MouthLondon - London Student & Youth Magazine
The Merchants of Bollywood
Pin ItAfter an extraordinarily successful international tour seen by over two million people; the critically acclaimed stage musical The Merchants of Bollywood is finally back in London.
Loosely inspired by the lives of Bollywood choreographer maestro Hiralal B. and his grand-daughter Vaibhavi Merchant (who also happens to choreograph the show); The Merchants of Bollywood tells the story of Ayesha (Carol Furtado), a young woman with a dream of following in the footsteps of her grandfather, retired choreographer Shantilal (Chander Khanna), and making it big in the prolific Indian film industry.
…an uplifting show filled with energetic performances and wonderful dance sequences…
Unfortunately, the nostalgic Shantilal sees present time Bollywood as an industry which has lost respect for traditions and Indian classical dance, and therefore firmly opposes his grand-daughter’s decision. Ayesha, although profoundly saddened, defies the authority of her grandfather and decides to leave for the glitz and glamour of Bollywood.
Scripted as a mixture of comedy and melodrama, The Merchants of Bollywood is an uplifting show filled with energetic performances and wonderful dance sequences that range from traditional folk to disco music. A kaleidoscope of colours and splendid costumes, the musical is a homage to an industry which can count 800 films produced per year and 15 million cinema tickets sold on a daily basis. It can be enjoyed by everyone, even those who have never watched a Bollywood film.
The Merchants of Bollywood is on at the Peacock Theatre, Portugal Street, Holborn, WC2, until the 3 July.
5 stars
Images courtesy of The Merchants of Bollywood
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