Imtiaz Ali: ‘A film can’t be so powerful to obliterate the grief’

Set against the backdrop of India’s Partition, Main Vaapas Aaunga is not a political statement, according to filmmaker Imtiaz Ali. Instead, it looks at the emotional weight that the historic chapter left on the people it divided. At its heart, it’s a sweeping romance, particularly for the younger audience.

“People often say this generation doesn’t have patience. But I feel this generation desires love more desperately than any other. There’s this feeling that meaningful, lasting love existed in the old times, but cannot anymore,” shared Ali.

To dispel the idea, the director has woven a timeless love story starring Naseeruddin Shah, Diljit Dosanjh, Sharvari, and Vedang Raina. The June 12 release is centred on a man remembering, on his deathbed, the love of his life whom he had to leave behind in Pakistan during the Partition.

Revisiting Partition on screen in today’s political climate inevitably comes with its own sensitivities. Asked whether art can help heal the trauma carried by those who lived through the episode, Ali reflected, “No, it’s not meant to make you forget the horrors or somebody’s personal grief. A film can never be and should not be so powerful that it obliterates that grief. However, it can present somebody else’s story, a [different] point of view.”

Ali’s love story has struck a chord with his friend and filmmaker Shoojit Sircar. Recalling Sircar’s response, Ali shared, “He said, ‘Yeh film mujhe banaani thi. I could never take my father back to Dhaka.’ In a way, it’s so many people’s stories. It’s not as though their feelings will go away after watching this film. But [they] will at least get the joy that it’s being addressed. More people will know this story, which stayed only in my closet.”