The tragic story of the innocent Ameeran transforming into the Umrao Jaan really wrenches your…  

The tragic story of the innocent Ameeran transforming into the Umrao Jaan really wrenches your emotions. The transformation from the Ameeran you see in the beginning of the film to the Umrao Jaan Ada you see in the middle of the film, and then back to Ameeran in the latter reels of the film is FANTASTIC. PERFORMANCES: Aishwarya (and I'm not writing this as a biased fan), was amazing. She's proven WHY she's still in the business despite not having a release for so long. She captures the essence of Ameeran AND Umrao very well. The way she expresses through her eyes has to be seen to be believed Abhishek is not there much in the second half, but in the first half he is good in his role. I wouldn't say excellent, just good. But his scene right before the interval is truly applause worthy. Shabana Azmi...wow what can I say? I dont think I need to even explain her. Only she coud have played Khanum Saab the way she did. Sunil Shetty was decent, nothing special, but he didnt annoy me like he usually does so I guess that's a good sign. Divya Dutta is great in a small role. Ayesha Jhulka, Puru Raj Kumar, etc. are all adequate. MOVIE: Overall, UJ was a job well done by JP Dutta. But I agree with a lot of the reviews that say that it drags at times. The first half drags quite a bit especially the Abhi-Ash scenes...the passion just wasn't there. Don't get me wrong, they were great together...but the passion needed between Umrao and Nawab just wasn't there. At least not as much as it should have been to make a bigger impact. The first half is 2 hours in itself, which is way too long. It could have been trimmed 20 minutes at least. But the second half more than makes up for it. The way Umrao's world comes crashing down on her is captured beautifully. I just LOVED the second half! Some note-worthy scenes: -Umrao first meets Nawab Sultan -Ameeran arrives at the kotha -Scenes right before the interval -Ameeran returns home -the Umrao-Nawab confrontation -When Khanum tells the women to flee the kotha MUSIC: Anu Malik's music is really melodious and a pleasure to hear, but I wish the first half wasn't so LOADED with songs. It was literally one song after another. Also, a song like Jhute Ilzaam, of such calibre, should have been placed at a point where it had a bigger impact. It was too random where it was placed. Aishwarya's dancing was good, but I have to admit I expected a BIT more. JP Dutta said he didn't want his Umrao to sit and dance, but there was still a lot of that. We've all seen Ash's ability as a dancer and I know that the dances could have been a tad more powerful. By FARRRRRRR my favourite was Pooch Rahe Hain, the one where she is in the blue dress. Her dance is MESMERIZING and the emotions she conveys are SO amazing. I could watch that song over and over and over again! Some other fav's were Main Na Mil Sakoon, Salaam. So the music was great, but some songs needed to be placed better. TECHNICAL: The film is visually STRIKING, the lavish sets are SO nice. Lots of eye candy. It really takes you back in time. The cinematography at times was great, other times it was not so great. Like you could easily tell when they pushed the ZOOM IN and ZOOM OUT button, and I didnt like that. But the angles that the shots were taken at were really effective. OVERALL: Umrao Jaan is no masterpiece, but it is by FARRRRR worth a watch. Yes, the first half drags, but the second half makes up for it. Aishwarya's performance is absoulutely brilliant. 3.8/5...couldn't decide between 3.5 and 4! 

Aishwarya Rai and Puru Raj Kumar have been completely miscast. Aishwarya 's emotional scenes are a…  

Aishwarya Rai and Puru Raj Kumar have been completely miscast. Aishwarya 's emotional scenes are a pain to watch. The actress lacks the acting prowess to carry off the role of a tawaif and falls flat in comparison with her predecessors like Vyjayanthimala, Meena Kumari, Rekha, or Madhuri Dixit. JP Dutta should have realized that good looks can never substitute good performance. Aishwarya looks very beautiful but she does not look the part of a Muslim woman or a tawaif at all! Even her Urdu is terrible at times. Abhishek Bachchan, Divya Dutta and Ayesha Jhulka are wasted. One wonders why a top actor like Abhishek would sign such a film at this stage of his career. Roles like these are best left for character actors like Milind Gunaj or Parmeet Sethi. The slow pace of the film, uninspiring performances, and bad word of mouth publicity will cause this film to fare miserably at the box office. Instead of ever watching Aishwarya’s Umrao Jaan, I would highly recommend watching Rekha’s Umrao Jaan again and again!  

Comparisons with the Muzaffar Ali version are inevitable and so one just cant help it. If Muzaffar…  

Comparisons with the Muzaffar Ali version are inevitable and so one just cant help it. If Muzaffar Ali created poetry on Celluloid, JP Saab has fallen flat in his version of Mirza Ruswa's interpretation. give me Rekha any day as Umrao Jaan , though one has to admit that Aishwarya has done a commendable job in the movie. Her emotional scenes leave an impact nevertheless. I guess making a film like Umrao Jaan in these age and times of remixes, fast track plots requires a lot of courage. You can generate that courage to satisfy your creative skills but you cannot translate it into Box Office Succes. That is where JP Saab disappoints. One thing which really bothered me right through the movie was the pathetic diction of practically all the actors. This was meant to be an Urdu Script. beautifully penned dialogues but killed by the diction of everyone Aish, Sunil Shetty , you name them . The exceptions being Shaban Azmi Kulbhushan Kharbanda and surprisingly to some extent Abhishek too seems to have worked on his pronunciations. It would have been better if the director had organised Urdu classes for the cast. Coming to the film its toooooooo slow in the first half. The songs mar the pace and they are not appealing too. Barring a salam or a agel janam bitiiya na kijo, themusic disappoints big time. The scenes are lengthy and even at times appear repetitive. One could here uneasy howls in the cinema hall. The Umrao Jaan of Muzaffar Ali is immortal and so is the portrayal of the protagonist by Rekha, Sorry Ash you tried hard but the memories are etched and they belong to one and only Rekha. one the whoel disappointment big time for people who went to see this film 

i watched dis movie today..i liked it very much ,specially abhishek and sabana azmi's actin and…  

i watched dis movie today..i liked it very much ,specially abhishek and sabana azmi's actin and ash's costume.. well its a bit long but who cares...da music is outstanding and direction as well.. 

As a cinematic experience, Umraao Jaan is a novel experience. Yes, the movie sucks big time,…  

As a cinematic experience, Umraao Jaan is a novel experience. Yes, the movie sucks big time, undoubtedly. The main point which creates a niche for this movie is the crafty manner in which the movie has been executed. Still, overall the movie falls short of expectations..! 

Umrao Jaan is the worst film of the year. never seen such a movie. Abhishek , u r too good but…  

Umrao Jaan is the worst film of the year. never seen such a movie. Abhishek , u r too good but never sign such a movie .. that takes your fame down. Infact ur character was too down and slow.. i dont know , what made u sign such a movie 

Very long & tiring. first half is unbearable. one the movie is not gripping & to top it the first…  

Very long & tiring. first half is unbearable. one the movie is not gripping & to top it the first half runs for more than 2 hrs. second hr. is a li'l bit tolerant cos of some twists & turns (as i haven't seen the original). ash looks beautiful though in a few scenes she looks too old as well. abhishek, is a total miscast & does not look like a pathan from any angle. overall, an avoidable movie. 

Flop movie. bakwas film. ekdum bore. thumb down forthis movie. dutta saab bahut din ho gaye aap ki…  

Flop movie. bakwas film. ekdum bore. thumb down forthis movie. dutta saab bahut din ho gaye aap ki koi acchi film dekhe hue. aap se aisi filmo ki umeed nahi thi. me aapki film har baar is liye dekhne jaata hu ki shayad is baar aap achi film banayenge, lekin har baar nirash ho kar aana padta hai. ek to aap har abhishekh ko film me le lete hai jise na acting aati hai na uski koi market value hai, kisi acche actor ko lo next time chacha. Hopefully you will give a hit film next time. best of luck. 

Finally saw the movie and it was one emotionally rich experience.No doubt it has been a while since…  

Finally saw the movie and it was one emotionally rich experience.No doubt it has been a while since JP Dutta delivered a film of substance and it has been worth the wait! There are many sequences which leaves the viewer with a lump in their throat and tears in their eyes. These include *The scene where Amiran is kiddnaped * The scene where Aishwarya and Himani both are lieing in bed and she tries to escape from her *The salaam song *When Aishwarya visits Guj along with Sunil shetty *Also Aishwaryas scene in the pre-climax where she goes to visit her house is simply outstanding. *Climax with Vishwajeet pradagan lying on the ground is a master stroke Aishwarya Rai delivers one of her career best performance. She takes this complex character and plays it with utmost sincerity and honesty. Her body language, dialogues, delivery and diction is just amazing. The scene where she breaks down in the climax leaves the viewer speechless . Abhishek is just about okay .Rest fill the bill Musically the film is excellent although one feels that there are too many songs at times which test the patience of viewers. the theme as also the slow pacing wouldn't really excite every strata of the movie-going audience. Technically the film is fantastic as expected from JP dutta.The two aspects of the film that act like characters of their own and heighten the film in every scene is the camerawork which adds a nostalgic ambience to the film which is FLAWLESS. All up Umrao Jaan is a terribly underrated film. A LOW opening at the boxoffice and average reviews have kept audiences away but the film is worth a dekkho. A brilliant movie which tugs at the viewers hearts and suceeds for the most. 4/5  

Well this was expected...First DON and now Umroa Jaan.... the remakes just bombs at the box…  

Well this was expected...First DON and now Umroa Jaan.... the remakes just bombs at the box office..First the music for the new Umroa Jaan sucks(beside Salaam)...You cannot expect people to listen to this kind of Music in a fast paced life...And the movie is too slow and boring to go with... Even Rekha's Umroa Jaan was not commerically hit... It was critically acclaimed movie for which rekha got National award... In those time that kind of movies were called ART film and were only good for critics and National awards... the general public always stayed away from it, even when they use to show it on TV(remember we use to get only one movie every Sunday on Doordarshan channel) 

WASTE OF TIME THE BEST FILM OF THE YEAR IS DON SRK IS THE KING OF THE WORLD KHANS RULE (…  

WASTE OF TIME THE BEST FILM OF THE YEAR IS DON SRK IS THE KING OF THE WORLD KHANS RULE ( SRK-AK-SK-ZK ) 

Just saw Umrao Jaan!!...I'm really glad 2 be able 2 open this topic!... The hall was half packed…  

Just saw Umrao Jaan!!...I'm really glad 2 be able 2 open this topic!...<BR><BR> The hall was half packed which was quite surprising considering the fact that it was a Wednesday night! <BR><BR> I must say that I never watched the original UMRAO JAAN, with Rekha. So, I won't be able to compare both films. This should have been an advantage because then, I would surely like this one!....<BR><BR> Expectation wise: I really liked Refugee but LOC was a headache!...Still, for me, JP Dutta is a talented director, and so I somehow expected a good product! Not to forget Ash, my once favourite actress!!...Also Junior B!!!...<BR><BR> After Devdas & Don, here is another classic which has been remade!...Expectations are indeed sky high as UJ is considered to be a CLASSIC!..<BR><BR> So does Umrao Jaan deliver? Does it meet the expectations?<BR><BR> The answer is a BIG NO!<BR><BR> You heard it right!...Umrao Jaan fails miserably! It could have been MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH better!...And the one to be blamed is Mr J.P Dutta! ....He agains delivers another headache! I so wanna beat him! Really! More of that later!<BR><BR> Story: This is basically the same as the original one! Great story!!<BR><BR> Direction: POOR POOR POOR! What a waste! Why Mr JP Dutta, WHY??....The direction sucked! It was TERRIBLE! Man, the movie DRAGGEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD like HELL! Yes, he did handle some scenes brilliantly but then, its the whole movie that counts! <BR><BR> Music: The less said the better.....! It was a COMPLETE letdown! Baring one or two songs, the REST are simply FORGETTABLE!.....Already the pace of the movie is slow, the songs dont help!...In fact, they make you wanna sleep and i think they succeeded!...There were some people who were sleeping in the hall EVEN BEFORE INTERVAL!...<BR><BR> First Half: The movie started off very well and I really was liking it! But after some time, say 30-40 mins, I was like come on! come on! come on! the pace was SO slowwwww....it was moving at a sluggish pace :tearhair: It dragged dragged dragged & DRAGGED! Believe me, you dont wanna know!...but the most surprising thing was that the first half lasted for 2 HOURS! :eek: MAN! I was sure that there wasnt gonna be an interval but when i saw 'INTERVAL' i was like 'NO, PLZZZZZ' :cry: It was unbearable!! Also theere were toooooo mannny songsssssssssssssssssssssssss <BR><BR> Second Half: Thankfully, the movie picked up! There were some BRILLANTLY executed scenes!! It did drag a bit but nothing compared to the first half! The last song was COMPLETE BACKWAS and not necessary! :nono: I mean, she was invited in a wedding 2 perform her mujra, which normally should have been a happy song, and there she starts singing the slowww and sad soonggg of her life!...<BR><BR> There were MANY WHAT THE HELL moments in the movie when I wantedt to pull my hair but then, there were also some nice scenes:<BR> -the small Ameeran and her family!<BR> -When Ash unveils herself 2 Abhishek, she looked WOW!<BR> -the confrontation between Abhishek & Shabana<BR> -when ASH returns back home<BR> -Ash and her mother and brother<BR> -and many other!!<BR><BR> Costumes: Simply WOW!!...they were GORGEOUS man!!!! <BR><BR> Jewelry: WOWOWOWOWOW!!!!!! :love: they couldnt have been nicer!!! <BR><BR> Performances:<BR> Ashwarya as Umrao Jaan: It was delightful to see her back ONSCREEN after SUCh a long time! I really missed her!! First of all, lemme start saying that SHE WAS GORGEOUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! She looked like a DIVA all through the movie!! Performance wise, she was GREAT!!!! although she did look a bit artificial in the first half , she was MORE THAN GREAT in the 2ND HALF!! She was FABULOUS in the emotional scenes and conveyed so MUCH pain through her eyes!...I felt so sorry for her when she was crying! My mum, who watched the original said that she was as GOOD as REKHA!...Now, thats a COMPLIMENT!!...I hope that this performance of ASH silences all her critics!...It definitely ranges am ong her BEST performances TILL date!...Maybe HER 2ND BEST PERFORMANCE after DEVDAS and before HDDCS!!...Thsi also rages among the best performances of the year!!....4 me, she is on my list of BEST ACTRESS this year!!...WAY TO GO ASH!! <BR><BR> Abhishek: Good performance!...My Mum and her friend thought he was GREAT!!....though IMO, he was a miscast! I would rather have taken some1 more mature!...Still, he did a commendable job!!, esp during his last scene with ASH!!....he was GREAT theer!!!! <BR><BR> Shabana Azmi: Awesome performance!...Her expressions were just too good!!! <BR><BR> Sunil Shetty: Ok, whats WRONG with him?....???? :pissed: What was the need to apply such a THICK layer of kajjal? He looked RIDICULOUS And DISGUSTING!....performance wise, he was oK!<BR><BR> Divya and the others: GREAT!!!<BR><BR> Btw, did the french Manicure already exist in the 19th century? :hmm: :lol: :hmm: ....Just look at Ash's nails when she's praying!! <BR><BR> The urdu is DIFFICULT to understand but thankfully there were subtitles!!!...Some words were really funny like 'Tamansha' (gun) <BR><BR> All in all, for me Umrao Jaan is a BIG LETDOWN! :thumbsdown: I expected MUCH more!....the main culprits are:<BR> -THE SLUGGISH PACE<BR> -POOR MUSIC<BR> -TOO LENGTHY<BR><BR> Box office wise, i'm not sure whether the janta is gonna welcome this one with open arms...It may gather a good to decent opening but it'll definitely crash afterwards due to the 3 factors mentionned above!<BR><BR> Given its terrible promotion, its bad music and DON n JEM still going strong, UJ will have a tough battle!...anywayz, u guys may like it!<BR><BR>