Umrao Jan Ada is the life story of a famous Lucknow courtesan. While reading through this story, I was increasingly reminded of a Hindi movie starring Aishwarya Rai. Of course, the movie is Umrao Jaan. The book is considered the first novel that was written in Urdu - the language spoken/written by Muslim Indians. Abducted from her family by a man seeking revenge against her father, Amiran is sold to the procuress of a brothel. Upon her procurement, they change her name to Umrao. Umrao is pampered and raised to read, write, dance, and sing. Upon practicing her trade, her name becomes Umrao Jan (the Jan indicating her status as a courtesan). Narrating her various affairs and ventures, the story is framed in poetry and chapters are introduced by couplets. Revealing a life of luxury and tribulation, the story is interspersed with philosophy and meditations upon the relations between the sexes. Umrao Jan finishes her account with this thought, "My poor, simple prostitutes! Never entertain the false hope that any man will ever love you with a true heart. The lover who gives his body and soul to you will depart in a few days. He will never settle down with you, and you are not even worthy of that. Only the virtuous, who see one face and never turn to another, will have the pleasure of true love. You, women of the street, will never find such a blessing from God" (200).
JP Dutta's film, Umrao Jaan, starring Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan, is a very faithful adaptation of this novel.
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