Umrao Jaan (1981 film)

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Umrao Jaan
Umrao Jaan 1981 poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Muzaffar Ali
Written by
Based on Umrao Jaan Ada
by Mirza Hadi Ruswa
Produced byMuzaffar Ali
Starring Rekha
Cinematography Pravin Bhatt
Edited byB. Prasad
Music by Mohammed Zahur Khayyam
Production
companies
  • Integrated Films
  • S. K. Jain & Sons
Release date
  • 2 January 1981 (1981-01-02)
Running time
145 minutes
LanguageUrdu [1]
Budget50 lakh [2]

Umrao Jaan is a 1981 Indian period musical drama film directed by Muzaffar Ali and starring Rekha as the title character. Based on Mirza Hadi Ruswa's 1899 Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada , the film tells the story of a Lucknow tawaif and poet, and her rise to fame.

Contents

Umrao Jaan won many accolades. At 29th National Film Awards, it won 4 awards, including Best Actress (Rekha). It was also nominated for 3 Filmfare Awards, winning Best Director (Ali) and Best Music Director (Khayyam).

Plot

In 1840s Faizabad, a betrothed teenager named Amiran is kidnapped by her criminal neighbour Dilawar, in an act of revenge against Amiran's daroga father, who had testified against Dilawar. Dilawar sells Amiran to Khanum Jaan, the madam of a kotha (brothel) in Lucknow, who teaches young tawaifs (courtesans). At the kotha, Amiran is given the name Umrao Jaan. Years later, Umrao has grown up and became an accomplished poet, and as well as an extraordinary tawaif.

The young Nawab Sultan is smitten by Umrao's beauty and poetry, and the two fall in love. However, Nawab reveals that he must marry someone else to please his family, leaving behind a heartbroken Umrao. Umrao seeks solace in the arms of Faiz Ali and elopes with him, only to discover that he is a wanted bandit. On the way, Ali is killed by the local police.

Umrao relocates to Kanpur, where she establishes herself as a poet and tawaif, but is brought back to Khanum by her kotha keepers, Gohar Mirza and Husseini. Later, she meets the Begum of Kanpur and discovers that she is actually Ram Dai, whom Dilawar had abducted alongside Amiran years ago. In a strange twist of fate, Ram Dai was sold to the mother of Nawab Sultan and she ends up marrying him.

British forces lay siege to Lucknow and the residents evacuate the city. Umrao & Khanum's household of refugees stops in a small village, which Umrao recognises as Faizabad, her hometown. However, The residents don't recognise her and ask her to perform for them.

Afterwards, Umrao goes to her childhood home where her mother is happy to welcome her back, but her younger brother forbids it and humiliates her. He thinks her being a tawaif is a disgrace, and that she is better off dead, ordering her to leave. Devastated, Umrao Jaan returns to Lucknow once the mutiny is over and finds her kotha looted and deserted.

Cast

Release and reception

According to author Anitaa Padhye's Ten Classics (English), Umrao Jaan was released theatrically on 2 January 1981. [4]

Rekha was widely praised for her acting, and won the National Film Award for her portrayal of the central character. [5] The film's box office returns were average. [6] The supporting characters were played by Naseeruddin Shah, Farooq Shaikh, Raj Babbar and Bharat Bhushan. Critics responded favourably to the carefully done historical setting.

The soundtrack was composed by Khayyam and the lyrics were penned by Shahryar. Several songs from the film, sung by Asha Bhosle, are considered classics of filmi music: "Dil Cheez Kya Hai", "Justuju Jiski Thi", "In Ankhon Ki Masti Ke", and "Yeh Kya Jagah Hai Doston". Today, Umrao Jaan is considered at par with other cult classics such as Pakeezah (1972) and is widely acclaimed as one of India's great cinematic magnum opuses. [5]

Soundtrack

The music of the film was composed by Khayyam, while the lyrics were penned by Shahryar.

No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Dil Cheez Kya Hai" Shahryar Asha Bhosle 6:06
2."In Ankhon Ki Masti Ke"ShahryarAsha Bhosle5:42
3."Jab Bhi Milti Hai"ShahryarAsha Bhosle1:28
4."Jhoola Kinne Dala"Shahryar Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Shahida Khan Nizami2:31
5."Justuju Jiski Thi"ShahryarAsha Bhosle4:37
6."Kahe Ko Byahi Bides" Amir Khusrow [7] Jagjit Kaur 4:52
7."Raagmala"ShahryarUstad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Runa Prasad, Shahida Khan5:22
8."Yeh Kya Jagah Hai Doston"ShahryarAsha Bhosle6:07
9."Zindagi Jab Bhi"Shahryar Talat Aziz 4:51
10."Pratham Dhar Dhyan" Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan 

Accolades

AwardCategoryRecipient(s) and nominee(s)ResultRef.
29th National Film Awards Best Actress Rekha Won [8]
Best Music Direction Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Won
Best Female Playback Singer Asha Bhosle for "Dil Cheez Kya Hai"Won
Best Art Direction ManzurWon
29th Filmfare Awards Best Director Muzaffar Ali Won [9]
Best Actress RekhaNominated
Best Music Director Mohammed Zahur KhayyamWon

Musical

Salim–Sulaiman adapted the film into a musical play, Umrao Jaan Ada - The Musical, in 2019. The theatrical adaptation was directed by Rajeev Goswami with Pratibha Baghel in the titular role of the tawaif. [10]

References

  1. "National Film Archive of India". nfai.nfdcindia.com. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  2. Subramaniam, Chitra (15 April 1980). "Umrao Jaan attempts to recapture aristocratic grandeur of Awadh". India Today . Living Media. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Umrao Jaan (1981 film) - film review". Indian Cinema Heritage Foundation (Cinemaazi.com) website. Archived from the original on 19 May 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  4. Padhye, Anitaa (2020). Ten Classics. Manjul Publishing. p. 313. ISBN   978-93-89647-82-2.
  5. 1 2 A.k, Arun (24 June 2021). "What made 'Umrao Jaan' iconic". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  6. Umrao Jaan topactresses, boxofficeindia
  7. Pankaj Rag (2006). Dhuno Ki Yatra. Rajkamal Prakashan. p. 345. ISBN   978-81-267-1169-7.
  8. "29th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals . Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  9. "Filmfare Nominees and Winners" (PDF). The Times Group. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 June 2009. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  10. Khan, Murtaza Ali (8 August 2019). "The aroma of Awadh". The Hindu .