Click to play videoLondon: Five years after Gurinder Chadha's Bollywood version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, another classic Victorian tale is getting an Indian makeover. Emily Bronte's tale of passion, revenge and destiny - Wuthering Heights - has been adapted in a Bollywood-style musical for the West End.
Playwright Deepak Verma says, "People who love Wuthering Heights, people who love Bollywood films or don't know any of them, would still relate to this."
The northern moors of Yorkshire have become the sandy deserts of Rajasthan in the Indian version. The main characters, Heathcliff and Cathy are now Krishan and Shakuntala. The script is laced with a few Hindi expressions and the actors lip synch to pre-recorded songs in true Bollywood style.
Youkti Patel who plays Shakuntala says, "I found lip synching new and tough and as I love to sing, I had to resist the temptation of singing. I had to get breathing right and all."
Pushpinder Chani who plays Krishan adds, "It's been a fun experience."
Wuthering Heights is currently playing in West London until the end of May. The team hopes to capitalise on the new found appeal of Bollywood after the success of Slumdog Millionaire.
Gurinder Chadha adapted Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice on celluloid and added songs and sequins to it. Now Bronte's Wuthering Heights will have Rajasthani deserts and lehenga cholis. One wonders what Emily Bronte would have made of this.
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