*Theatre Review: Bombay Dreams* **
Faiza Dar Exaggerated accents, cheeky comments, melodramatic situations and infectious laughs, if all this doesn't occur then it is definitely not written by Meera Syal. British born Meera Syal has created a tidy corner for herself in Britain by presenting Indians in all their glamour, traditions and idiosyncrasies and not once stepping down to ridicule or insult. Her play Bombay Dreams set in Bombay and full of Bollywood mannerisms, loud colours, singing and dancing was immensely popular, and had a long running success in London (2002) and Broadway. (April 2004 to Jan' 2005). Bombay Dreams appears to be in perfect tune with the contemporary cultural scene. Director Shah Sharabeel has helmed plays Phantom of the Opera, Moulin Rouge, and You Only Marry Twice in Lahore. Each production boasts of young and talented new faces, complemented with lavish and elaborate settings. A lot of attention in Shah Sharabeels productions goes to extensive stage settings, dance sequences and costumes, in order to capture the foreign sensibility. Bombay Dreams yet another musical appears vaguely with the same formula yet is nothing like the previous plays staged. Bombay Dreams captures the entire Bollywood setting with just a simple yet suggestive backdrop. A simple plot of a star-crossed couple pictured against the slums of Bombay and the glittering lights is brought to life by the colourful costumes, elaborate dance sequences and the musical score. The musical score provided by A R Rehman features songs like Shaka laka baby and Chaiyan Chaiyan is definitely going to be one of the clinch factors. The entire cast obviously worked to perfection is a delight to watch; the characters Akash and Vikram played by Zach Khar and Gohar Rashid are devoid of any kind of stereotypical swagger of Bollywood films and have a natural presence as they weave between both the English and Urdu languages. Eunuchs, despite being on the margins of society are in fact centre stage in this play, and would keep the audience in giggles throughout as all three actors have done a tremendous job in keeping their saris on and prancing about. http://thepost.com.pk/ShowBizNews.aspx?dtlid=154180&catid=9 -- regards, Vithur Whatever God wants to give, no one can deny; Whatever God wants to deny, no one can give. Be happy always
