Come Fall in Love – DDLJ Musical has a western twist to it with Raj becoming Rog (Roger Mandel). It will be played by American actor Austin Colby who will step into the shoes of Shah Rukh Khan. However, Kajol’s Simran will be played by Indian-American actress Shoba Narayan.
Austin shared the news on his Instagram and wrote, “A few months ago, I had never heard of the film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) or known of its global impact. I am in awe of this beautiful love story, celebrating Bollywood film at it’s finest. And now, to have workshopped Come Fall In Love – The DDLJ Musical under the original director, Aditya Chopra, and trusted with the role of Raj (now Rog) to bring Bollywood to Broadway as a reimagined, inclusive cultural experience will undoubtedly be the greatest honor of my career. I hope I make you proud, @iamsrk.”
Ever since it was announced that producer Aditya Chopra is set to direct Diwale Dulhania Le Jayenge again and it will mark his debut as a director on Broadway, fans have been eagerly waiting to see who the cast members are.
Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical is being produced by Yash Raj Films. Based on an original story by Chopra, the musical will feature lyrics by Laurence Oliver Award-winner Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde, Mean Girls), and Vishal Dadlani & Shekhar Ravjiani will serve as composers. Now, they have found their Raj and Simran but also facing flak for casting a white actor for the role of Raj.
Austin Colby also made it clear that he will not try to copy or recreate what Shah Rukh Khan did in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. “I’m aware what my involvement in this production means to many people and I completely understand its impact. I’m not the Raj that Shah Rukh Khan made us fall in love with, nor will I ever pretend to be. I am excited to fulfill the creative team’s vision for this role and I truly believe in the story and how we are telling it,” he said while ensuring that Chopra has a completely new vision for the DDLJ musical.
Talking about recreating an iconic film, Aditya Chopra said he is “terribly nervous and incredibly excited”.
“I’m terribly nervous and incredibly excited. I’m a hardcore cinema guy. I have never done theatre in my life and here I am trying to pull off the craziest ambition of my life. But what is giving me confidence is the fantastic team that I have. They are masters of their field and their brilliance and expertise is going to make this a fantastic show,” Chopra shared in a statement.
