Main Vaapas Aaunga, the latest film by Imtiaz Ali, opened up to abysmal numbers at the domestic box office. Produced by Applause Entertainment and Window Seat Films, the period romance-drama stars Naseeruddin Shah, Diljit Dosanjh, Sharvari, and Vedang Raina in the lead cast.

Reportedly made on a budget of Rs 70 crores, the Imtiaz Ali film collected Rs 1.15 crore nett on its opening day, according to Sacnilk. Going by most trade predictions, the film needed to collect at least Rs 6 crores to have a chance at steady box office performance. With such low numbers, the film really needs a strong word-of-mouth buzz to hold its ground.

While the reviews are largely positive, it remains to be seen if any of the positivity can translate to a boost at the ticket counters. It is to be noted that Imtiaz Ali’s previous theatrical release, Love Aaj Kal (2020), opened to a double digit figure, collecting Rs 12.25 crores nett at domestic box office. 

In our review for the film, we noted, “Imtiaz’s films always come from a deep, personal place. His characters almost always are the misfits who want to run away to find themselves. This time he zooms out, he makes the personal, political. Main Vaapas Aaunga is about Punjab, about the buried trauma of the refugees and how pain gives birth to patriarchy.”