'There can be normal humans in Pakistan': AR Rahman reacts to ‘anti-national’ controversy surrounding Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’

Imtiaz Ali’s recent directorial, ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’, has garnered praise from both critics and moviegoers since its release. As the Partition-based drama continues to benefit from favourable word-of-mouth, it has also become the subject of online controversy, with certain social media users labeling it “anti-national.” Amid the ongoing debate, Oscar-winning music composer A. R. Rahman has shared his reaction in a subtle yet notable manner.Taking to Instagram, Rahman reposted a screenshot of a satirical post that addressed the backlash surrounding ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’. The post appeared to take a dig at critics who questioned the film’s portrayal of Pakistan, noting that it did not rely on the stereotypical depictions often associated with mainstream films. Its headline read, “Anti-National? Movie dares to show Pakistan without terrorists and secret agents”.The caption further says, “The man who was excited to watch an Indian spy exact revenge on Pakistan, and who, toward the very end of the movie, says, 'Mein Vaapas Aaunga,' was disappointed that the movie had nothing to do with terrorists and spies. Though touched by the heartfelt drama, he was confused about how Pakistan can neither have terrorists nor spies, given that’s all they seem to have in other movies. He later mentioned in an interview that this was something completely new, and he walked away with the perspective that there can be normal humans in Pakistan.”Instead of sharing a detailed response, Rahman chose a more subtle approach. He reposted the screenshot on his Instagram story and accompanied it with a laughing emoji, seemingly brushing aside the criticism and rejecting suggestions that ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’ carries an “anti-national” message.‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’ reunites A. R. Rahman and Imtiaz Ali for the fifth time. Over the years, the filmmaker-composer duo has collaborated on several acclaimed projects, including ‘Rockstar’, ‘Highway’, ‘Tamasha’, and ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’, creating some of the most celebrated music and storytelling combinations in contemporary Hindi cinema.