Umrao Jaan - Aishwariya Bejaan or more than a pretty face?
J.P. Dutta wowed everyone with Border, one of the best Indian War film made till date. He then followed up with Refugee and L.O.C Kargil. Each rejected by the box office and only remembered for the painful length suffered by audiences. Dutta’s films sort of became the longest running joke…literally! Shifting gears from war, he now takes his hand at recreating a masterpiece and directs Aishwariya Rai as his Umrao Jaan.
“Umrao Jaan Ada” by Mirza Haadi Ruswa was an Urdu novel, adapted on the big screen in 1981 by Muzaffar Ali, starring Rekha. J.P. Dutta now engages audiences with his adaptation and entrances them with Aishwariya Rai.
The story is a deep, sensitive, drama about a young girl and her tragedy in life, when she’s kidnapped and raised to be a courtesan. To compare Muzaffar Ali’s version to Dutta’s would be pointless. That was then, this is now. Both are available for your viewing pleasure, so if you liked the classic and aren’t open-minded to the remake, don’t bother because it won’t compare. They never do.
Dutta tries his level best to handle the classic with grace, ensuring visual appeal. A period film set in the early 1900’s, he preserves the authenticity of the time. The film takes you back and makes you feel a part of the era.
Music by Anu Malik with lyrics by Javed Akhtar is likeable once seen on screen. However the songs are not as nearly as haunting and evergreen as the ‘80s Umrao Jaan. For a film whose backbone is music, its not as expressive. In fact it may feel like there are one too many songs, out of which one or two could have been chopped, trimming the length by 15-20 minutes. Standard for the Dutta, the film runs long, but is still bearable. The pace is slow, but should be expected given the mode.
As for his sense of direction, he extracts strong performances. Actors such as Kulbhushan Kharbundha, Himani Shivpuri, Divya Dutta, Ayesha Jhulka,, and Puru Raj Kumar fit the mold and perform with proficiency. Shabana Azmi steps into her mother’s shoes, playing the role her own mother played in the yesteryear’s film; as always a fantastic performance by the seasoned actress.
Besides being a remake of a classic directed by J.P. Dutta, this film was talked about and long-awaited because it starred celluloid lovers Aishwariya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan. After rumors set fire that they were having an affair during the making of this film and just before the release, news hit stands that they’re supposedly getting married, audiences couldn’t wait to see the chemistry between the two. Publicity stunt or not, it worked. Aishwariya and Abhishek made for eye candy. With respect to their chemistry, it was’nt fully unleashed, but made a romantic sight. As for their individual performances, Abhishek does well. He stands firm as a Nawab with the right stature and confidence.
Umrao, ulf, Ashwariya, gives liberally to her character. Breathtaking and stunning, are words that fall short in describing how mesmerizing she looks. Her eyes are amazing and captivating. As Umrao, she puts everything BUT her jaan into the character. Although a very solid performance, there’s something missing in the expression of her eyes. Here if compared to Rekha, she lags far behind. Rekha put her soul into Umrao Jaan, brought the character to life, and was the ultimate mujra godess. Aishwariya on a separate level entertains and touches, but isn’t the picture of perfection. But to her credit, where only Sanjay Leela Bhansali could do wonders with his muse, J.P. Dutta has brought her a long way as well. She may not earn the national best actress award like Rekha, but without a doubt will earn a nomination.
Umrao Jaan is not your typical peppy, upbeat, Bollywood flick. It’s a serious drama with little to no light moments. If your in a somber mood and want to let your emotions plunge into a delicate saga, then Umrao Jaan will grant that wish. Umrao Jaan dances off with Ritu's 3 stars.
One after the other, we see re-makes. It almost makes you wonder if Bollywood’s out of stories and that’s why their recycling… Whether that’s the case or not, audiences new and old alike are enjoying the walk down memory lane.