- Main Vaapas Aaunga stars Naseeruddin Shah, Sharvari, Vedang Raina, and Diljit Dosanjh
- The film explores Partition through 95-year-old Ishar Grewal's memories and dementia
- Imtiaz Ali calls his film "a child of Lagaan and Gadar", released days ahead of their 25th anniversary
Imtiaz Ali's Main Vaapas Aaunga is a worthy addition to the body of Partition tales that form an integral part of both India's and Pakistan's social fabric.
It's a sheer coincidence that the film, starring Naseeruddin Shah, Sharvari, Vedang Raina, and Diljit Dosanjh, released around the 25th-anniversary celebrations of Lagaan and Gadar.
Main Vaapas Aaunga follows 95-year-old Ishar Grewal (Naseeruddin Shah), who yearns for his first love as death and dementia tangle with his memories and nightmares of the Partition that forced him and his family to flee their hometown Sargodha, which now lies across the border.
Both Lagaan and Gadar, which hit theatres on June 15, 2001, tell different stories of India's struggle against colonial rule. Lagaan is a classic David-versus-Goliath sports drama, while Gadar -- whose full title is Gadar: Ek Prem Katha -- is a love story set during the turbulence of the 1947 Partition.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Imtiaz Ali called it "an amazing coincidence" that Main Vaapas Aaunga released while Indian cinema is celebrating the silver jubilee of those two 2001 blockbusters.
"There's something magical in it. In a way, Main Vaapas Aaunga is the child of Gadar and Lagaan. This has the same period and history that those two films have... I congratulate the makers and the teams of both Gadar and Lagaan," he said.
Ali also recalled watching Gadar and Lagaan in theatres on the day they released. "I remember that when both films released we were in trouble deciding which movie to watch first. I wanted to watch both on the same day. And I did," he added.
Previously, Imtiaz Ali told NDTV why Naseeruddin Shah agreed to do the film.
"Naseeruddin Shah never needed me to prove that he is one of the best artistes of this country. In fact, he is the best actor in the country. Unka ohda pehle se hee hai, sab unko jaante hain. That he accepted the role itself is a big deal for me. He accepted the role because he liked Amar Singh Chamkila and Diljit's work in the film," he said.
Across generations -- represented by Naseeruddin Shah and Diljit Dosanjh -- the filmmaker explores themes of love, longing, and belonging. Diljit Dosanjh plays Nirvair, Ishar's grandson, who helps the family make sense of his grandfather's seemingly incoherent ramblings as he drifts between life and death.
Imtiaz Ali and his team are receiving rave reviews for Main Vaapas Aaunga. The Partition saga had a slow start at the box office but saw an upswing on its first Sunday, minting Rs 5.50 crore (net) over the opening weekend following strong word of mouth.
Dolly Ahluwalia, Rajat Kapoor, Vinod Nagpal, Manish Chaudhari, and Danish Pandor also round out the cast of Main Vaapas Aaunga.
Also Read | Main Vaapas Aaunga Review: Titan Naseeruddin Shah Delivers A Masterclass In Imtiaz Ali's Heartbreaking Film
