Limelight Bravo Bombay By Lubna Abdel Aziz Lord Webber has done it again. The Phantom of the Opera himself, father of Evita and lover of Cats has now had his Bombay Dreams realised. The newest musical hit of London's West End is another production presented by Sir Anthony Lloyd Webber himself, whose phenomenal successes have known no equal since the glory days of Rodgers and Hammerstein. This time around, Webber turned his attention to that dominant Indian influence in London's everyday life. The vast British Empire, on which once upon a time 'the sun never set', has drawn the various cultures to its shores with the growing independence of its dominions. No other influence is as immense or as obvious as the Indian influence, primarily due to the sheer number of the Indian population, which exceeds 2 million in London alone. Indicative of this influence is the selection of legendary film star Amitabh Bachchan, star of the millennium in a BBC poll conducted at the close of the century. The other reason is undoubtedly the rich culture and enchanting music of that ancient land, which clings to you like the biting taste of curry, leaving you thirsty and longing for more. This phenomenon is attributed to a city far, far away from London, called Bombay, where a film industry has been mushrooming since the birth of the century. They call it Bollywood. India's answer to Hollywood and its major rival in world revenues, produces hundreds of films annually enjoyed in more than 50 countries, second only to the US. Their hero and 'inamorato' Amitabh Bachchan, is better known amongst Indians than Mhatma Ghandi. No people on earth love their films as much as Indians do. This love started with the birth of the film industry at the turn of the 19th century. The Lumière Brothers were responsible for launching the seventh art by introducing six short films at the Watson Hotel, Esplanade Mansion, Bombay, exactly 106 years ago, 7 July , 1896. Three years later Harischandra Bhatvadekar exhibited the first Indian short film under Edison's projecting kinetoscope. The industry grew from infancy to maturity in a few short years aided by concentration, dedication, and a great love for this new form of art combining their favourite melodrama, rhythmic music, catchy songs, graceful dances and presenting them all together on one splendid celluloid platter. By 1920, Indian cinema had assumed the dimensions of a regular industry. By 1931, they produced their first 'talkie' directed by Ardeshir Irani in Bombay, shortly followed by other talkies in Bengal and South India. A film in colour was attempted by Ardeshir Irani as early as 1937. After WW II, films were being produced celebrating Indian independence (1947) from British rule in different styles and different languages. But it was Bombay that held the first International Film Festival in 1952. The arrival of Satyajit Ray marked a turning point in the history of Indian film when his classic Pather Panchali, gained international recognition by winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes (1955) for best human document. From that moment onward there was no stopping them. For the first time in its history Cannes Film Festival, 2002, reserved a special section for the appreciation of Bollywood productions. In nearly nine decades Bollywood has yielded 27,000 feature films establishing a vast film empire competing with that other film capital with the similar-sounding name. Indians have immigrated to every corner of the globe with contingencies in South Africa, the Gulf countries, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, US, Canada apart from the UK. Wherever the Indians go, their films and their food go with them. With curry and chutney now international favourite foods, it was inevitable that their exotic films, their melodies, the romantic strains of their sitar, the striking beauty of their leading ladies and the dark and daring magnetism of their dashing heroes would eventually reach the hearts of the West despite all of Rudyard Kipling's poetic protests. Of course, he did not know then the strength and might of the Seventh Art, which proved to be the best meeting ground for East, West, North and South. Little Andrew Webber, born 1948, was lucky to have his Aunt Vi. Though he always loved music, it was Aunt Vi who introduced him to the theatre. He followed her advice and started writing his own music after studying for years at Westminster and Oxford. Lyricist Tim Rice and Andrew met in 1965. By 1968, he and Rice attended the opening of their first musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. It was followed in 1971 by the shockingly moving Jesus Christ Superstar. Their biggest hit explored the life of Eva Peron (Evita), wife of President Juan Peron of Argentina, who rose from destitution and prostitution to be the most powerful lady in the land. Don't Cry for me Argentina, Evita's haunting song, was heard in every country and in every language, and Andrew Lloyd Webber became both a success and a celebrity. It was his next musical Cats, inspired by a collection of poems by T S Elliot, that Webber reached heights heretofore unheard of. Cats became the longest running and the highest grossing musical in history. Memory, one of the most popular songs of the decade, was recorded by every singing star including the greatest diva of all, Barbara Streisand. Webber, now truly famous and unbearably rich, was ready to start a musical about trains. Starlight Express, the most expensive musical created up to that point, opened in 1984. It closed in April, after an 18- year run at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, in order to make room for Bombay Dreams. In 1997, Andrew was knighted Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and is currently working on a sequel to Phantom of the Opera. Since its opening on 19 June 2002, Bombay Dreams has been the subject of numerous British TV and radio programmes -- debating and discussing its novelty and merits, spotlighting its stars and producers. The music by A R Rahman, lyrics by Don Black and book by Meera Segal, is based on an idea by Webber and Shekhar Kapur, famous director, actor, producer, nephew of the great filmmaker Vijay Anand. Producer Webber is being widely praised while earning a bunch of euros at the box office. A simple love story, it unveils the universal theme of dreams and ambitions, "the desire to accomplish, stressing the importance of culture and roots". Bombay Dreams brings a new angle, set against a backdrop of Bollywood, presenting the stark contrasts of romantic fantasy and the harsh reality of Bombay. The British Press has been effusive in its praise. The Daily Mail: the show brings to a mainstream audience "the astounding musical sounds of Westernised 'ragas' and 'thumping' of composer Rahman's rhythmically shifting chorales, with beautiful vocal variations". The Daily Telegraph: "Rahman's wonderfully fresh, exciting and sometimes yearningly romantic score...in which Indian sounds are brilliantly combined with the beats of modern dance music". The Express: "What a weird and wonderful hybrid, this new Bollywood musical is! With its lavish sets, huge dance numbers and West End pazzazz, it has Lloyd Webber's paw prints all over it." This glorious, eye-dazzling, soul-stirring show has Londoners queuing up for hours in anticipation of some Bombay magic -- its musical beat, knockout costumes, sultry saris. Everyone wants a piece of Bollywood -- the colour, the movement, the fountains, the infectious rhythms, the romantic melodies, the wonderful choreography. London's Westerners as well as London's Easterners are lapping it all up. Western music has been appreciated by the East for decades. The time has come for the West to appreciate the once strange and mysterious rhythms of Eastern music, with its unique character, complex harmonies and exotic sounds. The time was ripe for that East -West rendez-vous, thanks to Andrew Lloyd Webber and his Bombay Dreams.
