Shilpa's Miss Bollywood to Hit the Stage in London

PTI

London, Nov 22: Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty has said that the response to her debut musical 'Miss Bollywood' has been 'fantastic' and tickets for the final show at the Royal Albert Hall here on December 12 has almost been sold out.

"It is truly my privilege and a great platform to showcase India's culture," Shetty told newsmen last night.

In the musical, Shilpa Shetty leads a performing group of over 40 leading dancers from Bollywood and beyond.

Miss Bollywood is set against the backdrop of London as the city prepares for the 2012 Olympics. It follows the story of 'Maya' - performed by Shilpa Shetty --a classically trained dancer and choreographer who recently arrived from India to set up a dance academy in a soon to be demolished East London building.

Maya soon finds herself thrust into the limelight, where she must either sink or swim. Her tribulations include the unwanted attentions of a famous but predatory choreographer and a jealous diva.

It is a concoction of riveting dance sequences, showcasing a combination of eclectic dance forms taken from the east and west of India, with Shilpa Shetty re-capturing on stage some of Bollywood's greatest hit songs over the past 40 years.

Miss Bollywood also takes a gentle look at the cultural divide between characters with Asian heritage but who consider themselves totally British and those who are from India in search of fame and fortune in Europe's multi-cultural capital city.

The Olympic ideals of fair play and trying one's very best are the inspiration for the storyline and setting, in keeping with the tone of a spectacular show that places entertainment and wow factor as its top priorities.

Shilpa Shetty said: "The project has been a labour of love in its entirety, and seeing its fruition, from the initial concept into a tangible realization has been a dream come true.

"Miss Bollywood will appeal not only to fans of Bollywood films and their super catchy hit songs but also to the mainstream audiences for high energy dance or musical theatre. Extravaganza is the right description."

Farhath Hussain, producer, promoter and organizer of the musical said he planned to take the musical to Australia, USA and Dubai in due course.

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