Veteran filmmaker Muzaffar Ali, the man Bollywood's cult classic behind Umrao Jaan (1981), is ready with his next period drama, Jaanisaar. The film, produced by Kotwara Studios, is set to release nationwide shortly.

Though he did make a few films between Umrao Jaan and Jaanisaar, the filmmaker, who has been on a hiatus, is still remembered for the nuanced period drama starring Rekha and Farooq Shaikh.

Jaanisaar features Pakistani actor Imran Abbas and marks the Bollywood debut of fashion entrepreneur Pernia Qureshi. It also has Dalip Tahil and Bina Kak in the supporting cast.

Set in the pre-Independence era, it is a love story of a Westernised boy and a girl deeply rooted in the ethos of Indian culture. It is a musical and has talent from Bollywood and Pakistan like Shreya Ghoshal, Sukhwinder Singh and Abida Parveen lending it their magic.

Says producer Meera Ali, “We are ready to bring Jaanisaar, a film that showcases interesting aspects of history, to the cinemas soon. With his extensive research and imagination, Muzaffar has beautifully woven real incidents into a fantastic love story.“

Muzaffar adds, “I pick subjects that have intrigue. This film highlights our culture that existed during pre-Independence era. The love story has been effectively portrayed by Pernia and Imran who share an amazing onscreen chemistry.''