4 minutes of readingBombayFebruary 2, 2026 12:00 pm IST
Veteran filmmaker and painter Muzaffar Ali and Maharani of Baroda Radhikaraje Gaekwad graced the 10th edition of Expresso at Taj Skyline in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. In a wide-ranging conversation, the two discussed film, dance, culture and feminism. While the Umrao Jaan director mourned the loss of the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb in Bollywood films, the Gujarat royal insisted that feminism should not come at the cost of femininity.
“Our Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb cannot die because a lot of efforts have been made to maintain it,” said Ali, who directed the 1981 historical drama Umrao Jaan. “Patronage is very important for the arts, whether it comes from a Hindu ruler or a Muslim ruler. And that is something that Bollywood has to learn. And Bollywood will have to learn because if they are looking for recognition and global identity of India, then they have to realize that they can go much further than being petty. If you get entangled in petty things, your business will continue to run, but you will not get recognition all over the world,” he added.
Muzaffar Ali argued that Bollywood filmmakers cannot write characters like Rekha’s lead role in Umrao Jaan today because they don’t have time to immerse themselves in the process. “They are too commercial to write movies,” Ali said, adding, “We could immerse ourselves in the process. Nowadays, there is no time for immersion. All beauty comes from immersion.” He pointed out that today’s songs are waiting to be swept away by another song, unlike the gems composed by the late Khayyam in Umrao Jaan, like “Dil Cheez Kya Hai” and “Ye Kya Jagah Hai Dosto”.
Radhikaraje Gaekwad also praised Ali, stating that having been to his residence in DelhiShe can attest that he lives and breathes the lifestyle his films portray. A proud feminist herself, she asked pertinent questions about what feminism means today, calling it the “most bloodless revolution” in history. “What does feminism mean? Does it mean that only you advance? Or does it also mean holding the hand of women who need to advance little by little? And is it a loss of femininity? Does feminism mean the absence of femininity? Do we lose the enriching qualities that we have as women?” she asked.
“Because today more than ever, femininity is a leadership that we need. You see the world becoming harsh and the kind of violence and aggression everywhere. The only way to look at it is, if compassion and femininity come into play, then the nurturing aspect of community building, supporting and feeding humanity is the only way we can survive. Is feminism an individual, a community, a gender? I think we have to define that clearly and take it forward without losing our true essence, which is to embody that. intuition, “that wisdom and the nurturing qualities,” Gaekwad added.
Expresso with Muzaffar Ali and Radhikaraje Gaekwad
Muzaffar Ali and Radhikaraje Gaekwad spoke at length about the current state of the migrant, what they learned from legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray and how they would like to see the image of India change in the coming years.
The Expresso session will be available to view on The indian express YouTube channels from 8pm today. The event was held in association with AU Small Finance Bank as presenting partner and Taj Skyline. Ahmedabad as a partner of the place.
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About Expresso
The Expresso series has become a platform for thought-provoking conversations with some of the biggest names in Indian entertainment. Previous editions have featured celebrities like Huma Qureshi and Shefali Shah, Anupam Kher, Richa Chadha and Kabir Khan, Randeep Hooda and Hansal Mehta, Pankaj Tripathi, Kajol and Kriti Sanon, Javed Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar, Imtiaz Ali and Taapsee Pannu, and Vidya Balan and Pratik Gandhi.