The boys are hot and the girls are total babes!

The Merchants of Bollywood features a cast of over forty performers and plays out like a full length musical in that it tells a story integrating musical numbers into the plot — oh and did we mention the boys are hot and the girls are total babes.

The story follows the conflict between Shantilal Merchant, a former Bollywood choreographer and the last teacher of the classical Kathak dance and his granddaughter, Ayesha, who leaves the desert to become the reigning queen of choreography in Bollywood. The clash between classical and modern dance is played out through the story.

The Merchants of Bollywood has been produced by Mark and Tony Brady in collaboration with many of Bollywood’s film and stage artists. The show premiered in 2005 and since then has been staged in over twenty countries including a hit season in London. The show reveals the working of cinema live on stage in a lavish production capturing the essence of India, its rich and diverse culture, and its people in a world of Technicolor brilliance.

The cast are gorgeous. To western eyes, the men’s costumes may look outrageously camp, with their taught bare bodies draped scantily with brightly coloured silks and beads. But are there any more gorgeous men on earth than Indian men?

Ten years ago, few western people knew much about the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai, India. Now it’s ubiquitous and has taken the world by storm.

The Indian film industry rivals that of Hollywood for size and number of films produced. The term Bollywood comes from joining Bombay, the former name for Mumbai, and Hollywood.

A Bollywood film is always a musical with the song and dance numbers interwoven into the plot. Unlike many Hollywood musicals of the 30s and 40s, the setting isn’t about putting on a show, but more integrated to the, often melodramatic, plot. Indian audiences expect value for money in a film so they must have romance, songs, dances, action scenes, the lot.

So think more like Rogers and Hammerstein on steroids with James Bond action scenes. Indian dance has always told stories. Classical Indian dance depicted religious stories of the various exploits of many gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. Dance is said to have originated from Nat raja (Lord of Dance and Drama), one of the many forms of Shiva. Today, Bollywood dance is a form all of its own. Borrowing generously from Western free-form and Indian Classic styles, Bollywood dancing is all about energy, vibrancy and, above all, telling a story.

The Merchants of Bollywood features choreography by the internationally famed Vaibhavi Merchant, regarded as one of Bollywood’s top young choreographers, and has choreographed all of Bollywood’s biggest. Over 3,800 glittering and lavish costumes and 2000 pieces of jewellery are used in the production. Swirling colours in costumes and sets and high-energy music are used in this lavish production featuring the smash hit songs from the biggest Bollywood blockbusters.

Dance and song are incredibly important and often the songs are released before the movie to increase its popularity. The music is written and arranged by Salim and Sulaiman Merchant and also features songs and dances from Bollywood movies from the Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman, composer for Slumdog Millionare. The set designed by Sabu Cyril who was recently awarded Best Art Design in Bollywood cinema.

When Merchants of Bollywood first played in Canberra in 2005, it had a sell-out extended season and launched a number of Bollywood Indian dance classes around the ACT, which continue with unfaltering popularity today. Considered the best touring Bollywood dance musical around, I’m sure many people will return to see it again so get in quick before you miss out.

CANBERRA THEATRE Show DATES
Online Booking - 1 - 7 March 2010
Phone Bookings 6275 2700