Panel discussion at NCPA focuses on need for people like Jamshed, Homi Bhabha

Arundhathi Subramaniam Sabyasachi Mukherjee Khushroo Suntook Shyam Benegal Dr Vijaya Mehta and Anil Dharker at the Jamshed Bhabha theatre PicBipin KokateIt was only fitting to bring together a panel to discuss the importance of the promotion of culture and value of patronage to the arts at the inauguration of a permanent exhibit in memory of Dr Jamshed J Bhabha the late cofounder of the National Centre for the Performing Arts NCPA Wednesday evening the Nariman Pointbased performance venue and cultural institution unveiled the permanent memorial which comprises his belongings awards and archival photographs at its Jamshed Bhabha TheatreFond awed memoriesThe panellists for the evening were theatre director and actor Dr Vijaya Mehta renowned filmmaker Shyam Benegal NCPAs chairperson Khushroo Suntook director of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya CSMVS Sabyasachi Mukherjee and poet and artiste Arundhathi Subramaniam Moderated by writer Anil Dharker the panellists had all been associated with either NCPA or Bhabha at some point in their career The discussion thus began with many fond and some awed memories of Bhabha underlining the kind of determined benefactor of the arts and cultural endeavours that he wasBenegal described Bhabha and his brother noted nuclear physicist Homi J Bhabha as the Medicis of Mumbai for their significant contributions to shape the cultural landscape of the city Both he and Suntook recalled how Bhabha would not just monetarily support his employees and the arts but also urged others to do so At a fundraising dinner said Suntook a gentleman had challenged Bhabha asking how much hed donate Not more than R5 lakh the gentleman had said To which Bhabha swiftly wrote a cheque for Rs 1 crore and asked the gentleman to match his offerCulture mattersThe conversation took a tone of more urgency in the latter half after Dharker asked why we have a shortage of benefactors and patrons for the arts and culture in the country The government focuses on primary education and health which are important but what about culture he asked Mukherjee said the problem in our country was the low budgetary allocation for research in the humanities Suntook then evoked a lecture given by a UK Culture Secretary presumably Maria Miller who had said culture matters Whether were talking about our performing arts museums and galleries creative industries built heritage or any other form of culture it is clear that culture matters to us because it elicits a response Miller had said in 2014Money or tax breaksRaising comparisons Suntook mentioned how Austria thrives on music as a form of tourism and revenue generation and how the UK proved that for every pound they spent on culture they earned four in turn The USA has 1200 professional symphony orchestras he said while India has just one What we require is dynamic support even if its not money then it can be in the form of tax breaks he said adding that corporates need to give more support to the arts To this Dharker remarked indicating several of their corporate guests seated in the front rows that there was ample patronage coming from themChange for literatureSubramanian said there has been a change for literature however as more innovative curatorial practices have helped people to appreciate it better through an epidemic of literary festivals in the country and the same can happen for the classical arts such as dance and music Far too often sponsors are intermittent or erratic or support one small cabal of stars We need to move to a more hospitable vision she said Mukherjee said Culture has no boundary and belongs to everyone As the director of a museum that receives neither state nor central government funding he said Then who supports us The people of Mumbai do It is something that is completely different from New Delhi or KolkataCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates