It is never explained just why the von Trappe family musical was selected for this project, though presumably it holds some patriotic significance for visiting Austrian conductor Johannes Steinwender. In fact, one of his biggest challenges was conveying the significance of the songs’ alpine settings to the children who only know Mumbai’s teeming slums. Early in the rehearsal process, he assigns a few solos to kids who catch his eye and ear. In doing so, he creates intense jealousies, not just for the attention the soloists get, but the presumption of their back-end opportunities.
Frankly, Steinwender’s musical instincts prove largely correct. To his credit, he also expresses concerns about raising the students’ hopes beyond the narrow scope of the production. However, he appears completely oblivious to the tensions caused by his not quite arbitrary solo assignments. Indeed, Ashish, Mumbai’s principle POV figure, almost irreparably severs his friendship with close mate Mangesh, because of the latter boy’s resentment.
McCarthy has organized benefit screenings of Mumbai to raise funds for the students’ further education, which is a worthy thing to do. Still, viewers will want to hear more from the adults behind the concert about what exactly their goals were. On the other hand, she clearly won the confidence of the kids and their families, gaining intimate access to their lives and homes.
