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I wanted to like Merchants of Bollywood. After all, Bollywood may well be the most successful film genre of all times, with, as we are reminded throughout the show, 15 million spectators every day - it also brings back memories of that magical heyday of musical films in Hollywood, when Fred and Ginger were gleefully tapping away on screen. The show is faithful to some typical traits of the 800 or so Bollywood films produced every year, with the presence of star-crossed lovers and a disapproving family. The plot itself is based on the choreographer's own story: Ayesha (Carol Furtado) is the granddaughter of a renowned film choreographer from the classic Bollywood era, Shantilal, who ultimately disagreed with the direction Bollywood was heading and went back to his native Rajastan. Ayesha has been raised in the tradition of Kathak, but she rebels and leaves for Bollywood, where she becomes a successful choreographer. Still unhappy, she ultimately reconciles with her roots and is reunited with her love interest, Uday.

The story has all the makings of a classic take on the conflict between traditions and modernity in India, but Merchants of Bollywood seems to make a mockery of its cultural background, despite Salim and Sulaiman Merchant's rousing score. Kitsch triumphs on stage - the temple we witness "traditional dances" in consists of a shiny golden Buddha in front of painful psychedelic video projections, with special shiny lighting effects to top it all. A man in a turban regularly stops by to give us an update on the story, otherwise mostly conveyed by dialogues - in that respect, the show feels like a complete transposition of a film. Credibility is most likely not the main concern in Bollywood, but there is really no way to engage with the characters when you witness the heroine give an Oscar-worthy speech chanting tradition at the Bollywood Awards before launching into a disco fest. (But then even her childhood sweetheart, danced by Deepak Rawat, has nothing of a faithful country man waiting for his beloved - his tattoos, acrobatic jumps and gift for hip action are completely in tune with this conclusion)

It is really down to the dancing to make an impact in this context, and it does - the sheer energy of the large ensemble is exhilarating as they keep the show going for more than two hours, relentlessly flooding the stage as temple dancers or film stars. Vaibhavi Merchant's choreography, however, quickly becomes repetitive, with an air of music video about it: on the beat, pounding, hardly nuanced. The influence of rock, disco, hip hop, even Michael Jackson is obvious, but you would be hard-pressed to find signs of the divine origins and subtlety of Indian dance. A real shame, as the dancers pour their hearts into Merchants of Bollywood, and for all its glittering tackiness, the result is endearing, going for sheer entertainment with honesty and a seemingly endless supply of eccentric costumes. Don't expect great art, but the show has the odd dazzle factor of a Bollywood So You Think You Can Dance, and it certainly seemed to keep its audience happy.