"Bharati is a dream"

   Il est probable que tous les passionnés de l'Inde, et plus particulièrement les aficionados du cinéma made in Bollywood ont déjà entendu parler du spectacle Bharati, ou même sont déjà allés s'y plonger lors d'une précédente tournée. Son succès est considérable, à l'échelle mondiale... Nous avons donc voulu vous en faire savoir un peu plus, et qui était le mieux à même de nous répondre que l'initiateur et producteur israélien du show, Gashash Deshe ?...
   En partenariat avec La Nouvelle Revue de l'Inde.

Interview

• IR/LNRI : Gashash Deshe, could you please first introduce yourself to our readers?

GD : Hallo everybody, my name is Gashash, and I’m the producer and creator of Bharati The Show. In the past 25 years I’ve been working in theatre, and especially musical theatre, as a producer, stage director, adaptor of plays, and administrator. I was born into a family which was always engaged in show business, and though I’ve left the business for a couple of year to work as a law professor at the University, I finally came back to produce Bharati.

• IR/LNRI : How did all start for Bharati The Show ? Who got the idea and at the very start did you think it would be such a success?

GD : When I left my career as a Law professor and went back to show business, I wanted to do something new, something that nobody has done before. Because of my love to world music, and ethnic cultures, I was looking to do a show which will represent on stage, a country that was not presented before on the live stage in a mega spectacle. After deliberating a bit with myself, the idea of India with its vast array of cultures came into my mind. I wanted to do something that will bring to the stage the popular culture of India in all its glory, and what could be a better starting point than Bollywood. When I started to do the research for the production, I was stunned and amazed by the richness of the cultures of India, the variety of music and dance, the colors and sights. I wanted to bring all these to the stage. And this is how Bharati was born. I was sure from the beginning that if I would be able to bring my vision to life, it would become a success, because India is a very attractive phenomena, and extremely rich in the interest that it provokes.

• IR/LNRI : How did the team decide about the script ? Was it especially made to rally the largest audience?

GD : The script was tailored in such a way, that it will evoke the emotions with different types of audiences. Children love the show as well as adults. The story has different layers, but it all comes to one global idea of the question, where are a person’s roots, and where does he belong to.

• IR/LNRI : And according to which criteria were the artists chosen?

GD : Artists were mainly chosen according to their knowledge and skills in the classical art forms of dance and music, and the ability to combine their ability to adapt to the modern trends of Bollywood.

• IR/LNRI : According to you, how did this show become so successful? And what is different in Bharati from other Indian shows on tour?

GD : The show became a big success because of the sincerity of the artists and their true pride and enthusiasm in showing India to the public. Bharati is currently the only Indian musical theatre production, which combines mega dance numbers with live singers and musicians.

• IR/LNRI : How many people for the show around the world from the time it started?

GD : Till now around 2.4 millions.

• IR/LNRI : From the time it started, few years back, was anything changed in the show?

GD : The story line was always kept the same, but the show is dynamic, and every tour we change songs, and scenes.  We also change the scenery look from time to time. People who so the show two years back in France, will notice few changes this time we come.

• IR/LNRI : It's not the first time for Bharati in France : is the French public special?

GD : My dream was to have the Bharati’s world premiere in Paris. French public is very open to ethnic cultural experiences, and really appreciates India and its culture. French audience is also extremely warm, and knows how to respect the artists and their art. It was always a great experience for us to perform in France, and we love to come back every time.

• IR/LNRI : Is Bharati a way to make Indian culture popular out of India, or just a way to make people dream?

GD : Bharati is a dream, that manages to take the audience on a trip to India without leaving their seats. Bharati was my dream, and I’m proud that it made many people dream about India, and fulfill their dream to travel there.

• IR/LNRI : Any new plans for future?

GD : We are now preparing a new show about the history of music in Hindi cinema. Apart from this, we are planning to keep on playing Bharati, as long as the audience will want to see us.