Shyam Benegal’s drama film Zubeidaa was released on January 19, 2001. The film starred Karisma Kapoor, Rekha, Manoj Bajpayee, Amrish Puri, Farida Jalal, and Shakti Kapoor among others. It was written by film critic Khalid Mohamed and was based on the life of his mother and actress Zubeida Begum, who married Hanwant Singh of Jodhpur.
Upon release, the film met with mostly positive critical response with particular praise towards Kapoor’s performance. As the film clocks 23 years of its theatrical release, let us take a closer look at its actors and what they are up to these days.
Zubeidaa: Then and Now
Karisma Kapoor as Zubeidaa Suleiman Seth/Zubeidaa Mehboob Alam/Rani Meenakshi Devi
Karisma Kapoor plays the role of Zubeidaa, the daughter of a filmmaker, who secretly works in films. But she is married off by her father who objects to her acting in films. Zubeidaa ties the knot with Maharaja Vijayendra Singh of Fatehpur and the story continues. Karisma was one of the biggest stars when she did the film. Post that, she appeared in Shakti, Mere Jeewan Saathi, and others. However, her appearance became less frequent post-marriage. She last appeared in the 2020 web series Mentalhood.
Rekha as Maharani Mandira Devi
Rekha plays the role of Maharani Mandira Devi, who is the first wife of Maharaja Vijayendra Singh of Fatehpur. Things go tricky once Zubeidaa marries him and enters the house. Rekha’s performance was well received. She was already an established actress with a decades-long career when the film came out. After Zubeidaa’s release, she did films like Bhoot, Mujhe Meri Biwi Se Bachao, Koi Mil Gaya, Krrish, Lajja, Dil Hai Tumhara, etc. Her last full-fledged role was in the 2014 film Super Nani.
Manoj Bajpayee as Maharaja Vijayendra Singh
Manoj Bajpayee plays the role of Maharaja Vijayendra Singh who marries Zubeidaa while he is already married to Maharani Mandira Devi and has two children. Bajpayee gives a performance of his career by playing a character that has different shades. Before that, he had already delivered iconic films like Satya, Shool, and Kaun. Zubeidaa’s success gave him a boost and he was seen in Aks, Road, Pinjar, LOC: Kargil, and Veer-Zaara. Over the years, Manoj established himself as a successful and acclaimed actor in Bollywood with several projects under his name in both the celluloid and streaming world.
Rajit Kapur as Riyaz Masud
Rajit Kapur plays the role of Riyaz Masud who is a key character in the film as he finds out about Zubeidaa’s feelings while living in the palace post-marriage. Kapur gives an earnest performance in the film and is an anchor to the story. It marked his fifth collaboration with Shyam Benegal. He was already an established name in television and films before doing this film. After this, he continues to be active in the industry and has appeared in many successful films across genres.
Apart from these, Zubeidaa has several actors who have since passed away. This includes Surekha Sikri (who played Fayyazi) and Amrish Puri ( who plays Zubeidaa’s father Suleiman Seth). The film also has several interesting characters played by a set of talented actors. Rahul Singh beautifully portrays Raja Digvijay “Uday” Singh who makes Zubeidaa’s life difficult. Seema Pahwa plays Zainab Bi, while Farida Jalal plays Mammo (a callback to her earlier film with Benegal also called Mammo).
Apart from them the film also has other characters including Shakti Kapoor (Dance Master Hiralal), Lillete Dubey (Rose Davenport), Ravi Jhankal (Girivar Singh), Smriti Mishra (Sardari Begum) and SM Zaheer (Sajid Masud). All these actors are still active in the industry in the capacity of actors. Seema Pahwa also went on to direct a feature film later on.
Zubeidaa is a film that a lot of people might not like at first viewing. But just like many Shyam Benegal movies, it grows on you over time. The simple plot explores human conditions in various conditions. The film does not have any iota of presence at any level as everything from the direction, lighting, and camerawork to performance is on the right note. It gives us a sneak peek into the lives of the royalties during the modern era and how everything is not hunky-dory behind the big pillars and well-lit palaces.
Shyam Benegal is one of the finest filmmakers in India as his films often focus on the human aspect of any story whether Ankur, Nishant, or Manthan. Zubeidaa is another fine example of his mastery as a storyteller. The film is also personal as it’s based on the real-life story of Zubeida Begum. Her son and film critic Khalid Mohammed has penned the film so we know some details are obviously personal. Watch Zubeidaa if you haven’t already.
