Writer and Director: Sâmir Bhamra
For those of us not well-versed in the traditions and personalities of Bollywood, writer and director Sâmir Bhamra provides some excellent background to 1970s Bollywood in the programme – the decade of the 
superstars. And while the characters in Bombay Superstar are at pains to point out that any resemblance between these characters and real people is coincidental, it’s obvious that this era and the changes it saw both in Hindi cinema and the wider Indian society have inspired Bhamra and Phizzical Theatre in this piece. It’s Bhamra’s love letter to 1970s Bollywood.
A 16-year-old girl is bullied at school because of what others describe as her dysfunctional home life – rather than the multi-generational households that are typical, in her home there is just her and her mother. We soon learn that she is the product of an affair her mother had with a Bollywood director, Din Dayal, known as DD, and after her mother’s death, she goes to Bombay in search of him. Fresh off the train, she is set upon by thugs but is rescued by an up-and-coming Bollywood actor, Sikandar. He’s intrigued when she asks for directions to her father’s studio and introduces her to DD. But he is now married with a new family and spurns her. Undaunted, the girl who is to become Laila, Bombay Superstar, leaves and makes her own way in films starring alongside Sikandar. As their star rises, so that of Sikandar’s rival Vicky fades, and the stage is set for a story set against the unspoken rules in 1970s Bollywood that constrained actors – married women, for example, shouldn’t play romantic leads. Despite his connection with Laila, Sikandar marries fellow actress Mala. Vicky enters into what is in effect a marriage of convenience with actress, Dolly. The fortunes of these five are intertwined with Laila leaving chaos in her wake. And, of course, there’s always a gossip columnist ready to share a sensational story.
The opening of the show is very promising: a well-choreographed sequence tells the story of Laila’s long and confusing train journey to Bombay and her encounter with the thugs at the station. This section is slick and pacy. The whole is punctuated by song and dance sequences inspired by the era, with projected surtitles for those who don’t speak Hindi. These are, as one might expect, colourful and highly stylised. However, the dialogue that links these feasts for the eyes is stilted and lacks fluency as actors seem to pause for a line to fully land before reacting to it, causing the pace to feel stodgy. This is unfortunate as the story is engaging with each character having their own journey to complete and a strong message against what appears to be casual misogyny among some of the characters.
The story of Laila’s problematic romance with Sikandar (Rav Moore) is central to the whole. Moore makes Sikandar happy-go-lucky at first as he grasps the opportunities that working with Laila provides. As his journey progresses, he shows us clearly the tension he feels as he is torn between his feelings for his wife, Mala – his ‘soulmate’ – and for Laila, whom, he says, he loves. Nisha Aâliya’s portrays Laila as she grows from an orphaned teen into Bollywood vamp and darling of the gossip columns. She rails against the constraints she feels as a woman in a man’s world. Supporting Laila in her stand against the arbitrary rules of Bollywood is Mala (Pia Sutaria). Sutaria shows us Mala’s journey as she begins to rail against her husband, ultimately giving him an ultimatum that will have unexpected consequences. Chirag Rao brings us DD for whom scandal is anathema. He, too, is torn; later his distress at not acknowledging Laila will become clear. Providing some light relief is Amar, who brings us the gossip columnist Pammi as she weaves her way in an out of the individual stories, and Robby Khela’s Vicky, whose marriage to Dolly seems to stifle him.
It’s a riot of colour – helped by the lavish period-style costumes and jewellery – and the set pieces work really well. The story touches on a number of important themes – the place of women in society and the unspoken misogyny that restricts their development in their own right rather than as an adjunct to a man chief among them. But the sluggish delivery of the lines deadens some of the impact. Nevertheless, there’s plenty to think about and scope for this to develop into a fine piece of theatre.
Runs Until 22 October and on tour
