People waiting to pay tribute to Ratan Tata at NCPA lawn. Photo Credit: Emmanuel Yogini

On October 10, when the hearse carrying the mortal remains of iconic industrialist Ratan Tata was taken to the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) for people to pay their last respects, many people including many of India’s most respected corporate houses Would not have felt a deep connection with. Culture, especially NCPA.

National Center for Performing Arts in Mumbai Photo Credit: Courtesy: NCPA

Located at the end of Marine Drive along the Arabian Sea in the once thriving business district of Nariman Point (until the Bandra Kurla Complex was developed), NCPA, a mega center of performing arts in Mumbai, owes its existence to two visionaries – JRD Tata and Jamshed Bhabha. (Brother of nuclear physicist Homi Bhabha, who spent 60 years with the Tata Group).

Ratan Tata and NCPA President Khushru N Suntook. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Close friends and collaborators, they worked together on several projects, the most important of which was the NCPA. Both aspired to create a world-class, comprehensive center for the arts in Mumbai. He founded NCPA in 1969 as South Asia’s first multi-venue and multi-genre cultural centre.

“Bhabha met Mrs. Indira Gandhi when she was the Prime Minister, requesting her to give him five acres of land. He sought help from the then Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Vasantrao Naik. When Bhabha came to him, the chief minister pointed towards the sea and told him that was the only place available,” says NCPA president Khushru N Suntook, laughing.

Ratan Tata with former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher during her visit to NCPA. , Photo Credit: Courtesy: NCPA

“Bhabha and JRD agreed to this proposal. Tata spent more than four years filling the land reclaimed from the sea,” says Suntook. “Even while the work was going on, Bhabha established the NCPA at the house of the eminent barrister Bhulabhai Desai. It was later converted into Bhulabhai Desai Institute after his death. Despite the initial hurdles, the project took shape due to JRD’s full support,” he explained.

A close friend of Ratan Tata, Suntook has held various senior positions in the Tata Group. His love for music inspired him to launch the Symphony Orchestra of India in 2006. “The first theater that came to NCPA was called Tata Theatre. Tata Consulting Engineers used their technical expertise to come up with a revolving stage, a lobby and superb acoustics. Internationally renowned architect Philip Johnson and acoustical consultant Cyril Harris were involved., Before work began, Bhabha visited several concert halls in the West. Prestigious international and national artists such as Yehudi Menuhin and Pandit Ravi Shankar have performed here,” says Suntook.

Tata Theater at NCPA Photo Credit: Courtesy: NCPA

To mark its platinum jubilee, Tata Iron and Steel Company came up with the Tata Experimental Theatre, which was designed as a black box – with black or gray walls and movable seating for intimate interaction with the audience. A simple display space with. Jamshed Bhabha Theater was inaugurated on 24 November 1999.

Recalling the construction of this theatre, Suntuk says: “Two months before its completion, almost the entire structure was destroyed in a fire. Jamshed Bhabha was distressed, but he ensured that no one got involved in any kind of allegations and counter-allegations. In less than two years the theater was ready for re-opening. A humble man, he wanted to call it National Theatre. But I overpowered him and said that it was his child and it should be named after him.

Ratan Tata with his friend and famous conductor Zubin Mehta. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

In his letter to the Dorabji Tata Trust in 1965, Jamshed Bhabha highlighted why the Trust should support the project. He wrote, “…music and related arts form the most important part of the country’s 5,000-year-old cultural and spiritual heritage. Music remains with an Indian from his birth to his grave; From birth to death.” Not surprisingly, the Trust made an endowment of Rs 40 lakh for the construction of the National Center for the Performing Arts.

“Ratan continued the legacy with his tireless support. He was often seen in Western classical music concerts. He enjoyed listening to the works of Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms. Ratan, Zubin and I had a cordial relationship. When Zubin came here this September to perform with the Symphony Orchestra of India, Ratan wrote to me that he was not able to attend the concert due to his health condition. An astute businessman, art connoisseur and a kind soul, he created loyalties that were amazing. The huge crowd that came to bid him farewell proved this,” says Suntook.