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:

Courtesan | Beautiful Woman | Muslim | Indo Pak | Friendship

Awards:

1 nomination

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 Amiran
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:

Arshad Warsi was originally signed on to work on this film. But he dropped before filming to work on _Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006)_ instead.

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:

Main Na Mil Sakoon Jo Tumse

well done

I saw the original movie when I was 10 back in 1982. Remakes of a successful film are always difficult because to many they will never live up to ones expectations. This one by JP Dutta was a great effort. Aishwariya looked and acted great and Abhishek had a haunting presence. And Shabana Azmi is her usual excellence. The music is wonderful - Anu Malik's stuff here is reminiscent of his "Refugee" soundtrack (which overall was better) but there are some real gems here especially "Tumhari mehfil mai aa gai hai" (gives me shivers). For many of us this movie will be nothing new - if you have seen the original or "Pakeezah" or even "Memoirs of a geisha". But it there are new and younger audiences out there who really should give it a try.