Mumbai: Following a sell out international tour in London, Berlin, Hamburg, Vienna, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Munich, Geneva and Capetown, Merchants of Bollywood is headed for an opening in Australia (RIGHT???) on 1 July.
Featuring a cast of 40 performers from film city Mumbai, Merchants of Bollywood celebrates over 400 triumphant performances to over 50,000 mesmerized guests.
The production captures the essence of India, its rich and diverse culture and its people in the technicolour brilliance of a full scale Bollywood production.
Featuring choreography by Vaibhavi Merchant, The Merchants of Bollywood is a colourful, thrilling, high energy fusion of folk, classical, modern, Western and Indian dance.
The music by Salim and Sulaiman Merchant is a swirl of Eastern and Western influences, bhangra and sarangi strings along with hip-hop. It pays tribute to music from grand Indian films like Dilwale Dulhaniya le Jayenge, while adding a contemporary flavor with sounds from Dus and Dhoom.
When partition ripped at the heart and soul of India, people turned to cinema to heal the wounds and Bollywood was born. But Shantailal shunned an industry influenced by western trends and dirty money, to pass on his passion deep in the deserts of Rajasthan. He believed that films should change lives, but his grand daughter Ayesha disagreed, sparking a spectacular feud fuelled by teenage rebellion and stiff classical tradition.
Ayesha, The Princess of Romance, is a seductive and elegant force as she journeys to the bright lights of Bollywood and back to Rajasthan on an intoxicating quest for truth. This extraordinary story of a young girl, her grandfather and their love of dance is infectious, filled with extravagance, escapism and romance.
Adding the Indian flavour to this experience down under, Conrad Jupiters will be hosting an Indian Food Festival at ‘Prince Albert’ restaurant that will serve an array of authentic Indian cuisine, right from Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken tandoori, Lamb Korma, South Indian rasam, South Indian Fish Curry, Saagwalle Dhal, Ice cream and Mango puree.
Merchants of Bollywood will show for a limited time at Jupiters Theatre opening 1 July and closing 19 October.
