Muzaffar Ali directed Umrao Jaan, a 1981 Indian period musical drama film featuring Rekha as the main character. The film chronicles the narrative of a Lucknow courtesan and her journey to popularity and is based on the 1905 Urdu classic Umrao Jaan Ada. Naseeruddin Shah, Farooq Shaikh, Raj Babbar, and Bharat Bhushan played the supporting roles.
Amiran is stolen from her family in Faizabad in 1840 and sold to Khanum Jaan, the madam of a brothel in Lucknow that instructs young ladies of the night. Amiran is renamed Umrao Jaan and transformed into a refined woman educated to entice wealthy and tasteful men.
The film was launched in theatres on January 2, 1981, according to author Anita Padhye’s Ten Classics (English). Rekha’s acting was appreciated, and she received a National Award for her portrayal of the main character. However, the box office performance was only mediocre. The historically accurate setting was well-received by critics.
Khayyam composed the music for the film, and Shahryar wrote the lyrics. ‘Several songs from the film, including ‘Dil Cheez Kya Hai,’ ‘Justuju Jiski Thi,’ ‘In Ankhon Ki Masti Ke,’ and ‘Yeh Kya Jagah Hai Doston,’ are regarded filmi music classics. Umrao Jaan is a film that is classified as an art film, and it is a very good art film.
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