Umrao Jaan Ada – Story of a Strong & Intelligent Woman From Another Time!

Umrao Jan Ada is a fine, historical piece of literature, the plot and characters of which have been loved by many generations. When it was announced that the Musical is making its way to Dallas, we group of friends re-arranged our busy schedules and reserved our seats to ensure we didn’t miss the play. We got tickets for the very first show of Dallas. Many people asked me what I thought of the play, hence this blogpost. But before I go into the details of how I found the play, I would like to talk about the history of the novel and the writer.

Mirza Hadi Ruswa, the person who penned the life of the titular Umrao Jaan Ada was a near-eccentric intellect, a man of forward thinking. If feminism seems like a modern concept, look at this: Umrao Jaan Ada, first Urdu novel (published in 1899) is written by a man about an intelligent and cultured woman, a woman whose trade does not measure up to the social standards accepted by general public then or today, and a woman who is not known for her beauty but for her brains. Contrary to somewhat prevalent belief (emphasized in the 2006 movie), Umrao Jaan was not primarily famous for her pretty face, nor was she considered an actual beauty. It was her style, skill in the art of dance, deep knowledge of poetry and enthusiasm in literature that won the heart of her admirers. It is these qualities of Umrao Jan that have charmed reading and watching audience since long.

The book opens with author’s encounter with Umrao Jaan during mushaira in his home, which is next to the then abode of the retired Umrao Jaan. Ruswa convinces her to go over the accounts of her life and she relates the saga in prose and poem style. Per Ruswa, the account is true! Ameeran, the child Umrao was kidnapped as a revenge by her father’s enemies, and sold off to Khanum Sahib, a madam of one of Lucknow’s brothel, where Ameeran grows up to become the famous and desirable Umrao Jaan, who later went on to add “Ada” as her takhalus.

Unfortunately, the heart-breaking, sad story of a child being kidnapped and sold to brothels is not new and in no way easy to digest. While this event stays in the hearts of the readers and Umrao herself throughout the book, the story develops into the unique journey of Umrao Jan’s life as an adult. A tender person, she was a talented poetess herself and wrote and sang her own ghazals. Growing up amidst the glitter and glamour of the parallel world of songs, dances and entertainment, what people around her and fate brought, along with her past, success, failures and relationships, shaped her understanding of life. She came face-to-face with the subtleties of the false virtues and hypocrisies the life holds. The story is rich in details about the opulent and courtly Lucknow of that time, the culture of the city (and India at that time), and role of courtesans in the lives of regal Nawabs and their families, the workings of establishments like Khanum Sahib’s brothel and the age-old tale of the very way humans work and manipulate each other. Love was part of Umrao Jaan’s bitter experiences, but it has not been the only theme of the book written in 19^th century as opposed to portrayed in many versions afterwards.

The 1981 movie by Muzzafar Ali, although did not employ the character of the author himself but kept the theme of the book quite in line with the book, portraying Umrao as a thinker and literary. The journey is expressed beautifully by Sheheryar’s lyrics; her transformation displayed in the beautiful poetry -from young Umrao’s debut ghazal “dil cheez kaya hai, aap meri jaan li jeeyay” to the stage of acceptance “Justuju jis ki thi us ko to na paya ham nay” all the way to the mature words steeped in the truth of life, “tamam umr ka hisaab mangti hai zindagi” effuses the growth, journey and resilience of a woman.The story is realistic, saturated in the pains, yearnings and realities of life, not of a weak, sick-in-love woman. And this is exactly where my review of the play becomes sore.

First the good things – the creators of the Musical used most of the original songs and almost all characters from Muzaffar Khan’s 1981 movie (sans Maulvi Sahib), the attire was near era-specific for the first half of the show. I liked how they tied the freedom of one’s own self and freedom of women with that of the sub-continent at that time. Some of the dialogues on the subject were strong and a valuable addition to the play. The best part of the play was the live music. The musicians of traditional and unique instruments delivered mesmerizing music and songs throughout the play. Songs were live and with exception of the protagonist, all songs were sung by the actors themselves.  spellbound entertainment for that part of the play. One scene of Khanum Jan singing with the group, which incorporated Ameer Khusru’s “Chaap Tilak” kept the audience spellbound for a good 10-15 minutes. The piece not only won the play but also salvaged its value to great extent.

Among few things that made the play not very attractive include the absence of Maulvi Sahib, since the character contributed greatly to the persona of Umrao Jaan. The story line was changed to a great degree and was sometime confusing. Although some lyrics were inserted appropriately between scenes, the most beautiful ghazals were out of context. As the play progressed, the dresses evolved more towards the modern Bollywood style rather than the vintage, flowing attire true to that era. The twists and turns of the story were not only unnecessary but also not coherent. This may be my opinion only, but people don’t go to classic plays to see the new spin on the plot, or how artfully it was incorporated; the comfort of knowing the story is a great cushion (at least to me) when I go watch My Fair Lady, Chicago or Hamlet on stage. There is a reason we re-read beloved books and re-watch our favorite movies and plays. While the poetic license extends the luxury and liberty of re-creation to the producers, if not done elegantly, it can rather lend a quality of ineptness. The predicament of this play however did not end with the undesirable delineation from the storyline. My biggest complaint with the play (and the 2006 movie of Ashwaryia Rai) is how brutally and artlessly the essence of the main character was diluted and mutilated. This is not a story of pity and sorry tale of a courtesan. It is an account of an accomplished woman who learnt life from life. The profile of Umrao Jan Ada as sculpted by Ruswa is an acumen of strength of a woman, irrespective of her trade, era, or position in the society and has been loved by millions. Yes, there was love in her life but that was not the main dilemma of her life. All aspects of her journey, achievements, disappointments, heart aches taught her lessons and helped her grow. She talks about freedom of a human being first and then that of a woman, freed herself from many a thing and created a life of her own.

I have been intrigued by Ruswa’s tale of Umrao jaan for a long time. I owned an Urdu  vintage version long time ago and enjoyed it multiple times, and later read the English translation. I have watched the 1981 (Muzaffar Ali) many times, in which Rekha’s performance was outstanding. I find Umrao Jaan to be a tale of an intelligent, sensitive and strong woman. I had hoped the play will not follow suit and portray Umrao as an immature person like 2006 Bollywood production did. While the play did a better job of creating somewhat stronger character, it still failed to bring it to the level it deserved. Overall the play lacked the grace and sophistication that the Ruswa’s protagonist and the trade at that time promised. The book is one of the finest pieces of literature in history, hopefully it will be given justice in another future production.

As I finish editing this post, I am about about to start Bansali’s much anticipated, Heeramandi. The teaser looks promising, and the production looks amazing, as can be expected from the producer of his caliber. Hope it won’t disappoint!