Culture, Innovation, and Legacy: Asad Lalljee on his Journey at Mumbai’s Royal Opera House

by  Niddhi Sharma Industry Watch | April 30, 2025 | Interview

Asad Lalljee Royal Opera House Shows of India Conclave 2025

As the Curator of Mumbai’s iconic Royal Opera House, Asad Lalljee has been instrumental in transforming the heritage venue into a vibrant hub of contemporary and classical arts. With a distinguished background in global advertising and a passion for inclusive cultural programming, Lalljee brings a rare blend of creativity, strategy, and vision to one of India’s most historic cultural landmarks.

Under his stewardship, the Royal Opera House has evolved into a space where performance meets policy, heritage meets innovation, and audiences engage not just as spectators but as participants in the city’s cultural narrative. From hosting globally acclaimed artists to embracing digital innovation and civic dialogue, his curatorial philosophy reflects the dynamism of the city it calls home.

In an exclusive interview with EVENTFAQS Media, Asad Lalljee shares highlights of recent productions, insights from the World Opera Forum, and his vision for the future of the Royal Opera House.

Asad Lalljee will be also be joining us as an esteemed speaker at the 5th edition of the Shows of India Conclave. Catch him live on May 22–23, 2025, at The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Delhi. 

Recently, the Royal Opera House, Mumbai, hosted Steve Barakatt’s Néoréalité World Tour. Could you highlight this and other recent productions you’ve curated, and the themes they explored?

At the Royal Opera House, our curatorial approach centres on excellence, diversity, and inclusivity. The Opera House is a rare confluence of heritage, performance, and global cultural exchange, and our programming calendar reflects that ethos. This past year, we have presented a robust mix of programming, bringing the best of national and international performers and practitioners on stage. Over the past year alone, we presented a dynamic mix of events, spanning literature, music, theatre, comedy, and cross-cultural collaborations. We welcomed globally acclaimed ensembles like the Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale and hosted distinctive concerts such as the Spirit of New Orleans Jazz, blending Indian ragas with classic jazz styles. Crucially, our collaborations with consulates and embassies, from Italy, France, and Russia to Australia, include tributes to Puccini, recitals by Russian opera soloists, and innovative productions that merge traditional Indian martial arts with contemporary choreography. We also hosted the Mumbai launches and leg of major works by celebrated authors like Ramachandra Guha and Amitav Ghosh, alongside international voices such as “fastest growing children's author in the UK," David Walliams.  The launch of the Royal Opera House Comedy Series, headlined by Anuvab Pal, Atul Khatri, Ashish Vidyarthi, and others, speaks to the range of voices we embrace. These programmes are threads in a larger narrative that positions the Opera House as a dynamic, forward-looking space that honours tradition while reflecting the evolving cultural, civic, and global aspirations of India today.

Representing India's only surviving opera house at the World Opera Forum must have been significant. What insights did you gain from this experience, and how do they inform your approach to curating at the Royal Opera House?

Participating in the World Opera Forum was a great experience. It was a privilege to represent a unique cultural institution like the Royal Opera House, Mumbai, on a global platform. The gathering brought together directors, curators, and cultural policymakers from some of the world’s most established opera institutions, many of which benefit from public funding, centuries-old traditions, and loyal opera-going communities. Being among peers from legacy institutions with deep-rooted opera traditions brought clarity to our distinctive context, India’s only surviving opera house, in a country where opera is not part of the mainstream cultural fabric. The exchange of curatorial strategies, programming ideologies, and audience engagement tools helped reinforce that while global best practices are valuable, local adaptability is key. Our approach, therefore, is to stay rooted in cultural diversity while embracing global excellence in performance and presentation. Being in dialogue with global peers also allowed for possible collaborative opportunities, which we are continuing to explore.

You've been involved in various interdisciplinary events, such as moderating a discussion at the prestigious leadership dialogue, ‘Mumbai – Les Entretiens.’ How do these collaborations enrich the cultural tapestry of the Opera House?

At the first-ever India edition of ‘Les Entretiens,’ I moderated a panel that brought together voices from culture, gastronomy, retail, urban planning, and cinema. Such collaborations reflect our belief that the arts cannot operate in isolation; they must intersect with policy, economics, science, and social change. The Opera House is a space where thought leadership and cultural capital converge. Hosting a leadership dialogue of that scale with key dignitaries like H.E. Dr. Thierry Mathou, Ambassador of France to India, alongside leading thinkers and industry giants, and creative professionals, expands the function of the venue from a performing arts space to a platform for civic and intellectual engagement. It demonstrates how cultural institutions can become active participants in shaping urban discourse. From a programming standpoint, we think more broadly about formats and see our audiences not just as consumers of entertainment but as citizens invested in the future of their city. That shift in mindset is critical to how we define our curatorial vision going forward.

Your journey from Madison Avenue to curating at the Royal Opera House is fascinating. How has your background in advertising influenced your curatorial practices?

Advertising teaches you precision, knowing your audience, understanding behavior, and crafting communication that connects. That framework has been invaluable in cultural programming. When we are curating at the Royal Opera House, we think very deliberately about content, context, and community. Who are we programming for? What kind of audience do we want to attract, and how do we ensure they feel represented and inspired? In advertising, especially on Madison Avenue, one learns to work across industries, markets, and consumer segments. That interdisciplinary mindset now plays out in our programming strategy, whether we are working on a classical music concert, a contemporary theatre piece, or a global leadership dialogue. We approach each with a tailored, audience-first strategy. Moreover, the ability to balance creativity with pragmatism is something I continue to apply in managing cultural initiatives that must be artistically ambitious but operationally sustainable.

With the rise of digital platforms, how do you envision integrating technology into the Opera House's future programming to reach wider audiences?

Technology is integral to cultural access and audience development, but we see it as an enabler, not an end in itself. During the pandemic, we successfully transitioned to AVID Online, delivering over 240 virtual programs across literature, design, arts, and innovation. That phase expanded our footprint beyond Mumbai, allowing us to connect with audiences across India and globally. That said, the essence of what we do is rooted in live performance. The Opera House is a physical experience, the acoustics, the architecture, the immediacy of a performer in front of an audience, that can’t be fully replicated online.  There are two ways to integrate technology into the arts: one is to create digital-first programming, and the other is to use it to attract and engage diverse audiences. At the Royal Opera House, we firmly believe in the latter. We are, after all, a theatre, and the essence of theatre lies in the magic of live performance. That’s something that must be felt, in person. Our focus, therefore, is on using technology to broaden access, build a more inclusive audience base, and ultimately bring people into the Opera House.

Looking ahead, what legacy do you hope to establish through your work at the Royal Opera House, and how do you measure the impact of your curatorial decisions?

When the Royal Opera House reopened in 2016, the vision was clear: to restore not just a building, but its role in Mumbai’s cultural imagination. Our legacy will be measured by how successfully we have redefined the Opera House as a living, relevant institution that reflects the diversity, complexity, and ambition of the maximum city. We have strategically curated across genres, classical and contemporary, regional and international, art and advocacy. We are creating space for multiple languages, generations, and forms, from Marathi theatre to Western jazz, from children’s literature festivals to curtain raisers for film festivals. We measure impact both quantitatively and qualitatively: in terms of the diversity and frequency of events, yes, but equally in the strength of our institutional partnerships, the range of audiences we bring in, the visibility we offer to emerging and established artists, and the kinds of critical conversations our programmes inspire. For me, curatorial success lies in creating a space where audiences do not just consume culture, but feel part of an ongoing, thoughtful, and evolving cultural narrative.