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A Window on Umrao Jaan
By: Satyam
It is an unfortunate consequence of an age addicted to popcorn entertainment that when a 'real' film with an authentic narrative shows up the critics and often the audiences are unequal to the task of absorbing it. The seductions of 'cinema as joyride', increasingly prevalent in all parts of the globe render the space for a proper filmic effort that much more constrained most of the time. The ethical responsibility on the viewer who truly desires quality cinema is therefore to patronize products even when these might turn out to be less than perfect. There are honorable failures that one must subscribe to in every field of artistic endeavor if one does not want cinema to simply resemble a system of stimuli. But if this choice has no made one really has no right to complain about the medicority that is dished out day after day even if often in... ... big-budget extravaganza form.
Umrao Jaan has received stunningly unfair reviews and is a perfect symptom of the situation I've been describing. J P Dutta has made a beautiful film that for all the indulgence of the director in terms of length nonetheless remains engaging throughout and demands a patience and even a certain stamina from the viewer as a prerequisite for the proper 'encounter' with this remarkable tapestry. In other words one must go to the film with a certain mindset expecting not just an enjoyable period piece but a rich cinematic experience that will often be challenging and will reveal its pleasures cumulatively.
I should state here that for those complaining about the length I do concede that 20 minutes could very easily have been edited if not more without upsetting the flow of the film in any way. Having said that I don't believe that those who really dislike the film as it stands would love it if it were somewhat shorter. Also I simply do not buy the argument that one can love the original and hate this one. Not because the films are similar (they are not at all so except skeletally) but because whatever 'boredom' one witnesses in the newer film is something that one will as easily experience from the far slower, far less dramatic, far more offbeat older version of the film. Very candidly I doubt most people who indulge in this exercise remember the original very well if at all they've seen it!
But even the length is not an issue to the extent that there are no 'unwanted' plot elements here. It is true though that sharper editing would definitely have served the film in important ways.
Dutta is in great control here and his strengths are myriad from the visual qualities florabundant in the film to the performances of most of the actors to the subversive elements of the story. The last especially are much more profoundly delineated than these were in Muzaffar Ali's version. The music is not just an element within the story but often a way of enhancing and advancing the narrative. One would have to be rather tone deaf and in fact a quite poor reader of visual cues to not appreciate everything that happens in the numbers from the marvellous color coding of the sets and costumes to the awesome though often subtle gesturality of the central dancer as well as the moving lyrics at most points.
Among the great achievements of the film is the remarkable ambience of Lucknow and some of the adjacent locales dealt with in the film. I think this is easily one of the most remarkable Hindi films ever made in terms of evoking this kind of 'feel' and atmosphere. Dutta is always disciplined enough to reveal only those aspects of the culture that are intrinsically relevant to his story and characters but so strong is his sense of detail that a whole world is captured from the privileged perspective of the brothel. It is a sort of 'home and the world' story and both in time open onto each other in significant ways.
I have made a brief reference to 'subversion' in the narrative and Dutta is very good at calibrating the obvious gender politics of the subject, marrying it to larger moral concerns, and ultimately providing a wider political canvas to everything that refracts the story using different outlines. Towards the end there is even an element of the 'didactic' here but it is quite welcome and it certainly is more suggested than over-bearing in any way.
The performances in the film are generally very appropriate. Often the actors are good but equally they have been well cast. Shabana Azmi needs no plaudits this late in the day yet I must say that this is one of her very good acting jobs in a commercial vehicle. Dutta's choice of Azmi to fulfill what is a central role in the film is an inspired one and Azmi brings exactly the right sneer and attitude to the role. An actor who gives a rather better account of himself that one might have believed looking at his other outings in the past is Puru Raj Kumar. Sunil Shetty in a limited part manages to suggest the 'figure out of hell' quality that Dutta presumably requires him for! In the rest of the cast there is no one who is necessarily noteworthy in these terms but everyone is quite adequate to the task with the ironic exception of the gentleman who serves as a stand in for the novel's author and who in postmodern form gives us the film by way of being the only auditor to Umrao Jaan's narration of the film. And who seems to admit far more failure with 'words' than his courtesan-heroine. It is perhaps appropriate that he should be so affected and so much of a caricature in his representation of the author!
This brings me to Abhishek and Aishwarya. The former continues to dazzle as an actor and really commands attention in every scene he occupies. This is yet another 'different' role for him and he has just the right gravitas for the part, just the right subtlety for the role, just the right pitch for all the key moments. His is the most intriguing performance in many ways and he has a great moment where he is able to best even the formidable Azmi in the one meaningful scene they share.
But this is quite obviously Aishwarya's film and possibly her greatest performance. I say this with the full knowledge that she is not a 'pure' actress but also with the understanding that cinematic expressiveness is not only about performance in a naturalistic sense but also about the iconic and the actor who can be more star than actor and yet be as effective on screen (often moreso) as the pure actor. This is easily the most 'affecting' role Aishwarya has ever done. She has often been termed 'plastic' with some justification but in the process what has been ignored is the enormous progress she has made since her early days in the industry. In any case this charge would be rather unfair if not outright dishonest if used for her performance here. She easily holds this film together in the title role and lends an enormous dignity to the character. While the story of a suffering courtesan might seem a bit of cliche at this point in time Aishwarya prevents the character (and by virtue of this the film) from ever descending into the maudlin (and here of course the other actors like Azmi and Abhishek must be credited as well as the director). As a viewer I always found myself 'with' her in the film. She also offers a remarkable foil to Abhishek, not least because of the contrasting acting styles of the two. And while this wasn't very evident to me in the pair's earlier outings here she makes a very charismatic pair with Abhishek. There is genuine chemistry on screen here. She is also helped by the fact that Abhishek is possibly more effective at conveying a certain sexuality than just about any other Hindi actor I can think of.
What must also be mentioned with respect to Aishwarya's performance is her exquisite grace as a dancer and he extraordinary command on the gestural from the use of her eyes to the movements of her fingers. There is clearly a complex choreography at work here that does not only focus on the dancer springing around on her feet but almost more on the language she employs by way of her gestures. And this of course is the essence of a classical courtesan. I think that people far more trained in classical dance forms would appreciate Aishwarya's skills even more than I was able to in my impressionistic way. And the music about which enough has been said already in in my judgment as good a soundtrack as good be expected in these poor musical times for this sort of subject.
In a related sense I was very impressed by Dutta's command over the tones and undertones of sexuality throughout the film. And these are often laced with the sordid. There is sometimes a sense of unpleasantness to the proceedings, sometimes for obvious literal reasons. But even when the lovers are together there is an element of strangeness. This is partly so because Dutta never loses sight of the unequal power relations and these are implied at every turn of the narrative. But also because for all the romantic aspects of the love story, for all the comfortable sexuality that is so evident in the intimate moments the lovers share, the director never quite lets the viewer forget that for each lover 'possession' is implied in different ways. It is key to understanding the relationship that the romantic impetus from each side is very different in some ways. And this creates a sense of tension in the scenes which adds to the seductive quality of these moments.
I have indulged in such a detailed review because my interests are partly polemical. I think that this is yet another example when the media has simply not been educated enough to be able to adequately analyse the extent of Dutta's achievements. Or even read these in any meaningful way. But also because I hope to persuade people of any ilk that this is a film worth visiting, worth engaging with, worth thinking about. My review should not be taken to mean that I consider this a flawless film. Far from it. But I certainly do not see a serious one here. It is clearly not a film for everyone. But it will certainly reward those who are willing to give themselves over to a proper film experience as opposed to a 'night at the movies'. I will certainly be watching it again...
By: Satyam
It is an unfortunate consequence of an age addicted to popcorn entertainment that when a 'real' film with an authentic narrative shows up the critics and often the audiences are unequal to the task of absorbing it. The seductions of 'cinema as joyride', increasingly prevalent in all parts of the globe render the space for a proper filmic effort that much more constrained most of the time. The ethical responsibility on the viewer who truly desires quality cinema is therefore to patronize products even when these might turn out to be less than perfect. There are honorable failures that one must subscribe to in every field of artistic endeavor if one does not want cinema to simply resemble a system of stimuli. But if this choice has no made one really has no right to complain about the medicority that is dished out day after day even if often in... ... big-budget extravaganza form.
Umrao Jaan has received stunningly unfair reviews and is a perfect symptom of the situation I've been describing. J P Dutta has made a beautiful film that for all the indulgence of the director in terms of length nonetheless remains engaging throughout and demands a patience and even a certain stamina from the viewer as a prerequisite for the proper 'encounter' with this remarkable tapestry. In other words one must go to the film with a certain mindset expecting not just an enjoyable period piece but a rich cinematic experience that will often be challenging and will reveal its pleasures cumulatively.
I should state here that for those complaining about the length I do concede that 20 minutes could very easily have been edited if not more without upsetting the flow of the film in any way. Having said that I don't believe that those who really dislike the film as it stands would love it if it were somewhat shorter. Also I simply do not buy the argument that one can love the original and hate this one. Not because the films are similar (they are not at all so except skeletally) but because whatever 'boredom' one witnesses in the newer film is something that one will as easily experience from the far slower, far less dramatic, far more offbeat older version of the film. Very candidly I doubt most people who indulge in this exercise remember the original very well if at all they've seen it!
But even the length is not an issue to the extent that there are no 'unwanted' plot elements here. It is true though that sharper editing would definitely have served the film in important ways.
Dutta is in great control here and his strengths are myriad from the visual qualities florabundant in the film to the performances of most of the actors to the subversive elements of the story. The last especially are much more profoundly delineated than these were in Muzaffar Ali's version. The music is not just an element within the story but often a way of enhancing and advancing the narrative. One would have to be rather tone deaf and in fact a quite poor reader of visual cues to not appreciate everything that happens in the numbers from the marvellous color coding of the sets and costumes to the awesome though often subtle gesturality of the central dancer as well as the moving lyrics at most points.
Among the great achievements of the film is the remarkable ambience of Lucknow and some of the adjacent locales dealt with in the film. I think this is easily one of the most remarkable Hindi films ever made in terms of evoking this kind of 'feel' and atmosphere. Dutta is always disciplined enough to reveal only those aspects of the culture that are intrinsically relevant to his story and characters but so strong is his sense of detail that a whole world is captured from the privileged perspective of the brothel. It is a sort of 'home and the world' story and both in time open onto each other in significant ways.
I have made a brief reference to 'subversion' in the narrative and Dutta is very good at calibrating the obvious gender politics of the subject, marrying it to larger moral concerns, and ultimately providing a wider political canvas to everything that refracts the story using different outlines. Towards the end there is even an element of the 'didactic' here but it is quite welcome and it certainly is more suggested than over-bearing in any way.
The performances in the film are generally very appropriate. Often the actors are good but equally they have been well cast. Shabana Azmi needs no plaudits this late in the day yet I must say that this is one of her very good acting jobs in a commercial vehicle. Dutta's choice of Azmi to fulfill what is a central role in the film is an inspired one and Azmi brings exactly the right sneer and attitude to the role. An actor who gives a rather better account of himself that one might have believed looking at his other outings in the past is Puru Raj Kumar. Sunil Shetty in a limited part manages to suggest the 'figure out of hell' quality that Dutta presumably requires him for! In the rest of the cast there is no one who is necessarily noteworthy in these terms but everyone is quite adequate to the task with the ironic exception of the gentleman who serves as a stand in for the novel's author and who in postmodern form gives us the film by way of being the only auditor to Umrao Jaan's narration of the film. And who seems to admit far more failure with 'words' than his courtesan-heroine. It is perhaps appropriate that he should be so affected and so much of a caricature in his representation of the author!
This brings me to Abhishek and Aishwarya. The former continues to dazzle as an actor and really commands attention in every scene he occupies. This is yet another 'different' role for him and he has just the right gravitas for the part, just the right subtlety for the role, just the right pitch for all the key moments. His is the most intriguing performance in many ways and he has a great moment where he is able to best even the formidable Azmi in the one meaningful scene they share.
But this is quite obviously Aishwarya's film and possibly her greatest performance. I say this with the full knowledge that she is not a 'pure' actress but also with the understanding that cinematic expressiveness is not only about performance in a naturalistic sense but also about the iconic and the actor who can be more star than actor and yet be as effective on screen (often moreso) as the pure actor. This is easily the most 'affecting' role Aishwarya has ever done. She has often been termed 'plastic' with some justification but in the process what has been ignored is the enormous progress she has made since her early days in the industry. In any case this charge would be rather unfair if not outright dishonest if used for her performance here. She easily holds this film together in the title role and lends an enormous dignity to the character. While the story of a suffering courtesan might seem a bit of cliche at this point in time Aishwarya prevents the character (and by virtue of this the film) from ever descending into the maudlin (and here of course the other actors like Azmi and Abhishek must be credited as well as the director). As a viewer I always found myself 'with' her in the film. She also offers a remarkable foil to Abhishek, not least because of the contrasting acting styles of the two. And while this wasn't very evident to me in the pair's earlier outings here she makes a very charismatic pair with Abhishek. There is genuine chemistry on screen here. She is also helped by the fact that Abhishek is possibly more effective at conveying a certain sexuality than just about any other Hindi actor I can think of.
What must also be mentioned with respect to Aishwarya's performance is her exquisite grace as a dancer and he extraordinary command on the gestural from the use of her eyes to the movements of her fingers. There is clearly a complex choreography at work here that does not only focus on the dancer springing around on her feet but almost more on the language she employs by way of her gestures. And this of course is the essence of a classical courtesan. I think that people far more trained in classical dance forms would appreciate Aishwarya's skills even more than I was able to in my impressionistic way. And the music about which enough has been said already in in my judgment as good a soundtrack as good be expected in these poor musical times for this sort of subject.
In a related sense I was very impressed by Dutta's command over the tones and undertones of sexuality throughout the film. And these are often laced with the sordid. There is sometimes a sense of unpleasantness to the proceedings, sometimes for obvious literal reasons. But even when the lovers are together there is an element of strangeness. This is partly so because Dutta never loses sight of the unequal power relations and these are implied at every turn of the narrative. But also because for all the romantic aspects of the love story, for all the comfortable sexuality that is so evident in the intimate moments the lovers share, the director never quite lets the viewer forget that for each lover 'possession' is implied in different ways. It is key to understanding the relationship that the romantic impetus from each side is very different in some ways. And this creates a sense of tension in the scenes which adds to the seductive quality of these moments.
I have indulged in such a detailed review because my interests are partly polemical. I think that this is yet another example when the media has simply not been educated enough to be able to adequately analyse the extent of Dutta's achievements. Or even read these in any meaningful way. But also because I hope to persuade people of any ilk that this is a film worth visiting, worth engaging with, worth thinking about. My review should not be taken to mean that I consider this a flawless film. Far from it. But I certainly do not see a serious one here. It is clearly not a film for everyone. But it will certainly reward those who are willing to give themselves over to a proper film experience as opposed to a 'night at the movies'. I will certainly be watching it again...
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