A multi-disciplinary cultural space, India’s first-of-its-kind, the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, will open on March 31 with an exquisite showcase of the best of India across music, theatre, fine arts and crafts to audiences from India and the world.
The launch will feature a specially curated art and craft exposition called ‘Swadesh’ along with three blockbuster shows – a musical theatrical called ‘The Great Indian Musical: Civilization to Nation’; a costume art exhibition called ‘India in Fashion’ and a visual art show called ‘Sangam/Confluence’.
Together these will present the diversity of India’s cultural traditions and their impact on the world while also showcasing the diversity of spaces at the cultural centre.
Speaking on the eve of the inaugural day, Nita Ambani said, “Bringing this cultural centre to life has been a sacred journey. We were keen to create a space for both promoting and celebrating our artistic and cultural heritage in cinema and music, dance and drama, literature and folklore, arts and crafts and science and spirituality. A space where we showcase the best of India to the world and welcome the best of the world to India.”
The centre will offer free access for children, students, senior citizens and the differently-abled. It will focus on community nurturing programmes, including school and college outreach and competitions, awards for art teachers, in-residency programmes and art literacy programmes among others.
‘The Great Indian Musical: Civilization to Nation’ will see a line-up of exceptional Indian talent, along with a Tony & Emmy award-winning crew, and has been conceived and directed by Feroz Abbas Khan. The marquee production will bring together talents such as Ajay-Atul (music), Mayuri Upadhya, Vaibhavi Merchant, (choreography) along with 350+ artists, including an epic 55-piece live orchestra from Budapest, to showcase India’s cultural journey through history. The visual spectacle will also feature over 1,100 costumes designed by leading fashion designer Manish Malhotra.
The cultural centre, located within the Jio World Centre at Bandra Kurla Complex, is home to three performing arts spaces: the 2,000-seat Grand Theatre, the technologically advanced 250-seat Studio Theatre, and the dynamic 125-seat Cube.
It also features the Art House, a four-storey dedicated visual arts space built as per global museum standards with the aim of housing a shifting array of exhibits and installations from the finest artistic talent across India and the world.
Spread across the centre’s concourses is a captivating mix of public art by renowned Indian and global artists, including ‘Kamal Kunj’ – one of the largest Pichwai paintings in India.
