The Nautanki Mahal at the Kingdom of Dreams, Gurgaon, came alive on April 5 as the musical comedy, celebrating the spirit of the legendary Kishore Kumar, came live on stage. Packed with 19 Bollywood retro songs, ‘Jhumroo’, the latest show by the entertainment destination, saw both the young and old, being bedazzled by the classics of the iconic singer. And while you thought, it couldn’t get any better than their last show ‘Zangoora,’ this one might just prove to be full of surprises.
“While Zangoora incorporated songs from various eras of Bollywood, one of the prime attractions of Jhumroo is the evergreen music of Kishore Kumar. It is a light-hearted musical, celebrating everything Kishore Kumar,” says Viraf Sarkari, director, Wizcraft International Entertainment.
Jhumroo narrates the tale of Bholenath Tripathi, fondly called Bhola by his friends, who is an innocent, fun-loving boy, living with his father and working at an ad agency. Like many other aspirants, he too wants to become a singing sensation and express his love to Meena, his co-worker. Miraculously, the music and spirit of Kishoreda enters his body and he begins to sing like the legend himself.
Played by TV actor Gaurav Gera, who acted in popular soap ‘Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin’, Jhumroo is quite a transformation for him, from geeky Nandu to the jovial and charming Bhola. Playing Meena is Shweta Gulati, known for her roles in TV serials, ‘Remix’ and ‘Dil Mil Gaye’. “With an exclusive compilation of the most popular retro songs from Kishore’s films, the show captivates everyone with numerous twists and turns in the storyline,” says Shweta.
Gera on the other hand, is as excited. “Performing in front of a packed house, with jazzy psychedelic costumes, over-the-top props and bling, opulent sets and state-of-the-art technology to hold it all together, the show is a once-in-a-life-time opportunity. The experience is like watching a movie live, in action,” he says.
The real moment of nostalgia comes with Kishore’s signature expressions ‘Baangdu’ and ‘Gadhau’, when the audience cheers’ peak to their highest. The two-and-a-half hour show, made on a budget of Rs 10 crore, sees over 100 artistes performing. “No aspect of the show has been compromised. With choreography by Ashley Lobo and Pankaj Guglani, dialogues by Darshan Jariwalla, hair and make-up by Ambika Pillai, music direction by Raju Singh, sets by Omung Kumar, costumes by Manish Arora, and direction by Vikranth Pawar, the show boasts of best creative names,” says Sarkari.