Day: June 13, 2026

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Main Vaapas Aaunga: A stirring tale of trauma and loss of humanity

Imtiaz Ali once again employs his favorite two timeline plot sequencing. More than the partition horrors the movie holds a mirror to today’s displaced homes due to bloodshed. The end montage song with the ever-charming Diljit Dosanjh hits hard. A strong aspect of Main Vaapas Aaunga are the scenes between Nasseerudin Shah and Diljit. The portions have a perfect blend of humor with emotional pathos. The pre partition romance though needed better writing

Starcast: Naseeruddin Shah, Diljit Dosanjh, Vedang Raina, Sharvari Wagh and others

Genre: Romance/drama

Director and writer: Imtiaz Ali

Additional writer: Nayanika Mahatani

Music: A R Rahman

Cinematography: Sylvester Fonseca

Producers: Sameer Nair, Deepak Segal etc

Production Companies: Window Seat Films, Applause Entertainment etc

Running time: 2 hours and 46 minutes

Stories of Partition and Bollywood go hand in hand; numerous filmmakers have depicted the horrors of partition in their own ways but still there is always something left to be explored. Imtiaz Ali’s latest Main Vaapas Aaunga is also about pre partition and the horrors following it. But the genre here makes a difference. Imtiaz packs in an intense tale of unrequited love, love so intense that our protagonist hasn’t forgotten his heroine though he is 95 years old. Naseeruddin Shah is Keenu. He falls in love with a Muslim girl Jiya/Afshana played by a radiant Sharvari Wagh. Vedang Raina plays the younger version in the flashbacks. Their blossoming romance hits a roadblock due to partition. He manages to make a living, but the scars haven’t completely left. Diljit Dosanjh plays the grandson Nirvair Grewal. Nirvair is going through his own hassles both professionally and personally. Nirvair becomes Keenu’s support system, and he is determined to fulfill his grandfather’s last wish and how that happens is the essence of MVA.

A strong aspect of MVA are the scenes between Nasseerudin Shah and Diljit. Their interactions have undertones of humor in the beginning especially the hospital ones. But as Nirvair becomes more emotionally involved the dynamics takes a different turn. The portions start to become emotionally poignant and the two feed off each other wonderfully. After a long time Naseeruddin Shah has gotten an author backed part and the veteran makes complete use of it. Whether its his intense love for Jiya/Afshana or the pain of leaving one’s home the actor tugs at your heartstrings. He also raises chuckles in his initial interactions with Diljit.

Diljit as the grandson gets his own arc and the dependable actor doesn’t disappoint. In spite of sharing screen space with an in form Naseeruddin Shah he more holds his own. From being curious and then the strong determination of making sure that the grandfather finds peace at least in death the actor doesn’t miss a single beat.

The pre partition romance also has his moments. Both Vedang and Sharvari look the part of bestowed lovers, but the writing could have been better. The love track could have been developed more; there is a hurried nature to the proceedings here. Having said that the conversations between young Keenu and Jiya have the right romantic spark. Vedang in particular impresses more so in the post partition scenes. The scenes of subtle pain and grief has been excellently portrayed by the young actor. Sharvari has much less to do in comparison, but she has a luminous presence and does a fine job in portraying a certain inner resilience.

The theme of humanity loss has a realistic feel to it as well. Human beings getting carried away in the cycle of violence and behaving in a barbarious manner has a contemporary feel. The post credit song Kya Kamaal Hai takes the audiences on a short tour of present horrors and the incredible spirit of fighting back. The tune coupled with Diljit voice is simply fantastic.

AR Rahman’s music jells perfectly with the movie’s tone capturing both the young love as well as the emotional undertones perfectly. The cinematography of Slylvester Fonseca particularly the pre partition romance has some nice frames. The proceedings have a lived-in feel

One of the things sticking out like a sore thumb is the subplot of Nirvair and his off/on relationship with Banita Sandhu’s Kaveri. It doesn’t add much substance to the movie. The subplot feels like more of a crutch to amplify Keenu’s deep love for Jiya. But this is a minor misstep in a mostly heartfelt drama on what it means to leave your home.

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Sing Geetham: A gripping ecological fable soaked in allegory

Acclaimed director Singeetham Srinivas Rao once again employees his trademark whimsical style while exploring the themes of human greed, capitalism and environmental destruction. Kudos to the director for coming up with a story like this at the age of 94 and showing why he is one of his kind. Nag Ashwin and Vijayanthi movies also deserve appreciation for bringing alive his vision. Devi Sri Prasad delivers one of his best soundtracks whether it’s the initial bewilderment or the anguish in the pre climax. A committed ensemble especially Ahilya and Shalini Kondepudi stand out among the performers

Starcast: Ayaan, Ahilya Bamraoo, Shalini Kondepudi, Tulasi, Banerjee, Nivetha Pethuraj, Rahul Ravindran and others

Genre: Fantasy/supernatural

Director and writer: Singeetham Srinivas Rao

Additional writers: Nanda Kishore Emani, Gautami Challagulla etc

Music: Devi Sri Prasad

Cinematographer: Ankur C

Producer: Nag Ashwin

Production houses: Vyjayanti Movies and Swapna Cinema

Running time: 2 hours and 17 minutes

Before dissecting Sing Geetham its necessary to appreciate the spirit of Singeetham Srinivas Rao. The story of Sing Geetham is an old one, it has been with Singeetham Srinivas Rao for a long time. Through the story has been written long time back the plot is still so contemporary. The themes of environmental destruction and Mining don’t need a special introduction. We see it all around us but to explore these topics in the age of big scale Pan India takes courage both for the director and the producers. So firstly, a big round of applause for the entire team. Coming to the film Sing Geetham in set in the village of Kuberapuram. A young man Prathap (Ayaan) returns to his native village for claiming inheritance. He wants to make some quick buck by signing a deal with a businesswomen Renu (Shalini Kondepudi). Ahilya Bamaroo plays Gauri a feisty young woman deeply attached to the village’s last surviving tree. Things take a major turn with the tree being razed to the ground and the village getting cursed. A big reason for the curse is Gauri’s rant on that particular night. The backstory of Prathap involving Nivetha Pethuraj and Rahul Ravindran and how the curse of communicating only through songs is broken forms an important core of Sing Geetham.

A strong aspect of Sing Geetham is the world building. Singeetham Srinivas Rao along with the writers get to the heart of the story without wasting much time. Whether its Pratap’s release from jail, his entry into Kuberapuram and the mining business of Renu and her father, the latter played by a suitably evil Banerjee. Gauri’s attachment with the tree and her ideological differences with the father also set a solid base.

The portion of village’s last tree razed to the ground and Gauri’s desperate plea is emotionally poignant. Yes, the scene does across as melodramatic but there is an important reason behind Gauri’s attachment. This comes in the latter half with solid acting from both Nivetha Peturaj and Rahul Ravindran as Prathap’s parents.

For some viewers the environmental destruction explored will remind them of tress being cut down in real life. The most recent one is KBR. The mining portions are again reminiscent of numerous stories we have read in newspapers or come across online. To make a film like this with a strong political voice and then to be backed up by names like Nag Ashwin and Vyjayanthi alone makes for a big reason to watch.

Having said that the subject takes a while to warm up. The format of communicating every feeling through songs will appear outlandish for the mass belt, also the title Sing Geetham doesn’t appear in sync with the story’s nature. Still there is a lot to savor for those who like experimental cinema especially Singeetham Srinivas Rao fans.

Devi Sri Prasad’s music and background score is the soul of Sing Geetham apart from direction and writing. The songs are of a completely different flavor something we don’t usually associate with DSP. It is a huge challenge to compose tunes for a film like this but Devi Sri Prasad more than rises up to the challenge. Among the songs the one which stands out is the emotional plea to the god Kubera when a lot of people turn into gold statues. The tune, lyrics and the actor’s performances combined stirrers the viewers. On the other hand, a song situation with everyone speaking their mind without any filter makes for a fun watch. Sing Geetham is easily Devi Sri Prasad’s best work to date.

The allegorical touch especially the story of King Midas and its integration in the pre climax has also been well done. The pre climax also gives an important message on humanity and the need for harmony. There is a powerful portion of villagers setting aside their greed and protecting a newborn baby. Some of them become gold statues and this is preceded by an emotional plea to God.

The movie ends with the people of Kuberapuram living together in harmony with nature. Vijay Devarakonda briefly appears as a potential threat to Kuberapuram ; the part itself doesn’t have much significance nevertheless it makes for a fun special appearance especially with Vijay struggling to hold himself together because of the involuntary dancing curse.

The cast of Sing Geetham is an interesting mix of newcomers and established actors, and this works for the movie. Among the younger lot Ahilya and Shalini stand out. Ahilya portrays the feistiness of Gauri in a solid manner. Shalini Kondepudi as a calculative businesswoman with her own insecurities also makes a striking impact. Her character Renu is someone who is driven by the need to prove herself and this adds an interest psychological layer to the character. On a side note, it’s good to see the emergence of new actresses coming through Youtube like Shalani and Shivani Nagaram.