Main Vaapas Aaunga Review {3.0/5} & Review Rating
Star Cast: Diljit Dosanjh, Sharvari, Vedang Raina, Naseeruddin Shah
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Main Vaapas Aaunga Movie Review Synopsis:
MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA is the story of a man stuck in the past. Ishar Singh Grewal (Naseeruddin Shah) is a 95-year-old man who lives in Chandigarh with his family. He does not command the respect of his children, as he has been rude to them all his life. One day, he forcibly asks his driver to take him to Sargodha, located in Pakistan. As expected, BSF officials stop him from crossing over and, in the ensuing chaos, he suffers a stroke. His family members fear, or rather hope, that he will pass away so that they are free from his tantrums. However, he refuses to die. His grandson, Nirvair (Diljit Dosanjh), who is settled in the UK, flies to Chandigarh on learning about his ill health. He is among the few in the family who care deeply for Ishar. Ishar is not communicating with anyone, but he starts talking to Nirvair. Ishar is suffering from dementia and hence, his thoughts are all over the place. Yet, Nirvair listens to him patiently and realizes that Ishar is reminiscing about the pre-Partition era, when he lived with his family in Sargodha. He had fallen deeply in love with Afsana Hasan (Sharvari), and the two wished to marry. However, Partition and communal tension loom over them. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Main Vaapas Aaunga Movie Story Review:
Imtiaz Ali and Nayanika Mahtani's story is touching and different from the rest of the partition dramas. Imtiaz Ali and Nayanika Mahtani's screenplay juggles between two tracks but is not confusing and ensures that the viewers remain glued to the goings-on. However, the writing suffers in some places. Imtiaz Ali and Nayanika Mahtani's dialogues are realistic and thought-provoking. A few one-liners are funny and also bit dark, but it will be lapped up. However, the dialogues of Naseeruddin Shah are difficult to comprehend and ideally, the film should release with subtitles compulsorily.
Imtiaz Ali's direction is decent. He’s known for executing his film in a certain style and MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA is no different. Instead of taking the usual route, he builds upon the film with a unique intro scene. It instantly sets the mood. Moreover, the opening credits also make viewers curious; the focus is earlier only on Afsana, but soon, more female characters are shown, making one curious about them. Things get better once Nirvair starts speaking to Ishair about his past. The film gets better post-interval as viewers learn about Ishair’s hardships. The partition violence sequence is chilling and something never seen before in any film in this space. However, Imtiaz reserves the best for the last 20 minutes. The final sequence is quite touching and also nail-biting.
On the flipside, the first half is a bit slow. Also, Ishar and Afsana’s love story begins suddenly for the viewers; it takes a while to understand that both are already in love with each other. A few scenes are random, especially the scenes involving the Martians. The second half begins with Nirvair lecturing about a solution to burning farm stubble. It has no relevance to the story and should have been done away with. Instead, the focus should have been more on Ishar's life post-partition and his fractured relationship with his family. The makers touch upon an important issue of inter-generational trauma, but it is not properly established. Lastly, the music is not upto the mark.
Main Vaapas Aaunga Movie Review Performances:
This is among Naseeruddin Shah’s most accomplished works in his illustrious career. The actor totally gets into the skin of his character and delivers a performance that is deeply heartfelt. Audiences will be left teary-eyed thanks to his act. Diljit Dosanjh is natural as always and brings the required warmth and charm to the role. Sharvari looks stunning and, performance-wise, she is terrific. She has limited screen time, but it does not matter because of her strong performance. Vedang Raina dominates several key scenes and proves his worth. Banita Sandhu (Kaveri) lends able support. Rajat Kapoor (Iqbal Grewal) and Anjana Sukhani (Meher) perform very well. Manish Chaudhari (Muzaffar) is too good, as expected. Dolly Ahluwalia (Ishar’s grandmother) does not have much to do initially, but is very memorable in a crucial scene in the second half. Danish Pandor (Afzal) is memorable and will be well-received in his entry scene thanks to his DHURANDHAR connection. Satnam Singh (Pali) and Abhay Rana (young Pali) are fair. Kumud Mishra (BSF Chief Keshav Parmar), Rasika Agashe (Protima; Partition expert), Debasree Ghosh (Madhu Malti; nurse), Kashmira Irani (Kishwar; Lahore-based), Sahil Mehta (Adil; Lahore-based) and others deliver fine performances.
Main Vaapas Aaunga movie music and other technical aspects:
A R Rahman's music is functional, but ideally, in a film made by Imtiaz Ali, one expects a better music score. 'Maskara' is peppy, while 'Dheere Dheere', 'Tere Paas Main' and 'Dariya Hi Dariya' are okay. 'Ishq Mastana' looks out of place. 'Kya Kamaal Hai', played in the end credits, is quite touching. A R Rahman's background score is much better.
Sylvester Fonseca's cinematography is appropriate. Paramjeet Singh Pamma's action is not too gory and yet communicates the horrors of partition. Sheetal Iqbal Sharma's costumes and Suman Roy Mahapatra's production design are reminiscent of the bygone era. Aarti Bajaj's editing is a bit incoherent in some places, but overall, it works.
Main Vaapas Aaunga Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA differs from other partition films and features strong performances and an emotional climax. At the box office, however, the film is likely to appeal mainly to a niche, urban multiplex audience due to its theme, treatment and pacing. Its commercial prospects will depend heavily on strong word-of-mouth from its target audience.