Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali has shared the behind-the-scenes story of “Maskara,” a song from his upcoming film ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’. Through his Instagram series titled ‘MVA Diaries’, he posted nostalgic images and an audio recording where he spoke about the emotion and process that shaped the track.
How the song came together
“Maskara” features actors Vedang Raina and Sharvari Wagh. It explores two sides of first love, one mischievous and lighthearted, the other quiet and deeply felt. The music is by AR Rahman and the lyrics are by Irshad Kamil.
According to Imtiaz, the song was not planned with any elaborate structure. The team arrived in Punjab for the shoot without a choreographer. The song had originally been imagined in a much simpler form. But as conversations around the characters deepened, so did the idea of what the song could become.
Sharvari’s personal memory that changed everything
A conversation with Sharvari Wagh became a turning point. She told Imtiaz that when she was younger, she was not allowed to attend prom events or similar outings. So she would lock herself in her room, hold a dupatta, and imagine dancing with someone.
That personal memory stayed with Imtiaz. He said it slowly became one of the emotional foundations of “Maskara.” The image of a girl dancing alone, creating an imaginary partner out of feeling and longing, found its way into the visual language of the song.
Also Read: ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’ brings back the trio that gave India ‘Rockstar’ and ‘Tamasha’
Nancy Dogra joins to execute the vision
While Imtiaz could picture the mood and emotional movement he wanted, he needed someone to bring it to life practically on set. Choreographer Nancy Dogra later joined the project for that reason.
Imtiaz described his own role as working with the feeling and the idea, while Nancy helped turn those ideas into actual movement during filming. The collaboration between the two allowed the song to hold both emotional depth and physical expression on screen.
Why Sharvari’s character wears a turban
Imtiaz also spoke about the relationship between the two characters. Sharvari plays Gia, and Vedang plays Kinu. According to the director, Gia dances while imagining Kinu beside her. In doing so, she tries to take on parts of his personality.
That is the reason viewers see Gia wearing a turban in parts of the sequence. She is not just dancing with him in her imagination. She is also becoming him, at least for a moment. It is that kind of emotional detail that Imtiaz said he wanted the song to carry.
The role of AR Rahman
Imtiaz did not go into full detail about Rahman’s involvement in the creative process, but he indicated that the composer played a part in pushing the song in the direction it eventually took. The music, as it stands, supports the quiet and personal mood that the visuals aim to capture.
What the song Is really about
Across his audio recording and the images he shared, Imtiaz kept returning to one idea: that “Maskara” was always meant to be about innocence. Not a grand love story, not a dramatic declaration, but the small, private, sometimes silly way people feel love for the first time.
The dupatta, the imagined partner, the borrowed turban, these were not just visual choices. According to Imtiaz, they came from real feeling, real memories, and real conversations on set. That is the story behind “Maskara.”