Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali has revealed that the song 'Mascara' from his upcoming film 'Main Vapas Aaunga' was filmed in Malerkotla, the Punjab hometown of lyricist Irshad Kamil — his long-time creative collaborator. Ali shared the detail during promotional events for the film alongside cast members Vedang Raina and Sharvari.

A Surreal Homecoming Moment

Ali described the experience as deeply emotional. “Malerkotla is also the city or the town that Irshad Kamil comes from. So, I had the unique satisfaction of being the director that played a song of Irshad Kamil to shoot for it in his hometown for the first time,” he said.

He recalled the precise moment the significance hit him. “Below the steps, when we were playing that shot, I played the music and then it hit me that this is Irshad’s hometown. Some young boy from a family in that town came to Bombay to make a living. And now people from Bombay, 200 people have come to make a movie in which his song is playing. So, that was a very surreal moment for me,” Ali said.

The Location: Kachchi Dalan

The specific site used for the shoot is known as Kachchi Dalan, a location Ali described as architectural ruins with surrounding vegetation. He noted that the setting did not appear spectacular during the initial recce. “When you saw that location for the first time, it wasn’t looking spectacular at all. Because seasonally, it changes a lot. All the flowers that came, came later on. When we did the recce, the flowers weren’t there,” he explained.

The production team also dressed the location to enhance its visual appeal. “My thought was that there is a location called Kachchi Dalan and there should be ruins in it. And there should be some vegetation in the ruins. But it turned out well and we also dressed up the location for it to look like this,” Ali added.

Film Set in Pre-Partition Punjab

'Main Vapas Aaunga' is set in Punjab during the period preceding the Partition of India and tells the story of two lovers against the backdrop of the region’s architectural ruins. The film marks yet another chapter in the creative partnership between Ali and Kamil, whose association dates back to their respective debuts in the film industry.

Notably, Ali and Kamil’s first film was the same — a shared starting point that lends additional weight to the emotional resonance Ali described on the Malerkotla set. With the film’s release approaching, the story behind 'Mascara' offers a glimpse into the personal layers woven into the production.