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Journalism of Courage
Golden lotus petals sparkling with tiny mirrors make up the 20ft gateway into the Kingdom of Dreams. Inside,you are greeted by the imposing red sandstone walls of the Red Fort with its intricately carved jharokas. A few feet away stands the Sanchi Stupa,next to which is a red-striped first-class compartment of a Mumbai local train doubling as a restaurant. Overhead,the blue ceiling with painted clouds creates an illusion of standing under the morning sky. Sounds like a jumbled set from a masala Bollywood film? But Kingdom of Dreams,a new tourist attraction which stretches across five acres in Gurgaon and will open in August,has a grand goal. This was our chance to showcase the typical India to the foreign traveller. Colour and bling are unique to India so we decided to keep as much of it as possible under one roof, says Omung Kumar,art director for the Kingdom of Dreams.
Kingdom of Dreams takes off from where Dilli Haat left. Critics might object to the stereotyped image of India as a spectacle of blinding colour and cheap shine,but the builders,Wizcraft International and an Apra Group joint venture,call it Indias answer to New Yorks Broadway. This is where ethnic Indian culture meets modern entertainment like music shows, says Kumar. The 48,500 sq ft Culture Gully,which will open on July 30,will have kiosks representing 20 states i.e craftsmen selling ethnic items and restaurants serving traditional dishes. According to the blueprint,the Kingdom of Dreams will also incorporate a Nautanki Mahal an 850-seater theatre for music concerts and plays a Showshaa Theatre for mock Indian-style marriages for foreign tourists and Ram Lila performances.
For now,however,the husband-wife duo of Kumar and Vanita,who have also designed sets for films like Black and Saawariya ,are scurrying to get the Culture Gully ready on time. We started work on it in July,last year. We wanted to incorporate typical elements from every state the Red Fort of Delhi,the bamboo shacks of Goa,the Lucknow clock tower,houseboats from Kashmir and the dabbawallahs of Mumbai among others, says Kumar,who is also constructing props for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games
The brief given to us for the Kingdom of Dreams was simple,we had to incorporate an Indian identity and ethos in the designs, he adds. From the archways to the multi-coloured kanjivaram silk saris strung across restaurant walls,almost everything shouts out the Indian identity. No,there is no peacock throne as yet.
Kumar adds that this is the first time they are designing a permanent venue. We have designed larger than life sculptures and structures for our film sets. The only difference is that the Kingdom of Dreams will be permanent, says Vanita. The Kingdom of Dreams,adds Kumar,is also preparing them for a similar project in Mumbai. We hope to build a similar cultural centre in Mumbai in a few years. Designing the Kingdom of Dreams is teaching us how to negotiate the design constraints that crop up while building a landmark structure, he says.
Entry Points
Culture Gully: Rs 500 from 12pm-6pm; Rs 550 from 6pm
Nautanki Mahal: Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000.
Showshaa Theatre: Ticket rates yet to be decided
Address: Auditorium Complex,Sector 29,Gurgaon.
Contact: 0124 4528000
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