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Time of India
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Rekha's iconic 'Umrao Jaan' to re-release in theatres on THIS date
's stunning portrayal in the 1981 film 'Umrao Jaan' has long been admired, and now audiences can once again witness the elegance of 19th-century Lucknow as the film returns to cinemas. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This beloved classic has been carefully restored in 4K by the National Film Archive of India and the National Film Development Corporation. Directed by Muzaffar Ali and produced by SK Jain & Sons along with Integrated Films, 'Umrao Jaan' continues to enchant viewers with its timeless beauty. Special Memorial Coffee Table Book Launch 'Umrao Jaan' is set to return to theaters on June 27, accompanied by a special release to honor the occasion. Renowned director Muzaffar Ali is launching a limited-edition coffee table book that offers a rare glimpse into the film's creation. This exclusive collection features unseen photos, costume designs, calligraphy, poetry, and personal stories from the cast and crew, making it a valuable keepsake and a tribute to the film's artistic brilliance. Tailored for film lovers, students, and cultural aficionados, the book will debut alongside the movie's theatrical re-release. Rekha Shares Her Emotional Connection to 'Umrao Jaan' As reported by News18, Rekha expressed her deep connection to 'Umrao Jaan' ahead of its re-release. She shared, 'Umrao Jaan is not just a film I acted in — she lives within me, breathes through me, even now. At the time, none of us could have imagined the timelessness of the film, the way it would gently etch itself into the soul of Indian cinema. To see it return to the big screen is like watching an old love letter being opened by a new generation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now My heart is full." Star-Studded Supporting Cast The 1981 classic 'Umrao Jaan' featured a talented supporting cast including Farooq Shaikh as Nawab Sultan, the romantic interest of Umrao. portrayed Gohar Mirza, while Raj Babbar took on the role of Faiz Ali. Shaukat Kaifi appeared as Khanum Jaan. The film also showcased memorable performances by as Husseini, as Maulvi Saheb, as Bismillah Jaan, and Satish Shah as Daroga Dilawar. Notably, 'Umrao Jaan' marked the debut of Farrukh Jaffar, who played the role of Umrao's mother.
Pink Villa
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Rekha's Umrao Jaan gears up for re-release, set to clash with Kajol's mytho-horror flick Maa
The re-release trend isn't going away anytime soon! Umrao Jaan starring ever-charming Bollywood diva Rekha is set to release on the big screen again. The cult-classic movie has been restored in 4K quality by the film bodies, National Film Archive of India (NFAI) and National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). Termed among the finest Hindi movies of all time, Umrao Jaan is now gearing up for its return to cinemas on June 27th. However, it won't be a clear run for the re-release as the film will be facing a major clash at the box office. Directed by Muzaffar Ali, the timeless classic is all set to face Kajol starrer mythological-horror drama, Maa, in a major clash. While Umrao Jaan is expected to re-release on limited shows, the latter is likely to grab most of the screens with an extensive release. Interestingly, both movies celebrate women in different genres. It will be a treat for cinema lovers to experience two female-led movies in a single day. For the unversed, Kajol's Maa is directed by Vishal Furia and produced by Ajay Devgn and Kumar Mangat Pathak. The horror movie is marketed as a part of the Shaitaan universe, which might help it to attract moviegoers and give it an upper hand against rival releases. Umrao Jaan, on the other hand, holds a legacy of artistic cinema, whose beautifully penned songs often go viral on instagram. The Rekha starrer has the potential to strike chords with the new-gen audience and emerge as a new sensation on social media. Originally released in 1981, Umrao Jaan stars Farooq Shaikh as Umrao's love interest, Naseeruddin Shah, Raj Babbar, Shaukat Kaifi, Dina Pathak, Satish Shah, and others. The movie explores the love, loss, and longing of a 19th-century Lucknow-based courtesan-poetess, played by Rekha. Umrao Jaan was a huge hit during its initial release. It remained etched in every cinephiles' memory because of its evergreen music, composed by Khayyam. Rekha's legendary performance in the film made her win the National Film Award for Best Actress. It also boasts of a soulful music library which includes- Dil Cheez Kya Hai, In Aankhon Ki Masti, and more. Restored in 4K version for the contemporary audience, Umrao Jaan will be re-released by PVR Inox as part of their Timeless Classics initiative, which previously re-released some of the landmark movies of Hindi cinema. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates.
News18
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Rekha's Timeless Classic 'Umrao Jaan' To Re-Release In Theatres
Last Updated: Rekha's 1981 film Umrao Jaan, directed by Muzaffar Ali, is re-releasing in 4K in theatres. The restoration was done by NFAI and NFDC. Always gushed over Rekha's timeless beauty in the 1981 film, Umrao Jaan? Well, cinephiles can now relive the grandeur of 19th-century Lucknow as Rekha's Umrao Jaan releases on the big screen. Not just this, the film has been beautifully restored in 4K. The restoration of the film was accomplished by film bodies National Film Archive of India (NFAI) and National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). Produced by SK Jain & Sons and Integrated Films, the cult Bollywood classic was directed by Muzaffar Ali. Rekha's Umrao Jaan will re-release on the big screen on June 27. To celebrate the significant re-release, veteran filmmaker Muzaffar Ali is also launching a limited-edition coffee table book that provides an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of Umrao Jaan. The book includes never-before-seen photographs, costume sketches, calligraphy, poetry, and personal anecdotes from the set, making it a collector's item and a thoughtful tribute to the film's artistic vision. Designed for cinephiles, cinema students, and culture enthusiasts, the book will be released simultaneously with the film's theatrical revival. Umrao Jaan is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and longing and is regarded as one of Indian cinema's most visually and emotionally compelling works. Rekha's portrayal of the courtesan-poetess is considered one of the greatest performances in film history, earning her the National Film Award for Best Actress. With music by Khayyam and lyrics by Shahryar, the film's ghazals – Dil Cheez Kya Hai, In Aankhon Ki Masti, and Justuju Jiski Thi – remain beloved across generations. The film was remade in 2006 under the same name, starring Aishwarya Rai in the lead role. Meticulously restored for contemporary audiences, this edition of Umrao Jaan retains the essence of the original while enhancing its visual and auditory splendor. The film returns as part of PVR INOX's Timeless Classics initiative, which curates landmark films that have shaped Indian cinema's artistic heritage. Reflecting on the re-release, filmmaker Muzaffar Ali shared, 'Umrao Jaan was not just a film—it was a journey into the soul of a lost culture, a forgotten tehzeeb. Through her pain, poetry, and grace, we tried to resurrect the elegance of an era where love and longing spoke in verse. I had actors who brought a lot of heft to their characters, and then there was Rekha, who lived Umrao Jaan and truly immortalised it. I am thrilled that the film is back on the big screen for a whole new generation to discover a time and culture that's very much a part of our being." Rekha spoke about Umrao Jaan's re-release. She said, 'Umrao Jaan is not just a film I acted in — she lives within me, breathes through me, even now. At the time, none of us could have imagined the timelessness of the film, the way it would gently etch itself into the soul of Indian cinema. To see it return to the big screen is like watching an old love letter being opened by a new generation. My heart is full." Umrao Jaan has been restored under the National Film Heritage Mission, an initiative by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. MD NFDC, Shri Prakash Magdum added, 'To restore Umrao Jaan, NFDC-NFAI has been working for almost a year in collaboration with Muzaffar Ali, the director of the film. He was instrumental in locating the original negatives of the film, which should have been the best source of restoration. Due to the condition of the negatives and the fragile nature of celluloid, the film was restored using a 35mm release print which had been preserved at NFAI for decades. This has been the case with many recent restorations of Indian films, where the only good source survives in the National Film Archive of India. The colour grading of the 4K restoration was supervised by Muzaffar Ali himself, and I am sure the film lovers would enjoy this restored cinematic gem nationwide in cinemas." 1981 film Umrao Jaan's supporting cast includes Farooq Shaikh as Nawab Sultan, Umrao's love interest; Naseeruddin Shah as Gohar Mirza; Raj Babbar as Faiz Ali; and Shaukat Kaifi as Khanum Jaan. Other notable performances come from Dina Pathak as Husseini, Gajanan Jagirdar as Maulvi Saheb, Prema Narayan as Bismillah Jaan, and Satish Shah as Daroga Dilawar. The film also marked the acting debut of Farrukh Jaffar, who played Umrao's mother. First Published:
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Cinematic tribute to Raj Khosla kicks off with ‘Bambai Ka Babu' screening
The Film Heritage Foundation, in collaboration with Raj Khosla 's official legacy account, launched a day-long tribute to the iconic filmmaker on his birth centenary with the screening of Bambai Ka Babu (1960), starring Dev Anand and Suchitra Sen . Raima Sen introduces restored 1960 classic at the event celebrating director's birth centenary The event opened with a special introduction by actor Raima Sen, granddaughter of Suchitra Sen, who took the stage to speak about her grandmother's role in the noir classic and her cinematic legacy. She was joined by author Ambarish Roychoudhury and Film Heritage Foundation director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur. The restored version of Bambai Ka Babu —meticulously revived in 4K by the National Film Archive of India (NFAI) under the National Film Heritage Mission, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting—was showcased as part of the centenary celebration, aimed at bringing classic Hindi cinema back to the big screen. 'Raj Khosla was one of Hindi cinema's most versatile storytellers,' said Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, adding, 'From suspense thrillers and noir to musicals and romantic dramas, his storytelling breadth remains unmatched. Today is about rediscovering that brilliance where it belongs—on the big screen.' The Film Heritage Foundation has curated a lineup of Khosla's most celebrated works for the day, offering cinephiles a rare chance to view them in restored formats. Fans are encouraged to follow the Film Heritage Foundation for screening schedules and updates as the tribute continues through the day. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Scroll.in
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scroll.in
In Raj Khosla biography, a portrait of an director as a ‘gloriously flawed human being'
Raj Khosla was born in 1925, the same year as his mentor Guru Dutt. Khosla went on to become a well-regarded Hindi cinema director, making his debut with a Guru Dutt production – the crime thriller C.I.D. in 1956. Khosla then moved smoothly into other genres. Ghost stories, melodramas, dacoit dramas – Khosla rolled them out mostly with panache until 1989, two years before he died at 66. 'No other filmmaker has, arguably, made so many iconic and path-breaking films,' says the introduction to Raj Khosla, a new book about the filmmaker. ' It is as if they are all from different filmographies. How on earth can the same director have made a C.I.D. and a Do Raaste? The same guy, without breaking a sweat, created Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki and Dostana within a span of two years.' Written by Amborish Roychoudhury along with Khosla's daughters Anita Khosla and Uma Khosla Kapur, Raj Khosla is a well-researched and engrossing chronicle. Khosla's films attested to his technical feats – especially in the shooting of songs – as well as his troubled personal life, the biography suggests. The book will be released on May 31, which is Khosla's birth centenary. To mark the occasion, three of his best-known films will be screened: C.I.D, Woh Kaun Thi? and Mera Gaon Mera Desh. The event at Mumbai's Regal cinema have been organised by Film Heritage Foundation, with restored prints supplied by the National Film Archive of India. Roychoudhury, who has previously written Sridevi: The South Years, was approached by Khosla's daughters to work on the biography. He spoke to Scroll about the complexities of profiling a filmmaker with a varied filmography and a colourful personal life. Here are edited excerpts from the interview. What are the challenges of profiling a filmmaker who worked between the 1950s and the 1980s, whose contemporaries have mostly died, and about whom there is largely anecdotal material? A lot of narrative gets lost over time. Unfortunately, we as a country really suck at archiving or preserving our past. In this case, he said or she said wasn't possible since people weren't around to talk. There weren't too many interviews even when he was making his major films. But there are resources available if one wants to do the research. There are bread crumbs. I found the gossip columns in old Filmfare issues useful. They talked about films that were under production, so I found some stories there. For instance, how Solva Saal (1958) is based on a real incident. The family was very helpful. They had some material, but not a lot. They had photographs, books and his diary, which is written in Urdu. A lot of the things that were discovered in the journey of writing this book were also news to them. The book states, 'Like his mentor Guru Dutt, a lot of Raj Khosla's later work was autobiographical. As with every sensitive artist, the trials and tribulations of his private life had a direct impact on his creative approach and output.' How did you approach the sensitive aspects of his off-screen self in an authorised biography? There's a lot of information on him available on Google, which I have not said out loud or written explicitly. The family has been helpful and forthcoming. They didn't have qualms. They extended phone numbers of people who were party to the developments. But I didn't get permission from the concerned people to quote them or state their names, which is why I didn't. I didn't want to sensationalise anything. There is a thread that you can join from Guru Dutt to Raj Khosla to Khosla's protege Mahesh Bhatt, in terms of their scars and demons and how these found expression in their films. The distinction is that Mahesh Bhatt opened up and spoke about it publicly. Guru Dutt clammed up. Raj ji also didn't speak about it very often. What did you discover about Raj Khosla while working on the book? That he was a passionate singer. He was so passionate about his singing that he squeezed in some of his humming into his films without his music director knowing. When I was interviewing Mr Pyarelal, I told him about one such instance and he said, humein to bataya nahi [He didn't inform me]. Then, there was the aspect of how what was happening in his life came into his films, like Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki or Sunny. He always wanted to run away from his work. There are many instances of how he found excuses to say pack up or go back to sleep – do anything but shoot. I also found his relationship with his co-workers and people who worked for him fascinating. He used to pay salaries for months on end even when he wasn't making films. There is the incident of how his father was dying, so his secretary hesitated to ask him about singing pay cheques. When Raj Khosla got to know, he was furious. He said, my father is the one who is dying, why should these people suffer? There was a lot of respect for him and genuinely so, not just from the standpoint of success but also as a human being. He was a gloriously flawed human being. I developed deep respect for his personality, his filmmaking, his storytelling. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Film Heritage Foundation (@filmheritagefoundation) And what did you discover about his filmmaking? I don't think he had a very exalted view of himself as a creator. He basically said, I don't want to be celebrated as the maker. Filmmaking is a collaborative project, there's nothing grand about it. People come to see the actors and the stories. At the same time, he had certain fascinations. Creators like Guru Dutt, Vijay Anand and Raj Khosla used songs as narrative devices, not only in terms of moving the plot forward but also in terms of building a personality for the character or emphasising the relationship. Raj ji did this very well. His songs had a beginning, middle and end, like his films. Take Achcha Ji Mein Haari from Kala Pani (1958). There's a story in how Dev Anand moves, how Madhubala moves. A conversation is happening through the lyrics. The way he filmed the songs was very special. He had a dysfunctional relationship with women in terms of how he wanted to project them. Some of his female characters had flaws and regressive aspects. At the same time, certain characters had agency and spoke for themselves, such as Asha Parekh's character in Do Badan, who stands up to her husband. The Sadhana trilogy [ Woh Kaun Thi?, Mera Saaya, Anita ] is all about the women. Several of Raj Khosla's films have been ripped off from novels or American films. How do you view this lack of originality in his plots and scripts? A work of art needs to be seen in its historical context. We would be hard-pressed to find films from previous decades that had not been adapted from somewhere, whether it's William Shakespeare's plays or Wuthering Heights. The sources were not acknowledged – it wasn't a done thing, which doesn't make it right. That said, the world of the Hindi film was so restricted in the past that the filmmakers probably felt that the audiences wouldn't know, and that nobody outside India would see these films anyway. A film like Bombai Ka Babu is based on a short story [O Henry's A Double-Dyed Deceiver ], but there are big changes in the script and storytelling. So I don't think we can say that it is a blatant copy.
