National-award winning choreographer Bosco Martis speaks to Shalini Saksena about the trend of musicals in India
Your comments on the musicals in theatre.
It is a great opportunity for the Indian culture to be showcased through stage shows like Beyond Bollywood in a strong manner. Rajeev Goswami, Salim-Sulaiman they have really brought in the culture to the fore. The aim isn’t to say that Bollywood is bad or trying to demean it. They are only trying to say that there is something more beyond it — that there is a culture that is rich and thick and that people can enjoy that as well. People need to come out and watch these kinds of musical plays to truly understand and enjoy the whole experience.
Will musical shows change the way people will see theatreIJ
Musical shows are entertaining. People associate theatre with something that is more verbose and everything is play-acting. But with musicals, the audience is getting entertained. They are getting to see something that is different. There is audio-visual. In other words, the audio is now supported by a visual, so they are getting something really exciting to watch. This gives a high to the choreographers so they can exploit it.
Does this mean that it is different for choreographers as well in terms of beyond BollywoodIJ
For them as well, it is beyond performances. You are bringing in a bunch of folk dances that people have not seen or experienced.
Will it bring in recognition for choreographers who will now have a faceIJ
Yes, definitely. Their talent would get recognised because they will be right in the front. What you will see on the stage will not be a face you can recognise but pure raw talent. So anybody who catches your eye, like people have recognised what they will see in Beyond Bollywood like the aerial act, will mean that the talent has been appreciated. And if the work is impeccable, the hard work will never go unnoticed.
How is choreography changing in filmsIJ
It is the sound of songs that we are getting that change the mood and the situations. You start developing ideas through sound that you hear and you move according to it.
What are the challenges when it comes to giving dance stepsIJ
There is always pressure on the choreographer but sometimes a song like Kaala chashma goes beyond expectations and does what it does. I am proud to have been associated with it. So it is a combination of things that makes a hit — the song, the steps, the fact that is has a Katrina Kaif and a Sidharth Malhotra — the whole thing falls into place.
Do you change the steps because the actor is differentIJ
It all depends on the situation. It is very tricky and one has to play by the ear and it comes with the experience and it flows from there. One has to be there on the spot to understand how the whole dynamics works.
Who makes the shots while you choreograph — the director or the choreographerIJ
It is usually the choreographer — like you have head of departments, something similar happens in the films. The directors here take the back seat since an expert is hired. But then the director is like the captain of the ship. So it is a healthy creative process.
What about fusionIJ
It is good to see fusion, it is different. You get to see something new. It doesn’t take away from what one would call Indian culture since Bhansali always comes up with something that is traditional.