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Theatre Review: Mughal-e-Azam
Director Feroz Abbas Khan has not just taken up the daunting challenge of dramatising a classic on stage but has done it magnificently well, with a staggering cast and crew of over 300 people.
There are many reasons why the musical Mughal-e-Azam should be on your theatre bucket list. Firstly, it’s the epic retelling of one of Bollywood’s most popular movies, the 1960 Dilip Kumar and Madhubala-starrer directed by K Asif.
Secondly, after 'Zangoora' and 'Beauty And The Beast', it’s one of the few grand-scale Broadway musicals coming from India. For a generation that has heard but perhaps not watched the film, this production is a great way to introduce them to Salim-Anarkali’s heart-wrenching love saga. The new tribute has all the dramatic elements you want from a musical — thunderous dialogues, melodious songs and mesmerising dance sequences. Add to this, it has a contemporary feel to it. Some might criticise 'Mughal-e-Azam', calling it an extravagant production, that’s only embellished with opulent costumes and sets. But credit is due to director Feroz Abbas Khan (of 'Tumhari Amrita' fame) for painstakingly adding little theatrical details to adapt it in the format of a play.
He has not just taken up the daunting challenge of dramatising a classic on stage but has done it magnificently well, with a staggering cast and crew of over 300 people. If you have trouble understanding the language, there are LED screens displaying summarised English subtitles of the dialogues, but these are distracting and could be done without. The highlights: The live performances of 'Mughal-e-Azam’s' hit songs, including the evergreen 'Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya', transport you back to a nostalgic era, one you don’t want to come out of. Casting director Mukesh Chhabra has accomplished the overwhelming task of getting actors who could sing and dance, while Manish Malhotra’s glamourous costumes and the lavish sets by award-winning technicians make the play look ethereal.
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