- Imtiaz Ali's Main Vaapas Aaunga explores partition trauma and love in undivided India
- The film faced "anti-national" trolls but Ali and A. R. Rahman defended its message
- Diljit Dosanjh, Sharvari, and Vedang Raina star, with Vedang as young Naseeruddin Shah
Imtiaz Ali's Main Vaapas Aaunga, which opened slowly at the box office, has enjoyed a longer theatrical run thanks to positive word of mouth and the director's multi‑city theatre visits.
The film, set against the backdrop of an undivided India, explores the pain of partition and the trauma of losing one's homeland and love. Responding to trolls who labelled the film “anti‑national,” Imtiaz Ali told The Tribune, “The film is set in undivided India, so it's not about loving or hating Pakistan. Besides, of all the people I met, none of them spoke of hatred.”
“More than anyone else, Indian Muslims have proved their patriotism by deciding to stay in India when they had a choice,” he added, directing the comment at hatemongers.
Taking a cue from the film's theme that “home is where the heart is,” Imtiaz Ali was asked about his idea of home.
“Home is a version of who you were. Like Ishar in Main Vaapas… we all yearn to return to being that person we were when we were home,” he told the publication.
Earlier, AR Rahman also responded to a troll post that called the film anti‑national.
AR Rahman, who composed the film's music, reacted to a sarcastic post that asked, “Anti‑national? Movie dares to show Pakistan without terrorists and secret agents?” Sharing the story on his Instagram, Rahman added a laughing‑out‑loud emoji.
The post's satirical caption read: “The man who was excited to watch an Indian spy exact revenge on Pakistan, and who, toward the very end of the movie, says, ‘Mein Vaapas Aaunga,' was disappointed that the movie had nothing to do with terrorists and spies. Though touched by the heartfelt drama, he was confused about how Pakistan can neither have terrorists nor spies, given that's all they seem to have in other movies. He later mentioned in an interview that this was something completely new, and he walked away with the perspective that there can be normal humans in Pakistan.”
About Main Vaapas Aaunga
Directed by Imtiaz Ali, the film features Diljit Dosanjh, Sharvari, and Vedang Raina. Vedang plays the younger version of Naseeruddin Shah's character. Based on the 1947 partition of British India, Ali blends partition trauma with a classic love story.
Main Vaapas Aaunga marks the second collaboration between Imtiaz Ali and Diljit Dosanjh after their 2024 Netflix film Amar Singh Chamkila. It also reunites the director with composer A. R. Rahman and lyricist Irshad Kamil—the trio behind acclaimed soundtracks for films such as Rockstar, Tamasha, Highway, and Amar Singh Chamkila.
