Imtiaz Ali‘s ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’ features Sanjay Suri as Jasmer, the father of Vedang Raina‘s character. Though the role is small, it carries a lot of weight in a story that revolves around displacement, love and loss. The film is set during the Partition and captures the pain of longing for a home that can never be returned to. For Suri, the story feels very close to his own life. He lost his father during the Kashmir militancy in 1990 and has experienced the heartbreak of leaving home, which made him connect deeply with the film’s themes of grief, loss and identity. The actor recently opened up about how the film reminded him of his own past.
Sanjay Suri on why he said yes to ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’
In an interview with Variety India, when Sanjay was asked whether it was the Imtiaz factor or the film’s theme that made him say yes to the role, he said, “It was a combination of both. It always begins with the story. If you look at my filmography, there are so many first-time directors whose work no one knew. This story touched me deeply because of its emotional honesty and the way it explored a theme that is both personal and universal. Imtiaz Ali at the helm made a tremendous difference. He approaches his characters with empathy rather than judgment. When I got a call from the casting director’s office that Imtiaz would like to meet, within me there was this comfort and excitement, that something special is coming up. You feel safe as an actor in the hands of a director who understands the nuances of the human condition and allows vulnerability to exist on screen. I loved exploring Jasmer with him.”
Sanjay Suri on scenes in ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’ that resonated with him personally
When asked if any particular scene in the film brought back personal memories or stirred up emotions, Suri did not limit it to just one moment. He said, “To be honest, it’s not about one scene or only my scenes in particular… The railway station one (which shows him returning to the station at one particular time every day, hoping for his family’s arrival), be it the wait for the family or trying to go back, I generally connect to such stories on a human level. Yes, there were moments in the film that resonated very deeply with me on a personal level. The theme of displacement, loss and the search for home are not abstract ideas for me. They are part of my family’s lived history, including me as a 19-year-old.”
How important is the role of storytelling in addressing themes like loss and identity?
He further added, “Partition, the Kabali Raids in Baramullah (Kashmir) and then 1990… the experiences and stories of uncertainty and having one’s world suddenly altered were passed down through generations. My father was killed in 1990 at home in Kashmir and with that came not only the loss of a loved one but also the loss of home and identity. So whenever a scene touched upon the pain of losing one’s home, being separated from one’s roots, or carrying grief across generations, it was impossible for me to approach it purely as an actor, those emotions exist somewhere within me already and I go through the emotions as they are connected to my personal memories and family history.”
About ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’
‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’ is directed by Imtiaz Ali and features Diljit Dosanjh, Naseeruddin Shah, Sharvari and Vedang Raina in key roles.