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Muzaffar Ali’s 1981 film Umrao Jaan, starring Rekha, is travelling to Saudi Arabia. The 4K restored version by the National Film Development Corporation and National Film Archive of India under the National Film Heritage Mission will be screened at the upcoming Red Sea International Film Festival in December 2025 as part of its Treasures section. Rekha won the National Film Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Amiran. Umrao Jaan to be showcased at the Red Sea Film Festival 2025 According to a report in Variety, the restored version of Umrao Jaan will be shown outside India for the first time in December 2025. It was re-released in Indian theatres on June 27. Other international films being shown at the Red Sea Film Festival include Alfred Hitchcock’s Spellbound starring Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck, Luc Besson’s 1988 film The Big Blue, and three silent slapstick shorts from Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, and Laurel and Hardy accompanied by live music from Neil Brand. Restored versions of Egyptian director Ahmed Badrakhan's Aida (1942) and Song of Hope (1937) are also going to be screened. In June, during Umrao Jaan's Indian release, Rekha had stated, "Umrao Jaan is not just a film I acted in — she lives within me, breathes through me, even now. At the time, none of us could have imagined the timelessness of the film, the way it would gently etch itself into the soul of Indian cinema. To see it return to the big screen is like watching an old love letter being opened by a new generation. My heart is full.” ALSO READ: Umrao Jaan To Re-Release In 4K Restored Version, Rekha Says 'Not Just A Film, She Lives Within Me' Director Muzaffar Ali had added, "Umrao Jaan was not just a film—it was a journey into the soul of a lost culture, a forgotten tehzeeb. Through her pain, poetry, and grace, we tried to resurrect the elegance of an era where love and longing spoke in verse. I had actors who brought a lot of heft to their characters, and then there was Rekha, who lived Umrao Jaan and truly immortalised it. I am thrilled that the film is back on the big screen for a whole new generation to discover a time and culture that's very much a part of our being." The fifth edition of the Red Sea Film Festival will be held from December 4 to 13 in Jeddah. Previous editions of the festival have seen Bollywood stars like Ranbir Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, and Shah Rukh Khan attend the festival.
