Solid film. A bit lengthy but I thought this was Ash's best perf to date on film. Pretty engrossing actually.

I too liked it

did you ever see original, muzzafar ali version

Nope, judging fresh on its own terms, not as a remake.

dude!! you have to see original, just to understand what a good film is like!

I have seen both versions and I like both of them separately. It may not be correct to call the new version a remake because it is a different take. In fact, the new film follows the novel more properly in terms of sequences. In the novel too, to the best of my knowledge, the story is told in a flashback and so it is in Dutta's version too but not in Ali's.

I differ, not liked Dutta's RETAKE on this classic Novel, basically, imho, his vision was screwed up, to just trying to sell, Ash, Abhishek.

Despite again, a wonderful soundtrack, by Malik, song picturization, production values, supporting cast were all, mediocre and below imho

I guess different tastes again - I hated the music and I thought that the music and styling was the two worst aspects of the movie (oh that and Sunil Shetty - which makes three!!!)

I recall that the guy in front of me was blocking his ears due the horribly shrill voice of Alka - I have never heard her sounding worse that she did in the soundtrack of Umrao Jaan.

But I do agree with you on which version was better - these were two different takes on the novel and I thought that Muzaffar Ali's version was a more imaginative view and really was a good way of converting a book to film.

Dude!! call it treacherous imho. That entire vision was screwed to Dutta's commercialism, he made 4.5 hr LOC and hard to sit through UJ

I agree with you, arsh, that LOC was tedious and tough to sit through. This however, was not. I was quite engaged with the events on screen. I had rented this dreading the 3 hour plus length and it had sat around forever until I finally decided to pop it in. Beautifully filmed, excellent costumes, and performance. I was completely riveted by Ash, and usually that is not the case from her other films. The love triangle was handled well and I thought Sunil Shetty was good here too.

I watched the REM DVD tonight. It is crap. Fuzzy and full of transcoding artifacts (or whatever that was). The film had a DI and the DVD uses stone age solutions. Erbärmlich.
The film itself is a huge disappointment too. The first version was so much better, music and all. This one is an overlong, glossy soulless sob fest. If the director's name had only no a at the end...

Umrao Jaan music (older one) has mindblowing music!

Stayed away from 2006 Umrao Jaan because Alka’s voice is torture.

I have to agree. What is it with these shrill voices? You can sing Indian style and use a voice that does not grate like this. Asha Bosle was so much better. So were the songs.

Well, I did find a humnava!

No doubt, orig music and lyrics, and singing by Asha Bhosle is not repeatable, but for today's music geniouses, esp malik kinda these days, even to come up with an orig, good soundtrack on its own was commendable imho. my hopes were zero/zilch.

Btw, I did not find alka that offensive as I expected this the way she sings!

They should have used someone like SHrya Gosal - who does have a high pitched voice but has a robust softness when she hits the higher notes. Also Anu should not have composed songs that screeched so much! These should have been Ghazal style of compositions - and maintained a soft composed lilt throughout.