There have been countless stories about Partition, but rarely has the tragedy been seen through the eyes of lovers. That is precisely what Imtiaz Ali achieves in Main Vaapas Aaunga. Beyond the hatred, beyond the conflict, the film tells the story of people who longed only for love, peace and a place to call home.
Plot
Main Vaapas Aaunga follows Keenu, a college-going student from a Sikh family, who falls in love with a Muslim girl, Jiya. While the two were enjoying their growing closeness and budding romance, India was going through a tough time. As they were planning to get married, the Partition of India and Pakistan was announced. The movie follows multiple timelines and shows how Keenu, even after 78 years, longs to meet his Jiya, and on his deathbed he wishes to say a final goodbye to her. Will Nirvair (Diljit Dosanjh) be able to help his grandfather fulfil his last wish? Sharvari plays Jiya, Vedang Raina plays young Keenu, while Naseeruddin Shah stars as the older Keenu in the Imtiaz Ali’s directorial.
Review
The movie starts with Naseeruddin Shah’s Keenu struggling with dementia, trying to reason between reality and his thoughts. While Main Vaapas Aunga lives in two timelines, you will have to sit through the first half to be rewarded by the second. The first half of the movie, which mainly focuses on setting the tone and introducing and establishing its characters, felt a little overstretched. While the audience tries to connect with the characters, their story and their pain, it is only the second half that shifts something from within.
A man on a quest, longing and trying his best to fix everything — the typical Imtiaz Ali hero. But the difference? This time the story is not relatable; it is the reality that many must have faced during the hardest historical decision of the India-Pakistan divide. What begins as a grandfather’s stubbornness to revisit his old city soon turns into a grandson’s mission to uncover.
