Imtiaz Ali’s Main Wapas Aaunga is all set to make its OTT debut on Netflix on August 7. However, its theatrical journey is not ending just yet.
A source close to the film has informed IWMBuzz that Main Wapas Aaunga will continue to screen in cinemas across India even after it begins streaming on the platform.
Starring Diljit Dosanjh, Vedang Raina, Sharvari Wagh, and Naseeruddin Shah, the film had a slow start at the box office, with many trade experts writing it off early. Despite the underwhelming opening, the makers remained confident about the film’s content and decided to connect directly with audiences by visiting theatres across the country.
The interactions helped amplify positive word of mouth, which gradually translated into stronger box-office collections and gave the film a new lease of life in cinemas.
Speaking to IWMBuzz in an earlier interview, producer Shibasish Sarkar had shared how the idea came about:
«”All of us sat down in the first half of the day and decided to meet the audience in theatres at the end of the show. It all started as an instinct. We felt that it’s a good film, so let’s see what the audience thinks about it. It started in a humble manner. The kind of response that Imtiaz got from people sharing what they felt about the film and sharing their stories made us visit more theatres. So far, four weeks since its release, Imtiaz, Mohit and I have visited 60-70 theatres. Every evening, it was a ritual. The next day we’d decide where to go next and land up there and listen to the audience. It is the audience response getting captured on social media, and all of that was from the heart. Nothing was designed. It spread through word of mouth. It uplifted us a bit.”»
Interestingly, Main Wapas Aaunga is following a trend seen with Dhurandhar 2, which also continued its theatrical run after arriving on OTT. With close to 100 screens expected to retain the film, the makers are hoping its strong audience support will keep it playing in cinemas even after its digital release.
