Empowerment to exploitation, the many lives of Umrao Jan Ada

Unlike other famous courtesans of Hindi cinema and literature, Umrao Jan’s story has been revisited time and again over the last 125 years

The world first met Umrao Jan (spelt Jaan sometimes) Ada eavesdropping on an intimate gathering of poets. Enraptured by a particularly well-crafted couplet, she praises it and reveals herself to the group. Instantly, they invite her to join them, which she gracefully does. Umrao Jan, though not the first strongly etched female character in the late 19th century — Urdu literature at the time was influenced by reformist zeal that made a case for women to come out of the

Indian filmmaker Muzaffar Ali (L) and actor Rekha pose for photographs as they attend the special screening and theatrical re-release of their iconic Indian film ‘Umrao Jaan’ in Mumbai on June 26, 2025. (AFP)