Filmmaker Muzaffar Ali Spoke on the Re-Release of ‘Umrao Jaan’ | Filmmaker Muzaffar Ali said on the re-localize of ‘Umrao Jaan’: Half the film was made while working in AI, Rekha was perfect for this role

Filmmaker Muzaffar Ali’s classic film ‘Umrao Jaan’ is releasing on the big screen in the 4K version on June 27 after 44 years. Filmmakers are also launching ‘A Coffee Table Book’ on the occasion, including the film’s makeing, photos, costume sketches, poems and stories of the set.

Recently, Muzaffar Ali shared memories related to actors including film making and set stories during a special conversation with Dainik Bhaskar. Muzaffar Ali said that at that time there was no such actress other than Rekha who could play the role of ‘Umrao Jaan’. Read some more special parts of the conversation ..

Muzaffar Ali says ‘Umrao Jaan’ tells how today’s woman sees herself in the eyes yesterday and the coming days.

Question- What is the feelings on the re-localize of ‘Umrao Jaan’ after 44 years?

answer- One such thing that has been so strongly felt and deeply thought out, after years, in the new veneer, the 4K version came in the version and along with it, a unique feeling is felt inside. It is a film of every generation mood.

Question- What kind of memories are there during the shooting of the film?

answer- Before ‘Umrao Jaan’, I made the film ‘Gaman’ while living in Air India. People thought how did he make a film while living in Air India? Then Ratan Tata Saheb told those people that you play cricket and hockey while living in Air India, what happened if he made a film on his holiday?

While living in Air India, I made half ‘Umrao Jaan’. Which was part of Lucknow. All the characters in the film, they are living, well-known. It was both responsibility and challenge to present them to the new world.

Question- Making a film while in Air India was a challenge in itself, apart from this, there were more problems?

answer- No film has been made till date without any problem. There is no benefit from thinking about problems after getting so much success. The biggest thing is that people from outside have a lot of difficulty in entering the industry. He and we have a different world. Through this film, we had to slowly bring everyone together in such a way that there should be no difference to us.

Question- Rekha has a very amazing casting in ‘Umrao Jaan’, what was going on in the mind when you thought about her?

answer- I had a person like ‘Umrao Jaan’ in my mind, who was going to bathe and fall for a time. The biggest thing in the performance is an eye. Looking at Rekha, I felt that there was that pain in his eyes, which can create caffems in the scene.

Question- Rekha had said in an interview that even though she received the National Award for the film, she had to do anything for the character, she was flowing with the character, which was coming out at that time?

answer- His character in his character was the main thing. Things keep changing, but it was a big thing to present the truth of the time by coming out of that current situation and showing the truth that Rekha showed with her payment.

‘Umrao Jaan’ was released on 2 January 1981.

Question- Apart from Rekha ji, how was the casting of Farukh Sheikh, Naseeruddin Shah and Raj Babbar?

answer- I could see a life and an art in everyone. Everyone played his character so easily that the audience joined him. I wanted to make a film for the audience. The audience is God for me. It is a different thing to shake hands with the tongue inside the audience and their vigor. People are afraid of hugging. They argue that the audience will not understand, it is our mistake. Think that there is a deep feeling inside the audience. Their heart is pakija. I had to get inside that pakija heart with my work.

Question- The songs and music of this film also landed in the hearts of the people. Khayyam Saheb’s style, Asha Bhosle’s voice and Rekha ji’s payment?

answer- Before ‘Umrao Jaan’, Shaharyar Saheb had written the songs of my film ‘Gaman’. For ‘Umrao Jaan’, a 19th century woman had to descend into life and present her story in poetry. Shaharyar Saheb said that are you getting women writing ghazals? I said you think about it. I gave an example of a ghazal “What is this place, friends, what is this Daya-e-Nagah where ..” I said that this is your starting point.

This woman has to reach here, what has happened to that woman before? It has to be brought in it. It was a unique journey for us and Shaharyar. From the same appearance, Khayyam Saheb was drowning in it, bringing the color of Lucknow, was a big task. However, Khayyam Saheb never went to Lucknow. I think the smell of Lucknow will be found in the nagam of ‘Umrao Jaan’, it will not be found anywhere. It was a special journey of Shaharyar Saheb, Khayyam Saheb and Asha ji.

Asha ji felt that she had come elsewhere. For him, this film was a different world. In which it was not easy to get off easily. Asha ji read scripts, books and poems and went into a different world. All these things reached the line and reached the line. The biggest thing in this is the people who do not understand. That is the payment, when a beautiful woman speaks a beautiful tongue, it is like an atomic explosion. Then no one can escape from him.

When a beautiful woman speaks Urdu tongue, doom comes. The ghazals that have been choreographed in it could not be done by any ordinary Bollywood man. It has a close attention. Kumudini Lakhia did a lot of amazing choreography.

Muzaffar Ali says that there is a matter of woman’s reputation in ‘Umrao Jaan’.

Question- Where did the idea of ​​re-logging in 4K version come from?

answer- During the film festival, some directors said that the film should be released again, while the film is over. Negative was stuck. The 15 -minute scenes were missing from the negative that was negative with the World Right Controller. We are lucky that everything got available from somewhere. The National Film Archive of India (NFAI) and the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) together updated it.

Question- You are also bringing a book with the film?

answer- This was a big job. This book will make history. It has around 250 photos. Nowadays people do not have a record. All things in Mumbai are not safe. I kept all in Lucknow.

Question- Which of those pictures is the closest of those pictures?

answer- There are many. Rekha has put doom in those pictures. Those moments will not meet anywhere. All the photos are unique.