The courtesan's call
ANUJ KUMAR
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As "Umrao Jaan" courts cinemagoers this week, director J.P. Dutta speaks about his cherished dream come true.
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Umrao's personality is enigmatic as is Aishwarya's. You might think that you know her, but every time you look at her you discover something new about her. There is an aura of the unknown attached to her
THE MUSE Aishwarya Rai as "Umrao Jaan".
As "Umrao Jaan" takes her fourth birth on celluloid this Friday, director J.P.Dutta is feeling the pregnancy pangs. "Making a film is like delivering the baby," he grumbles before agreeing for an interview. The journey has indeed been difficult. Right from Aishwarya Rai as the choice for "Umrao Jaan" to comparisons with the celebrated 1981 version of Muzaffar Ali to his image as the men's director, Dutta's intentions have all along been dissected.
An adaptation of Mirza Ruswa's novel, Dutta says the character of Ameeran (who grows on to become Umrao Jaan) has always inspired him and his father O.P.Dutta, a veteran writer-director. "We were fascinated by this character who has a tear in her eyes but smile on her face. Despite being a courtesan, she is a picture of dignity. I wanted to explore this character who has fascinated filmmakers down the ages." Going back in time, Dutta reflects that his father wanted to make a film on Umrao Jaan in the `50s with Nimmi as the lead. "But when he came to know that a film `Mehndi' on the same story has already been completed, the project was shelved. Later a film called `Zindagi aur Toofan' was also inspired by the same novel. And then of course Muzaffar Ali's version."
The sub text
Dutta says his film is more about Ameeran than Umrao. He even contemplated calling it Ameeran. He doesn't want to commit on whether the character is real or fictional. "There are plenty of stories about Umrao's grave and that she was Ruswa's mother." The sub text of the film, he says, deals with the issue of the girl child and the similarities between the courtesans and the wives of the nobles, as both were caged. "The glamour element is an envelope. And it goes with history for before the Mutiny, Awadh was the centre of opulence and culture. Those were the days of Wajid Ali Shah and thumri."
This brings us to the music where Anu Malik's songs are taking a tad too long to rise up the charts. And comparisons with Khayyam's music are inevitable. "We released the music a little late. Comparisons are fine, but they have to be rational. Such music takes time to grow and the previous version has a 25-year standing."
RUSWA MATTERS Producer-director J.P.Dutta.
Recently questions have been raised about the authenticity of locations, Dutta has been charged with bringing his favourite Rajasthan (most of his previous films have been shot in the state) into the Awadh canvas. "Eighty per cent of the film has been shot in Lucknow. Only 20 per cent has been shot in Jaipur and that too because the palace there resembles the one in Lucknow. Both were built in the same period."
Anna Singh, the costume designer says, "I knew all eyes will be on this film so we have taken care of minute details. I have worked on `Taj Mahal,' so my research was complete. There are no plunging necklines as has been the case with Bollywood courtesans often. There is a nose ring concept with courtesans. In the film Shabana ji sports it all along, while Aishwarya wears it in some part. Also in that period, courtesans used to wear jewellery on all the exposed body parts. Shabanaji helped us out in selecting the authentic ones. Then Abhishek dons sherwanis, angarakhas and a Pathani safa." Anna denies the headgear looks Rajasthani. "I have seen Muzaffar Ali who comes from Lucknow sporting it but my reference point was Shashi Kapoor's headgear in Ivory Merchant's `Heat and Dust'."
As for his male director's image Dutta, who has given films like "Yateem", "Kshatriya", "Hathyar", "Ghulami", "Border" and "LOC" defends, "All these films might be male-oriented and this is the first time that I have a film which revolves around a female character, but people should remember that I have never used women as objects of desire to sell my films. Whatever the length of their role, I have tried to make them look beautiful." He is right for he made Pooja Bhatt alluring in "Border" and who can forget Kareena Kapoor in her debut "Refugee"?
On Aishwarya as the choice for the title role, Dutta gives the credit to lyricist Javed Akhtar. "He told me if there is anybody who can play the character today is Aishwarya. The reason is Umrao's personality is enigmatic as is Aishwarya's. You might think that you know her, but every time you look at her you discover something new about her. There is an aura of the unknown attached to her."
Over to Ameeran!
Shabana Azmi
Just in genes
Just as the joy of receiving the coveted International Gandhi Peace Prize sinks in, Shabana Azmi is revelling in another pleasure. Shabana Azmi is playing Khanum Jaan (the madam who rears Ameeran to Umrao Jaan) in J.P. Dutta's "Umrao Jaan", a role essayed by her mother and eminent theatre personality Shaukat Azmi in Muzaffar Ali's version in 1981. "This is for the first time in the history of Hindi cinema that a daughter is playing a role done by her mother. It was intimidating too because of the expectations. Javed Siddiqui, who wrote the dialogues of Muzaffar's film said Hum apki himmat ki dad dete hain," relates Shabana.
She says her mother told her the nuances of the character. "Like kothas were the places where the sons of nawabs were educated in social graces. She advised me to read the original novel. She also helped us out in selecting the right outfits and jewellery. I didn't know that there was a brocade called kimkhab prevalent in Moghul times, until she took us to Lucknow markets."
Reminiscing the past, Shabana says she has learnt the art of acting from her mother. "Since the age of three months she used to take me to Prithvi Theatres. She used to wear at home the costumes of characters she would play to have the feel. My father used to say I have a new wife every month. I have imbibed the same trait. Javed Sahab says, one day I am `Godmother' and another day I am `Makdee' at home. He used to make fun of my long boots during `Makdee' days."
She says comparing the two films is like "apple and oranges" for "Muzaffar's film was in territory of art cinema, this is much more commercial. There are departures from the novel as was the case with the earlier version, but the message and the sub text are the same." On the authenticity of locations, Shabana believes, "Its the director's prerogative. Here films set in Varanasi are shot in Sri Lanka."
A.K.
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