Love on the run – review

‘A Bollywood dance performance like no other.’

Love on the run – the name says it all. It’s Bollywood – brought to life, NZ style! Choreographed and directed by a group of young and talented individuals, Love on the Run was the highlight of Saturday last. From the moment we entered to the final drawing of the curtains, the joyful atmosphere of an Indian marriage was clearly in the air.

The show opened with an energetic performance of Dhoom Machale from the highly successful Yash Raj extravaganza, Dhoom 2! What seemed like hundreds, but was in fact a mere 30 – 50 performers under the age of 24 engulfed the stage with their energy, enthusiasm and Bollywood grooves!

A fantastic start to the show! The play began shortly after with the screening of a short film which gave the audience a glimpse into Suresh and Gita’s relationship today. The interaction between the two set the scene for a trip down memory lane when Suresh and Gita first met and how their relationship developed.

 
Gita is your typical small town girl from an Indian village. She abides by her elder brother’s wishes and works in the family farm business. She appears to be a very sweet and gentle natured girl.

Suresh is an NRI, who has lived the rowdy life of a typical bachelor and happens to meet the girl of his dreams during a visit home to India.

Gita’s brother, Jay believes his sister’s happiness lies in her marrying a boy from the village. He begins the search by visiting the offices of matrimonialservice.com – with no luck. Maybe if he had visited Shaadi.com – the story may have been different.

The meeting of Suresh and Gita sets the humorous story rolling as the two star-crossed lovers defy the wishes of their father and brother respectively and secretly elope. So, beings the non stop comic adventure as Suresh and Gita run through the sun soaked city of Goa in an effort to confuse their father and brother.

The performances and item numbers were simply marvellous. The energy, the expressions and the overall performances would give Bollywood starlets a run for their money.

From Sunidhi Chauhan’s Sajna ve Sajna to Aishwariya Rai’s Barso Re from the hit film Guru. My favourite performance was Omkara – a strangely dark performance.

A standing ovation must be given to Rushab Trividey who played the role of Gita’s brother and Vishal Parekh who played the role of Suresh’s father. The two thespians had flawless comedic timing and had the audience eating out of the palm of their hands. These two definitely have a place in Bollywood – maybe Priyadarshan should take a number?

Overall, Love on the Run was an excellent presentation of dance, music and acting. The young and talented ensemble cast have a very bright future ahead of them.