Merchants of Bollywood

Slumdog Millionaire is one of the year's biggest pop culture icons and all things Bollywood are hotter than ever. Perfect timing for the musical Merchants of Bollywood to dance into Kuala Lumpur. Having made stops in United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, South Africa and Australia, KL is the only Asian stop for this well-received production.

Described as a “high-octane pleasure” in a review by The Times, Merchants of Bollywood is the first Bollywood production birthed in Film City, Mumbai. Written and directed by Australian Toby Gough and produced by Mark Brady, audiences will be wowed by the music, which featured compositions by Slumdog's composer A.R. Rahman and choreography by the renowned Vaibhavi Merchant—whose own family dynasty inspired the fictional story of this musical.

Merchants of Bollywood is the story of Ayesha Merchant. The granddaughter of legendary choreographer Shantilal Merchant, she is trained from a young age in the art of Indian classical dance. She is drawn to the bright lights and glamour of Bollywood but love and filial piety gnaw at her conscience. Amidst 1,200 costume changes and 2,500 pieces of Indian jewellery, you'll see how traditional dance is seamlessly fused with more modern genres like funk, disco and hip hop. This is a rare chance to catch a stage production that's bursting with glamour, extravagance, colour and feel-good vibes… everything a good Bollywood flick should have.

Text Sarah Chan