| | | | Aishwarya Rai in Umrao Jaan | This one's turning out to be the proverbial iski topi uske sar. There is utter disbelief and even amusement in several quarters, over the sight of a topi-clad Aishwarya Rai as Umrao Jaan. Recent promos of J P Dutta's much-hyped film has the actress in a blue outfit with matching head gear.
This has taken traditional Lucknowis by surprise. They point out that courtesans of the era in which the film is set (the late 19th century)
did not wear such hideous topis.
Designer talk
When asked about the topping on Umrao Jaan, the film's costume designer, Anna Singh, initially said, "It will be better if you speak to the producer."
It is learnt that Rai's blue costume has been designed by Singh, but the topi was added at the behest of Dutta's wife, Bindiya Goswami.
| | | SOURCE OF INSPIRATION: The book, Lucknow: Then and Now (edited by Rosie Llewellyn-Jones), from which J P Dutta's Umrao Jaan team sought designer inspiration | The reference point for Aishwarya's costume came from the book, Lucknow:
Then and Now, edited by Rosie Llewellyn-Jones.
Singh later added, "It was the team's decision to include a head gear. Mr Dutta had some images of courtesans of that time with various head gears. We have made it exactly like the ones shown in the book on Lucknow."
Topi is a no-no
An amused onlooker says, "Each filmmaker can interpret a character or a story as he visualises it, but when you are depicting a slice of history, you need to get it right. Perhaps this is what happens when you leave the costumes in the hands of designers who haven't stepped into a museum to get their facts right."
Another source reasons that the courtesans of that era wore woven dupattas, so affixing a hat on their heads was a definite no. "It looks like Umrao Jaan has now become a background chorus girl from a filmi qawwali track!"
Outside perspective
"Lucknow is another planet, and if you are not from there you are considered an alien," is how writer Javed Siddiqui puts it. He, along with Shama Zaidi, penned the screenplay and dialogues for Muzaffar Ali's Umrao Jaan made over two decades ago (see box).
He adds, "When you take on such a subject, the feel of that region is inherent in a person who hails from that area. When an outsider takes it on, obviously there will be a big difference."
As for the much-maligned topi, he says, "The courtesans of that time only wore dupattas, not topis."
Slated for a November release, Dutta's film stars Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan, Shabana Azmi and Sunil Shetty. |
| Rekha as Umrao
Based on Mirza Mohammed Hadi Ruswa's (1858-1931) celebrated novel Umrao Jaan Ada about a Lucknowi courtesan, the film Umrao Jaan was first made by Muzaffar Ali in 1981 with Rekha in the title role. Now, 25 years later Dutta presents his version with Aishwarya Rai. Ali had his then wife Subhashini design the costumes.
Also, Ali himself is also a designer with his own label, Kotwara, specialising in chikankari work. Besides Rekha, Ali's film included Farooque Sheikh, Naseeruddin Shah, Raj Babbar and Shaukat Kaifi. | |
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