Pras
12-21-2006, 08:03 AM
Language: Hindi
Subtitles: Yes (English) Forced in the Print
Video: Xvid / 23.976 fps / NTSC / 4:3 AR
Audio: 128 kbps CBR MP3
Ripper: Toshkhani
About Umrao Jaan
Who among the Indians failed to get moved by the advertised displays and cutouts of the Indian actress Rekha in context of Umrao Jaan. Those who saw the film carefully recall it in the silence of sadness and as a class of its own. Umrao, a true character of a highly sensitive female artist of nineteenth century India, could write the wonderful lyrics of her songs, tune the classical melody herself, achieved a magical voice and presented the class of a dance-style, called Kathak. Though finally she came up on top of her fame and popularity in a wide region of India, she remained deserted by her relatives. Her love relations failed to acquire any meaningful social end. Only the audio-visual experience of the film can take one near the heart of the poetic portrayal, brilliantly done by Muzaffar Ali. Ali comes of such a lineage of aristocracy, which had much bearing on the time and cultural milieu of Umrao Jaan in Lucknow. A sensitive Indian viewer might also intuit such a living philosophical background of the spectacular details and technically rare presentation of an excellent narrative.
Abducted from her home village along with another friend Ramrey in her childhood Umrao alone was purchased by a pander. She lost the last link to her past, even the whereabouts of her birthplace. Umrao Jaan grew up as a professional dancer and singer in certain art-loving space of Lucknow, where the performer--even the ************ly virgin one-- entertained the elite with performance, but could have no legitimate social relation with them. Umrao had to leave her first love, a connoisseur of her performance and a good-hearted handsome prince, whom after many years she finds as married to Ramrey. It was also a matter of chance that one family adopted Ramrey and paid satisfactorily to the same kidnaper. The mature Umrao as a paid entertainer--on the family occasion of the happy and her beloved couple--could readily responds in songs to her amazing feelings of relentless drift of life.
All along the narrative of the film the genius of Umrao is shown to expand as an artist and as an author from inside her existential experience. Her songs and dances--wonderfully matching the shifting contexts of her biography--move gradually from deep passion for life to profound existential quarries. A period of historical unrest in the region keeps Umrao floating and troubled to procure her livelihood and to maintain her prestige. After all the un-thought-of turns of life and an effective exposure to the out-world she unknowingly (re)appears in her lost paradise, the forgotten shelter of her birthplace and patriarchal family of origin. On deepest agony and not incredibly the Indian spectators see Umrao herself to accept her social death and ruthless rejection from her family belonging to orthodox Indian patriarchy. Crying her heart out she had to leave her mother, the ever-missing reconciliation perhaps for all. Finally the major associates of her troop also got detached from Umrao. She had to return to the deserted house of Lucknow and starts cleaning the dust spread over the old things. The pale sight of disheveled Umrao reflected in an old mirror concludes the film. The still of a drifting individual on the edge of her career and tormented life suspends an air of subtle nostalgia.
Screenshots:
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5057/vlcsnap32864wn2.png
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/8651/vlcsnap32934fq0.png
http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/9972/vlcsnap33017sl0.png
Subtitles: Yes (English) Forced in the Print
Video: Xvid / 23.976 fps / NTSC / 4:3 AR
Audio: 128 kbps CBR MP3
Ripper: Toshkhani
About Umrao Jaan
Who among the Indians failed to get moved by the advertised displays and cutouts of the Indian actress Rekha in context of Umrao Jaan. Those who saw the film carefully recall it in the silence of sadness and as a class of its own. Umrao, a true character of a highly sensitive female artist of nineteenth century India, could write the wonderful lyrics of her songs, tune the classical melody herself, achieved a magical voice and presented the class of a dance-style, called Kathak. Though finally she came up on top of her fame and popularity in a wide region of India, she remained deserted by her relatives. Her love relations failed to acquire any meaningful social end. Only the audio-visual experience of the film can take one near the heart of the poetic portrayal, brilliantly done by Muzaffar Ali. Ali comes of such a lineage of aristocracy, which had much bearing on the time and cultural milieu of Umrao Jaan in Lucknow. A sensitive Indian viewer might also intuit such a living philosophical background of the spectacular details and technically rare presentation of an excellent narrative.
Abducted from her home village along with another friend Ramrey in her childhood Umrao alone was purchased by a pander. She lost the last link to her past, even the whereabouts of her birthplace. Umrao Jaan grew up as a professional dancer and singer in certain art-loving space of Lucknow, where the performer--even the ************ly virgin one-- entertained the elite with performance, but could have no legitimate social relation with them. Umrao had to leave her first love, a connoisseur of her performance and a good-hearted handsome prince, whom after many years she finds as married to Ramrey. It was also a matter of chance that one family adopted Ramrey and paid satisfactorily to the same kidnaper. The mature Umrao as a paid entertainer--on the family occasion of the happy and her beloved couple--could readily responds in songs to her amazing feelings of relentless drift of life.
All along the narrative of the film the genius of Umrao is shown to expand as an artist and as an author from inside her existential experience. Her songs and dances--wonderfully matching the shifting contexts of her biography--move gradually from deep passion for life to profound existential quarries. A period of historical unrest in the region keeps Umrao floating and troubled to procure her livelihood and to maintain her prestige. After all the un-thought-of turns of life and an effective exposure to the out-world she unknowingly (re)appears in her lost paradise, the forgotten shelter of her birthplace and patriarchal family of origin. On deepest agony and not incredibly the Indian spectators see Umrao herself to accept her social death and ruthless rejection from her family belonging to orthodox Indian patriarchy. Crying her heart out she had to leave her mother, the ever-missing reconciliation perhaps for all. Finally the major associates of her troop also got detached from Umrao. She had to return to the deserted house of Lucknow and starts cleaning the dust spread over the old things. The pale sight of disheveled Umrao reflected in an old mirror concludes the film. The still of a drifting individual on the edge of her career and tormented life suspends an air of subtle nostalgia.
Screenshots:
http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5057/vlcsnap32864wn2.png
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/8651/vlcsnap32934fq0.png
http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/9972/vlcsnap33017sl0.png