Paradox Museum Mumbai: Experience The Wonders Of Illusion

During science lectures, studying the magic as well as the logic behind the scientific experiments always created a curiosity within me. This curious heart knew no bounds when I entered the Paradox Museum situated in South Mumbai. The engineering behind each artefact aims to entertain you and make you think ‘what just happened?’

Entering the museum is like stepping in Alice’s Wonderland. Right from the entrance to the exit you see the work of science that is so well blended with art to give you illusions. The journey of these 55 exhibits made my head spin in awe and surprise. The Paradox sofa gave me an illusion of being half body and travelling inside Nothing could be more magical than the curious cat that had looked white from the front and black from the other side.

My eyes got wider when I could only see my face at the Breakfast Table. It’s an illusion created using mirrors that make you look like a bodiless head served on a platter with fork and knife. Let me tell you this is just the beginning.

Chief Operating Officer of Paradox Museum, Nadia Roditi talks about the making of the museum and its purpose, “The whole idea is to have an experience that is paradoxical, hence the name — Paradox Museum. The vision was to create a space where impossible becomes possible and wisdom can engage with illusion boosting curiosity. It’s not just an entertainment but also has educational value. That is why we are focusing on science, mathematics and elements that can create curiosity.” 

The Paradox Museum was founded by Miltos Kambourides and Sakis Tanimanidis. Miltos Kambourides, has a media and entertainment background and has presented many big shows. He explains the process that made them create the theme of the museum and exhibits, “We were driven by the belief that true innovation occurs at the intersection of art, science, and the human experience. Our vision was to create a space where visitors can engage with illusions that provoke thought and spark curiosity.”

He explains why the museum is named Paradox Museum, “The name ‘Paradox Museum’ was chosen to reflect this core idea. A paradox represents something that contradicts itself or defies logical explanation — exactly like the museum's exhibits. The museum challenges visitors to rethink what they perceive as reality, offering a space where "nothing makes sense, yet everything is real."

Paradox Museum has franchises all over the world. But the one in Mumbai was specially made keeping the Indian audience in mind. “The exhibits are the same across the world. The base is the same. However, there is always a local element. In Mumbai we have a bazaar element among other Indian elements. The team works on designs related to destinations that are related to the theme and integrate the experience into a city,” explains Roditi.

Kambourides talks about the differences, “The Mumbai branch of the Paradox Museum, offers a unique take on the brand's signature illusions and immersive exhibits, tailored specifically to its Indian audience. It offers a local twist that maintains the mind-bending, interactive experience of the Paradox Museum chain but with a culturally immersive feel that appeals strongly to Indian visitors.”

Each exhibit in the Museum has an element of science, art and mathematics. Be it the gravity room or the upside down room, each artefact and spaces were carefully made catering to the museum’s theme of creating strange illusions that can trick the visitors and part knowledge in an entertaining way. Creating such a place requires a lot of patience and very skilled work. the infinite well felt like travelling in a time machine. The moving eyes of the Lokmanya Tilak structure near the Bazaar was the creepiest of all as it follows you from whichever angle you see it. “Setting up the Paradox Museum in Mumbai came with several unique challenges. Introducing an entirely new concept to the city required strong marketing efforts to build awareness and generate excitement. Infusing local cultural relevance into globally recognized illusions was key to connecting with the audience.. Additionally, managing high visitor traffic while maintaining the integrity of the exhibits was a constant balancing act. Despite these challenges, the museum successfully created a unique, culturally resonant experience,” Kambourides informs.

Why Mumbai?

“Mumbai was always on our radar. The truth is that we’ve launched in many cities in Europe and China and it was time for India. So starting our first journey in India, Mumbai was definitely our first choice,” says Roditi.

“We got a very positive response from our visitors. It’s great to see that there is one more great success coming to the mix.  We have really big numbers of visitors coming in across the globe. Like in London we had 50,000 people in one month. Stockholm, our second museum, we started at 20,000 and now has 40,000 visitors. Mumbai is following the trend and it’s truly because of our exhibits which is why we are proud and happy,” says Roditi.

The museum holds no age bar. It will make your jaw drop and you might end up exclaiming looking at each exhibit. “That is why we are focusing on science and mathematics to boost curiosity.  It’s an entertainment destination for all ages, from really young children to families, even the elderly people. We have so many requests from school groups because they come and have fun and also learn through the experience of illusion, science and mathematics. We have specific school activities in the museum. Apart from that we also have corporate companies coming. They visit the museum for their team bonding activities and events.”

The Paradox Museum team plans to create more such museums in other parts of the country, “Plan is to expand in  six to seven years and have 5 museums in the country. There’s a large expansion plan that we are working on.”  

It’s advisable to visit the museum with at least one or more company along with you. Make sure your mobiles are charged as you'll have plenty of opportunities to click pictures.