Amid backlash for casting 'white actor' Austin Colby for Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge's musical Broadway, Yash Raj Films' chief Aditya Chopra issued a statement sharing his ideology behind it. One is aware that Aditya wanted to make Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge around an American man and an Indian woman. Now, 27 years later, he has reimagined the story while conceiving the idea of Come Fall in Love - The DDLJ Musical which will begin in September.
In a statement, Aditya said, "I first conceived the story of DDLJ (even before it was called DDLJ) as a Hollywood love story of a white American man and an Indian woman. My main motivation at that time was to present Indian culture and values to a global audience. Years later, as I reimagine the story as a Broadway musical, my mainstay is still the same, showcasing Indian culture to a world audience. And the most powerful way to depict a country’s culture and values is to see it from the perspective of someone who does not belong to the same culture. That is the starting point of Come Fall In Love, the story of Indian Simran, her culture and heritage through the eyes of American Roger."
He further added, "Come Fall In Love is the story of Simran, an Indian American. She is at the center of the musical’s story, as she struggles to balance her love for Indian tradition and her family with her love for Roger. He is a white American man who falls madly in love with Simran, and then falls in love with her culture and her country. He aspires towards India and finds a new version of himself in India’s energy, values and way of life."
Aditya shared, "I’m not directing DDLJ for Broadway. I’m adapting it as Come Fall In Love to tell the story of how powerful love is in unifying cultures, especially today. In 2022, the notion that DDLJ could be adapted to present a vision of diverse cultures coming together in a story that celebrates love and the power it has to unify everyone, moves me greatly."
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge starred Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in the lead. It is one of the iconic films in the history of Indian cinema.
(Source: Instagram)
