Nautanki and Naach-gaana are the two things that define Bollywood. The pseudo gaon of Gurgaon, the sister city of Delhi has grown many times in the last few years in terms of not just the number of malls and offices. Previously just an office hub, Gurgaon now competes with Delhi in the sheer number of entertainment options that it provides.
Set up in Gurgaon, The Kingdom of Dreams is an entertainment center that plays Indian versions of Broadway musicals. Bollywood reigns supreme in all the shows they have with dance and music galore. I was fortunate to find the time to watch their theatrical production Jhumroo which is a tribute to the singing sensation of the yesteryears, the very versatile Kishore Kumar. Jhumroo is produced by the Great Indian Nautanki Company, which is a joint venture between Wizcraft and Apra group.
I went to the 840 seater plush Nautanki Mahal that was hosting the show I had come to watch. A fairly large auditorium, we looked forward to the evening of razzmatazz and glamor.
The story revolves around the life of one of his ardent fans, Bholenath Tripathi played by the Gaurav Gera of Jassi Jaisi koi nahi fame, who loves to sing but is terrible at it! In Bollywood style, thrown in is a girl played by Shweta Gulati who he wants to woo. While he takes part in a nation-wide singing contest on TV to win her heart, Kishore Kumar descends from the heavens to help him achieve his desire. If he manages to do so despite the reality of his voice, is what the story is about, but well this would be obvious to those who watch Bollywood, but then again, that is immaterial in this musical comedy.
With gliders and motors that fly, brilliant backdrops that appear and disappear effortlessly, imagery that is projected on three screens and the walls of the theater, dancers who descend from the stage with bright props, the execution of all the effects in this musical is brilliant and seamless. I have watched musicals such as the immensely acclaimed Lion King and Mary Poppins, but I would certainly say this one was at completely different level and I enjoyed it many times more! While the story and the slapstick comedy plodded along at times, the dancers mesmerized as they whirled and lit up the stage (literally too) in their flamboyant costumes, and vivacious choreography.
Kishore Kumar’s hit songs including Om Shanti Om, Saamne yeh kaun aaya, Ek ladki bheegi bhaagi thi, Hawa ke saath saath and many more were included in this musical and had the audience tapping their feet and even participating in the dance at the end with gusto!
The Kingdom of Dreams, is not just a venue to house fantastic shows, but an experience. Built to represent the culture of India, one can visit the foodcourt and stores themed around the various states of India. All in all, a fantastic experience, and I left humming the songs of Kishore Kumar.
I hear the other show called Zangoora is even better than Jhumroo and I can’t wait to be back here to be able to catch that show!
The Roaming Diaries 
When I was young I used to wait for the summers when my family would go to our village. Nautankis were often around during the marriage season, back in the 80’s before they were hijacked by the local ‘orchestras’ and later on by VCRs. I’d sneak out with my cousins to watch them while father would be deep asleep on the terrace in the nights, but that is another story…
I was quite surprised to learn about the musical in Gurgaon; thanks for bringing it to my screen. What they ended dishing out however was apparently a typical desi let-down, at least to me. I was never born for the slapstick.