‘Never Heard Of Such A Thing Before’: Imtiaz Ali On Main Vaapas Aaunga Advance Bookings In North America

Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga is all set to hit theatres on June 12, and ahead of its release, cinemas in the US and Canada have decided to start advance bookings on June 5. The film, starring Sharvari and Vedang Raina in the lead roles, will have its advance booking opened in North America almost a week before its release, which has left director Imtiaz Ali both overjoyed and surprised.

Speaking about the same, the filmmaker, in a conversation with Variety India, shared, “This is unprecedented. I’ve never heard of such a thing coming from cinema theatres in North America, in Canada and in America, to advance the advance booking! In my career, I’ve not seen or even heard about something like this.”

It’s not like Partition is an unexplored topic

in cinema, but Imtiaz still feels that Main Vaapas Aaunga is a story that needed to come out. Speaking on the same, he said, “Main Vaapas Aaunga is more about love and longing than the horrors of Partition. It’s the personal story of a man and his lost love, and of course, it’s set during the time of Partition. It’s almost like the love story is in focus and the events of the Partition are out of focus, though they do happen.”

“While making this movie, I met 100–200 people who had seen the Partition with their own eyes. What I found common among them was that, even so many years after Partition, all they remembered were incidents of love and tender moments. They did not speak about hatred. This generation has not only survived the Partition but also conquered hatred with love. This is a story I felt needed to come out, which is why I made the film. I do think the history of our country should be a part of our cinema, but in a manner that does not evoke hatred, but instead encourages camaraderie and love,” the filmmaker added.

About Main Vaapas Aaunga

Main Vaapas Aaunga is set in Imtiaz Ali’s evocative world of love and longing, starring Diljit Dosanjh, Naseeruddin Shah, Sharvari Wagh, and Vedang Raina in pivotal roles. Produced by Sameer Nair and Deepak Segal of Applause Entertainment, and Mohit Choudhary and Shibasish Sarkar of Window Seat Films, the film releases in cinemas on June 12, 2026. The film also reunites the acclaimed trio of A. R. Rahman, Irshad Kamil, and Imtiaz Ali, whose collaborations have produced several memorable soundtracks over the years.