About Remakes of Hindi films in Hindi (again)!
by Sanjeev
News: JP Dutta is ready to remake Umrao Jaan
Remakes of films. If you dont like this word, replace it with 'another interpretation of the same subject' or 'a new interpretation of the novel'. Why does one want to give his interpretation of something that has been already interpreted? This is one question we should not ask! There could be several reasons for the re/new-interpretation; the filmmaker is not obliged to tell us his reason but we can always listen if he or she wishes to say it. The work itself is more important than the reasons behind it. It is natural for a filmmaker to take liberties and deviate from the source, say a novel or an earlier film, on which it is based. The duty of the viewer is to watch the new one as soon as it is released on the big screen and not on DVDs by watching, simultaneously, an Indo-Pak cricket match, or an Ashes test series along with the film. The message is "you get as much as you give", in other words "if you give less, don't expect more". Less & more in terms of anything including heart, soul and money!
Based on a Urdu novel 'Umrao Jan Ada' written by Mirza Ruswa around 1905, Muzaffar Ali produced and directed the film Umrao Jaan in the early 80s. Umrao Jaan is a poetess apart from being a dancer. Muzaffar Ali deviated from what is described in the novel by light years. Umrao in the novel admits to "never having really loved a man" (see here) but Muzaffar Ali's scripted Umrao's character as the one who did not receive Love from people with whom she was in Love at various instants of time in her life. She writes Justuju jiski thi, woh na paaya humne (rough meaning is "Whatever i wanted, I haven't got "). These words of Shahryar (the poet who wrote the lyrics for Muzaffar Ali's film) truely represent the hardships she went through her life. She also says zindagi ka lamba safar tay kiya tanha humne (I had travelled the long journey of life being lonely). Whenever she found a lover (in the sense of love between hero and heroine), the fate restricts the love that she receives to a short time. In the end, her own brother sends her away from home and mother by describing her as a prostitute from Lucknow.
Overall the film is a moving poetry in the fullest sense. Muzaffar Ali did a great tough job in directing the same. More importantly, the film would not have been the same without the lyrics of Shahryar and the music of Khaiyyam. The haunting poetry of Shahryar emerges out of Umrao Jaan's heart and life.
Now comes the remake part. JP Dutta (JPD), the director famous for his war and peace movies, - Border, Refugee and LOC - is filming the story of Umrao Jaan again. As one realizes after repeated watching - to understand the movie better and better - that there are three main points in Muzaffar Ali's film: Rekha, Poetry of Shahryar, Music of Khaiyyam. Dutta has to make good choices for these three. Otherwise the work would turn out to be unimpressive.
Let me give my opinion on who are the right artists for these three categories. Actress, it is very difficult to say as there are many known artists who could do the job. Choosing right people for Lyrics and Music is much more difficult as there are not many people who are known to have demonstrated in this genre: writing lyrics for Mujras and that too for a character like Umrao Jaan; despite the fact that I do not know how the character of Umrao is being scripted by Duttas. Among the people in the business currently, my choice would be one among Javed Akhtar, Gulzar, Nusrat Badr, and Mehboob.
Now the question is who can set to music great poetry. No one, of course , can beat Khaiyyam. His works speak his calibre. He is still around and he is the best choice in my opinion. His last known composition (according to me!) was the album with Asha Bhonsle. If one looks beyond the names of Khaiyyam or even Naushad, there is one and only one name that comes to my mind. It is Anu Malik. Listen to his compositions for Mahesh Bhatt's films as Mahesh Bhatt generally takes the poetry/lyrics of the likes of Qateel Shafai and Nida Fazli. Anu Malik gave some haunting compositions (listen to Tere dar par sanam chale aaye from the film Phir teri kahani Yaad aayi). He composed Hamein jabse muhabbat ho gayi hain for Border with Javed Akhtar penning the lyrics. Many such songs of Anu Malik are there.
Given that JPD once famously described Anu Malik as his left hand (JPD is a left-hander. See here), he would make the choice of Anu Malik + Javed Akhtar.
Note: The factual information is collected from internet and its genuineness or otherwise does not affect the content of previous passages. It is included only to be more complete than it would have been without it.
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by Sanjeev
News: JP Dutta is ready to remake Umrao Jaan
Remakes of films. If you dont like this word, replace it with 'another interpretation of the same subject' or 'a new interpretation of the novel'. Why does one want to give his interpretation of something that has been already interpreted? This is one question we should not ask! There could be several reasons for the re/new-interpretation; the filmmaker is not obliged to tell us his reason but we can always listen if he or she wishes to say it. The work itself is more important than the reasons behind it. It is natural for a filmmaker to take liberties and deviate from the source, say a novel or an earlier film, on which it is based. The duty of the viewer is to watch the new one as soon as it is released on the big screen and not on DVDs by watching, simultaneously, an Indo-Pak cricket match, or an Ashes test series along with the film. The message is "you get as much as you give", in other words "if you give less, don't expect more". Less & more in terms of anything including heart, soul and money!
Based on a Urdu novel 'Umrao Jan Ada' written by Mirza Ruswa around 1905, Muzaffar Ali produced and directed the film Umrao Jaan in the early 80s. Umrao Jaan is a poetess apart from being a dancer. Muzaffar Ali deviated from what is described in the novel by light years. Umrao in the novel admits to "never having really loved a man" (see here) but Muzaffar Ali's scripted Umrao's character as the one who did not receive Love from people with whom she was in Love at various instants of time in her life. She writes Justuju jiski thi, woh na paaya humne (rough meaning is "Whatever i wanted, I haven't got "). These words of Shahryar (the poet who wrote the lyrics for Muzaffar Ali's film) truely represent the hardships she went through her life. She also says zindagi ka lamba safar tay kiya tanha humne (I had travelled the long journey of life being lonely). Whenever she found a lover (in the sense of love between hero and heroine), the fate restricts the love that she receives to a short time. In the end, her own brother sends her away from home and mother by describing her as a prostitute from Lucknow.
Overall the film is a moving poetry in the fullest sense. Muzaffar Ali did a great tough job in directing the same. More importantly, the film would not have been the same without the lyrics of Shahryar and the music of Khaiyyam. The haunting poetry of Shahryar emerges out of Umrao Jaan's heart and life.
Now comes the remake part. JP Dutta (JPD), the director famous for his war and peace movies, - Border, Refugee and LOC - is filming the story of Umrao Jaan again. As one realizes after repeated watching - to understand the movie better and better - that there are three main points in Muzaffar Ali's film: Rekha, Poetry of Shahryar, Music of Khaiyyam. Dutta has to make good choices for these three. Otherwise the work would turn out to be unimpressive.
Let me give my opinion on who are the right artists for these three categories. Actress, it is very difficult to say as there are many known artists who could do the job. Choosing right people for Lyrics and Music is much more difficult as there are not many people who are known to have demonstrated in this genre: writing lyrics for Mujras and that too for a character like Umrao Jaan; despite the fact that I do not know how the character of Umrao is being scripted by Duttas. Among the people in the business currently, my choice would be one among Javed Akhtar, Gulzar, Nusrat Badr, and Mehboob.
Now the question is who can set to music great poetry. No one, of course , can beat Khaiyyam. His works speak his calibre. He is still around and he is the best choice in my opinion. His last known composition (according to me!) was the album with Asha Bhonsle. If one looks beyond the names of Khaiyyam or even Naushad, there is one and only one name that comes to my mind. It is Anu Malik. Listen to his compositions for Mahesh Bhatt's films as Mahesh Bhatt generally takes the poetry/lyrics of the likes of Qateel Shafai and Nida Fazli. Anu Malik gave some haunting compositions (listen to Tere dar par sanam chale aaye from the film Phir teri kahani Yaad aayi). He composed Hamein jabse muhabbat ho gayi hain for Border with Javed Akhtar penning the lyrics. Many such songs of Anu Malik are there.
Given that JPD once famously described Anu Malik as his left hand (JPD is a left-hander. See here), he would make the choice of Anu Malik + Javed Akhtar.
Note: The factual information is collected from internet and its genuineness or otherwise does not affect the content of previous passages. It is included only to be more complete than it would have been without it.
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2 comments:
In the net, I read that Don and Sholay are also being made now. Shah rukh khan is acting in Amitabh's role in Don. for sholay, the casting is not finalized.
Hope they will make all these remakes well.
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