Mark your arts calendar for 2023 with these unique cultural experiences

By Tanishka DrsquoLyma Shriram Iyengar Sukanya Datta and Sammohinee GhoshDrive time spectacleComing in JanuaryThe first BMW Joytown at the MMRDA Grounds in BKC will witness a mix of automobiles performances and music Vikram Pawah president BMW Group India says ldquoIt is Indiarsquos firstever music and driving festival specially designed for automotive enthusiastsrdquo The festival will feature a lineup of events including gokarting automotive releases motorrad riders and some of the best indie musicians in townPic CourtesyInstagramLolla up for a grand debutComing in JanuaryLast year Lollapalooza announced its debut on Indian shores One of the biggest musical events this month the Mumbai edition at Mahalaxmi Race Course will be headlined by Imagine Dragons in pic below and The Strokes International names such as Greta Van Fleet Zhu and Japanese Breakfast will add a touch of exclusivity to the twoday experienceWowed by Van GoghComing in JanuaryOne of the most awaited art exhibitions comes to the city on January 20 mdash Van Gogh 360 Experience the details and nuances of the impasto technique in Vincent Van Goghrsquos paintings including the iconic Starry Night Sunflowers and the Dutch painterrsquos selfportrait on largerthanlife screens Viewers can dip into this immersive and interactive experience at The Arcade Shopping Centre World Trade Centre in Nariman Point where paintings will be projected accompanied by music cuttingedge technology and various other multimedia formats The show will be open till February 17 2023From left Zakir Hussain Shankar Mahadevan John McLaughlin Ganesh Rajagopalan and V SelvaganeshShakti returnsComing in JanuaryThe magic quartet of Ustad Zakir Hussain John McLaughlin V Selvaganesh and Shankar Mahadevan sent fusion fans into a tizzy with their announcement of a reunion late last year Founded in 1974 the fusion band will make its 50th anniversary India tour with a stop at NSCI Worli in January With the addition of Ganesh Rajagopalan of the Ganesh Kumaresh duo the hybrid group will bring back the sounds that inspired a generation of musiciansSpiderMan cosplay at a previous editionrsquoCos we playComing in FebruaryComic Con returns to the city with its 10th edition to celebrate your favourite characters and series from across comics television movies anime and gaming Slated to be held on February 11 and 12 at the Jio World Centre it will offer fans a chance to interact with Indiarsquos best cosplayers and creators buy merchandise and play games Jatin Varma founder Comic Con India says ldquoThe main motto is to unite the Indian pop culture community and give all aficionados a stage to share their enthusiasmrdquoA woman from the fisherfolk community in Chimbai VillageMeet the Bandra buggersComing in FebruaryThe first edition of Living Villages Festival begins with a twoday Bandra edition on February 25 and 26 Founder Shormistha Mukherjee shares ldquoThe festival aims to showcase communities and suburbs not in the way theyrsquore mapped for tourists but through the people and their culturerdquo To be held at venues across Bandra here participants can interact with communities from localities like Chimbai Ranwar and Chuim with shared meals guided tours art installations and a boat ride with fishermenAn artistrsquos vision of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural CentreCultural invasion in BKCComing in MarchThe Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre NMACC at BKC will open with a series of events including a dramatic narrative of Indian culture by Feroz Abbas Khan at the Grand Theatre Ranjit Hoskote and Jeffrey Deitch former director of the Museum of Contemporary Art MOCA will curate Sangam Conference alongside an exhibition on Indian fashion by Hamish BowlesMindful of wordsComing in MarchBallard Estatersquos IFBE has a contemporary literature festival Litmus in the pipeline scheduled for June It will focus on the scope of spoken word performances film screenings workshops and musicIn the creative labComing in MarchHarkat Studios is offering filmmakers and creators with a public lab and theatre space through memberships and residencies Cofounder Michaela Talwar shares that they are also planning a photochemical exhibition as well as a panIndia festival ldquoIt will celebrate contemporary and fusion dance performances as well as classical dancerdquo she addsYoung and the curiousComing in TBALed by Tanvi Jindal Shete The Museum of Solutions in Lower Parel is a childrenrsquos museum that will encourage kids to be curious and mindful through interactive experiences The curation will tackle diverse themes from wellbeing to sustainabilityBombay meri jaanComing in Post JuneChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya will expand to include a new gallery that will pay tribute to the cityrsquos identities and people Opening later this year the gallery will house mementos and artefacts that invoke the narrative of the individuals and communities who helped to build the grand metropolisLillete DubeyAn epic returnComing in TBABack in 1998 JAYA a musical on The Mahabharata ran housefull for 40 shows Directed by Lillete Dubey the musical production blended Western music Indian classical forms to bring alive the epic ldquoFrom Shyam Benegal to Yash Chopra people were blown away when it opened Itrsquos a big production and needs time and patience as it includes ballads blues choreography kalaripayattu and folk dance Irsquom trying to revive itrdquo she confirmed