The iconic play, Mughal-e-Azam, has mesmerized audiences once again in Delhi with its grand musical production. Since its inception in 1960, this 16th-century tale has undergone a remarkable transformation - from script to stage, to screen, and now, back to stage as a spectacular musical.
WION goes behind the scenes to bring you an exclusive glimpse into the making of this magnificent production. We caught up with producer Deepesh Salgia and director Feroz Abbas Khan to talk about their vision and creative process and showcase the intense rehearsals and backstage preparations that bring this epic musical to life.
Report by Samarpita Das

'Mughal-E-Azam: The Musical': Inside India's first Broadway-style musical

Theatre director and filmmaker Feroz Abbas Khan is all set to return to the stage with a musical, celebrating love, titled ‘Raunaq &amp; Jassi’. The Hindi musical with live singing is written by Iqbal Raj.

The musical will premiere on November 28&nbsp;at the Mukesh Patel Auditorium in Mumbai before travelling to other cities like New Delhi, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

“How long does it take to fall in love? What are the sacrifices demanded of lovers? Raunaq &amp; Jassi attempts to answer these eternal questions bathed in passion, music, colours and a celebration of Love as a spectacular gift to humanity,” said Feroz Abbas Khan on the show.&nbsp;

The treatment of the show is said to be grand with costumes being designed by ace fashion designer Manish Malhotra. The choreography is done by Mayuri Upadhya with music rendered by Piyush Kanojia.

Meanwhile, the lighting design is by award-winning David Lander from Broadway and projection design by John Narun.

‘Raunaq &amp; Jassi’ in its plot is inspired by William Shakespeare's classic, ‘Romeo &amp; Juliet’ with set design by Fali Unwalla. The cast is headed by Neha Sargam, Omkar Patil, Sonal Jha and others.

Theatre director and filmmaker Feroz Abbas Khan is all set to return to the stage with a musical, celebrating love, titled ‘Raunaq & Jassi’. The Hindi musical with live singing is written by Iqbal Raj.

Theatre director and filmmaker Feroz Abbas Khan is all set to return to the stage with a musical, celebrating love, titled ‘Raunaq & Jassi’. The Hindi musical with live singing is written by Iqbal Raj. The musical will premiere on November 28 at the Mukesh Patel Auditorium in Mumbai before travelling to other cities like New Delhi, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. “How long does it take to fall in love? What are the sacrifices demanded of lovers? Raunaq & Jassi attempts to answer these eternal questions bathed in passion, music, colours and a celebration of Love as a spectacular gift to humanity,” said Feroz Abbas Khan on the show. The treatment of the show is said to be grand with costumes being designed by ace fashion designer Manish Malhotra. The choreography is done by Mayuri Upadhya with music rendered by Piyush Kanojia. Meanwhile, the lighting design is by award-winning David Lander from Broadway and projection design by John Narun. ‘Raunaq & Jassi’ in its plot is inspired by William Shakespeare's classic, ‘Romeo & Juliet’ with set design by Fali Unwalla. The cast is headed by Neha Sargam, Omkar Patil, Sonal Jha and others.

Musical play Mughal-e-Azam director Feroz Abbas Khan to be back with another titled 'Raunaq & Jassi'

There’s good news for theatre lovers as the famous ‘Mughal-e-Azam: The Musical’ has now reached Dubai and will run at the Dubai Opera.&nbsp;

Celebrating 150 shows of Mughal-e-Azam, the musical play will return to the United Arab Emirates after a successful first season of the show.&nbsp;

Like previous years, the show has been directed by Feroz Abbas Khan. On the cult show being showcased in Dubai, Khan said, &nbsp;“Mughal-e-Azam develops a special connect with audiences wherever it goes. It's magical to see how people cutting across age groups and nationalities own the play as their own. The Dubai Opera is a wonderful setting as the Musical returns 
&nbsp;to the UAE." &nbsp;

It has been produced by Shapoorji Pallonji and will feature live singing, intricately designed choreography by Mayuri Upadhya, world-class production design and exquisitely designed Manish Malhotra costumes of the Mughal era have set new benchmarks for Indian theatre. The show is a tribute to K. Asif’s timeless epic of the same.&nbsp;

The show will run from January 10 till 12, this year.&nbsp;

There’s good news for theatre lovers as the famous ‘Mughal-e-Azam: The Musical’ has now reached Dubai and will run at the Dubai Opera. Celebrating 150 shows of Mughal-e-Azam, the musical play will return to the United Arab Emirates after a successful first season of the show.

There’s good news for theatre lovers as the famous ‘Mughal-e-Azam: The Musical’ has now reached Dubai and will run at the Dubai Opera. Celebrating 150 shows of Mughal-e-Azam, the musical play will return to the United Arab Emirates after a successful first season of the show. Like previous years, the show has been directed by Feroz Abbas Khan. On the cult show being showcased in Dubai, Khan said, “Mughal-e-Azam develops a special connect with audiences wherever it goes. It's magical to see how people cutting across age groups and nationalities own the play as their own. The Dubai Opera is a wonderful setting as the Musical returns to the UAE." It has been produced by Shapoorji Pallonji and will feature live singing, intricately designed choreography by Mayuri Upadhya, world-class production design and exquisitely designed Manish Malhotra costumes of the Mughal era have set new benchmarks for Indian theatre. The show is a tribute to K. Asif’s timeless epic of the same. The show will run from January 10 till 12, this year.

Cult play 'Mughal-e-Azam: The Musical’ to be staged at The Dubai Opera

Actor&nbsp;Dilip Kumar was discharged from Lilavati hospital on Thursday morning.&nbsp;The actor has been advised for complete rest by the doctor.

Faisal Farooqui, friend of the actor revealed the news on Dilip Kumar's official&nbsp;Twitter page and said,“Allah ka shukr hai @TheDilipKumar Saab hospital se discharge hogaye aur abhi ghar pohoch gaye hain. (Thank God Dilip Kumar saab has been discharged from the hospital and reached home).”&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

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Allah ka shukr hai <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDilipKumar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheDilipKumar</a> Saab hospital se discharge hogaye Aur abhi ghar pohoch gaye hain. Doctors have advised complete rest isolation for few days to prevent infection. Thank you all for your prayers. More updates later. -FF
— Dilip Kumar (@TheDilipKumar) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDilipKumar/status/1050312426313449472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The actor was suffering from Pneumonia and was admitted to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/dilip-kumar-admitted-to-the-hospital-being-treated-for-recurrent-pneumonia-170198">the hospital couple of days ago</a>.&nbsp;

The 95-year-old actor, Dilip Kumar has given remarkable performances in 'Andaz', 'Devdas', 'Jwar Bhata', and Mughal-e-Azam.

Actor Dilip Kumar was discharged from Lilavati hospital on Thursday morning. The actor has been advised for complete rest by the doctor. Faisal Farooqui, friend of the actor revealed the news on Dilip Kumar's official Twitter page and said,“Allah ka shukr hai @TheDilipKumar Saab hospital se discharge hogaye aur abhi ghar pohoch gaye hain.

Actor Dilip Kumar was discharged from Lilavati hospital on Thursday morning. The actor has been advised for complete rest by the doctor. Faisal Farooqui, friend of the actor revealed the news on Dilip Kumar's official Twitter page and said,“Allah ka shukr hai @TheDilipKumar Saab hospital se discharge hogaye aur abhi ghar pohoch gaye hain. (Thank God Dilip Kumar saab has been discharged from the hospital and reached home).” Allah ka shukr hai @TheDilipKumar Saab hospital se discharge hogaye Aur abhi ghar pohoch gaye hain. Doctors have advised complete rest isolation for few days to prevent infection. Thank you all for your prayers. More updates later. -FF — Dilip Kumar (@TheDilipKumar) October 11, 2018 × The actor was suffering from Pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital couple of days ago. The 95-year-old actor, Dilip Kumar has given remarkable performances in 'Andaz', 'Devdas', 'Jwar Bhata', and Mughal-e-Azam.

Dilip Kumar returns home from Lilavati Hospital,advised complete rest

My background is a military one, but I am greatly attracted to ancient history and architecture, and try to elicit as much as I can from books, chronicles, and from written and electronic media. So, when some friend sent me a clipping with the advice, &lsquo;you must see this; it is a fabulous stage enactment of the original&rsquo;, I quickly became engaged. What he was referring to, was the play &ldquo;Mughal-e-Azam&rdquo; currently running at the National Stadium. Though life is difficult in the far-flung places where we are often posted we, the military officers, get to see, travel, and explore some phenomenal places of historical and geographical significance. Indeed, were it not for adventurous military officers, the Ajanta Ellora caves, Khajuraho temples, Lhasa, Kashmir valleys, deep Hindu roots, and so many others would have never have come to light.

This is one such tale, based on a mix of folklore and actual events.

Nostalgia swept over me, as I recalled my connection in a way, with the iconic emperor, Akbar. Years ago, in 1987, while commanding my armoured regiment, we were deployed for impending war in Batala-Gurdaspur area, during Operation Trident. For the uninitiated, &ldquo;Trident&rdquo; was another occasion for sabre rattling, when the Indian Government threatened to sort out Pakistan, for its nefarious designs and activities on our side of the border, but ultimately failed to do anything. In any case, part of the task was to know our own areas like the back of one&rsquo;s own hand, and that of our adversary through close scrutiny across the border.

I have always been adventurous and, this heaven-sent opportunity in an operational area gave me the freedom to travel, and see many historical places, simultaneous to my military reconnaissance. It was during one of these recces that I spotted the military symbol of a battlefield on my map &ndash; crossed swords with the words &lsquo;Takht Akbar Badshah&rdquo; below it &ndash; at the Punjab border town of Kalanaur. Proceeding to that site, I was awestruck by the sight that greeted me. Here was a majestic throne of sandstone or maybe was it white marble, surrounded by a vast courtyard of red sandstone, amidst the verdant green wheat fields.&nbsp;

On enquiry, I learnt that this was the very spot where Prince Jalal-ud-din Muhammad was anointed Emperor of India at the relatively young age of 13 years. This sudden elevation was occasioned by the death of his father, Humayun, who fell down a steep stairwell while holding onto some heavy books and attempting to kneel when the azhaan (call to prayer) was heard. His foot got caught in the robe and, as he plummeted to his death, it signalled a change in the hierarchy.&nbsp;

While going around this monument, and placing myself on the throne in mock anointment, I noticed a Sikh farmer washing vegetable on the periphery &ndash; rather odd to find a protected historical monument being put to such use. I queried this wizened farmer, &lsquo;don&rsquo;t you know what great historical event has taken place here&rsquo;? His laconic reply, as he continued with his business, unmindful of the presence of so many military persons was, &ldquo;haan ji; suniya si ithe koi Akbar bande nu baithaya si&rdquo;! (Oh! Yes &ndash; heard some guy called Akbar sat here once). &nbsp;I almost choked &ndash; how mighty Akbar would be turning in his grave, at this dismissive comment. Here was the throne of one of India&rsquo;s greatest emperors, being used for washing vegetables!!

Akbar&rsquo;s uncle, Bairam Khan, under whose tutelage the young Prince was, had been campaigning in that area to restore order, consequent to Humayun&rsquo;s recapturing the Delhi throne. Bairam realised the danger that his young charge was in since successions in the Timurid clan often took a bloody turn. To scotch any attempt as usurpation, he organised the coronation at that very spot and remained camped there till it was certain that Akbar had the loyalty of all, before proceeding to Delhi.

An interesting anecdote was told to me about a Muslim fakir, revered in the Kalanaur area. On meeting Akbar a few months prior to Humayun&rsquo;s death, the fakir had predicted that Akbar would be crowned Emperor within that campaign period. This was considered impossible, as Humayun was only 46 years of age, but an unfortunate &ldquo;stumble&rdquo; changed the fate of India. In recognition a beautiful tomb was made for that seer &ndash; unfortunately, I don&rsquo;t remember his name but do recall how majestic his tomb looked even in serious decay. Kalanaur is an area rich in history. This was the place where Feroze Shah Tughlaq built a palace on banks of the Ravi River, an area where the Hindu warrior Banda Bahadur roamed around with his Sikh followers to torment Aurangzeb&rsquo;s chieftains. I also vividly recall seeing a 50 m tall mausoleum of some ruler, which had three Pakistani Artillery shells penetrate its dome &ndash; the holes were a stark reminder of how close this town was, to the scene of action in the 1965 Indo-Pak conflict. 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Many of the areas close to India's western border have a number of Islamic monuments that were shelled by the Pakistani Army in different occasions.

My background is a military one, but I am greatly attracted to ancient history and architecture, and try to elicit as much as I can from books, chronicles, and from written and electronic media. So, when some friend sent me a clipping with the advice, ‘you must see this; it is a fabulous stage enactment of the original’, I quickly became engaged. What he was referring to, was the play “Mughal-e-Azam” currently running at the National Stadium. Though life is difficult in the far-flung places where we are often posted we, the military officers, get to see, travel, and explore some phenomenal places of historical and geographical significance. Indeed, were it not for adventurous military officers, the Ajanta Ellora caves, Khajuraho temples, Lhasa, Kashmir valleys, deep Hindu roots, and so many others would have never have come to light. This is one such tale, based on a mix of folklore and actual events. Nostalgia swept over me, as I recalled my connection in a way, with the iconic emperor, Akbar. Years ago, in 1987, while commanding my armoured regiment, we were deployed for impending war in Batala-Gurdaspur area, during Operation Trident. For the uninitiated, “Trident” was another occasion for sabre rattling, when the Indian Government threatened to sort out Pakistan, for its nefarious designs and activities on our side of the border, but ultimately failed to do anything. In any case, part of the task was to know our own areas like the back of one’s own hand, and that of our adversary through close scrutiny across the border. I have always been adventurous and, this heaven-sent opportunity in an operational area gave me the freedom to travel, and see many historical places, simultaneous to my military reconnaissance. It was during one of these recces that I spotted the military symbol of a battlefield on my map – crossed swords with the words ‘Takht Akbar Badshah” below it – at the Punjab border town of Kalanaur. Proceeding to that site, I was awestruck by the sight that greeted me. Here was a majestic throne of sandstone or maybe was it white marble, surrounded by a vast courtyard of red sandstone, amidst the verdant green wheat fields. On enquiry, I learnt that this was the very spot where Prince Jalal-ud-din Muhammad was anointed Emperor of India at the relatively young age of 13 years. This sudden elevation was occasioned by the death of his father, Humayun, who fell down a steep stairwell while holding onto some heavy books and attempting to kneel when the azhaan (call to prayer) was heard. His foot got caught in the robe and, as he plummeted to his death, it signalled a change in the hierarchy. While going around this monument, and placing myself on the throne in mock anointment, I noticed a Sikh farmer washing vegetable on the periphery – rather odd to find a protected historical monument being put to such use. I queried this wizened farmer, ‘don’t you know what great historical event has taken place here’? His laconic reply, as he continued with his business, unmindful of the presence of so many military persons was, “haan ji; suniya si ithe koi Akbar bande nu baithaya si”! (Oh! Yes – heard some guy called Akbar sat here once). I almost choked – how mighty Akbar would be turning in his grave, at this dismissive comment. Here was the throne of one of India’s greatest emperors, being used for washing vegetables!! Akbar’s uncle, Bairam Khan, under whose tutelage the young Prince was, had been campaigning in that area to restore order, consequent to Humayun’s recapturing the Delhi throne. Bairam realised the danger that his young charge was in since successions in the Timurid clan often took a bloody turn. To scotch any attempt as usurpation, he organised the coronation at that very spot and remained camped there till it was certain that Akbar had the loyalty of all, before proceeding to Delhi. An interesting anecdote was told to me about a Muslim fakir, revered in the Kalanaur area. On meeting Akbar a few months prior to Humayun’s death, the fakir had predicted that Akbar would be crowned Emperor within that campaign period. This was considered impossible, as Humayun was only 46 years of age, but an unfortunate “stumble” changed the fate of India. In recognition a beautiful tomb was made for that seer – unfortunately, I don’t remember his name but do recall how majestic his tomb looked even in serious decay. Kalanaur is an area rich in history. This was the place where Feroze Shah Tughlaq built a palace on banks of the Ravi River, an area where the Hindu warrior Banda Bahadur roamed around with his Sikh followers to torment Aurangzeb’s chieftains. I also vividly recall seeing a 50 m tall mausoleum of some ruler, which had three Pakistani Artillery shells penetrate its dome – the holes were a stark reminder of how close this town was, to the scene of action in the 1965 Indo-Pak conflict. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: How is India's war with Pakistan related to Mughal history

By far one of the most iconic actresses and the biggest star of Bollywood, Madhubala would have turned 85 on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Madhubala was considered to be one of the most beautiful actresses to have worked in the film industry and some people have regarded her as &#39;&#39;The Venus of Indian Cinema&quot;.

One of her most memorable roles is that of &#39;Anarkali&#39;&nbsp;in &#39;Mughal-e-Azam&#39;. She is also known for her portrayal of different characters in &#39;Mahal&#39;, &#39;Mr. &amp; Mrs. 55&#39;, &#39;Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi&#39;&nbsp;and &#39;Barsaat ki Raat&#39;.

Born in Delhi as Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi, the actress started earning from an early age. She came to Mumbai (then Bombay) to look for work when she was just 9-years-old.

Madhubala was also the first Indian woman to feature in an American magazine called &#39;Theatre Arts&#39;.&nbsp;The magazine termed her, &quot;The biggest start in the world - and she&#39;s not from Beverly Hills.&quot;

Interestingly, after the article, she was also offered a role in a Hollywood film by Academy Award-winning American director Frank Capra but she refused because her father didn&#39;t allow her to do the Hollywood film.

Though Madhubala was the most loved actress of her time, she was unlucky in her personal&nbsp;life. It is said that she was not allowed to attend any event or film premiere due to her overprotective father.

She had the&nbsp;longest association&nbsp;with Dilip Kumar - the duo was even set to get married - but due to some reasons, the relationship fell apart. Later, she married Kishore Kumar.

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6Au_J6jHKE0" width="560"></iframe>

The marriage also eventually broke due to her health and temper issues.

Madhubala died in 1969 shortly after she celebrated her 36th birthday on February 14.

Madhubala was considered to be one of the most beautiful actresses to have worked in the industry and some people have regarded her as 'The Venus of Indian and Cinema'

By far one of the most iconic actresses and the biggest star of Bollywood, Madhubala would have turned 85 on Wednesday. Madhubala was considered to be one of the most beautiful actresses to have worked in the film industry and some people have regarded her as ''The Venus of Indian Cinema". One of her most memorable roles is that of 'Anarkali' in 'Mughal-e-Azam'. She is also known for her portrayal of different characters in 'Mahal', 'Mr. & Mrs. 55', 'Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi' and 'Barsaat ki Raat'. Born in Delhi as Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi, the actress started earning from an early age. She came to Mumbai (then Bombay) to look for work when she was just 9-years-old. Madhubala was also the first Indian woman to feature in an American magazine called 'Theatre Arts'. The magazine termed her, "The biggest start in the world - and she's not from Beverly Hills." Interestingly, after the article, she was also offered a role in a Hollywood film by Academy Award-winning American director Frank Capra but she refused because her father didn't allow her to do the Hollywood film. Though Madhubala was the most loved actress of her time, she was unlucky in her personal life. It is said that she was not allowed to attend any event or film premiere due to her overprotective father. She had the longest association with Dilip Kumar - the duo was even set to get married - but due to some reasons, the relationship fell apart. Later, she married Kishore Kumar. The marriage also eventually broke due to her health and temper issues. Madhubala died in 1969 shortly after she celebrated her 36th birthday on February 14.

Remembering Madhubala on her 85th birth anniversary

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