Umrao Jaan (2006)

Director:

J.P. Dutta

Writers:

J.P. Dutta (screenplay)
O.P. Dutta (story)

Release Date:

3 November 2006 (India)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

J.P. Dutta's adaption of the Urdu novel "Umrao Jan Ada" by Mirza Haadi Ruswa (1905).

Plot Keywords:

South Asian | Courtesan | Singing | Dancer | Muslim

Cast

Aishwarya Rai	...	Ameeran / Umrao Jaan
Shabana Azmi	...	Khanum Jaan
Sunil Shetty	...	Nawab Faiz Ali (as Suneil Shetty)
Abhishek Bachchan	...	Nawab Sultan Khan
Divya Dutta	...	Bismillah
Himani Shivpuri	...	Bua Hussaini
Puru Rajkumar	...	Gauhar Mirza
Kulbhushan Kharbanda	...	Maulvi Sahab
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Maya Alagh	...	Umrao's Mother
Ayesha Jhulka	...	Khurshid
Javed Khan	...	Peer Baksh
Bansree Madan	...	Young Amiran
Sakshi Madhwani	...	Young Ameeran
Vishwajeet Pradhan	...	Dilawer Khan
Parikshat Sahni	...	Umrao's Father
Bikram Saluja	...	Ashraf

Runtime:

Germany:188 min (European Film Market)

Country:

India

Language:

Urdu | Hindi

Color:

Color

Trivia:

This film was originally set for a release date of July-August 2006. It was changed to November 2006 to finish up post production, as well as avoid any competition with other big films.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The movie is set in the period of the late 19th century but the hand pump shown is of India Mark II which came into existence much later.

Movie Connections:

Version of Umrao Jaan (1981)

Soundtrack:

Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya

Excellent remake!

After a long wait, J.P. Dutta's remake of Umrao Jaan is finally out and it's definitely worth the wait. Beautiful cinematography, exquisitely choreographed mujras (dances), and wonderful performances highlight this excellent film. In particular, Aishwarya Rai gives an amazing performance as Umrao -- she's back in true form with a character that allows her to show off her wide acting range. Shabana Azmi, Sunil Shetty, Abhishek Bachchan, and all the other actors shine in their characterizations. Anu Malik's music is superb and perfectly fits with the dance sequences. Overall, I thought the film really did justice to the classic 1981 version -- updating it and adding terrific song and dance sequences. Both versions tell a powerful story. It also reminded me a lot of Pakeezah (1971) and Devdas (2002) in theme, storyline, and visual design. Kudos to all involved.