DDLJ Broadway Adaptation: Vishal Dadlani Reacts To Criticism For Casting Austin Colby As SRK’s Raj

Aditya Chopra is adapting his much-celebrated movie ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ into a Musical Broadway titled ‘Come Fall In Love’.

SRK’s character Raj has been renamed Roger Mandel aka Rog and will be played by Austin Colby. 

Source : Instagram

New Delhi: Aditya Chopra is adapting his much-celebrated movie ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’ into a Musical Broadway titled ‘Come Fall In Love’. With this show, the YRF head honcho is trying to tell an important and relevant thing in today’s times. The show is about the celebration of inclusivity and diversity in a world that’s getting polarised and is about the celebration of love and how it can unify people and cultures and break down all barriers. 

The makers of 'Come Fall in Love', which is premiering at the Old Globe theatre on September 14, announced its cast last week. Kajol’s character Simran will be played by Indian American actor Shoba Narayan while SRK’s character Raj has been renamed Roger Mandel aka Rog and will be played by Austin Colby. 

Soon after this announcement, Michelin star and chef Vikas Khanna took to Twitter and expressed his displeasure on Austin Colby's casting in the DDLJ Broadway, in the iconic role of Raj Malhotra. He tweeted, "Raj is our childhood, youth, love & pride. Many Westerners will never understand what DDLJ means to us. I just saw HOUSEFULL show of @kiterunnerbway on BROADWAY w all colored cast. It received standing applause. Let’s not make our kids feel less on our own stage #DDLJMusical." 

Reacting to Vikas's tweet, music composer Vishal Dadlani took to Twitter and wrote, "Hi Vikas. Followed and appreciated your compassion during the Covid pandemic, so felt like I had to reply to you re: "Come Fall in Love - The DDLJ Musical". Adi, Shekhar and I hope to represent India, our culture, and our inclusive ethos with pride! CFIL has two cultures, meeting as equals, thru two young people in love. The cast is rich with South Asians playing South Asian characters and India is the most vibrant and glorious character on our stage! I promise you, we will do us all proud. I'd request you to come watch our show and see for yourself. Would be great to have you there!" 

'Come Fall In Love' has many firsts for India and Indians. For the first time, an Indian director, Aditya Chopra, debuts on Broadway. It is also the first Bollywood musical to be on Broadway. It has Vishal and Sheykhar debuting too as composers. Shruti Merchant will do her first Broadway musical as Associate Choreographer. The show champions diversity and every department from cast to technicians is a beautiful confluence of East and West as Indians and South Asian representation is at the heart of this show.