Highly acclaimed musical extravaganza, The Merchants of Bollywood, will be making its first and only stop in Asia when it hits Malaysian shores in July. Organised by Asiapromote Ventures Sdn Bhd and LD Sports Sdn Bhd, the musical will be held in conjunction with this year’s Kuala Lumpur Festival.
Featuring music composed by Oscar-winning composer A.R Rahman, the all-singing, all-dancing Bollywood musical extravaganza that has already been hailed as a spectacular success by audiences and critics in the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, South Africa and Australia is now set to enthrall Malaysia.
Making its debut in Asia after a five-year international tour, the musical comes into Malaysia in conjunction with the Kuala Lumpur Festival 2009. The Merchants of Bollywood will feature its original cast who has been travelling around the world performing to sold-out theatres. The musical will also be the only international production staged at Istana Budaya this year.
Making a special appearance at the launch, are producer Mark Brady, writer/director Toby Gough as well as top Bollywood and multi-award winning choreographer, Vaibhavi Merchant, who is known as the Queen of Romance in the industry. She is from the dynastic family around which the legend of The Merchants of Bollywood is woven.
The Times of London commented, “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 Merchants of Bollywood tells the tale of Ayesha Merchant, the granddaughter of Shantilal Merchant, one of Bollywood’s most acclaimed choreographers from the Hindi film industry’s golden era.
Shantilal has taught Ayesha Indian Classical dance in their home in Rajasthan, but Ayesha has dreams of making her name in Bollywood. Ayesha then abandons home for Mumbai and finds great success in films. However, the emotional pull of her ailing grandfather and her childhood sweetheart Uday, lure her home.
The narrated story unfolds in the form of high-energy dance routines, by a terrific company – all with toned bellies and perfect bodies. Audiences in Malaysia can look forward to a cast whose energy is electrifying and dance moves suffused with a rush of joy and yet ruthlessly precise. The musical showcases the artistry of Indian Classical dance fused with modern dance genres, funk, disco and hip-hop.
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 epicenter 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 take Kuala Lumpur and the country by storm. 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 is a musical with 1,200 costume changes and 2,500 pieces of Indian jewellery for a cast of 53 as well as 40 years of Bollywood history wrapped up into 90 minutes of swirling colours, sparkle, shimmer, and electrifying energy that excites the senses.
The show is written and directed with verve by one of Kylie Minogue’s best friends, the award-winning director, Toby Gough. He 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 – that’s when the idea of a Bollywood musical was born“
The musical’s final number, It’s Time to Disco, taken from the Bollywood hit, Kal Ho NaaHo, is bound to have any audience on their feet and dancing!
The Merchants of Bollywood will be held in Malaysia from July 14 to 26, 2009 at the 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.
Featuring music composed by Oscar-winning composer A.R Rahman, the all-singing, all-dancing Bollywood musical extravaganza that has already been hailed as a spectacular success by audiences and critics in the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, South Africa and Australia is now set to enthrall Malaysia.