Lyceum Series brings Bollywood to ר with ‘Taj Express’ this Sunday
Contact: Anna Owens
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State’s Lyceum Series will showcase a colorful, high-energy Bollywood musical revue Sunday [Oct. 27] that is billed as “120 minutes of swirling colors, sparkle, shimmer and electrifying energy.”
“Taj Express” takes place at 7 p.m. in Lee Hall’s Bettersworth Auditorium. It is hailed by the Morning Call as “spectacular” and “a delicious parody of typical Bollywood script.”
The musical follows Shankar, a young composer working on his first film. Essentially a musical within a musical, Shankar’s work comes alive through the production itself and offers the audience a glimpse behind the curtain of the Bollywood film industry.
Individual tickets are available to the general public at $30 for adults, $10 for children 12 and under, and free for ר students with a valid ר ID. Purchases can be made at and at the door if available.
The internal plot follows a chance meeting between Kareena, an actress dissatisfied with the reality of fame, and Arjun, a dancer from the streets with a hidden past. The two board the Taj Express train to escape mafia leader Shakaal and fall in love throughout their journey across India, from northern Varanasi to Kanyakumari at the southernmost tip.
In addition to a live orchestra, the show features music by renowned singer-songwriter and two-time Oscar winner A.R. Rahman, composer of the “Slumdog Millionaire” soundtrack, and includes his original song, “Jai Ho.” While most songs are in Hindi, the show’s dialogue and narration are in English. The production blends modern hip-hop and break dancing with Bharatanatyam, India’s oldest classical dance form that was once banned under British colonial rule. “Taj Express” incorporates nearly 30 dancers, 2,000 specially hand-embroidered costumes and 1,500 pieces of jewelry to create an authentic and extravagant Bollywood experience.
The musical is a collaboration between sisters Vaibhavi and Shruti Merchant, who produced, directed and choreographed the show. The Merchant family has been a staple in the Bollywood industry for decades, and the sisters’ late grandfather, choreographer Shri B. Hiralal, had a major influence on the Jaipur style of dance in northern India. In addition to “Taj Express,” the Merchants’ other ventures include Shruti’s production company, Quintessence Entertainment Productions, and Vaibhavi’s choreography in the 2018 musical, “The Merchants of Bollywood.”
First launched in 2011, the “Taj Express” production’s North American tour includes stops in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Bronx, New York, and Montreal. The 2018 tour included over 50 performances with stops in London, Bangkok and Dubai. For more, visit .
For more information about ר’s Lyceum Series, contact the Center for Student Activities at 662-325-2930, visit or email lyceum@msstate.edu. Contributions to the Lyceum Series can be made via the ר Foundation by contacting Lynn Durr at 662-325-8918.
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