The musical “Come Fall in Love,” written and directed by Aditya Chopra (the man behind the success of “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge”), will premiere on September 14 at The Old Globe in Balboa Park in San Diego, California.
A “celebration of inclusivity and diversity in a world that is getting increasingly polarised,” as the creators of the musical put it.
Chopra elaborated on the inspiration for the film in a statement. “I originally envisioned the plot of DDLJ (before it was even called DDLJ) as a classic Hollywood love story between a white American man and an Indian woman.
When I first started out, I was really driven by a desire to share Indian culture and values with the rest of the world.
Even as I adapt the story for a Broadway musical, years later, my central goal of showcasing Indian culture to a global audience remains the same.
From the perspective of an outsider to a culture, the most accurate picture of that culture and its values can be painted.
According to Chopra, “that’s where ‘Come Fall In Love’ (CFIL), the story of Indian Simran and her heritage as seen by American Roger, begins.”
He brought attention to the fact that CFIL’s attention was on Simran. Chopra explained that the book tells the story of an Indian American woman named Simran.
She is at the centre of the story of the musical, as she struggles to balance her love for Roger with her love for Indian tradition and her family.
He is a white man from the United States who first falls madly in love with Simran, and then goes on to fall in love with her culture and her country. In the color, values, and way of life of India, he finds a new and better version of himself.
A press statement that was issued by the people who created CFIL claims that it has many firsts for both India and Indians. According to the statement, Aditya Chopra is the first Indian director to ever make his debut on Broadway.
“For the first time ever,” In addition to that, it is the first time that a Bollywood musical has been performed on Broadway.
Composers Vishal Dadlani and Sheykhar Ravijani make their first appearances here as well. As an associate choreographer, Shruti Merchant will be participating in her first Broadway musical.
Shoba Narayan (‘Simran,’ a Bharatanatyam dancer and Broadway artist who most notably played Princess Jasmine in Broadway’s Aladdin) and British actor Austin Colby, who essays the character “Roger Mandel,” lead the cast of 30, which Chopra directs.
Emmy and Tony winners and nominees like Derek McLane (set design), Linda Cho (costumes), Japhy Wiedeman (lights), and Jessica Paz (sound) are on the creative team.
Chopra made it abundantly clear that he would not be directing DDLJ for a theatrical production on Broadway. “I’m adapting it as “Come Fall in Love” to tell the story of how powerful love is in unifying cultures, especially in today’s world,” she said.
The idea that in 2022, DDLJ could be adapted to present a vision of different cultures coming together in a story that celebrates love and the power it has to unite everyone, Chopra said, “moves me greatly.”
He continued by saying, “For me, Austin Colby as Roger and Shoba Narayan as Simran are the perfect vehicles to drive home this message of cultural unification in a fragmented world.”
.. In addition to being an expression of my sincere vision of “love in every colour,” as the final number of the musical puts it, “Come Fall in Love” is also a celebration of joy, togetherness, and inclusivity in a world that is becoming increasingly toxic due to intolerance.
In addition to that, it is a love letter to India and the Indian heritage that each of us carries with us wherever we go.
Chopra continued by saying, “I have departed from some aspects of the film that our fans revere in order to make a new DDLJ for a new moment and a new audience.”
But I believe that the song “Come Fall in Love” beats with everything that is essential to “Daydream Believer,” even as it speaks, sings, and dances to this moment, in a different place and time, with hope, optimism, and love.
He emphasised that DDLJ holds a unique place in the hearts of every Indian, and he expressed the hope that every Indian would be proud of the fact that a stage adaptation of the cult classic film is headed for Broadway. He also said that DDLJ has a special place in the hearts of all Americans.
(Performances at The Old Globe will begin on September 1 and will run through October 16, 2022; the official opening will be on Wednesday, September 14, 2022.)