Jhumroo, a Bollywood musical being staged at Kingdom of Dreams, Gurgaon, pays tribute to the legendary singer, composer and actor. “Jhumroo is a combination of retro songs and a contemporary story,” says Vikranth Pawar, director of the show which begins with a rendition of Kishore da’s famous song, Om Shanti Om, from the film Karz (1980).

The musical is the story of a young boy, Bhola (portrayed by actor Gaurav Gera) who loves to sing, in spite of lacking musical talent. The script incorporates many memorable numbers including the songs Pag Ghungroo, Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si, Samne Ye Kaun Aaya and Mere Saamne Wali Khidki Main. These yesteryears’ hits have been contemporarised by being coupled with dance forms like hip-hop, jazz, salsa and belly-dancing, choreographed by Ashley Lobo.

Speaking about his leading lady, actor Shweta Gulati, who plays the role of Meena, Gera says, “We did not have to work much on our chemistry. Shweta was my neighbour till some time ago and I would often try to catch a glimpse of her through the window. The song in the production, Mere Samne Wali Khidki, still reminds me of our building.”

Meanwhile, Shweta says that being a part of a stage production is more demanding than working in films or on television. “We have been training for 12 hours everyday, for the last four months. I had to take a lot of physical training to do all the aerial work required in the production,” she adds.

Preempting comparisons to Zangoora, the previous musical at the venue, Viraf Sarkari, director, Kingdom of Dreams, says, “Both Zangoora and Jhumroo incorporate entirely different stories. While Zangoora was a larger than life fantasy about a gypsy prince, Jhumroo is the story of a boy and girl next door. The  youngsters can relate to these characters. Elements like the Super Singer contest, with  judges and participation from the audience, makes the whole thing more contemporary.”