Language: Hindi

Director: Imtiaz Ali

Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Diljit Dosanjh, Vedang Raina, Sharvari, Rajat Kapoor, Anjana Sukhani

Based on the India-Pakistan partition, Main Vaapas Aaunga has an old-world charm, and every minute detail has been taken care of, including the costumes, furniture, and the breathtaking landscape of Sargodha in Pakistan. The place offers a blend of colonial history and agricultural landscapes and beautiful homes with spiral staircases. It is indeed a poignant film, and there are many who can relate to it, just the way I can because we have heard heart-wrenching stories from our grandparents on partition. How would you feel if your garden were in Pakistan and your living room were in India… it could confuse you, right? That’s exactly what Main Vaapas Aaunga is all about.

Main Vaapas Aaunga reunites the legendary trio of A.R. Rahman, Irshad Kamil, and Imtiaz, a creative synergy that has given Indian cinema some of its most unforgettable melodies. The best part of the film is the mind-blowing script, including the humorous dialogues by Naseeruddin Shah even when he is shown in deep mental and physical pain.

Imtiaz Ali is indeed a master craftsman, and through his films you will learn to fall in love again and again. He makes you believe that love need not be loud. Indeed, it is a steady, reassuring force that allows you to feel secure and visible. It doesn’t mean that you will lose your identity when you are in love. In fact, he makes you believe that you rise in love and not fall in love. The film shows that love is a journey that lingers in stolen glances, unfinished conversations, and memories that refuse to fade away. No matter which part of the world you are in, it still exists deep within you.

_Main Vaapas Aaunga_ focuses on unfinished conversations. Naseeruddin Shah has proved  yet again that he is indeed a master craftsman. He plays an elderly, dementia-stricken Sardarji’s character who is on death-bed after a fall. As the family waits for him to leave the world of pain and inhumanity, he still struggles to go back to his land where he belonged to pre-partition. His character represents the older, memory-laden version of the protagonist, with Vedang Raina playing his younger counterpart.

Naseeruddin Shah plays the role of grandfather to Diljit Dosanjh, who is called Nirvair. It is only Nirvair (Diljit Dosanjh) who understands his grandfather’s pain and longing to go back to Sargodha in Pakistan. It is he who understands that his grandfather has travelled back to his youth, and all he desires are a few answers, closure and finally peace. He has unfinished work and some conversation with someone special. It keeps talking about some deep-old wounds and a name written in Urdu on his fist. The question is who this girl is, and she is still waiting for her. This old man (Naseeruddin Shah) is 95 years old. In most probable cases she is no more in this world.

Not just Naseeruddin Shah and Diljit Dosanjh, each and every actor has given their best performance. I can’t stop praising the effortlessly charming Sharvari as an actor. She is one those new-comers who chooses her roles carefully and goes into the skin of the characters that she plays with perfection. Here too her performance is truly commendable.

Not completely flawless, the movie has some confused characterising too, and you need to keep guessing who is whose mother or father, but overall Main Vaapas Aaunga is a mesmerising watch, and the look of the movie is to die for. It is a heartfelt movie, and the best part is the way it connects to the present war situation in the world, so just watch the film till the very end. Remember that ’every war is a war against children’, and they are indeed the worst affected. In this case too, it is the love story of two young college going kids which remains unfinished.

Not just cinematically, the film shines in every possible way, but it is an urgent watch because of its connection to present-day situations. To connect with every scene, you better stay glued to the big screen!

Rating: 3 and half (out of 5)

Main Vaapas Aaunga will be realeasing in theatres across the country on June 12

WATCH the trailer of Main Vaapas Aaunga here: