Mumbai (Bombay), India — Activities
Mumbai (Bombay) Culture
Film
Movies are hugely popular in India (second only to cricket), and Mumbai is responsible for the majority of the Bollywood (Hindi-language) films that are made in the country. The center of the action is Film City, at Goregaon, where the big film studios are located. The bulk of Bollywood blockbusters involve sugary love stories and action dramas with plenty of singing and dancing along the way. Unfortunately, the sets and studios are not open to the public but you can get a glimpse of the action on a tour with Bollywood Tourism (tel: (022) 2660 9909; www.bollywoodtourism.com).
Mumbai has over 100 cinemas. Regal (tel: (022) 2202 1017) on Apollo Pier Road, is a lovely art deco cinema and itself a Mumbai landmark. Eros (tel: (022) 2282 2335) on MK Road, Churchgate, is good for Bollywood blockbusters while Sterling Cinema (tel: (022) 2207 5187) Marzaban Road, Fort, regularly screens English-language films.
Theater, Dance and Music
Mumbai's National Center for Performing Arts, Nariman Point (tel: (022) 2283 3737; www.ncpamumbai.com), a huge complex of five theaters, puts on a widely varying program of plays, musicals and dance, including the occasional English-language play. Many performances are free.
The Nehru Center Auditorium, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli (tel: (022) 2493 3340; www.nehru-center.org), regularly stages theater, dance and music, and has an auditorium, art galleries, exhibition halls and a planetarium.
Mumbai is also home to a large number of public and commercial art galleries - the leading public ones being the Jehangir Gallery (see KeyAttractions) and the National Gallery of Modern Art, both of which put on regular exhibitions of contemporary Indian art.
TimeOut's fortnightly listings and reviews provide comprehensive coverage of cultural events in the city.
Mumbai (Bombay) Tours
WalkingTours
The Bombay Heritage Walks group, run by two Mumbai architects, organizes a series of English-language guided walks around the city. There are monthly public Sunday walks, otherwise private, 90-minute tours are available.
Tel: (022) 2369 0992.
Website: www.bombayheritagewalks.com
BusTours
The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) runs bus tours of the city (Tuesday to Sunday) and one-hour open-deck evening bus tours of the city's illuminated buildings. Tours depart from near Apollo Bunder. Transway International also runs a 'Bombay by Night' bus tour.
MTDC
Tel: (022) 2202 4482.
Website: www.maharashtratourism.gov.in
Transway International
Tel: (022) 2614 6854.
Boat Tours
Departing from Apollo Bunder, harbor cruises offer a good way to escape the city and see the Gateway of India as it was originally intended. Cruises last around 45 minutes and run from 0900 to 1700. From the jetty at the southern end of Chowpatty beach you can hop on a night cruise of Back Bay, which offers sparkling views of the city illuminated at night. Evening cruises start running around 1730 until 2100 and last around an hour.
