Imtiaz Ali‘s period coming-of-age drama ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’ has earned widespread acclaim for its sensitive portrayal of the Partition and the possibility of reconciliation. At the heart of the story is 95-year-old Ishwar (Naseeruddin Shah), who wishes to revisit his hometown of Sargodha in present-day Pakistan, a decision that leaves his family, especially his grandson Nirvair (Diljit Dosanjh), puzzled. As the film continues to strike a chord with audiences, co-writer Nayanika Mahtani has reflected on its deeply personal roots and the ideas that shaped its narrative.Nayanika recalled how her collaboration with Imtiaz Ali began unexpectedly in Mussoorie. She happened to meet the filmmaker there and gave him a copy of her novel Across The Line, which also explored the Partition. Coincidentally, Imtiaz was working on a story around the same historical event and asked her to write 20–30 pages on the subject. After reading her work, he simply told her, “We are on.”The opportunity was especially meaningful for Nayanika because she wanted to tell a Partition story free from divisive narratives. “I was, of course, thrilled to be telling a Partition story, and that too with the sensibility that Imtiaz brings to it, because I was very clear that I didn’t want to tell a story where there would be the ‘other’ or the ‘otherness.’ I would rather not tell a story than tell that kind of a story,” she said.For the writer, Main Vaapas Aaunga is also rooted in family history. All four of her grandparents migrated from what is now Pakistan, and her maternal grandmother hailed from Sargodha, the same town central to the film. Recalling her grandmother’s memories, Nayanika said, “Whenever my nani spoke about Sargodha, she talked about only happy memories. There was never bitterness. There was never rancour. And imagine how many reasons she had to be bitter.”She shared that her paternal grandparents, who came from Lahore and Rawalpindi, carried similar memories. Rather than resentment, they remembered friendships that transcended religion. “Their best friends remained Muslims. I have never seen in that generation an ounce of rancour. So, when we were telling this story, even Imtiaz had the same sensibility, that there was no otherness,” she added.Nayanika also believes the emotional wounds carried by many who lived through Partition remained largely unspoken. Referring to Ishwar’s character in the film, she explained, “Ishar Grewal is not a nice man. He’s a bitter man. But look at what he went through. And this is where closure comes, because we just judged them on what we saw, but there was something they didn’t talk about.”Expanding on that thought, she said, “There was something that never got mentioned. So many of them dealt with PTSD. But nobody was going to talk about it, because Independence coincided with partition, and that took centre stage. So, you were not allowed to be unhappy. But imagine on that Independence eve, every year, what they would have thought.”Nayanika further revealed that she and Imtiaz Ali were determined to portray the suffering experienced on both sides of the border, instead of presenting a one-sided account. “One thing both Imtiaz and I were very (certain about). I told him, ‘We have to have a scene where we see Muslims being killed.’ So, that scene in the train where Keenu’s hat falls off, and the one when the train arrives at the Lahore station, and Afzal finds his whole family dead. So, we see both sides, and there’s a balanced view. Otherwise, it can be rage-bait,” she argued.