Main Vaapas Aaunga

Main Vaapas Aaunga (transl. I Will Return) is a 2026 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Imtiaz Ali. The film stars Diljit Dosanjh, Naseeruddin Shah, Sharvari, Vedang Raina, and Banita Sandhu alongside Rajat Kapoor, Sanjay Suri, Anjana Sukhani, Kumud Mishra and Danish Pandor in supporting roles.^[4]

Principal photography began in August 2025 and ended in December 2025.^[5] It was theatrically released on 12 June 2026 and received critical acclaim, with 92% of critics' reviews on Rotten Tomatoes being positive.^[6] Despite a slow start at the box office, the film gained momentum through positive word-of-mouth and witnessed significant growth in its second week.^[7][8]

The Present: 95-year-old Ishar Singh Grewal (Shah) suffers a stroke and is on his deathbed. Despite failing health and advanced dementia, he refuses to let go of life, desperately muttering about returning to his ancestral home in Sargodha (Pakistan). His grandson, Nirvair (Dosanjh), acts as his caregiver and attempts to make sense of his disjointed ramblings.

The Flashback: The story goes back 78 years to undivided Punjab. A younger Ishar (played by Vedang Raina) falls passionately in love with a woman named Jia/Afsana (Sharvari). Their budding romance is abruptly shattered by the violence and mass migration of the 1947 Partition, forcing them apart.

The Climax & Closure: Nirvair investigates his grandfather’s past to give him peace, eventually locating Afsana’s family. He discovers a devastating truth: Afsana died 10 years prior, having spent her life waiting for Ishar to fulfill his promise to return. Through a video call, Ishar hallucinates a vision of a young Jia and finally asks her for "permission to leave." She grants it, allowing him to pass away peacefully.

• Diljit Dosanjh as Nirvair Grewal, Keenu's grandson
• Naseeruddin Shah as Ishar Singh Grewal alias "Keenu"
  • Vedang Raina as Young Keenu
• Sharvari as Afsana alias Jiya, Keenu's love interest
• Banita Sandhu as Kaveri^[9]
• Danish Pandor as Afzal
• Kumud Mishra as BSF Chief
• Rajat Kapoor as Iqbal Grewal, Keenu's elder son and Nirvair's father
• Sanjay Suri as Jasmer Grewal, Keenu's younger son and Nirvair's uncle
• Jaipreet Singh as Angad
• Dolly Ahluwalia as Keenu's grandmother
• Vinod Nagpal as Kitpal
• Manish Chaudhary as Muzaffar Ahmedzai
• Anjana Sukhani as Anjana Grewal
• Rasika Agashe as Protima
• Mashhoor Amrohi as Sarfaraz Rahman
• Nikhat Khan as Rumana Ahmedzai
• Sahil Mehta as Adil

The film was announced in June 2025, with Diljit Dosanjh, Naseeruddin Shah, Vedang Raina, Sharvari, and Banita Sandhu joining the cast.^[10][11] It marks the second collaboration between director Imtiaz Ali and Diljit Dosanjh after Amar Singh Chamkila (2024).^[12]

Principal photography for the film commenced in Punjab in October 2025.^[13][14]

The film's music is composed by A. R. Rahman, with lyrics written by Irshad Kamil.^[15] The first single titled "Kya Kamaal Hai", was released on 17 April 2026. The second single "Maskara" was released on 5 May 2026.^[16]

On 13 March 2026, four first-look posters were unveiled.^[17]

On 7 June 2026, A.R Rahman, Nilanjana Ghosh, Vedang Raina, Mohit Chauhan, and Pooja Tiwari performed live at Attari–Wagah border ceremony in Attari, Amritsar. Imtiaz Ali who was also present there along with cast and crew of the film, said, "I am privileged to be a part of this troupe, and it is magical that this event is around Main Vaapas Aaunga, a film that originates from the making of the border during the Partition of 1947. Not only homes and lives were lost, but hearts were broken as well. We bring a message of love because, ultimately, only love sustains us."^[18]

Main Vaapas Aaunga was released on 12 June 2026. It was earlier planned to release in April 2026, coinciding with Baisakhi.^[19][20]

Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and described the film as "an astounding take on Partition trauma". She particularly praised Naseeruddin Shah's performance, calling it "superbly-judged".^[21]

Aishani of Outlook India reviewed the film and gave 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote that Diljit Dosanjh and Naseeruddin Shah anchor a moving story of memory, migration and longing. ^[22]

Anuj Kumar of The Hindu described the movie as "an evocative exploration of memory, loss and longing, praising Imtiaz Ali's storytelling and the performances of Naseeruddin Shah and Diljit Dosanjh".^[23]

Reviewing for Hindustan Times, Rishabh Suri praised the film as emotional resonance and described it as "a film that transforms memory and longing into compelling cinema".^[24]

Dhaval Roy of Times of India gave 3.5 out of 5 stars and praised its performances and emotional storytelling, while noting that the film successfully captures "the pain and human consequences of partition".^[25]

Reviewing for NDTV, Saeed Naqvi gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote that Naseeruddin Shah delivers a "masterclass" performance in a heartbreaking narrative.^[26]

Rahul Desai of The Hollywood Reporter India calls it "a partition-era story worth falling for." ^[27] Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in writes in her review that "The film boldly confronts the severe psychological repression that followed Partition. However, Main Vaapas Aaunga sticks to the conventional portrayal as Muslims as the aggressors in communal riots."^[28]

Vineeta Kumar of India Today, rated it 2 out of 5 stars and described the film as Ali's weakest film, writing, "the film reaches for grief and belonging, but its pacing and politics blunt the impact."^[29]

• Main Vaapas Aaunga at IMDb
• Main Vaapas Aaunga at Bollywood Hungama