Ash glows at the mahurat of Umrao Jaan
At the mahurat of JP Dutta’s new film, Umrao Jaan, leading lady
Aishwarya Rai looked slim and radiant. She had flown back the night
before from the shooting of The Last Legion in Slovakia straight to
the event.
Ash stayed the whole day — chatting and enjoying the attention — and
left the place only at 7.30 pm. “It’s good to have her as part of our
team. She gives out such positive vibes,” JP’s wife Bindiya Dutta
said.
Throughout the day, all eyes were glued on Ash and Shabana Azmi who
play daughter and mother in the film.
The turn-out was impressive. Besides Shabana and Ash, the rest of the
cast — Suniel Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Divya Dutta and Puru Raj Kumar –
also made their appearance.
But the film’s leading man, Abhishek Bachchan, was missing though he
kept calling and messaging the Duttas from Goa, promising to land in
Mumbai before the event was over. But by evening, it was clear
Abhishek wouldn’t make it.
“Never mind,” JP smiled fondly. “He’s my boy. I can feel his presence
right now!”
An old-world charm clung to the studios. It could have been something
to do with Anu Malik’s song that was being recorded. As Richa Sharma’s
voice rose to a crescendo, the congregation broke into collective
goosebumps. Anu Malik’s daughter Anmol accompanied Richa in the song.
Anmol earlier sang in Biwi No 1.
“Javedsaab and Anu Malik have worked really hard. We’ve already
finalised nine tunes for Umrao. This is the first song,” JP said.
At the end of the day, the director looked jubilant but exhausted. “We
have to match up to the music of those two other great classics about
the tawaif — Muzaffar Ali’s Umrao Jaan and Pakeezah. We have to make
sure that the music isn’t reminiscent of those two but ghazal toh
ghazal hi rahega na?”
If Asha Bhosle was the voice of Umrao in Muzaffar Ali’s film, Alka
Yagnik will sing for Aishwarya in JP Dutta’s Umrao Jaan.
The film goes on the floors in November. “I’ve my actors’ dates till
April. I will go on shooting for as long as it takes. This is a new
genre for me, and I feel like a traveller taking an unknown road,” JP
says.
