Bombay Dreams is a musical from Andrew Lloyd Webber, whose work includes Starlight Express, Cats and Whistle Down The Wind. It is everything you’d expect from Lloyd Webber, loud, colourful, and with fine attention to detail. This is enforced by the fact that Bombay Dreams continues the recent British passion for all things Indian. Bombay Dreams brings Bollywood¹ from the big screen to the stage.

The Story

Set in present day India, Bombay Dreams follows the orphan Akaash on his rise to become a hit Bollywood movie star after escaping the city slums. Akaash falls in love with Priya, the beautiful daughter of the top movie director. Priya’s ambition is to make serious films, and is unhappily engaged to Vikram. Meanwhile, Akaash’s best friend Sweetie looks on, knowing that her love must remain unrequited, as she is a eunuch.

With many unexpected twists, the plot sees Sweetie try to use Akaash’s fame to save the slums. Will Akaash remember his roots, or will fame, and all it brings, make him forget?

The Music

To make Bombay Dreams sound as magical as it does, Andrew Lloyd Webber drafted in A R Rahman, a man who has had more hits than Madonna. Together with Don Black, a lyricist who has worked on several musicals with The Really Useful Company², they have produced a catchy and irresistible soundtrack. It mixes both English and Hindi lyrics. The track listing for the C.D. is:

1. Bombay Awakes
2. Bombay Dreams
3. Like An Eagle
4. Love’s Never Easy
5. Don’t Release Me
6. Happy Endings
7. Ooh La La
8. Shakalaka Baby
9. Are You Sure You Want To Be Famous?
10. I Could You Live
11. Only Love
12. Chaiyya Chaiyya
13. How Many Stars?
14. Salaam Bombay
15. Closer Than Ever
16. Ganesh
17. The Journey Home
18. Wedding Qawwali
19. Bombay Sleeps

There are two big Bollywood numbers, Shakalaka Baby, a colourful piece involving fountains, and later performed as an encore. The song was released in the U.K., managing to reach No.38 in the charts. The other is Chaiyya Chaiyya, completely in Hindi, and allegedly translating as Walking Gently. The rest divides up into heart-wrenching, often romantic ballads, and more fun, energetic numbers.

The Cast

Bombay Dreams is the first British musical to have an all Indian cast. Raza Jaffrey is no stranger to West End musicals, having previously starred in Mamma Mia, a musical based on ABBA’s hits. Priya Kalidas had a small role in the hit British comedy, Bend It Like Beckham, about an Asian girl’s dream to become a footballer.

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