Muzaffar Ali is an Indian filmmaker, fashion designer, poet, artist, cultural revivalist and social activist. He is best known for the Hindi films Gaman (1978) and Umrao Jaan (1981). Ali has achieved much in many fields including advertising, tourism, film production, fashion and writing.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Muzaffar Ali was born on Saturday, 21 October 1944 (age 78 years; as in 2022) in Lucknow, United Provinces, British India. His zodiac sign is Libra. He was the eldest son of Raja Syed Sajid Hussain Ali, the ruler of Kotwara, Awadh. He attended La Martiniere, a private educational institution for the elite in Lucknow. He graduated in Science from Aligarh Muslim University. He worked in advertising before entering the film industry. He has also worked as a communications specialist for Air India.
Muzaffar Ali
Physical Appearance
Height (approx): 5’8
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Brown
family and caste
Muzaffar Ali belongs to a royal Muslim Rajput family in Kotwara, Uttar Pradesh.
parents and siblings
Ali’s father, Raja Syed Sajid Hussain of Kotwara, was a royal prince who contributed to the Indian independence movement. He did his MA from Edinburgh and was a member of the Scottish Parliament in the 1920s before joining Indian politics. He was MLA from Kotwara for about 17 years before and after independence. He led an informal association called the Indian Humanist Association, whose members gathered once a month for tea gatherings at Kaiser Bagh, Lucknow, to engage in dialogue about transformative ideas for the world. , The eldest of three siblings, Ali also has a half-sister from his Turkish step-mother.
Muzaffar Ali with Jawaharlal Nehru, his half-sister Kenije Murad and father Raja S Sajid Hussain
wife and kids
Ali was first married to art historian Giti Sen. They have a son, Murad Ali, who is multi-disciplined like his father and has acted in films like Is Raat Ki Subah Nahi and Dil To Pagal Hai. He has also tried his hand at poetry and music. Ali admitted to having “leftist sympathies” during his time in Calcutta (now Kolkata). After his divorce from Geeti, he married Subhashini Ali, a leftist leader and trade union activist, who also worked as a costume designer for Umrao Jaan. His son, Shaad Ali, is the director of hit films such as Saathiya (2002) and Bunty Aur Babli (2005).
Muzaffar Ali with his son Shaad Ali and grandson Imaan
Ali met designer and architect Meera Ali on the sets of a film, and they eventually married. Together they carved a niche for themselves when it came to designing ethnic wear with a unique Kotwara touch. They have a daughter, Sama, who is also showing an inclination towards design.
Muzaffar Ali (centre) and Meera Ali (standing left) with daughter Sama (seated left), son Shaad, daughter-in-law Aarti Patkar (seated right) and grandson Imaan.
relationships/affairs
Ali was married twice before meeting his current wife Mira Ali, whom he courted and married six months later. He met his first wife Geeti Sen during his Air India days and his second wife Subhashini Ali, the daughter of Indian National Army Colonel Prem Sehgal and Captain Lakshmi Sehgal, on the sets of his biggest hit Umrao Jaan.
Muzaffar Ali with wife Meera Ali
signature/autograph
Autograph of Muzaffar Ali
livelihood
film and television
Ali had a successful career as a film producer. In the early 1970s, Ali worked for the advertising firm McLaren McCann and met Satyajit Ray. His first film as a director was Gamm (1978) and his next film Umrao Jaan (1981) was his biggest hit. He produced Aagaman (1982), Anjuman (1986), and Jaanisar (2015). He also directed and acted in the Hindi TV series Jaan-e-Alam (1986).
painting and fashion
Ali has always been an artist. Ali has always had a keen interest in art and has displayed his paintings in exhibitions across India. His work portrays an exotic mix of captivating Sufi tunes, elegantly dressed women in black and horses. After setting up a studio in Delhi, Ali began his journey as an artist. His over 100 artworks are spread over 11 sections of the beautiful heritage building, once home to the Maharaja of Bikaner and now a cultural center in the India Gate Hexagon.
Muzaffar Ali’s first show on non-film art ventures in Delhi.
Muzaffar Ali at his art exhibition in Delhi
After creating an impact globally with his work, Ali returned to his roots in Kotwara and Lucknow. He started a clothing line called Kotwara with the help of his wife Meera; Their clothing line is dedicated to celebrating the art and promoting traditional handicrafts of Awadh and promoting Sufism.
Muzaffar Ali’s Kotwara Brand Logo
music
In 2004, he established the Rumi Foundation to promote global unity. The Foundation organizes Sufi festivals including the World Sufi Music Festival and Jahan-e-Khusru in Delhi. In an effort to promote tourism and culture in Lucknow, he established the Wajid Ali Shah Festival, which celebrates poetry and the performing arts.
Prize
- National Film Award – Special Mention (Feature Film) – Gaman (1978)
- Filmfare Award for Best Director – Umrao Jaan (1981)
- Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavna Award (2014)
net worth
By the year 2023, Ali’s net worth is $1 million.
facts/common sense
- Ali was directing a film titled Husn e Jaana with Rubaina Khan but later decided to shelve the film. He released the songs of his unreleased film Husn e Jaana as a personal album in 1996.
- In 1984, he was planning a film titled Manzar with Zeenat Aman which got shelved. It was later relaunched as Zuni with Vinod Khanna and Dimple Kapadia; However, the film did not release.
- In 2022, Ali launched his autobiographical book titled ‘Zikr: In the Light and Shade of Time’, describing his early days and journey.
Zikr – in the light and shadow of time
- Muzaffar Ali along with his wife Meera Ali opened their house in Gurgaon and set up a tent restaurant “Mashra”. It offers fine dining experience with royal cuisine of Awadh.
Muzaffar Ali’s Mashra
- In 2008, there was a brief rift between Ali and film director Rituparno Ghosh over actor Amitabh Bachchan’s look in the film ‘The Last Lear’. Ali felt that this look was a copy of his own style; However, Rituparno denied the allegations and said that the look was inspired by Rabindranath Tagore.
- Muzaffar Ali is a black belt in Karate.
- Ali has a great love for horses and this is reflected in his artwork as well. In an interview with Times of India, he said,
My love for horses began in my childhood from the stories of the battlefield of “Karbala” to Alankrit Duldul and the horses I saw during my travels to the many films made on horses.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn