umrao jaan ada ( film )
umrao jaan ada was released in december 1972. it was a popular film and ran for 50 weeks in cinemas in karachi .
jo bacha tha woh lutane ke liye aaye hain from umrao jan ada (1971) .
javed akhtar volunteers to give a foreword, which introduces the artistic temperament of lucknow and its soulful inhabitant umrao jaan' ada' .
this is an adaptation of an urdu novel that tells the story of umrao jaan ada, a courtesan who tries to escape her life .
' during the recording of umrao jaan, asha bhosle started feeling uneasy.'
we next present the beautifully tragic lyrics and english translation of “ yeh kya jagah hai doston ” from umrao jaan (1981). umrao jaan is a heart - breaking film with depths more profound than the glittery tawaif dances it showcases. based on the 1899 urdu novel by mirza hadi ruswa entitled, “ umrao jaan ada, ” the 1981 film stays largely true to the original text .
based upon the 1899 urdu novel umrao jaan ada by pakistani author mirza hadi ruswa, the 2006 remake of umrao jaan by director j. p. dutta stars aishwariya rai in the title role, with abhishek bachchan as the handsome prince who steals her heart .
rekha stars as a courtesan with a heart of gold in umrao jaan (1981) .
rekha hides a tear as umrao jaan sings to a gathering in her hometown of faizabad .
umrao jaan (1981 & 2006): a courtesan' s tale... times two
ethereal beauty rekha yearns for acceptance from her long - lost family in umrao jaan (1981) .
what did you think of the new umrao jaan? i detest comparisons. i’d worked hard on the background research for umrao jaan. it took a lot of effort to convince asha bhonsle to shed her cabret singer image to do ghazals in umrao jaan. we studied history and umrao jaan ada in detail before composing the songs. the music was a success. so was annu mallik’s. he didn’t come to my door, asking for guidance. i’m sure he worked harder on his umrao jaan than i did on mine. if the film didn’t work, it’s a comment on the director, not the composer. i was quite pleased with his compositions .
i read the novel umrao jaan ada on which the film is based and started reading the history to know what music instruments were played in that era. reading history books helped me understand because they spoke about raag and raginis that people sang in that era .
awadh and rajasthani folk music was used in that film, so i had very little scope. i was wondering what music to use for umrao jaan .
artistic, very poetic, a little fanatical, slightly whimsical, but always musical is umrao jaan, muzaffar ali' s second film. set in the city of lucknow, which exudes an oriental air reminiscent of awadh glory, the film revolves round umrao jaan, a courtesan in mid - nineteenth century .
bollywood queens: umrao jaan (1981 & 2006): a courtesan' s tale... times two
searching for a familiar face in a crowd of strangers, rekha remains alone in umrao jaan (1981) .
historically, umrao jaan ada is not a fictional character, but a renowned courtesan and poet from the city of lucknow, who recounted the story of her life to the mirza hadi ruswa at a poetry gathering. since then, the story of umrao jaan has been made into this and several other films, and is the theme of a pakastani television series .
my wife jagjit ji told me it would be a challenge to do umrao jaan because there would be comparisons to pakeezah .
dil cheez kya hai aap meri jaan lejiye beautifully sun by asha bhosle and excellently danced on by rekha, umrao jaan had wonderful music by khayyam and till day remains muzaffar ali' s masterpiece .
delving into the decadence of 19th century lucknowi society, umrao jaan ada portrays the rituals of a fascinating culture marked by luxury and oppression. i first read ruswa’s novel during my junior year of college in urdu class and fell in in love with the resilience of the story’s heroine .
umrao jaan, directed by muzaffar ali, is a sad tale, based on a classic urdu novel, umrao jaan ada (1899) written by mirza ruswa. this film is set in the mid - nineteenth century in northern india among the elite muslim mughal society. the performances, make - up, and costumes, transport the viewer to another time period, as ali recreates the mughal empire courtly life and the poetry - loving culture. umrao portrays a romanticized tawaif, talented in the high courts in dance, poetry, and song. this film narrates umrao’s displacement, marginalization, and ultimate disintegration due to her status as a courtesan through her circumstances .
based on the epoch - making urdu novel umrao jaan ada by mirza hadi ruswa, (whose claim to fame is restricted to just this book) the fiim deals with a sensitive period of awadh history and documents its refined decadence - a far cry from the taxi drivers of ali' s first film gaman which put him quite heavily in the red .
i came to know through books that umrao was a trained classical singer, she knew kathak, she wrote shayaris and she was very beautiful. based on that, i decided how umrao jaan would sing .
i deliberately stayed away from the aishwarya rai - starrer because i simply couldn' t imagine her doing justice to the film. i' m not much of a rekha fan either, but i thought she was superb in umrao jaan - which, anyway, was a great film. i remember watching it the first time when i was about 10, and being very impressed, even though (as you' d expect, at that age) some of it went over my head. ; -) thank you for reviewing this, anu, and for that bit of trivia at the end regarding the existence of umrao jaan. i' ve never read umrao jaan ada, but you tempt me .
ghunghat is a 1962 pakistani musical film directed by khurshid anwar. the film was selected as the pakistani entry for the best foreign language film at the 36th academy awards. the film won four awards at the 1962 nigar awards .
umrao jaan attracts the handsome and wealthy nawab sultan. the couple fall in love, but after a jealous customer tries to start a fight with nawab sultan, he shoots him and the jealous customer zabardast khan dies. he no longer comes to the kotha and umrao jaan must meet him secretly, by the help of gauhar mirza. as umrao jaan continues to see nawab sultan and also serve other clients, she supports gauhar mirza with her earnings. a new client, the mysterious faiz ali, showers umrao jaan with jewels and gold, but warns her not to tell anyone about his gifts. when he invites her to travel to farrukhabad, khanum jaan refuses, so umrao jaan had to run away. on the way to farrukhabad, they are attacked by soldiers and umrao jaan discovers that faiz is a dacoit and all of his gifts have been stolen goods. faiz ali escapes with his brother fazl ali and she is imprisoned, but luckily one of the tawaif from khanum jaan' s kotha is in the service of the raja whose soldiers arrested her so umrao jaan is freed. as soon as she leaves the raja' s court, faiz ali finds her and gets her to come with him. he is soon captured and umrao jaan, reluctant to return to khanum jaan, sets up as a tawaif in kanpur. while she is performing in the house of a kindly begum, armed bandits led by fazl ali try to rob the house, but leave when they see that umrao jaan is working there. then gauhar mirza comes to kanpur and she decides to return to the kotha .
i recently rewatched muzaffar ali’s masterpiece umrao jaan (1981), a film that is so brilliantly crafted that it deserves multiple posts on this blog like pakeezah and mughal - e - azam. the film is based on an urdu novel written by mirza muhammad hadi ruswa that recounts the life of one of south asia’s most influential literary figures: umrao jaan. born in faizabad, a young girl named amiran is kidnapped and sold to a brothel in lucknow. as she grows older, amiran is grooomed by the brothel’s madam until she becomes umrao jaan (played by rekha), one of lucknow’s most desirable courtesans. misfortune after misfortune falls upon umrao jaan, but the film ultimately portrays her as a resilient woman whose beautiful mujras and poetry serve as a lasting legacy to her indomitable spirit .
umrao jaan (1981) full ...
this video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by s k jain and sons .
filmed in nawabi lucknow, muzaffar ali newest venture umrao jaan attempts to recapture the aristocratic grandeur of awadh. among its glittering cast is rekha playing the coveted role of umrao. umrao jaan' s filming has, however, been stopped by a court ruling. the granddaughter of the author of the book on which the film was based had sought restraint on the film on the grounds that
the film would be irksome for the peace of his soul
. chitra subramaniam spent a week at the sets in lucknow before the court ruling. her report :
through the course of this film, we witness the transformation of an innocent young girl amiran as she becomes umrao jaan ada, one of lucknow’s most sought after courtesans. at the brothel, young amiran receives training in classical voice, kathak dance, and urdu poetry–a forbidden world of art and education that the average indian girl of this time period would never get the chance to explore. when the brothel’s madam khanum feels that she has been sufficiently groomed, umrao jaan begins performing and attracting the attention of wealthy patrons all over lucknow. umrao’s first public performance as a courtesan is marked by the song dil chiiz kyaa hai ?
justju jis ki thi... ...... ...... ...... .
umrao jaan
everything about umrao jaan was wonderful, the songs, the direction and of course the acting. i remember i had not seen the film but had seen 36 chowringee lane and like everyone else i too felt that jennifer kendal deserved the award. later i saw umrao jaan on television and i changed my mind, rekha definitely deserved this award, i really couldn' t fault her performance .
in the meantime, khanoum jaan has sent umrao a new admirer - faiz ali (raj babbar). he is rough and unpolished but he has a kind heart. hurt to the core by the news of nawab sultan' s marriage, and sickened by khanoum jaan' s greed, umrao agrees to elope with faiz .
that of course brings me back around to the prostitute thing, which i find interesting because bollywood seems to have this… thing with prostitutes. one of these days, i want to do a post exclusively dedicated to bollywood' s prostitute obsession and why i think it exists. i think it actually goes back further than film, considering such classic literary works as
devdas
and this film' s basis ,
umrao jan ada ,
focus on prostitutes or courtesans (and i asked for translations of
devdas
and
umrao jan ada
for christmas; there' s a chance i may still get them) .
this gem is considered to be one of asha bhonsle’s career - defining songs, and she was awarded a national film award for her performance of this ghazal along with the rest of her contributions to this soundtrack. khayyam bagged a well - deserved national film award for his compositions in this film, and rekha took home the national film award for best actress. from her performance in this mujra in particular, it is clear that rekha is worthy of all the critical acclaim she received for her work in umrao jaan. although she may lack the technical precision of a trained kathak dancer, she compensates with her compelling on - screen presence and natural elegance. with eyes like hers, would any man in lucknow be able to resist the charms of umrao jaan ada ?
umrao jaan was turned into a bollywood film by director muzaffir ali in 1981. the film is a classic of the 1960s to 1980s bollywood style, full of flamboyant costumes and spectacular dances. the tragedy of the leading character at the hands of an exploitative male society is underplayed, with umrao jaan being portrayed as a proto - feminist icon embarked on a rags to riches adventure. lead actress rekha delivered some of the best vocal and dance performances of her career, for which she won the national film award for best actress in 1981 .
with its luxurious sets and costumes, umrao jaan is dazzling to the eye, and co - stars aishwariya rai and abhishek bachchan are beautiful beyond description. the musical soundtrack is a strong aesthetic element, and umrao' s story is both compelling and stirring. and although it is flawed by overly - stylized acting and the subtitles are amateurishly translated in places, umrao jaan is worthy of watching for its tragic beauty .
the story upon which the film is based is a classic of urdu literature. umrao jaan ada is considered by some to be the first novel in the urdu language and takes its title from the professional name of a famous courtesan from lucknow. mirza hadi ruswa, the author, was apparently acquainted with umrao jaan (though her historicity is not confirmed), and upon his request she narrated her story to him. the book is told in the first person and tells how she was kidnapped, trafficked and rose to fame as a much - sought after female companion to the nawabs of awadh .
the poetry of the film conveys the development of the character ,
says ali. the lyrics of umrao jaan have been written by shahryar whose poetry ali used in gaman. they have been set to music by khayyam. the music which provides a strong cultural base to the film ranges from classical to traditional folk .
based on the novel umrao jaan ada by mirza mohammed hadi ruswa, muzaffar ali' s umrao jaan lovingly recreated 19th century lucknow. his attention to detail is everywhere - in the elaborate costumes and the exquisite manners of the period, the insistence on traditional instruments for both score and background, even in the accessories on screen - carpets, paan boxes, chandeliers, and so on. his deft direction reined in much of the excesses of usual commercial cinema, while camera man pravin bhatt lovingly framed the beauty and the decadence of the nawabi culture of the era .
interestingly, the framing of the 1981 muzaffar ali - directed film differs from the novel, told as a chronological account instead of a reminiscence. for me, this changes the tone of the film entirely: in the novel, the audience knows that although umrao jaan has suffered greatly in her lifetime, she eventually finds the peace and independence she deserves .
ending soon after the siege of lucknow in 1856, the film compresses much of the narrative in the novel without losing the plot. was there really such a person as umrao jaan ada or was she just a figment of ruswa' s imagination? the novel, as written, was a personal memoir, a dialogue between the author and the courtesan, whom the author had supposedly met during a mushaira. enamoured by her poetry, he convinces her to narrate her life story, which she eventually edits .
written by shahryar with music by khayyam, “yeh kya jagah hai doston” is a counterpoint to the film’s earlier musical gems “ in ankhon ki masti ” and “ dil cheez kya hai. ” with no ulterior motives, umrao jaan at last sings and dances as herself, voicing the real emotions within her heart. many consider this song to be the film’s greatest composition .
just prior to the film’s finale, umrao jaan (portrayed by rekha) is asked to perform a song in her own town of faizabad where she is now regarded as a pariah or stranger. the poetry that results in “yeh kya jagah hai doston” evokes that sense of loss and confusion—a blameless fall from eden with no path forward. as her own mother listens quietly outside the tent, umrao jaan’s addressing the unfamiliar gathering as “ doston ” becomes perhaps less ironic and more of an earnest plea .
in addition to rekha’s stunning performance as the tawaif umrao jaan, this film is especially memorable for its portrayal of the richness of lucknow’s cultural heritage. the indulgent life of nawaabs around the turn of 20th century is visually apparent in the film’s costumes, artwork, and set design, but the luxurious atmosphere in the film is taken to a new level by the soundtrack composed by khayyam and penned by shahryar. here, i’ve chosen to translate one of the unforgettable mujra numbers from this film: in aa. nkho. n kii mastii .
umrao jaan (urdu: امراؤ جان, hindi: उमराव जान) is a bollywood production starring aishwarya rai as the famous courtesan. the film is directed by j. p. dutta and also stars shabana azmi, sunil shetty, abhishek bachchan, divya dutta, himani shivpuri and kulbhushan kharbanda .
aren’t you identified more with umrao jaan than any other film? says who? in my career of 60 years, i’ve given over 50 super - hit albums right from my first one to yatra. i’m also known for razia sultan, kabhi kabhie and noorie. . over 40 other films .
putting family first is an overarching theme in bollywood film that can transcend any challenges .
. both richa sharma and anmol malik (the voices for an adult and adolescent umrao jaan respectively) in the track' s two versions do a splendid job of echoing our heroine' s building frustration and terrible angst .
the film received mainly negative reviews from critics, many of them reacting unfavourably to j. p. dutta' s direction and the film' s three hour running time .
the novel, which is full of tragedy and romance, has inspired several films in pakistan, including muzaffar ali’s umrao jaan in 1981. the pakistani version was released almost a decade before ali’ s picture, and it is difficult not to conclude that the indian version was influenced by this cross - border film .
armaan, a pakistani black - and - white film produced by waheed murad and directed by pervaiz malik, was the first pakistani film to complete 75 weeks in cinemas and, thus, became the first pakistani “platinum jubilee” film. in addition to its commercial success, armaan won several awards at the nigar award ceremony in 1966 including best film. the film was picturized in karachi. armaan was remade in 2013 starring fawad khan and aamina shiekh .
well, this was a bollywood first for me: i' ve seen two versions of a film and am able to do a comparison. the 1981 and 2006 versions of umrao jaan! forgive any spottiness in this post as i watched the 2006 remake in september and the 1981 version about three weeks ago with spotty subtitles .
in the film, however, umrao jaan’s fate is unclear. we are left only with the stirring final image of her somber reflection in the mirror of her childhood home—an identity so long defined by others now confronted by its owner. knowing these alternate endings colours the implications of asha bhonsle’s emotional “yeh kya jagah hai doston” preceding them .
funny you should say that about the audio tape - my copy of umrao jaan is a twin dvd set with bazaar. :) agree with you about the movie - worth watching for the story, the acting and the songs. : )
plays him in 2006. (also interestingly but not necessarily importantly, shabana azmi plays the role of brothel owner khannum jaan in the 2006 film after her mother, shaukat azmi, played the same role in the 1981 version. )
rekha is a marvelous actress. being a tamilian, she spoke in such a good lucknowi andaaz (style)! you would think she' s born and brought up in lucknow. even today i call her umrao jaan when i meet her .
nawab sultan sahib is enticed to the kotha by gauhar mirza who paints such a word picture of umrao that the young nawab is intrigued. umrao performs in aankhon ki masti ke - nawab sultan is smitten. mirza encourages umrao to encourage the young nawab' s attentions - after all, it is raining asharfis (gold coins) .
umrao jaan is long at 189 minutes, features ten musical performances, and contains dialogue in both hindi and urdu. although the story takes place in lucknow in the state of uttar pradesh, much of the filming took place in palaces around the city of jaipur, rajasthan. supporting cast for umrao jaan includes shabana azmi as madam khannum jaan, sunil shetty as umrao' s dark suitor faiz ali, divya dutta, puru raajkumar, and ayesha jhulka as her brothel siblings, and himani shivpuri and kulbhushan kharbanda as her adoptive parents. the opulent costumes worn by aishwariya rai and her supporting cast were designed by bindiya goswami and anna singh, and all of her jewels were genuine. aishwariya rai is a former beauty queen with more than forty film titles to her credit. and on april 20, 2007, she married her leading man abhishek bachchan .
muqaddar ka sikandar مقدر کا سکندر) 1978) * salaam - e - ishq meri jaan [ h. q. ] _ _ 7sw .
the film performed poorly at the box office, grossing only rs. 64, 900, 000 .
raj babbar is faiz ali, a dacoit who is besotted with umrao, and is willing to make her his wife. special mention, of course, should be made of shaukat azmi who plays khanoum jaan, the greedy and exploitative madame of the brothel .
the young girl turns into an elegant, poetic beauty by the name of umrao jaan (aishwarya rai). umrao' s beauty and poetry is enough to catch the eye of nawab sultan (abhishek bachchan). the two begin a passionate romance, but when his father finds out he disowns nawab sultan from his life, wealth and property. the penniless nawab goes to the house of his uncle nazimuddin in grahi to sort himself out, and umrao prays every day for his return .
the 2006 version, however, has a confusing, poorly done and entirely unnecessary framework. the film sets up the story as being recounted by an old and frail umrao (aishwarya in makeup that does not make her look old enough) to a man who is intrigued by her poetry and wants to know her sob story. this is actually a reference to how ruswa framed the original novel, saying that umrao jaan herself recounted the story to him when he met her in early 1899. however, it' s completely unnecessary for the film and doesn' t work well .
madhu, i stay away from most remakes. and truth to tell, jp dutta didn' t inspire me with any faith in his ability to make it well. umrao jaan ada has been translated a few times. the one i read was the khushwant singh version though there are a couple of versions out there, i think. it is very interesting to read, and you end with the feeling that such a person really did exist. (or perhaps, i was more susceptible to an overdrive in imagination at that age. * grin * )
that being said, the poetry of the 2006 film was handled much better than that of the first .
according to dutta the film is based on the script written by his father o. p. dutta ,
umrao jaan performs at the court of wajid ali shah until the siege of lucknow forces her to flee the city for faizabad. there she finds her mother, but is threatened by her brother who considers her a disgrace and believes she would be better off dead. devastated, umrao jaan returns to lucknow now that the mutiny is over. she meets the begum from kanpur again in lucknow and discovers that she is actually ram dai. by a strange twist of fate ram dai was sold to the mother of nawab sultan and the two are now married. another ghost of umrao jaan' s past is put to rest when dilawar khan is arrested and hung for robbery. with her earnings and the gold that faiz ali gave her, she is able to live comfortably and eventually retires from her life as a tawaif .
my last post came about because the film had been remade and had initiated a virtual debate about its cinematic quality, and the advisability of remaking films that ought not to be touched. i fell squarely into the anti - remake group; one assumes that the people who see, and like the remake, most probably have not seen the original, and even more possibly, cannot relate to a much simpler time. in any case, the discussion that led to that review also led me to thinking about remakes in general, and reminded me of another classic that was remade (and butchered) - as different from chashme buddoor as chalk from cheese. umrao jaan ada, the legendary courtesan of lucknow. of course, director jp dutta screamed himself hoarse that he was not' remaking' muzaffar ali' s film, but was adapting the novel on which it was based. apart from the fact that the original film is deservedly seen as a classic, it is a period film, a genre that i love. it is also a very well - made period film with its meticulous attention to detail .
several of the roles were changed during pre - production. priyanka chopra was considered to play the part of umrao jaan, but could not allot the ninety consecutive dates required for shooting due to her role in bluffmaster. arshad warsi was to star in the film as gauhar mirza, but dropped out soon after as he chose to appear in lage raho munna bhai. puru raajkumar replaced warsi. shabana azmi, who plays the role of khannum jaan, is the daughter of shaukat azmi, who played the same role in the 1981 version .
to the lucknowites, this is' operation umrao jaan'. the entire city seems to be gripped by an inexplicable maniacal possessiveness about the film. said a local stage actress who has a small role in the film :
many period films have been made in lucknow but this one is very different - muzaffar is making it .
people arrive on the sets religiously every morning to see' our' muzaffar at work - as if to provide him with the much needed self - confidence .
anu, this is a lovely review of a lovely film, which i am never tired of watching again and again. some nuances i remember very differently. i didn' t see faiz ali (raj babbar) as' kind hearted'. to me he appeared as selfish as others who exploited umrao jaan. i think there is something in his eyes, or his facial mannerisms, which make it appear as if he has never grown out of insaaf ka tarazu. same with the pimp gauhar mirza (naseeruddin shah). when he stoops down to use a false legal case on a hapless umrao jaan, he appears quite mean, and not helpless on account of his circumstances. i can grant farooq sheikh is a prisoner of his circumstances. besides ye kya jagah hai dosto, another song that gives me goosebumps is justjoo jiski thi. a lyrical beauty permeates the film throughout, which is on account of muzaffar ali himself being a man of great aesthetic taste across literature, music and painting. i have steadfastly refused to see the abhishek bachchan - aishwarya rai version, i cannot visualise any other umrao jaan. this is one film which should be left untouched .
rekha’s mujras in this film, especially dil chiiz kyaa hai? , are fan - favorites to this day .
thanks for sharing such a valuable information gathered at one place. do you have film
baadil starring habib and deeba
was an unusual feat. it seamlessly merged the aesthetics of an art film with the gloss of a commercial one .
neend is a pakistani - urdu film which made it to the nigar awards. the film has an award - winning script and a unique concept. the movie also became very famous for its songs and remarkable acting by the stars .
umrao jaan ada is the story of a courtesan and poet living in lucknow in the mid - 19th century. named after its eponymous protagonist, the novel is reputedly based on real events recounted to the author by a woman he met at a poetry gathering in lucknow in the 1890s. the novel is famous for being the first mainstream literary publication in the urdu language. it is also noted for its colourful depiction of mid - 19th - century indian society, with a believable cast of rogues, romantics, modernisers and stuffy traditionalists. the events of the novel take place against the backdrop of the indian mutiny of 1857, with the protagonist continually being sold to one wealthy, ambitious man after another (some villainous, some heroic). umrao jaan has the last laugh in the novel. through luck, pluck and some strange twists of fate, she overcomes abduction and exploitation to amass a fortune in her own right .
naseeruddin shah came in as gohar mirza, the pimp who adores umrao from afar, and lives off her earnings. mirza is not a bad man at heart, but he is also forced by circumstances to do what he does. a fact that umrao also understands .
denying vehemently that this is a chance of a lifetime, says an irate rekha :
you are making too much of the whole thing - to me it' s just another film and it' s by sheer fluke that muzaffar has got so many dates together .
but, blissfully unaware of contradicting herself, she goes on to say :
i want to be umrao jaan in this film, not rekha .
rekha, who can be extremely expressive when she wants to, is obviously thrilled but reluctant to show it .
in the nawab' s absence, umrao catches the eye of faiz ali (sunil shetty) who wants her at all costs. he extends a hand of friendship to her and asks her to accompany him to his home in daulatabad; umrao accepts, but only after she finds out that they will be travelling through grahi. after a confrontation between faiz ali' s men and the soldiers of grahi, the party (including umrao) are arrested. faiz ali is revealed to be a dacoit who has been pursued for years. nawab sultan hears that umrao and faiz ali are in grahi and he meets ali in prison. faiz ali manipulates the information concerning his time with umrao, and implies to the nawab that they had a sexual relationship. the nawab confronts umrao and – feeling that she betrayed him – shuns her and sends her back to lucknow. heartbroken, umrao attempts to return to her old life, but fate has other plans for her .
umrao' s troubles are not yet over. she is discovered by hussaini and mirza, who emotionally blackmail her into coming back to lucknow. when she refuses to stay in lucknow, khanoum jaan offers to let her go after muhurram. umrao soon learns that she will never be free of the kotha - at khanoum' s urging, mirza has filed a lawsuit against her, alleging that she wants to leave him, her lawfully wedded husband .
, umrao, however, gracefully asks her beloved to give her up. her complex, human side shows up at times as a martyr
on his birthday on february 18, he released a music album called soothing melodies of khayyam, which has 20 songs composed by him. among the things khayyam is known for is his contribution to the rekha - starrer umrao jaan, the music of which is still so popular. he won a national award for it .
worldwide, the film has grossed $ 1, 371, 723, including $ 485, 000 at the us box office .
but, there exists a minor controversy about the source of the novel. according to the more popular version, a chance encounter between ruswa and umrao jaan towards the end of umrao' s life led her to recount her story to him which he compiled into a novel. on the other hand, some believe that ruswa, disturbed by the negative cultural onslaught of the british, recalls the glory of the institution of the tawaif which had kept the social fibre intact .
anjuman, which later saw a remake in 2013 as well, is a pakistani urdu colored film starring waheed murad, rani, deeba, santosh kumar, sabiha khanam and lehri. the film was released during the ‘heydays’ of waheed murad and became a milestone in his career. the film was produced by safdar masud under the banner ideal movies and directed by hassan tariq, a well - known pakistani film director. the movie is about lost love, sacrifice, and tragedy. it also won 8 nigar awards .
i' m working on just one song in prakash bhardwaj’s film, meri dilbar husne malika, which has been recorded and sung by sonu nigam. bhardwaj is stuck with the casting, so there is a lot of time for the film to get ready .
the very next day, umrao begins her training in music and dance along with bismillah, khanoum jaan' s daughter. it is a world that she would never have known had she remained in her parental home. time passes, and soon umrao (rekha) and bismillah (prema narayan) are two beautiful women who are ready for their presentation to the world of men, the world of elegant and cultured men who have an appreciation of music and dance and poetry recitations .
ddlj is a masala film that discusses transnational identity and intergenerational issues alongside changing cultural values in the indian diaspora. indian values are important and portable, even in diaspora communities. what’s interesting about this film is the fact that this narrative could have occurred anywhere in the world, as the british setting itself is not ultimately specific to the film. the general change in setting that is simply not in india affects the characters of the film, proving a discussion of constructing identity in this diaspora genre film. ddlj discusses the character’s displacement and nostalgia, gender roles in relation to changing cultural identity, and the cultural difference between moral traditionalists and foreign influences .
however! while i respect the differences in times that these were released, i must commend the 2006 film for realizing that a film about courtesans means suggesting sex — and that' s ok! in the 1981 version, umrao and sultan are shown fully clothed (in long sleeves even) underneath a blanket. ridiculous! even close - ups of just faces or of sultan caressing umrao' s unbound hair (which is shown in the same long - medium shot where you get them undercovers fully clothed) would have made more sense. i literally burst out laughing — bad reaction to a supposedly sexy scene. the 2006 version uses shots of sultan and umrao' s intertwined hands and such to much better effect .
there she is renamed umrao jaan, and is adopted by bua hussaini and maulvi sahib, who take on the task of schooling the young courtesan in the refined pleasures offered by the brothel. umrao shows promise as a dancer, singer, and poet, and as she matures, she becomes a rare beauty who captivates the hearts of all who gaze upon her. but only one will win her love: nawab sultan, a handsome prince who falls in love with her at first sight .
an urdu black and white film, which failed to attract the audience when it as released but gained momentum in the 1980’s and 1990’s, is a romantic and melodious movie. the film was also a big hit in dhaka and east pakistan, now known as bangladesh .
the film that made a gross total of rs. 30 million at the pakistani box office, is a story about a young pakistani, living abroad, who feels unidentified yearning for the eastern culture and a certain eastern girl. the film won 8 nigar awards in 2002 .
but i do not let that happen - i play him with great empathy and love ,
says shah, stirring two - and - a - half spoons of sugar into his coffee. farooque shaikh, the taxi driver of the award - winning gaman, is the nawab sultan in the film. at 32, with his boy - next - door looks he complements the role of the man who marries the girl his mother chooses, despite being madly in love with umrao jaan .
asha ji (bhosle) is an all - rounder but during rehearsals, i told her umrao jaan would not sing in a high octave like she does. she would have to sing in a lower pitch. i sang and showed her how. she asked me to record it and asked for eight days to rehearse the song in a lower pitch .
umrao’s tragic singing exposes the cruelty, hypocrisy and secrets of all the respectable people in the room. with her work done, she races from the house .
the vintage film which saw a number of remakes in the future, aaina, was produced by abdul hameed and directed by shabab keranvi. the main cast of this film included deeba, mohammad ali, zeenat, kamal irani. the movie was known for its songs and poetry .
the novel was turned into a film of the same name in 1992 by french director roland joffe. it starred patrick swayze, om puri and shabana azmi. unfortunately, the film occasionally slips into a ‘white saviour’ narrative that the book studiously avoids. most film critics agree that city of joy is not joffe’s best work. this judgement should not reflect negatively on the book, which is a superb work of literary realism .
even though tawaifs were refined performers who catered to the nobility, these women were still marginalized and seen only as a sensual commodity. her voice is even huskier than usual bollywood film singers, to make her more sensuous. umrao is oppressed as a tawaif, as many are quick to judge and see her simply as a service to men. nawab sultan’s mother insults umrao, as she first asks, “how can i talk to you? you’re high society, ” while also calling her derogatory names. nawab sultan’s father wanted umrao for himself, so he told his ex - wife that her son had a relationship with a taiwaif. even though umrao tells nawab sultan she would not be bothered if he married someone else because she knows she could never be his wife, she is still hurt. after umrao and nawab sultan’s brief affair he deserts her, however, to marry someone his mother approves of because of umrao’s status. while nawab sultan and umrao were together another man interrupted an intimate scene between the lovers stating, “the brothel is open to all, ” ultimately alluding to his dominance over her. he claims that no one forces her to be there, but she is forced to grant his every wish in the brothel. mirza even files a lawsuit against her when she refuses to cooperate with him, alleging that she wants to leave him, her ‘lawfully’ wedded husband. umrao’s tawaif status marginalizes her below that of a woman .
. though the mood of the melody and its content are forlorn, malik' s bland notes fail to create empathy for umrao' s gloomy state of affairs .
tagged abhishek bacchan, aisharya rai, amiran, anu malik, asha bhonsle, brothel, courtesans, eyes, farooq shaikh, j. p. dutta, khayyam, lucknow, mirza muhammad hadi ruswa, moth, mughal - e - azam, mujra, muzaffar ali, nawaab, nawab sultan, pakeezah, poetry, rekha, shahryar, tawaif, umrao jaan, wine
. as umrao grows up, she is surrounded by a culture of luxury, music and poetry. she eventually gains her first client, (earning her the suffix of
many films have been made with this story as the base - pakeezah (meena kumari' s last film) was one such, with a few variations and some films in pakistan have also used this theme ,
says shaikh. the tension angle, which is the raison d' etre of any film is provided here by umrao' s involvement with various people and the subsequent unfolding of events in quick succession .
muzaffar has chosen incidents which maintain the tempo of the film unlike gaman which dragged ,
he added. while gaman dragged even at the box - office, shaikh had proved his mettle .
and here' s what i think is my favorite performance from the 1981 film :
yeh kya jagay hai doston
— so much raw emotion .
devdas was turned into a film in 2002, starring shah rukh khan and madhuri dixit. the movie featured some of the best dance duets of the decade, receiving critical acclaim in india and abroad. there are two other film adaptations of the novel in circulation, the most recent being released in 2013 .
) by mirza hadi ruswa, and there is some dispute about whether an actual courtesan named umrao jaan existed (as ruswa claimed). in the story, amiran is from a modest family in faizabad, and an enemy of her father captures her and sells her into prostitution at a lucknow brothel in 1840. renamed umrao, she grows up to become a charming courtesan, and she steals the heart of nawab sultan, with whom she falls in love (earning her the
jaan
in her name). but the match is obviously not an approved one and sultan marries to please his family instead. after a sort of mishap with another would - be suitor who turns out to be a bandit, umrao returns to lucknow but finds it under attack by the british and flees. she attempts to return home but her family rejects her, so she goes back to the now - looted lucknow brothel with only her poetry and courtesan' s arts .
in faizabad, british india, daroga dilawar is sentenced to several years in prison after amiran' s dad testifies against him. after his discharge around 1840, he extracts his vengeance by abducting amiran and selling to a brothel madam. it is here amiran will be re - named umrao jaan. years later, umrao has grown up and is an accomplished poetess as well as dancer extraordinary. she has many patrons, chief amongst them are nawab sultan and his father. the young nawab is smitten by umrao' s beauty and her poems, but is finally forced to marry a girl of his mother' s choice, leaving behind a heart - broken and devastated umrao, who seeks solace in the arms of faiz ali and finally elopes with him, only to find out that he is a wanted bandit, and is shot down and killed by guards. umrao re - locates to lucknow where she establishes herself as a poet and dancer, but is hunted down by brothel - keepers, gohar mirza and husseini and brought back, where she is told that she must marry gohar. watch what umrao does to escape from being married against her will, and her attempts to try and find her way back to her parents. written by rajoo (gunwanti @ hotmail. com )
i couldn' t even decide which version made more sense in terms of displaying the plot. the 1981 version did a better job portraying the early sections of the film and explaining what was happening while the 2006 version did a much better job handling faiz ali (the bandit suitor of umrao after sultan marries) and fleeing lucknow .
choorian is a 1998 pakistani punjabi - language action - romance film directed by syed noor & produced by haji faqir mohammad. film stars moammar rana and saima. choorian is pakistan’s second highest - grossing film of all - time. the film has a simple love story. a city boy is sent to live with his uncle back in the village. he soon falls in love with his uncle’s older daughter billo. billo is a servant in her own house and does all the chores for bahar, her stepmother. bahar treats her like a slave throughout the movie while her two daughters live like queens. looks like a local cinderella !
anarkali, a film inspired by a play written by imtiaz ali taj in 1922, starred noor jehan, sudhir, zarif, ragni, shamim ara, hamalia wala and fazal haq. this film was remade many times before and after the pakistani version. it is one of the most watched films of that time .
while not a trained dancer (a fact that was evident in her kathak sequences) she had definitely rehearsed well, was graceful enough, and used her expressive eyes to great effect. rekha won a highly - controversial national award for best actess for breathing life into umrao jaan. (many critics felt that jennifer kendall deserved the award for her fantastic performance as the anglo - indian teacher in aparna sen' s debut film, 36 chowringhee lane. uncharacteristically for him, shashi kapoor too lashed out at the awards jury for overlooking his wife' s performance. )
umrao jaan ada ( film ) ( urdu : امراؤ جان ادا ) , is the 1972 pakistani film directed by the hasan tariq . umrao jaan ada is based on the 1905 novel umrao jaan ada written by mirza hadi ruswa . the film stars rani , shahid , zumurrud and aasia.music is by nisar bazmi . 
umrao jaan ada (film) (urdu: امراؤ جان ادا), is the 1972 pakistani film directed by the hasan tariq. umrao jaan ada is based on the 1905 novel umrao jaan ada written by mirza hadi ruswa. the film stars rani, shahid, zumurrud and aasia.music is by nisar bazmi.
umrao jaan ada (film) (urdu: امراؤ جان ادا), is the 1972 pakistani film directed by the hasan tariq. umrao jaan ada is based on the 1905 novel umrao jaan ada written by mirza hadi ruswa. the film stars rani, shahid, zumurrud and aasia.music is by nisar bazmi.