29th April 2025: Mumbai Star, the newest offering from Aadyam Theatre, an Aditya Birla Group initiative, is a bold and immersive Dance Musical that explores the exhilarating highs and crushing lows of chasing stardom in the city of dreams. Helmed by Director Nadir Khan with Choreography by Avantika Bahl and Original Music by Composer Dhruv Ghanekar, this original production brings together powerful movement, original music, and a strong theatrical core, creating a genre-defying stage experience.
Originally produced as a project by the Min-On Concert Association, Tokyo, Japan, Mumbai Star will open with two shows in Mumbai on 24th and 25th May 2025 at St. Andrew’s Auditorium, followed by performances in Delhi on 14th and 15th June 2025 at Kamani Auditorium.
Set against the soaring skyline and gritty undercurrent of Mumbai, Mumbai Star follows Dev, a young man from a coastal village in Maharashtra who finally musters up the courage to take the leap and follow his dreams of becoming a star. With nothing but raw talent and a pocketful of cash, he travels to Mumbai to join the hundreds of hopefuls, hoping to be crowned the winner of the show – Mumbai Star.
As the city tests him, Dev faces not only fierce competition but inner reckonings—unattainable love, a guiding mentor, and the steep cost of fame. Mumbai Star is a celebration of ambition, desire, heartbreak, and the power of having a mentor. It is a dance musical powered by original compositions, electrifying choreography, and a theatrical narrative that elevates it beyond a traditional dance show.
Director Nadir Khan returns to the Aadyam stage after the success of Sing India Sing and A Few Good Men, while also serving as Co-Programming Consultant with Shernaz Patel for Aadyam’s seventh season. Originally conceived by Devika Shahani, the show has been reimagined by writers Akarsh Khurana and Arghya Lahiri, promising a vivid and deeply human journey told through movement, music, and spectacle.
The show’s narration is led by celebrated actors Rajit Kapur and Srishti Shrivastava, who frame the story and characters with poignancy and wit, offering a unique lens into Dev’s world. The rest of the cast comprises a high-energy ensemble of exceptional dancers and performers: Abhishek Choksi, Avenav Mukherjee, Arushi Nigam, Eden Pereira, Jayesh Sarange, Jimit Thaker, Melitta Dsouza, Navin Kelamane, Nikhil Thamke, Paridhi Somani Gandhi, Sonakshi Amitabh, Sruthi Vasudevan, Surabhi Andrade, Veronica Jose, and Vinay Bankar.
The show’s sonic identity is crafted by music composer Dhruv Ghanekar with lyrics by Ishitta Arun, with vocals on the studio album from artists including Sunidhi Chauhan, Nakash Aziz, Kunal Ganjawala, Ravi Chary, Naveen Kumar, Stony Psyko, Yatharth, and Riya Duggal.
At the choreographic helm is Avantika Bahl, with Surabhi Andrade as Associate Choreographer. Vivaran Dhasmana choreographs the hip-hop sets, Krutika Mehta brings the Bollywood flavour, and Vidushi Uma Dogra, a Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee, curates the Kathak pieces—together celebrating Indian and Western dance styles by weaving them into a seamless narrative.
On envisioning the story, Devika Shahani shared, “Mumbai Star is very close to my heart. It is a universal story about one of the most important relationships of our lives—the guru and shishya. The seed of this subject germinated from my determination to present the dynamic between mentor and disciple through music and dance. Aadyam is taking a new and bold step in this different storytelling form. I am grateful to be able to tell this story, my third production with Aadyam, and an ode to my mentor on this beautiful stage.”
Co-Programming Consultant for Aadyam Theatre – Season 7, Nadir Khan added, “The recognition and inclusion of dance as a vital member of the Performing Arts is a wonderful addition to the Aadyam umbrella. The Dance Musical, Mumbai Star celebrates dance – both modern and traditional – and dancers themselves, as individuals and a collective. All while rooting itself in a compelling theatrical narrative that weaves different styles of storytelling together – music, movement and theatre. We are very hopeful that with this small step, the dance industry will have one more avenue that will allow it to continue to innovate, grow and contribute to the rich and diverse landscape of the Performing Arts we love so much.”
Aadyam Theatre, an initiative of the Aditya Birla Group, continues to champion bold, contemporary, and pathbreaking Indian theatre—supporting original voices, powerful storytelling, and extraordinary stagecraft across genres and generations.
