Educational Media Reviews Online

The Show Must Go On, directed by Divya Cowasji is an hour-long documentary looking at the influence of the Parsi Theater of India and told through a cinema verité style of filmmaking. The story centers around the coming together of the icons of early Indian theater for a last performance.

Some investigating into the history and background of the Parsi Theater and its influence on modern Indian theater and cinema is helpful. The history spans from 1850s-1930s and is somewhat similar to the American vaudeville style, with music, dance, singing, and other forms of entertainment. There would be no Bollywood without it. The actors that participate in the film were the early ‘influencers’ of their generation.

The beauty of this film is its simplicity. Film director Cowasji had been documenting the art form and after many hours of filming, she came to realize she had a wonderful story to tell.

Having the older Parsi actors come back to the stage after so many years was both challenging and rewarding. The younger people in and around the performance had such deep respect for the older actors, and though their styles were quite different, they worked beautifully together.

A small weakness of the film is the lack of context. It requires the viewer to have some knowledge of the art form in order to truly understand the world these actors lived in, and the impact Parsi theater had on the entertainment industry of India.

Awards:
Best Documentary, 8th Logcinema Theatre on Films; Award Winner, New Delhi Film Festival

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