After the love and critical acclaim for his last film 'Chamkila', Imtiaz Ali is back with a new project titled 'Main Vaapas Aunga'. The filmmaker has once again teamed up with Diljit Dosanjh for this film, which also stars Naseeruddin Shah, Vedang Raina, and Sharvari. In a recent interview, Ali opened up about his casting process and explained why he could not envision anyone else for the roles played by Naseeruddin Shah and Diljit. He also shared how the emotions surrounding the partition of India became the core theme of the film.
The Inspiration Behind the Film
Speaking to ETimes, Imtiaz Ali revealed that the idea for 'Main Vaapas Aunga' stemmed from numerous stories he heard, particularly in Punjab, about people who carried hope and love in their hearts during the partition. He said, 'It came from the many stories I heard, mostly in Punjab about people that carried hope and love in their heart during partition time. I'd heard many beautiful stories based on the partition time and they were contemporary because people were alive that time and it was still affecting their films. The experience of partition is the livewire of the Punjabi and Bengali society. So much of our lives is about migration. Almost everyone has migrated from somewhere, especially in India. I thought, this is a relevant story which has come my way.'
Casting Choices and Directorial Approach
Talking about the actors in the film, Ali noted that each of the four leads is distinct. He said, 'All the four actors are so different with each other. Instinctively, I find a way of working differently with every actor and how I should direct them. I have worked with Diljit before and not with any of them. I had seen a film of Vedang before and not any film of Sharvari. But the films I had seen of anyone wasn't on my mind. Even though I have worked with Diljit before, that wasn't on my mind while casting or directing him. All four are so perfectly suited for their part.'
Ali elaborated on why certain actors were indispensable for their roles. He explained, 'To the extent that, the role that Naseeruddin Shah is playing is a finely calibrated role. His character has different levels of dementia, sometimes he remembers, sometimes he forgets and for an actor to go through that process in a realistic way, you needed experience and the confidence to forget it in the take and not be embarrassed that you forgot. All of that happened. A new actor or an actor who wasn't as experienced as Naseer would find it impossible to do this. We are lucky that Naseer is so experienced and I don't have an option for him in this part. I didn't have an option for Diljit because there's a whole socio background he comes with and he comes with an intent in his part which is very strong. Sharvari and Vedang in different ways. There was a certain character I was expecting him to be and that really came through in this film. Sharvari has a certain vivaciousness.'
'Main Vaapas Aunga' is scheduled to release on June 12.
