Bollywood fans should ready themselves for an all-singing and dancing treat. The Actors Studio Teater Rakyat in collaboration with Sohaila Kapur and with the support of Maxis Berhad will be bringing a musical called Mahim Junction from India. The musical will be staged at klpac from 9 to 12 December.
Written and directed by Sohaila Kapur, Mahim Junction is an entertaining mix of nostalgia and cinema, a snapshot of Bollywood film in the 1970’s. A time when heroes wore their hearts on their sleeves and the villains paved the mean streets of Mumbai with gold. A time to dream, and the time at hand to chase those dreams.
The English-language musical first opened at the world-renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2002, where it ran to full houses at one of the most prestigious theatre venues in the city. An equally successful premiere on Indian soil followed suit in 2008 at New Delhi’s Ashok Theatre.
The story is set in a local train platform in suburban Mumbai. The plot revolves around Rahim, the local dada, a good Samaritan with a heart of gold who is in love with Radha, the belle who has many hearts wanting to beat in tune with hers. Belonging to differing faiths, their fear that their respective families will never accept their love, is real. There is Radha’s harridan mother, who would much rather sell her daughter than help her marry the man she loves. There is the physically challenged brother, who is ready to sacrifice anything for his sister and her happiness with Rahim.
Amidst foot tapping songs and peppy dance numbers, the musical charts its way forward; touching on issues that are real and current, in the irreplaceable film joie de vivre style of the 1970’s.
Sohaila Kapur is the sister of famed Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur. She has carved a name for herself as a journalist, writer, director, anchor, programme coordinator and producer. For the stage, she has also written several award-winning plays including Mahim Junction. She adapted the Ramayana for HBO and anchored an award-winning television documentary for the National Geographic Channel.
Shekhar Kapur comments on Mahim Junction, “I applaud Sohaila and her team members. It is a fascinating premise for a musical and extremely entertaining without losing its inherent social comment on our urban lives.”
Mahim Junction has also toured to Singapore but this is the first time it will be shown in Malaysia. This colourful and highly entertaining musical should not be missed!
The Actors Studio Teater Rakyat presents ‘Mahim Junction’ from 9 to 12 December 2010 at klpac’s Pentas 1. Tickets are priced at RM50, RM40 and RM30 for students and the disabled. Call 03-4047 9000 or walk in to klpac and The Actors Studio @ Lot 10 to purchase tickets. For more information, visit www.klpac.org and www.theactorsstudio.com.my.
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