Delhi’s JLN stadium all set for musical on Dr. Ambedkar’s life, to be screened from Friday

Delhi’s JLN stadium is all set with a 40-feet revolving platform, dozens of LED screens, digital props, 160 dancers and performers for the musical on Babasaheb Ambedkar’s life which will be staged till March 12. Several leaders from Aam Aadmi Party visited the auditorium on Tuesday afternoon to take a look at the ongoing preparations before the release.

The play, ‘Babasaheb: The Grand Musical’, based on the life of the father of Indian Constitution will be released on February 25. The musical, as mentioned, will be staged till March with two shows each day. Directed by theatre artists Mahua Chauhan, the 120-minute play will also see Bollywood actor Rohit Roy in the role of Ambedkar. This event was scheduled last year but was postponed due to covid-19 situation in the country.

Director Mahua Chauhan said this musical isn’t like other biographies we have. This one is a message-driven story based on the life of most underrated personalities in India. “We didn’t want it to be like other biographical films. Every part of the movie is a message for the youth. We want everyone to know how Ambedkar ji was not only the father of the Constitution but also fought for women empowerment and youth leaders. We are inviting children to watch it, and learn something from the social reformer’s life,” Chauhan was quoted as saying in IE.

It took around at least six months for the script to be finalized followed by pre-production work. The auditions were conducted last year while the country was battling with Covid-19 surge and related restrictions.

Chauhan further noted that she was in Dubai and a team of 240 artists had been working very hard for the show. The Indian Ocean has contributed to the music, and there will also be some Delhi-based artists and students, who will be performing contemporary dance and acrobatics.

The Delhi government will be hosting the musical and has also noted that this will be one of the biggest shows with a 100-feet stage.

“The hall has a capacity of 2,000 persons but we are operating at 50 per cent seating capacity. We are following Covid-19 guidelines and taking necessary precautions. There will be hand sanitising stations at every corner and face masks will be compulsory. We are happy that the first two shows are fully booked,” MLA Atishi told reporters.

The performers are meanwhile very excited for the show. They have been practicing for almost a month now.

Roy, who will be playing the lead role, believes the musical is an entertaining Broadway-style film show. “It’s not a preachy show. It’s a bright musical with amazing performances and an entertaining script. The scale of the show is mind-blowing. It’s been one of the most challenging roles I have done since I don’t look like Ambedkar. There’s not much visual material or information about him and I feel I have picked up a lot from what I perceive him as. I love the script and keep rephrasing to get the lines better,” Roy was quoted as saying in IE.