THE GOLDEN ERA

Author and Director MUZAFFARALI delves into the vocabulary of his work to trace the journey of iconic women who have adorned the silver screen.

As far as I can recall, the best stories are narrated by women. As children, one remembers a wrinkled face keeping us spellbound by means of stories till we fell asleep almost every night. Women have stories written on their faces. They carry their own pain and also, the pain of others. The classic novel, Umrao Jaan by the poet, Mirza Hadi Ruswa begins with “what is more enjoyable, the story of my life, the life I have lived, or the world I live in. Or the story of the world”. An actor lives these stories…creating characters into legends, and, in the process, becoming legends themselves. They are the muses for writers and composers and, of course, directors.

I have always been inspired by women as carriers of culture, symbols of emotions and milestones of empathy.

India has grown up with faces that are symbolic of history, legends, and icons of sensuality and feelings. They exude a poetic chemistry and, with their co-stars, conjure up an everlasting poetic grammar. So, to paint this canvas of beautiful faces that have adorned the silver screen, I have to explore the treasure house of my nostalgia and delve into the vocabulary of my work. Each has its own magical journey.