The premiere of Sai - The Musical, presented by Ashvin Gidwani of AGP World at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, NCPA, was nothing short of di...
The premiere of Sai - The Musical, presented by Ashvin Gidwani of AGP
World at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, NCPA, was nothing short of divine. The
theatre was packed to the rafters, the air charged with a quiet, spiritual
energy, and the audience was visibly moved by the spectacle on stage.
Timed to coincide with Shirdi Sai Baba’s Maha Samadhi anniversary, the
two-hour Hindi musical with English subtitles offered a soulful experience
blending devotion, music and storytelling. The production, featuring 15
original tracks - including one recorded by Kailash Kher, an ensemble of over
30 performers, and stunning stagecraft, transported the audience into Sai’s
world.
The evening saw the presence of actor Salman Khan’s family - Helen,
Salma Khan, Alvira Agnihotri and Atul Agnihotri, who came together with many
others to experience the spiritual journey brought alive through the musical.
Legendary actress Helen said, “I used to visit Sai Baba’s temple in
Nashik years ago, and this show brings back those memories for me. It's a
pleasure and an honour to be here, and with humility I thank the organisers for
inviting me. I did not anticipate something so spectacular, so warm, and so
heart-touching. I thoroughly enjoyed it… the artists are fantastic, and the
dancers - both the boys and the girls, are absolutely brilliant.”
Producer Atul Agnihotri added, “I think the show is brilliant and the
dedication and the belief in every performer is so lovely and mesmerising to
watch. I’m really looking forward to the second half and it’s lovely how
they’ve put the narrative into the storytelling. Sai Baba’s lessons have been
illustrated so beautifully. We are fifteen of us here today and we are all
worshippers. I've visited Shirdi Sai many, many times… we have all been touched
by his teachings and his miracles.”
Sai - The Musical is inspired by Sai Satcharitra and features veteran
actor Pankaj Berry as Sai Baba. Directed by Atul Satya Koushik, the other
talented cast includes Akshay Datta, Bhumika Mane, Puneet Mishra and Saberi
Bhattacharya, with choreography by Devendra Singh, movement direction by Bhavna
Pani, music by Anik Sharma and an international technical team led by Michael
Inglis.
Following its Mumbai premiere, the production will travel to Delhi later
this year, continuing its journey of faith and devotion.
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