It is a late Monday evening, and a largely empty auditorium at Bandra in Mumbai is about to witness an epic battle. Emperor Akbar and Prince Salim—of the 1960s’ classic Mughale-Azam—are confronting each other. Akbar is dressed in body-hugging blue T-shirt and denims. Salim, his son, is in a black tracksuit. Both of them are wielding swords, and are being carried by extras standing in for horses.
A number of soldiers—in kurtas and denims, and holding flags and props denoting the infantry and cavalry—soon charge across the stage. Another group runs hither and thither to simulate chaos. The stage is lit up in dark grey and shining silver, and in its backdrop is a palatial fortress. What is happening is a rehearsal—the effort is to recreate the elaborate battle scene in the film.
Watching a big-screen magnum opus play out as a Broadway-style musical can be surreal. But the settings are magnificent enough. The epic Sheesh Mahal dance number in the film—‘Pyar kiya to darna kya’, aced by the ever-charming Madhubala— comes out alive in all its resplendence.
Indeed, there are limitations of space and technology to precisely recreate Anarkali’s reflections in the hundreds of tiny mirrors, as shown in the film. But the stage version overcomes them, thanks to dozens of glass panels dangling from the ceiling. The experience is elevated as Anarkali (played by Priyanka Barve and Neha Sargam) actually sings on stage to a pre-recorded orchestral and choral score, boosted by the reverberating sound of ghunghroos (anklets) worn by the dancing crew.
Bu hikaye THE WEEK India dergisinin October 30, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye THE WEEK India dergisinin October 30, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.