‘Blame It On Bollywood’ shares the idea that societal differences don’t matter in love

Blame It On Bollywood by AGP World, is a fun and colourful musical filled with comedy, drama and catchy songs. The story follows a big, cross-cultural wedding that challenges traditions and brings plenty of laughter along the way. With lively dance performances and a mix of Bollywood and Broadway-style storytelling, the show promises an exciting experience for the audience. After winning hearts with over 150 performances, this new version comes with fresh humour and upgraded production. We get chatty with Ashvin Gidwani, the founder of AGP World to talk about this upcoming production, how this performance is different from the previous ones, why Bengaluru was chosen as the first city where the updated version would be performed and so much more...

What can the audience in Bengaluru expect from Blame It On Bollywood?

The audience can expect a vibrant musical that blends comedy, drama and Bollywood-style storytelling. It revolves around a marriage between two communities — a Muslim boy and a Hindu girl — and how their families react to the union. The play challenges stereotypes, showing that perceptions about communities aren’t always accurate. It ultimately highlights that when two people are truly in love, societal differences don’t matter.

The production was originally titled Blame It On Yash Raj. What’s the story behind that name?

The original title, Blame It On Yash Raj, came from a conversation between Bharat Dabokar and Yash Chopra. Bharat jokingly told Yash that Bollywood had “destroyed weddings forever” and wanted to create a play about it. Yash supported the idea. However, after his passing, Yash Raj Films initially restricted the use of the name. But Aditya Chopra later honoured his father’s wishes, allowing us to use it with a trademark acknowledgment.

How many performances has the show had so far?

The earlier version of the play has had about 150 shows across different cities. However, this is the first time we’re bringing the updated version to Bengaluru.

How different is this version from the previous one?

This new avatar has been upgraded with better production values, newer songs and an evolved storyline. We’ve added topical references, modernised the humour and included an interactive element where the audience becomes part of the experience. The choreography, music and technical aspects have also been revamped to make the show more immersive in nature.

You mentioned that the new version has more interactive elements. Could you elaborate?

We’ve increased audience participation by about 40-50 percent. The play now has more moments where the audience is directly engaged. The humour is sharper, with more front-curtain jokes and topical references tailored for the Bengaluru audience. We’re also incorporating Kannada dialogues in certain sections to connect better with local viewers.

What made you choose Bengaluru as a launch city for this version?

The Prestige Centre for Performing Arts is a fantastic venue and we’ve had great experiences performing here in the past. When we brought Barff with Saurabh Shukla, we saw that there was a strong audience for Hindi theatre. That gave us confidence that a musical would also work well. Bengaluru has a diverse crowd — Kannadigas, Marwaris, Gujaratis, Punjabis, Bengalis — so it’s no longer limited to just a Kannada-speaking audience. We felt it was the right place and right time to introduce this production.

What challenges do you see in Bengaluru’s theatre scene?

The main challenge is creating a commercial ecosystem where people are willing to spend on theatre, just like they do for concerts, restaurants or stand-up comedy. Bengaluru has a strong theatre culture but ticket-buying habits need to evolve for large-scale productions. Our goal is to help build that market.

You’ve worked with some notable theatre personalities. Could you share some insights?

I’ve had the privilege of working with people like Mahesh Dattani and Arjun Sajnani. I was actually responsible for bringing Mahesh to Mumbai, where he directed multiple productions with me, including Mad About Money, The Big Fat City and Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. While there is great Kannada talent, the challenge is creating commercially viable productions that can tour. That’s something we’re working towards.

What’s the ultimate goal for Blame It On Bollywood?

We want to offer Bengaluru a Bollywood-Broadway experience — an immersive, highenergy show that blends music, comedy and drama. It’s a fun, emotional rollercoaster that will make people laugh, cry and most importantly, celebrate love and weddings in a way only Bollywood can.

INR 1,499 onwards. April 5, 7.30 pm. At Prestige Centre for Performing Arts, Konanakunte.

Email: alwin@newindianexpress.com

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