Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is getting a musical adaptation on Broadway

• The DDLJ Musical will be Aditya Chopra’s first show on Broadway.
• The musical is made by Yash Raj Films and stars Austin Colby and Shoba Narayan.
• Some fans are upset that a British actor is playing the role made famous by Shah Rukh Khan.

The DDLJ Musical, which is based on the movie Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, will be Aditya Chopra’s first show as a Broadway director. The musical is made by Yash Raj Films and stars Austin Colby and Shoba Narayan. Some fans are upset that a British actor is playing the role made famous by Shah Rukh Khan.

The movie Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge came out in 1995 and made Shah Rukh a star. It gave Shah Rukh his image as a romantic hero, which he built on over the next 20 years. The movie was directed by Aditya Chopra, and Kajol, Amrish Puri, Parmeet Sethi, Mandira Bedi, Anupam Kher, and Farida Jalal all played important roles. Raj, played by Shah Rukh, is known as one of the most famous romantic heroes in the history of Indian movies.

Austin will play Rog Mandel in the lead role. The first movie came out in 1995, and Shah Rukh Khan played the main character, whose name was Raj. Austin posted the news on his Instagram account earlier this month. He said, “A few months ago, I hadn’t heard of the movie Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) or known about its global impact. I’m so impressed by this beautiful love story that shows Bollywood at its best. And now, to have worked on Come Fall in Love: The DDLJ Musical with the original director, Aditya Chopra, and to have been given the role of Raj (now Rog) to bring Bollywood to Broadway as a reimagined, inclusive cultural experience will be the greatest honour of my career. I hope I make you proud, @iamsrk.”

Austin hopes that his take on Raj (sorry, Rog) will make Shah Rukh proud, but Shah Rukh fans aren’t too happy about it. Aseem Chhabra, a writer, asked on Twitter, “But what’s the point of seeing DDLJ, the stage musical, without @iamsrk and @itsKajolD?” Some people were more harsh in their opinions. One fan tweeted, “DDLJ musical on Broadway, I hope you get screwed, I hope you stay in development hell, and I hope you realise that no white man will ever be SRK.” In another tweet, it said, “It is completely and totally unacceptable for a white man to play the role of Raj Malhotra in the DDLJ musical.”

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Simran, both the character and the actor who plays her, stays Indian. Shoba will essay the role of Simran which was originally played by Kajol. Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 was the actor’s first show on Broadway. She has also appeared in Growing Up Smith, Quantico, Halal in the Family; Gossip Girl, Coin Heist and Mistress America. Irvine Iqbal plays Baldev, which was played by Amrish Puri before. Rupal Pujara plays Lajjo, which was played by Farida Jalal before, and Vishal Vaidya plays Ajit (originally played by Satish Shah).

Simran, the character, and the actor who plays her, stay Indian. Shoba will play the part of Simran, which Kajol used to play. Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 was the first play that the actor did on Broadway. She’s also been in Growing Up Smith, Quantico, Halal in the Family, Gossip Girl, Coin Heist, and Mistress America. Irvine Iqbal plays Baldev, which was originally done by Amrish Puri. Rupal Pujara plays Lajjo, which was done by Farida Jalal, and Vishal Vaidya plays Ajit (originally played by Satish Shah).

The musical will be based on an original story by Aditya Chopra, and the lyrics will be written by Nell Benjamin, who won the Laurence Olivier Award for her work on Legally Blonde and Mean Girls. Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani, who are both music directors, will make the music, and Emmy winner Rob Ashford and associate choreographer Shruti Merchant will do the choreography. Choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant’s younger sister is Shruti.

The official website says that the first show of the musical will be at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. From September 1 to October 16, 2022, the musical will be put on stage. The official opening is on September 14.

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