Main Vaapas Aaunga Scripts an unprecedented box office comeback, adds early morning shows in select theatres
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Main Vaapas Aaunga Scripts an unprecedented box office comeback, adds early morning shows in select theatres")
Poster of Main Vaapas Aaunga Photograph: (X)
Main Vaapas Aaunga, Imtiaz Ali's latest partition drama, may have had a slow start at the box office, but positive reviews, word of mouth publicity and strong social media buzz have ensured a major boost in the film's earnings in the week after its release.
Two weeks after Imtiaz Ali’s film Main Vaapas Aaunga was released in theatres, an unusual comeback story was scripted at the box office. Thanks to all the positive reviews, and good word of mouth publicity, the film has registered the kind of box office trend that’s hard to come by in today’s unpredictable theatrical market.
While Ali’s film, featuring Naseeruddin Shah, Diljit Dosanjh, Vedang Raina and Sharvari, earned Rs 5.50 crore in the opening weekend, the film’s business has been growing since its release. A film’s fate at the box office is decided based on its earnings in the first weekend. Main Vaapas Aaunga’s box office report for the first weekend was considered as slow. However, the word of mouth started to kick in for the film and witnessed a miraculous turnaround on the first Monday of its release, a day when films usually risk crashing.
Main Vaapas Aaunga's comeback at the ticket window
The first week itself, tides turned for the film. Amplified by favourable reviews and robust social media buzz, the film recorded a surprising rise in footfall in cinemas. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, its week one collection came at around Rs 12.25 crore.
The massive trending over the week and rave reviews coming from all quarters, Main Vaapas Aaunga was up for a glorious second weekend. The film went into overdrive as exhibitors actively added more shows—some starting as early as 6:30 AM. In a rare feat, the drama managed to script a smashing comeback, earning nearly as much as its entire first week's run in just three days.
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Main Vaapas Aaunga began its second weekend, earning Rs 1.90 crore net on Friday, taking a temporary hit due to the wave of a bigger commercial challenger releasing the same day- Cocktail 2, led by Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, and Rashmika Mandanna.
However, the film again picked up pace on Saturday and Sunday, recording its best individual days at the box office yet. It netted ₹4.35 crore on Saturday and ₹5.75 crore on Sunday, taking its second weekend total to an estimated ₹12 crore. This represents a massive jump of over 100 per cent from its opening weekend, matching almost the exact total it had accumulated across its entire first week.
The film's total earnings after 10 days stand at Rs 24.25 crore, and with the film trending majorly on social media, trade pundits are hoping that the film will continue multiplying its earnings.
About Main Vaapas Aaunga
Set in two different time zones- present day and the partition era- Main Vaapas Aaunga is a story of love, belonging, and homecoming. The film features Naseeruddin Shah, Diljit Dosanjh, Sharvari, Vadang Raina, Rajat Kapoor, Banita Sandhu and Sanjay Suri in key characters. The film has Shah playing a 95-year-old dementia patient, who yearns to go to Sargodha, Pakistan, to complete an unfinished business. The film then goes into flashback to narrate the love story of Keenu and Jiya, an interfaith couple who separate due to partition.
WION's review of Main Vaapas Aaunga
In her review of the film, Shomini Sen of WION wrote, "Main Vaapas Aaunga, despite its slightly uneven narrative, delivers and tugs at one’s heartstrings. It makes you wonder if the trauma of partition would ever go away because the generation which faced it buried it in their conscience and lived silently with trauma. And then later passed it on to the next generation. The hatred towards a certain community stems from the same incident. And thus, it is rather bold for Imtiaz Ali to talk of peace, healing and love on both sides of the border in a year like 2026 when the biggest hit has been based on anti-Pakistan views.
Main Vaapas Aaunga makes you tear up and reflect. It makes you believe in forever love in the age of dating apps and quick swipes and makes you yearn to go home." Read the full review here