Lucknow — Seth M. R. Jaipuria Schools hosted acclaimed filmmaker Imtiaz Ali for “In Conversation: Main Vaapas Aaunga,” a two-part engagement bringing students of Classes 11 and 12 face to face with the maker of a film reimagining the story of the Partition. Held at Jaipuria Campus, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, the event unfolded across two sessions, drawing students, faculty and families from across the network’s campuses in and around Lucknow.
The engagement formed part of the school’s continuing effort to connect students with distinguished voices from literature and cinema, in line with the annual theme of Celebrating Indian Artforms.
The first session opened with a student-led welcome and a specially curated video celebrating Imtiaz Ali’s cinematic journey, followed by three thematic dance performances inspired by the emotions and storytelling of cinema. The centrepiece, titled “Director’s Voice,” was an open conversation on the story behind Main Vaapas Aaunga, Partition, friendship and love, and his filmmaking journey, with an audience Q&A and a rapid-fire round. The session closed with a commemorative memento, a note of thanks, and an informal meet-and-greet with students.
The engagement continued with a second session where students presented a showcase of project work inspired by the film, followed by cultural dance performances reflecting Imtiaz Ali’s cinematic world. The guest then joined students for an interactive, student-led conversation featuring curated questions and audience interaction. The programme closed with a vote of thanks, a memento, a group photograph, and a warm student farewell, echoing the day’s closing sentiment: “Every story finds its way back home.”
Speaking during the interaction, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali said, “What has truly amazed me today is the way students of this age have connected with Main Vaapas Aaunga. Their questions reflected not just an understanding of the film, but also a deep engagement with the emotions, history and human relationships at its heart… It reassures me that stories rooted in our shared past can continue to inspire empathy, dialogue and reflection across generations.”
The engagement builds on the school network’s earlier academic work on Main Vaapas Aaunga, in which students explored the film through the arc of 1947, 2026, 2047 and 2100. Today’s conversation gave that work a living counterpart through a direct exchange with the storyteller himself.
