A much-loved Broadway treat for the whole family

In an inaugural venture between Cinnamon Life and Broadway Asia International, The Sound of Music comes to Nelum Pokuna next year

Why on earth should anyone be interested in reading a book about a domestic murder case that took place nearly 60 years ago?

A reviewer writing in Scroll. in had three reasons:

First, the 1959 case was significant from the legal point of view which ultimately resulted in the dismantling of the jury system in India. Second, it was a case that was distorted by the involvement of media and politicians.

Third – perhaps most important – it read like something out of a novel: Nanavati, the heroic, honourable husband, Sylvia, the exotic foreign wife who has been led astray by Ahuja, the sleazy, wealthy, hard-drinking seducer, the conflict between the realms of sordid commerce and the noble Armed Forces, the upright Parsi community and the supposedly devious Sindhi community.

Bringing the scandal to light in 2017 is the writer Bachi Karkaria whose book ‘In Hot Blood’ brings alive the infamous Nanavati case, which many in India still remember. Writing in Verve magazine, a journalist praised Karkaria’s gift of bringing alive the story against the heady times of the then-Bombay’s swish set in the 1950s. The author recreated a glamorous world, far removed from today’s Mumbai.

Of course, those who hear the title, will immediately recall another book about an infamous crime. In Cold Blood was Truman Capote’s most famous work, but laughing Karkaria says she couldn’t lift the title because the crime she described was very “crime passionnel.”

“To my delight, reviewers have almost uniformly described In Hot Blood as a ‘page-turner’, but they have also called it investigative journalism at its best,” she says, explaining. “The challenge was to collect huge tracts of information and funnel it into readable prose.”

Being a senior journalist helped Kakaria hugely.“Discovery was the most enjoyable part,” she says, adding, “I approached the book as a journalist with a deadline, not with the luxury of cogitating over it.”

But chance played its part as well, and Kakaria has many instances of serendipity to thank for the book. For example, in order to learn more about the real Prem Ahuja, who was murdered, she apparently spread her net wide among the Sindhi community, especially among the 80 plus age group, but drew a blank. But then an old gentleman whom Karkaria bumped into by chance at a funeral turned out to have been a friend of Prem Ahuja’s sister, Mamie, who had dropped tantalisingly out of sight after the murder.

The final book took her 12 months to write, which she described as a “year of living obsessively.” Other than her columns, she put all other work on hold, and almost all her personal life as well. “I enjoyed meeting fascinating new people, exploring the unfamiliar domains of the law and the Navy, picking some of the country’s best brains, and piecing together what was such a far-reaching case — and such a compelling story,” she told journalists.

In an interview with the actor Amitabh Bachchan, a close friend, Karkaria described the impact the case had on the legal system:

“When the High Court convicted Nanavati of murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment, there were just 50 days left for the historic formation of Maharashtra State,” she said. “Still, he [Governor Sri Prakasa] found the time to issue an order suspending the High Court’s sentence, so that the warrant of arrest could not be served to Nanavati. The judicial community was up in arms. Finally, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had to be set up to interpret the ambit of the Governor’s powers of pardon. Pandit Nehru himself was forced to defend the Governor’s order in Parliament.”

Since its release, ‘In Hot Blood’ book has since been lauded as a “textbook for millennials” to let them know they didn’t invent anything – sex, viral marketing and most fascinatingly, trial by media.

An Indian-Parsi author, Karkaria is a journalist and former Editor of the Times of India. She describes herself as a “chronicler of urbania.”

She has written a biography of M.S. Oberoi, founder of Oberoi hotels, called “Dare to Dream” (2006), and is best known for her weekly newspaper satirical column – Erratica.

Karkaria was the first Indian on the board of the World Editors Forum, is a recipient of the US-based Mary Morgan-Hewitt Award for Lifetime Achievement, and a Jefferson Fellow of the East West Centre, Honolulu. She is on the advisory boards of the National AIDS Control Organisation and the India AIDS Initiative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The hills will come alive this February, as Cinnamon Life in partnership with Broadway Asia International introduces Broadway theatre to Sri Lanka with the Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Ian Production of the Sound of Music. Rekindling fond memories of raindrops and roses and whiskers on kittens, this spectacular event promises to be a memorable experience for the entire family. The show will be staged at the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre from February 14-18, 2018.

A much-loved musical that has captured the hearts of audiences the world over, The Sound of Music is one of the most critically-acclaimed productions in the history of musical theatre. Having won six Tony Awards and five Academy Awards, this production has been staged at major venues around the world. As Colombo joins this list of venues, twelve children from Sri Lanka will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to perform alongside a critically acclaimed cast.

The Sound of Music will be the inaugural production in an ongoing partnership between Cinnamon Life and Broadway Asia International, one of the largest production, management, distribution, licensing and touring companies of live entertainment in the Asia Pacific region. In the past two decades the company has staged dazzling theatrical performances in 400 cities in over 40 countries, winning more than 50 global theatrical awards through its many collaborations.

Sharing his thoughts on the project, President Leisure Sector of John Keells Holdings Krishan Balendra says that Cinnamon Life is spearheading the opportunity to bring world-class entertainment to Sri Lanka, especially against the backdrop where tourism is set to be the prime foreign exchange earner for the country. He went on to say that world-renowned classics like The Sound of Music will showcase memorable performances that can captivate audiences, and in turn hype up Colombo’s entertainment scene.

As the country’s hospitality trendsetter Cinnamon Life is the proud organizer of the first Broadway theatre production to be staged in Sri Lanka. An event of this calibre is in line with Cinnamon Life’s mission to transform Colombo into a vibrant entertainment hub, and is a significant milestone in the country’s entertainment industry.

Don’t miss out on this one-of-a-kind experience. Tickets can be booked on 011 2161161 or through www.cinnamonboxoffice.com.

Cinnamon Life presents Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Ian, the Really Useful Group production of The Sound of Music powered by Nations Trust Bank American Express, Destination partner Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, Airline partner SriLankan Airlines, Skills Development partner British Council, Banking Partner Nations Trust Bank Private Banking, Inbound Travel partner Walkers Tours, Print Media and Web partners the Sunday Times, Daily Mirror, Daily FT, Life Online, Daily Mirror.lk, Hi Magazine and HI TV, Creative partner JWT, Print partner Anim8 and Outdoor Media partner Emerging Media.