Newage Umrao Jaan !

While I totally hated the remake of Umrao Jaan starring Ashwariya Rai and Abhishiek Bachchan ...Gosh Ash how ever beautiful people think she is ...can just never match up ever to Rekha's grace and aada... the only saving grace of the film was brilliant performance by my all time favorite Shabana Azmi ( Bravo .. she was awesome !!)

However the story of Umrao Jaan did leave me disturbed ..."jo ab kiye ho daataa aisaa naa ki jo, agale janam mohe bitiyaa naa ki jo,jo ab kiye ho daataa aisaa naa ki jo " The words of this beautiful song haunted me ...

Urban world seems to believe that women have come a long way but the truth is, its not true ...reality bites us . And so did Shobha De article in the Times Of India yesterday. I am not being able to express what i feel ... the feeling that I am left behind after pondering on the life of a misfortunate woman ...

I love the way Shobha de has put forth that i guess are the thoughts in my mind ...

I love the part of her write ... "Umrao Jaan is betrayed by everyone- Her own family, the man she loves, Her crime? She sells her body- not out of choice , but compulsion. And the same body, which is her only currency, eventually betrays her too."

Also the part ..."Over a century has passed but attitudes remain stubbornly frozen- women have to be 'pure' when marry, and virgin still commands a premium in the competitive meat market we call marriage"

Read on ...