Two families converge on Delhi for an arranged marriage and what promises to be a glorious union. As festivities unfurl in song and dance, expectation and reality collide. The bride and groom are not who they appear to be, and dark family secrets begin to surface. Chaos ensues, and as the nuptials draw closer, so do the wedding planner and the house maid. Together they find love over a simple marigold flower. As the city pulses with the promise of relief from the heat, the ancient and unbroken ties of family are further tested, asking the question: how do we redefine love in a rapidly evolving world?
It’s lovely to look at, courtesy of David Bengali’s virtuosic video wall and Arjun Bhasin’s gorgeous costumes. Vishal Bhardwaj’s melodies are consistently sprightly, and the show boasts some appealing performances, especially in Salena Qureshi’s Aditi and Deven Kolluri as her banker husband-to-be, Hemant, from Hoboken, N.J. Still, there’s something pat about the whole enterprise, redolent of the canned characters and contrived plot twists of a vintage family TV comedy, that stops 'Monsoon Wedding' short of specialness.
Otherwise, the musicalization feels both too assertive and too inconclusive, like a parade passing by. (There are rarely buttons on the songs to tell you they’re done, leaving the audience wondering whether to applaud.) Only in one song is there a concerted approach to the dramatic experience. The song involves Aditi’s orphaned cousin Ria, raised with her as a sister. Serious and studious, Ria (Sharvari Deshpande) plans to attend New York University, mostly as a way of escaping the marital expectations that Aditi, a pampered princess — “even your panties are ironed” — is all too willing to meet.
2017 | Regional (US) |
Original Production Regional (US) |
2023 | Off-Broadway |
St. Ann's Warehouse Off-Broadway Premiere Production Off-Broadway |
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