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There are reports that Sajal Aly is gearing up to essay the role of Umrao Jaan in a Pakistani adaptation of the popular novel ‘Umrao Jaan Ada’.
Well yes, it’s true, according to The Express Tribune. Here’s everything e know so far:
- Umrao Jaan Ada is an Urdu literature classic penned by Mirza Hadi Ruswa in 1899.
- The book is known for its portrayal of 19th-century India, its culture, society, and the lives of courtesans.
- The adaption will be based on an eight-part series instead of a three-hour film.
- It’s an old-school romantic drama.
- Makers will cast another female lead cast for the series.
- The series adaptation relies ‘heavily on the original Urdu version of the novel, unlike the film adaptations that had taken creative liberties to fit the story into a film narrative’.
Read more: What advice does Sajal Aly have for women being pressured for marriage?
Previous adaptions
Previously in Pakistan, Hasan Tariq directed Umrao Jaan Ada in 1972, with Rani in the lead role.
Across the border, Muzaffar Ali’s popular take on Umrao Jaan (1981) starred Rekha, while JP Dutta’s 2006 adaptation Umrao Jaan starred Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
Apart from this, the novel also inspired two 1958 Indian films: SM Yusuf’s Mehndi and Nakhshab Jarchavi’s Zindagi Ya Toofan.
