Take a look inside the world premiere of the Broadway-aimed Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical. Based on the Bollywood film classic Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and presented in association with Yash Raj Films, the new musical is currently in previews at San Diego's The Old Globe and will officially open September 14. Performances continue through October 16.
Shoba Narayan (Aladdin) stars as Simran, a young Indian-American woman who spends a summer in Europe before she has to go to India for her arranged marriage to a family friend. While traveling, she meets American Rog Mandel, played by Austin Colby (Frozen). The two fall in love, leaving Simran to navigate her heart, future, and identity in this adaptation of Chopra's Bollywood film.
The leads are joined by Irvine Iqbal (Aladdin) as Baldev, Rupal Pujara (In the Heights) as Lajjo, Vishal Vaidya (Road Show) as Ajit, Kinshuk Sen (Much Ado About Nothing) as Kuljit, Kate Loprest (First Date, Hairspray) as Emily “Minky” Soulard, Juice Mackins (The Prom) as Ben, Hannah Jewel Kohn (Frozen) as Cookie, and Jeremy Kushnier (Footloose) as Roger Mandel, Sr.
Rounding out the cast are ensemble members Amita Batra (Unearthed: Untold Stories of the Ramayana), Neha Dharmapuram, Tiffany Engen (Legally Blonde), Rohit Gijare (Bollywood Blvd), Marc Heitzman (Bandstand), Usman Ali Ishaq (Rent), Nika Lindsay (Frozen), Ilda Mason (West Side Story), Caleb Mathura (Jesus Christ Superstar), Meher Mistry (Beauty and the Beast), Shannon Mullen (A Bronx Tale), Shahil Patel (Fairycakes), Zain Patel (Bhangin’ It: A Bangin’ New Musical), Becca Petersen (Mean Girls), Hannah Schreer (Cinderella), Kinshuk Sen (Much Ado About Nothing), Jack Sippel (The Prom), Michael Starr (Bright Star), Geatali Tampy (Bollywood Blvd), and Sonya Venugopal (Evita).
The film's director, Aditya Chopra, helms Come Fall in Love, which features a book and lyrics by Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde) and music composed by Vishal Dadlani and Sheykhar Ravjiani. Chopra made his film directing debut with the show's source material Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, which premiered in 1995 and continues to run in cinemas throughout India.
The creative team features choreographer Rob Ashford (Frozen), Emmy- and Tony-winning set designer Derek McLane (MJ The Musical), Tony-winning costume designer Linda Cho (A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder), Tony-nominated lighting designer Japhy Weideman (Dear Evan Hansen), Tony-winning sound designer Jessica Paz (Hadestown), and projection designer Akhila Krishnan (Our Generation). Music supervision, orchestrations, and arrangements are by David Holcenberg (MJ The Musical), with music direction by Ted Arthur (Diana).
Casting is by Duncan Stewart (Hadestown) and Yash Raj Films casting head Shanoo Sharma (Ek Tha Tiger). Anjee Nero (Almost Famous) serves as production stage manager with Adam Zotovich (The Color Purple) as executive producer. Following The Old Globe production, Yash Raj Films will produce the musical for Broadway.
Visit TheOldGlobe.org.
