Red Sea Film Festival: Rekha to grace 'Umrao Jaan' screening
What's the story
Bollywood superstar Rekha will be gracing the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia for a special screening of her iconic film, Umrao Jaan, directed by Muzaffar Ali. The 1981 classic, which features Rekha in her National Award-winning role as a courtesan-poetess in 19th-century Lucknow, will be screened outside India for the first time. The restoration was done by the National Film Development Corporation-National Film Archive of India under its National Film Heritage Mission.
Emotional tribute
For me, 'Umrao Jaan' is my soul: Rekha
Rekha told Variety, "Umrao Jaan is intrinsically woven into the very fabric of my soul. She is not just a character; she serves as a mirror reflecting the depths of my emotions and dreams." "The opportunity for this soulful film to find a new life after 45 years and connect with a fresh audience at the prestigious Red Sea Film Festival is exhilarating and profoundly meaningful."
Festival highlights
'Umrao Jaan' will be screened alongside Alfred Hitchcock's 'Spellbound'
The screening of Umrao Jaan is part of the Treasures strand at the Red Sea International Film Festival, which celebrates six classic international and Arab films. Other films in this section include Alfred Hitchcock's 1944 psychological thriller Spellbound, starring Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck. This marks the first time a film from Martin Scorsese's Film Foundation, dedicated to global cinema preservation, will be screened at the Red Sea festival.
Festival significance
Rekha added, 'It's humbling to the core'
Rekha further said, "Witnessing an unprecedented moment when a 1981 classic, Umrao Jaan, is featured in the festival's Treasures strand alongside a film by the luminary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock is not only a blessing but humbling to the core." The fifth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival will be held from December 4-13 in Jeddah, on the eastern shore of the Red Sea.