Wah! Wah! Girls

A British Bollywood Musical

Tanika Gupta

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781849431873
• eBook ISBN: 9781849436311
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

Inspired by the world of the Mujra dancers, who for generations have entertained the rich and powerful with a spellbinding mix of dance and song, Wah! Wah! Girls tells a passionate and playful story of love against the odds. Set against the vibrant background of the East End in 2012, these unstoppable girls uncover deep secrets and create unexpected dreams. Wah! Wah! Girls is a feast for the senses that draws audiences into the world of the modern British-Asian community. Let the pleasure begin! Wah! Wah!

SCENE 1

An Asian pensioner, BINDI enters carrying a large bowl of crisps. She flops down in a tatty old armchair and aims her remote control at TV screen. As she flicks through the channels, nothing catches her eye.

(NB. BINDI represents our TV viewer. She appears in every scene, sometimes sitting in the corner in her tatty armchair, other times joining in. In a sense, she is our point of view.)

We hear/see the assortment of programmes: a football match, an OTT Australian soap, a gyrating pop video, a period drama, gunshots of a cops and robbers and car chase, a wildlife programme etc. BINDI looks bored.

Suddenly SORAYA'S face comes on screen. BINDI'S finger hovers over the remote button. She is transfixed. As the camera shot is close-up on SORAYA, we only see her face, but we and BINDI can see SORAYA as she speaks gently and beguilingly into the camera.

SORAYA: Good evening Bindi Shah.

BINDI looks startled.

Yes, I'm talking to you. Please put down your Bombay mix.

BINDI quickly does as she is told.

Thank you so much for coming along today. It is delightful to see all of you. Some old faces and some new ones. Welcome to you all. Accept my salaams, my namastes and of course my ‘how do you dos’.

SORAYA steps through the screen and emerges, standing in BINDI's space. She looks bemused but gazes up at her adoringly.

SORAYA is dressed exquisitely in silk brocade but is not too flashy. She smiles and addresses the audience. She is well-spoken charming and accomplished.

The audience cheers, BINDI looks around her, startled as she notices a few people have entered her lounge and are settling down on cushions, lounging around her on the floor.

BINDI happily settles back in her chair and puts down the remote.

She calls out.

BINDI: Wah! Wah!

Three beautiful young women, suitably bedecked as Indian dancing girls in bright silks and jewellery, with bells on the ankles burst through the screen.

WAH! WAH! GIRLS SONG IN HINDI

Aaj ki shaam, has bus tumhare naam
Is haseen mehfil ka tumko salaam
Husn Aur adaa ka aisa hai ye jahaan
Aaye jo bhi yahaan ho jaaye fida

Vah vah kahe ye saara jahaan
Jab bhi ye ghungaroo baje yahaan
Inki adaao mein hai aisa nasha
Ke vah vah Kare ye saara jahaan

Translation –
Tonight is in your name
Accept the welcome/hello of this beautiful gathering
This is the world of intoxicating Beauty
Whoever comes here falls in love with it (head over heels)

Vah vah says the whole world
Whenever you hear the sound of ghungaroos here
Such is the charm of these anklet bells
That vah vah says the whole world

BINDI jumps up and addresses the dancers.

BINDI: Life has been terrifically hard for us. Bills, cars, kids, job losses, everything's so expensive and now these bloody Olympics taking over the city. It's a tough time for everyone and all of us are struggling to keep our heads above water.

Bring us one love! True love! Big love!

Wah! Wah!

It is something to rouse the rabble, show off the dancers’ different dancing skills and to set the audience on fire. The dance is more traditional classical-style dance, not Bollywood but more based on kathak and thumris. But it is highly entertaining and visual. This opening dance should be full of joy and fun.

The audience on the stage are not passive but appreciative, both verbally and physically. In the traditional way of a Mujra audience, they call out –

AUDIENCE: Wah-Wah!

They salaam the dancers, cheer at a particularly skilful moment in the dance and sometimes even get up to shout their appreciation. BINDI happily joins in, delighted with the TV show and hands her bowl of crisps around.

At the end of the dance, everyone disappears back through the screen leaving BINDI on her own. She puts on her coat and heads out to the shops.

SCENE 2

Music as the scene opens in the East End of London.

We recreate the hustle and bustle of an East End main street first thing in the morning as BINDI walks through.

We see: White youths, women in hijabs carrying their briefcases, pushing their babies, power dressed, low life, down and outs, flash Harries, high-heeled beauties, and ordinary folk go about their daily lives.

We see two halal butchers with their prayer caps on unloading a large carcass and carrying it through to their shop.

We see a couple of Po...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Half-title page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Characters
• ACT I
• ACT II
• EPILOGUE
• GLOSSARY
• OTHER TANIKA GUPTA TITLES