Umrao Jaan

In 1840, Ameeran is kidnapped from her home in Faizabad by the criminal Dilawar Khan, who had been jailed years earlier after her father testified against him. He sells her to a brothel in Lucknow, setting the path for her life as a tawaif. The act triggers a chain of events that reshape her future.

In the Lucknow brothel, Bua Hussaini and Maulvi Sahib raise Ameeran as their own daughter. They train her in the arts of performance and seduction alongside Khurshid, Bismillah, and Gauhar Mirza. She grows into a gifted tawaif known as Umrao Jaan.

Umrao becomes a celebrated performer and catches the eye of Nawab Sultan Khan. Their romance blooms despite social barriers, but Nawab's father disowns him for courting a courtesan. The relationship complicates her life as she remains bound to the tawaif world.

With his father’s disownment, Nawab goes to stay at his uncle's house to escape scandal and family pressure. Umrao continues her career in Lucknow while their romance remains distant. The separation marks a turning point in both their lives.

Faiz Ali becomes obsessed with Umrao and pursues her despite her initial rejection. She agrees to accompany him to his home in Daulatabad, but only if their route passes through Ghari where Nawab is said to be. The journey binds her to a dangerous path.

While traveling, state soldiers arrest Umrao and Faiz Ali, exposing Faiz Ali as a wanted dacoit. Nawab rushes to meet Umrao, but the arrest and public danger split their reunion. The incident highlights the peril that surrounds Umrao’s life.

Faiz Ali manipulates Nawab by insinuating that Umrao and he had a sexual relationship, turning Nawab against her. Believing this fabrication, Nawab has Umrao escorted back to Lucknow. Umrao leaves Ghari for the city, emotionally wounded by the betrayal.

When Umrao returns, Maulvi Sahib is revealed to have died during her absence. Gauhar Mirza makes a violent advance and rapes her after she resists. The assault compounds the trauma of her already precarious status.

The British attack Lucknow, compelling Umrao to flee the city and seek refuge. She travels back toward her childhood home in Faizabad, hoping for safety. The siege marks a turning point that shifts her life away from the brothel's world.

In Faizabad, Umrao learns of her father's death and attempts to reconnect with her family. They refuse to accept her due to her life as a tawaif, underscoring the social stigma she cannot escape. The visit ends with her returning to her own life in Lucknow.

On her way back to Lucknow, Umrao encounters Dilawar Khan, her kidnapper, now homeless and suffering from leprosy. He does not recognize her, but begs for help. She gives him her gold bangles and prays for his forgiveness.

Umrao spends the remainder of her life in Lucknow, where she becomes renowned for her poetry. Her experiences as a courtesan inform her art and enduring legend. She leaves behind a legacy that outlives the hardships she endured.