Bollywood filmmaker Imtiaz Ali has revealed that his latest film, 'Main Vaapas Aaunga', was inspired by his desire to link contemporary headlines of displacement and destruction with the historical trauma of Partition. The director, who turned 55 on Tuesday, said the overwhelming response from young audiences has been his greatest birthday gift.
Connecting Past and Present
In an interview with PTI, Ali explained that every time he read news about wars, bombings, and refugees, he saw parallels with the Partition of 1947. 'I kept reading that there is some destruction, there is some battle and there are more and more people getting abandoned, becoming refugees... I couldn't help but think that this is exactly what happened in Partition,' he said.
The film stars Naseeruddin Shah as a 95-year-old man reminiscing about the love he left behind across the border, with Diljit Dosanjh playing his grandson who pieces together the story. Vedang Raina and Sharvari also feature in key roles.
Audience Reaction
Ali has been visiting theatres to gauge audience reactions and has been struck by the silence and attention, particularly from younger viewers. 'I have never seen an audience watching a film so quietly. In all of my successful films also, people have this habit of fidgeting here and there. This time, they’re really paying attention, the younger people are paying attention,' he said.
The director believes the film's themes of intimacy and affection resonate with a generation that feels lost in the search for sustaining love. 'That longing, that yearning, that holding one person and being with that person, they are relating to that,' Ali added.
Powerful Ending
The film concludes with news clips of contemporary conflicts and displaced people from around the world, set to the peace anthem 'Kya Kamaal Hai', sung by Dosanjh and composed by A R Rahman. An anonymous refugee quote ties the narrative together: 'If I had a choice between death and leaving my home, I would have gladly chosen death. Unfortunately, I did not have such a choice.'
Ali credited lyricist Irshad Kamil and Diljit Dosanjh for pushing him to create the sequence. 'There was no budget for the sequence and the money was taken from the publicity budget. But I wanted to do this. And Diljit wanted to do this. We shot it quickly,' he said, noting that cinema is permanent and the visuals will serve as evidence of what happened.
Subtle Storytelling
Ali deliberately avoided over-emphasizing the emotional weight of the tragedy. 'Whenever there was something emotional in the script or during the shooting, I did not linger on it. I did not over explain it. I did not over-emphasise it. I did not create an atmosphere of great emotionality,' he explained. 'I knew this had strength. I knew I didn’t have to hold its hand because the emotion was so strong.'
In a striking scene, the old man compares rioters and Hitler to beings from Mars. Ali said this was intentional to avoid associating violence with any religion or nationality. 'They have to come from another planet to create that kind of violence,' he stated.
A Call for Humanity
Through the film, Ali hopes to inspire viewers to tap into their humanity. 'I want to say that history is not just an episode of the past. Memory is a river that flows both ways,' he said, quoting Michael Jackson: 'I’m starting with the man in the mirror. I’m asking him to change his ways.'
'The mistake we make is we feel we are powerless. We are not powerless... It can happen only because people want it. No one will come from outside. No Martian will come in a spacecraft and do it for you,' Ali concluded.
