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Monday, Jun 30, 2008
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Fabricating dreams on screen

Poet, designer and Film-maker Muzaffar Ali

From fashioning films to styling tradition to suit contemporary sensibilities Muzaffar Ali, the man responsible for the survival of Kotwara ‘karigars’, dons many hats. Madhur Tankha takes a close look at the multi-coloured life that the artiste has knitted for himself.

A man of many parts, Muzaffar Ali has left an indelible mark on the related realms of films and fashion.

Sparing time from his haute couture show here in the Capital this past week, Muzaffar Ali said that as a youngster he was passionate about painting and never imagined he would later develop a fondness for films.

“I was deeply interested in painting while studying at Lucknow’s La Martiniere College. My love for cinema developed while I was staying in Calcutta. I worked as an accounts executive in an advertising agency of which, luckily, Satyajit Ray was Chairman. We would inevitably end up discussing various aspects of filmmaking even though he wasn’t a full-fledged filmmaker then. With his intellectual prowess and knowledge about movies, Ray influenced me and (this) was one of the main reasons why I developed a fascination for films and started pursuing my dreams on celluloid.”

Tryst with Big-Screen

Speaking about his debut film as director, Muzaffar Ali says he chose to make “Gaman” in his Kotwara village to highlight the worrisome fact that big cities gobble up small villages. “Unfortunately it is an irreversible process and this trend continues in the 21st Century. But if you simply show this fact in a routine manner then it would end up becoming a documentary. So I tried to show the beauty of heartbreak of leaving one’s ancestral village. It was an important element as the audience would recall it with a feeling. I made the film as after my father’s death I didn’t want people in Kotwara village to abandon their homes. Through the film I wanted to provide some sort of employment to the villagers.”

Muzaffar Ali says as that the film’s protagonist was supposed to move from his village to a big city he wanted to rope in an artiste with a soft face. “I didn’t want to sign an actor who looked street smart. One-film-old Farooque Sheikh fit the bill as his countenance showed the vulnerability and helplessness. I decided to pit accomplished actor Smita Patil opposite Farooque as her face conveyed a feeling of yearning and waiting.”

“Gaman” may have won critical acclaim but it was his epoch-making “Umrao Jaan” -- starring a bejewelled Rekha as the protagonist -- that made him a household name. While making the film, Muzaffar Ali saw to it that the songs showed flashes of old fashioned settings of Lucknow.

“The film only showed what I had really seen during my childhood. In fact, I depicted the scene before and after the uprising of 1857. It was the story of a helpless woman from Faizabad who ended up becoming a courtesan. I had not crafted the exquisitely designed jewellery for Rekha. Every film must have a special feature that can entice cinema lovers to book tickets in theatres and in this film I wanted to show the nuances of beautifully-spoken Urdu,” says the man with an eye for detail.

Besides fashioning artistic designs in cotton, Muzaffar Ali is busy browsing through historical epics these days. “I am interested in making a period film on Noor Jehan and Jehangir. Though I am yet to think of a title for the film, I am clear that the movie will be based on the saga of their life. The film is at the scripting stage now.”

Muzaffar Ali says he has fond memories of the picturesque Kashmir Valley. One of his upcoming bilingual ventures titled “Zoomi” is about the famous Kashmiri poet Habba Khatun. “I am pretty keen to start making this film but the problems in the Valley are not conducive enough to start filming. So once things return to normality I will go there to shoot. ”

Reviving Tradition

Making it clear that his foray into the world of fashion was an attempt to bring the unique craftsmanship of ‘karigars’ from his village into the limelight , he says, “The label Kotwara was created way back in 1990 with a view to revive traditional crafts of the region.”

The designer adds, “We also wanted to add a contemporary thrust through sensitive portrayal of the region’s ethos, upgrading its design content and creating modern day relevance in its application.”

Pointing out that his label has spearheaded a vast movement in the area, Muzaffar Ali says: “The label integrates traditional craft skills of weaving silk, wool, brocade and cotton along with embroideries in ‘chikan’, ‘kamdani’ and ‘zardozi’ integrating innovative stitching techniques of ‘tukri’ and ‘daraz.’ To ensure that all karigars get employment, I started ‘Dwar Pe Rozi’ that entails education for their children.”

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