Umrao Jaan

145 Mins | 1981 | India

Special Screening

Abducted from her childhood home, Amiran is sold into a kotha in Lucknow, where she is raised and trained as Umrao Jaan, an accomplished courtesan and poet. As she rises in fame and refinement, she experiences love, betrayal, and displacement, moving through a world of fleeting patronage and fragile belonging. Her journey becomes a quiet elegy for a life shaped by circumstance, yet marked by grace, artistry, and an unyielding inner dignity.

Cast: Rekha, Farooq Shaikh, Naseeruddin Shah, Raj Babbar, Ishtiaque Khan, Gajanan Jagirdar, Shaukat Kaifi, Dina Pathak, Prema Narayan, Bharat Bhushan Bhalla, Mukri, Satish Shah

Director: Muzaffar Ali

Muzaffar Ali is an Indian filmmaker, fashion designer, poet, artist, cultural revivalist, and social worker. Born in Lucknow, he is the eldest son of Raja Syed Sajid Husain Ali of Kotwara. He studied at La Martiniere, Lucknow, graduated in science from Aligarh Muslim University, and worked in advertising before entering filmmaking. His notable films include Gaman (1978) and Umrao Jaan (1981), and he also directed and starred in Jaan-e-Alam. He later co-founded a fashion label with his wife, Meera Ali. He has three children from his marriages, including filmmaker Shaad Ali.

Re-Release of Restored Version - Red Sea International Film Festival 2025