Together with the other apprentice tawaif and Gauhar Mirza, the mischievous illegitimate son of a local Nawab, she is taught to read and write in both Urdu and Persian. The novel is known for its elaborate portrayal of mid-19th century Lucknow, its decadent society, and also describes the moral hypocrisy of the patriarchal system of the times, where Umrao Jaan also becomes the symbol of a nation that had long attracted many suitors who were only looking to exploit her. And hey, it just might be worth it because you get more time in the theatre for the same price because it is a ….On listening to her couplets, the author along with Munshi Ahmad, a novel and poetry enthusiast present at the gathering, convince Umrao Jaan to share her life story with them. P Dutta’s Umrao Jaan is simply a pleasure to look at, outlined by some great acting. Did I mention – it is a long, slow movie.Īs promised, no futile attempt at comparisons.
No wonder the extra leisurely walk through the life of a great poetess. Anyway, everyone involved seemed to have a lot of time at hand. The make-up, dubbing and dialogue delivery of some extras is so awful that you cannot stand them for the two lines they have. Some side characters are not fully developed, like Umrao's friends played by Divya Dutta and Ayesha Jhulka. The definitions of ‘sher’ and ‘ghazal’ have not been adhered to in a few dialogues. Difficult to leave out the fact – it is a long, slow movie.
#Umrao jaan 1981 star cast movie#
For mass appeal, my vote would go to reducing the length of the movie by a good 45 minutes. Maybe the strategy was to appeal to a bigger audience by avoiding the language. It is a shame though that minimal Urdu is used – for the dialogues and the poetry – because this was the apt forum to bring the beautiful language to the younger generation. Vaibhavi Merchant’s choreography has the ‘Kajra re’ flavor and is gracefully rendered. The use of contrast colours for background and Aishwarya’s attire add value to the overall picturisation of the songs. The classical music and the meaningful lyrics are simple yet enjoyable.
If only the producers had given a set run-time for the director/editor to stick to, the movie would have been appreciated better because – it is a long, slow movie.Īnu Malik needs to be saluted just for the entirely different genre of music he has produced. While the original base story is retained, the screenplay is polished a bit, for the much needed clarifications in the plot. The outstanding acting and the magnificent overall look lend to some outstanding Aishwarya-Abhishek scenes. Be it Aishwarya or Abhishek, be it the glittering costumes and jewelry or the ornate sets – everything is grand. All well and good, but be warned - it is a long, slow movie.Ī visual treat is laid out for you. While Abhishek Bachchan looks a little unsettled in his first few scenes, he is sure to win some more hearts by the flavor he gives to the nawab’s character. That is the prowess of this veteran’s acting. Despite being at her best, emotions aroused by ten lines delivered by Aishwarya, can be kindled by just one movement of Shabana Azmi’s eyebrows. Also she looks equally stunning and elegant both in the pastels and the few brighter costumes. Her expressive eyes could alone do most of the acting for her.
Yes, you read that right – performance – she can actually act! It is a mystery why she deprived us of her talent all this while. Aishwarya Rai has given an outstanding performance.
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