Feroz Abbas Khan's Mughal-e-Azam: The Musical is returning to Mumbai after two years. A tribute to K Asif's classic masterpiece Mughal-E-Azam (1960), the lavishly mounted stage production has traveled the world for the past six years.
The musical, now in its 18th season, halted its shows in Mumbai because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mughal-e-Azam will stage 14 shows from 21 - 30 October at the Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir in Bandra (West), Mumbai.
Director Khan stated, "Our country and the people have gone through a lot during these two years of the pandemic. The worst is now behind us and all of us can finally come together to celebrate music, poetry, and timeless, magical stories once again. I feel this is the perfect time for Mughal-e-Azam: The Musical to return to Mumbai where we will kick off our 18th season."
Deepesh Salgia, who heads the creative and strategic vision of the play, said, "With Mughal-e-Azam, Shapoorji Pallonji has worked with K Asif in 1950s and now with Feroz Abbas Khan. In every season, this musical has evolved and built more layers of richness and nuance around the basic core of an epic love story. There is a lot more to the musical in its 18th season than the audience has seen before and I am glad that in the post-pandemic era the show is beginning its new journey from its birthplace, Mumbai."
Designer Manish Malhotra has created the musical's regal costumes, which are some of the most expensive in the history of Indian theatre. Choreographer Mayuri Upadhya returns to helm the classic songs, while award-winning lighting designer David Lander is also back.
Emmy-nominated John Narun, known worldwide for his projection design for Madonna's concerts, has lent his expertise to the play. Obie and Helen Hayes award-winning production designer Neil Patel has also successfully brought to life the grandeur of the Mughal era.
Over the years, the musical has picked up many accolades, including the nod for the Best Indian Play at the Broadway World India Awards 2017 with Khan, Malhotra, Upadhya, Patel and Lander winning in their respective categories. The play also won the Best Ensemble Cast award.
Khan believes the production is a collaborative triumph and the dream to turn a monumental film into a Broadway-style musical could not have been realized without the support of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group.
He added, "The musical is the result of the tireless efforts of designers, the lighting crew, actors and technicians who invested their heart and soul in the project and it shows. This musical does not just celebrate the love story of Salim and Anarkali but our love with the audience who have supported us unstintingly over the years. We are thrilled to be back amongst them after what felt like an interminable wait of two years and we could not be happier!"
Tickets for the upcoming shows can now be purchased from the online ticketing portal BookMyShow.