Witness the colour, energy and sheer exuberance of Bollywood as a new musical explodes onto the West End stage direct from sell-out performances in Mumbai.
Beyond Bollywood takes audiences on a truly authentic cultural tour of India capturing the fire, heat and desire of Indian dance and bringing together the very best of Bollywood’s creative talent.
It stars Ana Ilmi as Shaily Shergill who, on the quest of fulfilling her mother's dying wish, leaves behind her home in Munich to journey India. Will she follow her mother’s dream or make her own?
So much more than just a musical; it’s a theatrical experience never seen before outside a Bollywood movie and has been written, choreographed and directed by Rajeev Goswami with lyrics by Irfan Siddiqui and an original score by Salim-Sulaiman, with musicians performing live on stage using Indian instruments such as the dhol, pakhawaj, tabla, and sitar.
The show features a company of 42 who, dressed in hundreds of sumptuous costumes, will take you on a journey through Indian classical folk dance.
Here is our guide to some of the dance styles you will see on stage.
Bhangra refers to several types of dance originating from the Punjab region of India. The earliest of these was a folk dance conducted in the central northern areas to celebrate the harvest, whose general practice had ended by the 1947 Partition. In the 1950s, a new folk dance, composed of glimpses of men’s Punjabi dance styles, was created and named bhangra. It attained a standardised form by the 1980s and folkloric bhangra has been widely exported to other countries by Punjabi emigrants.
Bihu is the popular folk dance of Assam and is an integral part of the Bihu festival, which starts in mid-April during the harvesting time and lasts for about a month. Young men and girls perform the Bihu dance together to the accompaniment of drums and pipes. Love is the central subject matter of the songs that are sung during the performance and the dances are performed in circles or parallel rows.
Kathak is the major classical dance form of northern India and is one of the most important traditional dances of India. The word means ‘to tell a story’ and is derived from the dance dramas of ancient India. The most characteristic element is the chukra, a brilliant, whipping turn executed on the spot. The feet work closely together, often with one crossed in front of the other and stamping out unusually complex rhythms. Dancers use a gliding walk and considerable swaying of the body and wear a full skirt to emphasise the speed and excitement of their turns.
Lezim is a folk dance from Maharashtra, named after the small musical instrument with jingling cymbals carried by the dancers. It is frequently used as a fitness drill by schools, militias and other institutions because it involves many callisthenic moves and can be quite strenuous.
Garba hails from the Gujarat region of India and the name is derived from the Sanskrit term garba (womb) and deep (a small earthenware lamp). It is often performed around a centrally lit lamp or a picture or statue of the Goddess Shakti and the circular and spiral shapes have similarities to other spiritual dances, such as those of Sufi culture. Traditionally, it is performed during the nine-day Hindu festival Navaratri.
Kalbelia or Kabeliya is one of the most sensuous dance forms of Rajasthan, performed by the tribe of the same name. Famed for this dance which is an integral part of their culture, both men and women in the tribe participate in this activity to celebrate joyful occasions.
The London Palladium, Argyll Street, W1, May 8 to June 27. Details: beyondbollywoodmusical.com
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