J.P. Dutta says his film focuses on Ameeran the woman and not Umrao Jaan the courtesan.
Everybody knows J.P. Dutta for making patriotic, macho flicks such as Border, Refugee and LOC. But he now tries his hand at a period drama with Umrao Jaan. Excerpts from an interview with the director.
e+: Why did you decide to remake Muzaffar Ali's Umrao Jaan?
J.P. Dutta: First and foremost I am not remaking anyone's Umrao Jaan. My movie is an adaptation of Mirza Hadi Ruswa's novel Umra-O-Jaan-E-Ada. It is based on the script written by my father O.P. Dutta. He had actually written the initial script way back in '50s but by the time we decided to make the movie, Muzaffar Ali's Umrao Jaan was already released (1981).
So why did you wait so long to make your version of Umrao Jaan?
It did not make any sense to make the movie which is still fresh in the audience's minds. So we waited for a complete new generation to arrive before we decided to make our version.
You are associated with macho, male-dominated films. What made you opt for a woman-centric movie?
I was really moved by the story of Umrao Jaan, but I was pretty clear that I wanted my film to be about Ameeran the woman and not Umrao Jaan the courtesan, which was earlier depicted in Muzzafar Ali's film. I wanted to show the emotional journey of a young girl being abducted and sold to a brothel in Lucknow until the last moment as a courtesan.
How easy was the transition from making men-and-guns movies to Umrao Jaan?
I am not alien to women's emotions. Women have always been strong characters in my films, irrespective of the length of the role. Moreover, at home I live with three women - my wife and two daughters. So I understand them. Thankfully, I had Aishwarya Rai and Shabana Azmi in my cast who clearly understood what I expected from them. As far as the dancing is concerned, I left it to Vaibhavi Merchant and gave her clear instructions that I wanted Aishwarya to look graceful in her dance steps and express a lot through her eyes without looking sleazy.
Any problems on the sets?
The only problem I had while shooting with so many beautiful women around me is that I had to behave like a real gentleman, which meant that I could not be abusive whenever I got frustrated by something or with someone on the sets.
You have shot all your films in Rajasthan. Is it your lucky location?
I love Rajasthan. I have shot all my films there - from my incomplete Sarhad to Umrao Jaan. I am well versed with the ambience, the locations and the people of this area.
Abdulla Mahmood
