Umrao Jaan (1981)

उमराव जान

As I write this, I haven't quite made up my mind about the breathy, ethereal actress known as Rekha - she's a little too intense and creepy for me to find her really beautiful - but when I saw Umrao Jaan, I understood why she was a superstar. Rekha was born to play the title role in this melancholy classic film.

Set among the elite Muslim society in mid-nineteenth century northern India, Umrao Jaan portrays a romanticized version of a tawaif, a kind of courtesan who has something in common with Japan's geishas.  Tawaifs were accomplished in the high arts of kathak (north Indian classical dance), poetry, and music. The film's Umrao Jaan, sold to a brothel as a young girl, excels at all three, and becomes the most sought-after and famous tawaif in the region.  But in spite of all her accomplishments, Umrao is never happy, and while she can find some measure of escape in crafting her much-admired poetry, she longs to extricate herself from the world of the tawaif.  She works her way through a brief series of lover/patrons, hoping each one will be her ticket out of the degredation of brothel.  Needless to say, freedom is not Umrao's lot, and after each attempt at escape - literal and metaphorical - she finds herself right back where she started:  Umrao Jaan the famous courtesan, performing for the benefit and the pleasure of others.   

It is Rekha's ineffable Rekha-ness that makes her so perfect for this role, as she somehow manages to appear tired and worldly while remaining delicate and other-worldly.  She carries Umrao's transition from innocence to disillusionment in her body and in her face.  Umrao never loses her grace, but, as Rekha conveys, she does lose her idealism.  Early on she muses that it is "circumstances" rather than "destiny" that made her a tawaif, and circumstances can change.   Later on, she seems nearly broken, and the sadness just grows in Rekha's eyes on each iteration of her Sisyphean attempts to redefine her circumstances.

The music of Umrao Jaan is lovely and magical.  Most of the songs represent Umrao's own poems as she performs them for her patrons, and they reflect her melancholy dignity throughout the film; she sings both of succumbing completely to love ("What is a heart?  Take my life") and also of her own particular power ("Thousands are intoxicated by the power of these eyes").   The songs themselves are gorgeous ghazals sung by Asha Bhosle, in a performance quite different from the flirtatious exuberance of her earlier work on the funkiest soundtracks of the 70s.  Here she delivers the melodies with a placid, emotive sweetness that is wonderful and a perfect match for the mood of the film.  As if that weren't enough, we, like Umrao's patrons, are treated to some mesmerizing kathak by Rekha.

(Umrao Jaan is available for download from Jaman.)

Comments

[Daddy's Girl]

I enjoyed reading this. There certainly is something a little overpoweringly intense about Rekha... I wouldn't call it creepy but she just seems 'too much' in some way, but I absolutely love this film because I think she was born to play this role... I really love the way she interpreted the character and made her both 'perfect' and tragically vulnnerable. Her idealism, which you identified, I found very moving. I did a review on my blog... would like to know what you think of it if you have a free moment...

[fakir]

umrao jaan

[naresh]

i want to umrao jaan in rekha

[Meera]

Once again good review Carla.

I liked this original version of Umrao Jaan very much. Rekha really did a good job and incidentally won the National Award for Best Actress at that time. BTW, this is the only film in which i liked Rekha's acting other than Khubsoorat directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee.

Indeed the ghazals sung by Asha Bhonsle are the very soul of the movie.

The movie was made by Muzzafar Ali (who is a descendant of the royal family of that area)and is also the father of Shaad Ali the director of Saathiya, Babli aur Bunty and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. The costumes and jewellry were i think designed by Muzzafar's wife Suhasini Ali based on old paintings of that period.

In short, the movie was really authentic and worth watching.

Meera

[maxqnz]

I finally got around to watching this. Of all the Indian DVDs I own, this has the most beautiful case http://maxqnzs.com/umraojaan.jpg and the movie fits the packaging. I thought your review was spot on, Carla, especially in regard to Amiran's journey. Plus the kakthak was great, and the songs confirmed for me why it is that I would listen to Asha rather then her big sister any day. It's not the smash hit of the movie, but "ye kyaa jagah hai dosto.n" has long been a favourite of mine. In fact, I have to admit to being surprised when it started in th film, as I had no idea that this beautiful piece which I listen to often came from this film.

Also as you said, this is a great movie for those of us not overly enamoured of Rekha. She was indeed perfect for the film. As much I might like to see how Shabana steps into her Mum's shoes (striking resemblance in the eyes!), I have not heard good things about the remake, and your review got me wondering whether it wasn't so much de-feminised as bowdlerised, sanitised and thus enervated. Anyway, I won't be wasting my time on it, because Aishwarya is certainly no Rekha! Thanks for another great review!

[maxqnz]

"The movie was made by Muzzafar Ali (who is a descendant of the royal family of that area)and is also the father of Shaad Ali the director of ... Jhoom Barabar Jhoom."

This made me think of the ending to Umrao Jaan, "the least you could have done was die of shame". At least the (truly vile) sins of the son will not be counted against the father, but to think that the man who gave us Umrao Jaan is responsible for the man who forced the utterly and irredeemably awful JBJ on an innocent undeserving world is a little saddening.

[carla]

Thanks for the comments, maxqnz. I am really glad you liked the movie - it's very special and unique, I think.

Re: Shabana ji and Shaukat amma - I agree about the eyes, I noticed that too. I remember thinking the first time I watched UJ: so that's where Shabana gets her poise, her presence, and her eyebrows.

Shabana's performance was hammier than her mother's, if you can imagine Shabana being hammy; she chewed up the scenery; she played to the back of the house - and it was deliciously fabulous, by far the best thing about the new film. In my entirely judicious, unbiased opinion of course. :)

[maxqnz]

I forgot to add that I love the delicious irony that someone in your profession posts a blog with a link that brings up this phrase: "This video has been removed due to terms of use violation."

Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes? :-)

[carla]

Oh ha ha maxqnz, thanks so much for pointing that out. ;-) I just link 'em - if YouTube takes 'em down, kya kahuun?

[sartaj]

An excellent review. Thanks.

[ved]

send all the songs of this movie

[sowmya]

hai

[sandeep negiq]

An excellent review. Thanks.

[carla]

Thanks sandeep - glad you're reading and glad you like the reviews.

Also - thanks for being the 1,000th comment on Filmi Geek! That counts my own comments, of course, but it's still a pretty awesome milestone.

[gouri]

hello carla
enjoyed your well-written review of the film - am so bone-tired of poor reviewing in the indian popular press! saw the aishwarya rai umrao jaan recently and it was so watery, tho the woman has tried to act. the music was the most forgettable in this version. i got on to the net to figure out how faiz ali dacoit could convincingly tell her nawab lover that she had a mole on her thigh and this way put him off completely...and why he wanted to blight her life this way...couldnt figure it from this newer version and cant remember if this happened in the older version. hence stumbled on your blog.
regards
gouri

[carla]

Gouri - thanks so much for the comment! I hope you enjoy reading some of my other posts; I look forward to hearing from you further.

My recollection is that the event with the dacoit and Umrao's birthmark did not happen in the 1981 film. A big difference between the earlier film and the later one is that in earlier film, after Sultan left her, Umrao moved on with her life - she realized that her love for him had been misguided and got over it.

[Joe]

Carla,

I've nothing of depth or great worth to say, but I wanted to comment here that you've given me pause yet again, as have other commenters, to wonder at my frank admiration for--Rekha. Contrary to others who may find her 'creepy,' or distant, or peculiar, I find myself, more, well mesmerized is the best word I can think of,to describe how I react to her. Naturally she's only human, and I've seen flaws in performances. But on the whole I experience nothing so much as liking and admiration for her.

My two points of comparison in western films are Greta Gabo and Barbara Stanwyck. I have *studied* these women's performances, and frankly, I just don't get Garbo-mania at all. No, let me correct myself; I recently saw the last reels of Garbo in "Camille," and I believe that I at last perceive that Garbo's genius was in the geisha-like mastery of feminine mannerisms. But while her acting is a catalog of all things outwardly feminine, in watching her I have the feeling that the ability to articulate and manifest those expressions left the core cold and bare. I don't empathize with her characters because I can clearly see and label the tics and mannerisms that *stand for* the emotions expressed. She acts moods and emotions but doesn't appear--to me, at least--to genuinely *feel* them herself.

I like Stanwyck a lot. I like the gutsy broad she appears to be onscreen. This persona, transmitted through her voice, her eyes, and her stance, was direct and passionate. Much more than with Garbo's style of acting, Stanwyck seems more intuitive and genuine. Her only flaw may be that that approach deprived her of some of the delicacy and indirection that Garbo--and Rekha--possess.

To me, Rekha has an arresting countenance. The (in a good sense) basilisk gaze of her eyes indicates something variously fierce, determined, angry, vengeful; but with also the possibility of deep love, adoration, or great compassion. Her acting has the subtlety and appropriateness to the scene that Garbo sought, with the appearance of artlessness and genuineness that Stanwyck had. Oh, and in the rare occasions when she gets to display it, I really enjoy her wry, dry, sense of humor, too!

Clearly, I'm a fan, and decidedly biased. But I think it's evident that I've given this a lot of thought. And I wanted to sound off about some of the Rekha-bashing, mild or severe, that I've read in a few places. I hope my thoughts are not unwelcome.

[Tyler - Iphone]

Hi! It sounds quite strange to me when someone compare a hindi girl with Japanese Gheishas))) that's funny. To my mind these two cultures are so different! but the rest is really nice. well done!

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[Peter Krikels]

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