Shilpa's stage act a flop show

After all the hype around "Big Brother" winner Shilpa Shetty's stage debut, the opening shows of musical "Miss Bollywood" were a big disappointment. Not because of her performance, but because of delays and technical glitches which were nothing short of plain mismanagement.

On September 29, the media preview of the show in Admiralspalast theatre, Berlin, was delayed after 35 bags containing costumes and accessories were lost by the airline. They were recovered only a few days later.

To make matters worse, a defect in the playback machine forced the two-hour programme to be curtailed to an hour. The producer had to come on stage and apologize to save face. The shows on October 1 and 2 had to be cancelled and another preview was held on October 3.

Berlin, one of the most happening cities in Germany, didn't seem to take all this well. It was only when the producers gave away two tickets free for every ticket of the cancelled shows that the opening night on October 4 witness a filled house.

But Shilpa didn't disappoint. The audiences loved her dance skills and Ganesh Hegde's spectacular choreography. With London as the backdrop, the musical tells the tale of a young choreographer struggling to fulfill her dreams in the city.

The producers claim there has been 30-40 per cent advance booking for the rest of the shows in Berlin, from where the musical will go to Offenbach and the UK. But until and unless the management takes up responsibility and prevents last-minute glitches, all the hard work Shilpa has put in in the past few months might go waste.