The musical Bombay Dreams opened this week in a riot of lights and color on January 27 in Karachi.
The play – that will run till February 20 – is directed by Shah Sharahbeel who previously produced versions of Moulin Rouge and Phantom of the Opera. It is a local rendition of an Andrew Loyd Webber production that opened in 2002 and ran for two years in London, followed by a Broadway production in 2004.
The original score by A. R. Rahman was used rather than live music or singing and the …

A.R. Rahman turned 43 on Tuesday as television and FM channels played special programmes to mark the day but the music maestro said the celebrations were low key due to Muharram. Speaking at the South India launch of a mobile phone, Rahman said the day was usual for him and there were not much celebrations as the Muslims mourn during the month of Muharram.
Many radio and television channels played his hits from films that included “Roja”, “Bombay”, “Dil Se”, “Rangeela”, “Taal”, “Lagaan”, “Rang De Basanti”, and the more recent “Jaane …

From ‘Salaam Bombay’ to ‘Chakalaka Baby’ to the alluring tune of ‘Chaiyya, Chaiyya’ Chaiyya’, Bombay Dreams – Andrew Lloyd Webber and R.R. Rehman’s musical – manages to keep the audience engrossed in a melodrama based on fabled Indian movie themes of the fight between the good and the evil.
While Bombay Dreams is not as inventive or innovative as one would have expected from the creative skills of Mr. Webber, who after all has hit after hit on Broadway including “Phantom of the Opera” and “Cats’ – but it keeps the …