‘Come Fall in Love’ Review: Stage Adaptation of Bollywood Hit ‘DDLJ’ Doesn’t Yet Measure Up to the Movie

As with so many western movies, Bollywood has taken a beloved smash and turned it right into a stage musical. Aditya Chopra’s “Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge” opened in 1995 and continues to be taking part in in a theater in Mumbai, India, nonetheless in style due to toe-tapping songs that grabbed audiences from the beginning and a charismatic lead pair (Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol). The movie appears to have created a built-in viewers for the stage model, “Come Fall in Love,” now taking part in its Outdated Globe premiere in San Diego on its method to Broadway.

The opening overture (the movie’s composers are changed right here by duo Vishal-Sheykhar) consists of snippets of the Hindi hit. Transferring the story from chilly and grey London to chilly and grey Boston, the tuner opens on Baldev (Irvine Iqbal) who runs a small store catering to racists and jerks, seemingly. He’s saving up cash for a enterprise he and his accomplice have arrange in India referred to as Maharaja Excursions.

Cue brilliant lights denoting sunshine and a projection of a heat mustard discipline  (a central theme within the movie) within the opening quantity “So Far.” Iqbal has a pleasing voice and provides a pleasant begin to the proceedings.

Again in Baldev’s store we meet Rog (Austin Colby), a wealthy Harvard pupil who’s a classmate of Baldev’s oh-so-desi daughter, Simran (Shoba Narayan). She thinks he’s a jerk, particularly after one among his stunts will get her arrested. However she plans to neglect him quickly sufficient, since Simran will get a one-month trip in Europe earlier than she is to be married off to her father’s Indian accomplice. (Even in 1995 this plot was creaky.)

We’re additionally launched to Rog and Simran’s dad and mom — Kate Loprest because the scene-stealing mother Minky and Jeremy Kushnier as father Roger Mandel Sr., with the fine-voiced Rupal Pujara as Lajjo, Simran’s mom.

Later, in Europe together with her pals Cookie and Ben (Hannah Jewel Kohn and Juice Mackins), Simran is jarred by the presence of Rog, who has been invited by Cookie. The manufacturing skimps on units right here as we see projections of London’s Pancreas Station, Paris’ Eiffel Tower and landmarks from the opposite European capitals that the group excursions on a prepare.

Our love pursuits disembark to see an Einstein museum, apparently as a result of Simran is simply such a nerd, however afterward they miss the prepare and are pressured to share the lone room in a Swiss resort. Whereas most of “Come Fall in Love” has middling musical numbers by Vishal Dadlani and Sheykhar Ravjiani, the music “Like You That Approach” has a variety of promise and is sung with verve by Colby and Narayan. Additionally catchy are “Desi Kudi” and “Sizzling and Impartial and Sizzling,” that includes Loprest, Colby, Kinshuk Sen as Kuljit the Indian fiancé, and the ensemble.

After falling in love, Simran and Rog go their separate methods, she to her organized marriage in India and he to cry to his mom. Conveniently she can be going to India to put money into Maharaja Excursions, and Rog accompanies her to win again her love.

After an intermission the story strikes to the mustard fields of Punjab, India, and once more snippets of songs from the “Dilwale” movie taunt us with a greater model of this story. Though Simran desires to elope with Rog, he says he desires to earn her father’s approval. A number of song-and-dance numbers later, we will guess how it will prove.

The dances are among the many greatest elements of “Come Fall in Love,” and Colby’s strikes, particularly his vertical leap, are spectacular. Of the forged, the perfect singer is Pujara, although the remainder have stable voices. Linda Cho’s costumes, in the meantime, are implausible, with brilliant colours for the sarees and Punjabi fits that also permit the ensemble to bounce nimbly.

General, “Come Fall in Love” underwhelms — you’re extra more likely to fall in like than love. Though the songs are direct translations from the Hindi model, the music may very well be catchier, and the forged may hone their performances additional with a purpose to entice both Bollywood followers or curious newcomers to fork over Broadway ticket costs.