Muzaffar Ali: The person for all seasons

Chatting with Muzaffar Ali is replete with previous world attraction. His impeccable Urdu diction, the pauses, the grace… all mix to take you again to a time that has lengthy been consigned to pages of historical past. There is a component of wistfulness, some good nostalgia when he talks of Kotwara, his ancestral home, the place historical past resided on the mantelpiece and riches lay within the courtyard. His father, Raja Syed Sajid Hussain, was a person with a lot to commend. A taluqdar wedded to humanism, but a person who appreciated sure privileges that life bestowed on him. “The abolition of zamindari was a recreation changer. Some taluqdars couldn’t come to phrases with it. As I noticed altering social matrix, it was a sign for me that I couldn’t be on this feudal zone. I needed to do one thing alone,” says famous filmmaker-fashion designer and sufi music lover Muzaffar Ali.

His autobiography, curiously titled  Zikr: Within the Mild and Shade of Time is being talked about as a lot for the frankness with which he describes his early days as the heat he shows when speaking of his household, movies and poetry. As he says, “Poetry would come and obtain me with open arms. After the unfulfilled saga of  Zooni, I discovered new that means in poetry and music.”

He was drawn to the hospices of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, and Delhi, town of saints, one thing that will enrich his Sufi oeuvre within the years to return. In 2001, it manifested itself as a celebration of sufi music with Jahan-e-Khusrau in Delhi. He teamed up with the formidable Begum Abida Parveen from Pakistan, and shortly music lovers had been swaying to Raqs-e-Bismil. It was uplifting so long as it lasted. Will or not it’s doable to revive the heady days? “Actually troublesome within the present local weather. The partitions between the 2 nations have been raised too excessive, however sure, in future, if a chance presents itself, then why not? Sufi music introduced folks collectively. Faith was not purported to pit folks towards one another however rejoice one another.”

All of it stemmed from his abiding love for sufiism, Chishti, Nizamuddin Auliya, Amir Khusrau and Rumi. “Their phrases gave me wings,” he says. These had been the wings which noticed him redefine his relationship with Kotwara, embrace the place he as soon as regarded with studied indifference.

On his personal phrases

“As soon as I left Kotwara, I by no means actually went again for a substantial stretch of time. I had no real interest in feudal paraphernalia. Issues modified after my father died,” says Muzaffar. Between leaving Kotwara and coming again, he went into the world of promoting, then had a quick stint at Air India earlier than coming into the world of Hindi cinema. In 1990, he launched his couture model Home of Kotwara with spouse Meera to revive the standard crafts and textiles of the Awadh area. All on his personal phrases, and in his personal inimitable approach.

Again within the late 1970s when the frequent man was relishing the escapist fare churned out by dream retailers, he selected to do  Gaman, a movie steeped in realism. In what was to change into his signature, Muzaffar listened to his coronary heart and selected to work with music composer Jaidev and singer Chhaya Ganguly for the movie. The outcome was a winner referred to as ‘Aap ki yaad aati rahi’ and a timeless melody ‘Seene predominant jalan aankhon mein toofan’. By the way, the songs had been penned by the reclusive Shahryaar. “I selected Shahryaar clearly due to our Aligarh Muslim College connection and likewise as a result of his poetry resonated with me. It presumably drove me to do sure form of movies. However sure, he was not meant for Bombay cinema. He by no means shifted to Bombay,” remembers Muzaffar.

This deep respect for Shahryaar’s poetry gave delivery to the timeless songs of  Umrao Jaan comparable to ‘In ankhon ki masti ke’, ‘Justuju jis ki thhi’ and ‘Ye kya jagah hai doston’. Jaidev who was initially drafted, was changed. “Due to my proximity, I might take a number of liberties with Shahryaar however with Jaidev sahab, issues didn’t work out for  Umrao Jaan. His compositions had been good however they lacked sure vitality. Additionally, I used to be not fully proud of the best way Madhurani sang them. So I went to Khayyam sahab. And Asha Bhosle got here in. She needed to learn the novel on which the movie was based mostly to do justice to the songs. She got here disarmed and totally dedicated,” says Muzaffar concerning the movie which modified Asha Bhosle’s picture of simply being a superb cabaret track artiste. “Her Urdu diction took many unexpectedly. Every track for her was like an act of worship. She would write ‘Om’ on prime of the web page, then write down the lyrics, repeating them quietly earlier than going for recording. Her dedication was matched by Rekha on whom most songs had been picturised. Every track opened a window to Rekha’s soul. All people related to  Umrao Jaan appeared to be listening to his or her internal calling, very similar to the best way a sufi would.”

Umrao Jaan turned a part of historical past. It was for Muzaffar what  Mughal-e-Azam was for Okay. Asif or  Pakeezah for Kamal Amrohi. “You can have a look at it that approach,” he says.

In fact, he additionally made  Aagaman quickly after  Umrao Jaan and  Anjuman slightly later. Within the former, Anupam Kher made his debut, within the latter, Shabana Azmi truly sang 4 songs! Nonetheless, any speak of his movie journey could be incomplete with out the point out of  Zooni, a movie based mostly on the peasant poetess of Kashmir, Habba Khatoon.  Zooni was being shot in Kashmir in 1989 when militancy raised its ugly head. At the same time as Dimple Kapadia left the director spellbound together with her efficiency, the hero Vinod Khanna, didn’t present up for a lot of capturing schedules. With militancy rising, it was a race towards time to finish the movie and Muzaffar was not helped by the hero’s absence. Will the movie ever be accomplished? He sighs, saying, “We lived on hope for a very long time, however issues by no means actually modified. At this time issues are completely totally different.”