The One with Mumbaikars: Immerse in the FRIENDS experience in Mumbai

For a generation that grew up quoting Chandler Bingrsquos oneliners debating Ross and Rachelrsquos relationship status and dreaming of sipping coffee at Central Perk Mumbai is about to get a little closer to the famous sitcom This week The FRIENDStrade Experience The One in Mumbai opens its doors at the Jio World Garden giving us a realworld idea of the worlds of Monica Rachel Ross Chandler Joey and Phoebe Ahead of its public opening we got a sneak peek of behind the purple door to experience our favourite sitcomA section features Monicarsquos kitchen with the instantly recognisable purple doorCreated by Warner Bros Discovery Global Experiences Original X Productions and GMG Productions and brought to the city in collaboration with District by Zomato the experience aims to take visitors back to some of the showrsquos most memorable moments It started its journey in New York back in 2019 marking the 25th anniversary of the showrsquos premiere and what began as a popup eventually grew into a permanent fixture there before touring the worldA panel shows how Rachelrsquos iconic hairstyle came into beingIt arrives in Mumbai following successful runs across the countries like the United States the UK France Spain Belgium Australia and closer home The Philippines ldquoThe sitcom has had an unusually long afterlife in India where reruns have kept the show alive for fans well beyond its original 10season run The FRIENDS experience which has already drawn crowds across 25plus cities felt like a nobrainer explains Rahul Ganjoo CEO District by ZomatoRecreate the nostalgiaThe writer poses with a frameUnlike a traditional exhibition this experience is interactive Fans can expect meticulously recreated sets and iconic locations from the series allowing them to walk through spaces they have only ever seen on screen From Monica and Rachelrsquos instantly recognisable apartment to Joey and Chandlerrsquos bachelor pad across the hall the attraction aims to blur the line between television fantasy and realityVisitors recreate Ross Rachel and Chandlerrsquos lsquoPivotrsquo sceneWe found ourselves recreating the famous ldquoPivotrdquo scene helping manoeuvre Rossrsquos sofa up a narrow staircase sprawling on the iconic orange couch peeking through Monicarsquos door hanging out in Joey and Chandlerrsquos apartments and holding a coffee cup at Central Perk mdash the cafeacute that served as the backdrop to countless conversations breakups and punchlines There were moments when we felt as if we were teleported into an episode of the showBeyond the setOf course no FRIENDSthemed experience would be complete without photo ops Millennials will be hit with the nostalgia of reliving a show they grew up watching The experience is also tailored to a generation raised on Instagram Stories Snapchat filters and TikTok trends offering plenty of contentworthy moments with photo booths cutouts and props catering to the social media algorithmProps include coffee cups from Central PerkScreens throughout the attraction play iconic scenes from the sitcom alongside interviews with the cast filmed over the years offering a glimpse into how the show came together Eagleeyed fans will also spot familiar props and references including a copy of the infamous 18page letter Rachel wrote to Ross which he famously fell asleep reading Visitors can also discover behindthescenes facts production insights and cool lesserknown details including costumes and how Rachelrsquos famous hairstyle reached its final form see belowWhile the exhibits offer plenty to explore a live storytelling component featuring members of the creative team sharing anecdotes bloopers and behindthescenes stories from the set could make the experience more immersive In an age of shrinking attention spans and endless scrolling listening to the stories behind the stories might have been funTimeless charmDespite debuting in 1994 the sitcom remains one of the moststreamed and rewatched series in the world introducing itself to new audiences even as older fans return for comfort viewing ldquoOver the years The FRIENDS Experience has been part of countless fun memories and moments Recently The One in NYC welcomed a couple who had visited for their first date years earlier and they returned and got engaged at our venue Itrsquos amazing to see fans share these huge life moments with usrdquo a spokesperson from Original X Productions revealedDid you knowgtgt When the team first sold FRIENDS there was apprehension at the network that it was all about people in their 20s They wanted older characters and other demographics to be included The makers however insisted that everyone has experienced this or hopes to and that everyone would connect with itgtgt The character who consumed the most coffee throughout the series was Phoebe 227 cupsgtgt The costume designer Debra McGuire was in hospital giving birth when she got the call to work on the show Three days after delivery she showed up with a newborn in a basketON June 10 to July 12 345 pm onwards weekdays 1045 am onwards weekendsAT Jio World Garden No 3 and 4 G Block Bandra Kurla ComplexLOG ON TO districtinENTRY Rs 1350 onwards