'Hair,' the Broadway musical that helped defined the hippie era when it was initially produced at New York's Public Theater in 1967, will be getting an ahimsa-style treatment when it hits Indian theaters soon. While the producers believe that the 43-year-old messages of peace and community continue to ring true, they want to adapt it to better fit today's youth culture."Today, the message of 'Hair' remains as relevant as it was in the 70s: love, peace, joy and happiness but the means to reach them have been adapted to the 21st Century," said producer Antoine Redon, in a press release. "If the intention of 'Hair' then was to make outer revolution to stop wars, the intention of 'Hair' now is to make inner revolution."
Taking place at The Garden of Five Senses in New Delhi, actors such as Ankur Sabharwal, Samara Chopra and Tritha Sinha appear in this updated version. This is only a preview for the full run in October. The anti-war message is one that the producers hope to resonate when the Commonwealth Games occur at the same time.
"World peace cannot be achieved without first achieving inner peace," Redon said. "How to face wars? How to behave in the face of opposition? Are love and non-violence not the best weapons? 'Hair' 2010 will thus advocate the Gandhian values of 'ahimsa' and 'satyagraha' in his native land."
