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Spotlight: The inspiration behind Jodhaa Akbar

For 50 years, the actor, best known for playing Raja in the 1980s television series Nukkad, has struggled to find a foothold in showbusiness. At 60, he appears to be on the cusp of success with the much-awaited Jodhaa Akbar, starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai.

Sitting in his home in Mumbai's Shivaji Park area, Haidar Ali appears relaxed as he speaks about the film of which has written the story and collaborated on the screenplay with director Ashutosh Gowarikar.

"Jodhaa Akbar began after the success of Lagaan," he says. "Ashutosh was looking for a story on the scale of Lagaan. One day we were talking and I told him that the only film he could make after Lagaan would be Mughal-E-Azam."

For a moment Gowariker wondered if his friend was talking about remaking Mughal-E-Azam or directing a sequel to K Asif's epic. But Haidar Ali floated the idea of doing a prequel to Mughal-E-Azam.

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"Ashutosh is the only director who could do justice to a film of such a level. In Lagaan, he touched on the issue of casteism, the oppressed class, Hindu-Muslim unity, communal harmony, team spirit, management and nationalism," says Haidar Ali. "He weaved all this beautifully to make a hit film without preaching or lecturing. In the same way, I told him he could make a beautiful film by touching on such issues without preaching."

Gowariker decided to make Jodhaa Akbar, but only after he finished the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Swades, the script for which was ready.

In December 2001, Haidar Ali and his daughter Venil began research on the Rajput princess Jodhaa's marriage with the Mughal emperor Akbar. As there was little information available, father and daughter roped in a senior journalist from Jaipur, S N Pushp.

After Swades released, Haidar Ali met Gowariker on January 1, 2005 and handed him the story of what was to become Jodhaa Akbar. It remained with the filmmaker for some time as he wanted to verify the historical evidence. Dialogue writer K P Saxena came onto the scene later, and Jodhaa Akbar began to evolve.

Haidar Ali's friendship with Gowariker dates back to 1987 when the latter began his career as an actor in Amol Palekar's television serial Kacchi Dhoop.

Around the same time, Haidar Ali featured in another Palekar serial, Naqab. The two actors met often and bonded. The fact that Gowariker celebrated his birthday a day before Haidar Ali celebrated his birthday on February 16, cemented the friendship.

"I liked Ashutosh's way of working even in those days," he says. "His planning was meticulous even though he was struggling then. We developed a bond even though there was an age gap of almost 20 years."

Akbar was an illiterate," Haidar Ali informs us, talking about the film. "He was born in a Rajput house of Amarkot, which is in Sindh, Pakistan, now. He learnt only sword fighting and horse riding as a boy."

"But in spite of Akbar's illiteracy, he preached tolerance and adopted Din-E-Ilahi as a State religion."

"Din-E-Ilahi has everything from every religion -- Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jewism, Christianity and Islam. Akbar would speak to all the religious experts and instructed his official biographer Abul Fazal to write what they had to say. Din-E-Ilahi was the official religion until Shah Jahan's son Dara Shikoh's rule. His brother Aurangzeb defeated Dara Shikoh in war, and then started following Islam," says Haider Ali.

Akbar, he adds, allowed Jodhaa to stay Hindu till the end of her life, never once interfering in her beliefs.

"Akbar married Jodhaa to avoid bloodshed," he explains. "It was a perfect example of communal harmony. I cannot tell you more about the story because I want everyone to watch the film."

Like the great Mughal emperor, Haidar Ali believes in all religions and keeps many religious books like the Bhagwad Gita, the Koran, the Torah and the Bible at home.

"Though my mother's name was Pramila, she was actually Jewish. Her name was Esther Victoria Abraham," he says. The name Pramila was given to her by (filmmaker) Baburao Pendharkar, actress Nanda's uncle." Interestingly, Pramila was the first ever Miss India.

Pramila married Syed Hassan Ali Zaidi, who is best known for his role as the sculptor in Mughal-E-Azam. His screen name was Kumar. The song Zindabad Mohabbat Zindabad was picturised on him.

When Kumar migrated to Pakistan in 1963, Pramila remained in India with their children.

Haidar Ali appears in the song Khwaja Mere Khwaja in Jodhaa-Akbar. He plays a Sufi saint.

Haidar Ali began his career aged 10, way back in 1960, in the film Jungle King, with actresss Sheela Ramani.

His first adult film was Bhoot Bangla (1965), where he had a small role. He was only 16.

The role was first offered to his brother Akbar, who refused the part as he was only interested in lead roles. Haidar Ali, who did not study after Class 7, promptly grabbed the role.

"It is like I was married to the film industry since childhood," he says. "I always wanted to be in my parents's profession."

He assisted director Roop K Shourie and did films like Akalmand and Ek Thi Rita.

He tried his hand at direction with Mazaak (1975). However, the film starring Mehmood, Moushmi Chatterjee and Vinod Mehra, bombed.

He tried editing films next, but did not make a mark there either.

He went back to acting, and is still remembered for his role of Raja in Nukkad.

After Nukkad, Haidar Ali featured in another television serial, Manoranjan, where he played a director named Anwar.

Initially, director Kundan Shah did not want to cast Haider Ali because he felt he would not do justice to the role. But Haidar Ali's old friend director Aziz Mirza persuaded Kundan Shah, saying he was the right choice for the part because in real life he had flopped as an actor, director and film editor!

"Aziz is a childhood friend. That's why I am always a part of his films. I was in Phir Bhi Dil Hain Hindustani and Chalte Chalte. I am also doing his latest film, Kismet Connection."

Ask if he feels bad at getting recognition after so long, and he replies, "I got an opportunity at 60 and jumped at it! My advice to youngsters is that never give up on your dreams. You have to keep trying in this industry and must have the ability to hang on. I have been struggling since the age of 10 and I have got the biggest break after 50 years of my life."

It is the two women in his life whom Haidar Ali thanks for his success -- his mother Pramila and wife Dr Uma Sankari.

"My mother gave me shelter while my wife saw to it that the home fires kept burning."

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