Umrao Jaan by Muzaffar Ali, is an adaptation of Mirza Hadi Ruswa's 1899 Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada, which tells the story of a Lucknow tawaif and poet, and her rise to fame. It’s considered a classic of Indian cinema immortalised by the music of Khayyam, the Urdu poetry of Shahryar, Asha Bhosle, and the exquisite beauty and iconic performance by the superstar Rekha in the lead role. Ali, a multifaceted artist and connoisseur of poetry, created this period drama, set in 1857 Lucknow, as a souvenir of Awadhi culture, fabricating an entire milieu through resplendent costume design and detailed art direction. Though an independent arthouse film made outside the syntax of mainstream cinema, it achieved a cult status.