Filmmaker: Kunal Kohli: is back with another heartfelt review and this time it’s for: Imtiaz Ali: Directed the Partition drama, ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’ which turned out to be a surprise sleeper hit at the box office. The film has won praise from audiences and the industry for its performances and craft, and Kohli’s latest review has added to a growing chorus with the director even going so far as to call it Imtiaz Ali’s ‘best work’.
Kunal Kohli says ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’ is Imtiaz Ali’s ‘best film’
Sharing a video on Instagram, Kunal Kohli opened up about the film’s deep personal resonance for him. He said, “I recently saw ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’ and the film left a big impact on me. My bua (Aunt) and dad always talk about Partition and a lot of it is in this film. They will talk about the horrors and their effects. And of course, there are relatives who never talk about it, which is also shown in the film. The love story is innocent, pure and beautiful. This is Imtiaz’s best work. It was great that he showed love, the news back then – the news was so slow, things traveled so slowly. Meanwhile, news and information travel very fast. At that time, they had to go through this great process of Partition, find out what happened to the people, make decisions, never forgive themselves or rather people will never forgive you.Kohli went on to praise the writing and the ensemble cast, saying, “The nuances and layers that Imtiaz brings to the film with his writing. The performance of every single person – how can you identify any actor? and it’s amazing how he speaks about family differences. Not all of us are Sooraj Barjatya type families. We all have problems in our families, things that your parents won’t forgive or understand. And that is brought out beautifully by Imtiaz and all the actors in the family.”
Kunal Kohli praised the cast with: Naseeruddin Shah Rajat Kapoor, Diljit Dosanjh , Veda Raina and: Sharvari
Kohli singled out the ensemble performances, saying, “Rajat Kapoor especially carries the anger against his father and slowly changes and tries to understand him. Also Diljit – what a performer; the layers he brings to his performance. Sharvari, Vedan – beautiful. Everyone did a great job. “
Kunal Kohli’s most hit scenes:
Without revealing major spoilers, Kohli points to two specific scenes that left a lasting impression on him, one of which, he says, will stay with him as a dream. In the first scene, he shared a personal connection with the family in the present time, “One of the scenes that hit me the most – without spoilers – I heard another version of it told to me by my bua (his) and grandparents. The women on the train took poison; when people come to attack, they take the poison and kill themselves. But in this film, the way the scene of the grandmother is shown, it shakes you to the core. It gives me nightmares; it’s very strong.”In the second scene, which involves Diljit Dosanjh’s character confronting his father, Kohli said, “Another one is when Diljit keeps asking his father, ‘Tell us what happened to the girls.’ And he said, ‘What you’re going to get out of this is hatred between two religions and two communities,’ and I don’t think that’s that. And there are many more dialogues that are casually thrown but have a lot of meaning. The film is definitely worth a second and third viewing. I’ll take my daughter – she’s only 15, but I want her to see the film and understand what’s going on. It still gives me the truth even after hearing these stories from my grandparents.”Kohli ended his review with unstinting praise for the director, saying, “It’s important for everyone to watch this film, to understand the romance and the news of the time. Imtiaz, hats off – love you, what a film you’ve made. This is your best film.”
About ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’
‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’ follows the journey of a 95-year-old man who suffers a stroke while trying to travel to Pakistan. As fragments of his memory begin to return, his grandson slowly unravels the story of a life that existed before Partition, revealing long-buried relationships, grief and the lasting impact of history. Directed by Imtiaz Ali, the film marks the filmmaker’s fifth collaboration with composer AR Rahman, after their previous work together in ‘Rockstar’, ‘Highway’, ‘Tamasha’ and ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’. The film stars Diljit Dosanjh as Nirvair Singh, Naseeruddin Shah as Ishar Singh, Vedang Raina as Keenu/Ishar Singh Grewal and Sharvari as Afsana/Jiya. The supporting cast includes Anjana Sukhani, Banita Sandhu, Sanjay Suri, Rajat Kapoor and Nikhat Khan.According to Sacnilk, the film earned Rs 51.51 crore domestic net with a total worldwide collection of Rs. 77.64 million.
