Main Vaapas Aaunga: Imtiaz Ali Reveals Reason Behind Casting Naseeruddin, Diljit Dosanjh, Vedang, Sharvari

Imtiaz Ali is sharing how the cast of upcoming film Main Vaapas Aaunga came together, bringing together Naseeruddin Shah, Diljit Dosanjh, Vedang Raina and Sharvari Wagh. The director explains that each role needed very specific qualities, and that these four actors matched the emotional and visual demands of the story.

Ali speaks about the project during an episode of The Right Angle with Sonal Kalra, Season 3, produced by Gautam Thakker Films. While talking on the show, the filmmaker explains how casting choices slowly fell into place as the script grew, rather than being fixed from the beginning.

Main Vaapas Aaunga casting and Naseeruddin Shah’s complex role

Describing the central part, Ali says, "I spoke to Naseer because it is a finely calibrated role, a 95-year-sikh going through the most intense experience of his life. That role led to Naseeruddin Shah, who I don't remember ever playing a turbaned Sikh gentleman. I wanted it to feel fresh and charming, and thankfully, he didn't say no."

Ali adds that Naseeruddin Shah’s character required a presence that could suggest long experience and quiet dignity. The director wanted audiences to see a new side of the actor on screen. Ali stresses that the idea of a 95-year-old Sikh at a life-changing moment guided many later casting decisions.

Main Vaapas Aaunga casting choices for Vedang Raina, Sharvari Wagh and Diljit Dosanjh

Ali explains that the search for younger characters linked directly to Naseeruddin Shah’s role. Speaking about Vedang Raina, Ali says the actor needed to look like a believable younger version of the 95-year-old. "For the younger parts, Vedang had the face and charm to grow up to be Naseer at 95, and I was looking for someone who could play his character 78 years ago".

The filmmaker then shifts to Sharvari Wagh’s part, which draws on a specific period look. "For Sharvari, I wanted a look inspired by 1940s cinema, westernised, pristine, yet slightly foreign, and she fitted the bill completely." Ali notes that these visual references helped anchor the film’s atmosphere and gave Sharvari Wagh’s character a distinct identity.

Ali also recalls how Diljit Dosanjh entered the Main Vaapas Aaunga casting conversation after their work on Chamkila. "Also, I had this itch of an idea while working with Diljit on Chamkila. I was thinking about this story, but I had not approached him or discussed it in detail. Only much later, as the story took shape, I realised it was increasingly reflecting who Diljit is".

Across these choices, Imtiaz Ali underlines a careful Main Vaapas Aaunga casting process, where Naseeruddin Shah, Diljit Dosanjh, Vedang Raina and Sharvari Wagh are selected to align with both age arcs and period detail. The director indicates that the film’s impact rests strongly on how these performances connect with the story’s emotional core.