A Wild Lover Of God – Rumi
A Wild Lover Of God
The maker of the all-time classic Umrao Jaan is all set to end his over-a-decade-long hiatus from filmmaking.

Being widely read, the Persian poet is the Oriental world’s apt ambassador in the West, believes Muzaffar, who is yet to decide on the lead actors.
“Rumi is a bridge between East and the West, and is the right person to dispel the incorrect notions that West harbours for the other side of the world,†says he, adding, “he is also the most widely read poet in America.â€
Describing his concept of the protagonist in Rumi – The Fire of Love, Muzaffar says the poet was a scholar who went on to become a “wild lover of Godâ€.
“My film traces the journey from his initial life to the making of a poet who wrote about the oneness of God,†says Muzaffar. “It will also explore the mystic friendship he shared with the dervish Shams-e-Tabrizi,†he added.
Ali, says he arrived at the final script for the historical after setting aside 25 initial drafts, and that he has done intensive research on the subject, sifting through the history of 13th century Persia, what now comprises Turkey.
The filmmaker also studied in detail the rise of the Seljuk dynasty, which ruled the region from the later part of the eleventh century till the onset of the fourteenth century. The Seljuk period, which brought Muslim rule at the doorstep of Europe by defeating the Byzantine empire thereby spawning a new era, was central to the period in which Rumi lived, the director said.
“I read about the Seljuk period intensively – its art and culture, the architecture and textiles. I also read a lot of literature belonging to that period,†he said. “Come to my house to see the quantum of research I have carried out on the subject,†he added.
The film, which will be produced in collaboration with the Qatar Foundation run by the wife of the Gulf state’s Emir, will take another year to go on the floor, revealed Ali, who has been assisted on the script by American Sufi expert Kabir Helminsky and noted scriptwriter, Shama Zaidi.
“The moment the financial issues are settled we will put in place casting directors,†the director said, when asked whether the actors who will play the lead roles have been decided upon.
The director, whose critical acclaim rests on films like Umrao Jaan and Gaman also confessed to be a lover of period dramas. “I love making period films because they enable me to create magic on screen. It is the idea of being possessed by a particular period through its imagination,†he said.
The director, however, believes Indian film makers have not done justice to historically important events of the country, including independence and the first war of independence. “Despite 1857 and 1947 being water-shed years in the history of our country, films based on the periods are so few, they can counted on fingertips,†Ali said.
“There should have been hundreds films on the subjects, the medium of cinema should have been better used to make people aware of the history of our independence and the massive tragedy it brought in its wake,†he added.
I sincerely hope that the director will be able to do justice to the subject. 🙂
La Martiniere Alumna, Muzaffar Ali… assisted by Kabir Helminsky and Col. B.H. Zaidi’s daughter, Ms. Shama Zaidi ! Looks good. Muzaffar Ali has good cinematic sense. The project of RUMI is wide. What to take and what to drop, will be difficult. For instance when Rumi starts dancing on the street (while employees of Salahuddin Zarkoub beat the gold, and Zarkoub instructs them to beat on until it is powder. it ultimately becomes powder and flies around covering the road on which Rumi is dancing) and then Rumi falls ! Or the incidenct at the Vegetable Vendor’s (Sabzi Farosh) shop. The young vegetable-vendor… the beautiful girl… the dialogue overheard by Rumi who goes into a trance. Annemarie Schimmel was the AMMA on this subject.
Concept is superb. Muzaffar Ail will take a few poems by Rumi. There is a lot of material (Moroccan / Mathnavi Music). Canvas is huge., select half a dozen crucial scenes is hard… eg. his travel from Balkh age 15 – arrival at Nishapur – Fariduddin Attar gifts his book : “Kitab-ul-Asraar” . When Attar utters “The River followed by the Ocean”… Rumi’s brother Allauddin’s death and burial. Arrival at Konya and reception by Kaikobad. Sultan Bahauddin refusing to accept the gifts by the King ! The School in Konya – his meeting with Shams – the sugar candy / fountain / ? and the period spent in isolation with Shams (at Salahuddin Zarkoub’s home). The Dancing Shams. Enter Husamuddin Chelebi (the innocent one). Rumi’s Death Scene… Bahauddin Valad… and the rebellious 2nd son Alauddin. Selecting incidents -arranging with beauty and bringing out the UNDERLYING message cinematically will be quite a challenge. The script has to be VISUAL. For instance, the fact that young Rumi spent his first 10 years in the kitchen preparing food for the Khanqah ! (You have to burn your ego, while preparing food ! Even Paulo Coelho wrote that preparing food is the greatest evidence of love ! There is a concept of “Rasoi” beside the Temple in Eclectic Hinduism… The Langars… The food at the Khanqahs + the maxim… you reach a heart thru a stomach !).
Then there is Rumi’s funeral scene… christian and jews join in.. a very visual thing. I have faith in Muzaffar Ali’s aesthetics, but that has to be supported by a very crisp and tight screen-play.
2-3 songs of course. No matter how much i try to keep this at the philosophical/secular level, … fact remains that Rumi himself said : “I am the dust of the road on which Prophet Mohammed walked”. Rumi’s sincere love for the Prophet Mohammed (SAWS) is key to understand Rumi. Prophet is the fountain-head of “ilm” and “ishq”.. Mohammed’s “M” is the dhwani uttered in “OM”. All praise him (SAWS) sometimes without knowing ! God bless Muzaffar Ali.. he makes something like The Ten Commandments.
Any more current buzz around the film on your end?
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