Actor Gulki Joshi's Broadway debut: A dream fulfilled with Kaneez, a tribute to legendary Meena Kumari
Gulki Joshi embarks on Broadway journey with Kaneez, fulfilling her decade-old dream of performing in musicals
Actor Gulki Joshi, best known for her role in shows like Maddam Sir and Bhaukaal, is making her foray into the world of Broadway musicals, calling it the fulfillment of a long-held ambition. “My decade-old opera dream is getting fulfilled,” she said, confirming her involvement in Kaneez, a musical tribute to yesteryear's actor Meena Kumari.
Identifying herself as a theatre artist first, Gulki states, “Even while doing daily soaps I have managed to do theatre, but somehow being a part of Broadway never happened till I got Kaneez.”
Speaking about the project, Gulki adds that the Broadway story will aim to bring alive the aura of the legendary yesteryear actor, Meena Kumari. “It’s really big for me to be part of anything associated with her. And this is a full-on tribute to her art and craft,” she adds. Gulki calls it really challenging portraying the icon: “Creating her look is not that difficult in today’s time, but recreating her poise, grace, and aura is the real challenge for any actor. 'Ab na woh tameez hain, na woh tehzeeb bachi hai aur na hi woh tehraav reh gya.' Actors of that era possessed a diction and command of language that is sadly lost.”
As it is a musical, Gulki will also be lending her voice to the performance. “It's a musical, so I am part of the singing team as well. Thoda pehle se I started practising, as I am a singer but never got a chance to professionally display my singing. This turned out to be one of the biggest opportunities to get back on stage acting and also getting a chance to sing and dance to create the magic of Broadway.”
The actor is also looking forward to returning to television soon with a new show in the pipeline and is also ready to try her hand in OTT streaming platforms. “I am happy to end the year this way. As an actor, we all need to be seen across mediums to stay relevant in today’s time,” she concludes.
