It was reported in September that Imtiaz Ali's girlfriend Iman Ali has returned to Pakistan. This had given rise to hushed whispers that the couple is no longer together. Well, it's official now. A close friend of the filmmaker admitted that the duo has indeed split says the Mirror.

But the Jab We Met director is not nursing a broken heart after losing his steady date who was last seen in Shoaib Mansoor's 2011 film, 'Bol'. She then migrated to Mumbai in search of a Bollywood career but couldn't make much headway. The twist in the tale is that now Imtiaz is getting close to his estranged wife Preety Ali.

When contacted, Preety did not deny that things are getting better between her husband and her. "Imtiaz was always very close to me," she admitted.

Better still, the two have started working together on a film which will be co-produced by Ekta Kapoor and Preety. The film, tentatively titled Laila Majnu, will go on the floors shortly. Speaking about the project, Preety revealed that it is a love story. "But it is not a remake of the 1976 Rishi Kapoor-Ranjeeta starrer Laila Majnu," she asserted.Interestingly, Imtiaz is helping Preety with the script. In fact, he is writing most of it. And Imtiaz and Preety are on the same page. Confirming this, Preety said, "Imtiaz is very involved with my film. He is the creative director."

The film has another Ali connection. Imtiaz's younger brother Sajid Ali will be directing it. He has replaced Ravi Jadhav, who directed the National Award winning Natarang and Balgandharva. Jadhav, a big name in Marathi cinema, has also helmed hits like Balak Palak and Timepass.

"Ravi behaved unprofessionally so Sajid Ali was asked to take over," added the source. With her husband and brotherin-law for company, Preety is in a happy space today.