Indian actors are not used to acting, says Muzaffar Ali

A true aficionado of Indian history, Muzaffar Ali, an accomplished painter and a much-celebrated filmmaker, just can’t get enough of showcasing the nation’s rich heritage and vibrant culture. The perfectionist, whose masterpiece ‘Umrao Jaan’, a visual delight that still tops the classic archives, is all set to woo the audiences again with his grand moviemaking skills. With a plethora of films in the pipeline, Ali, the multi-faceted artist, is set to bring alive some of the most mystifying and strong personalities that helped the country trudge the right path. A self confessed lover of history, Ali, dressed in a casual black shirt and beige pants, with easy manners, sat down for tete-a-tete with Tanu Talwar of Spicezee.com at Crossword bookstore as he spoke about his fascination for the opulent Indian traditions and his love for films, painting and poetry.

Tanu: You are a painter and a filmmaker, what form of art is the most satisfying according to you? Ali: I feel that filmmaking is more satisfying. It’s more exciting and a complete form of art. Besides, I think that it is more rewarding and gives an individual a higher level of recognition. It feels great when fans come to me after so many years and appreciate my films. They recognise and applaud the fact that a person like me, who has been bought up in Lucknow, could bring the magnificence and richness of Rajasthan so beautifully onscreen in ‘Umrao Jaan’. Besides, I am also a great fan of poetry and am inspired by a number of poets whose work I find very motivating. Tanu: Though your films have done really well, you abstain from doing routine filmmaking. Why? Ali: Moviemaking is a tough business. It takes a lot of time for everything to fall in place. Besides time and hard work, one also needs to get the right kind of team in place. But above all, I feel, the toughest job is to find supporters for your project. It’s difficult to find promoters, especially for me. The genres of films that I make don’t find immediate support. My films are either women centric or historical in nature. It’s tough to get a budget for such subjects. These days, films are allotted budget based on the hero. Female leads are still not taken seriously. Tanu: So, are you saying that Bollywood is hero centric? Ali: Yes, very much. It always has been. Tanu: Buzz has it that you have signed Amitabh Bachchan for your film ‘Adrenalin’. Could you tell us what’s the film about? Ali: ‘Adrenalin’ is about motor sports. As far as Amitabh Bachchan is concerned, we are very keen on working together, but a lot of factors have to be worked out. It’s a long process but you will know in due course of time. As of now, I am looking for an international scriptwriter for the film. Tanu: Your film, ‘Umaro Jaan’ was made again by JP Dutta with Aishwarya Rai in the lead. Were you convinced by the way the movie was made? Ali: I wasn’t in consent of the remake. I feel that no artist would like his work to be replicated, but I kept mum. Also, once you give a piece of art to people, it’s for them to judge. And the audience spoke for me. You can see for yourself how the remake fared. Tanu: So, what are you currently working on? Ali: Well, for now, I am engrossed in two projects. I am making films on Sufi poet Jalaudin Rumi and Empress Nur Jahan. Of the two, Rumi is in a more advanced stage. The script is almost done and I have also short listed the rest of the technical team. This project is very close to my heart and I have got the best team onboard, based on how close they feel about this film. From the cinematographer, music director, to the casting, I am looking for Oscar winners. Tanu: Why not cast Indian actors? Ali: Indian actors are not used to acting. They are too uptight and think that they are larger than the film. They are cast in strange ways and don’t know how to read between the lines. They are so over the top, there is no subtleness left in their acting. They don’t know when to practice restraint. It’s too complicated to deal with them. Tanu: What about Nur Jahan? Ali: The film is still in the planning stages. Though the script is almost finished, I am now looking for a female lead and have approached three actresses for the role, but can’t give out their names just as yet. Tanu: These days, a lot of big budget movies are made that fall flat at the BO. What are aspects, you think, films lack these days? Ali: Films nowadays are so close to each other in terms of their plot and the way the subject is handled. They are made sans any imagination. No one is willing to take risks. And audiences can barely differentiate one film from the other. Money and big stars can’t make a movie work. Movies need to offer something new, especially today, when television has exposed people to the best of the cinema available. Audiences can’t be fooled. Indian cinema is getting too commercial and offers no mystery. There was a time when filmmakers used to narrate a film’s story through the facial features of a woman—an art barely grasped by the present generation of filmmakers. Tanu: You have limited yourself to making historical films. Why? Ali: As a filmmaker my aim is to present India’s rich culture and diversity to the world. I want to introduce them to our broadmindedness through our art. I hope to present the vision that our leaders had for us. Both Rumi and Nur Jahan have widely influenced the course of history. Nur Jahan was one of the most significant women of her times. She promoted Indian art and had a wide interest in different cultures. Tanu: What are the quintessential elements of making a historical? Ali: Absolute dedication is a must for making a historical. The first thing a director has to keep in mind is that the slice of history, he is planning to present, should be relevant to the present day. It should make a strong connection with the audience. People should be able to relate to that period. The characters shown must be humane and the era must be exotic. But above all, a filmmaker has to research the subject thoroughly. Films give us the freedom to combine facts with fiction. But while making a historical, a director must very carefully arrive at a combination that has just the right balance between both. Tanu: As a painter, which artist’s work do you admire the most? Ali: Sezan, Ram Kumar, Gaitonde, Leonardo Da Vinci, Tyeb Mehta, and Capri’s work motivates me. Tanu: Tyeb Mehta recently passed away… Ali: Tyeb was a very close friend. He was one of the best painters and was extremely passionate about his art. He spoke very little and never promoted his work. Tanu: With Indian talent like AR Rahman being applauded on an international platform, what future do you see for Indian cinema? Ali: Indian cinema, according to me, lost its course after filmmakers like Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen were sidelined. The emergence of new Indian cinema has not lived up to the international standards. According to me, Indian art has achieved much more on an international platform than our cinema. As for Rahman, I feel that he has been very intelligently packaged. No doubt that he has done a commendable job and the film (Slumdog Millionaire) is praiseworthy, but I feel the film fails to show the Indian spirit. I think it is very tongue-in-cheek.