Mahesh Bhatt heaps praise on Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has praised Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga following its unexpected box office recovery.

The film, which released on June 12, initially opened to a modest response but has since seen a notable resurgence driven by strong word of mouth. The turnaround has sparked renewed attention within the industry, with Bhatt calling the film an example of how audiences often respond to authenticity over early commercial predictions.

In a note published in Variety India, Bhatt said the film belongs to a category of works that do not announce themselves loudly but gradually find recognition.

“There are films that arrive with drums and trumpets, announcing themselves like conquerors,” he wrote. “And there are films that arrive quietly. Main Vaapas Aaunga belongs to the latter.”

Mahesh Bhatt said what stood out to him was not only the narrative but the emotional longing at the heart of the film.

Drawing a parallel with Imtiaz Ali’s earlier work, Bhatt referenced Highway, saying he had once felt the filmmaker was able to capture emotional truths often overlooked in mainstream storytelling.

“Beneath the surface of that film was the silent scream of violated young girls hidden within the presumed safety of homes and families,” Bhatt wrote. “The same instinct appears to animate Main Vaapas Aaunga.”

“Many had declared it dead on arrival,” he said. “That is often the fate of works that refuse to conform to prevailing fashions.”

Directed by Imtiaz Ali, Main Vaapas Aaunga stars Diljit Dosanjh, Naseeruddin Shah, Sharvari, and Vedang Raina.