Chasing stardom through dance

Nadir Khan's 'Mumbai Star' offers the experience of a Western dance musical rooted in a modern Indian context

- Prachi Sibal

The seventh edition of Aadyam Theatre Festival features, among other plays, Mumbai Star, a musical directed by Nadir Khan. The story of an underdog, this production was conceived as a project by the Min-On Concert Association, Tokyo, and it has now come to India with a renewed vision. When you start watching the newly minted Mumbai Star, you instinctively know what to expect. The story is full of every imaginable Hindi film trope.

A young boy Dev, from a coastal village in Maharashtra, hopes to make it big in Maximum City. The story takes you through hardships in the city, young love, discovery of a mentor, and a reality show that promises to transform lives.

Produced by Devika Shahani and choreographed by Avantika Bahl, the cast features 15 dancers and two actors—Rajit Kapur and Srishti Shrivastava. From its earlier dance musical avatar that toured Japan in 2023, it has been reimagined with a fresh narrator's arc by writers Akarsh Khurana and Arghya Lahiri.