The legendary actors Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, and Madhubala have to date kept their aura alive through their performances, especially Mughal-e-Azam. Decades later, the iconic film was recreated into a musical by theatre director Feroz Abbas Khan. In an exclusive chat with The Pioneer, he discusses the musical in depth and also shares the making of the musical.
Tejal Sinha
Jab pyaar kiya toh darna kya, pyaar kiya koi chori nahi ki, chup chup aahe bharna kya (Why fear if you’re in love? You’re in love; it’s not a crime. Why should we hide and sigh?). This iconic lyric from the 1960s classic Mughal-e-Azam, starring legendary actors Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Durga Khote, and the unforgettable Madhubala is still remembered for its magical aura.
Decades later, theatre director Feroz Abbas Khan had brought the masterpiece live through his musical, Mughal-e-Azam: The Musical. Later in 2017, the musical bagged over seven awards at the Broadway World Awards.
After running successfully for over 17 seasons in India, the musical had recently premiered in North America and was staged at multiple venues, including New York’s legendary Lincoln Centre for the Performing Arts. As soon as we got to know about this, we quickly interacted with the theatre director to bring you some exclusive details about the recreation of the classic.
From the moment this idea germinated, Feroz was aware of the almost impossible odds they were up against. It’s not a cakewalk to honour the memories and cinematic lore attached to this film, pay tribute to majestic icons like Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, and Madhubala, and capture the grandeur of one of the most glorious period films made in India. But the response that the musical has received through its eighteen seasons now, proves that they’ve done justice to the classic.
“The fact that Shapoorji Pallonji Group, the producers of K. Asif’s Magnum Opus, came on board made the realisation of this dream easy, but our first instinct still was to plan just the first season,” enthused the theatre director. “However, fate, I guess, had other plans, and today we are on to our 18th season. It was tough to carry forward a beloved classic’s legacy in a different medium, interpret it in a unique voice, reinterpret gender equations in keeping with the changing times, and recreate a bygone era on stage with live performances, but we did it.”
Feroz was always mesmerised by the grandeur, emotional gravitas, music, poetry, and sheer beauty of this K. Asif classic and had a dormant dream to adapt it to the stage as a musical. When the colourized version of Mughal-e-Azam was released in 2004, that desire just grew stronger for him. “The musical is inspired by the film, but it has also emerged from India’s syncretic, cinematic, and dramatic traditions. The film itself was inspired by a 1922 play called Anarkali, and now the story has come to full circle with our theatrical adaptation of the film.”
Every time someone recreates a classic, there’s a high chance of comparison with the original. In order to hold a candle to capture the essence of the era, he said, “The logistics of this endeavour were formidable. How do you design sets that capture that era, the transition from one sequence to another, match the elaborate period costumes, recreate war scenes, and condense the sprawling narrative into just 50 scenes? And yes, you always worry that the adaptation will fall short of the original, but it is very heartening that the audience has appreciated the musical as a work of art in its own right.”
Mughal-e-Azam not only celebrates a cinematic milestone but also revisits the music, poetry, and passion that K. Asif invested in it. The musical is a nod to the syncretic values that have informed not just cinema in India but also our artistic traditions for centuries. And of course, the aim was also to memorialise the most important aspect of the film: its love story and the way the lovers rebel against an unjust social order. The class struggle depicted in the film is still relevant, and that thread runs through the play as well.
Recreating the theme, the plot, the sets, et al, was not the only task. Casting performers who could do justice to legendary actors like Dilip Kumar, Prithviraj Kapoor, or Madhubala. And that’s what it was for the makers, too. So, how did they manage to bring it all together so well on stage? “It would be impossible to find performers who could look like Dilip Saab, Prithviraj Kapoor, or Madhubala, so we searched for actors who could capture the essence of the characters they were to play.
We wanted actors who could deliver histrionics and had the ability to sing and dance as well, and that bit was tricky. But season after season, we have managed to strike the right balance between charisma and solid acting chops and have found actors who can deliver this story with conviction and passion,” shared the connoisseur, who shared that while they’re on a 13-city tour in the US, the team is going to make sure to ensure that the intensity of the performers is not diluted because of the tough schedule.
The musical has performers who are professionals and quite familiar with the rigours of live performances and extensive rehearsals that leave no room for error. And so, he continued, “Post the pandemic, the actors are hungrier than ever to perform and want to do their best in global arenas. This is our biggest-ever international tour, and they are eagerly looking forward to entertaining the American audience. As a director, I also do what I can to keep the cast and crew inspired. Technology and stage design, lighting, sound, and special effects also help create a more immersive experience for the actors as well as the audience.”
Now, since it is a musical, the actors had to be someone who could sing and also dance live. To do a live musical is not easy, but they have managed to pull it off gracefully. People had often asked Feroz, “Why did he not let the actors just lip-sync?” If you’d wondered it too, here’s what he has to say: “The answer to that is that the audience, in that case, might as well watch the film and its glorious song and dance sequences. The live energy is what sets the musical apart.”
The most famous love stories in the world are about rebellion against an entrenched social order and conventions. They are not just about two people, but what they are up against. Love is a transformative force that changes and challenges societies, which is why it is met with so much resistance in every era. And Mughal-e-Azam reminds people of the politics of inconveniently loving someone who is not from your world, your social, or your economic milieu.
“The musical is not contributing anything new to this narrative but joining it,” remarked the director. On a concluding note, the director gleefully shared, “Post the pandemic, I see a greater hunger among the audience for live entertainment. The response our recent shows received in Mumbai was phenomenal. Theatre, in any case, is not about stars but the matchless experience of a live performance where human beings connect with human beings. Theatre has a power that outlives stardom and box-office calculations. It is one of the few organic art forms left in the world, and for that reason, it will never become obsolete.”
