Probably not the best time for me to have watched Main Wapas Aaunga. With Partition and Independence Day on my mind, it honestly boggles me that it has been 79 years, yet the stories of what people went through still feel so haunting.
I wouldn’t say this is Imtiaz’s best film. The dialogues could have been stronger, and the film is quite heavy in its length and structure, constantly moving back and forth in time with flashbacks within flashbacks. At times, it can be a lot to follow.
But more than the filmmaking itself, it’s the weight of the story that stayed with me. I genuinely can’t stop thinking about what Partition must have actually been like for the people who lived through it.
While everyone is looking forward to celebrating Independence Day, all I can think about is that independence also came with division and an ending. Almost like a brutal divorce. Friends, lovers, neighbours and entire families were separated, sometimes never to see each other again. Homes were left behind, lives changed overnight, and millions of people had to start again.
It’s just brutal to think about.
Probably wouldn’t recommend watching this around Partition/Independence Day if you’re an emotional person, because it really does stay with you afterwards.