Umrao Jaan Ada is an 1899 Urdu novel by Mirza Hadi Ruswa about the life of the famous 19th century Lucknow courtesan and poet Umrao Jaan. The novel provides an elaborate portrayal of mid-19th century Lucknow society. It tells the story of Umrao Jaan, born as Amiran, who is kidnapped as a child and sold to a kotha in Lucknow, where she becomes a renowned courtesan and poet. Over the years, the novel has inspired several films and television series that retell Umrao Jaan's story. It is considered a seminal work in Urdu literature.

1. UMRAO JAAN
ADA
AWAIS IDREES
10020661-035

2. Introduction
 Umrao Jaan Ada (Urdu: ‫) )امراؤ جان ادا‬is
an Urdu novel by Mirza Hadi Ruswa
(1857–1931), first published in 1899.It is
considered the first Urdu novel by many
and tells the story of a courtesan and
poetess by the same name from 19th
century Lucknow, as recounted by her to
the author,while published in English in
1970.

3. Author
Mirza Muhammad Hadi Ruswa (Urdu: (‫مرزا محمد ہادی رسوا‬
1857) – October 21, 1931) was a renowned Urdu poet and writer of
fiction, plays, and treatises (mainly on religion, philosophy, and
astronomy). He remained on the Nizam of Awadh's advisory board
on language matters for years. He was well-versed in Urdu, Persian,
Arabic, Hebrew, English, Latin, and Greek
 His famed Urdu novel, Umrao Jan Ada, published in 1899, is
considered by many as the first Urdu novel. It is based on the life of
a renowned Lucknow courtesan and poetess of the same name and
later became the basis for Umrao Jan Ada (1972), a Pakistani film,
and two Indian films, Umrao Jaan (1981) and Umrao Jaan (2006).
The novel was also the basis of a Pakistani television serial, Umrao
Jan Ada, which aired in 2003.

4. History
According to the novel, the story of Umrao Jaan was
recounted by her, to the author, when he happened to
meet her, during a mushaira (poetry gathering) in
Lucknow. On listening to her couplets, the author along
with Mushi Ahmad, a novel and poetry enthusiast
present at the gathering, convinces Umrao Jaan to share
her life story with them. In course of time, Mirza starts
noting down her story, and in the end shares the text
with her. After initial annoyance, she eventually corrects
it as well.Thus the novel is written in first person as a
memoir. The book was first published by Munshi Gulab
Singh and Sons Press, Lucknow in 1899.

5. Theme
The novel is known for its elaborate
portrayal of mid-19th century Lucknow, its
decadent society, and also describes as a
subtext, the moral hypocrisy of the
patriarchal system of the times, where
Umrao Jaan also becomes the symbol of
a nation that had long attracted many
suitors who were only looking to exploit
her.

6. 
Characters
Umrao Jaan Ada
 Dilawar Khan
 Nawab Sultan
 Khanum Jaan
 Gohar Mirza
 Faiz Ali
 Ram Dai
 Buwa Hussani
 Molvi Sahib
 Khursheed Jaan
 BISMILLAH Jaan
 And Others

7. Plot Summary
Umarao Jaan is born as Amiran to a modest family in Faizabad. After the criminal Dilivar Khan is released from jail he
decides to get revenge as her father witnessed against him in court. Khan kidnaps Amiran and decides to sell her in
Lucknow. She is imprisoned with another girl, Ram Dai, but the two are separated when Dilivar Khan takes her to Lucknow.
There she is sold for 150 rupees to Khanum Jaan, the head tawaif of a kotha. She is renamed Umrao and begins to study
classical music and dance. Together with the other apprentice tawaif and Gauhar Mirza, the mischievous illegitimate son of
a local Nawab, she is taught to read and write in both Urdu and Persian. As Umrao grows up, she is surrounded by a culture
of luxury, music and poetry. She eventually gains her first client, (earning her the suffix of jaan) but prefers the impoverished
Gauhar Mirza, her friend.
Umrao Jaan attracts the handsome and wealthy Nawab Sultan. The couple fall in love, but after a jealous customer tries to
start a fight with Nawab Sultan, he shoots him and the jealous customer Zabardast Khan dies. He no longer comes to the
kotha and Umrao Jaan must meet him secretly , by the help of Gauhar Mirza. As Umrao Jaan continues to see Nawab
Sultan and also serve other clients, she supports Gauhar Mirza with her earnings. A new client, the mysterious Faiz Ali,
showers Umrao Jaan with jewels and gold, but warns her not to tell anyone about his gifts. When he invites her to travel to
Farrukhabad, Khanum Jaan refuses so Umrao Jaan must run away. On the way to Farrukhabad, they are attacked by
soldiers and Umrao Jaan discovers that Faiz is a dacoit and all of his gifts have been stolen goods. Faiz Ali escapes with his
brother Fazl Ali and she is imprisoned, but luckily one of the tawaif from Khanum Jaan's kotha is in the service of the Raja
whose soldiers arrested her so Umrao Jaan is freed. As soon as she leaves the Raja's court, Faiz Ali finds her and gets her
to come with him. He is soon captured and Umrao Jaan, reluctant to return to Khanum Jaan, sets up as a tawaif in Kanpur.
While she is performing in the house of a kindly Begum, armed bandits led by Fazl Ali try to rob the house, but leave when
they see that Umrao Jaan is there. Then Gauhar Mirza comes to Kanpur and she decides to return to the kotha.
Umrao Jaan performs at the court of Wajid Ali Shah until the Siege of Lucknow forces her to flee the city for Faizabad. There
she finds her mother, but is threatened by her brother who considers her a disgrace and believes she would be better off
dead. Devastated, Umrao Jaan returns to Lucknow now that the mutiny is over. She meets the Begum from Kanpur again in
Lucknow and discovers that she is actually Ram Dai. By a strange twist of fate Ram Dai was sold to the mother of Nawab
Sultan and the two are now married. Another ghost of Umrao Jaan's past is put to rest when Dilivar Khan is arrested and
hung for robbery. With her earnings and the gold that Faiz Ali gave her, she is able to live comfortably and eventually retires
from her life as a tawaif.

8. POETRY OF NOVEL
 The novel consists upon prose and poetry
both.
 It has beautiful poetry as well as prose.

9. POETRY OF NOVEL

10. POETRY OF NOVEL

11. MEDIA
 Over the years the novel has inspired
many films both in India and Pakistan.
First it was made into a Pakistani film in
1972, Umrao Jaan Ada, starring Rani and
Shahid and directed by Hasan Tariq,then
into three Indian films: Mehndi (1958) by
director S.M. Yusuf, the 1981 film Umrao
Jaan, made by Muzaffar Ali and Umrao
Jaan by J.P. Dutta

12. PAKISTAN(1972)
 Screen Play:SAIF-UD-DIN SAIFI
 Directed by:HASSAN TARIQ
 STARRING:
 Rani
 Shahid
 Agha Talish
 Nayyar Sultana
 Rangeela
 And Others….

15. PAKISTAN(2003)
TELEVISION
 The novel was also the theme of a
Pakistani television serial, Umrao Jan
Ada, aired in 2003.It was directed by Rana
Sheikh and the storyline was written by
poet Zehra Nigah.
 Cast:Bushra Ansari, Atiqa Odho, Meera,
Resham, Amina Bano, Sadia Imam,
Adnan Siddiqui, Humayun Saeed, Gia Ali

16. INDIA(1981)
 Made by Muzaffar Ali
 Starring:
 Rekha
 NASIR-UD-DUN Shah
 Farooqe Shaikh
 And Others….

19. INDIA(2006)
 Made by:J.P.Dutta
 Starring:
 Ashwariya Rai
 Abhishaik Bachan
 Shabana Azmi
 Sunail Shaithi
 And Others

23. END
UMRAO JAAN ADA is not only a novel,
but it shows us the picture of old and
traditional sub-continent especially
LUCKNOW….

24. THANK YOU