Bollywood musical Jhumroo completes 250 shows

Telling the story of a simple boy working in an ad agency, who falls hopelessly in love with his colleague with a musical twist, Jhumroo, being staged at Nautanki Mahal, Kingdom of Dreams in Gurgaon, has been entertaining audiences across the country for many months. As it completing 250 shows, we spoke to the lead actors of the musical — Gaurav Gera and Shweta Gulati — about their experience of working in it.
Comparisons with Zangoora
Gaurav says that even though the story of Jhumroo is very contemporary, and quite different from Zangoora, he was sure that people would look to compare the two. “Lots of people expected ki kuch toh repeat hoga Zangoora ka, how different can they get, but the set-up, the story, the characters — they’re all different. Kishore Kumar’s songs intertwined with the story makes it quite unique. I’m glad that people are appreciating all the hard work a huge group of some 300 people have been putting in for the last nine months,” he says. Agrees Shweta, “We were aware that we had a big challenge, because Zangoora was already there, and the first thing that would come to people’s mind would be comparison between the two. We were hoping that we would be able to make a mark, and I think we have.”
Their favourite sequence
Even though both Gaurav and Shweta insist that the entire show is their favourite and it’s difficult to choose any one sequence, Gaurav ultimately settles on Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si. “It’s such a pretty song, with the rain and all the colours, and we have a lot of fun performing to it,” he says. But for Shweta, the aerial stunts are her favourite. “All that paragliding is amazing. Even though jaan nikal jaati hai every time we do them, I love that. It takes a lot of effort and energy, and they’re definitely not as easy as they look,” she says.
The Gurgaon connection
Gaurav is from Gurgaon, so Jhumroo gave him the perfect opportunity to spend more time with family. “This was a very good reason for me to stay with my family after 13 years in Mumbai. Even though I spent most of my time rehearsing and working, it was good fun,” he says. Shweta, who is a true Mumbai girl, had to move to Gurgaon for this, but has grown to like the city. “Initially, I was quite lost and not liking the city at all, but I’m more comfortable now. I think it’s growing on me,” she says.