Umrao Jaan (1981)

No one except Rekha could have done justice to Amiran. 

It feels like this role was specially written for her, even though Muzaffar Ali adapted the screenplay from Mirza Hadi Ruswa's 1905 Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada. That's just how brilliant she is here.

Despite the appalling quality of the print that I ended up watching (all thanks to the fact that not one streaming platform features Umrao Jaan in their collection), I couldn't help but be struck by the sheer beauty of it all. The attention to detail is stunning and really brings to life the sheer grandeur of that era. 

But— it's the way this beauty is captured and projected on screen that one never truly feels at ease in the midst of all that aesthetic. Something in the air is perpetually unsettling, and only gets intensified as the story progresses towards its doomed end. 

In the centre of it all is Rekha, who breathes life into her character in such a way that it's easy to forget you're watching a film. Every movement of her eyes is on point, every second of her on screen a treat for the viewers. It's because of her performance that the movie doesn't feel aged at all, despite, and I repeat myself, the fact that no one has bothered to restore it yet.

The other actors are amazing too, especially Dina Pathak and Naseeruddin Shah. Satish Shah's role as one of the villains is quite memorable as well, considering how he is usually associated with comic roles. Farooq Shaikh is one of my favourite actors from that era, but I must say, he is overshadowed by Rekha here. Not his fault though, anyone would be.

Now, I can't possibly write about Umrao Jaan without mentioning the songs 'In Aankhon Ki Masti' and 'Dil Cheez Kya Hai', both of which are close to my heart in ways I can't explain. Asha Bhosle and Rekha are truly one of the GOAT-est collabs to ever exist.

Finally, this time around, I also have new-found love for 'Yeh Kya Jagah Hai Doston' and 'Justuju Thi Jiski'. Signs of adulting, methinks.


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