‘Main Ek Ghagh Aurat Hoon, Aur Main Ghaat Ghaat Ka Paani Peeye Hoon’. This is the opening line of the novel ‘Umrao Jaan’ written by Mirza Hadi Ruswa that compiles the voyage of a dancer from her abduction in childhood to her return to the same place. ‘Umrao Jaan’ was a famous dancer (Tawaif) of Lucknow and she was very learned in literature and dance. That was the time when sons of Nawabs used to visit Kothas to learn Tehzib (etiquettes). ‘Umrao Jaan’ is a historical character in the sense that it depicts lifestyle of the period of India’s first war of Independence. Cut to 2006. Director J P Dutta vouches to make this novel into a film and he also insists that this is not a remake of the one made by director Muzaffar Ali in 1981.


The question of testing a remake on the box office has resurfaced after ‘Don’. But, if ‘Don’ could manage to recover its cost, ‘Umrao Jaan’ may not as it doesn’t have a Shah Rukh Khan. This ‘Umrao Jaan’ was dreamt by J P Dutta some two decades back. He has lived this screenplay all through his career so far. His father wrote the script even before Muzaffar Ali had started making his film. So, it must have been written afresh and couldn’t have similarities. Of course, Muzaffar Ali’s film was a classic with Rekha’s marvelous acting, Asha’s mellifluous voice, Khayyam’s melodious music and overall an honest effort to present a historical character on celluloid). J P Dutta’s ‘Umrao Jaan’ is no less glamorous but the question arises if it’s worth watching?


When I watch it in a cinema hall of Old Delhi the film’s first show, I expect a large gathering of Muslims as the majority of them live in that area. Instead, I find a noticeable number of eunuchs who came their in groups to see Aishwarya as a Tawaif. The film moves on the same track in the beginning. A teenager Ameeran, daughter of area’s local officer is kidnapped by a goon named Dilawar.


He sells this girl to Khanam Jaan (Shabana Azmi) who runs a kotha in Lucknow. The girl hesitates to return to her past life but slowly starts giving in and uses her brilliance to learn Shayari and dance from learned teachers. She is given a new name of Umrao (Aishwarya Rai). Nawab invites a dancer from Khanam’s group to perform in her palace and Khanam chooses Umrao over her own daughter (Divya Dutta). Umrao wins the mehfil and also the heart of the Nawab’s son, Sultan (Abhishek Bachchan).


Sultan to is besotted by Umrao’s talents and beauty and visits her next day. In Nawab Sultan, Khanam finds a rich fortune and asks Umrao to make Sultan fall in love with her so that he brings in more and more money. But, instead of winning Abhishek, Umrao falls in real love. But the fate has it that Sultan is thrown out of his haveli and Khanam insults him for not being in a position to spend money. The love story is interrupted in between by dacoit Faiz Ali (Suniel Shetty) who is later captured by the police. Having lost her love, Umrao visits her native place and thinks of joining her family there. However, her brother throws her out of the home because she has been a tawaif.


The original story of Umrao in the novel is different from that of the film. J P Dutta makes Nawab Sultan meet Faiz on his own. He also cuts down the Kanpur and Unnao sequences. Gauhar Mirza’s character has been changed for the worse too. J P Dutta has said that he is making a screen adaptation of the original novel and not remaking the last film based on the novel. J P Dutta has also done many mistakes in the making of the film. He never establishes a Kotha in the film.


Even other locations look artificial with many ornamental plants in the backdrop. The production design is such that you even find an India handpump in the film! J P Dutta also misses the local costume designs and culture of Lucknow and the surrounding area and many characters in the film. Besides, the characters deliver their dialogues in Bhojpuri instead of Awadhi. The film has grandeur but it looks unreal. Abhishek Bachchan wearing a turban like that of a Rajput has generated a major controversy in Lucknow as Nawabs of Lucknow always wore a cap and not a turban.


J P Dutta also falters in the casting of the film. An interesting character of Gauhar Mirza played by Naseeruddin Shah in Muzaffar’s film has been assigned to Puru Raj Kumar. Aishwarya in Umrao’ role tries her best and almost comes a winner. But she has her limitations. She has never been even close to this type of culture; but she has battled for the character. Costume designer Anna Singh needs a crash course in Nawabi costumes. Aishwarya showing her cleavage in almost every scene doesn’t reflect that era. Abhishek Bachchan who started his career with J P Dutta’s ‘Refugee’ lets down his director again. He has a stiff face throughout the film, and looks a courageous Pathan not a prince who will fall in love with a beautiful Tawaif. He too needs some lessons on Indian history.


Suniel Shetty is such a good actor that every time he comes on screen you can really make out that he is acting. But, Shabana Azmi as Khanam Jaan (her mother played the same role in Muzaffar’s film) has scored maximum. She is the only actor who has slipped into the skin of her character. Music of the film is too good. Alka Yagnik has changed her meter to sing these songs and Anu Malik’s compositions are just superb. Overall, J. P. Dutta’s ‘Umrao Jaan’ doesn’t have a bright future at the box office. People reject Aishwarya as Umrao even before seeing the film. Moreover, the pairing of Aish and Junior B has been a disaster in earlier films, namely, ‘Dhai Akshar Prem Ke’ and ‘Kuch Na Kaho’ too. ‘Umrao Jaan’ may be a hat trick flop for this couple. Better luck in ‘Dhoom 2′ and ‘Guru’!




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