amanda_books
I thought the story line was easy to follow but not predictable, and the acting was very vivid and full of depth. I think that Ash is an amazing actress, who is able to convey so many emotions with even the most subtle of movements. The real gem of this film is the amazing detail that is given to the costumes and scenes. So many bright and amazing colors, even the texture of the fabrics are noticeable.I have watched this film so many times and each time I notice something new. If you love films that are costume based you'll be very happy with this one.
akshat
Despite being panned, I had hope that this film might be a fulfilling experience. The main problem with 'Umrao Jaan' is that it insists upon itself. It tries hard to be taken seriously, ergo, the script seems to be written by an eight grader who has just received a thesaurus and tries to impress his teacher by resorting to complex Lexis where simple words would do. Fact: J.P Dutta's version had all the makings of a grand tragedy: the ethereal main lead, her ashenly handsome love interest, haunting songs and magnificent sets and costumes. Furthermore,the length of the film is exhaustive...I actually had to get up and move about for a bit in order to shake the cobwebs lining the inside of my cranium. The songs, though melodiously rendered, are far too many in number and get on one's nerves after a while. Also Dutta has shown 'Umrao Jaan' to be a love story gone sour. Having read Rusva's original I can safely say that the broad outlook of the novel was to provide the reader an insight into the life of a courtesan...the love story was just a part of the text and not the novel as a whole.In conclusion, Umrao Jaan may be Aishwarya Rai's most powerful work till date and another feather in Shabana Azmi's cap but it is vaguely reminiscent of 'Memoirs of a Geisha' sans a true sense of tragedy.
thalisman
I saw this movie last night, and I must say, this was a great movie. This is just the type of movie i was expecting, since i'm a lover of good Cinema. Ever since "Devdas" And "Veer-zara" i haven't seen a movie so touching and so well made as "Umrao Jaan". With excellent sets, songs, story, and awesome performance by the actors. This is not the type of flick that some people might be used to, because this is a classical. And about Ash's acting skills I have to say, that this is her best so far. She looks stunning and the dances, are superb. I think she deserves to win the "Best Actress Award", because I haven't seen any other that can measure-up to her. This is the best female character this year, I can't see no one better for the job than Aishwarya. For all those people who dislikes her and that talk badly about her, watch this movie and you will change your mind. I was not an Ash fan because I thought she was just a pretty face but she has proved that not only is she pretty but also that she is a good actress.
ujjaini_lahiry
This movie is strictly for those people who have not seen the earlier Umraao Jaan. Because they will compare and this one would fail miserably.The script was badly written, the characters looked like they had not done any homework, especially suniel shetty, who seemed to be a character who was just taken in the movie for the sake of it. No attention was paid to the details like Suniel shetty's shoes. Aishwarya just danced well, and managed look well, a very good job done by the make-up artiste.The only actor who performed extremely well, in spite of those over decked up sets was Shabana Azmi. Her's was the only character, which made some sense. As neither did blow-in blow-out nostrils(Ash) nor the last moment entry(suniel) did. Abhishek was good, though his character didn't seem to be well-defined enough. Some of his scenes were longer than they should had been, however, he managed to portray them well.
AD
