Underplayed Gems

Umrao Jaan Ada

Umrao Jaan Ada poster
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this series is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

The series follows the life of a courtesan and poet in 19th century Lucknow. It charts her rise to fame and her turbulent romantic entanglements.

periodromantictragicsensualboldnostalgicdramaticemotionally charged

What happens

Umrao Jaan Ada is a Pakistani television series based on Mirza Hadi Ruswa's novel Umrao Jaan Ada. It is directed by Raana Sheikh and the script was written by Zehra Nigah. It first aired on Geo Entertainment in 2003. Aamina Bano played the title role of a mid-19th-century tawaif from Lucknow, with Bushra Ansari, Faisal Qureshi, Imran Abbas, Humayun Saeed and Sadia Imam in prominent roles. It is one of the expensive television series made in Pakistan. The series was noted as too bold for the Pakistani audiences due its strong language, depiction of pioneering portrayal of extramarital romantic relationships, especially after Zia-ul-Haq's Islamisation era, and several mujra performances. The series is considered one of the most faithful adaptations of Ruswa's novel. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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