How to make a killing in Bollywood – NLP Theatre Company

By Ron Bingham

This is a play billed as comedy and, while the first half is a fun filled romp with dancing and singing, the second half of the show is much darker as the dreams turn sour. The play concerns two Scottish Indians (Raza and Gurjit) who are childhood friends. They had dreams of being actors but are now stuck working in the fast food shop owned by the Gurjit’s family. One day Raza decides he has to give his dream one last chance and persuades Gurjit to come with him to Mumbai to try out in a Bollywood movie. There are entertaining scenes at the fast food parlour, the visa office and the airport, which include some energetic dancing and some naked male torso’s.

When they arrive in India, they experience culture shock, meet a couple of people who may be able to help them fulfil the dream, and eventually find that sometimes friends aren’t all they are meant to be. Raza loses his temper at what he thinks is the ultimate betrayal and the play ends in a surprisingly bloody fashion.

There are four actors (three male and one female), with the other two having the responsibility of playing all the other parts in the play. At various points in the production I could see strands that could have brought the show to a happier conclusion but I suppose life sometimes doesn’t work like that.

I’m still unsure whether the two halves worked for me as I was enjoying the first half for the comedy and the dancing, and the second half was a well acted drama about love, friendship and betrayal but they seemed like two different plays. Perhaps if I had known that it wasn’t going to have a Bollywood ending (although there was a final dance number), I may have been more prepared for what happened (I was calling it a spiral into darkness when describing it to people afterwards). It is a thought provoking and well acted show which asks what one is prepared to pay to pursue ones dreams.

So see this show if you enjoy Bollywood, comedy and dark drama all mixed into one show. There is swearing and violence, so definitely not one for the younger audience members. It’s in the huge and very dusty Debating Hall.

How to make a killing in Bollywood is on at Gilded Balloon Teviot at 3.00pm

For Bookings https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/how-to-make-a-killing-in-bollywood