Daily Times

“Umrao Jaan Ada” is a household name in the subcontinent. Actually, it is a desi version of the courtesan in La Boheme on whom the entire story revolves around for the length and breadth of the play. She was born to a humble family in Faizabad who was then kidnapped in 1840, imprisoned, and then sold to a brothel run by Khanum Jaan for 150 rupees.

As a child, I learned two Urdu words by virtue of the ‘Umrao Jaan‘ film: tawaif and kotha. A tawaif is a high-end courtesan, who is classy and has an affinity for poetry, literature, and therefore, extremely cultured, which is also necessary for the nature of their occupation, since is someone who is committed to serving a bourgeoise, nobility, even a prince. The other word was kotha, which is Urdu for brothel. Interestingly, both these words were taboo for us to use whilst growing and yet no desi can possibly escape the story of Umrao Jaan Ada.

The story is based on an Urdu novel by Mirza Hadi Ruswa, which you may have missed but there is no way of missing Rekha signing “In ankhon ki masti ke mastne hazaroo hai” which google translates to “for the intoxicating beauty of these eyes there are thousands of admirers” that I have been forced to hear on repeat at our home and homes of family and friends we visited. This is primarily why this musical at Saddlers Wells was all sold out in London. It was even more promising because Since Salim and Sulaiman-the Merchants brothers-who are known names in the music industry, were producing and music directors of this musical.

The story is based on an Urdu novel by Mirza Hadi Ruswa, which you may have missed but there is no way of missing Rekha singing, ‘In ankhon ki masti ke deewanay hazaro hain’ which Google translates to ‘for the intoxicating beauty of these eyes there are thousands of admirers’ that I have been forced to hear on repeat at our home and homes of family and friends we visited

The play opens up with a vagabond dervish chanting the tale of Umrao Jaan Ada and quickly the pitch black set turned into an ornamented kotha in Lucknow where long drapes of curtains whirled with the breezing air. After a dance song led by another courtesan, Umrao Jaan as condignly performed by Adathat Pratibha Singh Baghel appeared on the stage. Her posture, voice and wonderful curls that she wore in the front all added to the persona of the classy Umrao. But here is the problem: When I told my mother that I went to watch the play, she asked “Rekha came?” Rekha starred in the first movie that came out in 1981 and she had set the bar so high that even Aishwariya Rai could not meet the expectations of the audience in 2006. It’s a tough role. But Ms. Baghel does not disappoint the audience.

Amongst the strong actors in the musical, Sushant Vasishth who played Gauhar Mirza, Umrao’s friend who turned into a foe when she became amorous towards the Nawab Sultan, did a brilliant job. His demeanour and dialogue really added spice to the musical.

When you go to watch Umrao Jaan Ada musical, it is primarily for the songs which are impeccably sung and choreographed. Whilst there were some sound issues that could have been ironed out, the overall performance was a breath of fresh air amidst the usual musicals, ballets and theatre in London.

The writer is an educationalist and broadcaster. He can be reached on fahad@caa.columbia.edu