Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali’s partition-era drama Main Vaapas 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 turning up wholeheartedly 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, it is Friday again, and the collections are almost double compared to the opening Friday. This has all happened because of the audience and strong word of mouth. It is an overwhelming feeling and a matter of great joy. I am also a bit surprised. I am very happy and 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 Vaapas Aaunga.
“When the film was released, many directors and actors messaged me, called me, spoke to me, encouraged me and congratulated me. They reassured me that I should not worry, should stay calm, be happy and not get stressed. Among them, the first name that comes to mind is Shekhar Kapur. He said that everyone who has watched the film has not pointed out a single flaw and has 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 (Ayushmann Khurrana sang our film’s song with so much affection and uploaded it on social media, and I was deeply touched. Although it is not his film, this is what happens when someone has genuine kindness and love within them. Dia Mirza, Rani Mukerji and many others also praised it a lot. I do not want to name everyone as it might seem like publicity for the film, but I am truly grateful to all of them),” Imtiaz added.
On Friday, Imtiaz made a surprise visit to cinemas in Delhi, delighting audiences. He visited several theatres unannounced, where he interacted with filmgoers 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.
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