A Love Letter to Amchi Mumbai

Dearest Mumbai,

Congratulations!

You are finally going to get a Mayor after almost a decade. I, along with countless Mumbaikars, am relieved and hopeful. You are an exceptional city, embracing people from all walks of life. While some see dizzying heights of success, there are also stories of those who faded away into failure. But the one thing that remains constant is your undying spirit. To truly understand it, one must walk on your sometimes smooth, sometimes potholed roads. Breathe in the clean, fresh air at Juhu Beach, or dare to inhale the toxic air-polluted areas (cue Dharavi). Your stunning architecture feels like the stuff of legends—timeless yet modern—while everything in between is marked by either shanties or dilapidated buildings.

Ask anyone living or visiting; you sure do make a very strong impression. You are undoubtedly the safest city in India for girls/women, and for that, I am so thankful. There is a surprise in every nook and corner of your lanes. Sometimes etched with cool graffiti or (unfortunately) laced with pan spit marks! Yes, every time I see how random people try (in their ignorance) to litter you. Something moves inside me, and I am left aghast that the city, which has fulfilled the dreams of countless people, is not respected enough for it to be kept clean.

Whenever it rains here, the dust-filled trees suddenly turn into an emerald oasis. Your air, which humans try their mighty best to pollute here, gets a revamp (even if it lasts just for a few days). Surrounded by the sea, you have seen it all. From kingdoms vying to claim you as their own to being offered as dowry in the 1600s during the marriage alliance between King Charles II of England and Catherine of Braganza, the sister of the King of Portugal.

You have an exotic plethora of service providers. From dabbawalas, tea sellers, and rickshaw drivers to doctors, engineers, and lawyers, and these days, dare I say, ‘influencers’. Yet through it all, there is room for more. You somehow always open up your heart (and burst at the seams with human space) to embrace more dreamers.

Each day, hundreds step foot on you, and somehow, most of them learn to adjust to your tenacious, vivacious, chaotic vibe! Tell me, how many cities on this planet can boast of this virtue?

What we desperately need now is to set in motion a plan to just tweak you ever so slightly without touching your soul. We no longer want people hanging from open train doors and falling to their deaths. Nor do we want pregnant women and older folks to suffer any mishaps while travelling or walking on potholed roads. And we definitely would love every road to have a dedicated separation for ambulances and two-wheelers! Now, that will be a game-changer for real!  

The cops who are selflessly serving your citizens – they sure do deserve a raise and better living conditions. There must be trained professional cleaners to always ensure your streets are never littered. The contractors who rebuild your roads must do such a good job that you forget the next monsoon; the roads should last for at least two decades sans any potholes or unevenness. Crowd management is the dire need of the hour. I've seen it happen abroad, so it sure can happen here in a civilised manner as well.

People from all faiths celebrate their festivals with so much fanfare here, from Pongal to Holi and Ganesh Chaturthi to Diwali and Eid to Christmas and so many more! The unity I see here is beautiful. The different cultures all coming together seamlessly, and Mumbaikars mindful of each other's faiths and traditions... It is incredible...

Of course, no mention of the 'city of dreams' is complete without these three things: Bollywood, gully cricket and food (wada pav, pav bhaji, paani puri, etc...) From the glamorous arclights where legends like Rafi and Kishore have immortalised our love for you with songs like 'Zara hatke zara bachke yeh hai Bombay meri jaan' (CID (1956)) and 'Ee hai Bambai nagariya tu dekh babu wa...' (Don (1978)) to stellar dialogues like 'Mumbai ka king kaun? Bhiku Matre!"which Manoj Bajpayee says, standing at your mesmerising shoreline in Satya (1997). Bollywood has a plethora of love notes for you, and the love story will continue forever!

You have given birth to legends through gully cricket. I always smile when I see kids playing the game so passionately because I know at least one of them will become the next big thing in cricket.

You truly have at all times made us feel like kings and queens! Because somehow all of us have had one moment in your magical arms where you have made us feel like royalty... yes, we have 'arrived'. Yet, we have failed to give back that love to you somehow... I can't tell you how much I love you, but I show it in different ways.

For starters, I do not spit on your ground, for I consider it sacred; I always pray for your prosperity and safety. You are, after all, in many ways the financial backbone of our dear country, India! Then I make sure that neither I litter nor allow anyone else to do so. I make it a point to stand in a proper line even though most people here don't know how to do so! I pay my taxes on time. I separate wet waste from dry waste, and I avoid plastic like the plague! I mostly buy local, and yes, I do visit the beach just to admire your majestic beauty. Believe me, I've seen sunsets in Madrid, Berlin, Kuala Lumpur, Rome and many more international cities... but all those aside, your sunsets are in a whole different league. A sprinkle of gold, a dash of pink and orange and a tiny dollop of purple and royal blue... the sky turns into a stellar piece of artwork during your sunsets.

So, my darling city, I hope that with you finally getting a Mayor, you continue to shine and prosper. Amidst the hustle, bustle and chaos, we all know it is high time, but you sure do need a gentle upgrade that has been long overdue!