Umrao Jaan

Awards

Album Awards:
• 1981 - National Film Awards - Best Music Direction (Songs) - Khayyam
• 1981 - Filmfare Awards - Best Music Director - Khayyam
Song Awards:
• 1981 - National Film Awards - Best Female Playback Singer - Dil Cheez Kya Hai Aap Meri Jaan Leejiye - Asha Bhosle

Trivia

Album

• Director Muzaffar Ali had initially engaged Jaidev to compose the music for this film. In fact, Jaidev had already composed a few songs for the film, when differences, ostensibly money-related, developed between the two. It was then that Muzaffar Ali brought Khayyam on board. If this change had not happened, it would have been Lata Mangeshkar singing for Rekha in this film, not Asha Bhosle.[MR4]
• This film helped singer Asha Bhosle take her career to a new high. A lot of credit for her success in this film is attributed to music director Khayyam who asked Asha Bhosle to sing the songs at a scale lower than her normal. Asha Bhosle was sceptical to start with but was very happy when she heard the end result. She ended up winning the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for this film.[1]
• This film was based on the novel "Umrao Jaan Ada" (1904) by Mirza Hadi Ruswa. Two other Hindi films have also been based on the same novel - "Mehndi" (1958) and "Umrao Jaan" (2006).[2][3]
• The role of Khanum Jaan, portrayed by Shaukat Kaifi in this film, was played by her daughter Shabana Azmi in the 2006 film by the same name.[4]
• Shooting for this film had been temporarily stopped when the granddaughter of Mirza Hadi Ruswa had filed a court case against the filmmakers claiming that "the film would be irksome for the peace of his soul".[5]
• Opinion has always been divided on the antecedents of Umrao Jaan's character. While some, like the writer of this film Javed Siddiqui, believed that she was a fictional character created by Mirza Hadi Ruswa, others, like the film's director Muzaffar Ali, believed that she must have existed.[6][7]

Song

• Zindagi Jab Bhi Teri Bazm Mein Laati Hai Hamen - This was ghazal singer Talat Aziz's first Hindi film song. Khayyam had attended a concert by Aziz in 1978 and appreciated his performance. He had promised to Aziz that he would give him a break some day and he fulfilled his promise with this song.[8]
• Zindagi Jab Bhi Teri Bazm Mein Laati Hai Hamen - This song wasn't part of the film's original script. It was Khayyam who had suggested that this song be added to the film to establish the poetic flair of Farooq Shaikh's character.[9]
• Jab Bhi Milti Hai - This song had the same tune as another, more popular song in the film, "Justju Jiski Thi".
• Jhoola Kinne Daala - The film had another version of this song sung by Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan. However, it was not included in the audio release.[10]

1. ^ Khayyam profile
2. ^ Mehndi (1958)
3. ^ Umrao Jaan (2006)
4. ^ Umrao Jaan (2006)
5. ^ Umrao Jaan attempts to recapture aristocratic grandeur of Awadh
6. ^ Was Umrao Jaan for real?
7. ^ Umrao Jaan attempts to recapture aristocratic grandeur of Awadh
8. ^ Khayyam saab specially added song in Umrao Jaan
9. ^ Khayyam saab specially added song in Umrao Jaan
10. ^ Twitter status - @p1j