Zubeidaa (2001)

Director:

Shyam Benegal

Writers:

Khalid Mohamed (original story and screenplay)
Javed Siddiqui (dialogue)

Release Date:

19 January 2001 (India)

Genre:

Musical | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

The Story of a Princess

Plot:

Zubeida, an aspiring Muslim actress, marries a Hindu prince to become his second wife. Her tumultuous relationship with her husband, and her inner demons lead her to a decision which has fatal consequences for them all.

Plot Keywords:

Hindu | Actress | Muslim | Etiquette | Second Wife

Awards:

3 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Karisma Kapoor	...	Zubeida
Rekha	...	Mandira Devi
Manoj Bajpai	...	Raja Vijendra Singh
Rajit Kapoor	...	Riyaz Masud (as Rajit Kapur)
Surekha Sikri	...	Fayyazi (as Surekha Sikri-Rege)
Amrish Puri	...	Suleiman Seth
Farida Jalal	...	Mammo
Shakti Kapoor	...	Dance Master Hiralal
Lillete Dubey	...	Rose Davenport
Ravi Jhankal	...	Girivar Singh
Smriti Mishra	...	Sardari Begum
S.M. Zaheer	...	Sajid Masud
Harish Patel	...	Nandlal Seth
Seema Bhargava
Parzan Dastur	...	Young Riyaz (as Parzaan Dastur)

Runtime:

Australia:153 min

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi | Urdu | Rajasthani

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

India:UA | Australia:PG | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Film City, Goregaon, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Company:

F.K.R. Productions

Trivia:

The jewelry worn by Karisma Kapoor and Rekha in the film actually belonged to the Jaipur royal family. Both actresses were told to be very careful when wearing it.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The events of the movie are happening in the 1950s, around the time of decolonization, yet the prince Victor appears to be flying a 1982 model of Cessna 172.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Bollywood/Hollywood (2002)

Soundtrack:

Dheeme Dheeme

Magnificent Movie

Very rarely in Bollywood do you get such subtle movies. This movie is just wonderful. The story is a true story but I think it that they modified to fit for a film. From the moment the movie starts, a tear will come out of eye which will remain until the credits close. Though this is (auto)biographic, it is highly entertaining. The characterization of Zubeidaa is terrific. From the minute you see Karisma (in a wonderful new get up), you want to learn about her. And not only Zubeidaa, the whole cast which makes it a wonderful experience.

The casting of Karisma Kapoor was amazing. Like SRK in Asoka, you never realize that this is a true person she is playing. You feel like she is playing an extension of herself. She looks amazing as ever. Best of all, all of her emotions gel with the audience. When she smiles, you smile. When she cries, you cry. This can be argued as her best performance. Rekha is magical. She has a shady character, but Rekha can succeed at any role. Manoj Bajpai is decent, but that is more because of his weakly developed character. Amrish Puri, Lilette Dubey, and Surekha Sikri all add to the brilliant cast. Even Farida Jalal's short appearance is wonderful. Now the main character is also Rajit Kapoor and he couldn't be better. He certainly has the innocence needed for his character looking for facts about his mother.

The songs are also wonderful. My favorite song is easily the chart-buster Dheeme Dheeme picturized beautifully on Karisma Kapoor. Mehndi Hai Rachnewaali is a popular wedding tune (Even today) and its picturization is bound to make you cry and smile. Main Albeli is danced beautifully by Karisma, and you may not cherish it at first, but you certainly will at the end. And one of the saddest songs ever, So Gaye Hain, will haunt you for a long time for being sad.

This movie is definitely worth a watch. It will appeal to both commercial cinema watchers and art cinema watchers. The ending is tragic, but the whole movie is bound to put a tear on your face. There are no words to describe this movie. Just bring the tissues, because only someone with a stone heart can cry upon watching this movie.