Who is Rog ?: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (‘DDLJ’) accused of “whitewashing” the Broadway musical adaptation

amateurs Dilwale Dulhania Le JayengeOne of Bollywood’s longest-running movie stars has criticized the decision to cast the male lead role in an upcoming Broadway musical adaptation.

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayengeknown as DDLJAdapted for Broadway like Come and fall in love – DDLJ Musical.

When the film was released in 1995, written and directed by Aditya Chopra, it starred Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol as Raj and Simran, a young couple in love who must win over family and friends who oppose their union. The film grossed $ 60 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing Indian film of 1995 and is still in theaters today.

Chopra will make her stage directorial debut with the musical. However, the decision to cast white Austin Colby for the lead role, and to call him Rog, has led some critics to accuse music producers of “whitewashing”.

Famous Indian chef Vikas Khanna tweeted to his 2.2 million followers that he thinks it’s a “terrible” decision that led to this exchange between him and Vishal Dadlan, half of the musical composers Vishal and Shekhar:

I love and respect you, Vishal.
What if Shawshank Redemption was on Broadway and @Morgan Freeman replaced by a white actor.
Is it inclusion?
I feel that a great opportunity has been lost for an Indian actor.
What if all the staff in an Indian restaurant were Indian and the chef was a white chef? https://t.co/cZ5uZM7GGS

– Vikas Khanna (@TheVikasKhanna) August 6, 2022

The BBC interviewed a disappointed fan who said that “South Asian-American actors want to discuss and see their culture in a place that historically doesn’t represent it,” so the cast should support her in the lead role.

Paridhi Puri told the BBC that with any remake, there is a chance to make it a “better story” and tackle parts that may not have aged well over time.

Austin Colby said of the decision to cast him for the lead role: “I know what my role in this production means to so many people and I fully understand the impact it has. I am not the Raj that Shah Rukh Khan made us love and I will never pretend to be. I am thrilled to fulfill the creative team’s vision for this role and I truly believe in this story and the way we are telling it. “

Shah Rukh Khan’s portrayal of Raj in the 1995 film was an instant hit and helped establish him as the “king of romance” for Bollywood, while Raj and Simran became role models for couples who wanted to be together but dealt with. the resistance of their families.

The musical will open on Broadway during the 2022/23 season, following its world premiere at San Diego’s Old Globe Theater in September 2022.

Musical composers Vishal Dadlan and Shekhar Ravjian (known together as Vishal and Shekhar) told Deadline: “We are so proud that one of India’s most beloved films, DDLJ (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge)It was adapted into a musical. come and fall in love The Old Globe in San Diego, with all our attractions on Broadway. This is the first time the original director has adapted an Indian film for Broadway. So this is the first time that India, our culture, our music, our dance and our beautiful heart are presented to the world in this way. “