Culture Editor Vidhi Bhanushali reviews Frankie Goes to Bollywood, finding it to be a brilliantly executed musical catering to both British and Indian audiences.
The Wolverhampton Grand Theatre became a magical place for dreams, talent, music and just enough Bollywood ‘masala’ with Frankie Goes to Bollywood. It had the glittering touch of Indianness combined flawlessly with the English way of storytelling. Such portrayal gave more than just justice to every single actor/dancer/singer on stage throughout the show. The background score throughout the play included live tabla and instruments that aided the Indian touch. I enjoyed every single bit of the play and was mind-blown by its detailed execution.
The story revolves around Frankie, a brown girl born in England, who wishes to be united with her mother. And so, Frankie would watch her films on repeat, hoping that one day, she would be able to go inside the screen in a world of magic. Frankie had a tough childhood but her older cousin Goldie looked after her like a mother.
It had the glittering touch of Indianness combined flawlessly with the English way of storytelling.
It was Goldie’s dream to become a renowned actress but the film-makers chose Frankie over her, given her beauty and body standards. Goldie’s aspirations are crushed yet she supports Frankie as she leaves for Film City, Mumbai- the world of Bollywood films.
This is only the beginning for Frankie. As she becomes more and more familiar with the actual world out there, she faces some harsh realities that distract her from the purpose of her decision to come to India- to keep her mother’s promise and make her proud. Frankie grows from her experience as she manages to handle the life of fame and lies.
But that is not enough, she must learn to survive in the ruthless industry where everyone is focused on creating an image for themselves. Once she understands the gravity of wrongness in the mindset of the film-makers and the audience, she steps out of that vicious circle and creates her own group of authentic creators. That’s how Frankie became a Bollywood star.
Truth be told, the Bollywood industry has its own set of unwritten rules that command a blind following even by those in supreme control of power. That was perfectly portrayed in the story. The glamorised perception of Bollywood in the global audience only puts fuel to the fire of fame, glory, reputation that everyone in Bollywood craves. This is both good and bad. There is the authenticity of passionate film-makers who want to produce anything but love-stories on one hand, and the powerful influence of public figures with nothing to put on the table except for money.
The glamorised perception of Bollywood in the global audience only puts fuel to the fire of fame, glory, reputation that everyone in Bollywood craves.
Interestingly, the introduction of the second half gave equal individual stage time to every character, good and bad. These monologues of a song reflected the value and message that the show intended the audience to take home, i.e. equality among all talents with respect to providing them a platform to express themselves and their character. This falls in sync with the ending with no threads left untied, and a beginning of a story that is personalised to Frankie and Goldie.
Rating – 5/5
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