Interview: Imtiaz Ali: My Focus Remains On Telling An Honest Love Story!

Few contemporary filmmakers understand the emotional intricacies of human relationships as deeply as Imtiaz Ali. His cinema has consistently explored themes of love, longing, identity, and belonging, often blurring the line between romance and self-discovery. With Jab We Met, he delivered a landmark success that resonated with audiences and critics alike, firmly establishing himself as one of the most distinctive voices in Indian filmmaking. He continued to shape his unique cinematic identity through acclaimed films such as Love Aaj Kal, Rockstar, and Highway, each celebrated for its emotional depth and introspective storytelling.
Now, Imtiaz Ali returns with Main Vaapas Aaunga, a poignant tale set against the backdrop of Partition. In an exclusive conversation with Senior Editor Keerti Kadam, the filmmaker reflects on memory, displacement, love, and the enduring human desire to return to what has been lost.

Q: The title Main Vaapas Aaunga carries a sense of longing and melancholy. How do you interpret it?
Imtiaz Ali: I feel that every human being carries within them a desire to return to something they have lost along the way. There is always a place, a person, a moment, or a feeling that remains unfinished in our hearts. Some people are fortunate enough to revisit it, while many spend their lives longing for it.
The title reflects that universal emotion. If you think carefully about your own life, you will probably discover something you wish you could return to. That yearning makes the title deeply personal.
The film revolves around a 95-year-old man suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Though confined to his bed and losing touch with the present, one memory remains vivid. During Partition, he was forced to leave his homeland, his loved ones, and the woman he cherished. As he boarded the train that took him away, he made a silent promise to himself: “Main Vaapas Aaunga”—I will return.
Decades later, as his life draws to a close, that promise continues to live within him. While Partition provides the historical setting, the essence of the film is a love story.

Q: Partition continues to be one of the deepest emotional scars in the subcontinent’s history. What inspired you to tell a story set during that period?
Imtiaz Ali: Over the years, I have spoken to countless elderly men and women from Punjab, Bengal, and other regions who experienced Partition first-hand. Many of them are now in their late eighties and nineties. Some have forgotten much about their present lives, yet their memories of pre-Partition days remain astonishingly vivid.
What struck me most was that they rarely spoke about violence. Instead, they remembered the people they loved, the homes they grew up in, childhood belongings, neighbours, friendships, and small everyday moments. Those memories seemed untouched by time.
Cinema has often depicted Partition through its horrors—violence, displacement, and tragedy—and rightly so. But I felt there was another emotional truth that deserved attention: the enduring power of love and memory.
I remember meeting an elderly woman who, in her final days, kept reliving her journey during Partition. She repeatedly asked whether her childhood doll had been packed safely before the family fled. At that moment, she was not concerned about wealth or property. What mattered was that doll and the memories attached to it. That emotional attachment had survived an entire lifetime. Stories like hers inspired this film.

Q: In a world increasingly marked by division and conflict, what relevance does this story hold today?
Imtiaz Ali: I often think about how, during periods of social unrest, people gravitate towards art that offers hope and joy. In difficult times, tenderness becomes even more valuable.
This film emerges from that understanding. When life becomes harsh, people cling more tightly to love and human connection. The protagonist of this story experiences immense loss, yet he safeguards the memory of love throughout his life.
I believe cinema should fill emotional voids. At a time when anger and conflict dominate so many conversations, perhaps what audiences need most are stories that celebrate compassion, beauty, and emotional warmth.

Q: Is there a Partition-related film that left a lasting impression on you?
Imtiaz Ali: Tamas had an extraordinary impact on me. I found it deeply moving and remarkably balanced in its portrayal of one of history’s most painful chapters. The performances were outstanding, and the storytelling was incredibly powerful. Since it was based on the work of acclaimed writer Bhisham Sahni, it carried tremendous emotional authenticity. It remains one of the most memorable works on Partition that I have seen.

Q: Partition narratives are usually associated with tragedy. How did you ensure that love remained central to the story?
Imtiaz Ali: I never consciously tried to create a balance between pain and romance. My focus remained on telling an honest love story.
At its heart, the film is about an elderly man who continues to hold on to the memory of a woman he loved many decades ago. Partition creates the circumstances that separate them, but the emotional core is their connection.
For him, this woman represents much more than a romantic relationship. She embodies home, identity, beauty, comfort, and everything he lost when he was forced to leave. Once I understood that emotional truth, the story naturally took shape around it.

Q: You are returning to theatres with this film after some time. How has the theatrical landscape evolved over the years?
Imtiaz Ali: The experience has changed dramatically, particularly after the pandemic. Audience expectations and viewing habits are very different today.
Certain genres immediately command attention on the big screen because they rely on scale, action, or spectacle. Love stories, however, demand patience and emotional investment. Their impact unfolds gradually.
With Main Vaapas Aaunga, the challenge was to create a love story that feels immersive and compelling enough to engage contemporary theatre audiences while remaining emotionally honest. That balance was extremely important to me.

By Keerti Kadam