Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali believes that the magic of cinema lies in its ability to bring people together and allow them to experience emotions collectively. The director, along with producer Mohit Chaudhary, recently attended the Jagran Film Festival, where they interacted with the media and discussed the critical and commercial success of Main Vaapas Aaunga, changing audience habits after COVID-19, and the importance of maintaining a connection with viewers.
When asked about Main Vaapas Aaunga being among the few films of 2026 to find both critical acclaim and commercial success, Imtiaz said that every filmmaker hopes to achieve both. He also emphasised that understanding the audience is essential for any artist who wants to grow and create meaningful work.
“Yes, I think every filmmaker strives for both critical acclaim and commercial success. I've been fortunate enough to achieve that. What I've learned is that there should be a direct interaction between the filmmaker and the audience. Every filmmaker—every artist—should stay connected to the people. That's how they come to understand what more they can do with their craft. Otherwise, it's like shooting an arrow with one eye closed—which is precisely why, at times, our work fails to hit the mark,” Imtiaz said.
The filmmaker also shared his perspective on the changing box-office landscape, particularly the perception that cinema halls struggle whenever several films fail to perform well in succession. Reflecting on how the industry has evolved since the pandemic, he pointed to the enormous increase in digital content consumption and its impact on people's viewing habits.
“Viewing habits have shifted significantly since COVID—for one, the volume of content being consumed has increased tremendously. You can see it everywhere; even an auto-rickshaw driver is likely watching some video or another while driving. There has been a massive shift. We are probably consuming ten times more content than we used to—especially if you factor in things like Reels. Our minds are being flooded with a constant stream of signals,” he explained.
However, Imtiaz believes the bigger difference lies in how people consume entertainment today. While mobile phones and digital platforms allow audiences to watch content whenever they want, the experience is often solitary. Cinema, in contrast, creates an atmosphere where strangers can share the same emotions at the same time.
“However, much of this consumption happens in isolation; if you're watching something on your phone or another device, you're most likely doing it alone. When you go to a cinema theater, the difference is that there are many other people there—it's a collective experience, a group experience—something that is becoming increasingly rare in our daily lives. Cinema provides that,” he said.
Admitting that there is no guaranteed formula for box-office success, Imtiaz expressed his hope that audiences would continue visiting theatres and experiencing films together. Referring to Main Vaapas Aaunga, he described the feeling of sharing an emotional moment with fellow moviegoers as something special.
“I don't have a secret formula to guarantee a film's success, but my hope is that films do well and that people go to theaters to watch them. As we saw with Wapas Aaunga, there's a wonderful feeling when you're experiencing an emotion, and the people around you—the person sitting next to you—are sharing that same experience,” he said.
He concluded by reflecting on the emotional cost of an increasingly digital world. “Humans weren't meant to be isolated or detached from society. A major drawback of the digital world is that it can leave people feeling very lonely, whereas the advantage of a theater is that it offers a shared, collective experience.”
Through his remarks, Imtiaz highlighted that cinema is about more than ticket sales. For him, its enduring appeal lies in the human connection it creates, reminding audiences that some emotions become even more meaningful when experienced together.