Umrao Jaan

Story:

Umrao Jaan is a 2006 Indian period musical romantic drama film produced and directed by J. P. Dutta, based on the Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada, and is about the famous Tawaif of the title. Aishwarya Rai stars in the lead role along with Abhishek Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Sunil Shetty, Divya Dutta, Himani Shivpuri and Kulbhushan Kharbanda in supporting roles.

PLOT

In 1840, a girl named Ameeran (Aishwarya Rai) is a joy in her parents’ lives. She is kidnapped from her home in Faizabad by Dilawar Khan (Vishwajeet Pradhan) who had been sent to jail years before upon evidence presented by Ameeran’s father. To take his revenge, Dilawar sells Ameeran to a kotha in Lucknow that is run by Khannum Jaan (Shabana Azmi). Bua Hussaini (Himani Shivpuri) and Maulvi Sahib (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) adopt Ameeran and treat her as their own daughter. In the company of Khurshid (Ayesha Jhulka), Bismillah (Divya Dutta), and one of the tawaif’s sons, Gauhar Mirza (Puru Raaj Kumar), Ameeran learns the art of being a tawaif.

The girl grows into an elegant, poetic beauty by the name of Umrao Jaan (Aishwarya Rai), who catches the eye of Nawab Sultan Khan (Abhishek Bachchan). The two begin a passionate romance. Though Nawab Sultan’s wealth grants him exclusivity to Umrao, he expresses suspicion that she may still offer her charms to other men, an accusation she detests. The lovers share a blissful time together until Nawab Sultan’s father hears of their relationship and disowns him, stripping Nawab Sultan of his wealth. Promising Umrao that he will build their future and then return for her, the penniless Nawab goes to stay in the house of his uncle in Ghari, leaving Umrao desolate.

In Nawab Sultan’s absence, Umrao catches the eye of the wealthy Faiz Ali (Sunil Shetty). Though she rejects his advances, he determinedly pursues her and eventually asks her to accompany him to his home in Daulatabad. Umrao accepts, but only upon learning that they will be traveling through Ghari. Along the way, the whole party is arrested by a group of state soldiers, and Faiz Ali is revealed to be a dacoit whom the soldiers have pursued for years. Nawab Sultan hears that Umrao and Faiz Ali are in Ghari and goes to meet Umrao, but first encounters the imprisoned Faiz Ali. Faiz Ali, realizing that Umrao only accompanied him so that she could reunite with Nawab Sultan, jealously manipulates Nawab into believing that Umrao and Faiz Ali had a sexual relationship. Believing that Umrao betrayed him, Nawab Sultan shuns her and has her escorted back to Lucknow. Umrao is crushed but refrains from begging Nawab to believe her, remembering that he had once vowed to never insult her with accusations of infidelity and feeling that his broken promise has destroyed their love anyway.

Heartbroken, she returns to Lucknow but fate has other plans for her. Upon her return, it is revealed that Maulvi Sahib, her adoptive father, had died while she was away. As she grapples with this grief, her childhood friend Gauhar Mirza (Puru Raaj Kumar), who had always lusted for her, reacts violently to her rejection and rapes her. Soon after, the British attack the city, and she is forced to flee, eventually traveling to her childhood home in Faizabad. There, she learns of her father’s death years before and reunites with her mother and brother. She implores for their love, but they reject her for the shame she brought with her profession. Devastated, Umrao journeys back to her old life in Lucknow and on the way encounters Dilawar Khan, her childhood kidnapper. Wretched, homeless, injured, and suffering from leprosy, he begs Umrao for money, not recognizing her. She gives him her gold bangles and prays to God for his forgiveness. Ostracized by all and having forgiven those who destroyed her life, Umrao spends the remainder of her life in Lucknow with her poetry and memories.