The film drags painfully and is so listless that one is forced to get up and leave the theatre for a cup of coffee at regular intervals, especially during the songs. To give credit to the maker, he has captured that era to which the story belongs in a beautifully way. It also has some sensitive performances and is also visually rich in places. However, the film lacks the power to enrapture the audience.
Now for the story. Umrao Jaan (Aishwarya Rai) was born as Amiran in Faizabad. She's shown as the young daughter of a lower middle class family. Her father (Parikshit Sahni) was a jamadar at the 'Bahu Begum ka Makhbara' there. He gives evidence in a case against Dilawar Khan (Vishwajeet Pradhan), who is sentenced to jail for ten years.