A team of 240 artists has been working to set up the stage A 40-feet revolving platform, dozens of LED screens, digital props, 160 dancers and performers will brighten the grand stage at Delhi’s JLN stadium for the musical on Babasaheb Ambedkar’s life. Several Aam Aadmi Party leaders visited the auditorium Tuesday afternoon to take stock of the preparations before the release.
‘Babasaheb: The Grand Musical’, a play on the life of the father of the Indian Constitution, will be released on February 25. With two shows each day, the musical will be staged till March 12. In the 120-minute play directed by theatre artist Mahua Chauhan, Bollywood actor Rohit Roy (53) will play the lead role of Ambedkar. The event was to be hosted last year but was postponed due to rising Covid cases.
Chauhan said the musical isn’t like any other biography and is a message-driven story on one of the most underrated personalities in India. “We didn’t want it to be like other biographical films. Every part of the movie is a message for the youth. We want everyone to know how Ambedkar ji was not only the father of the Constitution but also fought for women empowerment and youth leaders. We are inviting children to watch it, and learn something from the social reformer’s life,” she said.
It took around six months for the script to be finalised and pre-production work. Due to the lockdown last year and Covid-related restrictions, most of the auditions were conducted online.
Chauhan said she was in Dubai and a team of 240 artists has been working very hard to set up the stage and prepare the show. The Indian Ocean has contributed to the music, and several Delhi-based artists and students will be performing contemporary dance and acrobatics.
The Delhi government is hosting the musical and has said it will be one of the biggest shows with a 100-feet stage.
MLA Atishi told the media, “The hall has a capacity of 2,000 persons but we are operating at 50 per cent seating capacity. We are following Covid guidelines and taking necessary precautions. There will be hand sanitising stations at every corner and face masks will be compulsory. We are happy that the first two shows are fully booked.”
Meanwhile, performers are excited as they have been practising for almost a month now. Roy believes the musical is an entertaining Broadway-style film show and said, “It’s not a preachy show. It’s a bright musical with amazing performances and an entertaining script. The scale of the show is mind-blowing. It’s been one of the most challenging roles I have done since I don’t look like Ambedkar. There’s not much visual material or information about him and I feel I have picked up a lot from what I perceive him as. I love the script and keep rephrasing to get the lines better.”
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
