Did you know, not Rekha, Smita Patil was the first choice for Umrao Jaan? Muzaffar Ali reveals, 'We needed someone with a bit more oomph and physical presence'
Umrao Jaan may have released over four decades ago, but its timeless beauty continues to enchant generations of cinephiles. As the film returns to theatres this Friday, director
Muzaffar Ali
reflects on the making of the classic and shares surprising behind-the-scenes stories—including the revelation that
Rekha
wasn't his first choice for the iconic role.
Director Muzaffar Ali, in an interview with India Today, disclosed that while Rekha ultimately became synonymous with the role, she wasn't his original choice to play Umrao.
In the end, it was Rekha's haunting eyes and quiet strength that convinced Muzaffar Ali she was the perfect Umrao. After repeatedly listening to the script narrated in Salma Siddiqui's voice, Ali felt only Rekha could embody the character's tragic grace—capturing both her rise and fall in a single glance.
Today, box office numbers are as much a part of everyday conversation as film gossip. When asked about his stance on the commercial aspect of filmmaking—given that his work has always leaned more toward poetic storytelling and romance—Muzaffar Ali acknowledged that while audience reach does matter to some extent, it isn't the be-all and end-all for him.
Muzaffar Ali emphasized that while attracting viewers is important, a film's true strength lies in its passion and beauty.
He questioned the obsession with first-week earnings, asking whether such films can stand the test of time. 'You can cast the biggest stars for box office returns,' he said with a smile, 'but that rarely ensures lasting impact.'
Known for his bold, layered storytelling, Muzaffar Ali shared that his creative choices were guided more by instinct than by calculated risk. He described himself as a painter at heart—drawn to life through poetry, music, and dance—and said presenting stories in their rawest form felt natural, not risky. While Rekha's presence added star value, Ali believes it was the emotional depth of the character that truly resonated with audiences.
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On January 30, this year, the Bombay High Court issued an interim order, directing civic bodies across Maharashtra to enforce the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) 2020 guidelines banning the immersion of PoP idols—even in artificial tanks—during the Maghi Ganeshotsav (January-February).The rationale: PoP's adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems. The result: a swift crackdown by municipal bodies and police. On June 9, the court modified its order, allowing the manufacture and sale of PoP idols—so long as they aren't immersed in natural water bodies. A CPCB expert panel has also clarified that its 2020 guidelines were advisory, not mandatory. The partial reprieve has given idol-makers like Daur some breathing room ahead of this year's main Ganeshotsav, which begins in late August and is the most popular festival in Maharashtra. Then, on July 24, came further clarity. 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The material proved easy to mould, light to transport and ideal for mass production. By the 1980s, Pen housed more than 500 workshops crafting idols from both clay and PoP, according to Shrikant Deodhar, Rajabhau's nephew and a fourth-generation sculptor. In the 1990s, outlying villages, with their cheaper land and abundant labour, joined the fray. In Hamrapur, farmlands long eroded by saline ingress have given way to gleaming bungalows—quiet monuments to the prosperity the idol trade has brought. In this belt, artisans are organically initiated into the craft as January court order, however, had sent tremors through the region. Many workshops suspended work entirely. 'We lost three critical months,' says Jagdish Patil, president of the Shri Ganesh Murtikar Utkarsha Mandal, representing about 600 workshops in Hamrapur. 'We usually produce around a million idols every year. This time, it may drop to 800,000.' THE PoP VS CLAY DEBATEadvertisementThe economics is unforgiving. 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