Imtiaz Ali’s latest release Main Vaapas Aaunga is currently receiving widespread praise from viewers. Along with audiences in India, the film has also found appreciation from across the border. Pakistani filmmaker Umar Nasir Ali recently shared his reaction on social media.
On Monday, Umar Nasir Ali posted about Main Vaapas Aaunga on Instagram. He shared the film’s poster and wrote that the movie is deeply emotional and stays with the viewer even after it ends.
He mentioned, “Main Vaapas Aaunga is a beautiful and deeply emotional film, one that stays with you long after it ends. As one of our upcoming stories is set against the backdrop of Partition, we were naturally curious to experience Imtiaz Ali’s @imtiazaliofficial interpretation of this chapter of history. As expected, it is unmistakably Imtiaz Ali.”
In the same post, Umar Nasir Ali also highlighted specific elements of the film that stood out to him. He praised veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah for his performance by calling it “extraordinary.”
He also appreciated the editing work and said, “the editing by Aarti Bajaj @artb is a masterclass in cinematic storytelling, something every film student can learn from.”
He added that there was “needless to say anything about AR Rahman,” referring to the music of the film.
Umar Nasir Ali also shared that he is also currently developing a project based on the Partition of 1947.
““So much has been written and filmed about Partition over the decades. From Manto, Bhisham Sahni, Intizar Husain, Qurratulain Hyder and Ali Akbar Natiq to generations of filmmakers across the subcontinent, each has found new ways of engaging with its memories, wounds and humanity. Perhaps that is because Partition is simply too vast to be contained within a single story. Each generation returns to it, uncovering new meanings,” the filmmaker wrote.
He also mentioned the working title of his own upcoming project, Chor Aaye Hum, which “echoes a similar sentiment of memory, belonging and return. We look forward to sharing our own journey with this subject soon.”
Who Is Umar Nasir Ali?
Umar Nasir Ali is a Pakistani filmmaker who works as a director and producer. He is the founder of the production company Num Films. He has been active in the industry for over 15 years and began his career in advertising where he directed several major commercial campaigns before shifting to feature films.
According to reports, he made his debut as a feature film director with 2024’s Nayab. The film is a family drama with a sports backdrop, set in Karachi.
Nayab brought Umar Nasir Ali wide recognition as he won the Best Film Director of the Year award at the Lux Style Awards for the film. It also received international attention and was awarded a Special Jury Award at the 30th Listapad International Film Festival in Minsk, Belarus.
Apart from feature films, he has also worked on national projects. One of them includes directing the official national anthem video of Pakistan, released in 2022.
Umar Nasir Ali studied at the National College of Arts (NCA) in Lahore and later at the University of Texas at Austin. Along with filmmaking, he has also been involved in academics. He had also served as the Head of the Film Department at the University of Karachi.
