The elegance of Umrao Jaan

Divya Dutta as Bismillah As Khanum’s daughter, Bismillah grew up with Umrao Jaan amidst the tingle of ghungroos and fervor of kathak dance steps. The bond of friendship between the two girls formed the warmest corner of Khanum’s sprawling Kotha. However, despite being the enigmatic Khanum’s daughter, Read More">Bismillah never quite carved a distinct niche asRead More

Divya Dutta as Bismillah

As Khanum’s daughter, Bismillah grew up with Umrao Jaan amidst the tingle of ghungroos and fervor of kathak dance steps. The bond of friendship between the two girls formed the warmest corner of Khanum’s sprawling Kotha. However, despite being the enigmatic Khanum’s daughter, Bismillah never quite carved a distinct niche as a courtesan. A fact that was reflected in her telling eyes and subdued body language…

Ayesha Jhulka as Khurshid

The friendship of Umrao and Bismillah had a third angle in the form of the fragile Khurshid. The three childhood friends formed an alluring triumvirate. A courtesan herself, Khurshid made a habit of something that a courtesan ought not to dare – falling in love. Yet she was unable to find true love. Thus, she combusted, self-destructed and was ever heart-broken, ever lovelorn…

Puru Raaj Kumar as Gauhar Mirza
He was the pet boy of all the courtesans.

In the form of Gauhar Mirza, Umrao Jaan has an in-house paramour. Having grown up together, they shared many interesting moments. But was it true that Gauhar Mirza would one day show some unknown, unforeseen colors …?

Himani Shivpuri as Bua Hussaini
She helped Umrao forget her home and family.

When fate cruelly snatched from Umrao ,her mother’s shelter , it was in Bua Hussaini maternal arms that Umrao Jaan found a comforting nest. Although a maid-in-waiting in the kotha, it was she who took Umrao under her wing and brought her up, offering her a rarity called unconditional love….

Kulbhushan Kharbanda as Maulvi Sahib
A man of refined tastes and steadfast in his affection

Maulvi Sahib imparted to Umrao the greatest wealth in the form of education and the art and craft of poetry, both of which went a long way in shaping Umrao’s immortal persona.

‘Pehle Aap’ ki tehzeeb – When Kothas were Finishing Schools Lucknow, 1857 The mystical and magnetic Lucknow has been heralded as the cultural capital of North India for generations. The ‘ kathak’ classical dance form, ‘thumris’, the ‘pehle aap’ attitude, the ultra-suaveness in the Urdu language, Read More">multi-layered ‘shairis’ and ‘mushairas’ — all trace their originsRead More

‘Pehle Aap’ ki tehzeeb – When Kothas were Finishing Schools Lucknow, 1857

The mystical and magnetic Lucknow has been heralded as the cultural capital of North India for generations. The ‘ kathak’ classical dance form, ‘thumris’, the ‘pehle aap’ attitude, the ultra-suaveness in the Urdu language, multi-layered ‘shairis’ and ‘mushairas’ -- all trace their origins to Lucknow.

Lucknow, the romantic city of Nawabs… Lucknow, the land of unmatched etiquette, wit and sophistication; enviable style, valor and emotional intelligence; incredible art, fashion and entertainment. Indeed, whether it is history, architecture, sports, handicrafts, music or dance, Lucknow has its very own story to tell.

The courtesan of Lucknow was no figment of Ruswa’s imagination. She practiced her profession in Lucknow and Ruswa had much to do with her life and loves. The kothas of Lucknow were finishing schools for the children of the royalty (nawabs). The most recent and arguably the most advanced of the classical Indian dance forms the ‘Kathak’ took place in Lucknow in that era. The mass popular Pharsi theatre whose basic structure was taken over by Hindi films in the 20th century can be traced to the Urdu theatre in Lucknow. The modern innovations in musical instruments like the tabla and the sitar were created. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was the exponent of the love composition, the famous ‘thumri’. The Indo-Persian gentleman vis-à-vis his European rival was a person steeped in refined manners unassuming sophistication love for poetry, ideas, wit and letters. There is something undeniably feminine about Lucknow – no other city invites like a courtesan of yester years without inhibitions, pretensions or lewd less. Lucknow’s thematic evolution is based in imaginative fantasy called ‘Sham-e-Awadh’. It was this very ambience that was prevalent in Mirza Hadi Ruswa’s celebrated novel Umrao Jan Ada. The book, which revealed the heart-wrenching story of a mesmerizing courtesan, Umrao Jaan , took the literary world by storm and went on to reach meteoric heights of popularity. Written in 1899 and first published in 1905, it is known to be the first great modern Urdu novel.

The film Umrao Jaan’s tragedies were acted out in a thin and restless twilight zone between past and present till date the gloom hangs over Lucknow’s towers and minarets to register a permanent tragedy. The Lucknow of today may be a pale shadow of its former self. Yet, till date, it is identified as the enchanting city of grace, culture, elegance, great history ….. and Umrao Jaan.

Abhishek Bachchan as Nawab Sultan A pathan – a rebel with a passion for beauty and poetry. With his penchant for good poetry, Read More">it was not long before the Nawab Sultan found himself magnetized towards Umrao Jaan’s heartfelt renditions and ghazals and of course her awe-inspiring persona. It was an attraction that bowed down toRead More

Abhishek Bachchan as Nawab Sultan

A pathan – a rebel with a passion for beauty and poetry.

With his penchant for good poetry, it was not long before the Nawab Sultan found himself magnetized towards Umrao Jaan’s heartfelt renditions and ghazals and of course her awe-inspiring persona. It was an attraction that bowed down to the intensity of the feeling of two beautiful people. In Nawab Sultan’s eyes Umrao dared to see a mirror of her desires. In Umrao Jaan’s heart, Nawab Sultan sensed a reflection of his passion. The heavens made them meet but would the world allow them to become one….?

There was definite background to the character of Nawab Sultan. When one is a Nawab, there is a framework of dos and don’ts set to it. There had to be inherent sophistication to the character where the upbringing showed. The way Nawab Sultan tackled situations and combated problems had to be laden with dignity. This was very reflective of the Nawabs at that time. In terms of performance a lot of attention was paid to the body language and speech of Nawab Sultan. And it was offset with his passionate side to accentuate that not only was Nawab Sultan a refined gentleman, but also an intense lover. Great emphasis was given to the passion between Umrao Jaan and Nawab Sultan so that the pain when their love is not fulfilled, is accentuated.

Kirdaar – The Cast Aishwarya Rai as Umrao Jaan “Courtesan…Poetess… Temptress …! Friend…Lover…Giver…! Many names……one special woman……Umrao Jaan ! ” Umrao Jaan was never destined to be the pride of her family…. She was nine when sold into the flesh trade of Lucknow. Yet with her dance prowess, literary genius, magnetic persona and inimitable style, Read More">Read More

Kirdaar – The Cast

Aishwarya Rai as Umrao Jaan

“Courtesan…Poetess… Temptress …! Friend…Lover…Giver…!
Many names……one special woman……Umrao Jaan ! ”

Umrao Jaan was never destined to be the pride of her family…. She was nine when sold into the flesh trade of Lucknow. Yet with her dance prowess, literary genius, magnetic persona and inimitable style, she went on to become the pride of Lucknow. Strangely, she never asked for it… All she wanted was a life laced with simplicity, but her weighty existence crushed her beyond imagination. For, each time she reached out for happiness, it evaded her like a heartless lover.

When it came to Umrao Jaan, J P Dutta’s first ever film with a woman as the main protagonist, it was Aishwarya Rai who was destined to play the legendary pathos-laden role. And play the role, she did … with every part of her being.

Suneil Shetty as Faiz Ali “He was a bandit who looted and victimized… And one day, it was he who was robbed of his most precious possession.” Faiz Ali, Read More">the hardened outlaw; the feared dacoit; the compulsive gangster! The tags were many. But behind the tough exterior lies a soft heart. A heart that beatsRead More

Suneil Shetty as Faiz Ali

“He was a bandit who looted and victimized…
And one day, it was he who was robbed of his most precious possession.”

Faiz Ali, the hardened outlaw; the feared dacoit; the compulsive gangster! The tags were many. But behind the tough exterior lies a soft heart. A heart that beats for the enchanting Umrao Jaan. Weary from the demands of his existence, it was in the confines of Umrao Jaan’s kotha that he got respite like never before.

‘Ever- dependable’ is an adjective Suneil Shetty has deservedly earned .He is known to have an ultra -vulnerable heart behind his well- structured frame. With an aura that is sometime soft, sometime hard, he has managed to give life to ever so many significant characters. A victim, a victimizer; a loser, a winner; the proverbial funny guy, the hopeless lover; a he-man ,a spineless one…he has played it all ! The swash- buckling character of Faiz Ali was an invitation to Suneil Shetty to reveal his expertise yet again.