Frankie Goes To Bollywood is a story of British born Frankie from Milton Keynes, who lost her mum – an aspirant actress, as a child. She grows up adoring Bollywood, finding solace in films. Though she never aspired to stardom, her deepest desire was to have a loving and big family. Eventually she lands a role in Bollywood and her journey as an actor, forms the premise of the musical. When she reaches Mumbai, Frankie easily captures the spotlight with her unconventional personality and guileless nature, as she ascends the glittering ladder of success. But with each step to fame and fortune, she realises the sacrifices, pain and compromises expected of her to remain relevant, as she fights her longing for a family and community.
Conceived by Rifco's Artistic Director, Pravesh Kumar MBE, Frankie Goes To Bollywood is a dazzling, musical extravaganza, mainly made for the consumption of the second and third generation, young British Asians, many of whom were in the Southbank centre, completely immersed in the show, as I joined them as an audience. Flying chiffon sarees (like in Yash Raj or Shah Rukh Khan films) but with printed scenery, cleverly formed backdrops and scrims, while the hybrid composition of classical Western musical theatre inspired by traditional Bollywood music captivated enthusiasts and fans.
The problem however, with this musical, was its unoriginal plot. The clichéd Bollywood villains – nepotism, ruthless back-stabbing co-workers (such as Shona played by Gigi Zahir), caricatured, old, insecure actor with mummy issues (Geet Sagar as Raju King) in an odd-looking wig, preying on young actresses or replacing old contractual girlfriends (Helen K Wint as Malika) with new ones by promising steady source of acting jobs, may all be true! But we weren’t there to watch a Madhur Bhandarkar film or a documentary on casting couch allegations by the Me Too movement. It unfortunately had the full intent of one but not the seriousness of it. Therefore, fresh thinking, new twists to old plots are crucial to make plays or musicals related to Bollywood, less stereotypical.
Second, although Laila Zaidi (as Frankie) and other actors such as Katie Stasi (played Goldy) were fine-voiced stage singers, the songs and music were far too many, and none were worth remembering. A musical does not necessarily need to be devoid of normal dialogues. What Frankie Goes To Bollywood desperately needs are some popular Bollywood songs rehashed, which an extremely talented singer like Navin Kundra (acted as director Prem) can deliver smoothly.
Overall, a fun watch, if you can go without any expectation.
