Dutta once idiotically said that, "Aishwarya Rai wasn't meant for Umrao Jaan but Umrao Jaan was made for Aishwarya Rai". Little did he expect his film to deservedly receive such negative reaction from the general public. With lavish sets and tailor made costumes, the film certainly has a glossy look, like that of an expensive soap opera.
The writing is flat and melodramatic. Most of the lines, that are delivered so poorly by the actors, are sleep inducing. Moreover the movie drags on for hours. The songs are downright boring. The lyrics lack uniqueness and creativity and their placement in the movie only slows down the pace.
The acting is terribly melodramatic. A theatrical Aishwarya Rai and a wooden Abhishek Bachchan share some of the most boring scenes in the movie. Not only that, but Rai seems to have lost some of her dancing abilities that she proved in movies like 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'. Here her mechanical moves lack grace. Divya Dutta and Ayesha Jhulka are wasted. Only Shabana Azmi manages to transcend with a superb performance. Her Khanum Jaan is the only character that's properly fleshed out and Azmi's final scene is the one moment when the viewer sympathizes with a character in the film.
I may have used many words here that related to 'being bored' but that should be enough to provide a brief description of one of the biggest snoozefests of 2006.
