Zubeidaa
{{short description|2001 film by Shyam Benegal}}
{{about|the 2001 film|the actress on whom it is based|Zubeida Begum|the silent film actress|Zubeida}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Zubeidaa
| image = Zubeidaa poster.jpg
| caption = Poster
| director = Shyam Benegal
| narrator =
| screenplay = Khalid Mohamed
| story = Khalid Mohamed
| music = A. R. Rahman
| starring = {{ubl |Karisma Kapoor |Rekha |Manoj Bajpayee |Amrish Puri |Farida Jalal |Lillete Dubey |Shakti Kapoor}}
| producer = Farouq Rattonsey
| studio = FKR Productions
| cinematography = Rajan Kothari
| editing = Aseem Sinha
| distributor = Yash Raj Films
| released = {{Film date|2001|1|19|df=y}}
| runtime = 153 minutes
| country = India
| language = Hindi
| budget = {{INR|5 crore}} {{Cite web |url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/Movies/movie_detail/zubeidaa#.VikaaH7hDIU |title=Boxoffice |access-date=22 October 2015 |archive-date=17 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117191150/http://boxofficeindia.com/Movies/movie_detail/zubeidaa#.VikaaH7hDIU |url-status=dead }}
}}
Zubeidaa is a 2001 Indian film directed by Shyam Benegal and written by Khalid Mohammed. It stars Karisma Kapoor, Rekha, Manoj Bajpayee, Surekha Sikri, Rajit Kapoor, Lillete Dubey, Amrish Puri, Farida Jalal, and Shakti Kapoor. A.R. Rahman scored the background music and soundtrack for the movie.{{cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/film-review-zubeidaa/article27914134.ece | title=Film Review: Zubeidaa | newspaper=The Hindu | date=February 2001 | access-date=2 May 2022 | archive-date=2 May 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220502092852/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/film-review-zubeidaa/article27914134.ece | url-status=live }}
Zubeidaa is the concluding chapter in a trilogy that began with Mammo (1994) and continued with Sardari Begum (1996). The film is based on the life of the ill-fated actress Zubeida Begum, who married Hanwant Singh of Jodhpur and was the mother of the film's writer, Khalid Mohamed.
The film garnered the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi and won Karisma Kapoor a Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics). It is regarded by many critics as Kapoor's best performance (alongside Fiza where she also played the title role).{{Cite web|url=https://www.easterneye.biz/birthday-special-top-performances-of-karisma-kapoor/|title=Birthday Special: Top performances of Karisma Kapoor|last=Iqbal|first=Murtuza|date=2019-06-25|website=EasternEye|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-06-26|archive-date=11 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191211173510/https://www.easterneye.biz/birthday-special-top-performances-of-karisma-kapoor/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/photos/entertainment-gallery/from-zubeidaa-to-fiza-a-look-at-karisma-kapoors-iconic-performances-on-her-44th-birthday-4587321.html|title=From Zubeidaa to Fiza, a look at Karisma Kapoor's iconic performances on her 44th birthday|website=Firstpost|date=25 June 2018|access-date=2019-06-26|archive-date=26 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626032140/https://www.firstpost.com/photos/entertainment-gallery/from-zubeidaa-to-fiza-a-look-at-karisma-kapoors-iconic-performances-on-her-44th-birthday-4587321.html|url-status=live}} The film was highly acclaimed and is regarded as of one of Benegal's best works blurring the lines of commercial and parallel cinema.{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/shyam-benegal-zubeidaa-when-men-ruled-women-were-consorts-karisma-kapoor-manoj-bajpayee-4981185/|title=Shyam Benegal's Zubeidaa was the tale of an era where men ruled and women were merely consorts|date=2017-12-14|website=The Indian Express|language=en-IN|access-date=2019-06-26|archive-date=5 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405121526/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/shyam-benegal-zubeidaa-when-men-ruled-women-were-consorts-karisma-kapoor-manoj-bajpayee-4981185/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/zubeidaa/critic-review/zubeidaa-movie-review/|title=Zubeidaa Review by Taran Adarsh|website=Bollywood Hungama|access-date=2019-06-26|archive-date=4 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404151242/https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/zubeidaa/critic-review/zubeidaa-movie-review/|url-status=live}}
Plot
Zubeidaa is the story of Riyaz's search to understand his mother, who is not known to him, as he was brought up by his maternal grandmother in the absence of his mother. His mother's name was Zubeidaa, and she was the only daughter of a filmmaker named Suleman Seth. Zubeidaa acts in films secretly, but when her father finds out, he forbids her to carry on and quickly arranges her marriage to his friend's son, Dr. Mehboob Alam, who becomes a Gharjamai. Things seem happy for her when she gives birth to Riyaz. However, a disagreement arises between Suleman and Mehboob's father, and Mehboob divorces Zubeidaa a few days after she gives birth.
Heartbroken Zubeidaa then meets Maharaja Vijayendra Singh of Fatehpur. Vijayendra is already married to Maharani Mandira Devi and is the father of two children. Nevertheless, he falls in love with Zubeidaa, and they get married, but there is continuous turmoil in their relationship. Riyaz learns through Zubeidaa's journal that though she loved Vijayendra dearly, she was unable to follow the stifling customs of the palace. She was also uncomfortable because of her brother-in-law Uday Singh's sexual advances towards her and his demands of her to have an extramarital affair with him.
Riyaz travels to Fatehpur and asks many people about his mother. However, all except Mandira, whom Zubeidaa called "Mandy Didi," either deny that his mother ever existed or say that she was a horrible woman who seduced their king and caused his death in a plane crash.
On reading the journal, Riyaz finds out that Vijayendra had become a politician and was about to go to Delhi for an important meeting. Zubeidaa felt frustrated that whenever her husband needed help, he looked to Mandira for support, and at the last minute, she insisted that only she would accompany him to the meeting. The plane crashes, killing Zubeidaa and Vijayendra. It is indicated in an introspective scene that Zubeidaa becomes afraid of losing Vijayendra, since she loves him so dearly and thus, decides to kill both herself and him even though she knew it was wrong. She felt that if they cannot be together in this life, they could be together in afterlife for eternity.
In the end, Riyaz gets the missing tape of his mother's only film, from Mandira. The movie ends with him finally getting to watch the film with his grandmother shedding tears of happiness, watching Zubeidaa dancing happily as the spirited soul that she truly was.
Cast
- Karisma Kapoor as Zubeidaa Suleiman Seth/Zubeidaa Mehboob Alam/Rani Meenakshi Devi
- Rekha as Maharani Mandira "Mandy" Devi
- Manoj Bajpayee as Maharaja Vijayendra "Victor" Singh
- Rahul Singh as Raja Digvijay "Uday" Singh
- Rajit Kapur as Riyaz Masud
- Parzaan Dastur as young Riyaz Masud
- Surekha Sikri as Fayyazi
- Amrish Puri as Suleiman Seth
- Seema Pahwa as Zainab Bi
- Farida Jalal as Mammo
- Shakti Kapoor as Dance Master Hiralal
- Lillete Dubey as Rose Davenport
- Ravi Jhankal as Girivar Singh
- Smriti Mishra as Sardari Begum
- S M Zaheer as Sajid Masud
- Harish Patel as Nandlal Seth
Soundtrack
{{Infobox album
| name = Zubeidaa – The Story of a Princess
| type = Soundtrack
| artist = A. R. Rahman
| caption =
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|df=y|2000|9|1}} {{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/in/album/zubeidaa-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/302388533 |title=Zubeidaa (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |date=September 2000 |publisher=iTunes |access-date=6 September 2017 |archive-date=22 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022234155/https://itunes.apple.com/in/album/zubeidaa-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/id302388533 |url-status=live }}
| recorded = Panchathan Record Inn
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Soundtrack
| length = 38:18
| label = Sony Music India
| producer = A.R. Rahman
| prev_title = Thenali
| prev_year = 2000
| next_title = One 2 Ka 4
| next_year = 2001
}}
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = All Music
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5.0}} {{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/zubeidaa-story-of-a-princess-r509889 |title=Zubeidaa - music review by Chris Nickson |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=2011-06-30}}
}}
The soundtrack was released in 2000 and contained eight tracks, all composed by A. R. Rahman, with lyrics by Javed Akhtar. Lata Mangeshkar collaborated with the musician again for a couple of tracks. Other singers, Kavita Krishnamurthy and Alka Yagnik walked away with all accolades for their renditions in their respective tracks.
| class="wikitable tracklist" style="font-size:95%;"
! # !! Song !! Artist(s) |
| 1
| "Dheeme Dheeme" |
| 2
| "Main Albeli" |
| 3
| "Mehndi Hai Rachnewali" |
| 4
| "So Gaye Hain" |
| 5
| "Hai Na" |
| 6
| "Pyaara Sa Gaon" |
| 7
| "So Gaye Hain" | Lata Mangeshkar, Chorus |
| 8
| "Chhodo More Baiyyan" |
Reception
Suman Tarafdar of Filmfare described the film as "very much a classy Benegal film, with new explorations of the human relationships in their multi-layered frameworks" and praised Kapoor "for having come up with such an assured performance".{{cite news |last1=Tarafdar |first1=Suman |title=Zubeidaa |url=http://www.indiatimes.com/movies/reviews/zubeidaa.html |access-date=13 October 2020 |work=Filmfare |agency=Indiatimes Movies |publisher=The Times Group |date=2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010803054828/http://www.indiatimes.com/movies/reviews/zubeidaa.html |archive-date=3 August 2001}} In its review, The Tribune stated that the film is “a milestone as far as women-oriented movies are concerned,” and that Kapoor “surpassed herself as the passionate, defiant, wilful and troubled Zubeidaa, the truly modern woman.“{{cite news |newspaper=The Tribune |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010211/spectrum/main2.htm |title=A vision of female follies & desires |date=11 February 2001 |last=Sekhon |first=Aradhika |access-date=1 May 2016}} Ziya Us Salam of The Hindu found it to be "among the better offerings of Benegal," and was positive of Kapoor and Rekha's performances, but termed Bajpayee's performance as "not-so-convincing."{{cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/film-review-zubeidaa/article27914134.ece | title=Film Review: Zubeidaa | newspaper=The Hindu | date=February 2001 |url-access=subscription | access-date=2 May 2022 | archive-date=2 May 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220502092852/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/film-review-zubeidaa/article27914134.ece | url-status=live }}
Awards
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0255713}}
{{National Film Award Best Feature Film Hindi}}
{{Shyam Benegal}}
Category:2000s Hindi-language films
Category:Films directed by Shyam Benegal
Category:Films about women in India
Category:Films set in Rajasthan
Category:Films scored by A. R. Rahman
Category:Best Hindi Feature Film National Film Award winners
Category:Films distributed by Yash Raj Films