Indianized Broadway-like adaptation of The Lion King in Bengaluru

Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer and actor Dr Sanjay Shantaram is all set to stage a new production in town. This time, it is based on his takeaways and inspiration from his multiple viewings of the Broadway staging of The Lion King. Titled Raja Huli, Dr Sanjay says that this will be a completely Indianized Broadway-like adaptation of the tale.
“This will have around 90 dancers taking part; around 20 of them will be people from a school in the USA, while the rest are my disciples.This idea of staging this tale in an Indianized format has been a dream for me and I am glad that it has taken shape. The storyline remains the same, while the characters are more Indianized. This will have Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, folk and contemporary dance forms, and even Kalaripayattu, mixed with a lot of theatrics,” says Dr Sanjay.
The show, unlike Broadway, won’t have live dialogues or orchestra. “We have pre-recorded music, composed by Praveen D Rao. Lyrics for the musical are by Goturi. I will choreograph the entire show. We’re hoping that people connect to this Indianized version. It will have a lot of dialogues, mixed with music and movements, much like the perfect Broadway musicals,” signs off Dr Sanjay.