By Neeraj Nanda
MELBOURNE, 2 November 2021: Shifting from theatre to cinema is quite normal in the show business. Few do the reverse. This is what leading film-maker Aditya Chopra is going to do. He made his directorial debut with the blockbuster, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), released in 1995. Popularly called DDLJ, it is one of the highest-grossing movies in the history of Indian cinema and the biggest IP of the country’s rich and diverse movie industry.
After 26 years, Aditya Chopra is set to direct DDLJ again but this time on Broadway. Aditya has been working on this passion project for the past three years and has brought together a stellar, extremely diverse team, comprising some of the best talents of Broadway and India for the same. He will be directing DDLJ all over again but this time as an English language Broadway Musical for a worldwide audience.
‘Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical’ is being produced by Yash Raj Films (YRF). Based on an original story by Chopra, the musical will feature book and lyrics by Laurence Oliver Award-winner Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde, Mean Girls), top Indian songwriters Vishal Dadlani & Shekhar Ravjiani will serve as composers. Tony and Emmy winner Rob Ashford (Frozen, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Boys from Syracuse) will choreograph with associate choreographer Shruti Merchant. The design team will also include set design by Emmy and Tony Award winner Derek McLane (Moulin Rouge!, Hairspray Live!, 33 Variations) and music supervision by Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award-winning Bill Sherman (In The Heights, Sesame Street, Hamilton). Adam Zotovich is the Executive Producer for the project.
Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical is set to be on stage in the Broadway season of 2022-2023, with a World Premiere at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego in September 2022. A global casting search begins shortly headed by Duncan Stewart of Stewart/Whitley casting and Yash Raj Films casting head Shanoo Sharma.
Aditya Chopra is nostalgic and excited. “I’m terribly nervous and incredibly excited. I’m a hardcore cinema guy, I have never done theatre in my life and here I am trying to pull off the craziest ambition of my life. But what is giving me confidence is the fantastic team that I have. Each one of them are masters of their field and their brilliance and expertise is going to make this a fantastic show. The past 3 years as we have developed this passion project, I have learnt so much from them and discovered the unbelievable talent that the Broadway community has. I feel 23 again, the same age I was when I directed DDLJ. I’m once again a student, each one of my team members is more experienced than me in the world of theatre, I’m the rookie and I’m loving every moment of it. I’m all set to learn, explore, create and enjoy with these wonderful theatre artists and the magical world of Broadway Musicals. See you on stage in Autumn 2022 with Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical,” he says.
Nell Benjamin says, “DDLJ was my introduction to Indian filmmaking before I even knew who the amazing Aditya Chopra was, and the movie had such joy and heart that I fell in love with it. I was so happy to be approached to do the musical and I hope my work helps everyone fall in love with Simran and Raj and their journey across multiple cultures to love. The world can always use a little more cultural understanding, and I can’t wait to sit in a theater with an audience sharing the joy and surprise of Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical.”
No doubt, it will be interesting to see Aditya Chopra’s foray into theatre. He is an experienced filmmaker and has assembled well-known names for this different new venture. And, YRF is India’s iconic entertainment brand. The outcome looks promising.