Hello Mumbai News:

In this candid interview, Ms. Choudhari shares her remarkable journey, the challenges of public administration, and her vision for community development. It is a success story built on perseverance and a deeply rooted desire to serve, bound to inspire civil service aspirants and citizens alike.

The Interview: In Conversation with Nidhi Choudhari, IAS

Hello Mumbai News (Aleem Shaikh): Hello, Nidhi Mam. I hope all is well with you. Welcome to Hello Mumbai News, and thank you very much for giving us your precious time.

IAS Nidhi Choudhari: Thank you, Aleem Ji. It is entirely my pleasure to be here and connect with the viewers and readers of Hello Mumbai News.

How has your journey as an IAS officer shaped your vision for the art and culture sector?

IAS Nidhi Choudhari Director NGMA: 

My journey as an IAS officer has allowed me to work closely with people, institutions, communities and public systems across different sectors. Administration teaches you that governance is not only about infrastructure, schemes or regulation; it is also about dignity, memory, identity and cultural confidence.

When I came to NGMA Mumbai, I saw the museum not merely as an exhibition space, but as a public institution with the power to connect people with India’s artistic imagination. My administrative experience has helped me look at art and culture from the perspective of access, inclusion and public outreach. I also was able to connect with several institutions and ensure convergence through multifarious events being planned through them at NGMA. I believe museums must not remain intimidating or distant or elitist. They must become open, welcoming and intellectually alive spaces where citizens, students, artists and visitors can feel a sense of belonging.

For me, culture is also a form of public service. It preserves civilisational memory, encourages dialogue and strengthens the emotional fabric of society.

Hello Mumbai News:

What inspired you to take an active role in promoting modern and contemporary Indian art through NGMA Mumbai?

IAS Nidhi Choudhari Director NGMA

I believe the IAS as a service is like water. We are trained to take the shape and form of the institution we are posted in, while bringing to it integrity, commitment and a larger public purpose. I must honestly say that before being posted here, I had never heard of NGMA Mumbai. But once I joined, I gave my heart and soul to the institution, because that is how most of us are trained to serve.

In my case, there was an added advantage. I am a painter and a poet myself, and therefore I naturally have a soft corner for art, literature and creative expression. But I am equally certain that even officers without an artistic bent of mind can become excellent administrators of cultural institutions, because what such institutions need is vision, sensitivity, discipline, openness and the ability to connect them with people.

My effort has been to make NGMA Mumbai more accessible, vibrant and engaging, while preserving the seriousness and dignity of its mandate. Art must certainly be preserved, but it must not remain locked within walls or limited to a small circle of connoisseurs. It must be experienced, understood and loved. Most importantly, it must reach people.

Hello Mumbai News:

How do you see NGMA Mumbai evolving under your leadership in the coming years?

IAS Nidhi Choudhari Director NGMA

I see NGMA Mumbai evolving as a dynamic cultural institution that balances scholarship with public engagement. It must remain rooted in the legacy of modern and contemporary Indian art, but it must also speak to the present generation.
In the coming years, I would like NGMA Mumbai to become more inclusive, more technologically enabled and more connected with artists, students, scholars, cultural practitioners and the wider public. We are working towards exhibitions that are not only visually rich, but also educational and immersive.

The aim is to make NGMA Mumbai a space where heritage, modern art, contemporary practice, cinema, photography, performance and public dialogue can come together in a thoughtful manner.

Hello Mumbai News:

NGMA Mumbai has become a vibrant platform for artists and cultural programmes. What is your long-term vision for the gallery?

IAS Nidhi Choudhari Director NGMA

My long-term vision is to position NGMA Mumbai as one of the most vibrant and people-oriented museums in the country. A gallery should not be a silent building where artworks are only displayed. It should be a living cultural space where ideas are exchanged, histories are revisited and new conversations are created.

We want NGMA Mumbai to support exhibitions, lectures, workshops, performances, film screenings, artist interactions, educational programmes and interdisciplinary collaborations.

The gallery must speak to art lovers, but also to first-time visitors. It must welcome children, young people, senior citizens, students, scholars, tourists, artists and the general public.

Hello Mumbai News:

What initiatives are being planned to connect young audiences with art and museum culture?

IAS Nidhi Choudhari  Director NGMA

At NGMA Mumbai, our focus is on making art more interactive, experiential and accessible, especially for young audiences. We have been organising guided walks, workshops, lecture-demonstrations, film screenings, school and college visits, and artist-led sessions so that visitors do not merely view art, but engage with it more deeply.

We are also trying to use technology in a meaningful and sensitive manner. For instance, in Colours of Swades: From Haripura to Constitution, based on the works of Nandalal Bose, we introduced QR-based digital animation to help visitors understand the background, context and spirit of the artworks in a more engaging way. Similarly, the Russian exhibition The Dream Vision brought in immersive digital displays and projections, allowing visitors to experience art through a more contemporary visual language.

We have also introduced 360-degree virtual exhibitions, which can be experienced through VR at the museum. This initiative helps digitise museum curation and ensures that an exhibition does not disappear once it physically closes. It continues to remain accessible as a cultural and educational resource.

The larger aim is to create a museum experience that is intellectually serious, emotionally engaging and technologically relevant, without compromising the dignity of the artworks or the core mandate of NGMA.

Hello Mumbai News:

How is NGMA supporting emerging Indian artists and regional talent?

IAS Nidhi Choudhari  Director NGMA

NGMA Mumbai has consistently tried to create space for diverse artistic voices. We hosted Shakti from June to September 2024, where women artists from across the country showcased their works. We also hosted Nabhasparsh, a major exhibition of 150 women printmakers, which included emerging artists and regional talent from different parts of India.

We are also looking forward to hosting the Ceramics Triennale in 2027, where ceramic artists from across the country will participate. NGMA Delhi has also invited entries from sculptors for a sculpture show, which is another important opportunity for artists.

In addition to exhibitions, we regularly organise art workshops, live painting sessions and interaction programmes where emerging artists can learn from senior and experienced practitioners. I believe institutions like NGMA must act as bridges between legacy artists, established artists, young artists and the public.

Hello Mumbai News:

NGMA Mumbai recently hosted high-profile exhibitions like Lens & Legacy: Bollywood in Focus. How do you balance the preservation of classical Indian modern art with contemporary pop culture and cinema retrospectives?

IAS Nidhi Choudhari  Director NGMA

I believe cinema is also a powerful part of contemporary visual culture. Lens & Legacy: Bollywood in Focus was essentially a photography exhibition conceptualised to celebrate the UNESCO recognition to Mumbai as the Creative City of Films. It celebrated the relationship between Indian cinema, photography, memory and popular culture.

NGMA’s core mandate remains modern and contemporary art, and we are deeply committed to preserving and presenting classical Indian modern art. At the same time, museums must also recognise how visual culture evolves. Cinema, photography, posters, costumes, portraits and archival material are all part of the larger cultural imagination of society.

The balance lies in curation. If a cinema-related exhibition is approached with seriousness, archival depth, aesthetic value and historical context, it can sit meaningfully within a museum space. Our effort is never to reduce the museum to entertainment, but to expand the understanding of art and visual culture.

Hello Mumbai News:

Who are your favourite artists?

IAS Nidhi Choudhari  Director NGMA

Internationally, I admire the works of Gustav Klimt and Salvador Dalí. Klimt’s decorative richness and symbolic depth are very powerful, while Dalí’s surreal imagination opens up an entirely different world of visual thought.

Among Indian artists, I deeply admire Raja Ravi Varma for the way he brought mythological stories into visual form and made them accessible to people. I also greatly admire Satish Gujral for the extraordinary range of his artistic practice across subjects, mediums and forms.

Hello Mumbai News:

Who is your favourite Bollywood actor?

IAS Nidhi Choudhary Director NGMA

I have always admired actors who bring depth, sensitivity and intensity to their performances. I have been a great admirer of Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi and Irrfan Khan.

Among the more popular mainstream actors, I have always liked Dharmendra and Shah Rukh Khan. Dharmendra has a rare warmth and sincerity on screen, while Shah Rukh Khan has an extraordinary emotional connect with audiences.

Hello Mumbai News:

Who are your role models in life?

IAS Nidhi Choudhari  Director NGMA

In my personal life, my mother and my sister have been my strongest role models. Their strength, resilience and values have deeply shaped me.

I am also deeply inspired by Amrita Devi, Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi. Each of them represents courage, imagination, sacrifice and a larger commitment to humanity and the nation. Their lives remind us that leadership is ultimately about conviction, compassion and service.

Hello Mumbai News:

What challenges and transitions have you experienced while moving from your role as Joint Municipal Commissioner at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to serving as Director of National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai?

IAS Nidhi Choudhari Director NGMA

As Joint Municipal Commissioner in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, my work largely belonged to the domain of regulatory governance. I handled important and sensitive departments such as law, vigilance, removal of encroachments, licences, shops and establishments, and markets. These responsibilities required constant decision-making, enforcement, legal clarity, administrative firmness and the ability to respond to complex urban challenges.

The transition to NGMA Mumbai has been both challenging and deeply enriching. Here, the role is much more constructive, creative and institution-building in nature. Instead of primarily regulating systems, I am now engaged in creating platforms for artists, curating meaningful exhibitions, building cultural outreach, improving visitor engagement, strengthening museum infrastructure and making art more accessible to the public.

The biggest transition has been from enforcement to engagement, from regulation to creation, and from managing urban civic complexities to nurturing a cultural institution. However, the core administrative values remain the same: integrity, public purpose, institutional discipline, teamwork and service to people.

Hello Mumbai News:

Being a female IAS officer, what is your plan to promote female artists and women entrepreneurs?

IAS Nidhi Choudhari Director NGMA

I personally believe that once we occupy a public office, we must act with the spirit of Panch Parmeshwar from Munshi Premchand’s celebrated story. Gender, caste, community, religion or language should never influence or bias administrative decisions. Fairness, objectivity and institutional responsibility must remain at the heart of public service.

At the same time, the Constitution also expects the administration to undertake affirmative action for the upliftment of women, tribals, minorities, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable sections of society. Therefore, while there will never be discrimination, bias or prejudice in my administrative functioning, I do believe in creating enabling platforms for those who have historically received fewer opportunities.

At NGMA Mumbai, we have made sincere efforts in this direction. We hosted the exhibition Shakti, which focused on women artists. Nabha Sparsh showcased the works of around 150 women printmakers. In September 2025, we organised a retrospective exhibition of veteran artist Naina Dalal, recognising her long and significant contribution to Indian art. We have also consistently supported cultural events in dance, music, literature and performance, many of which have been led by women.

Going forward, NGMA Mumbai will continue to encourage women artists, writers, performers and creative entrepreneurs by offering them meaningful platforms, visibility and institutional support. We also recently hosted the KASHISH Pride Film Festival, which provided space for films by LGBTQ artists. For me, an inclusive cultural institution must represent the many voices of society, especially those that deserve greater recognition, dignity and visibility.

Hello Mumbai News:

We understand that you once aspired to become a journalist and television presenter, and even pursued academic qualifications in that field. What inspired you to choose a career in the Indian Administrative Service instead, and how has that journey shaped your professional outlook?

IAS Nidhi Choudhari Director NGMA, 

During my college years, I was deeply interested in writing and public speaking. I used to write stories and poems, many of which were published in newspapers. I was also an active orator, and communication always fascinated me as a powerful instrument of public awareness and social change. While pursuing my Master’s degree, I also completed a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication through open university, as I genuinely believed that journalism is one of the most important pillars of democracy.

However, choosing journalism as a career was not easy in the social context in which I grew up. I came from a small town in Rajasthan, where there was considerable pressure for early marriage and limited acceptance of unconventional career choices for women. In those circumstances, I started appearing for competitive examinations. I joined the Reserve Bank of India in 2006 and later, during my pregnancy, appeared for the Civil Services Examination. I eventually joined the Indian Administrative Service in 2012.

In many ways, I am in the IAS because of my societal context, but also because of a deep urge to contribute meaningfully to society, especially towards improving the condition of women and girls. Had circumstances been different, I may perhaps have become an author, journalist, news anchor or painter, working in a more independent and creative space.

However, the IAS has given me a different and equally meaningful platform. It has allowed me to work at the intersection of governance, social justice, public welfare and institutional change. My early interest in writing, communication and creative expression continues to shape my administrative outlook. It has made me more sensitive to people’s stories, more conscious of the power of public communication, and more committed to using every position as an opportunity to create dignity, visibility and opportunity for those who need it most.

Hello Mumbai News:
“Thank you very much for giving us your valuable time and sharing your vision for NGMA Mumbai. We wish you great success in achieving your mission and goals for the institution.”

IAS Nidhi Choudhari , Director, NGMA Mumbai:
“Thank you to the Hello Mumbai News team for this opportunity. I appreciate your support and look forward to working together in promoting the vision and initiatives of NGMA Mumbai.”