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| "Oh Life, it seems I have only seen you in my dreams." | | |
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| The Incomparable REKHA |
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| "What is my heart? You take my life." | | | | |
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Watching the legendary Bollywood actress Rekha inhabit the role of the infamous Lucknow courtesan in UMRAO JAAN 1981 is a miracle to behold. I became fascinated with Bollywood romances a few years back, mostly for their musical sequences and tender ballads. UMRAO JAAN veers far away from typical spashly Bollywood formula and is unique in its subtle approach to a woman's downward spiral . There have been quite a few versions of the tragic life of UMRAO JAAN but this is the definitive one, please don't watch the awful version with Aishwaryia Rai, a beautiful woman, but can't even come close to the depth and pain that Rekha effortlessly oozes. Muzzafar Ali, over the course of 2 1/2 hours, draws you into a mysterious world of Lucknow, modern day Pakistan/India border, with Umrao's unsuccessful journey for liberation and love. Sadly she tries to escape the brothel existence through various lovers but as a courtesan she can never gain respect in the straight world. UMRAO JAAN is based on an Urdu novel "Umrao Jaan Ada" in which the author Mirza Hadi Ruswa recounts his meetings with the famous courtesan at a poetry gathering. After hearing her beautiful couplets he insisted she tell him her life's trials and tribulations.
The culture of Lucknow was one of a decadence; an opulent patriarchal society of indulgence and pleasure. Courtesans, like young Amiran, whose name is changed to "Umrao" were often little girls sold into brothels and trained to become an object of beauty, wit, grace, movement and exploitation. She is raised among the wealthy, learns to write "ghazals" a type of hypnotic Urdu poetry, dance glorious dances and be showered with jewels by adoring customers. However Umrao as a woman is trapped in her castle of fortune, most of which goes to the house madam who creepily shows her complete ease of accepting young girls into her house for sheer profit. Watch
UMRAO JAAN for Rekha's astounding portrayal, of a woman trying to attain a sense of dignity through her art for that is all she will ever truly claim as her own. Watch it when you feel hopeless and need words of reflection, it's haunting melodies that illustrate life passing a woman by, a life that she can never be a part of. She is a misfit, a pariah, she is envied and ultimately all alone.
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| "I did not attain he whom I desired, but I did see the realities of the world." |
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| "What place is this, my friends?" |
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