A walk through Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre

On a guided tour of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai, art, technology, theatre and Indian craftsmanship come together in a spectacular cultural experience, writes Priyabrat Biswal

There are places one visits, and then there are places that seem to unfold around you. A guided visit to the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai on August 25 felt very much like the latter.

Located within the sprawling Jio World Centre in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex, NMACC is more than a conventional cultural venue. Conceived as a platform that could bring India's artistic traditions into dialogue with contemporary and global forms of creativity, the centre seeks to make art, performance and culture accessible to wider audiences while giving Indian creative expression a stage of international scale.

That idea is evident almost from the moment one enters. The scale is striking, but it is the details — art, architecture, technology and Indian motifs woven into the experience — that repeatedly draw attention.

The cultural centre describes its vision as binding communities through the common thread of the arts while celebrating India's traditions, heritage and creative legacy. After walking through its different spaces, that ambition becomes easier to understand.

The experience begins even before entering the cultural spaces.

At Dhirubhai Ambani Square, the lotus-inspired Fountain of Joy is among NMACC's most spectacular attractions. Designed by the renowned American water-feature design firm WET Design, it combines water, light and music in an elaborate choreographed display, with 392 water jets, eight fire shooters, 664 LED lights and 200 mist emitters. The jets can soar up to 45 feet, creating a dramatic interplay of water, colour and sound. But it is the choreography that makes the spectacle memorable — jets rising and falling to music as changing colours transform the space.

Unfortunately, the fountain could not be experienced during the August 25 visit, as it remains closed during the monsoon months from June to September.

Inside, art is not confined to a single room or exhibition.

The building features an impressive collection of public art installations. Kamal Kunj, a 56-foot-tall Pichwai painting, brings seasonal festivities to life on a monumental scale. Nearby, Clouds, Yayoi Kusama's 90-piece stainless-steel mirror installation, creates a distinctly contemporary counterpoint.

There are works by artists including N. S. Harsha, Reena Kallat, Jagannath Panda, Tanya Goel, Vibha Galhotra and the artist duo Thukral & Tagra.

One installation that particularly catches the eye is Jagannath Panda's Earth's Whisper, built around the idea that "Contribution is Growth". Another, City Obscure by Vibha Galhotra, presents Mumbai as a cityscape made using ghungroos — the small ankle bells so deeply associated with Indian culture.

It is this juxtaposition that makes NMACC interesting: traditional visual language and contemporary art constantly appear to be in conversation.

The Grand Theatre is perhaps where the centre's ambition becomes most apparent. Modelled on Hollywood's iconic Dolby Theatre, the 2,000-seat auditorium has been designed so that the audience wraps around the stage, creating a sense of intimacy despite the sheer scale of the venue.

Then there is the ceiling.

Seventeen lotus-petal panels are embedded with 8,400 Swarovski crystals, each containing programmable LEDs. Looking upwards, it is difficult not to pause and take in the sheer theatricality of the design.

Behind the scenes, the technology is equally formidable. A 69-batten fly system enables rapid stage changes, while the orchestra pit can accommodate up to 100 musicians. Dolby Atmos surround sound and a virtual acoustic environment are designed to ensure that the experience reaches every seat.

Another subtle but significant feature is the use of specially designed absorbent wood, intended to reduce reflections and allow the stage to become the centrepiece not only for the eyes, but also for the ears.

The smaller Studio Theatre, with 198 seats, offers a more intimate environment, while the 80-seat Cube is designed for emerging and experimental theatre, spoken word and music.

With movable seating and stage arrangements, the Cube feels deliberately flexible — a space where newer forms of performance can find room to experiment.

Together, the three venues suggest that NMACC's theatrical vision is not limited to large-scale productions. It also makes space for intimate performances, experimentation and emerging voices.

The Art House changes the rhythm again.

Spread across four floors, this dedicated art space is designed to bring Indian and international art into the everyday cultural conversation. During the August 25 visit, its biggest draw was Second Nature, presented by Superblue in partnership with NMACC.

The exhibition brings together nine immersive installations by artists and studios including Random International, teamLab, A.A. Murakami, Simon Heijdens and Es Devlin.

Walking through the exhibition feels less like moving from one gallery to another and more like entering a sequence of environments. Technology becomes part of the artwork itself, prompting questions about how the digital world is increasingly becoming something instinctive — almost a second nature.

The experience also reflects one of the larger ideas behind NMACC: that culture need not be divided neatly between the traditional and the contemporary, the physical and the digital, or the Indian and the international.

Instead, the centre attempts to create a space where these different forms can meet.

If Art House looks outward to the evolving relationship between art and technology, Swadesh turns the gaze firmly towards India's craft traditions. The exposition celebrates regional artistry through live demonstrations and conversations with master artisans. Pichwai painting, Sozni embroidery and Blue Pottery are among the crafts whose traditions are being showcased and nurtured.

What makes Swadesh engaging is its sense of participation. These are not simply objects displayed behind glass; the artisans and their stories remain central to the experience.

That distinction is important. NMACC's conception is not only about presenting India's cultural heritage as something to be admired. It is also about creating opportunities for traditional knowledge and craftsmanship to remain visible, relevant and connected to contemporary audiences. In that sense, Swadesh complements the experimental energy of Art House and the technological sophistication of the performance spaces.

By the time the guided tour comes to an end, what stays with the visitor is the number of different experiences NMACC manages to hold within one destination.

There is the spectacle of the Fountain of Joy, the scale of the Grand Theatre, the intimacy of the Studio Theatre and Cube, the constantly changing world of Art House, the immersive experience of Second Nature, and the living traditions celebrated through Swadesh.

And then there is the NMACC Arts Cafe, where the cultural outing can continue over Asian, European and Indian flavours in art-deco surroundings, with alfresco seating and a private dining option.

NMACC is part of the larger Jio World Centre, itself a vast mixed-use destination incorporating the Jio World Convention Centre and Jio World Plaza. The surrounding development also includes Jio World Drive, a 17.5-acre open-air retail and lifestyle precinct.

The Jio World Centre is also continuing to evolve, with further developments planned within the larger destination. Upcoming projects include Jio World Residences and The Clubhouse, which will add a residential and lifestyle dimension to the complex. An upcoming office complex is also expected to house more than 300 corporate offices, further strengthening the centre's role as a destination where culture, business, hospitality, retail and everyday urban life converge.

Taken together, these developments point to an expanding vision for the Jio World Centre — not simply as a collection of individual venues, but as an integrated urban destination where people can work, live, shop, dine and engage with art and culture. Within that larger ecosystem, NMACC gives the development a distinctive cultural identity.

Yet the cultural centre's significance lies less in the size of the surrounding complex than in the idea behind its creation.

NMACC was conceived at a time when India's cultural landscape was increasingly engaging with global audiences, new technologies and changing forms of artistic expression. Its premise is, in many ways, to bring those worlds together — to celebrate India's cultural inheritance while providing space for contemporary artists, international collaborations, experimental performance and immersive technology.

That makes the centre an interesting proposition for Mumbai, a city whose identity has always been shaped by movement, migration, commerce, cinema, theatre, design and the arts.

Walking out after the tour, the impression is therefore, less about having visited a single museum, theatre or exhibition space and more about having moved through several dimensions of culture within one destination.

For the City of Dreams, as Mumbai is often known, that may be NMACC’s most intriguing achievement: creating a place where one can pause, look around and experience India through art, performance, craft and technology — while also seeing how these traditions might evolve for the future.

The Jio World Centre is also continuing to evolve, with further developments planned within the larger destination. Upcoming projects include Jio World Residences and The Clubhouse, which will add a residential and lifestyle dimension to the complex. An upcoming office complex is also expected to house more than 300 corporate offices, further strengthening the centre's role as a destination where culture, business, hospitality, retail and everyday urban life converge.

Taken together, these developments point to an expanding vision for the Jio World Centre — not simply as a collection of individual venues, but as an integrated urban destination where people can work, live, shop, dine and engage with art and culture. Within that larger ecosystem, NMACC gives the development a distinctive cultural identity.