May 10 movie: Umrao Jaan. Sylvia and I got together for another Bollywood night. No Amitabh this time; instead the movie starred luminous Bollywood superstar Rekha. We had seen her before in Muqaddar ka Sikandar, playing the courtesan who loved Amitabh in vain. Rekha was so beautiful that at times, in close up she almost didn't look human. I found a couple of photos from that time, but neither one really does her justice. She's still incredibly beautiful today, though now she plays matriarchs instead of courtesans.
Apparently "courtesan with a heart of gold" was her specialty, and that's what she played in Umrao Jaan. It's a tragic melodrama based on the true story of a girl who is kidnapped, sold into slavery, trained to be a courtesan, and becomes a famous poet, singer and dancer. Kind of a downer, good movie though. It's all about Rekha's character, and her acting was strong enough to sustain it. It was a change of pace from the hip Amitabh movies we've been watching. Set in the 1840s, with traditional costumes and music.
And also, my god, I could look at that woman all day. She could read the phone book and I'd watch it.
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