Umrao Jaan (1981 film)

Umrao Jaan is a 1981 Indian period musical drama film directed by Muzaffar Ali and starring Rekha as the title character. Based on Mirza Hadi Ruswa's 1899 Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada, the film tells the story of a Lucknow tawaif and poet, and her rise to fame.

Upon release, the film received widespread critical acclaim, especially for Ali's direction and Rekha's lead performance.

Considered one of the best Indian films of all time, Umrao Jaan won many accolades. At 29th National Film Awards, it won 4 awards, including Best Actress (Rekha). It was also nominated for 3 Filmfare Awards, winning Best Director (Ali) and Best Music Director (Khayyam).