response because that's exactly what I hoped people would connect with," she said.
The collaboration itself began with a chance meeting at a literature festival in Dehradun, where Ali felt they shared a similar creative sensibility. Together, they crafted a story rooted in memory, nostalgia and human connections.
"It was never about delivering a message," Mahtani said. "I wanted to honour the stories my grandparents never got to tell. They lost everything, but they never carried hatred for the other side. They didn't have the luxury to grieve - they were refugees trying to rebuild their lives," she added.
Her maternal grandmother grew up in Sargodha, now in Pakistan, before moving to India after marriage. During Partition, her family's lives were saved by Muslim neighbours, but she was separated from them forever.
Although screenwriters often step away once a script is complete, Mahtani remained closely involved throughout production, watching her words come alive on sets across Punjab.
"When you write a novel, it's your baby. A screenplay is usually like giving that baby up for adoption. But because Imtiaz and I built this story together from the start, the vision stayed intact. Seeing those performances was overwhelming," she said.
Mahtani worked in investment banking before pursuing storytelling full-time. Her writing career has included children's books, work on , and the screenplay for Vidya Balan's .
Now based in the UK, she is working on two films and a web series.