A well-orchestrated Indian experience, that’s what Kingdom of Dreams is all about. It seems too grand and opulent to be real?almost like the make-shift set of say a film like Devdas, waiting to be brought down after the shoot?except it’s here to stay! Simply put, it is a live entertainment and leisure destination.
Viraf Sarkari, director, Wizcraft International Entertainment, chanced upon the idea about 15 years back while hopping from Las Vegas to Paris to London. ?Why can’t we have something similar in India, something like the French opera, something like the glitzy Las Vegas.? That dream has now taken the shape of a the Kingdom of Dreams, spread over nine acres in Gurgaon. A dream he estimated would materialise in Rs 60 crore has now stretched its budget to Rs 200 crore. Sarkari, however, seems to have enough reason to feel optimistic about its success. “We are right in the heart of the Golden Triangle, so it would draw a lot of tourists. And it’s accessible to the middle class in India. We are hoping to break even in the next three to five years,” he says.
The Kingdom just opened the Culture Gully (which boasts of a sky dome, India’s first perhaps) with six restaurants, six show kitchens, three street bars and seven retail stores, representing 14 states of India through architectural grandeur. There’s plenty to do here?feast on the Rajasthani thali, sample the Bengali fare or sip south Indian filter coffee. Or maybe ease the stress with a dry massage, or consult a tarot card reader, an astrologer or a palmist at the mystic centre. Maybe shop at Mumbai’s fashion street or just sit and watch local artisans and folk artists perform. Phew!
And, in the months to come, the Kingdom will have more to offer. The Nautanki Mahal will open next month. The 4D entertainment will be yours to experience for anything from Rs 1,000-Rs 6,000. And, Showshaa Theatre debuts in September. It will be drama and circus showcasing Indian epics and mythology, mock Indian weddings and talent shows. And soon after, the IIFA Buzz Cafe (a Bollywood lounge). Quite a lot lined up.