“UMRAO JAAN”

As the director says “Making a film like this is like delivering a baby”, surely the movie deserves plaudits for the effort made by the director. “Umrao Jaan” has taken her fourth birth on celluloid, while it is a futile exercise to compare it with the yesteryear’s movies like “Umrao Jaan(old), Mehendi, Zindagi Aur Toofan” based on the same story line, an adaptation of Mirza Ruswa’s novel, this story really stands on its own legs. This movie was really a classic piece beside the original script, while this movie may not appeal to the mass but surely this movie will be appreciated by esoteric people. Albeit the movie seems to stagnate a bit in between due to rapid fire of songs one after the other but once again Javed bhai has shown his true genre and class depicting his eclectic taste as a lyricist through Alka’s sensible voice. Choreography can be extolled as it plays a major role in a movie which revolves round a courtesan as protagonist.
Now comes the main part “acting”. Aishwarya (as Ameeran and Umrao Jaan) playing the role of a courtesan in the movie was really captivating. Aishwarya looking glamorous in the glitters, proves herself as a versatile actress. Really as Javed Akhtar told only Aish with her sharp and enigmatic features can get into the shoes of Umrao Jaan. She succeeds in most part of the movie in doing justice to the strong character that she portrays. Then comes Umrao’s beloved sultan(Abhishek Bachhan) who always does his role quite elegantly. He once again showed that he has all the capabilities to become a great actor like his legendary father Amitabh. At last not to forget Khanum Jaan(Shabana Azmi) who did her part with utmost panache. She has a touch which sets her apart from her cotemporaries as far as acting is concerned. The movie has got some great touching moments(when Ameeran was being kidnapped in a sack, her eyes only being visible, which looks helplessly at her father crying for help), some great dialogues and some great picturesque of quaint Lucknow and Jaipur palaces. One who has got a taste for art and wants to revive his nostalgic memories of old Umrao should at least go once to watch the movie at least for the sake of class that this great script possess.
-amaresh