J P Dutta dedicates Umrao Jaan to the 'girl child'; release on Nov 3

Mumbai, Oct 1 (UNI) Filmmaker J P Dutta whose much awaited Aishwarya-Abhishek starrer 'Umrao Jaan'' releases on November 3, has decided to dedicate his latest movie to the girl child.

Speaking at the music release function of the film last night, Dutta said he will auction the dresses of the film and the proceeds of which will go to 'Gudiya', a Varanasi-based organisation working for the welfare of children of sex workers since 1993.

The filmmaker will sponsor the education of nine- year- old Laxmi, who is being looked after by the organisation, who was present at the function along with Ajit Singh, who runs 'Gudiya'.

Mr Singh said he plans to set up a music school for children of destitute women and sex workers. Currently, he imparts informal education to over 400 children including boys and has enrolled about 70 of them into mainstream schools.

Dutta said he always believes that cinema can contribute to eradicate man-made conflicts in the society and sexual exploitation of women and children was one of them. ''We are in 2006 and still India is not happy when a girl child is born. My latest film is about a little girl who was sold into the flesh trade of Lucknow,'' he added.

Dutta said what impressed him about Ajit Singh's work was that he has made it clear to donors that he does not need money but love and affection of the society towards the underprivileged children.

Lyricist Javed Akhtar said Umrao Jaan was Urdu's first respected and established novel by Mirza Hadi Ruswa.

Dutta said Ruswa's manner of story telling which required the use of flashback technique, a great favourite of his within the novel which itself is a long looking back impressed him. ''Umrao's story moved me a lot. The emotional journey of this character was overwhelming. The poignancy that seeped through was enough to motivate me. I was sure that I wanted my film to be about Amiran, the young girl who was abducted and not Umrao Jaan, the courtesan that the world saw. I wanted to showcase the person rather than the persona. In fact, I was debating on calling my film Amiran,'' he added.

He said for the character of Umrao Jaan, with a smile on her face and a tear in her eye, who could have been better than Aishwarya Rai.

After watching her perform, I got a feeling that Umrao Jaan chose Aishwarya.

Shabana Azmi, who plays Khanum a role essayed by her mother Shaukhat Azmi in the Rekha starrer 'Umrao Jaan' in the 1980s, said J P Dutta and she studied together in St Xaviers College and even acted in a play together. ''All these years, J P known to make men-centric films never cast me in his films. But, now after working with you, I realize that this was worth a wait. You have done justice to all the woman characters in this film and I am sure after its release, you would have more and more women actors asking you to cast them in your forthcoming films and I would be one of them,'' she said.

''I am sure I will not let you down after you watch this film,'' she told her mother Shaukhat who was seated in the audience.

Aishwarya who was accompanied by her parents was making an appearance in a Bollywood film function after nearly a year and the photographers could not have asked for more. They wanted pictures of Aishwarya alone and also with Amitabh Bachchan and Lata Mangeshkar who were ''special guests'' on the occasion.

Ash said she had tried in all sincerity to portray an incredible character on celluloid. ''I could not have asked for a better role to portray. Emoting came naturally with Javedsaab's soulful lyrics,'' she said.

Amitabh said he was a bad substitute for his son Abhishek who could not make it for the music release as he is shooting in London.

Lata Mangeshkar who released the music wished the film well.

UNI