Showing posts with label Jaanisaar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jaanisaar. Show all posts
Imran Abbas, the other Pakistani actor from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, whom MNS forgot, speaks up
8:06 AM
Banished from Bollywood like the rest of his colleagues, actor Imran Abbas, who missed hate bullets targeted at Fawad Khan, 'understands' why Karan Johar made a promise that got him only flak. The popular and hopeful actor says he's only received love from India
Usman Ghafoor (MID-DAY; November 9, 2016)
Amidst all the hoopla that surrounded Fawad Khan’s special appearance in Karan Johar’s Diwali blockbuster, 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil', there is one Pakistani actor who escaped mention in the media despite playing an interesting character in the film. Imran Abbas, who is a popular face across the border and played Anushka Sharma’s boyfriend in the film, admits that he is disappointed that Hindi films are no longer screened in his country, but wonders how effective bans are when Pakistanis watched pirated copies of Ae Dil and travelled to Dubai to catch a show.
Abbas is better known for his hit television shows, 'Mera Naseeb' and 'Noor Bano', that ran famously on Zee TV’s Zindagi before the channel self-imposed a ban on Pak content in the wake of the Uri terrorist attacks. Abbas was the original face of Zindagi when it launched in June 2014. The same year, he debuted in Bollywood with Vikram Bhatt’s fantasy horror film 'Creature 3D', opposite Bipasha Basu. He followed it up with a period film, 'Jaanisar', which was directed by Muzaffar Ali, whose 1981 classic 'Umrao Jaan' remains Abbas’s all-time favourite. Later, his TV play 'Mera Naam Yousaf Hai' also premiered on Star Plus, UK. It was Star’s first syndicated Pakistani drama serial.
'Ae Dil'… was to be Abbas’s most prominent project in Bollywood, even though it had him in a guest appearance. To be fair, even Fawad Khan’s character turned out to be no more than an extended cameo. “I was so looking forward to the release of Ae Dil…,” Abbas admits, talking exclusively to mid-day from Islamabad, his hometown.
After the release of 'Ae Dil'… though, Abbas was quoted as saying that his role had been chopped rather unkindly, a statement that viral on the Internet. He puts it on record that the comments were wrongly attributed to him, “I have yet to watch the film!”
Speaking about his role in the movie, he says, “It was a fun part. Faisal propels the characters played by Anushka Sharma and Ranbir Kapoor to double-date.” He also gets more screen time than Alia Bhatt and Shah Rukh Khan, the other guest stars in the film.
Back home, Abbas has just had the second season of his hugely successful drama, Khuda Aur Mohabbat (2011) out. In the pipeline are a couple of other TV shows.
He says he hasn’t had the time to mull over the ban on Pak artistes imposed by Mumbai’s producers’ associations, or the reasons that led to it. Bait him, and he only wishes things would take a turn for the better.
Edited excerpts from the interview.
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil happens to be your most prominent Bollywood film, even though you feature in a guest role. Was it disappomting that it didn’t release in your home country?
It felt bad, more so because of the tense relationship between India and Pakistan. But it’s a very sensitive subject and I wouldn’t want to get into it. Having said that, I’m sad that Bollywood movies aren’t showing in (Pakistani) cinemas. I know though that fans of Karan [Johar], Ranbir [Kapoor] and Anushka [Sharma] here would watch ADHM anyway, on pirated DVDs, or via torrent downloads. I even know of people who went to Dubai to watch the movie in theatres.
Incidentally, your earlier film, Jaanisar also didn’t release in Pakistan.
Yes, Jaanisar didn’t make it past the censor board in Pakistan, which kind of shocked me because it’s such a beautiful film and it only shows Hindus and Muslims living peacefully together in the ‘pre-War of Independence’ times. It wasn’t anti-Pakistan or anti-Muslim in any way.
It was quite a surprise for your Pakistani fans, when you landed a part in Ae Dil…, and you didn’t even hint at it until September last year when you tweeted, “Having wonderful time in London with the team of my new movie.”
It’s a guest appearance, so I didn’t make any noise about it. I signed on [the film] on the suggestion of my friend Manish Malhotra. Initially, I wasn’t sure if I should but because it was a Dharma Productions’ film and especially when I came to know that Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt also had guest roles in it, I couldn’t say no.
Are you in touch with your friends in Mumbai?
Of course. And, most of my friends are from outside the film industry.
What was your first reaction to Karan Johar’s video post where he expressed the resolve not to engage with any Pak artistes in the future?
I could understand how much pressure he must have felt to come to this point [of making the statement].
Did you speak to Karan after?
No, I got busy, and I’m sure he is busy with his stuff.
Have you received hate mail from Indians on social media?
See, we are a very jazbaati qaum (sentimental people). I’ll give you the example of an India-Pakistan cricket match. Every time it is played, we hear a lot of hate comments from both parties. It’s our natural response to such a situation. But in normal circumstances, it would be very different. I can vouch for that because I have got great love from the Indian public. I never faced any negativity.
If things go back to the way they were, would you return to Bollywood?
I had a great time working in the Hindi film industry, and any actor would only be happy to get the chance to be part of Bollywood. But I am not obsessed about any particular workplace. I am open to good offers from literally anywhere in the world.
I will marry when the time is right-Pernia Qureshi
7:58 AM
Pernia Qureshi, after separating from ex-husband Arjun Prasad, has been juggling between Mumbai and Delhi; will be heading on a Kuchipudi India tour next
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 7, 2015)
Daughter of Delhi-based meat magnate Moin Qureshi, Pernia Qureshi's wedding was the talk of the town after news spread that her John Galliano-designed gown had cost Rs 80 lakh. The actress tied the knot with UK-based banker, Arjun Prasad, in 2011, and they moved into an apartment in Lodhi Gardens, paid for by the bride's father. In less than a year, the couple split. Hot-headed Arjun reportedly got into a spat with Priyanka Gandhi's high-profile husband, Robert Vadra, at the launch of a nightclub. He also supposedly got into a verbal altercation with Amar Sareen, Pernia's former friend. There was also talk of Arjun taking off with some of his father-in-law's money. Last heard, Arjun was cooling his heels off in Dubai.
Elegant and dignified, Pernia insists that the experience hasn't put her off the institution. "At the moment I'm happy being single and busy with my work. But when the time is right, I will marry. Right now, I am focussing all my energy on work," she asserts, with her head held high. The fashionista-turned-fashion designer makes her acting debut today in Umrao Jaan director, Muzaffar Ali's comeback film, Jaanisaar. The period romance set 20 years after the First War of Indian Independence in 1857, has her as Noor, courtesan who has lost her heart to an Indian prince, Ameer, brought up in England, played by Pakistani actor, Imran Abbas Naqvi. Before the film went on the floors last year, Pernia trained with Kathak maestro, Pandit Birju Maharaj, in Delhi. "Not all dancers are great teachers but Maharajji is both. We grew close during the course of our one-on-one dance sessions and I will cherish his teachings forever," says Pernia, recalling how she kept looking towards Ali for approval when they were shooting a Kathak dance, but he kept a poker face, only complimenting her after the shoot was over. "His opinion really matters because I know Muzaffar sir never says anything flattering or frivolous. But he has always made his women look sensual and I trust him implicitly."
Next month, she takes off on a nationwide Kuchipudi dance tour and plans to start learning Odissi next year. What about movies? Pernia admits that there are no offers in hand, at the moment. "I'd rather wait and do a great film with a director I look up to than one just for the heck of it," she shrugs.
You only have to look into her beautiful face to know this isn't just another actress. Her parents insisted she complete her education before pursuing a Bollywood career.
She got a Masters degree in dance from the US and returned to India five years ago. Her first job was as costume designer for childhood buddy, Sonam Kapoor's home production, Aisha. "It was by a random coincidence that I got associated with the romcom. I was barely paid anything but I enjoyed it since it was my first real job," she reminisces with a smile.
She's often been in the news for her close bonding with Sonam Kapoor and of late, Jacqueline Fernandez. But she's quick to point out that they are not her only friends. "I have no hang-ups. I get along with everyone from my generation, even if they are rival designers like Masaba (Gupta) and Nikhil (Thampi). They are my close friends," says Pernia who has launched her own clothing line, a pop-up store and multiple fashion labels. "I want to go international with my line and store by year end," she signs off.
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 371
3:37 PM
WILL BANGISTAN TURN OUT TO BE ANOTHER FUKREY?
Excel Entertainment over the years has been associated with qualitative cinema. Hence, despite the low buzz, there’s some sort of excitement for Bangistan, that releases tomorrow. It stars Riteish Deshmukh, Pulkit Samrat and Jacqueline Fernandez and is directed by Karan Anshuman, who rose to fame as a critic of Mumbai Mirror. The film is based on a great idea. Bangistan is actually a fictional country, divided into 2 parts – North Bangistan is Muslim dominated while South Bangistan is Hindu dominated. Two people from both sides are brainwashed and sent as suicide bomber to a world religion conference in Poland, leading to madness and laughter. The film gives a message, as per the makers, but is not preachy. Songs haven’t worked at all but the idea of Bangistan has somewhere caught attention.
The film was to release last week. But since Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Baahubali were going strong and Drishyam would have served as strong competition, the makers decided to shift ahead by a week. However, tomorrow it’ll face competition from the Hollywood biggie Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation that’ll surely open better than Bangistan. But Bangistan can score if response is good. 2 years back, Excel came up with Fukrey, a film that looked entertaining but lacked buzz. Expectedly, the opening was poor but the word of mouth was so positive that it emerged as a commercial success. Bangistan gives out a similar vibe and if all goes well, it can also work.
The other release of the week is Jaanisaar. It is directed by Umrao Jaan director Muzaffar Ali and stars Imran Abbas and Pernia Qureshi. It is a period drama and has been shot very well, as evident from the promos. It doesn’t seem like a caricature and attempts to give an authentic depiction of 1870s Lucknow. Sadly, it doesn’t look that exciting. Its release itself is very low and the collections are going to be extremely poor.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE BANGISTAN OR JAANISAAR AND WHY? DO LET ME KNOW!
Rekha, Smita Patil were ladies with a dream; Shabana Azmi is a woman with a cause-Muzaffar Ali
8:15 AM
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; August 6, 2015)
Muzaffar Ali, 70, may be
soft-spoken with impeccable manners, but he is also
invisibly headstrong. He is fixated to his environment, be it his
paintings or his ambience, and wants to have a constant dialogue with
it. A painter from his childhood, he is romantic and today has learnt to
have a great sense of record. He needs his family and friends to
put him together, but he's also extremely clear on
exactly what he wants. He may have married thrice, but has been
consistent with his commitment to Kotwara. In 1981, he created Rekha as
Umrao Jaan. Over two decades later, he has made Jaanisaar. Over an
hour-long conversation with Bombay Times, he talks about his best
companion his wife Meera, his commitment to Kotwara and why Smita Patil
was his favourite muse. Excerpts:
Tell us about your family background?
I was born in Lucknow but my father, Raja Sajid Husain Ali, was the raja of Kotwara. He had become a raja at a very young age and thus, there was an attempt on his life due to which there was a danger to his life. He was packed off to Edinburgh to study. He returned to India as a man ready to take on the world in 1936. The British opened us up to a strange sense of democracy, which later became communalised just before independence and that finally drove us to becoming two countries, India and Pakistan. I was very young at the time of Partition, but remember lot of family friends being separated from us. I studied at La Martiniere Lucknow after which I did my BSc at Aligarh Muslim University, where I got exposed to poetry that became a very important part of my evolutionary process of waking up to the world. Right from my school, I always won the first prize for painting and was always a painter that till today has helped me in my films as I sketch each scene out before I shoot it. I always wanted to do something creative and so moved to Calcutta to join advertising. I worked as the account executive to Satyajit Ray, who was the art director of Clarion McCann. I was very close to him and would go to his house. I learnt from him how you can take your culture to people through your cinema. I then joined another ad agency ASP where I worked with Shyam Benegal and Aziz Mirza after which I joined Air India where I made a couple of films for them and then made my first film Gaman. I won my first Filmfare Award. It also gave me the strength to make Umrao Jaan.
All your films, be it Gaman or Umrao Jaan, had a central powerful woman character.
Yes, for me the lady has to be strong. She has to make a difference and that comes from my mother. My mother's father was the nawab of Moradabad, but while she too came from a princely background, she always put things in perspective for me in a humane and practical way. In Jaanisaar, there is a scene inspired by the real-life incident that took place with her father. Because he was a revolutionary, the prince of Rampur spied on him, got him arrested and the British tied his body to an elephant's feet and dragged him around Moradabad and that is a very hair-raising thought. I loved my mother the most, I lost her to cancer when I was studying at Aligarh. And I still have very strong memories of her.
Talk about working with Smita Patil in Gaman?
Smita was a dream to work with. Like me, she too was a Libran and we were very similar. She could see the aesthetics in everything one was trying to do and she would respond to a lot of things that normally people don't respond to, like music, people, clothes, dialogues. We had great fun together. Asha Bhosle's daughter was her companion and the whole night, we would sit on the terrace in Kotwara and laugh and people would think that some bhoot had come.
You created Rekha as the Umrao Jaan. What is she like?
She's also a Libran but she's just he opposite of Smita. While Smita surrendered more, Rekha was more reserved. Smita was more stimulating as a muse. She had a different kind of imaginaion. Rekha has a lot of grace. She has a mystery and a quaint sense of humour. She's an interesting person, but we had a very professional relationship. She was a bit temperamental and knew what she was getting into. She was positioned within the the environment, be it the people, the music and everything else that made her Umrao Jaan.
You also worked with Dimple Kapadia in Zooni and with Shabana Azmi in Anjuman.
Dimple has a very interesting sense of romance in her. If Rekha, Smita and Dimple were ladies with a dream, Shabana is a woman with a cause.
Farooq Sheikh was a part of most of your films.
He was my alter ego. He was a gem and what he did for me, I don't think anyone could do for me on screen. He was perceptive, vulnerable, encouraging and supporting.
You lived in Mumbai. What made you move back to Lucknow and Kotwara?
When my father died in 1990, that's the time I left Mumbai to go back to live in Lucknow. I had to take on the responsibility of sorting everything out. In his will, he had said that he did not want to see anyone hungry in Kotwara. He was a big father figure there. Everything fell in place for me and I too felt that why should they have to migrate for work like in my film Gaman? That was also the time I had married my third wife Meera. The first thing I told her at the time of marriage was, 'You are marrying me and Kotwara.' Kotwara has been an important cultural influence on me and I am deeply linked to the people out there. I have also shot most of my films there.
You fought the Lok Sabha elections several times. What made you do that?
I got into politics due to Ayodhya as for me it was a watershed moment and I felt I had to say something politically. I fought against Atal Bihari Vajpayee and lost but still got 2.5 lakhs votes. I have been fighting all my life. In a way, I am fighting even in Bollywood to make films on my own terms. Now I am not politically-aligned but I like Akhilesh Yadav. I am happy that I have managed to convince him to extend the film subsidy to shoot in UP. I am not only politically aligned anymore but am aligned to humanism and secularism that is why my film Jaanisaar is important for me as it can humanise people.
You have married thrice. Talk about your relationship with Subhashini Ali (mother of director Shaad Ali).
We never divorced and are just separated. She was too much into her politics and I was too much into my own madness and our lives were just not fitting in. The whole period of 1988-1990 was the toughest and lowest for me. Zooni had got held up, my younger brother who lived in Liverpool died, I lost my father. When Zooni was stopped, I lost not just all my money, but also faith in people and politics. After Zooni, when I walked out of Kashmir I didn't know where I would go. First I thought I would just stay in Kashmir only as I had fallen in love with the valley. I had been promised many things from the government as a guarantee for my money, but I lost all my money. I came to Delhi and had to literally stand on my own again. I was living out of a suit case in a small room of a friend. And that's when I met Meera. She came as a breath of fresh air and has since been my best companion and wife. That's also when I got into making clothes as I thought that if I could make Rekha look beautiful, then I could also make other women look beautiful.
What do you like the most about Meera?
That she is very loving and compassionate and very responsible. She likes my madness.
What made you make a film like Jaanisaar after so many years?
I always try and live a film. 1857 is an important period in Indian history. Hollywood has explored the holocaust threadbare, we have done nothing for our history. I made Jaanisaar as I felt that the period of history post 1857 needed to be exposed. There was not a tree left from where there were no bodies hanging and I owed it to my country to talk about the sacrifices that have got pushed under the carpet. And while I don't know the market, I do know what goes into people's bloodstream. I still meet people every evening who fill up my glass with Umrao Jaan. It could be a matter of time but I feel Jaanisaar too will get into people's mental cache.
What did your father like the most about you?
He liked my honesty and that I was straightforward. I didn't hide anything from him though he was not always sure about how responsible I could be as I did certain things in my life that reflected my being irresponsible. For instance, he had a very beautiful Italian Rolls-Royce car that he had brought from England, which I just sold. He had a beautiful stamp collection, which I just threw around. Now I have developed a sense of record and that is also helping me with my work.
Do you wish he was alive to see you like this?
He would not have given me full marks even now. But, I do know that he is marking me.
Tell us about your family background?
I was born in Lucknow but my father, Raja Sajid Husain Ali, was the raja of Kotwara. He had become a raja at a very young age and thus, there was an attempt on his life due to which there was a danger to his life. He was packed off to Edinburgh to study. He returned to India as a man ready to take on the world in 1936. The British opened us up to a strange sense of democracy, which later became communalised just before independence and that finally drove us to becoming two countries, India and Pakistan. I was very young at the time of Partition, but remember lot of family friends being separated from us. I studied at La Martiniere Lucknow after which I did my BSc at Aligarh Muslim University, where I got exposed to poetry that became a very important part of my evolutionary process of waking up to the world. Right from my school, I always won the first prize for painting and was always a painter that till today has helped me in my films as I sketch each scene out before I shoot it. I always wanted to do something creative and so moved to Calcutta to join advertising. I worked as the account executive to Satyajit Ray, who was the art director of Clarion McCann. I was very close to him and would go to his house. I learnt from him how you can take your culture to people through your cinema. I then joined another ad agency ASP where I worked with Shyam Benegal and Aziz Mirza after which I joined Air India where I made a couple of films for them and then made my first film Gaman. I won my first Filmfare Award. It also gave me the strength to make Umrao Jaan.
All your films, be it Gaman or Umrao Jaan, had a central powerful woman character.
Yes, for me the lady has to be strong. She has to make a difference and that comes from my mother. My mother's father was the nawab of Moradabad, but while she too came from a princely background, she always put things in perspective for me in a humane and practical way. In Jaanisaar, there is a scene inspired by the real-life incident that took place with her father. Because he was a revolutionary, the prince of Rampur spied on him, got him arrested and the British tied his body to an elephant's feet and dragged him around Moradabad and that is a very hair-raising thought. I loved my mother the most, I lost her to cancer when I was studying at Aligarh. And I still have very strong memories of her.
Talk about working with Smita Patil in Gaman?
Smita was a dream to work with. Like me, she too was a Libran and we were very similar. She could see the aesthetics in everything one was trying to do and she would respond to a lot of things that normally people don't respond to, like music, people, clothes, dialogues. We had great fun together. Asha Bhosle's daughter was her companion and the whole night, we would sit on the terrace in Kotwara and laugh and people would think that some bhoot had come.
You created Rekha as the Umrao Jaan. What is she like?
She's also a Libran but she's just he opposite of Smita. While Smita surrendered more, Rekha was more reserved. Smita was more stimulating as a muse. She had a different kind of imaginaion. Rekha has a lot of grace. She has a mystery and a quaint sense of humour. She's an interesting person, but we had a very professional relationship. She was a bit temperamental and knew what she was getting into. She was positioned within the the environment, be it the people, the music and everything else that made her Umrao Jaan.
You also worked with Dimple Kapadia in Zooni and with Shabana Azmi in Anjuman.
Dimple has a very interesting sense of romance in her. If Rekha, Smita and Dimple were ladies with a dream, Shabana is a woman with a cause.
Farooq Sheikh was a part of most of your films.
He was my alter ego. He was a gem and what he did for me, I don't think anyone could do for me on screen. He was perceptive, vulnerable, encouraging and supporting.
You lived in Mumbai. What made you move back to Lucknow and Kotwara?
When my father died in 1990, that's the time I left Mumbai to go back to live in Lucknow. I had to take on the responsibility of sorting everything out. In his will, he had said that he did not want to see anyone hungry in Kotwara. He was a big father figure there. Everything fell in place for me and I too felt that why should they have to migrate for work like in my film Gaman? That was also the time I had married my third wife Meera. The first thing I told her at the time of marriage was, 'You are marrying me and Kotwara.' Kotwara has been an important cultural influence on me and I am deeply linked to the people out there. I have also shot most of my films there.
You fought the Lok Sabha elections several times. What made you do that?
I got into politics due to Ayodhya as for me it was a watershed moment and I felt I had to say something politically. I fought against Atal Bihari Vajpayee and lost but still got 2.5 lakhs votes. I have been fighting all my life. In a way, I am fighting even in Bollywood to make films on my own terms. Now I am not politically-aligned but I like Akhilesh Yadav. I am happy that I have managed to convince him to extend the film subsidy to shoot in UP. I am not only politically aligned anymore but am aligned to humanism and secularism that is why my film Jaanisaar is important for me as it can humanise people.
You have married thrice. Talk about your relationship with Subhashini Ali (mother of director Shaad Ali).
We never divorced and are just separated. She was too much into her politics and I was too much into my own madness and our lives were just not fitting in. The whole period of 1988-1990 was the toughest and lowest for me. Zooni had got held up, my younger brother who lived in Liverpool died, I lost my father. When Zooni was stopped, I lost not just all my money, but also faith in people and politics. After Zooni, when I walked out of Kashmir I didn't know where I would go. First I thought I would just stay in Kashmir only as I had fallen in love with the valley. I had been promised many things from the government as a guarantee for my money, but I lost all my money. I came to Delhi and had to literally stand on my own again. I was living out of a suit case in a small room of a friend. And that's when I met Meera. She came as a breath of fresh air and has since been my best companion and wife. That's also when I got into making clothes as I thought that if I could make Rekha look beautiful, then I could also make other women look beautiful.
What do you like the most about Meera?
That she is very loving and compassionate and very responsible. She likes my madness.
What made you make a film like Jaanisaar after so many years?
I always try and live a film. 1857 is an important period in Indian history. Hollywood has explored the holocaust threadbare, we have done nothing for our history. I made Jaanisaar as I felt that the period of history post 1857 needed to be exposed. There was not a tree left from where there were no bodies hanging and I owed it to my country to talk about the sacrifices that have got pushed under the carpet. And while I don't know the market, I do know what goes into people's bloodstream. I still meet people every evening who fill up my glass with Umrao Jaan. It could be a matter of time but I feel Jaanisaar too will get into people's mental cache.
What did your father like the most about you?
He liked my honesty and that I was straightforward. I didn't hide anything from him though he was not always sure about how responsible I could be as I did certain things in my life that reflected my being irresponsible. For instance, he had a very beautiful Italian Rolls-Royce car that he had brought from England, which I just sold. He had a beautiful stamp collection, which I just threw around. Now I have developed a sense of record and that is also helping me with my work.
Do you wish he was alive to see you like this?
He would not have given me full marks even now. But, I do know that he is marking me.
Pernia Qureshi & I have a very sparkling chemistry-Imran Abbas
7:42 AM
MUMBAI MIRROR (August 5, 2015)
Renowned fashion entrepreneur Pernia Qureshi will be making her big Bollywood debut alongside Pakistani heartthrob Imran Abbas in Muzaffar Ali's period drama, Jaanisaar.
The fascinating trailer of the movie produced by Kotwara Studios and Meera Ali has received humongous response and people can't stop raving about Pernia and Imran's on-screen chemistry. The young talented actors share a sizzling chemistry and are beautifully complimenting each other in Jaanisaar.
Imran says, "We have a very sparkling chemistry in the film which one can see beautifully on screen. Pernia is a very fun and easy person to work with and I m glad that for my second film I got to work with such a talented person. To the world she looks very mature because of her image of a young successful entrepreneur but nobody knows her fun side which can be seen through her cute little pranks."
Says Pernia, "Imran and I hit it off as friends very soon after we met. Shooting Jaanisaar was so much fun because I had a friend on set to chat, joke and laugh with. I think this chemistry we share off screen really comes across on screen as well. Muzaffar sir was very happy about it."
Produced by Kotwara Studios and Meera Ali, and directed by Muzaffar Ali, Jaanisaar releases on 7th August 2015.
People have been misled and misdirected-Muzaffar Ali
7:43 AM
Muzaffar Ali talks about putting the past into perspective and educating today’s youth on the cultural history of pre-Independent India
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; August 3, 2015)
As we enter Muzaffar Ali’s Juhu bungalow, we are greeted by his pet dog, Masti, who lies sprawled on a couch specially made for him. The walls are adorned with his paintings and framed poetic verses — apart from being a producer-director, the 70-year-old is a painter, writer, poet and fashion designer too. Ali enters the living room, dressed in an ivory coloured shirt and grey trousers, his white mane kissing his shoulders. His grandchild, Imaan (son of filmmaker Shaad Ali) starts babbling away at his sight. We are meeting Ali to discuss his return to Bollywood after almost three decades with the soon-to-be-released Jaanisaar. Much like his Rekha-starrer classic, Umrao Jaan (1981), this film too is set around the time of India’s first war of independence in 1857. In a candid chat with hitlist , the multi-faced personality explains how he is getting a hang of the publicity blitzkrieg associated with films nowadays…
Do you feel like a beginner considering the filmmaking process has completely changed now?
Since my son (Shaad Ali) is also a filmmaker, there is always talk of films at home. So, it is not that I was totally cut off from it. I might be making a film after years, but there’s other stuff that has kept me busy — from my fashion label to my Sufi music festivals to art and poetry. The people I work with are all young, so I am attuned to what is happening now. What I am learning to grapple with is the market realities of today — how to get an opening with less pressure.
Why do you choose the Indian Rebellion of 1857 as the backdrop for all your films?
That’s because I want to put the past into perspective for the cultured evolution of our society. Today’s youth is evolving with a lot of gaps. There are certain things they ought to know. Some things have been purposely taken out. People have been misled and misdirected. Our democracy is in the doldrums. We are at a crossroads — who to choose, why to choose. In a way, we are going through the dark ages. We need to know what has been going wrong since our first war of independence in 1857. We have to put on our thinking caps. Why does Hollywood keep making films on the American civil war and the holocaust? To make the newer generations aware of what went wrong.
You have always worked with stars. Why did you decide to cast new faces in Jaanisaar?
It is what I, as a director, perceive of them and what I can make of them. This is where the challenge lies for a filmmaker. I cast Imran Abbas after seeing his snapshots. I had not seen him in his Pakistani TV shows and had no idea of his Bollywood aspirations. As far as designer Pernia Qureshi is concerned, I saw her as an interesting raw material that I could mould.
Have you seen the remake of Umrao Jaan by J P Dutta in 2006?
I had heard of it, but I have not seen it. But what is heartening for me is that my film even three decades later is appreciated. There are people who have been born years after Umrao Jaan was made and have seen it… its songs are still remembered.
You have also turned actor with your upcoming film…
This is one more facet to me. My son, Shaad, has directed the scenes featuring me. As my character had to have coloured eyes, I wore contact lenses and due to the discomfort, I wanted him to shoot the scenes as fast as possible.
I felt like a princess in Jaanisaar-Pernia Qureshi
10:08 PM
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; August 2, 2015)
Pernia Qureshi, who
has designed clothes for the likes of Sonam Kapoor in Aisha and has her
own fashion shop Pop-Up, is all set to foray into acting. She is making
her Bollywood debut with Muzaffar Ali’s Jaanisaar. Here, the
designer-turned-actress tells us about her fondness for costume dramas
(no surprise there), why she is the best person to play Noor and the
directors on her wishlist.
Jaanisaar starts 20 years after where Umrao Jaan ended. Why do you think you are the best choice to take the journey ahead?
(Laughs) I think this question should be asked to director Muzaffar Ali. I think he wanted a fresh face for the role. A girl who can live and breathe the role of Noor (her character in the film). Also, she had to be somebody, who is interested in dance because dance and Noor are synonymous with each other. I have been dancing since the age of three and dancers have a certain body language that non-dancers lack. Also, they can effortlessly sport the ethnic look. Muzaffar saab saw me at several dance recitals — I even performed at his sufi festival. He must have liked the way I expressed and emoted to cast me as Noor. Now, that I have lived and breathed Noor for a year, I can’t see anybody else playing her. Noor and I have become best friends. Not only did I get to play a character which has dance at its core, I got to dance to steps choreographed by Kathak legends. It’s a dream debut.
You must have seen Rekha’s Umrao Jaan...
Yes, I have seen it 30 times. Umrao Jaan has been my favourite movie since college days. Rekha is one of the finest actresses we have. She is an example to live by— even if I manage half of what she has achieved it’ll be great. I loved her in Khoobsurat, she was so good in comedy. Actually, she was good in every genre, great at drama — showing a vulnerable, emotional side to her. She is also a fashion icon — so effortlessly stylish and sophisticated. She is an inspiration for all the young girls.
What is the best part about doing a costume drama?
I loved it. I am a girlie girl and love to dress up. I got to wear beautiful clothes and exquisite jewellery. I felt like a princess. In fact, I watch a lot of movies for costumes. My favourite costume drama is Vyjayanthimala’s Amrapali. I would love to remake the film just so that I can wear each and every costume she wore in it. I also like Jodha Akbar and Lagaan. Muhgal-e-Azam is another favourite. The clothes were so feminine, so conservative covering the heroine from top to toe, but yet so sexy. It helped that the most beautiful woman —Madhubala was wearing it! In recent times, Baahubali has some of the best costumes.
After Muzaffar Ali, which other directors do you want to work with?
I enjoy family dramas, that’s my favourite genre. I love Sooraj Barjatya’s films, epecially the way all the traditional functions are shown. Another director I would love to work with is Mani Ratnam. He is a sensitive filmmaker — the way he tells stories, the characters, and shoots his films is visually appealing. He has a great sense of music. He is a genius.
Visa issues forces Imran Abbas to cancel Jaanisaar promotional tour in Chandigarh
7:56 AM
Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; July 31, 2015)
The team of Muzaffar Ali’s Jaanisar, which has been travelling to various cities in India for promotions, had to cancel its Chandigarh visit recently. Reason? Pakistani actor Imran Abbas, who stars in the lead, possesses a travel visa that is valid for limited cities.
A source says, “We were in Lucknow when we got to know that Imran won’t be able to travel to Chandigarh as it was not covered under his travel visa. We didn’t want to go ahead without him, so cancelled the visit altogether. Since it was a last-minute decision, the organisers were in a bit of a soup. We couldn’t do much apart from apologizing profusely to them.”
The actor will also have to miss out on the film’s release — August 7 — as his visa expires two days prior to it. However, he intends to complete the promotions in some other cities here before returning to Pakistan. Imran says, “Before starting the city tours, my visa was sorted for eight cities. However, when I was in Lucknow, I was informed that my Chandigarh visa had to be cancelled. My emergency application too was not approved because of paperwork and hopefully, I will be able to visit these cities in future.”
Not being able to do Aashiqui 2 put me into a depression phase-Imran Abbas
8:52 AM
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; July 27, 2015)
Imran Abbas, 32, is not just
one of the highest paid actors in Pakistan, but is also very sought
after by all the women there. He is simple, emotional and spiritual and
proud of himself being rooted. He hardly has any friends and is a very
private person who remains most happy in his own company and the
environment of his home. He takes people at face value and loves his
mother the most in the world. He doesn't mind people being stupid, but
cannot deal with lies. Over an hour-long conversation, ahead of his
upcoming romantic film Jaanisaar, directed by the extremely artistic
Muzaffar Ali, he talks to Bombay Times about his love for his mother,
what he does with the money he makes and how becoming spiritual has
changed his outlook to life. Excerpts:
You are one of the most sought-after men in Pakistan. Tell us about your background?
I was born and brought up in Islamabad. Right from the age of four, I started painting. I also sing, write and like poetry. My father was a civil engineer in a government job and my mother a housewife. I am the youngest amongst our six siblings. Being the youngest, I was always given a free hand by my parents to do whatever I wanted to. My mother supported me for my painting and allowed me to learn music. I studied architecture from National College of Arts, Lahore as I felt architecture was a good blend of art and engineering. A famous Pakistani photographer Khawar Riaz saw me in my final year and offered me to do modelling for a magazine. The money was really good as I earned Rs 35,000 for just one hour. People started noticing me and I did Pakistani television and since have been doing it past ten years and became the highest paid actor in Pakistan. My last television serial Alvida broke all the records. I was offered Aashiqui 2, but could not take it for another film that I was to do that too did not happen. I then did Vikram Bhatt's Creature and now Muzaffar Ali's Jaanisaar.
Who do you love the most in the world?
My mother as no one has loved me as selflessly as her. I am a reflection of my mother. She has given me everything and I am very connected with her. She has made me very strong spiritually. She never taught me to do anything for money. I am very proud of the values she has given me, of how to always be rooted and level headed, how to respect relationships and elders, how to connect with people and how to disconnect with wrong people. What she likes the most about me is that I don't lie to her. So, if I am answerable in front of my mom, I don't do anything wrong. I am her only child who lives with her now as all my siblings are married and settled. And I consider myself so fortunate that I can look after her. A year back she went through a paralytic attack and was disabled for a few days and I feel so privileged that I got to take care of her.
You are an extremely private person. Have you been in a serious relationship?
My first serious relationship was in college where we were together for four years. My first break-up was the turning point in my life and I was badly affected, but I learnt to become strong after that. After college, I was again in a four-year relationship with a person, who is not a celebrity, but we broke up just six months back. I think that's the way my destiny is written as my relationships last for four years.
Any plans for getting married?
I want to and Inshallah I will in a year's time. We should not switch relationships so fast in life, but in a relationship your thinking has to match. Right now I am in the process of making up my mind about a person who is not known in Pakistan.
Are you religious?
Over the last few years I have changed as I have started reading a lot of spiritual books. I am not a practising Muslim. Spirituality has no connection to your religion. Jealousies and insecurities don't affect me now. I understand that life is too short and unpredictable. My only ambition is to have a mentally peaceful and happy life. I feel like I am God's child and so he is always watching me. I often talk to him and ask him that you are looking at me no. I feel rona bahut himmatwalon ka kaam hota hai. I don't ever cry in front of people as you cannot gain by exposing your weaknesses to others. I can either cry in front of my mother or God as they only can understand your sorrow.
You are not materialistic and yet you insist on charging what you do in Pakistan. What drives you to do that?
Because I know I have to maintain a certain lifestyle. Also, that money is not just for me, but I know where all I use that money to run so many houses. I can stay happy even in a small two-room house, but I know what I do and want to do with that money. Also, I know that earning money has nothing to do with personal happiness.
Which Bollywood actress do you aspire to work with?
I saw Queen and want to work with Kangana Ranaut as she is a very natural actress. I can relate to Kangana as she too belongs to the same school of acting as me.
Any Bollywood directors you want to work with?
Rajkumar Hirani and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Rajkumar Hirani as he is a very intelligent director who can make you cry and laugh at the same time. And Sanjay Leela Bhansali as he is larger than life and will present you like that.
What was the lowest period in your life?
Not being able to do Aashiqui 2 put me into a depression phase. I kept feeling depressed till people kept singing Tum Hi Ho. I then waited for Creature to do well, which didn't.
Talk about Jaanisaar?
Jaanisaar is very close to my heart as it has a combination of literature, art and music that I love. Everyone says that I have a buddi soul (an old man's soul) as right from my childhood, I always look out for people who are into sher-shairi. Through Jaanisaar, I got to spend time with Muzaffar Ali sahab who would talk to me about sher-shairi and so I would really enjoy talking to him. Even if you become the No. 1 actor in the world, how long can that last? I am always trying to seek inner happiness in everything I do.
You are one of the most sought-after men in Pakistan. Tell us about your background?
I was born and brought up in Islamabad. Right from the age of four, I started painting. I also sing, write and like poetry. My father was a civil engineer in a government job and my mother a housewife. I am the youngest amongst our six siblings. Being the youngest, I was always given a free hand by my parents to do whatever I wanted to. My mother supported me for my painting and allowed me to learn music. I studied architecture from National College of Arts, Lahore as I felt architecture was a good blend of art and engineering. A famous Pakistani photographer Khawar Riaz saw me in my final year and offered me to do modelling for a magazine. The money was really good as I earned Rs 35,000 for just one hour. People started noticing me and I did Pakistani television and since have been doing it past ten years and became the highest paid actor in Pakistan. My last television serial Alvida broke all the records. I was offered Aashiqui 2, but could not take it for another film that I was to do that too did not happen. I then did Vikram Bhatt's Creature and now Muzaffar Ali's Jaanisaar.
Who do you love the most in the world?
My mother as no one has loved me as selflessly as her. I am a reflection of my mother. She has given me everything and I am very connected with her. She has made me very strong spiritually. She never taught me to do anything for money. I am very proud of the values she has given me, of how to always be rooted and level headed, how to respect relationships and elders, how to connect with people and how to disconnect with wrong people. What she likes the most about me is that I don't lie to her. So, if I am answerable in front of my mom, I don't do anything wrong. I am her only child who lives with her now as all my siblings are married and settled. And I consider myself so fortunate that I can look after her. A year back she went through a paralytic attack and was disabled for a few days and I feel so privileged that I got to take care of her.
You are an extremely private person. Have you been in a serious relationship?
My first serious relationship was in college where we were together for four years. My first break-up was the turning point in my life and I was badly affected, but I learnt to become strong after that. After college, I was again in a four-year relationship with a person, who is not a celebrity, but we broke up just six months back. I think that's the way my destiny is written as my relationships last for four years.
Any plans for getting married?
I want to and Inshallah I will in a year's time. We should not switch relationships so fast in life, but in a relationship your thinking has to match. Right now I am in the process of making up my mind about a person who is not known in Pakistan.
Are you religious?
Over the last few years I have changed as I have started reading a lot of spiritual books. I am not a practising Muslim. Spirituality has no connection to your religion. Jealousies and insecurities don't affect me now. I understand that life is too short and unpredictable. My only ambition is to have a mentally peaceful and happy life. I feel like I am God's child and so he is always watching me. I often talk to him and ask him that you are looking at me no. I feel rona bahut himmatwalon ka kaam hota hai. I don't ever cry in front of people as you cannot gain by exposing your weaknesses to others. I can either cry in front of my mother or God as they only can understand your sorrow.
You are not materialistic and yet you insist on charging what you do in Pakistan. What drives you to do that?
Because I know I have to maintain a certain lifestyle. Also, that money is not just for me, but I know where all I use that money to run so many houses. I can stay happy even in a small two-room house, but I know what I do and want to do with that money. Also, I know that earning money has nothing to do with personal happiness.
Which Bollywood actress do you aspire to work with?
I saw Queen and want to work with Kangana Ranaut as she is a very natural actress. I can relate to Kangana as she too belongs to the same school of acting as me.
Any Bollywood directors you want to work with?
Rajkumar Hirani and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Rajkumar Hirani as he is a very intelligent director who can make you cry and laugh at the same time. And Sanjay Leela Bhansali as he is larger than life and will present you like that.
What was the lowest period in your life?
Not being able to do Aashiqui 2 put me into a depression phase. I kept feeling depressed till people kept singing Tum Hi Ho. I then waited for Creature to do well, which didn't.
Talk about Jaanisaar?
Jaanisaar is very close to my heart as it has a combination of literature, art and music that I love. Everyone says that I have a buddi soul (an old man's soul) as right from my childhood, I always look out for people who are into sher-shairi. Through Jaanisaar, I got to spend time with Muzaffar Ali sahab who would talk to me about sher-shairi and so I would really enjoy talking to him. Even if you become the No. 1 actor in the world, how long can that last? I am always trying to seek inner happiness in everything I do.
Shaad Ali directs father Muzaffar Ali in Jaanisaar
7:40 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (July 23, 2015)
Veteran filmmaker Muzaffar
Ali is playing a revolutionary in Jaanisaar, a film that he has also
directed. The cast includes Pakistani heartthrob Imran Abbas and fashion
entrepreneur Pernia Qureshi.
We have learnt that the scenes featuring Muzaffar Ali have been directed by none other than his filmmaker son, Shaad Ali (Saathiya, Bunty Aur Babli). Muzaffar Ali,who plays a revolutionary, had to participate in some action scenes that also involved horse-riding. He was immensely grateful and happy that Shaad volunteered to shoot these scenes.
Muzaffar says, “Being the director and an actor in my own film, I initially wondered how I would go about directing scenes that involved me to also act. I'm glad that Shaad agreed to step in. He was protective of me and would tell me to use a body double for the action scenes since he was concerned about my health.“
We have learnt that the scenes featuring Muzaffar Ali have been directed by none other than his filmmaker son, Shaad Ali (Saathiya, Bunty Aur Babli). Muzaffar Ali,who plays a revolutionary, had to participate in some action scenes that also involved horse-riding. He was immensely grateful and happy that Shaad volunteered to shoot these scenes.
Muzaffar says, “Being the director and an actor in my own film, I initially wondered how I would go about directing scenes that involved me to also act. I'm glad that Shaad agreed to step in. He was protective of me and would tell me to use a body double for the action scenes since he was concerned about my health.“
Muzaffar Ali edits 3 big scenes, pushes up Jaanisaar by 2 weeks to get enough shows in theatres
8:04 AM
The veteran filmmaker drops three big scenes, edits his film to two hours and pushes up the release by two weeks to counter the challenge posed by big banners
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 17, 2015)
Filmmaker Muzaffar Ali, who
directed the 1981-hit Umrao Jaan is heartbroken. His
upcoming pre-Independence drama, Jaanisaar, featuring Pernia
Qureshi and Imran Abbas Naqvi, hasn't been able to get any screens
forcing him to push the film up by two weeks. Ali had earlier wanted to
open on Independence Day but was warned that the date had been blocked
by Karan Johar. Then he decided on an August 21 release only to come up
against Umesh Shukla's All Is Well, featuring Abhishek Bachchan, Asin
and Rishi Kapoor. Now the film is scheduled for August 7.
“I'm a fakir and I'm fighting against loud, big-budget, multi-starrers. The zeal, passion and energy of films like Killa and Masaan are incomparable but independent cinema never finds any takers,“ a dejected Ali told Mirror.
The 70-year-old filmmaker underlines the stark difference by
comparing his film to Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period romance Bajirao
Mastani. “I shot Jaanisaar in 54 days
while Bajirao Mastani has taken 300 days. During post-production, I
dropped three big scenes, wasting 10 days of shoot, to keep my film
within the two-hour limit since I don't have
the backing to make a three-hour-long film,“ he sighed.
Thirty-four years ago, Muzaffar had made Umrao Jaan with Rekha. The film had bagged four National Film Awards for Best Actress, Best Music Direction, Best Art Direction and Best and Best Female Playback Singer. However, the filmmaker from Lucknow, who has been mentoring talent from Uttar Pradesh, refuses to rest on his laurels, insisting he still has a lot to learn. “This is a new race. There is so much action, noise and starvalue in the other films. No one wants to give their ears some rest by choosing mine,“ he says. “No production house approached me to collaborate on the film nor have I sold the satellite rights yet. At this point in life, I don't want to hear a 'no'. After all the commitment, time and effort, rejection is not acceptable.“
“I'm a fakir and I'm fighting against loud, big-budget, multi-starrers. The zeal, passion and energy of films like Killa and Masaan are incomparable but independent cinema never finds any takers,“ a dejected Ali told Mirror.
The 70-year-old filmmaker underlines the stark difference by
comparing his film to Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period romance Bajirao
Mastani. “I shot Jaanisaar in 54 days
while Bajirao Mastani has taken 300 days. During post-production, I
dropped three big scenes, wasting 10 days of shoot, to keep my film
within the two-hour limit since I don't have
the backing to make a three-hour-long film,“ he sighed.Thirty-four years ago, Muzaffar had made Umrao Jaan with Rekha. The film had bagged four National Film Awards for Best Actress, Best Music Direction, Best Art Direction and Best and Best Female Playback Singer. However, the filmmaker from Lucknow, who has been mentoring talent from Uttar Pradesh, refuses to rest on his laurels, insisting he still has a lot to learn. “This is a new race. There is so much action, noise and starvalue in the other films. No one wants to give their ears some rest by choosing mine,“ he says. “No production house approached me to collaborate on the film nor have I sold the satellite rights yet. At this point in life, I don't want to hear a 'no'. After all the commitment, time and effort, rejection is not acceptable.“
Muzaffar Ali's Jaanisaar releases on August 21, 2015
7:51 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (July 7, 2015)
The trailer of Muzaffar
Ali's period drama Jaanisaar, produced by Kotwara
Studios and Meera Ali, that will be launched today, marks the
comeback of the legendary filmmaker. He is the one who gave Indian
cinema the cult classic Umrao Jaan three decades ago. Jaanisaar features
the heartthrob of Pakistani films, Imran Abbas, and marks the Bollywood
debut of fashion entrepreneur Pernia Qureshi. The period drama also has
veteran actors like Dalip Tahil and Bina Kak. A surprise for Muzaffar
Ali's fans is his appearance in the film as the torchbearer for freedom
and a mentor to the protagonists.
Set in the pre-Independence era, 20 years after 1857, Jaanisaar is a love story of a courtesan deeply rooted in the ethos of Indian culture fired by the passion for freedom and an Indian prince returned from England. Bollywood and Pakistan singers, including Shreya Ghoshal, Sukhwinder Singh, Malini Awasthi, Shafqat Ali Khan and Abida Parveen have lent their magical voices to the soundtrack of the film.
Says producer Meera Ali, “We are happy to bring Jaanisaar to the cinemas on August 21, 2015. The film showcases interesting aspects of pre-independence era of 1857, which we feel our own people need to get acquainted with. With his extensive research and imagination, Muzaffar Ali has beautifully woven real incidents with a fantastic love story.“
The director says, “People have been asking me why I have not been making films. But the fact is that I only wanted to direct a movie that would touch my soul and also showcase my creativity. Jaanisaar is that film.“
Set in the pre-Independence era, 20 years after 1857, Jaanisaar is a love story of a courtesan deeply rooted in the ethos of Indian culture fired by the passion for freedom and an Indian prince returned from England. Bollywood and Pakistan singers, including Shreya Ghoshal, Sukhwinder Singh, Malini Awasthi, Shafqat Ali Khan and Abida Parveen have lent their magical voices to the soundtrack of the film.
Says producer Meera Ali, “We are happy to bring Jaanisaar to the cinemas on August 21, 2015. The film showcases interesting aspects of pre-independence era of 1857, which we feel our own people need to get acquainted with. With his extensive research and imagination, Muzaffar Ali has beautifully woven real incidents with a fantastic love story.“
The director says, “People have been asking me why I have not been making films. But the fact is that I only wanted to direct a movie that would touch my soul and also showcase my creativity. Jaanisaar is that film.“
I no longer cosy up to the stars-Muzaffar Ali
7:54 AM
Muzaffar Ali explains why he is making a comeback after three decades with a debutant heroine and a Pakistani actor
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 2, 2015)
Thirty-three years after Aagaman (1982), Muzaffar Ali returns as a
director with Jaanisaar. The film is set in 1877 and follows the journey
of an Anglicised youth who discovers the ethos of being Indian. It's
Ali's attempt to bring back the essence of freedom and a culture that
has been lost to us. "My Lucknow suffered the effects of the divide-and-rule policy of the colonial powers, the revolt of 1857 and the nationalist movement of 1947. The soul of the city has slowly changed beyond recognition. Having inherited the British disdain for anything Indian, we have no respect for our past or our aesthetics. We've lost the delicacy and finesse of the visual Indian experience which I'm hoping to bring back on screen," asserts the filmmaker remembered for the stark Gaman, the opulent Umrao Jaan and the issue-based Aagaman which Satish Gujral described as the most beautiful film he had seen. "He literally saw just the images because he had lost his sense of hearing," Ali says.
Point out that the last period film, Anurag Kashyap's Bombay Velvet, tanked, and this could make distributors and exhibitors shy away and he retorts, "That's a stupid way of looking at things. I don't like the film industry but I guess I'll have to face the harsh reality soon. I just hope that they also remember me as the man who made Umrao Jaan."
Wouldn't it have been easier had he made the film with an established star rather than launch fashion designer Pernia Qureshi in the lead? "Pernia has a lot of potential as an actress and she's a very good dancer who has worked with maestros Birju Maharaj and Kumudini Lakhia in my film," argues 70-year-old Ali who plays the role of a revolutionist himself, one who's always on horseback. "It was tough but I pulled it off."
He goes on to sigh that today's larger-than-life stars have a coterie of six favourite directors who are trying to get time from them for a film that revolves around them. "Why would they entertain someone like me who looks at life and his career so differently?" he asks. "Earlier, I lived in Mumbai, rubbed shoulders with them. But after my father's death in 1990, I moved to Kothwara in UP and no longer cosy up to the stars. The media is my star. I'll promote my film well and hope for an audience."
His film's hero is Pakistani actor Imran Abbas Naqvi. "There's no boy as good-looking as him in India or Pakistan," Ali raves. But isn't he leaving himself open to controversy by casting an actor from across the border? "Today, every home is tuned into Zindagi channel which airs Pakistani serials," he chuckles. "I'm a philosopher and my mission is to promote oneness of the human race, the brotherhood of man. These man-made boundaries don't bother me."
In 1988, he launched Zooni, a film on Habba Khatoon, the queen poetess of Kashmir, with the blessing of the then chief minister, Farooq Abdullah and cast the ethereal Dimple Kapadia in the title role. In '91, he had to abandon the film halfway through because of insurgency in the Valley. He waited a few years, hoping to complete the film, but then got involved with the crafts of Lucknow, moved on to making documentaries, shorts, TV series and serials like Woodcraft of Saharanpur, Vedakath: A Thervad in Kerala, Kali Mohini, Wah, Jaan-e-Alam and Vapas Chalo. He has also acted in a couple of serials.
Prod him on the chances of reviving Zooni and he admits that it will remain an unfulfilled dream because the Valley is no longer a Utopian place of peace and poetry but of suffering and death. "I shoot a film organically. I fall in love with the place and it becomes a part of my life. No one knew I was shooting Jaanisaar. I can't do that in Kashmir. Today, it pains me to go there. It a troubled zone now for films like Mission: Kashmir and Haider but not for a mystical journey like Zooni," he mourns.
However, he promises that the next break will not be so long. "I'm thinking of making a film on my father, Syed Sajid Husain Ali, the Raja of Kothwara," he reveals. "He fought the first elections in 1937 as an independent candidate against the Muslim League and won. His principles were humanism and secularism. He was vehemently opposed to the formation of Pakistan. The film will be set in the '30s and filmed in Lucknow, as well as Scotland and Ireland where he lived too."
Umrao Jaan's director Muzaffar Ali gears up for his next Jaanisaar
7:45 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (June 19, 2015)
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.''
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.''
I am not engaged or married-Imran Abbas
7:45 AM
Pakistani hearthrob Imran Abbas Khan, who will be seen in Muzaffar Ali’s Jaanissar, talks about his relationship status, upcoming film and more
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; March 30, 2015)
His debut film Creature went down with a whimper, but
Pakistani TV actor Imran Abbas Khan chalks it up to being an
experimental flick and looks ahead. While the social media is abuzz with
reports that he is married, the actor says it is completely false.
Imran, who is currently in Pakistan shooting for his TV shows, clears
the air on his personal status, the failure of Creature, upcoming film
Jaanisaar and more...
How difficult or easy was it to shoot for the period film Jaanisaar?
It was very difficult as the character was different from whatever I have done so far. We were going back in history — the film is set in 1877 Lucknow — and I had to transform myself completely. I had to get the dialect, the body language and the psyche of the character right. I had to play the perfect English gentleman from a royal family for which my gait had to be like that of a prince. At the same time, my Urdu had to be extremely good as I had to recite important lines in poetry. I am a poet myself so that helped. Also, Muzaffar saab who is an artiste, poet, musician and a director helped me in every single way.
How did the film come to you?
I had just started shooting for Creature and somebody told me that Muzaffar saab wanted to meet me. When I met him in Delhi, he told me the film had been in his mind for 20 years. I was already a big fan of Muzaffar saab. When he told me he wanted to do the film with me, I had no second thoughts. In fact, irrespective of whether I would be in the film or not, I was just happy to meet him. The film, however, got delayed. Fortunately for me, by the time we started Jaanissar, there were no date clashes as Creature was complete.
The film is set 20 years after Umrao Jaan. Have you seen the film?
I have seen the film several times, not recently though. However, I keep watching the songs. In fact, we shot one song Humein Bhi Pyaar Kar Le sung by Shreya Ghoshal in the same place where Inn Aankhon Ki Masti Mein was shot. The same choreographer Kumudini Lakhia directed it too! It was amazing to shoot in the same location and ambience.
Do you feel this should have been your debut film instead of Creature?
I know Creature did not do well, but I liked it. All of us involved in the film from the director (Vikram Bhatt) to the artistes knew we were taking a huge risk. It was an experimental film and not all experiments are successful. It was a new thought, but I guess Indian and Pakistani viewers are used to Bollywood masala. If the same idea had come from Hollywood they would have liked it. Nobody can predict the outcome of a film. It was my destiny. There are so many actors whose first films have been superhits, but they are nowhere now and at the same time, actors whose debut films flopped are doing well.
You must be banking on Jaanisaar now?
I am keeping my fingers crossed. But I can tell you that it’s a film you’ll see again and again. Every element has been set like a jewel — characters, poetry, music, lighting, everything is perfect. It’s a film that will be stored in libraries. Also, not all films are made with the intention of creating hits. It’s a big responsibilty making this kind of a film. Many people want certain historical aspects to be hidden because they are not comfortable. Usually, Hollywood filmmakers show it in a subtle manner. You’ll find that in this film.
There is an influx of Pakistani actors in India...
I am happy that Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan have made inroads in Bollywood. It’s a positive sign. Earlier several Indian actors like Nandita Das, Kirron Kher and Naseeruddin Shah came to Pakistan and were appreciated. It’s about time we stopped talking about borders and hatred. We will discourage it through our art.
There has been talk about you being engaged and married? Is it true?
No, not at all. I am not even committed to anyone! I don’t know from where this news has spread. They have even posted a picture of my so-called wife, but it’s of an actress! I don’t know how to erase that.
When did you start getting Bollywood offers?
Since the last six-seven years. But nothing materialised either because of political strain between the two countries or something else. Rajkumar Santoshi signed me for three films but those didn’t happen. I also couldn’t be a part of Goliyon Ki Raas Leela — Ram Leela and Boss, but the one I regret the most is not doing Aashiqui 2.
BT Exclusive: Check out Pernia Qureshi and Imran Abbas in Jaanisaar
7:46 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (March 5, 2015)
Check out Pernia Qureshi and Imran Abbas in an exclusive still from director Muzaffar Ali's new period film Jaanisar. Set in pre-Independence India, the drama promises to be a visual delight for fans of the director's classic, Umrao Jaan, and also marks the debut of stylist-turned-actress Pernia.
Pernia Qureshi is thin & tall; pulled off the long Indian outfits perfectly-Meera Ali
7:38 AM
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 4, 2015)
Filmmaker Muzzafar Ali had styled Rekha's turn as a courtesan in his
1981 hit Umrao Jaan. But for his upcoming period drama, Jaanisaar, the
director brought in his wife Meera Ali to handpick the ensembles for
Ameer and Noor, played by Pakistani actor Imran Abbas Naqvi and
stylist-turned-actor Pernia Qureshi. "My husband asked me to keep two things in mind: the costumes should be period-related and their authenticity should be mood-elated," says Meera Ali, who is also the producer of the film.
The film is set in the last years of the Mughal rule and follows the life of a courtesan in Lucknow. The British had already made inroads into the country and western influences had crept into local fashions.
Meera spent a year-and-a-half getting the details right, from the frills on the blouses to the shape of the ghagras and the right fabrics.
"We used a mix of wool
and silk and got the fabrics woven in Kotwara. Today, most of the
designers use georgette but we avoided that fabric to suit the Victorian
influences prevalent during that time," says the designer. The palette of colours too was era-appropriate. "The chemical dyes used today make the reds seem more vibrant. So we avoided red completely. We also toned down the pinks and used a lot of greens and purples," explains Meera.
She also kept in mind the stark differences in the clothes of the aristocrats and courtesans from the Hindu and Muslim communities.
"The clothes worn by the Muslim aristrocrats had intricate borders and the Hindu courtesans wore fabrics with the Ganga-jamuni weave," Meera explains.
The accessories played an equally important role. "Like the clothes and the shoes, even the jewellery could not be bought off the shelf. We designed chokers, long haars and haath phool to bring out the mood of the era," she says, adding that all the shawls used in the film were original Jamawar silk.
Apart from the brocade on the dresses, Meera also hired shoemakers to craft the boots and mojaris popular during those times.
"Imran's character Ameer returns to India after living in England for years. The film follows how his style of dressing gradually shifts from coats and boots to aristocratic Indian clothes. Even the English women in the film change styles, from wearing dainty heels to curl-tipped jootis," she reveals.
But it was not just the clothes which were era-appropriate, the actors too had to fit into the mis en scene. "Pernia is thin and tall and with a little training she pulled off the long Indian outfits perfectly. Imran's body language too changed once he wore the tight-fitted bandhgalas. They made my job easier," Meera signs off.
When you are an actor, everyone has an opinion on your work and life-Pernia Qureshi
8:30 AM
The stylist will move to Mumbai to join films as soon as she develops a thick skin
Mitali Parekh (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 1, 2015)
Pernia Qureshi is first and foremost a Kathak and Kuchipudi dancer. Then she's a stylist, entrepreneur, author, designer and lately an actor. "I'm not used to having a free moment," says the 26-year-old. "I'm a boarding school child. My endeavour has been to find financial independence through things that I love doing so it doesn't seem like work. I'm not there yet, but slowly I will be." Her interest in fashion led to an internship with Cosmopolitan when she was on vacation in India. She discovered she liked it and followed it up with more work in New York.
A liberal upbringing opened these avenues to her. "Coming from a conservative Muslim family, my mother was never allowed to pursue her passion for dance. The first thing she did when here was sign up for Kathak. My sister and I would go along with her. But only I ended up pursuing it," she says.
Qureshi was first noticed as part of the fashion power posse; the other members being actress Sonam Kapoor, producer-cum-stylist Rhea Kapoor, stylist Tanya Ghavri and make-up artist Namrata Soni. They all met while working on Aisha. "Rhea and I clicked at a party because we are both extroverts," she says. "They already had a stylist on board. A few days later, she called me to say that their costume designer couldn't do the movie. I hadn't worked on a movie before, but I learnt on the job." The movie bombed but the team became power brokers in the world of fashion retail.
Since then, she has entered the online fashion retail space with Pernia's Pop-up, designed a pret line, written a book on style called Be Stylish, performed at the 2010 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony as part of Raja Reddy's troupe. Later this year, she debuts in designer director Muzaffar Ali's period drama Jaanisar.
"I love performing. I would even do it for an audience of one," says Qureshi, who studied in Woodstock, Mussoorie before studying pre-law at George Washington University in USA. "I think I always wanted to act, but did not admit it. We tend to judge people a certain way when they say they want to be actors. Isn't it a profession like any other? You work at it, you get paid for it, you enjoy it..." Muzaffar Ali, a friend of the family was over at their Delhi home one Eid, and he saw Qureshi dressed in a sharara. He called the next day to check if she'd do the film since he needed a strong Kathak dancer. "We did a screen test and he said I had potential. It's hard to get a compliment out of Muzaffar-uncle, so I thought I should give it a chance."
With a doorway into movies, she now wants to try to make it mainstream. "I want to do all sorts of movies — rom-coms, action, a negative role, something with dance, definitely, even Bollywood dancing," she says. Currently, she's looking for a place in Mumbai's suburbs that are the green room for starry-eyed strugglers. "My needs are simple. I am looking for a house that's easy on the eyes — in neutral colours and in which you can breathe," she says. The only way she's prepping herself for the move is by "developing a thick skin". "When you are an actor," she says, "Everyone has an opinion on your work and life." In Delhi, Qureshi and her Pakistan-born mother Nasreen circulate in hallowed circles. They are front-row regulars at Dior shows in Paris and famously bought out a complete Monisha Jaising collection fresh off the ramp. The family has roots in Rampur and her meat exporter father, Moin Akhtar Qureshi is currently under the Income Tax department's microscope for alleged hawala dealings. It's a subject Qureshi passes off with a 'no comments' just like her short-lived marriage to London-based chartered accountant Arjun Prasad, a close relative of union minister Jitin Prasada. The wedding took place in 2011, with the bride flying down the Armani Prive team for fittings for a pre-wedding gown.
"I'll try everything and give it my 100 per cent, but if it isn't working out, I'll just let it go," she says about her multiple projects, but she could well be talking about relationships.
It would be easy but lazy to pigeonhole her as a girl who likes dressing up. "I think if you spend more than five minutes deciding what to wear, you should get a job or learn something new," she says. "On a day-to-day basis, what I wear depends on what I am doing and how I feel about my body. Most of my life, my routine has been to get up and wear a salwar-kameez, and go to dance class. Then, if I am meeting someone in office, I'll wear a dress. If I am going to be indoors, I'll go in sweats. If I'm feeling fat, it'll be a shift dress."
Qureshi's life is a juggle between throaty Urdu, half-saris and a Nikhil Thampi cut-out gown for the evening. Ask her if she finds herself feel the pressure to be a poster girl for liberal Islam, and she says, "No. Why should I? As proud as I am about my roots, I want to be known for myself and what I have made for myself. Not anything else."
Salman Khan is my dream actor to work with-Pernia Qureshi
7:47 AM
Entrepreneur and stylista Pernia Qureshi, who is now gearing up for a Bolly debut, talks about her new role
Srishti Dixit (DNA; February 5 ,2015)
Pernia Qureshi is one of the celebrated names in the
Indian fashion as she made luxury brands and labels more accessible to
people through her online venture Pernia Pop-up Shop. She has styled
Sonam Kapoor for Aisha and continues to be one of her best friends.
Pernia is making her Bollywood debut this year with Imran Abbas Naqvi in
Jaanisaar and she is really pumped up about the same! Here, she gives
an insight on how she looks at fashion, what are her career goals and
how she would deal with stardom. Read on for
more...
You are an entrepreneur, a stylist, a designer, a dancer and now an actor. What’s next on your bucket list?
For now, it is complete focus on acting. I didn’t always know that I want to be any of the things that I am today; I just am open to new ideas as an artiste. I don’t like having free time. I was skeptical when the film was offered to me, but as a dancer I have been performing my whole life so I am used to emoting. My director told me that I already do this and the only thing needed is dialogue and camera. He assured me that I can act so I was like “Okay! Let me try this.” I didn’t realise that I’d have the time of my life, I haven’t enjoyed anything else this much in my career.
How was it like to be on a film set?
I have been on a film set for Aisha as I was styling Sonam for that. But we were like fat kids on the set. We were either eating or trying on clothes. I didn’t take it as a hardcore learning experience. As a live stage performer, I always thought performing live for an audience is the shit because you are under a lot of pressure and that gives me a big high. But somehow acting in front of a camera was the same as performing live for me. I was so upset when the film was wrapped! I was like “I want to shoot some more!” But Muzaffar Ali (director of Jaanisaar) added a scene later, we just shot it so I was really happy.
You’d be speaking a lot of Urdu in the film...
It wasn’t a problem because I am from UP; my father is from Rampur, my mother is from Pakistan. I grew up in a fully Urdu speaking house. I went to an American school but my mother had this really annoying rule when I came back home on vacation, that she would not speak or respond to me unless I don’t talk in Urdu. Her big worry was that I’ll lose my mother-tongue. The good thing that came out of this is that I can speak in Urdu. I had to work on my pronunciation and dialect for the film but the language wasn’t alien to me.
Tell me about your co-star.
Imran is tailor-made for this role. His character had to be extremely well-spoken, he had to have a certain vulnerability and innocence which boys these days hardly have! Actors don’t really have that quality these days because they think and know that they are great! Imran too has the airs of an actor because he is a huge star in Pakistan, but something about him is so sweet even in real life which translated onscreen. We became very good friends very quickly.
He and Fawad Khan debuted almost around the same time but he didn’t make an impact.
I feel by the time our movie comes out people will think that it’s Imran’s debut. In Creature 3D his role wasn’t that big so even in the promotions, he wasn’t around or promoted. Fawad had an equal part to Sonam in Khoobsurat, so he was marketed in that manner. I don’t think Imran got the same kind of opportunity.
You have to start from scratch in the film industry...
I have worked really hard the last two years trying to establish my online shopping business (Pernia Pop-up Shop). In the fashion industry, I feel like everyone knows me and there is a certain amount of respect I get. In films, I will have to prove myself. I am back to ground zero and will have to work twice as hard. There are so many people who have no idea who the hell I am, they are going to see me with a completely fresh perspective, my talent and acting is going to speak for me. I can’t trick people into liking me or fake anything. It’s all depends on how good I am.
What’s the one thing you have that your contemporaries don’t?
I think being a professional dancer works in my favour because I don’t think there is any other actress in my generation who is fully-trained in any forms of classical dance. People take classes but that’s not called professional dancing.
Sonam feels the general perception of an actress in India is that if an actor dresses well, she isn’t much of an actor. Agree?
Oh Sonam! (Giggles) I don’t fear this at all because I feel if you convince somebody who is watching your film that you are that character, you have done your job. If I can convince you for those two hours while you are watching the film that I am Noor, a courtesan, and if I can make you forget that I own a shop or I go to fashion shows in Paris... I’ve done my job. If I can’t then I have to improve, that is what I feel.
One actor you wish to work with?
Salman Khan! That would be like a dream! A film with him where I can be totally filmi! I don’t think my decision to work in a film would depend so much on the actor as on the film. Unless it is Salman, then I would do anything! Sonam will tell you this, there is a really filmi side to me, I am a big Bollywood buff, my favourite movie is Hum Saath Saath Hain. Salman is like a filmi heroine’s dream!
An actress who is a complete package?
Sonakshi Sinha can be extremely demure. You can strip her off her make-up and make her be completely real and she can handle it. She can be totally glamourous as well.
Do you think the same about her style as well?
Not as much. But I believe that when you are an actress it is not your responsibility to be extremely stylish. That is not a must because your job is to convince the audience about whatever part you are playing. Style is an added bonus not a pre-requisite. Fashion police is just mean, don’t put so much pressure on these girls, they are here to act and entertain.
I’m not copying Rekha or Aishwarya Rai Bachchan-Pernia Qureshi
8:04 AM
Pernia Qureshi plays a courtesan in Muzaffar Ali's upcoming period drama which bears a striking resemblance to Umrao Jaan
Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 14, 2015)
In Muzaffar Ali's upcoming film Jaanisaar, stylist Pernia Qureshi, who designed Sonam Kapoor's look in Aisha, debuts as an actress. She's playing a courtesan in the pre-Independence drama set in the 1870s.
That was the setting of Muzaffar Ali's 1981 film Umrao Jaan too. Pernia says her film is similar the Rekha-Farooque Shaikh starrer in vibe, but is not a remake or a sequel. "It's a new film set in a similar milieu," she says, adding that while Rekha's Amiran had a quiet demeanour and an air of mystery, her temptress, Noor, is outspoken and progressive. "The film is a historic drama revolving around our freedom struggle."
Dismissing similarities with Rekha and Aishwarya Rai's characters in Umrao Jaan and its remake, Pernia says, "I'm prepared for comparisons, they are inevitable, but I'm not copying them. My character is diametrically opposite to theirs. Yes, she's a courtesan too but she's more vivacious than coy. Muzaffar sir portrays his women characters sensitively which is why it's a privilege to debut in a film directed by him."
Did the stylist in her crop up while she was acting? "There was no need. Not even a strand of my hair was out of place in a single shot!" she exclaims. "Muzaffar is such a perfectionist that right from the cat, an extra, to the fabric of the curtains, everything was exquisitely designed and filmed by a cinematographer flown down from Italy. The film looks gorgeous."
However, she is yet to show the rushes to her friends or family. "We should be able to present it by the end of this month. I'm quite anxious about the responses!" she admits.
What next? "I don't think I'm even in the mind of any filmmaker as they haven't seen me act yet," she says candidly. "Only after Jaanisar releases will I know where I stand as a performer!"
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