Mumbai: Director Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’ released in theatres on June 12 but registered a modest opening at the box office, trailing behind his 2020 romance drama ‘Love Aaj Kal 2’ on its first day.
According to Sacnilk, ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’, starring Diljit Dosanjh, Vedang Raina and Sharvari, collected Rs 1.15 crore net and Rs 1.38 crore gross in India on its opening day. The film was screened across 2,302 shows and recorded an 11 per cent occupancy.
The opening-day figures were significantly lower than those of ‘Love Aaj Kal 2’, featuring Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan, which earned Rs 12.40 crore net and Rs 18 crore gross in India on its first day. Despite receiving criticism from reviewers at the time, the 2020 release managed a comparatively stronger opening.
‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’ also stars Naseeruddin Shah and Sanjay Suri in key roles. The story follows a 95-year-old man who suffers a stroke while attempting to rush to Pakistan. As he drifts in and out of recollection, his grandson pieces together fragments from a pre-Partition past while the elderly man struggles to find peace in his final days.
Reviewing the film, “What remains is a visually handsome drama weighed down by its pacing, weakened by an unconvincing romance and burdened by ideas that are more questionable than profound. The longing is real. The emotion is sincere. The storytelling, unfortunately, never catches up.”
The film also reunites the creative trio of AR Rahman, Irshad Kamil and Imtiaz Ali, who have previously collaborated on projects including ‘Jab We Met’ and ‘Rockstar. ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’ released theatrically on June 12.
