Gone to Pray

By Divya Kaushik /TNN, "‘Jaipur gives me peace’" - The Times of India - India
Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Known for his many works as a film maker and a designer, Muzaffar Ali is now ready to edit a spiritual magazine

When the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Indo-Swiss Friendship Treaty took off in Jaipur last week, amidst a strong presence of both Indian and Swiss delegates, film-maker and designer Muzaffar Ali seemed to represent the Indian intelligentsia.

Ali in his trademark style – sporting his white flowing hair and a smart black outfit, turned up for the pre-launch of the event, and even before anyone had, had the chance to chat with him, he had disappeared.

He had apparently gone to pray at the dargah in Ajmer. “I told myself, no matter how short my visit is this time, I will definitely visit the dargah,” said Ali, as he spoke to us on the phone on his way back from Ajmer.

His religious visit over, he was ready to talk about things spiritual. “I am coming up with a magazine called Who which is a spiritual magazine with Sufism as its principle,” shares the maverick director, credited to have made the hugely famous Umrao Jaan in 1981.

And it’s this magazine that brought him to Jaipur. He wanted to share the concept of the magazine with the people of the Pink City. “I know Jaipur as a very cultural city where people still are some what in touch with their history. The response was good and they were really interested in knowing more and more about the magazine,” says Ali adding, “I have been here many times in the past and get that peace that people usually hunt for in metropolitan cities like Delhi. It is good to find people here who are comparatively relaxed and have time for each other.”

So, he is fond of Jaipur, as he is of history. And his next two projects will be based on historical stories, and at least one will be shot in Jaipur.

“Of the two stories, one is based on the life of a Rumi poet and the other on Noorjahan and Jahangir,” he reveals. And while one has heard of Ali crossing the border to Pakistan in search of the cast for his movie, for locations, his hunt has brought him to Jaipur.

“Though it will be too early to predict anything, but I am planning to shoot most parts of the film on Noorjahan and Jahangir in Jaipur and use the heritage and craft of the city. I also will try to use the craftsmen from Jaipur in my movie,” he adds.

The Padma Shri awardee has been known as a filmmaker who has introduced the audience to various subjects and has never used cinema solely as a medium of entertainment. Is that intentional, we ask.

“We need to learn that movies are not just about entertainment, at least I don’t take movies that way. I think it is a vast arena and so interesting that the more you try to go deep into it, the more you get involved. There is so much to be explored about film making. When I think of film making, I think I still have a long way to go,” he says, his tone almost confessional.

Coming back to his films, we ask, why he has chosen two historical subjects this time around, and even before the question is complete, he says, “Because history fascinates me. There is so much for people to know about in history. In future too, I might just be making films based on history because it’s my passion”.