I confessed that my favourite chapter of Richard Linklater's Before trilogy wasn't the dreamy beginning or the romantic reunion. It was the third film, where the couple are married and fighting.Because let's face it: the real work begins after the happy ending.Ali immediately understood what I meant."There is something very, very romantic in quarrelling," he said. "The kind of quarrelling that is possible after many years of staying married and after having taken each other for granted, after having understood the needs and desires of each other. That's very interesting."The filmmaker admitted he finds those long-term dynamics fascinating and sees elements of them even in his own parents' relationship.But don't expect an Imtiaz Ali marriage drama anytime soon."I don't think I still have a story or I'm there yet," he said.The conversation was becoming increasingly introspective, so naturally I decided to derail it.For years, I have noticed something about Imtiaz Ali films. Even when they end happily, they often leave behind a trace of sadness. The lovers may walk into the sunset together, but there is usually a wound somewhere beneath the surface.So I finally asked the question.Who broke him so badly?Raina immediately began laughing and accused me of slipping yet another double meaning into the interview.Ali, meanwhile, responded with the patience of a man who has probably spent years being psychoanalysed by journalists."It's not what others do to you that hurts," he said. "It's what you do to yourself that hurts. Or what you do to others that hurts you."I translated."So basically, you're the problem in the relationship?"Ali laughed."Yeah," he replied. "It's always the person. It's always you."There was something refreshingly honest about that answer.Perhaps that's why his films resonate. They rarely paint heartbreak as the fault of one villain. Instead, they acknowledge that people are messy, confused and often responsible for their own suffering. Manjusha Radhakrishnan has been slaying entertainment news and celebrity interviews in Dubai for 18 years—and she’s just getting started. As Entertainment Editor, she covers Bollywood movie reviews, Hollywood scoops, Pakistani dramas, and world cinema.