Andhra Pradesh   

`Ash' passes the Rekha test

CLASSIC BEAUTY: Aishwarya Rai in Umrao Jaan

Umrao Jaan (Hindi)

Cast: Aishwarya Rai, Shabana Azmi, Abhishek Bachchan

Director: J.P. Dutta

Mirza Ruswa's novel continues to breathe new life into our ailing filmmakers. Muzaffar Ali adapted it so beautifully to the silver screen 25 years ago that he came to have a life-long association with it. Now, J.P. Dutta adapts the novel for the fourth time to the big screen. There are some oversights as in gumboots for the hero, handpump in the 19th century for heroine. . And Anu Malik's music is too fast-paced for the era.

But,at its soul, body, even content, "Umrao Jaan" is as beautiful as its leading lady. Aishwarya Rai undertakes the difficult job of doing Rekha's role and manages to hold her own. And yes, despite the obvious repetition, isn't she beautiful! !

Never the greatest of actresses, she makes a valiant attempt to bring the angstof the woman rejected by all: her family, her lover, her buyer. Yet having the magnanimity to forgive each of them. It is the story of a girl who dared to love on the streets where lust is bought and sold in lieu of love. Talking of performances, there is none better than Shabana Azmi's here. As Khannum, the madam at the brothel who rules with an iron fist and a heart of gold, she is superb. She creates her own canvas.

However, the film suffers on other counts. Its male characters are second fiddles. Abhishek is a misfit as a nawab. And Puru Rajkumar is not even a shadow of Naseeruddin Shah as Gauhar, the man who loves Umrao but is not courageous enough to be a man for the woman. And Sunil Shetty as Nawab Faiz does the role with the same indifference as he shows in countless potboilers where he arrives and departs in all fury. Never mind. The story has feeling, the narration passes most of it to the screen. And between Rai and Azmi we get some moments when we forget all the debate whether Umrao Jaan Ada was a real-life woman or just a figment of Ruswa's imagination. She is still a dream. Book your date with "Umrao Jaan". The graces, the ada, the hayaare all there.

ZIYA US SALAM

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