It’s a spectacle. An explosion of colour and sound. A feast of musical styles and dance. And it’s a heart-wrenching story of romance and intrigue that has fascinated India for more than a century.

Now Devdas has been transformed for the first time into a Bollywood magical musical and is coming to Canberra Theatre Centre for one night only (Saturday 16 August).

Devdas: The Musical is a 90-minute, original stage production—true Bollywood style brought to life through a cast of 50 dazzling dancers, more than 400 show-stopping and authentic costumes adorned with more than 1000 pieces of intricate Indian jewellery, 15 instrumentalists, percussionists and vocalists, 12 new original compositions and colonial era props.

It is based on the famous story of one man and the two women who were never meant to be his—one he never loved and one he never stopped loving.

More than 15 movies have been made in India on the famous Devdas novella, written by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1907.

The classic Bollywood tale starts with Devdas growing up beside a young girl, Paro. They fall in love but separate when Devdas travels to London to study. Deep down the two want to marry but the cast system and family pressures prevent this. Paro, although heart broken, dutifully fulfils her family duties and marries someone else. Devdas becomes a ruined man, finding comfort in the house of a famous and beautiful courtesan, Chandramukhi. The tale is told through the eyes of the lonely and ageing Chandramukhi.

This glamorous and extravagant Bollywood spectacle is part of the relatively recent revival of Indian-style theatre and follows in the footsteps of other successful Indian musicals such as Merchants of Bollywood and Bombay Dreams. Artistic director Ruchi Sanghi hails from Mumbai where she has assisted on several Bollywood movies and won critical acclaim for her choreography of The Nautch Girls and Nine Flavours.

“I have always had a fascination with Devdas’ two female protagonists, Chandramukhi and Paro,” says Ruchi who spent a year on developing the concept and choreography for Devdas The Musical. “Through the dancers, costumes and music we set senses alight and bring this touching story to a new audience and generation. This includes with the original music composition by Aparna Nagashayana who hails from four generations of musicians.”

Tickets are on sale now. Click here for more information.