THE BEWITCHING MAGIC OF BOLLYWOOD

The extravagance, the glitz, the drama, the shimmering colours and the bewitching magic of Bollywood come alive on stage this July at Istana Budaya! The curtain rises to a spectacular and lavish production of a dance musical – The Merchants of Bollywood!

The Merchants of Bollywood tells the tale of Ayesha Merchant, the granddaughter of Shantilal Merchant, one of Bollywood’s most respected and lauded choreographers from the Hindi film industry’s golden era. Ayesha was taught Indian classical dance by Shantilal in their home in Rajasthan and he had hopes that she will continue the family tradition.

However, she is enticed by the allure and romance of Bollywood and has dreams of making her name in the film world. Going against her grandfather’s wishes, she abandons home for Mumbai where she became a great success in the film industry. Despite fame and fortune, the emotional pull of her ailing grandfather drew her home and into the arms of her childhood sweetheart, Uday.

The narrated story takes the audience through a journey into the world’s most prolific film industry – Bollywood, giving an insight into one of India’s biggest income earners and the extravagance, romance and escapism that Bollywood is known for. With a sprinkling of humour, the drama and emotion of the story unfold in high-energy dance routines by a company of dancers all with well-toned bodies and perfect abs. Audiences will be treated to a continuous swirl of colours and sparkle, twists and turns, as well as leaps and pirouettes that will have ballerinas in awe.

In keeping with the dazzle and lavishness of Bollywood, the cast of 53 undergoes an amazing 1,200 costume changes with 2,500 pieces of matching Indian jewellery in this intoxicating musical, that will make you want to dance or tap your feet in rhythm to the pulsating music of Bollywood smash hits from Rang De Basanti, Shava Shava, It’s Time to Disco, Oscar-nominated Lagaan and more.

A fictional story yet based on real life, the Merchants in this instance are Shri Hiralal Merchant, one of the founding fathers of classic Bollywood choreography, and his granddaughter Vaibhavi Merchant, a multi-award winning choreographer who commands high respect and admiration from Bollywood’s A-list.

The Merchants, one of the dynastic families who have served the Bollywood film industry for decades, are the bestowed custodians of the Kathak dance, an intangible treasure. This ancient art form, passed down from generation to generation was and still is a symbol of worship and devotion performed in the temple in homage to the Hindu deity Shiva, the Lord of dance.

Written and directed with verve by one of Kylie Minogue’s best friends, the award-winning director, Toby Gough explained, “Mark Brady and I were dining in an Indian restaurant in New Zealand, called ‘Bollywood’. We were surrounded by film screens showing clips of glamorous heroines, dancing in the rain in fabulous costumes. We loved the colour, emotion and the exotic, energetic choreography – not to mention the gloriously triumphant happy endings – over a Tikka Masala and a Kingfisher Lager, a Bollywood musical was born.”

According to Gough the reality of Bollywood, is a "journey through India's evolution". A tale of how, thanks to the advent of the film industry over 100 years ago, the stories of the gods - once only told in temples of devotion by courtesans who were servants in the courts of kings - mainstreamed to become the stories of mere mortals on the silver screen. The Indian audience demand stories that have music and dance because “that is what their original storytelling featured," he explains.

The plot sees the modern forces of Bollywood and glitzy Western-style moves wrestle traditional dance from its former glory. The result is a clash of generations and what Gough describes as "an Indian version of the Billy Elliot story".

Composed by one of the most-sought-after Bollywood film composers, the music, too, is a rich swirl of Eastern and Western influences. Producer Mark Brody remarked, “the brilliant musical score from Salim and Sulaiman Merchant provides the life blood for this powerful life-giving experience.”

Vaibhavi Merchant, whom Brady describes as “the heart beat of the show” said, "The Merchants of Bollywood is one of those dreams. We have performed over 600 shows all over the world. I want this show not only as a platform to showcase Bollywood but also to showcase India. As I always say, India is not a part of Bollywood but Bollywood is part of India." Known as the Princess of Romance in the industry, Vaibhavi added that the show would highlight the diversity of India, its people and its cultures.

Taking the world by storm playing to sold-out box offices, the world-acclaimed and spellbinding The Merchants of Bollywood will make its Asian debut in Malaysia in conjunction with the KL Festival 2009.

A theatrical spectacular that is a potent mixture of dreams and sacrifices, family rebellion and romance has been hailed as a runaway success in the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, South Africa and Australia. It has created a tsunami of rave reviews from audiences and critics alike:

“Their energy is electrifying, their movements suffused with a rush of joy and yet ruthlessly precise and the frenetic flow of onstage activity is almost non-stop. It’s a high octane pleasure to warm up the coldest winter night.” – The Times, London

“The most exhilarating musical seen this year” – The Manchester Evening News

“Dazzle, shimmer and sparkle…” – The London Metro

“One can’t get enough of this artistic, spectacular…” – Berliner Morgenpost

“Whirling, enduring sparkle in all the colours of the rainbow…” – Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

“…one is ready to jump onto the stage, applaud like a dervish and dance all the way home…” – Abendzeitung Munich

According to Brady, “Never before has India or the Hindi film industry been represented on stage with such passion.”

The musical is brought in by Asiapromote Ventures Sdn. Bhd. and LD Sports Sdn. Bhd. Dato’ Mohamed Taufik bin Haji Omar, Chairman, LD Sports said, “Bollywood is the epicentre of the thriving South Asian film industry and Bollywood films tend to be song and dance extravaganzas. Anyone who loves the theatre will be blown away by the musical’s pulsating rhythm, Technicolour beauty and exotic milieu. I believe The Merchants of Bollywood will unleash its magic on Kuala Lumpur and the country. He added, “The staging of the musical during the Kuala Lumpur Festival will contribute to making Kuala Lumpur a hub for arts and culture.”

The Merchants of Bollywood will be held in Malaysia from July 14 to 26, 2009 at Istana Budaya. Tickets are priced from RM70 to RM 500 and are available through www.ticketpro.com.my or calling the TICKETPRO hotline 03-7880 7999. For more information, log on to www.mobkl.com or call 03-79559995.