Forty years later, the standard that Muzaffar Ali’s movie established in each and every element of filmmaking has remained virtually unchanged. The cult reputation of Kamal Amrohi’s Pakeezah (1972) scared filmmakers to that same point where many refused to even dare to produce a movie about a courtesan’s existence. However, Muzaffar Ali stepped up to the plate nine years later, in 1981, when he translated the 1905 Urdu book Umrao Jaan Ada for celluloid to produce his greatest masterpiece, Umrao Jaan.
Despite the unavoidable parallels, the picture outperformed Pakeezah in each and every way, notably art direction, costume design, choreography, soundtrack, acting, as well as direction. It is even claimed by many that it glows brighter.
Work of exceptional quality
Muzaffar Ali’s period picture is indeed a connoisseur’s pleasure which begs to also be visited and returned by those who have never seen it. The movie portrays the reality of the titular prostitute from Lucknow and narrates her narrative. Amiran, a young girl from Faizabad, is kidnapped and sold to Khanum Jaan (Shaukat Kaifi), the mistress of a brothel in Lucknow, around 1840. Amiran has been called Umrao Jaan (Rekha) and has been taught all the skills necessary to entice men of money and taste.
Rekha’s portrayal as Umrao Jaan, which won her a National Award, is still her finest achievement. Her acting range is now on the full show; she effortlessly expresses shyness, love, tenderness, seduction, compassion, and suffering. Actors, movie historians, and critics keep debating her dancing, mannerisms, and emotions inside the song scenes. Her performance is thought to have been influenced by the difficult period in his life at the moment. Ali’s painter emphasised Rekha’s attractiveness with some mesmerising images, contrasting sadness with exquisite mid-nineteenth-century Lucknow clothes and jewellery.
In Umrao Jaan, which received the National Award for Best Art Direction, the exquisite set design and backgrounds stand out. The colourful lanterns, carpets, curtains, furniture, as well as interiors of the brothels, that bring the Nawabi period to life, demonstrate the attention to the details. Ali had the benefit of excellent historical films like Satyajit Ray’s Shatranj Ke Khilari (1977) and Shyam Benegal’s Junoon (1978), both of which included the 1857 rebellion as a backdrop.
The melodic and heartfelt ghazals of Umrao Jaan are appreciated even now. Khayyam received the National Film Award for Finest Music Direction and is generally regarded as being one of the best tracks in Bollywood films. The trio is famous for some of the most treasured melodies on cinema, aided by Shahrya’s exquisite lyrics, who initially teamed with Ali in his debut Gaman (1978). With the love song “Zindagi jab bhi,” Khayyam introduced ghazal vocalist Talat Aziz to movie music for the first time. As Umrao Jaan’s playback singer, Asha Bhonsle immortalised the melodies with her heartfelt performances. For the movie’s song, “Dil cheez kya hai,” she won her maiden National Award.
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