3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 21, 2026 08:13 PM IST
Imtiaz Ali, who is being celebrated for his latest film Main Vaapas Aaunga, was recently asked about being a “morally ambiguous and apolitical” filmmaker, as that is how he described himself while promoting the film. In stark contrast, Main Vaapas Aaunga was seen as a deeply political film which spoke about the tragedy of the Partition, and how it continues to affect generations. The film ended with visuals from Gaza and Palestine as it spoke about the tragedies unfolding across the world. So when Imtiaz was asked to explain why he called himself “apolitical,” he said that “politics is propelled by personal emotion or desire and that is my status in life.”
‘Politics is propelled by personal emotion’
Imtiaz acknowledged that while there is a lot of politics in Main Vaapas Aaunga, he would still describe his stance as apolitical. “Ultimately, I am rooting for Keenu and Jia, and Keenu and Jia have politics. Their politics is, ‘Partition should not happen’ but there’s a reason for this politics. The reason is a personal one. The reason is they want to be with each other. They feel that one is a Sikh and one is a Muslim so if the Partition happens, then are we going to part? No, we don’t want to part so division should not happen. So the politics is propelled by personal emotion or desire and that is my status in life,” he said.
ALSO READ | Amitabh Bachchan recovering after surgery, opens up about ‘most difficult phase’
‘Very restrictive if you have a fixed political agenda’
Imtiaz said that he cannot take a political stand via his film as different characters are moving in different directions. “I can’t take a political side in a film because I have to understand why every character is moving. For instance, there’s a character played by Danish Pandor, his name is Afzal in the film and he comes up and he says that the Partition should happen. He also says that it’s very sad that the Partition is happening but even worse things are going to happen so it’s better that you guys leave. He is also coming from personal ambition. His ambition is to become a leader maybe but he could have been the same as Keenu was,” he said and added, “I think politics is subservient to people’s desires. We often say this is my politics because it suits us in some personal way.”
Imtiaz said aligning to a particular kind of politics is “restrictive.” He said, “This is what I mean by being apolitical. And you know it’s very restrictive. I think it’s very restrictive if you have a fixed political agenda in any film. And as a filmmaker per se if I have the same political agenda, then I’m just like, what am I doing? I’m not really letting myself go and explore the world.”
Imtiaz Ali’s latest film started slow at the box office and eventually grossed Rs 90 crore at the global box office.
Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: