Guess Which Bollywood Actor Will Play Naseeruddin’s Role From Monsoon Wedding On Broadway?

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.”


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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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