What can one do if one is spending just a few hours in Mumbai? Quite frankly, I’d tell such visitors to stay in their hotels and enjoy a few hours of quiet because getting around from one part of the city to the other is time consuming and more often than not, all you’d really be doing is spending hours in the traffic.

Mumbai is a historic city that is quite different from any other Indian city. It has a vibe that combines money with busyness and every one seems to be in a hurry to get somewhere. With iconic buildings ,historic spots and plenty of food options, the city offers a unique experience : but sadly one can only take one Bombay experience at a time.

However, if you do want to combine everything in an abbreviated way, I would highly recommend a visit to the newly opened Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre . It is not that new really but it is now that it is making its mark as a cultural hub in the middle of this city.

Well located in the newest business area of Mumbai, Bandra Kurla Complex commonly known as BKC, with broad roads, swanky buildings and a five star hotel, the NMACC rounds off this business hub in much the same way as the old NCPA rounded off the Nariman Point business area.

The NMACC is a complex of three theatres with different seating capacities to ensure that Mumbaikars, particularly those in the Northern suburbs get a chance to experience the rich cultural traditions formerly restricted to those in the South.

More than an Opera House

Initially, with most galleries and boutiques situated in South Bombay, the NCPA took pride of place at the very end of Marine Drive. Built alongside the Arabian Sea, it has for long been the Mecca of all things Cultural and has hosted many an event for its patrons, dripping with their diamonds and emeralds. stepping out of their chauffeur driven cars,

I don’t mean to down play its importance, because in its time. it gave us a chance to hear wonderful artists and performances . But like everything, it has become small and too cozy and rather inaccessible to the general public, who often found it a fiddle to go to with its limited parking space, and poor public transport connectivity. Often times, I found that while a cabbie was somewhat reluctant to take me to the NCPA, there was simply no one available to bring me back when the show was over!

So even though the NMACC doesn’t have a grand sea face location, it scores over the NCPA with the sheer size of its car parking space. And you needn’t fear about getting lost because there are enough attendants to guide you through the maze. It is advisable to take your own car because public transport is of course no where to be found. And we all know how conveniently Uber taxis find it difficult to find you and expect you to do the hop, skip and jump to where they park themselves.

But all in all, once inside the GRAND THEATRE complex, one is in for a visual treat. With live artists displaying traditional skills, this space is a platform for local artists to showcase their talents. One doesn’t have to go to the interiors of India to get a glimpse of how various art forms and handicrafts are made all over India. From time to time, there are artisans and craftsmen at work displaying their skills and work for all to see.

Even though I didn’t make it to the first day, first show list, I was fortunate enough to experience the NMACC first hand when I went to see “The Sound of Music”.

Initially, I was taken aback by the sheer incline of the steps in the balcony and had to hold on to the railings and walk carefully so as to avoid tumbling down. I was also a bit taken aback by how close I was to touching the Swarovski studded lights on the ceiling light.

But, I soon settled down to enjoy the performance and by the time I went to see my second show, “West Side Story”, I was quite familiar with the place and was less daunted with the seating.

I also knew that despite the number of stalls in the restroom ((as it is called these days), there was only ONE restroom for women (and one for men) so at interval time, there was quite a rush. So one should be smart enough to time one’s loo break.

Similarly one should also time one’s snack break, preferably having a coffee or snack before the show because the lines during the brief interval are horrendous. And naturally no drinks or food are allowed inside, so it would mean a quick gulp before rushing back to the show.

All that is old is not always gold

“West Side Story” itself is an old musical and touted as a timeless Broadway classic. Sadly, though, I found the magic of a Broadway Musical sorely lacking in this performance. Perhaps I was way too up to get to see the expressions of the actors but more than that, I think this is a done to death theme that has little relevance in today’s times where everything goes. After all there are love stories that go bad, but like Little Po said on hearing the story of Romeo & Juliet, the whole idea was pretty ridiculous.

The story apart, the songs themselves were hardly ‘singable’ and unlike the ‘Sound of Music’ performance that had the whole audience singing along, I could hardly contain my yawns.

So it would seem that classics are not always classic and timeless. There does come a time when though the theme is timeless, the costumes, the sets and the context get dated and lose their appeal for different audiences.

If NMACC wants to pull in the crowds, it will have to bring more contemporary or more popular old shows that have more appeal to the Mumbai public. Musicals like ‘Lion King’, ‘Cats’ , ‘Phantom of the Opera’, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ with music that Mumbaikars are familiar with.

Thank you for the Music, Art and Food

But all in all, I am glad that NMACC is around and even though it is a trek, more often than not, it is well worth it.

Visitors to this city would be advised to make this a compulsory stop on their itinerary. Especially if you are here on a short visit, NMACC is perfect for a glimpse into India’s rich cultural tradition of the performing arts, handicrafts art.

And, the added bonus is the wide variety of cuisine available both within and around the complex.

Ciao