First let me tell u all that y did I go for this movie. Its just because I had won couple tickets for the movie at PVR cinemas, that I had not visited before, and when u get free tickets u don’t say ’No’. Otherwise despite being an Aishwarya Fan I would have never gone for the movie as I had an idea what it will turn out to be.
The story is about a sad plight of a woman named Amiran. Amiran belongs from a very "Sharif" family of Bangla or Faizabad. She is her father’s daughter, immensely loved and pampered by him. I don’t know how but her father’s enemy comes to know that she is her father’s darling daughter and so she gets kidnapped by him and is sold at a Lucknow Brothel. Shabana Azmi is the Khanam Sahab of that brothel and she gives Amiran a new name UMRAO. Then the time comes when Umrao performs her first mujra (on the song salaam) and it becomes a rage. She is bestowed with the title Jaan so she becomes Umrao Jaan, then........ Abhishek comes into picture as Nawab Sultan(smitten by Umrao) and the one on whom Umrao has lost her heart too. From this point on till about next 45 minutes i have nothing to write as story doesn’t move at all. One song after another, one romance scene after another, one kasme-wade scene after another.....After that the story moves ahead with Abhishek being disowned by his father, who doesn’t approve of his lady-love, and the entry of Suniel Shetty who is a dacoit but disguises himself as some Sultan and also as an admirer of Umrao. Abhishek becomes penniless & homeless so he goes away leaving Umrao with a promise to come back. Umrao is ready to wait for whole of her life but not Khanam as she wants money n just money. So Umrao is ordered to entertain Suniel Shetty by Khanam whose order she can’t disobey. Suniel being a good hearted Dacoit doesn’t even touch Umrao but sees the mole on her thighs....Strange, very strange! After this particular incident Suniel becomes a kind of Knight in a shinning armour for umrao and offers her to accompany him on his one month journey. At first she is hesistent but then she comes to know that during this journey they will cross the city where Abhishek is putting up with his uncle, the same uncle with whose daughter Abhishek’s father wanted him to get married. Suniel is arrested during this journey and taken prisoner by none other that Abhishek’s relative so Abhi comes to know that Suniel is actually a dacoit and asks for his uncle’s permission to meet him. On meeting Suniel, Abhi makes fun of him posing as sultan & in return Suniel just lies that Umrao was having an affair with him behind his back. Here Umrao-Nawab love saga ends and Umrao comes back to her kotha as a heartbroken woman.Then a war has broken out, Britishers have attacked so all the courtesans have to runaway, mind u its just them whom I cud see leaving the city so I have no idea what kind of war was it?? While crossing Faizabad Umrao is asked by others to take refuge at her village. Unable to control her emotions on hearing of her father’s death she goes to her home. There she was dejected by her bro n mother and even her whole village pokes fun at her. She was completely shattered, heart-broken, et all. The story ended here....Thankfully.
Well guys the movie is extremely slow and too long. It will make u yawn at times like in those 45mins that I have mentioned in my revu.The movie even gives u a feeling of 70’s for further info see the song ’Dekha hume kuch’. It was only towards the end that I sat up and saw the movie. Aishwarya was good, she exhibited her dancing quality well. Abhishek was a bad choice as Nawab, he was a complete misfit! Even Shabana Azmi’s role didn’t match, Divya Dutta and Ayesha Jhulka were ok, meaning chalengi.Suniel Shetty and Puru Rajkumar were also just abt ok. Overall cast performance was just little above average.
Music- I loved the song ’Agle Janam Mohe’ and ’Salaam’. They were just too good. Overall music was good and same verdict goes out for https://lyrics.
J.P.Dutta, his movies always revolved around men and were too far away from being romantic so as this was his first attempt in this arena I would say he did a decent job. If u all like those mujras or u r a fan of Ash-Abhi-Shabana-Divya or of any1 else in the cast or u like old kind of romance then u won’t mind sitting through the movie but otherwise you will yawn n watch, yawn n watch. But I won’t discourage by saying don’t watch the movie. Ash-Abhi chemistry-bio-physics everything is good, dances will keep u awake and though since the beginning the movie is quite BORING but as it moves towards the end it will touch your emotions so if u have that much patience then give it a try. In my recommendation section I have written a ’No’ so its your choice guys.
love,
Neeru!