'Pehle
Aap'
ki
tehzeeb
-
When
Kothas
were
Finishing
Schools
Lucknow,
1857
The
mystical
and
magnetic
Lucknow
has
been
heralded
as
the
cultural
capital
of
North
India
for
generations.
The
'
kathak'
classical
dance
form,
'thumris',
the
'pehle
aap'
attitude,
the
ultra-suaveness
in
the
Urdu
language,
multi-layered
'shairis'
and
'mushairas'
--
all
trace
their
origins
to
Lucknow.
Lucknow,
the
romantic
city
of
Nawabs...
Lucknow,
the
land
of
unmatched
etiquette,
wit
and
sophistication;
enviable
style,
valor
and
emotional
intelligence;
incredible
art,
fashion
and
entertainment.
Indeed,
whether
it
is
history,
architecture,
sports,
handicrafts,
music
or
dance,
Lucknow
has
its
very
own
story
to
tell.
The
courtesan
of
Lucknow
was
no
figment
of
Ruswa's
imagination.
She
practiced
her
profession
in
Lucknow
and
Ruswa
had
much
to
do
with
her
life
and
loves.
The
kothas
of
Lucknow
were
finishing
schools
for
the
children
of
the
royalty
(nawabs).
The
most
recent
and
arguably
the
most
advanced
of
the
classical
Indian
dance
forms
the
'Kathak'
took
place
in
Lucknow
in
that
era.
The
mass
popular
Pharsi
theatre
whose
basic
structure
was
taken
over
by
Hindi
films
in
the
20th
century
can
be
traced
to
the
Urdu
theatre
in
Lucknow.
The
modern
innovations
in
musical
instruments
like
the
tabla
and
the
sitar
were
created.
Nawab
Wajid
Ali
Shah
was
the
exponent
of
the
love
composition,
the
famous
'thumri'.
The
Indo-Persian
gentleman
vis-À-vis
his
European
rival
was
a
person
steeped
in
refined
manners
unassuming
sophistication
love
for
poetry,
ideas,
wit
and
letters.
There
is
something
undeniably
feminine
about
Lucknow
-
no
other
city
invites
like
a
courtesan
of
yester
years
without
inhibitions,
pretensions
or
lewd
less.
Lucknow's
thematic
evolution
is
based
in
imaginative
fantasy
called
'Sham-e-Awadh'.
It
was
this
very
ambience
that
was
prevalent
in
Mirza
Hadi
Ruswa's
celebrated
novel
Umrao
Jan
Ada.
The
book,
which
revealed
the
heart-wrenching
story
of
a
mesmerizing
courtesan,
Umrao
Jaan
,
took
the
literary
world
by
storm
and
went
on
to
reach
meteoric
heights
of
popularity.
Written
in
1899
and
first
published
in
1905,
it
is
known
to
be
the
first
great
modern
Urdu
novel.
The
film
Umrao
Jaan's
tragedies
were
acted
out
in
a
thin
and
restless
twilight
zone
between
past
and
present
till
date
the
gloom
hangs
over
Lucknow's
towers
and
minarets
to
register
a
permanent
tragedy.
The
Lucknow
of
today
may
be
a
pale
shadow
of
its
former
self.
Yet,
till
date,
it
is
identified
as
the
enchanting
city
of
grace,
culture,
elegance,
great
history
.....
and
Umrao
Jaan.
Kirdaar
-
The
Cast
Aishwarya
Rai
as
Umrao
Jaan
"Courtesan...Poetess...
Temptress
...!
Friend...Lover...Giver...!
Many
names......one
special
woman......Umrao
Jaan
!
"
Umrao
Jaan
was
never
destined
to
be
the
pride
of
her
family....
She
was
nine
when
sold
into
the
flesh
trade
of
Lucknow.
Yet
with
her
dance
prowess,
literary
genius,
magnetic
persona
and
inimitable
style,
she
went
on
to
become
the
pride
of
Lucknow.
Strangely,
she
never
asked
for
it...
All
she
wanted
was
a
life
laced
with
simplicity,
but
her
weighty
existence
crushed
her
beyond
imagination.
For,
each
time
she
reached
out
for
happiness,
it
evaded
her
like
a
heartless
lover.
When
it
came
to
Umrao
Jaan,
J
P
Dutta's
first
ever
film
with
a
woman
as
the
main
protagonist,
it
was
Aishwarya
Rai
who
was
destined
to
play
the
legendary
pathos-laden
role.
And
play
the
role,
she
did
...
with
every
part
of
her
being.