Aditya Chopra's upcoming Broadway musical based on his 1995 Bollywood film, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), is set to open at The Old Globe in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, on September 14. The makers of the musical which has been titled, Come Fall In Love, stated that it is a ‘celebration of inclusivity and diversity in a world that is getting increasingly polarized’, according to sources. Reports added that the musical will begin performances on September 1 through October 16, 2022, with the official opening on September 14.
In a statement, Aditya explained the motivation for the film, saying, “I first conceived the story of DDLJ (even before it was called DDLJ) as a Hollywood love story of a white American man and an Indian woman. My main motivation at that time was to present Indian culture and values to a global audience. Years later, as I reimagine the story as a Broadway musical, my mainstay is still the same, showcasing Indian culture to a world audience. And the most powerful way to depict a country's culture and values is to see it from the perspective of someone who does not belong to the same culture. That is the starting point of Come Fall In Love (CFIL), the story of Indian Simran, her culture and heritage, through the eyes of American Roger (sic).”
The director pointed out that CFIL will focus on the character of Simran. “It is the story of Simran, an Indian American. She's at the centre of the musical's story, as she struggles to balance her love for Indian tradition and her family with her love for Roger. He is a white American man who falls madly in love with Simran and then falls in love with her culture and her country. He finds a new version of himself in India's energy, values and way of life (sic),” said Aditya in the statement.
According to reports, Aditya will be directing a cast of 30 artistes, which is led by Shoba Narayan (Simran) who is a Bharatanatyam dancer and Broadway artiste. She is known for playing Princess Jasmine in Broadway's Aladdin. British actor, Austin Colby, will be essaying the character Roger Mandel. The creative team is studded with Emmy and Tony Award winners and nominees, including Derek McLane (set design), Linda Cho (costumes), Japhy Wiedeman (lights) and Jessica Paz (sound).
According to the statement issued by its makers, CFIL has many firsts for India and Indians. “For the first time, an Indian director, Aditya Chopra, has made a debut on Broadway. It is also the first Bollywood musical set to be on Broadway. It has Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjianii debuting too as composers. Shruti Merchant will do her first Broadway musical as an associate choreographer (sic),” the statement said.
Aditya made it abundantly clear that he was not directing DDLJ for Broadway. "I'm adapting it as Come Fall In Love to tell the story of how powerful love is in unifying cultures, especially today. In 2022, the notion that DDLJ could be adapted to present a vision of diverse cultures coming together in a story that celebrates love and the power it has to unify everyone moves me greatly (sic),” he was quoted as saying.
The director emphasised that DDLJ has a special place in the hearts of all Indians and expressed the hope that every Indian would be proud that an adaptation of the cult classic film is coming on Broadway.