LIGHTS, ART, DRAMA!

THE NITA MUKESH AMBANI CULTURAL CENTRE IS ON A MISSION-TO DEMOCRATISE ART FORMS, AND SHOWCASE THEM TO THE WORLD.

- URVASHI MISHRA

IT WAS A HUMID March afternoon and Mumbai's most eclectic crowd had gathered in the city’s newest cultural destination—the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC)—to watch the 2 pm show of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical masterpiece, The Phantom of the Opera. As we sat in the theatre café and sinned on a giant chocolate muffin, waiting for the doors of The Grand Theatre to open, I couldn't help but eavesdrop on conversations of people about their The Phantom of the Opera experience at the West End in London or Broadway in New York.

“I have watched Phantom thrice in London decades ago. I hope I will be able to relive the extravaganza in Mumbai. The musical takes love and obsession to new heights,” said a lady next to our table excitedly. Her Gen Z daughter was cryptic. “I hope it’s worth our travel from Bengaluru, mom,” she cribbed. The mother-daughter duo happened to sit next to me at The Grand Theatre and as I cozied up to them, I realised the daughter was studying theatre in New York. No wonder, the scepticism, I thought to myself. But within the next 15 minutes the 20-something was full of excitement. She seemed thoroughly impressed.

After all, The Grand Theatre is the focal point of the NMACC. With a seating capacity of 2,000 spread across four tiers, it is, by design and purpose, a democratic space—one that doesn’t compromise on quality regardless of where you are seated. The upper balcony tickets can go for as low as ₹1,350 on weekdays. For Marathi and regional shows, prices have dipped to as low as ₹700. But international productions such as The Phantom of the Opera obviously come at a premium. The tickets range from ₹2,500 to ₹20,000, with 18 private boxes priced upwards of ₹35,000 each.