Muzaffar Ali recalls when the technical demands met the impatience of a child on 'Umrao Jaan' set

IANS June 23, 2025 338 views

Muzaffar Ali reminisces about a funny moment when child artist Shaad Ali complained about being stuck in continuity during 'Umrao Jaan' filming. He also discusses the film's authentic costumes sourced from personal collections. Priyanka Chopra recently praised Rekha as the classic movie re-released. The director invites fans to explore more untold stories in a collector’s edition book.

"I'm stuck in continuity! Otherwise, I would have gone home!" – Shaad Ali
Muzaffar Ali recalls when the technical demands met the impatience of a child on 'Umrao Jaan' set
Mumbai, June 23: 'Umrao Jaan' maker Muzaffar Ali recalled the time when the technical demands of filmmaking met the impatience of a child on the set of the iconic classic.

Key Points

1

Muzaffar Ali shares a charming anecdote from 'Umrao Jaan' set

2

Child artist Shaad Ali frustrated by filming delays

3

Director highlights film's authentic textile details

4

Priyanka Chopra praises Rekha as movie re-releases

He shared that child artist Shaad Ali complained: "Im stuck in continuity! Otherwise, I would have gone home!"

Talking about the priceless complaint of a six-year-old, Ali dropped a sequence from "Umrao Jaan" featuring Shaad.

"Listen to this charming memory, narrated by Muzaffar Ali, of a day when the technical demands of filmmaking met the impatience of a child. A beautiful and funny glimpse into the making of a classic, where even the antique textiles on set weren’t safe!", he wrote in the caption.

"It is these real, human moments—stories of family, art, and the beautiful chaos of creation—that are woven into the legacy of the film. Discover more unseen photographs and unheard stories in the collector’s edition book, available now on www.mapinpub.com or www.muzaffar-ali.com," the director added.

Previously, Ali reflected on the deep cultural and artistic value of traditional textiles in his 1981 classic.

The filmmaker told IANS, that the costumes of the film were carefully sourced from personal wardrobes and heirloom collections, adding to the film's authenticity.

He shared, “Not just memories, every frame is decorated with it. The language in the film is the language of textiles. And those textiles are not from the market. Those are things from people's houses, boxes, and wardrobes that have passed through time and have been worn by people. All characters' clothes are important. It is not possible that one person wears one type of clothes and another person wears something else.”

On Sunday, actress Priyanka Chopra shared a heartfelt message for Rekha as she missed the re-release of "Umrao Jaan".

Congratulating the veteran actress on the re-release of the movie, PeeCee penned on the stories section of her Instagram handle, "Sad not to be there to support my favourite movie and actors. It will be a legendary night. Congratulations Re ma'am."

Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
Such a delightful behind-the-scenes story! Umrao Jaan remains a masterpiece of Indian cinema. The attention to detail with authentic textiles shows why our classic films have such enduring charm. Rekha's performance was truly iconic. 🇮🇳🎬
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Priya M.
The child artist's complaint is so relatable! 😂 Even today's kids would say the same thing. This shows how timeless these human moments are. Makes me want to rewatch Umrao Jaan tonight - the costumes alone are worth seeing again.
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Arjun S.
While I appreciate the nostalgia, I wish current filmmakers would put this much effort into authenticity. Today everything is CGI and fast production. We need more films that respect our cultural heritage like Umrao Jaan did.
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Sunita R.
My mother used to tell me stories about watching Umrao Jaan in theaters. The way Muzaffar Ali describes the textiles - it's like each costume had its own story. That's real filmmaking! Wish I could get that collector's edition book.
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Vikram J.
Interesting to see Priyanka Chopra paying tribute to Rekha. Hollywood star but still rooted in Indian cinema classics. Shows how Umrao Jaan's legacy crosses generations. The re-release is a great idea - new audiences should experience this gem on big screen.
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Neha T.
The part about sourcing clothes from people's homes is fascinating! Today everything is designed from scratch. There was a certain magic in those old films that came from using real, lived-in objects. Makes me emotional remembering my nani's old sarees. ❤️

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