Nita Ambani shares vision for cultural centre in Mumbai named after her, calls it tribute to India's legacy and heritage

New Delhi [India], December 9 : As a tribute to India's glorious legacy, traditions and heritage, Founder Chairperson of Reliance Foundation Nita Ambani has shared her vision for the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) which is housed within the Jio World Centre in Mumbai's Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC).
She said in a video that NMACC "is an ode to our nation" and hoped that it will become a place that nurtures and inspires talent for years to come.
The doors to NMACC will open with a spectacular three-day launch on March 31 next year.
"With immense joy and pride, I am happy to present to you the realization of a life-long dream - the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre. The NMACC is an ode to our nation. I hope it can be a platform for Indian arts and culture, both for the audience and the artists. I hope that it will become a place that nurtures and inspires talent for years to come. I hope this space welcomes you, and enthrals you. I look forward to welcoming all of you to the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre," she said.
Nita Ambani said dance is a form of meditation for her and she found her gift of expression and devotion in dance.
"I stand before you, as an artist, and an Indian classical dancer. At the age of six, I made a choice to learn Bharatnatyam, a classical Indian dance form. It was a choice that empowered me, gave me confidence, and helped shape the person I am today," she said.
"I found my gift of expression and devotion in dance. For me, dance is a form of meditation. Something inside me connected so deeply to the world of arts! I have worked with weavers and craftspeople for a long time, through our Reliance Foundation," she added.
A release said NMACC is India's most modern, iconic and world-class Cultural Centre for performing as well as visual arts which is getting ready for a grand debut.
It said NMACC "will emerge the most sought-after venue to showcase best of India's art and culture to the world and bring the world to India".
Nita Ambani called NMACC a truly inclusive centre for performers and visitors, as well as for dreamers and creators, which aims to make the arts accessible to everyone with world-class infrastructure.
"I hope our spaces nurture and inspire talent, bringing people together from across India and the world," said Nita Ambani, while calling NMACC "our commitment to preserve and promote Indian arts."
NMACC is Nita Ambani's dream project to create an international destination in India for local art, artists, performers, and creators, better than what is available in regions like the US or Europe.
Reliance Jio and Reliance Retail Director Isha Ambani had announced the opening of NMACC in October 2022 to honour her mother's love for culture.
The four-storeyed NMACC will contain 16000 sq feet of purpose-built exhibition space and three theatres. The largest of these, a 2,000-seat Grand Theatre, will include an extraordinary and unique lotus-themed chandelier with 8,400 Swarovski crystals, the release said.
A trio of dedicated spaces for the performing arts at the cultural centre include Grand Theatre, Studio Theatre and The Cube, "all built with cutting-edge technology to cater to a wide range of experiences, from intimate screenings and stimulating conversations to multilingual programming and international productions". The Centre will also launch the Art House, a four-storeyed space to spotlight leading Indian and international artists.
The three-day launch beginning March 31 next year includes several programmes.
On March 31, there will be 'Civilization to Nation: The Journey of Our Nation'. In the 2,000-seater Grand Theatre, acclaimed Indian playwright and director Feroz Abbas Khan will bring together a sensory narrative of Indian culture told through the tenets of the classical Natya Shastra, the ancient Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts.
It captures the spirit of India, expressed as a nation, through its rich repository of arts. With 300 artistes and a 75-piece live orchestra, this production brings together exceptional Indian talent across art forms such as dance, music, and puppetry, the release said.
The next day will feature 'India in Fashion: The Impact of Indian Dress and Textiles on the Fashionable Imagination"
Curated by prolific author and costume expert Hamish Bowles, this exhibit traces the widespread impact and influence of India's sartorial traditions in textiles, jewellery and surface ornamentation on global fashion spanning the 18th-21st century. Accompanying this exhibition will be a coffee table book published by Rizzoli, documenting a comprehensive history of India and its impact on fashion worldwide for the very first time, the release said.
'Sangam Confluence' will be held on April 2. Curated by India's leading cultural theorist Ranjit Hoskote and Jeffrey Deitch, American curator, former director of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles and founder of his eponymous gallery, Sangam Confluence is a group art show that celebrates diverse cultural impulses and traditions at the 16,000 sq. ft Art House, the release said.
The exhibit, spread over four levels, explores the multiplicity of India through the works of 10 esteemed and emerging Indian contemporary artists and western artists influenced by India.
Isha Ambani said in the NMACC website video that her mother Nita Ambani's passion for the arts is unparalleled.
"My mother Nita Ambani is a philanthropist, educationist, businesswoman....But at her core, her strongest identity is that of a dancer. For more than 50 years she has danced every day. I have seen her dedicate time towards her craft. Her passion for the arts is unparalleled," Isha Ambani said.
"And she's always wanted to create a space dedicated to the heritage and culture of India. Over the past few years, my mother and I along with our teams have worked relentlessly... towards making her dream come true. And it is my greatest honour, to stand beside her and request her to share her vision with the world," she added.