Bollywood and Broadway are natural bedmates, after all
they both are all about music, glamour and grand spectacle.
After Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Bombay Dreams, now another Indian film is set for a
Broadway debut. Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding is finally ready for the big stage.
Monsoon Wedding, the film that won the Golden
Lion award and received a Golden Globe Award nomination is ready
for its musical on Broadway and a popular Bollywood actor has been roped in to
play Naseeruddin Shah’s character.
Image Source: Manav Manglani
Monsoon Wedding Musical – What is this project about? And
what is your role in it?
This is what we asked when we met him. And you must be
wondering who it is – well, it’s Jaaved Jaaferi.
He said, “Everybody knows the movie Monsoon Wedding. This
is a Broadway musical version of the movie. It’s directed by Mira Nair. Sabrina
Dhawan has done the screenplay and Vishal Bhardwaj is the music director for
the musical. It’s being treated like a proper Broadway musical. It will open
in Berkeley Repertory Theatre. We will perform for two months and there is
a rehearsal for one month before that. I am playing the role of bride’s father,
which is one of the principal roles – Naseer Bhai had done it in the film. It’s
got mainstream Hollywood producers. For me it’s a very interesting project
because I have never done something like this. I have done shows like
Bolllywood nights with Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan that stretch over a
weekend but this is 8 shows in 6 days. So it’s a very intense project
physically and mentally because you are singing, dancing and acting together. I
am nervous about it and it is exciting because it’s a new territory that I have
not explored. The musical bit has not been exploited in India as much and this
is basically a Punjabi wedding and the individual stories within the wedding -
there are aunties, the element of somebody being gay, an affair with married
man – there are so many elements in the backdrop of a shaadi.”
Talking about the music that is being composed by Vishal
Bhardwaj, Jaaved says, “I love him, he’s fantastic. A director himself, but
here his role is of a music director. The music will have Indian-ness to it.
Even the singing will be Indian style of singing. It will be refreshing.”
How was it meeting Mira Nair?
I have known Mira’s work. Salaam Bombay was when I was
introduced to her work. It was really a strong piece of work. The movie was
very hard hitting and gritty. Later she made Kamasutra, Namesake, Queen of
Katwe, Reluctant Fundamentalist – very interesting film. – I just emailed her
saying ‘Hi’ and she replied saying ‘there are auditions going on and I should
try it’. So, they sent me a scene and a song, I recorded it and sent it across.
They reverted saying if it was possible to take it forward. That time I was in
New York dropping my daughter to college and I auditioned again. I had no
problems auditioning, they liked it and they locked me for the role.
For me, the excitement was to work with a director who I
felt has got some really good performances in the film – and that is Mira. As
an actor I will get to exploit certain dimensions which may be I haven’t
exploited yet. She’s been extremely kind and encouraging to me as an actor and
I find a lot of warmth, and I feel I can learn a lot. Apart from her, producers Margo
Lion, Ruth and Stephen Hendel, and Colin Callender are also attached to the
project – the team is an A grade team. For an actor to be a part of such a team
is a fantastic opportunity.
I had to give up certain things for this. I am hardly
making money for this, just about surviving. But when it goes to Broadway, yes!
That is the main play – but right now, it’s the passion of it, and not the
money you make. For me, that’s the excitement.”
Image Source: images|
Apart from you, who else is in the star cast?
All are American Indians. One or two are white actors.
It’s me and Namit Das from India. He plays Vijay Raaz’s character from Monsoon
Wedding.
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