“Another step forward in the cross pollination of everything Desi!” – Desi Hits! “colourful, spectacular, full of energy” – Birmingham Mail OPENING THURSDAY, 21 December 2006, Indian musical The Merchants of Bollywood goes to Hammersmith Apollo for a limited Christmas season to 7 January 2007. Featuring original music by Salim and Sulaiman Merchant and choreographed by leading film choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant, on whose life the story is based, the piece follows the clash of generations and ambition among Bollywood stars. It’s described as “a potent mixture of dreams and sacrifices, family rebellion and romance”. Following a successful tour in Australia, The Merchants of Bollywood received its UK premiere at Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre on 24 October 2006 and then toured to Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Bradford, Cambridge, Cardiff before transferring to London Harvey Goldsmith, the man behind some of the world’s leading live events, including Live Aid and Live8, is set to launch a new project that will see him stepping into the Bollywood arena. The Merchants of Bollywood, the musical from Bollywood city is a theatrical dance spectacular which charts the enchanting history of the world's largest and most prolific film industry, and a dynasty of stars that have lit its way over generations. The show transcends time - a touching tribute to the Bollywood greats of yesterday and the hits of today featuring a cast of 40 dancers, singers and actors direct from Film City Mumbai – the home of Bollywood Cinema. Written and directed by Toby Gough, featuring music by Salim and Sulaiman Merchant and choreographed by leading film choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant, The Merchants of Bollywood follows the story of Ayesha Merchant, her grandfather Shantilal, and the inevitable clash of generations and ambition. The Merchants of Bollywood, based on the real life story of the show’s choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant, is a potent mixture of dreams and sacrifices, family rebellion and romance. Merchant is an award-winning choreographer within the film industry and commands huge respect and admiration from Bollywood’s A-list stars. Having choreographed such huge box office smashes as Lagaan, Devdas, Rang de Basanti and Dhoom and remake of the classic Umrao Jaan, starring Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwariya Rai. Vaibhavi Merchant said: “I wanted to create a new and truly authentic show that audiences across the world could relate to. Bollywood has become a huge industry, not just for Asians, but for everyone. Anyone with even a remote interest in Asian culture will know about Bollywood, but may not have experienced it in all its glory. The Merchants of Bollywood is colourful, dynamic, vibrant and for me the most exciting project I have worked on. The UK has shown a growing fascination for Indian films and I wanted to bring some of the amazing talent that is a core part of Indian films to the UK for audiences to get a live Bollywood experience.” Harvey Goldsmith said: “I was taken to see the show by a friend in Australia and fell in love with it on the spot. I was just enveloped by the fantastic atmosphere in the audience. The team have created a truly amazing spectacle of colour and culture, for which I can take no credit at all. I am just giving UK audiences the opportunity to be a part of an invigorating and extraordinary experience.” Set to some of the most memorable songs and music from Bollywood films, The Merchants of Bollywood has already been hailed as a spectacular success by audiences and critics in Australia. It is now touring the UK now. Cardiff Millennium Centre 12th – 17th December London Hammersmith Apollo – 21st – 30th December Tickets are available from venue box offices, Ticket Zone on 08705 321 321 or online at www.merchantsofbollywood.co.uk COMPETITION QUESTION TO WIN 2 TICKETS - What was the 4th movie that ash & abi were in together - besides those 3 mentioned on the latets BOLLYWOOD SHOW? Email your answers to Yo@desihits.com