Gurgaon: For more than eight years, one venue helped change the oft-held view of Gurgaon, that it was a place known only for a manufacturer of family hatchbacks (albeit a nationally prominent one), a cluster of Fortune 500 companies, super high-end condo complexes and glitzy malls. Epicentre proved that this city was more than just about corporate activity and industry, that it had a soul.On a wistful Sunday, the curtain came down on Gurgaon's faithful friend of the arts. For the finale, 'Pierrot's Troupe', a Delhi-based theatre collective, presented a series of three plays on and about Ghalib - 'Ghalib', 'Ghalib ke Khat' and 'Ghalib in New Delhi'. The first two shows featured Tom Alter, an actor who was born to play Ghalib. "It was always a complete joy to perform here, the auditorium was always full of good vibes and artistic energy," he told TOI.M Sayeed Alam, playwright and director, and the man behind the troika of Ghalib cameos, said that the venue had become a second home for his troupe.Back in 2008, when Epicentre opened, Gurgaon was a different place. Retail, real estate, Maruti and golf still dominated the conversation. Cyber Hub, Raahgiri and Kingdom of Dreams were some years away.The expanded NH-8 had been completed in the middle of 2016, promising a smooth ride between Delhi and Gurgaon, and the city of malls could boast of another one, bang on the border on NH-8, a mall described at the time as one of the continent's biggest.At first, Epicentre played host to intimate social gatherings, curated by groups like the Global Cultural Foundation . These evenings would revolve around music, as new Gurgaonites, starved of culture, gathered for a bit of entertainment. A fair few of these were elderly folks, seeking company, chit-chat and culture (as their children looked to get ahead in their working lives).But as this humble auditorium evolved, so did Gurgaon. Over time, thespians, dancers and stand-up comics hopped over from the Capital to regale the culture-seeking millennials here. And what started off as stray concerts, shows and recitals, grew into an almost packed calendar of the performing arts.Visits from the likes of Alter, Naseeruddin Shah , Aamir Raza Husain, Manjari Chaturvedi and Sonam Kalra (among others) gave the town a cultural cachet, made it enough of a draw for the good and the great to extend their Delhi tour south, for the obligatory Gurgaon stopover.Now, it has all come to an end. Temporarily, one hopes. Sayeed Alam lamented the end of an affair but expressed the hope that Gurgaon's residents will be treated to many more public performances in the future. The last word must go, fittingly, to Ghalib: 'Jab tawaqqu hi uth gaye, Ghalib, kyon kisi ka gila kare koi?' (When all expectations are shed, Ghalib, why should one complain thus?).

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