EXCLUSIVE | Feroz Abbas Khan on Mughal-e-Azam : 'A great story remains timeless for a reason'

In conversation with director Feroz Abbas Khan on Mughal-e-Azam The Musical travelling to the US. In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, Khan spoke about how Mughal-e-Azam remains timeless and the challenges of getting actors who could fit into the shoes of Dilip Kumar, Madhubala and Prithviraj Kapoor.

Edited excerpts of the interview:

Talk about Mughal-e-Azam, the musical’s timeless narrative that is still fresh and relevant today.

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A great story remains timeless for a reason. It has universal truths, characters that we can identify with regardless of their stature, and emotions that resonate with us. ‘Mughal-E-Azam’ was one such story and ‘Mughal-E-Azam: The Musical’ has kept the film’s thematic core intact and used the technology unobtrusively and only in the service of storytelling. The class struggle and the dangers of falling in love across social barriers that the film depicted are still relevant and that is what makes this glorious epic so relatable.

What was the entire thought behind the musical ?

It is a great love story and it is also about the conflict between parental control and youthful rebellion. I have been deeply in love with K. Asif’s vision, the majesty of his imagination, and the formidable characters he created for a very long time, and in 2004, when I saw the coloured version of the film, I felt the time was right to adapt the film to stage. Luckily for us, the audiences loved the musical and now we are travelling to the US for a 13-city tour. K. Asif’s ‘Mughal-E-Azam’ has stood the test of time for over 60 years, and audiences have been enthralled with its musical adaptation as well.

What led him to choose to turn Mughal-e-Azam into a play?

I have been in love with the film for a long time and when I saw it again in 2004 on the big screen, I realised that the film had a lot of theatrical elements. The odds before us were many and they ranged from logistical issues to just how we were going to do justice to a period film of this stature. When Shapoorji Pallonji, the producers of the original film came on board, things fell into place and here we are, more than 17 seasons later!

The most challenging aspect of making a classic like Mughal-e-Azam

The challenges were many including how we were going to find actors who could step into the shoes of Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, and Prithviraj Kapoor, perform live, and possibly even sing and dance. The scale of the set design, the detailing of the costumes, the seamless transition between over 50 scenes, and recreating the war scenes on a flexible stage were all issues that needed to be addressed. Thankfully, we were able to find workable solutions as we went along. We also had to find world-class lighting technicians, sound engineers, and stagehands. And of course, we had to recreate the music, design the choreography and ensure that the technical and artistic quality of the production was exemplary considering we were adapting a masterpiece.

Elaborate on the war scenes and historical period- look and feel they envisioned for the theatrical version

Well, the war scenes in the film were breathtaking considering the makers had very little access to digital effects. The stage adaptation however did rely on technology to create the intensity and urgency of a battleground. We also researched and put together a template that conveyed the richness and scale of the era. We paid great attention to detail, and created elaborate costumes, sets, and props that captured the essence of the period the story is set in.

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