By Rama Gaind
All the glitz, glamour and gloss associated with Indian cinema will be on show at the Canberra Theatre when ‘The Merchants of Bollywood’ take to the stage from March 2-6, 2010.
This international smash hit extravaganza captures the essence of India with its rich, colourful, diverse culture and its people in a world of technicolour brilliance.
A fictional story, yet based on real life, ‘The Merchants of Bollywood’ will reveal to the western audience the vital part cinema plays in the heart and soul of Indian society through an extraordinary evening of music and dance.
At the heart lies a genuine story of a young girl, her grandfather who was a tough taskmaster, settling for nothing less than perfection and their love of dance.
The energetic celebration features a youthful cast of 40, dancing and singing their way through choreography by Vaibhavi Merchant, granddaughter of Harilal Merchant, one of the founding fathers of classic Bollywood cinema.
On stage, Carol Furtado takes on the lead role as Ayesha Merchant who looks back on the traditional start to her career and the break with her mentor grandfather when she goes to Bollywood and makes her name as Indian filmdom’s Princess of Romance.
Her grandfather, Shantilal (Arif Zakaria), rejects the style and approach of Bollywood and they become estranged – until she returns to her birthplace and meets former boyfriend, Uday (Deepak Rawat).
As the musical charts Ayesha’s journey, her adventures allow the audience to explore all facets of the Indian film industry and in some instances, provide a tongue-in-cheek look as well as a genuine homage, to all types of Indian cinema.
In a telephone interview from Mumbai, Carol Furtado spoke about her excitement at dancing the lead role in Australia.
She conceded that Bollywood had become a brand in itself and people everywhere knew what the films were all about. She believed that it was this enduring family appeal which would draw the crowd to her character’s story.
“The play centres around the conflict between the older and new generations of entertainers,” Carol said. “Both characters (Shantilal and Ayesha) are choreographers in their own right and have very different ideas about what dancing is all about.”
“The audience can expect a lot of drama, a lot of high-octane energy, but overall it’s just great entertainment.”
According to Carol, one of the show’s highlights is that it parodies some of the clichéd material used in traditional Bollywood films to illustrate that the process has evolved and that the films can now be very complex.
The parody is slapstick and funny because “we love to laugh at ourselves. This is also only a small part. The show overall is a huge spectacle and celebration of Bollywood in all its glory”.
This sets a framework for dance that reflects some of the most popular of the 800 films made every year in Mumbai. Lip-synching their way through the songs, the dancers perform dance that is linked mostly to recent movies, but also to a clutch of classics naming legendary actors from 1955 to 1974. From disco and hip-hop to classical, they look like they’re having a fabulous time and their vivacity carries the audience on a collective surge of harmonious clapping and toe-tapping.
The show was a brainchild of writer-director Toby Gough and the music – written and arranged by Salim and Sulaiman – has an irresistible beat. Copious changes of shimming costumes, sensational lighting and frenetic flow of on-stage activity add to the razzle dazzle that results in electrifying energy on the podium.
You have to be there!
