On veteran actor Rekha's 71st birthday, filmmaker Muzaffar Ali recalled her unforgettable performance in "Umrao Jaan", saying no one else could have embodied the titular role the way she did in the 1981 movie.

Ali, who directed the period drama based on Mirza Hadi Ruswa’s 19th-century Urdu novel, said Rekha brought grace and emotional intensity to the courtesan-poet Umrao Jaan.

"I wish Rekha the very best on her birthday. May she live for a long, long time. May many many Umrao Jaans come her way. Her eyes, the magic in them aligned with her character perfectly. That's why I feel nobody else could have done this role better than Rekha,” Ali told PTI.

Set in the opulent world of 19th-century Lucknow, "Umrao Jaan" tells the poignant story of a young girl named Amiran from Faizabad, who is kidnapped by a rival of her father and sold to a brothel in Lucknow.

There she is renamed Umrao Jaan and trained in music, dance, and poetry, eventually becoming one of the most celebrated courtesans of her time. The story explores her journey from innocence to fame and the emotional scars that come with it.

Ali said Rekha’s casting as the central character in the movie was “the right decision”.

“No one could have done it better than Rekha. She is in the soul of the character. She is still alive in the character. Before 'Umrao Jaan', she was what she was. She was Umrao Jaan later. And she is still Umrao Jaan," Ali said.

"Umrao Jaan" won four National Film Awards, including best actress for Rekha. The film rereleased in theatres in June this year.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.