Muzaffar Ali is an Indian filmmaker, fashion designer, poet, artist, revivalist and social worker. He is known for Hindi films Gaman (1978) and Umrao Jaan (1981). Ali has made achievements in publicity, tourism, film production, fashion, writing and many other fields.
Wiki/Biography
Muzaffar Ali was born on Saturday, October 21, 1944, in Lucknow, United Provinces of British India (now Uttar Pradesh, India) (age 78; as of 2022). His zodiac sign is Libra. He is the eldest son of Raja Sayed Sajid Hussain Ali, the ruling prince of Awadhkotwala. He attended La Martinière, an elite private educational institution in Lucknow. He graduated in Science from Aligarh Muslim University. He worked in advertising before entering the film industry. He also served as communications specialist for Air India.
Muzaffar Ali as a young man
appearance
Height (approx): 5’8
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
family and caste
Muzaffar Ali belonged to a Muslim Rajput royal family in Kotwala, Uttar Pradesh.
Parents and siblings
Ali’s father, Raja Syed Sajid Hussain of Kotwala, was a royal prince who contributed to the Indian freedom movement. He earned a master’s degree in Edinburgh and served as a member of the Scottish Parliament in the 1920s before joining Indian politics. He served as MLA for Kotwala Province for nearly 17 years before and after independence. He led an informal association called the Indian Humanist Alliance, whose members gathered once a month for a tea party at Kesar Bagh in Lucknow to discuss ideas for world change. . Ali is the eldest of three siblings and has a half-sister from his Turkish stepmother.
Muzaffar Ali, his half-sister Keniz Murad and fathers Raja S. Sajid Hussain and Jawaharlal Nehru
wife and children
Ali’s first marriage was to art historian Geeti Sen. They have a son, Murad Ali, who, like his father, is as versatile as he is in films such as “Is Raat ki Subah Nahin” and “Dil to Pagal Hai”. He also experimented with poetry and music. After divorcing Kitty, he married left-wing leader and trade union activist Subhashni. Ali admitted that he had “leftist sympathies” during his time in Calcutta (now Calcutta), which brought him into contact with Subhasani. She also worked as a costume designer for Umrao Jaan. Their son Shaad Ali is the director of hit films like “Saathiya” (2002) and “Bunty Aur Babli” (2005).
Muzaffar Ali with his son Shad Ali and grandson Iman
Ali met designer and architect Meera Ali on a film set and eventually married her. The two of them have joined forces to create a niche in ethnic wear design with a unique Kotwara style. They have a daughter, Sama, who has also shown an interest in design.
Muzaffar Ali (centre) and Meera Ali (standing left) with their daughter Samar (sitting left), son Shad, daughter-in-law Aarti Patekar (sitting right) and grandson Iman.
Relationships/Affairs
Ali was married twice before meeting his third wife, Mira Ali, whom he courted and married six months later. He met his first wife Geeti Sen while working in Air India and his second wife Subhashini Ali was Prem Sehgal of the Indian National Army The daughter of Colonel and Captain Lakshmi Sehgal, whom she met on the sets of his most popular film Umrao Jaan.
Muzaffar Ali and Meera Ali
Signature / Autograph
Autographed by Muzaffar Ali
Profession
Film and Television
Ali had a successful career as a film producer. In the early 1970s, Ali worked at the MacLaren McCann advertising agency and met Satyajit Ray. His first film as a director was Gamam (1978), and his next film, Umrao Jaan (1981), was his biggest hit.
Movie Poster – Garman (1978)
He went on to produce Aagaman (1982), Anjuman (1986) and Jaanisaar (2015). He also directed and starred in the Hindi TV series Jaan-e-Alaam (1986).
Painting and Fashion
Ali has always been an artist. Ali has always had a keen interest in art and his paintings have been exhibited in exhibitions across India. His works depict a mesmerizing blend of enchanting Sufi melodies, elegantly dressed women in black, and horses. Ali began his journey as an artist after setting up a studio in Delhi. More than 100 of his works of art are spread across 11 sections of this beautiful heritage building, once the residence of the Bikaner Maharajas and now the cultural center of the India Gate hexagon.
Muzaffar Ali’s first non-film art career exhibition in Delhi.
Muzaffar Ali at art exhibition in Delhi
After making a global impact with his work, Ali returned to his roots in Kotwala and Lucknow. With the help of his wife Meera, he launched a fashion line called Kotwara; his fashion line is dedicated to promoting art, promoting traditional crafts of Awadh and promoting Sufism.
Kotwara brand logo by Muzaffar Ali
music
In 2004, he founded the Rumi Foundation to promote global unity. The foundation organizes Sufi festivals, including the World Sufi Festival and the Jahan-e-Khusaru Festival in Delhi. To promote tourism and culture in Lucknow, he started the Wajid Ali Shah Festival, which celebrates poetry and performing arts.
awards
- National Film Award – Special Mention (Feature Film) – Gaman (1978)
- Filmfare Award for Best Director – Umrao Jaan (1981)
- Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Award (2014)
Facts / Trivia
- Ali had previously co-directed a film with Rubaina Khan called Husn E Jaana, but decided to shelve the film. In 1996, he released songs from the unreleased film “Husn E Jaana” as a private album.
- In 1984, he planned to make a film called Manzar with Zeenat Aman, but it was shelved. Later it started again under the name Zooni along with Vinod Khanna and Dimple Kapadia. However, the film was not released.
- In 2022, Ali launched his autobiographical book “Zikr: In the Light and Shadow of Time”, describing his early experiences and journey.
Zikr-In the light and shadow of time
- Muzaffar Ali and his wife Meera Ali opened their home in Gurgaon with a tent restaurant ‘Maashra’. It offers a fine dining experience of Awadh’s royal cuisine.
Muzaffar Ali’s Mashra
- In 2008, a minor dispute arose between Ali and film director Rituparno Gosh over the appearance of actor Amitabh Bachchan in the film The Last of Lear. Ali felt that the look was a copy of his own style; however, Rituparno denied the accusations and insisted that the look was inspired by Rabindranath Tagore.
- Muzaffar Ali is a black belt in karate.
- Ali was very fond of horses, which was reflected in his artwork. In an interview with the Times of India, he said,
My love for horses started with childhood battlefield stories of “Karbala”, to the gorgeous Durdur, to the horses I saw on my travels, to the many movies about horses. ”
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education