New Delhi, June 26 -- It isn't every day that one gets to listen to a man who weaves poetry into film and history into frame. Muzaffar Ali, the visionary behind Umrao Jaan, remains a rare voice in Indian cinema-elegant, introspective and unapologetically rooted in art.

In this candid conversation, he speaks not just as a filmmaker but as a cultural custodian whose every word carries the weight of legacy and the grace of lyric.

Q:⁠ ⁠Umrao Jaan still casts a spell after four decades-did you ever imagine this courtesan's voice would echo across generations, even into 2025?

A: One always imagines and then embarks on such journeys. It begins with faith-in the idea, in oneself, and in those around you. That chain of conviction is...