Gene Kelly on the Nile, Cinderella in Goa

*I originally wrote this piece for a college course on the Global Musical in 2015. In half the essay I  discuss the Egyptian film Love in Karnak (1965) and compare the star Mahmoud Reda to Gene Kelly, and in the other half I discuss the Indian film Holiday (2006) and compare it to the American film Dirty Dancing (1987). The thesis of the essay (and the course I wrote it for) is about the influences of American musicals on international musicals (and dancicals). Some links and references may be outdated but I have updated them to the best of my ability.

After watching the selected musicals from two separate cultures, the Egyptian, Love in Karnak from 1965, and the Indian, Holiday from 2006, it is apparent that the two films are extensions of the American Film Musical tradition outlined by Rick Altman in his classic text book, The American Film Musical. Love in Karnak falls into the category of the “Stage Musical” as the story centers around the main character, Salah, arranging his next stage production with his cast. Holiday, however is a “Fairy Tale Musical,” with its use of the female protagonist blossoming from an ugly duckling into a lovely dancing swan through her discovery of true love and salsa dance. Even though both films are from separate cultures and time periods, it is clear that the American molds for film musicals are universal across time and space, as exemplified in the films. Although seemingly foreign and exotic, both Holiday and Love in Karnak are based on familiar formats, making them relatable to American audiences.

Holiday for instance, is not only a recognizable Fairy Tale Musical, but a modern remake of the classic American dancical from 1987, Dirty Dancing. As a cult classic, and clear reference to the “Ugly Duckling” and “Cinderella” models, Dirty Dancing utilizes the common concept of an awkward young girl growing into her own through a forbidden love affair with a gorgeous male costar, in this case a charming dancer. The fact that Holiday lifted the direct story line and placed it into a Bollywood setting, proves that the story is relatable to audiences across the globe. The main protagonist, Muskan, is the typical ugly duckling character that is so often depicted in American film. She is clumsy and awkward and feels uncomfortable in her own skin until she is “rescued” by the prince of the story, Dino. Discovering her confidence and sexuality through her relationship with Dino, as well as her crash course in Latin dance, she accomplishes the Cinderella happy ending. By being the unnoticed one among her superficially attractive sister and her friends, who treat her like a slave, Muskan is set up as the underdog of the story. By breaking out of her mold and finding herself, she not only becomes more appealing, but more complete as a human being, solidifying her Cinderella archetype.

A storybook happy ending is a popular preference in many artistic forms other than film however. In her article, “The Music and Musicality of Bollywood,” Anna Morcom makes the statement that Bollywood films are often compared to opera, as opposed to American musicals because of their combination of “intense emotions and impossible conflicts as well as spectacle and entertainment (Morcom 143).” This is very evident throughout Holiday, as the completely unrealistic plot of an ordinary resort guest like Muskan getting intimately involved with the resort staff, becoming a star dancer, and awakening her sexuality through a forbidden affair with the resort dance instructor, all during the course of a weeks-long family vacation is completely implausible. Yet audiences everywhere want to escape reality into a fantasy of justice and happy endings and that is exactly what they get in Holiday.

Not only does the film allow the lovers the same Hollywood ending as the original Dirty Dancing, with the thought to be star-crossed lovers proclaiming their love to the world through a scandalous dance number, but the Bollywood version takes it a step further with the impression of a wedding on the horizon. By tapping into Indian cultural expectations of a young couple jumping into marriage immediately, Holiday puts a slight emphasis on its home country and target audience of India. Even though marriage is thought to be the ultimate happy ending in most cultures, American films such as Dirty Dancing do not always make the happy ending that explicit, and instead settle for the simple togetherness of the couple. Holiday differs here, as a suggested wedding is a more definite sign of peace and unity among the main characters.

Of course a fairy tale is not complete without the slaying of a dragon, whether literal or metaphorical. In the case of Holiday, it is the latter. The villains of the tale include the bossy and bratty mean girls that Muskan’s sister, Samara befriends as well as the seemingly charming resort attendant, Harsh. The plastically attractive girls with their highlighted hair, manicured nails and bright mini skirts, contrast to the plain Muskan with her glasses and tight ponytail. By disrespecting Muskan and sending her on errands to fetch them drinks, the girls represent the wicked stepsister roles, placing Muskan in the submissive servant role of Cinderella. Thus making Muskan’s descent into the exciting world of the resort dancers her own personal midnight ball, escaping her mundane existence. However, the assumed prince of the story, Harsh, turns out to be a wicked creature in disguise, charming his way into the heart of Samara and her parents as well as dancer, Alisa.

Harsh is named rather fittingly, due to his cruel behavior towards the women of the film. By getting Alisa pregnant then tossing her aside to move on to Samara, all while keeping his squeaky clean image intact, Harsh makes himself the dark force of the story, letting the audience await his slaying. By exposing his true colors to Samara and Muskan’s father and admitting he is the one who got Alisa in trouble, as opposed to Dino, the father finally sees the truth and his disdain cuts through Harsh like a knife, as Dino and Muskan dance off happily into the future. Not only does the audience receive the justice they so keenly thirst, but also the triumphant happy ending for the lovers. Of course the real prince in disguise is the dance instructor, Dino. Through Muskan’s blossoming relationship with him, she finds the courage to be herself, and the confidence to stand up for what she believes is right, all while having the adventure of a lifetime.

Sex as adventure is utilized in the film through Muskan’s relationship with Dino. As Altman mentions in The American Film Musical, “America has never…been able to shake an identification of (sexual) attraction with danger (Altman 177).” Evidently this is also true of other nations around the world. By being sexually attracted to Dino, Muskan is exorcising her freedom of will and rebellion for the first time in her life. Without this initial attraction, Muskan would not discover her sexual awakening, and thus the story would not progress. By indulging in her feelings for Dino, Muskan is daring to embark on a journey that she originally thought unimaginable. The audience is led to believe that before this family vacation, Muskan gave little thought to boys or physical appearances, unlike her beautiful and popular sister, Samara. There is only a brief glimpse of her imagining a romantic future during a shopping scene with Samara and her new snobby friends, when Muskan discovers a wedding dress on display and is compelled to try it on. Being unable to tear her eyes away from her reflection in the modest white dress, the viewer is further led to believe that she only envisions an innocent and virginal union. With her daring actions of spending the night with Dino, her adventurous side rises to the surface.

Before the affair comes to fruition, Muskan is painted as a mere onlooker to her lively surroundings. By watching the sumptuous dancing of Dino and the other performers, she begins to indulge in her fantasies, thus leading to the outlandish musical numbers. According to the reading by Morcom, Holiday does not quite fit the fantastical Bollywood model of having the musical numbers “interrupt the narrative,” as the songs are not completely separate from the story (Morcom 141). Although certain scenes are obviously designed based on music videos, the numbers are usually somewhat of a product of Muskan’s imagination, such as her idolization of Alisa being personified into Alisa’s sexually charged solo during a party scene. Yet even though these specific songs do stand out from the plot line in a somewhat music video style, they still take place in the setting of film. For example, at the resort and beach in Goa, such as the scene in which Muskan and her new friends sing on the beach and explore the city. Scenes such as this are still very music video inspired, yet they are still connected to the story, making music a piece of the film, as opposed to a random adornment.

Love in Karnak is somewhat similar as certain numbers blend into the plot line, while others are clearly separate spectacles. The 1965 Egyptian musical, falls under the “Show Musical” category outlined by Altman, as the story centers around the male protagonist, Salah creating a stage show with his traveling cast, as well as the budding romance between him and his star dancer, Amina. Their relationship is highlighted in specific dance numbers that fit into the plot, such as the “metronome dance,” in which Salah is auditioning dancers for his new production and Amina takes the stage. She is initially inspired by the tick, tick, tick of the metronome that Salah sets for her, then is enhanced by a drummer in the background, and finally Salah is moved to join her on stage in a fabulous duet, utilizing a scarf as a prop. Yet other pieces are completely fantastical, such as when Salah dreams of dancing with his idol in the desert and his cast awaken him before they have to rehearse.

The film does however, primarily use dance as a narrative as mentioned in the article by Michael Dunne in, “Dance as a Narrative Agent.” The metronome dance is one of many examples throughout the film that move the plot forward. Before the duet, the initial union of the couple is unclear, yet “when they dance together the romantic impasse can be resolved (Dunne 67).” Before, the audience is only privy to some past event that has happened between them due to some forlorn looks on the train on the way to their shooting location. Therefore the number acts as a flash back to a less troubled time in the relationship. The opening number is also a plot starter as the cast of Salah’s show have gathered at the train station before leaving on their tour, sparking a huge spectacle throughout the station, using their luggage as props. Yet this is not surprising as the “principal characters are dancers, so that dancing becomes an agent narrative simply as an extension of their characterization (Dunne 67).” This is particularly true of Salah and Amina.

The various inspirations for their dances come in the form of numbers performed throughout the film. As mentioned in The American Film Musical, Altman expresses how professional musical numbers in backstage musicals must be “an expression of shared exuberance (Altman 235).” This is the case for Love in Karnak, as the characters are all essentially a part of Salah’s cast and therefore easily swept up into seemingly spontaneous show pieces. One of the greatest examples of this mutual merriment, besides the train station number, is the scene in which Salah is so inspired in the moment, that the cast bursts into a massive dance on a construction sight in the desert, making unusual shapes and formations with planks of wood, creating a checkered pattern with their bodies. By giving the viewer these strange and wonderful glimpses into Salah’s inspirations, the film gives the “illusion of seeing something which theatergoers cannot perceive,” and that is the magic of creating art (Altman 207). By peering into the mind of the choreographer, the audience gets a rare peak at the inner workings of the mind of an artist, something that many people often take for granted.

American audiences in particular, often enjoy getting lost in the world of a show, taking for granted the hard work and struggle for inspiration that the showmakers encounter during the course of a production. Yet in a Show Musical the audience gets to enjoy the artists’ bursts of creativity as well as still relish in the magic of the production. Love in Karnak in particular, is a strong example of an accessible Show Musical as it is very much western influenced. Although an irregular setting with strange props, the dance scenes are still very American friendly, as the star who plays Salah, Mahmoud Reda, idolized iconic western stars, such as Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. The influence is particularly strong in Love in Karnak as exemplified through certain movements used throughout each number, including the very Gene Kelly lines and leaps. Also the use of the everyday props such as the luggage in the train station scene, and scarf during the metronome dance, make the pieces more familiar and less intimidating to American eyes. Although Egyptian, and therefore exotic and distant, Love in Karnak has such a heavy western influence that it becomes easily relatable to Americans, from the Gene Kelly inspired dances, to the common on-again-off-again love story.

In fact, Egypt was once known as the “Hollywood on the Nile,” producing not only hundreds of films between the late 1920’s and early 1960’s, but very American style films at that (Mokdad 213). Like India does today with their Bollywood films, Egypt took inspiration from American culture and placed it in its home country. Love in Karnak exemplifies this trend strongly as the tender, yet complicated relationship between Salah and Amina is all too familiar to Americans, as well as the joyous dances throughout the city. Not only is this relatable to American and other western audiences, but it remains rooted in Egyptian culture because it is reminiscent of the “musical life of Egyptians (Mokdad 219)”. Egypt is a very music oriented culture, from producing splashy musicals in the past, to dancing in the street today. Egyptian children are taught to dance from an early age, making the joy of music and rhythm a part of their souls. Love in Karnak is therefore a perfect example of this sparkling aspect of Egyptian culture. However, to an American audience it remains yet another example of a fantasy to escape into, as dance is most certainly not as common in everyday American life.

Americans tend to be more uptight when it comes to expressing emotions, particularly in a public and “undignified” way such as dance. Therefore musicals act as a wonderful flight of fancy, as Americans can imagine themselves in the lovely world presented to them in which the stars are free to dance about and burst into song. International musicals are an even greater form of escapism, as they allow the audience to see into another culture that they find foreign and exotic. Love in Karnak is then a perfect vehicle to be whisked off to a far away land and witness the work of a genius, all while watching the small complications of a love affair unfold. A simple story with familiar artistic forms, such as a dance in a train station and a finale number filled with happiness and joy, make the film an easily approachable piece of media for eastern and western audiences alike, very much like Holiday is with its common makeover story and Cinderella ending.

The films Holiday and Love in Karnak, although Indian and Egyptian respectively, are strongly based off of American influences, specifically Dirty Dancing and Gene Kelly films. By taking such quintessentially American devices and placing them in Eastern settings, the films exemplify that the Fairy Tale and Show musical formats, made popular in the U.S. and outlined by Rick Altman, are the basic models for musicals everywhere, making them understandable and enjoyable for audiences of various nationalities. Therefore, seeing a Gene Kelly type in Karnak and a Dirty Dancing “Baby and Johnny” type couple in Goa, does not seem so unusual and far fetched. It is all too easy for Americans to think of foreign countries as intimidating and unattainable, yet many cultures have much more in common with each other and America than usually expected. Holiday and Love in Karnak are two strong examples of not only the common themes of American story telling, but the emulation thereof.

America is often seen as the gold standard in many mediums; film musicals are no exception. By taking fail-safe concepts as the Cinderella and ugly duckling myths used in Dirty Dancing, and placing them in a Bollywood setting, Holiday exemplifies how Indian audiences can appreciate and enjoy these classic concepts, and also realize that they are not strictly western. Love in Karnak uses less myth as inspiration, and more general style, with the western movements made popular by Gene Kelly and combining it with a simple love story. Not only can Egyptians appreciate this light weight concept, but also identify with American culture and see it as a kindred spirit. Using the two films Holiday and Love in Karnak as examples, it is clear that the Fairy Tale and Stage musical formats may have been made popular in the United States, yet they are anything but strictly American. A happy ending for a pair of lovers and the rejoicing of a crowd in a gloriously synchronized choreography are universally utilized tools, and their presence in the two films are further evidence that throughout the world “the specter of Hollywood still looms (Mokdad 217).”

Works Cited

1. Cairo Film Distribution Company, Mahmoud Reda. Love in Karnak. Youtube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUa2R9RNCGk. Cairo Films.

2. MIG Film, Onjolee Nair. Holiday. Tubi streaming video, https://tubitv.com/movies/51484/holiday.

3. Dirty Dancing. Directed by Emile Ardolino. 1987. Santa Monica, CA: Artisan Home Entertainment, 1997. DVD.

4. Altman, Rick. The American Film Musical. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1987.

5. Mokdad, Linda. “Egypt.” In The International Film Musical, 2012, edited by Corey Creekmur and Linda Mokdad, 213-226. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008.

6. Morcom, Anna. “The Music and Musicality of Bollywood.” In The Sound of Musicals, 2010, edited by Steven Cohan, 142-151. London: British Film Institute, 2010.

7. Dunne, Michael, American Film Musical Themes and Forms. Jefferson: McFarland & Company Inc., 2004.