‘Mumbai Star’: Dhruv Ghanekar and Ishitta Arun on Making the Vibrant Musical

In December last year, the musical Mumbai Star – a story that follows the highs and lows in a young Kathak dancer’s quest for fame after arriving in India’s entertainment capital – staged its final shows as part of a Japan tour.

Seen by a largely Japanese audience, the musical conceptualized by theater actor Devika Punjabi and directed by Nadir Khan received standing ovations in several cities. Artists Dhruv Ghanekar and Ishitta Arun were in attendance for the final shows in Chiba and Tokyo, watching the musical that they had composed, produced and written lyrics for, come to life. Ghanekar says, “Despite how complex some of the music is, especially the classical Kathak pieces, the music was extremely well received.”

The seasoned musician calls it “absolutely unreal” to have seen the response, while Arun terms the production and story a “labor of love.” She adds, “[It] is a musical piece reflecting a profound bond between mentor and disciple. Rooted in Indian music and soul, the concept transcends borders, symbolizing growth in an individual’s life.”

Where the soundtrack by Ghanekar and Arun offered something new was that it didn’t play up the same old tropes of glitzy Indian music, rather bringing in EDM and hip-hop alongside Indian classical pieces and pop. To that end, they called in everyone from classical and fusion artists like Taufiq Qureshi, Ravi Chary and Naveen Kumar, plus Bollywood mainstay singers Sunidhi Chauhan, Nakash Aziz and Kunal Ganjawala, rapper Stony Psyko, and younger pop voices like Yatharth and Riya Duggal. Ghanekar says, “The ambition was to create a cinematic experience for the audiences that gave them a feel for Indian music without it sounding pastiche. All the songs are original and diverse, akin to the city of Mumbai.” Arun adds that the goal with the soundtrack to Mumbai Star was to showcase “the swift growth of India as both an economy and cultural hub.”

There’s now a music video come out for “Kai Re Kai,” an aptly swashbuckling tune that sums up what it’s like to survive and thrive in Mumbai, delivered through Stony Psyko’s inimitable Marathi, Gujarati and Hindi rap. By releasing the soundtrack on Ghanekar’s Wah Wah Records out to streaming platforms, the composer says the global reach of the diverse Mumbai Star album also increased. “The Mumbai Star experience has been a revelation and a huge learning for me personally as it’s the first OST soundtrack that we have released on Wah Wah Records.”

Watch the video for “Kai Re Kai” below.