Tuesday 16 August 2016

Gandhi - the Musical - Review

Play: 'Gandhi - The Musical'
Writer & Director: Danesh Khambata
Cast: Chirag Vohra, Nivedita Bautiyal, Abhishek Krishnan, Nishi Doshi & about 20 others.
Featuring: Voice of Boman Irani

Rating: 8.1 / 10 (See Rating Chart below)

I was fortunate to be invited to the opening night of 'Gandhi - The Musical'. Actor Boman Irani opened the play. Mr. Tushar Gandhi was also present to watch this work of art.
'Gandhi - The Musical' tells the well-known story of Bapu in the most heart-warming way possible. The play starts with a young Mr. Gandhi (played by Abhishek Krishnan) entering South Africa and ends with the tragic assassination of the Mahatma  (older version of Mahatma Gandhi played by Chirag Vohra).
The first half is not only colourful and musical, but also has some rather comical moments. There is a court-room scene which is one of the high-lights of the play. The second-half is emotional and dramatic, but Gandhiji's witty remarks and conversations with the British-Raj (personified by the voice of Boman Irani) provide some comical relief.
Although the play does depict Gandhiji's involvement in the freedom struggle, the more emotional and dramatic scenes are those from his personal life and conversations with family and close friends. 
The music and lyrics are to be applauded and blend well with the style of story-telling. The characters act, sing, dance and several times during the course of the play, do all those while walking around the audience's seating area, giving one the impression that one has actually witnessed the freedom struggle first hand.
The set up and props are elaborate and detailed. The play has a huge cast of over twenty. Abhishek Krishnan's acting is commendable. 
In short, if one wishes to see a Broadway style musical in Mumbai, one should rush to watch this gem. For a musical of this scale, timing is crucial, and the actors, stage hands and all those involved, delivered. No Indian can watch the play without feeling patriotic and proud.
Do watch the same as soon as possible: https://in.bookmyshow.com/plays/gandhi-the-musical/ET00043919

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I hope you found this helpful. If you want me to review any other play/movie/event, please say so in the comments below.

Rating Chart:
1.0-2.9: Torture.
3.0-5.5: Waste of time.
5.6-6.9: Decent. But can be skipped.
7.0-7.9: Good. 
8.0-8.6: Great! Don't miss it.
8.7-10:  You can miss the birth of your child for this. This is a greater miracle.

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