Cash crunch forces NCPA to open doors to fashion week

Mumbai''s elite theatre for the performing arts is undergoing a sea change. The occasionally stodgy National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) has now opened the doors of its prestigious Jamshed Bhabha Theatre for the Lakme India Fashion Week.
Built on an approximate budget of Rs 40 crore, the theatre was inaugurated in 1999 and was pitched as a place for high-quality theatrical and musical performances.With its international-size stage — 100 ft wide and 70 ft deep — and orchestral pit, it was an ideal venue for grand shows like Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta, the staging of the Fakir of Benares, and many others. However, between October and December of 2002, there were only about 15 performances at the theatre, forcing the trustees to look for other sources of revenues.
So will the Lakme Fashion Week usher in a change at the NCPA? Says K N Suntook, Vice-Chairman, National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), "We believe that fashion is a great art form. Prestigious fashion museums have opened all over the world. Also, earlier Indian designers were not of the calibre that they are today. The theatre is well-equipped and once modified, it can be suitable for the fashion event." Through the fashion week, the NCPA wants to broaden the range of events occurring and also have a larger number of people visiting. Remarks Suntook, "Worldwide, art centres are used for a variety of events. The Royal Opera House at Covent Garden is not only used for opera butmany concerts, receptions, etc."
Suntook, however, avers, "We will be maintaining a certain quality of the events held here. We will focus on the performing arts."
The move has been well-received by theatre personalities. Says theatre actress Sabira Merchant, "With the Fashion Week, the NCPA is exploring a completely different area. If the revenue is flowing in, it''s good since it keeps its other theatres like the Experimental going and the work of artists like us who perform there."
Adds Rahul da Cunha, "The Jamshed Bhabha theatre is mainly for larger productions. The only Indian theatrical production that was held there was Jesus Christ Superstar. The LIFW is a big event, so hosting it is a good move."