"Rani Mukerji ne tareef kari...": Imtiaz Ali on receiving abundant love, support for his latest film 'Main Wapas Aaunga'
New Delhi, June 20
Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali's partition-era drama 'Main Wapas Aaunga', starring Naseeruddin Shah, Diljit Dosanjh, Vedang Raina and Sharvari, has witnessed a phenomenal jump at the box office, driven by strong word of mouth, and he could not be happier to see audiences showing up wholeheartedly at theatres for his labour of love.
Speaking to ANI, Imtiaz expressed gratitude to the audience for the overwhelming love received for his latest release. He also acknowledged that the film's box office performance has improved significantly due to strong positive word of mouth. "Pehle jis din Friday ko film release hui thi, aur aaj ek hafte baad phir Friday hai, toh collection pehle Friday se shayad double hai. To yeh sab janta ki wajah se hi hua hai, word of mouth ki wajah se hi hua hai. Overwhelming feeling hai, bahut khushi ki baat hai, thoda hairaan bhi hoon, bahut khushi ho rahi hai aur main janta ka bahut aabhar vyakt karta hoon (On the day the film was released last Friday, and now a week later on Friday again, the collections are almost double compared to the opening Friday. This has all happened because of the audience, due to strong word of mouth. It is an overwhelming feeling, a matter of great joy, and I am also a bit surprised. I am very happy, and I express my heartfelt gratitude to the audience)," Imtiaz said.
He also shared that he has received numerous messages from members of the film industry, including actors Rani Mukerji and Ayushmann Khurrana, appreciating 'Main Wapas Aaunga'.
"When the film was released, many directors and actors messaged me, called me, spoke to me, encouraged me, congratulated me, and reassured me that I shouldn't worry, I should stay calm, be happy, and not get stressed. Many people, among whom the first name that comes up is Shekhar Kapur. He said that everyone who has watched the film has not pointed out a single flaw; they have only spoken about its positives. Subhash Ghai also motivated me a lot," Imtiaz shared.
"Ayushmann Khurrana ne itne pyaar se hamari picture ka gaana gaaya aur social media par upload kiya, main bahut touch ho gaya. Halaanki yeh unki film nahi hai, lekin yahi hota hai jab kisi ke andar sachchi sajjanata aur pyaar hota hai. Dia Mirza, Rani Mukerji jaise kai logon ne bhi bahut tareef ki. Main un sabka naam lena nahi chahta taaki film ki publicity na lage, lekin main sabka bahut aabhari hoon (Dia Mirza, Rani Mukerji and many others also praised it a lot. I don't want to take everyone's names so that it doesn't look like film publicity, but I am truly very grateful to all of them)," Imtiaz added.
On Friday, Imtiaz made a surprise visit to theatres in Delhi, delighting audiences. He visited several cinemas unannounced, where he interacted with fans and took their feedback on the film.
Produced by Birla Studios and Applause Entertainment, along with Mohit Choudhary and Shibasish Sarkar of Window Seat Films, the film hit the theatres on June 12.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is such a heartwarming story! Imtiaz Ali ki humility to see. He could have easily taken credit but he's thanking the audience and even hesitant to name celebrities so it doesn't look like publicity. Yeh genuine artist ka tareeka hai. Also Ayushmann singing the film's song out of pure love? Chills! 😭
Good for Imtiaz, but honestly I'm a bit skeptical about the "double collections" claim. Bollywood box office numbers can be very opaque. If the film truly is good, time will tell. But partition-era dramas have been done to death, so I hope this one brings something fresh to the table. 🤔
The way he surprised audiences in Delhi theatres - that takes guts and genuine love for cinema! Imtiaz Ali is that rare director who connects with people emotionally. And Shekhar Kapur saying no one pointed a single flaw? That's the kind of validation every filmmaker dreams of. Diljit and Naseeruddin Shah together must be magical! ❤️
I appreciate Imtiaz Ali's work but let's be real - "Main Wapas Aaunga" has a very niche appeal. It's not going to compete with big-budget blockbusters. The fact that it's doing well on word of mouth is commendable, but Bollywood media tends to over-hype moderate successes. Still, happy for a genuine filmmaker getting some love. 🙏
As someone who's followed Indian cinema from abroad, this is refreshing. Imtiaz
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