JP Dutta's Umrao Jaan is his adaptation of Ruswa's famous Urdu novel Umra-O-Jaan-E-Ada written in the 19th century published in the year 1899 by Mahadeo Prasad Publishers of Lucknow. This novel is one of the foremost literature in Udru and has a quality that has inspired many generations of film - makers to re create the enigmatic character of Umrao Jaan. Other films based on the novel are Zindagi aur Toofan, Mehendi and Muzzaffar Ali's ‘Umrao Jaan’.

In the 50's O P Dutta the script writer of Umrao Jaan and J P Dutta's father had also started making his version of the film starring Nimmi but that film could not be completed. So in a way by making this film J P Dutta has lived his father's dream.