Umrao Jan Ada is considered to be among the first Urdu novels. Published in 1899 and set in mid-19th century Lucknow, the book tells the story of Umrao Jan, a tawaif (courtesan) who is looking back on her life at the request of Mirza Ruswa. The narrative is written in the first person–as if it is Umrao Jan’s autobiography. The novel is one of the most famous in the Urdu canon and has been adapted several times for film and television– most notably in the 1981 film Umrao Jaan starring Rekha as the title character and the 2006 adaptation starring Aishwariya Rai.
Umrao Jan portrays the culture of Lucknow under the rule of the nawabs of Awadh. This period ended in 1856 when the British annexed Awadh and exiled the last nawab, Wajid Ali Shah, to Calcutta. The annexation of Awadh was one of the causes of the Mutiny of 1857. Though the Mutiny is briefly mentioned towards the end of the novel, most of the book takes place in pre-colonial Lucknow. It can thus be seen as an important fictional depiction of life during that time.
Tawaifs were highly cultured and trained in music and dance along with Urdu and Persian. Umrao Jan describes how she was educated in the subtleties of music and how Khanum Jan, the madam of the kotha (brothel), was so well-trained in music that she could even correct the ustad who was teaching Umrao: “One day I was practicing the mode Ramkali in the presence of Khanum. I sang the sixth note in the scale sharp instead of soft but my teacher did not check me. Khanum asked me to repeat the lines. I sang them the same way and the teacher again failed to check me. Khanum scowled at me; I turned to the teacher; the teacher hung his head in shame.” (39). Asides from music and dance, Umrao describes to Ruswa how she was taught Persian and Arabic along with logic (42-43). Thus, the tawaifs were clearly elite courtesans and not merely “dancing girls” as they were depicted by the British and by Indian reformers. As I have detailed elsewhere, tawaifs made an enormous contribution to Hindustani classical music and especially to the genre of thumri.
Most of the novel depicts Umrao Jan’s various liaisons. Through the descriptions of these men, the reader encounters a cross-section of Lucknow society–from the wealthy Nawab Sultan to the highway robber Faiz Ali. These various characters contribute to the rich depiction of the period.
Another major theme of the novel is the status of women and the contrast between the tawaif and the “respectable” woman. Umrao herself is not born into a courtesan family but is kidnapped and sold to Khanum. At one point in the novel, she finds herself performing at her childhood home. While she has a tearful reunion with her mother, her brother ostracizes her and tells her not to have anything to do with the family. There is another incident later in the novel when “respectable” women make hurtful remarks about Umrao and refer to her as a “prostitute”. Umrao herself is critical of those women who choose the courtesan’s path as opposed to those like herself who were forced into it. Thus the novel reflects the social attitudes of its time.
In conclusion, Umrao Jan Ada is a fascinating depiction of Lucknow’s culture and of the institution of the tawaif. It is a must-read for those who are interested in Urdu literature.
I will end this post with a clip of Rekha portraying Umrao Jan and performing the song “In Ankhon ki Masti”. This is a depiction of a typical mujra (performance in the courtesan’s salon).
Thoughts Of A Bibliophile 