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Topic: umrao jaan reviews (Read 359 times)
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bharath
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umrao jaan reviews
« on: November 08, 2006, 04:04:54 AM »
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all the reviews of umrao jaan goes here
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bharath
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Re:umrao jaan reviews
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2006, 04:05:48 AM »
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Umrao Jaan - Endless Tragedy of Errors
Faridoon Shahryar, IndiaGlitz [Friday, November 03, 2006]
The man with a heart that booms with the passion of warfare artillery has gone seriously wrong by composing a courtesan’s plaintive number on celluloid. Yes J P Dutta should stick to guns of patriotism for the roses of romance die before they blossom in his cosmetic period drama ‘Umrao Jaan’. And no, Aishwariya isn’t the best thing in this musical tearjerker.
If anyone really dazzles with the sheer dexterity and range of emotions then it has to be Shabana Azmi. For her hard hitting performance is the most notable thing about this well-over-three-hour-film (The editor must have been sleeping I guess). Shabana is a great actress but what’s most praiseworthy in her performance is that she has taken immaculate care of fitting the context of the mid nineteenth century Lucknow culture. How! She is the only one who speaks Urdu with correct pronunciation. And trust me Urdu is such a beautiful language that if it’s diction is not proper then the rest of the details like fancy costumes and lavish sets seem out of context and detached. There are several other details which enable Shabana to literally dwarf all other performances, but then I don’t think you guys are keen on a thesis on the movie. So, how ‘bout moving ahead with this review…
J P Dutta had a tough task on his hand when he set out to make ‘Umrao Jaan’. Comparisons are inevitable even though he may shout from the rooftop that his version is not a remake as it based on a work of fiction. So, does he measure any close to Muzaffar Ali. Not at all. I would say ‘Don’ was a well made remake for at least it had something new to offer and it was entertaining too. Here, J P takes ages in telling the sad story of Amiran (Ash) as to how she is sold at a Kotha in Lucknow to a calculative yet heart-of-gold Khanam Jaan (Shabana). Amiran turns into the bewitchingly beautiful ‘Umrao Jaan’ the famous courtesan who loses her heart to Sexy Pathan Nawab Sultan (Abhishek Bachchan).
A few-love-moments in the lover’s arms later, ‘Umrao’ is called an infidel by wine-eyed Nawab. Their love story was genuine but somehow Time had some other plans as a dacoit Faiz Ali (Suneil Shetty) stabs their happiness while losing his own. Umrao never recovers as she encounters one tragedy after another. Although poignancy dots the story but somehow the emphasis is more on the designer jewellery, heavy and grossly embroidered costumes, colossal sets (they look tacky at times), even Aishwariya’s make-up is totally out-of-place at times.
Anu Malik’s music is worth a ‘Salaam’. Well, ‘Salaam’ is one of the mujra’s in the film and that happens to be the only song that haunts you once the movie is over. I also liked ‘Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Na Kijo’. But when you compare with Khayyam’s magical spell of ‘In Ankhon Ki Masti Ke’, ‘Dil Cheez Kya Hai’ and ‘Justuju Jiski Thi Usko To Na Paaya Humne’ then Anu Malik stands no chance at all. Although Alka Yagnik is no Asha Bhosle but I think this is by far her finest performance yet as a singer who has sung semi classical songs with fantastic innovation in rendition as well as expression. Vaibhavi Merchant’s dance steps rely more on coquettish facial expressions than any firebrand dance steps. Ayananka Bose’s camerawork is gripping.
Finally, in the acting department, Ash is no Rekha as SRK can’t be any patch on Big B. But yes, this is Aishwariya Rai at her best. Lack of consistency in performance is made up by a lot of sincerity and feeling for the character she is enacting. One can notice a lot of warmth in her eyes and body language while showing her physicality towards Abhishek Bachchan’s Sultan. Aby baby is made out to be macho and that is one of the most filmi aspects JP could have resorted to. No, this is not Junior B’s better performances. I would say he shouldn’t have done a relatively smaller role considering he has proved his credentials as an actor and it’s time he remains in the forefront.
Rest of the cast comprising of Puru Raj Kumar (he has a future), Divya Dutta (wasted), Ayesha Jhulka (how can you cast her as a courtesan looking at her puffy face and overweight bulkiness), Himan Shivpuri (fine), Suneil Shetty (loud as usual) remain more or less in the background. Kulbhushan Kharbanda as Maulvi sahib gives you those lump-in-the-throat moments while he interacts with ‘Umrao…’ and definitely he looks the part of the context of Lucknowi culture in which the film is based.
As for J P Dutta’s direction his attempt at grandiose lets him down badly. The romantic subtlety in Muzaffar Ali’s ‘Umrao Jaan’ is superseded by overpowering sexual intrigue which tends to be crass at times in Dutta’s visual idiom. O P Dutta’s dialogues sound archaic for it hurts when the audience laughs at chaste Urdu. I don’t find any relevance of ‘Umrao Jaan’ today. For making a film like this requires immersing yourself completely and not merely touching the tip of fragrance and assuming the perfume will spread all over on its own.
I felt totally sapped at the end of this endless saga and I even stopped sympathizing with the miserable misery of the protagonist. Now, how can I ask you to go through the same suffering! Watch Ash in ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ (if you wish to feast on her beauty and music) instead.
Umrao Jaan: Plastic-Beauty-Isn’t-A-Joy-For-Sure!
Star Rating: **
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bharath
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Re:umrao jaan reviews
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2006, 04:12:58 AM »
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By Taran Adarsh, November 3, 2006 - 16:07 IST
J.P. Dutta is one of the finest storytellers around. Right from his directorial debut GHULAMI to his last release L.O.C., J.P. has had the courage to narrate stories that excite him first and foremost. Some films worked, some didn’t. But J.P. continued with his practice of choosing subjects that not many dream merchants would dare to dream.
Quite obviously, UMRAO JAAN, his latest outing, evokes tremendous anxiety. Sadly, it’s bound to meet with diverse reactions/feedback…
UMRAO JAAN has sensitive performances, it is visually rich with the bygone era captured beautifully on celluloid and the stamp of a master storyteller is visible in crucial scenes. But there’s a flip side too. It’s not a enriching, satisfying and fulfilling experience, it’s toooooo long [20 reels; 3 hour + duration], has too many songs and lacks the power to keep you hooked in entirety.
Write your own movie review of Umrao Jaan and win exciting prizes
In fact, it wouldn’t be wrong to state that the lethargic pacing coupled with the unnecessary length make UMRAO JAAN a bejaan experience!
A courtesan and a poetess in her own right, Umrao Jaan [Aishwarya Rai] was a name to reckon with in Avadh. If Lucknow was the heart of Avadh, Umrao was the heart beat.
When she first came to Lucknow, she was Amiran, the eight-year-old daughter of a lower middle class family. Her father [Pariksh*t Sahni] was a jamadar at the ‘Bahu Begum ka Makhbara’ in Faizabad. A pious and simple man, he gave evidence in a case against Dilawar Khan [Vishwajeet Pradhan]. Dilawar was sentenced to jail for ten years. After finishing his sentence, Dilawar came out, only to kidnap little Amiran, cart her to Lucknow and sell her to a kotha owned by the astute Khanum Sahib [Shabana Azmi]. This was the vengeance and a few rupees as bonus. “Let her suffer a death worse than a death,” he said.
A kotha in that age, especially that of Khanum, was not only a cultural hub known for excellence in performing arts but also a temple of learning -- learning the art of living. As an inmate of the kotha, little Amiran benefited the most. Khanum gave her the name ‘Umrao’, Bua Hussaini [Himani Shivpuri] brought her up in style, Maulvi Sahib [Kulbhushan Kharbanda] imparted education, Khan Sahib initiated her into the world of music while the great Kathak Acharya made her feet move to rhythm.
In the company of Bismillah [Divya Dutta], Khurshid [Ayesha Julka] and Gauhar Mirza [Puru Raaj Kumar], Umrao developed varied skills including poetry. The pen name ‘Ada’ was ample proof of the proficiency in writing and presenting poetry that she went on to acquire.
Graduating in years, Umrao became a rage in Lucknow. A beauty that was stunning, a manner that was enticing and words that were soul stirring, made the name of Umrao Jaan mean sheer joy of watching and listening.
Stepping into youth, she had to seek the love of her life. His name was Nawab Sultan [Abhishek Bachchan]. With the whole of Avadh at her feet, Umrao craved for Sultan’s company. Somewhere deep inside her, she had a dream of a husband, a family and a home. She chased her dream from one end of the rainbow to the other.
But there were hiccups in the form of a dacoit Faiz [Suniel Shetty], who was smitten by Umrao. Subsequently, the misunderstanding with Nawab Sultan takes place. Later, the war of independence makes her homeless. And much later, her mother [Maya Alagh] and brother disown her. Amiran is forced to become Umrao Jaan again.
UMRAO JAAN takes off on a positive note. The story of the little Amiran, who is kidnapped and sold to a kotha in Lucknow, is sensitively depicted. The entire track -- sequences with her parents and also with Khanum [Shabana] and Bua [Himani] -- unravel beautifully. Then Sultan walks in Umrao’s life. Love is in the air. You begin to ponder: UMRAO JAAN is akin to a poem on celluloid.
Romance takes over and the story comes to a grinding and screeching halt. Two/three songs flow in one after the other. You start getting restless and impatient. Agreed, J.P. had to be faithful to Ruswa’s literary work. But the songs are completely unwanted and only add to the extra length. The sad part is, Anu Malik’s music, although in sync with the film, comes across as an unwanted guest in the narrative.
The turning point comes in the form of the Sultan’s father, who disowns him. An interesting twist in the tale. The dacoit walks in, he wants Umrao at any cost. He even convinces her to come along and spend a month with him. She agrees. Interesting. Sultan gets to know the half-truth. He’s upset. He shuns her. She returns back to Khanum. Okay.
The war of independence breaks out. Umrao reaches Faizabad. Her home-town. She comes face to face with her mother and brother. She weeps, they’re not convinced. Sadly, the emotions don’t touch the heart here. You don’t feel sorry for Umrao. She gives her last performance in Faizabad. One more song. Ideally, the movie should’ve ended with Umrao walking out of her house and her brother slamming the gates on her face.
If J.P. deserves meritorious points for drawing sensitive performances and also taking you to 19th century Lucknow, you want to deduct many points for the slow and tiresome narrative and also unwanted scenes and songs. As an editor, J.P. fails to keep you hooked. The film can easily do without three/four songs and also a few scenes. Ideally, a 25/30-minute trimming is a must!
Anu Malik’s music is a minus point here, partly because people want to listen to the story and the songs here add to the boredom. O.P. Dutta’s dialogues are exemplary. Dutta Sr. is a supremely gifted writer and his work in UMRAO JAAN stands out in every sequence. Costumes [Anna Singh and Bindiya Dutta] are rich. Cinematography [A. Bose] is flawless. The sets [Bijon Das Gupta] are topnotch. Choreography [Vaibhavi Merchant] is commendable.
Aishwarya Rai looks ethereal. In fact, it’s after HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM that Ash has looked heavenly and performed so convincingly. She emotes through her expressive eyes and the consistency in her performance is evident from start to end. This can easily rank amongst her prized assignment in her repertoire.
Abhishek Bachchan is up to the mark, although one strongly feels that he’s capable of so much more. Shabana Azmi is superb, especially in the sequence when she insults Abhishek [minutes before the intermission]. Suniel Shetty doesn’t get much scope. Nevertheless, he’s alright. Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Himani Shivpuri lend good support. Divya Dutta and Ayesha Julka leave a mark in brief roles. Pariksh*t Sahni, Maya Alagh, Vishwajeet Pradhan and Javed Khan are passable.
On the whole, UMRAO JAAN has a weak first half and a tolerable second. But the damage done by the first half [unwanted songs and scenes] creates a major dent, which the second half tries to repair, but cannot. At the box-office, the film will appeal to a miniscule segment of moviegoers [gentry] in a handful of multiplexes, but the wide majority would give it thumbs down due to its unnecessary length [20 reels; 3 + hours’ duration] and lackluster treatment. Given its low hype and poor start at the ticket window, the film will incur losses for its investors.
*1/2
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vicky
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Re:umrao jaan reviews
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2006, 09:36:17 AM »
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worst movie ever made.
totally boring
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¤sonia¤
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Re:umrao jaan reviews
« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2006, 04:42:39 PM »
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(my view)
this movie made me want to cry... not because of the story but because it was pure torture!! where do i start?
i guess with what i liked... the costumes, some of the sets, the historical period... and thats about it.
aishwarya looked beautiful without a doubt this movie also showed how much she has aged...i'm also waiting for that role people talk about that will establish her as a serious actress cause umrao jaan defintely was not it. aish can deliver the tears but she can't deliver the emotions. i felt nothing during the entire movie... no sadness, passion, nothing except a headache!
the aish abhishek chemistry was sizzling at times but even abhishek was a bit ridiculous in this movie... i mean was the audience suppossed to be laughing during this movie? the main actors seemed like they were just going with the motions another film to add to the list... they didn't seem to give the characters life.
besides some of the visuals, the highlight of this movie was shabana asmi. she portrayed the role perfectly and was a delight to watch.
i've never watched the 1980 version but if i go based on the 2006 version, this is one of those movies that should have never been made and remained a book.
i'm starting to doubt bollywood movies especially their actresses. if aish didn't make a good umrao jaan who would have? the answer is NO ONE. i was looking forward to dhoom2 but i figured why set myself up for disappointment?... thank goodness there will always be hollywood!
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bharath
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Re:umrao jaan reviews
« Reply #5 on: November 20, 2006, 07:47:57 AM »
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umrao jaan delared as the biggest flop of the year
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