CASTING COMPLETE
Full casting has been unveiled for “Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical,” the English-language musical adaptation of Bollywood blockbuster “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” ahead of its U.K. premiere at Manchester Opera House on May 29.
Previously announced leads Jena Pandya (“Bhangra Nation,” “Mamma Mia”) as Simran and Ashley Day (“An American in Paris,” “Dynasty”) as Rog will be joined by Irvine Iqbal (“The Father and the Assassin”) as Baldev, Kara Lane (“The Addams Family”) as Minky, Harveen Mann-Neary (“Bend It Like Beckham”) as Lajjo, Amonik Melaco (“Austenland”) as Ben, Millie O’Connell (“Six”) as Cookie, Ankur Sabharwal (“Snakes and Ladders”) as Ajit, Kinshuk Sen as Kuljit, and Russell Wilcox (“Exit The King”) as Rog Sr.
The ensemble includes Erica-Jayne Alden (“A Christmas Carol: The Musical”), Tash Bacarese-Hamilton (“Frankie Goes to Bollywood”), Scarlett Behl (“Cinderella”), Sophie Camble (“Singin’ in the Rain”), Gabrielle Cocca (“Frozen: The Musical”), Rohan Dhupar (“Mamma Mia!”), Joe Django (“All England Dance Gala”), Alexander Emery (“Love Never Dies”), Kuldeep Goswami (“Bhangra Nation”), Ella Grant (“Once Upon a Time Tour”), Yasmin Harrison (“Burlesque”), Mohit Mathur (“Beyond Bollywood”), Tom Mussell (“Burlesque”), Purvi Parmar (“Little Shop of Horrors”), Saaj Raja (“Best of Enemies”), Manu Sarswat (“Cake The Musical”), Garrett Tennant (“Mamma Mia!”), Sonya Venugopal (“Life of Pi”), with swings Emily Goodenough (“Sunny Afternoon”), Marina Lawrence-Mahrra (“The Secret Silk”), and Jordan Maisuria-Wake (“Peter Pan”).
The production features book and lyrics by Tony and Olivier Award winner Nell Benjamin (“Mean Girls,” “Legally Blonde”), music by acclaimed Indian composers Vishal Dadlani and Sheykhar Ravjiani, and choreography by Tony, Olivier and Emmy Award winner Rob Ashford.
Directed by Aditya Chopra, who helmed the original Hindi film, the production will feature 18 new English songs. The musical adaptation celebrates the collision of U.K. and Indian cultures, reimagining the beloved romantic comedy that has been playing continuously in Mumbai since its 1995 release, making it the longest-running title in Indian cinema history.
FEMINIST FORERUNNER
Cinema Mentiré will launch a year-long U.K. retrospective dedicated to the work of Argentine director María Luisa Bemberg this year, marking 30 years since her death. The program will launch in May at London’s Ciné Lumière with restored versions of her films “Camila” (1984) and “Miss Mary” (1986). In July, the series continues at Bristol’s Cinema Rediscovered festival with U.K. premieres of “Nobody’s Wife” (1982) and “I, the Worst of All” (1990), before touring other U.K. venues.
Bemberg, who began her filmmaking career in her fifties, was known for her focus on feminist themes and her critique of patriarchal norms in Argentina. Her work gained international recognition, including an Oscar nomination for “Camila.” The retrospective, titled Daring to Dare, aims to introduce her pioneering legacy to British audiences for the first time.
