Music maestro AR Rahman on Thursday found himself in a controversy surrounded by Imtiaz Ali directed Main Vaapas Aaunga. The controversy erupted after a viral social media post sarcastically labelled period drama as anti-national for showing Pakistan without the usual mix of spies, secret agents and terrorism plots. The movie was released in theatres on June 12.
Rahman appeared to enjoy the joke. Sharing the post on his Instagram story, the composer simply reacted with a laughing emoji, letting the internet do the rest. The viral post poked fun at audience expectations, imagining a viewer who walked into the film expecting an Indian spy thriller only to discover an emotional Partition-era drama focused on ordinary people and human relationships.
The satirical post suggested that some viewers were surprised to see Pakistan portrayed without the familiar tropes often seen in cross-border dramas. Instead of espionage and revenge missions, Main Vaapas Aaunga centres on personal stories shaped by the 1947 Partition, offering an emotional narrative that focuses on people rather than politics. The tongue-in-cheek commentary quickly gained traction online, eventually catching Rahman’s attention.
Directed by Imtiaz Ali, Main Vaapas Aaunga stars Diljit Dosanjh, Sharvari and Vedang Raina, with veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah also playing a key role.
The film marks another collaboration between Imtiyaz Ali, AR Rahman and lyricist Irshad Kamil, the creative trio behind acclaimed soundtracks in films such as Rockstar, Highway, Tamasha and Amar Singh Chamkila.
While the film opened modestly at the box office with Rs 1.15 crore on its first day, positive word-of-mouth has helped sustain its run. It collected Rs 1.25 crore on Monday and continues its steady march towards the Rs 10 crore mark. According to reports, the movie has earned a total of Rs 11.98 crore as Indian gross while the net collections stands at Rs 10.05 crore.