New Delhi, July 10 -- At a time when aggressive promotion has become the order of the day, director Imtiaz Ali's 'Main Vaapas Aaunga' has chosen to place its faith in the audience. After a slow start following its June 12 release, the film, which is about hope in an age of despair, has been steadily improving its box-office numbers.
The 'Jab We Met' director, known for making some of Hindi cinema's finest love stories, is now travelling across the country to connect with audiences. On Thursday, he made a stop in Kolkata, a city he calls his 'favourite' in the country. He has friends and relatives here, knows the best places to eat (and often visits the city just for that) and cherishes the memories preserved in its old buildings.
Imtiaz's films are often emotional journeys with narratives that explore heartache and the search for meaning. 'Main Vaapas Aaunga' brings together all those elements against the backdrop of Partition, one of history's greatest tragedies. On a rain-soaked morning over coffee in Kolkata, Imtiaz speaks to 'Millennium Post' about why he felt an urgency to tell a story about Partition, his idea of love in modern times and more.
Many filmmakers today are making darker, grittier films. You were dealing with one of history's greatest tragedies, Partition, in 'Main Vaapas Aaunga'. Most Partition films focus on violence and hatred. You deliberately chose tenderness, longing and hope instead. Was it important for you to reclaim Partition through human memories rather than political narratives?
Yes. I feel that all the stories that come to my mind are personal. All the stories that I have heard about Partition are personal. I have met countless people who witnessed Partition and have told me the stories they saw with their own eyes. All those stories are personal. After meeting them, I got this idea that there is a side of the story of Partition that is missing. It's the human side of love and I thought that this was priceless and should be told. I also wanted to tell the story quickly before this last generation passes away.
So, you felt a sense of urgency to tell this story before those memories were lost forever?
Yes. This generation that witnessed Partition is disappearing. We must acknowledge what they saw, heard and the pain they endured. And then, we can learn from the lesson of love they have tried to teach us.
So, was it during the shooting of 'Amar Singh Chamkila' that you heard these stories of Partition in Punjab?
Well, living in India, one can hardly avoid hearing stories of Partition. I am from Jamshedpur. I have also heard stories about Partition. When I was in Delhi, I visited Punjab for many of my films and almost everyone I met had some history or story to tell about Partition.
Punjab has almost become a recurring character in your cinema, from 'Rockstar' to 'Love Aaj Kal', 'Amar Singh Chamkila' and now 'Main Vaapas Aaunga'. What keeps drawing you back to its people and emotional landscape?
I am not so sure about this, but I feel a certain sense of belonging there. I feel a certain excitement when I am there. I feel I can see stories in Punjab and relate to them. I feel like amplifying those stories and when I return to shoot in Punjab, I discover more things. Then I want to make more films there. So, it's like a cycle.
Migration is perhaps the defining story of the 21st century, from refugees to climate displacement to economic migration. Was 'Main Vaapas Aaunga' your way of connecting the trauma of 1947 with what the world is witnessing today?
(Cuts in) Absolutely, 100 per cent. I was focusing more on man-made trauma and Partition in 'Main Vaapas Aaunga'. I wanted to liken it to all the tragic incidents that are happening across the world today. It's like if you forget history, you are condemned to repeat it.
This is also a story of immortal love in a commitment-phobic world. Do you think younger audiences, living in the age of dating apps and instant connections, are still drawn to old-fashioned love stories? Has your idea of love evolved over time?
The young people are connecting more to the film because they miss the solidity of the love of the older generation. It's exactly what happens in the film between Diljit Dosanjh's and Naseeruddin Shah's characters as grandson and grandfather. Diljit misses the kind of love that Naseer has in his life. He wishes he had the kind of love that Naseer carries in his heart. That is exactly what the younger generation feels when they are watching the film.
This is your first collaboration with Naseeruddin Shah. Was it easy directing the legend?
Yes, it was easy. Actually, he is just Naseeruddin Shah, but he behaves like a young actor. He is extremely enthusiastic and quite demanding. He is fully involved at the set and expects that same involvement from everybody. That is obvious. I think there was very good synergy between Naseer, the unit and me. He remains our favourite actor in this film. The unit also loves him more than they love the other actors.
Of Loneliness, Love & More
You have often spoken about love, but your films are equally about loneliness. Do you think loneliness is the defining emotional condition of contemporary life?
Well, in 'Main Vaapas Aaunga', what I have learnt about loneliness is that you can deal with it by having love in your heart. There is a poem that goes, 'Tum mere paas hote ho goya/ Jab koi doosra nahi hota'. This is what it is. What is in your heart becomes your constant companion.
In your films, be it 'Tamasha', 'Jab We Met' or 'Love Aaj Kal', your characters often find clarity only after they leave familiar surroundings. Do you believe travel is essential not just for personal growth but also for you as a filmmaker?
Travel is unmistakably one of the most important factors in my life and I believe it is in many people's lives too.
It's been 15 years since you shot 'Love Aaj Kal' with Saif Ali Khan in Kolkata. Do you have plans to come back to Kolkata to shoot? The colour palette of the city has changed a lot.
(Cuts in) I will come back to Kolkata to shoot not for what has changed but for what has remained unchanged. It's the memories, the nostalgia and the beauty of the buildings in Kolkata that attract me to this City of Joy. Kolkata is the most artistic and most beautiful city in the country. It's definitely my favourite city in the country. So, I hope I keep coming back again and again.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.