Rekha Starrer, 'Umrao Jaan' Is Set To Re-Release In Theatres, The Actress Says, 'Umrao Jaan Is...'

The iconic film of 1981, Umrao Jaan, starring Rekha, is all set to return to the silver screens, but this time, the film is re-releasing in 4K. According to multiple reports, Umrao Jaan is set to re-release on June 27, 2025. The restoration of the film to 4K has been done by the National Film Archive of India (NFAI) and the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). As per a report by Mid-Day, the restoration process of Umrao Jaan took a year and NFAI-NFDC has collaborated with Muzaffar Ali to complete the same.

Umrao Jaan's director, Muzaffar Ali and Rekha share their views on the re-release of the 1981 iconic film

The 1981 iconic musical drama, Umrao Jaan, centres around the life of a courtesan-poetess, and Rekha essayed the role of the courtesan. For the unversed, the film is based on Mirza Hadi Ruswa’s Urdu novel, Umrao Jaan Ada. Now, as the film is all set to return to the theatres after 44 years, the captain of the ship, Muzaffar Ali and lead actress, Rekha, shared their views. Speaking to Mid-Day, the director of Umrao Jaan, Muzaffar Ali shared that the actors attached to the project and especially Rekha made the character lively through their portrayal. Sharing his excitement on the re-release of the film, Muzaffar said:

"Umrao Jaan was not just a film—it was a journey into the soul of a lost culture, a forgotten tehzeeb. Through her pain, poetry, and grace, we tried to resurrect the elegance of an era where love and longing spoke in verse. I had actors who brought a lot of heft to their characters, and then there was Rekha, who lived Umrao Jaan and truly immortalised it. I am thrilled that the film is back on the big screen for a whole new generation to discover a time and culture that's very much a part of our being."

For the uninitiated, the iconic film, Umrao Jaan won many accolades. One of the many awards was the 29th National Filmfare Awards, where Rekha bagged the award of Best Actress for her role in Umrao Jaan. Now, as her film is set to re-release after 44 years, the actress is all emotional. Speaking to Mid-Day, Rekha shared:

"Umrao Jaan is not just a film I acted in — she lives within me, breathes through me, even now. At the time, none of us could have imagined the timelessness of the film, the way it would gently etch itself into the soul of Indian cinema. To see it return to the big screen is like watching an old love letter being opened by a new generation. My heart is full."

Rekha starrer, Umrao Jaan's restoration to 4K took almost a year

Speaking to Mid-Day, the managing director of NFDC, Shri Prakash Magdum, shared that Umrao Jaan's restoration process took almost one year to complete. He shared how the iconic film was restored and also mentioned how Umrao Jaan’s director, Muzzafar, collaborated with the team of NFAI and NFDC to complete the restoration process. Recalling the moment, Prakash said:

"To restore Umrao Jaan, NFDC-NFAI has been working for almost a year in collaboration with Muzaffar Ali, the director of the film. He was instrumental in locating the original negatives of the film, which should have been the best source of restoration. Due to the condition of the negatives and the fragile nature of celluloid, the film was restored using a 35mm release print which had been preserved at NFAI for decades. The colour grading of the 4K restoration was supervised by Muzaffar Ali himself, and I am sure the film lovers would enjoy this restored cinematic gem nationwide in cinemas."

How excited are you to watch Rekha's Umrao Jaan in theatres near you from June 27, 2025? Let us know.

Also Read: Dhanashree Verma Shares Her Views On Love, Months After Divorce From Yuzvendra Chahal: 'Pyaar Ki...'

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Get App

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Choose your device Android or IOS (Apple)