The meeting of nemeses Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim earlier this week has been dubbed as a Bollywood drama, but Bollywood is now here in Malaysia for real.

It will weave stories of betrayal, defeat, love and revenge, similar to what prevailed in the Mahathir-Anwar years when they were buddies, and later bitter foes.

A light-hearted spin on Shakespeare will be presented by The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat in a stage play ‘Shakespeare Goes Bollywood’ next week.

Unlike Malaysian politics, this real Bollywood drama has a good dose of Shakespearean satire and humour, with some rocking Bollywood music and dance thrown in.

This play is based on the premise that before Shakespeare was born in England, he had a previous birth in India, as narrated by an Indian storyteller.

There are scenes from 'King Lear', 'Romeo and Juliet', 'Hamlet', 'Merchant of Venice' and more, told in a vibrant Bollywood style.

‘Shakespeare Goes Bollywood’ begins with a 13-year-old girl Savitri meeting with Chachaji, a wandering storyteller who trades stories for rupees.

Through Chachaji’s narration, Savitri is transported to the holy city of Varanasi during the last days of the Delhi sultanate to witness a tale of inter-religious love and all the complications that follow.

The ill-fated love affair between Raghuman, son of a goat herder, and Jyothi, daughter of a moneylender, is a Shakespearean revenge-driven saga.

‘Shakespeare Goes Bollywood’ boasts a cast of 16, starring Chacko Vadaketh as well as a whole host of talents, Sangheetaa Phary (Miss Malaysia Indian Global 2013), Lavinya Kalai Chelvan, Mithran Balakrishnan, Narinder Kaur, Tilottama Pillai, Abigail Sharmini Abisegam, Suhunaraj Shanmugam, and many more.

Long-time collaborators director/co-scriptwriter Matthew Koh and co-producer/co-scriptwriter Fa Abdul teamed up to produce the play.

The audience will be transported to an altogether different time and place, with the help of award-winning set designer Zen Lin Tan, lighting designer Yusman Mokhtar, sound designer Khairil Imran and costume designer Dominique Devorsine.

The foot-stomping numbers, true to the Bollywood style, are choreographed by Afham Zainal Abidin and enacted in a seamless tale of Shakespearean proportion, but with a Bollywood flavour.

Produced by Big Nose Productions, the stage play will premiere at The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC) from Sept 15 to 18.

Tickets at RM35 and RM45 can be booked at www.ticketpro.com.my or via the KLPAC Box Office, 03-4047 9000.