This is probably one of Aishwarya Rai’s best movies to date. She’s given a stellar performance and looks stunning throughout. The other actors have done a good job too. The only drawback in this movie is that it is a bit too long and gets boring sometimes. Though it is a great movie, I dont think it will be very successful because this genre of slow-moving , historic movies has not had too much success with the audiences offlate. Or perhaps the hype will see it through.
The Cast and Director:
Director: J P Dutta
Aishwarya Rai as Umrao Jaan
Abhishek Bachchan as Nawab Sahib
Suniel Shetty as Faiz Ali
Shabhana Azmi as Khannum
The story:
The film is made as a narrative between Umrao Jaan and the famous Urdu writer Mirza Haadi Ruswa who wrote about her life. Umrao Jaan was a courtesan in Lucknow in the nineteenth century. As a little girl, Umrao (her real name was Ameeran) was kidnapped from home and sold to Khannum Jaan, a lady who trains girls in the art of captivating rich young men. Umrao grows up to be the best among Khannum’s protegees. She soon falls in love with a Nawab Sahib, though it is against her profession and he returns her love in equal measure. Their relationship does not last very long and Umrao is forced to please Faiz Ali ( another of her customers) against her wishes, as she is still in love with the Nawab Sahib. In the end, she is left penniless and is scorned by society, even her mother and brother whom she loves dearly turn her out of the house when she tries to visit them. Though the character ’Umrao’ is said to have existed in the nineteenth century, her plight reflects the sad plight of little girls who are forced into the flesh trade even to this day.
Acting performances:
As I mentioned in the beginning, Aishwarya’s got everything right in this movie. Abhishek has done a fabulous job too and I felt that their on-screen chemistry was great. Shabana Azmi was very convincing in her role though it must have been tough for her to emulate her mother.( Her mother played Khannum’s part in the 1981 movie of the same name.)
The real ’Umrao’:
After watching the movie, I was curious to know if there really was a woman called Umrao Jaan. The movie is based on an urdu book written by Mirza Haadi Ruswa. It is still a matter of speculation whether Umrao really existed or if she was a figment of Ruswa’s imagination. Some say that she did exist and that she was a bad singer and a moderately good dancer.Some people even go so far as to claim that Umrao was Ruswa’s mother ! Real character or fictional, this is the fourth movie about her, and this goes to show that she has a strong hold over people’s imagination.
And finally:
Overall, I would recommend watching this movie. This type of period movie does test one’s patience especially if you watch it after an action movie like Don. But it is worth the effort.