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By:

Rajendra Pandharpure

15 April 2025 at 7:55:54 pm

Pune’s drought could dry up business

Water rationing threatens to hit the city’s wedding industry, construction sector, retail trade and livelihoods. Pune : Pune is beginning to feel the economic sting of drought. A 10 percent cut in the city’s water supply has already been implemented, and the municipal administration has indicated that the reduction could rise to 20 percent or more over the next two to three months. What appears at first to be a water-management crisis could soon become a wider economic problem, affecting...

Pune’s drought could dry up business

Water rationing threatens to hit the city’s wedding industry, construction sector, retail trade and livelihoods. Pune : Pune is beginning to feel the economic sting of drought. A 10 percent cut in the city’s water supply has already been implemented, and the municipal administration has indicated that the reduction could rise to 20 percent or more over the next two to three months. What appears at first to be a water-management crisis could soon become a wider economic problem, affecting businesses, construction activity, employment and household budgets. The Pune Municipal Corporation has begun shutting off the water supply every Thursday. Swimming pools and vehicle-washing centres have been closed, while the use of water for construction has been prohibited. The state government has directed the civic administration to ensure that the reserves in the Khadakwasla dam chain, which supplies Pune, last until August 2027. The challenge could become more acute in the months ahead. Meteorological experts have forecast a milder winter and significantly higher temperatures this year. If these predictions hold true, increased evaporation could place further pressure on the city's water reserves, potentially necessitating stricter rationing. For residents accustomed to a relatively abundant water supply, cuts of 20 percent or more would demand a substantial adjustment in daily life. Intense Pressure The economic consequences are beginning to emerge. The closure of vehicle-washing centres has deprived young people employed in low-skilled jobs of their livelihoods. Swimming-pool closures have similarly affected security guards and lifeguards. These may appear to be small, isolated losses, but they expose a larger problem: when water-intensive businesses are forced to shut down, the burden falls disproportionately on workers with few financial reserves and limited employment alternatives. The impact could spread to Pune’s lucrative wedding industry. The wedding season traditionally gathers momentum after Tulsi Vivah in the month of Kartik, generating business worth more than Rs. 200-250 crore. Pune has long attracted affluent families from outside the city who prefer its venues and facilities for wedding celebrations, partly because of its historically reliable water supply. Persistent restrictions could undermine that advantage. Wedding venues, caterers, hotels and other service providers depend on a dependable water supply to operate. If rationing becomes more severe, organisers may reconsider their choice of venue, while businesses could face higher operating costs and disruptions. An industry that generates substantial seasonal revenue also supports a network of workers and small enterprises, making the potential economic fallout wider than the immediate loss of bookings. Rural-Urban Connection Pune’s commercial fortunes are also linked to the health of the rural economy. A good agricultural harvest typically improves rural incomes, supporting spending on goods and services in urban markets. When farm earnings weaken, that spending tends to contract, affecting traders, retailers and other businesses. If rural incomes remain subdued, the city’s commercial sector could face an additional headwind at a time when water scarcity is already threatening business activity. The interaction between agricultural distress and urban water shortages could therefore deepen the economic slowdown. Construction presents another major vulnerability. Like many large cities, Pune depends heavily on real estate and infrastructure development to sustain economic activity and employment. Construction projects generate demand across a broad network of industries, from building-material suppliers and transport operators to contractors and daily-wage workers. A prolonged restriction on construction-related water use could delay projects, raise costs and disrupt work schedules. If projects stall, the effects will extend beyond developers to workers, suppliers and businesses that depend on the real estate sector. Rising Inflation For ordinary citizens, the prospect of tighter water rationing comes amid an already difficult cost-of-living situation. Food and restaurant prices have risen sharply. A cup of tea now costs more than Rs. 30, while a serving of idli-sambar can exceed Rs. 90. Even street food, traditionally an affordable option for working people, has become increasingly expensive. These prices illustrate the pressure on household budgets, particularly those of workers whose incomes have not kept pace with rising costs. If water shortages push up operating expenses for restaurants, caterers and other businesses, consumers could face further increases. The extent of any additional price rise will depend on how severe and prolonged the restrictions become. The working class is particularly exposed. Workers in vehicle-washing centres, swimming pools, construction and allied services may lose income precisely when everyday necessities are becoming more expensive. Unlike larger businesses, many such workers have little capacity to absorb a prolonged interruption in earnings. Pune’s immediate challenge is to conserve enough water to carry the city through the coming months. Yet the implications of the drought extend well beyond household taps and civic supply schedules. Trade, real estate, hospitality and seasonal businesses all depend, directly or indirectly, on the availability of water. The two sectors facing particular uncertainty are trade and real estate. The former could suffer from weaker consumer spending and disruptions to commercial activity; the latter could be affected by restrictions on construction and the risk of project delays. The consequences would be felt across employment and the wider urban economy. Pune’s residents and businesses have not had to contend with water cuts of 20 percent or more on a sustained basis. Adapting to such restrictions will be difficult, especially if temperatures rise and the drought persists.

Small Town Stories, Big Screen Impact

Writer: Shoma A. Chatterji
Shoma A. Chatterji
Jun 5, 2025
3 min read

Fifty years after Sholay, Bollywood returns with Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Bareilly Ki Barfi, Stree, and Laapata Ladies, offering honest small-town tales that break stereotypes and showcase India’s diverse cultures as audiences seek authenticity beyond urban glamour.


The glamour and glitz of Bollywood cinema are often associated with the 'big, bad, beautiful' megacities—Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, and other major metros. The characters in these films embody the gloss and chutzpah of big-city life through costumes, make-up, revealing outfits, item numbers, and bold romance, including intimate scenes. In contrast, small-town communities often appear marginalised and overshadowed by big-budget productions with permissive values, polished visuals, lavish sets, and the full spectacle of sound, colour, music, and dance.


However, India is vast, with a diverse population beyond its major cities. Its people lead varied lives, speak different languages, and have distinct cultures—festivals, music, dance, food, theatre, and literature. As the world’s largest film producer, India’s growing media networks mean audiences outside big cities seek films they can relate to—in stories, settings, songs, and emotions. Bollywood has created a market for small-town movies. These films use local stories and settings that appeal to both regional and national audiences.


The small-town story began long ago. Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay (1975), set in the fictional village of Ramgarh, offers radical portrayals of men and women, showing that small-town characters like Jay, Veeru, Thakur, and Gabbar Singh—real or fictional—should not be underestimated. Sippy carefully crafted distinct speech patterns for each character. The two main female leads provide speech contrasts: one extremely talkative, the other silent, adding depth. Radha (Jaya Bachchan), now silent post-widowhood, is shown in flashbacks as a lively, film-loving maiden. Basanti (Hema Malini), an orphan who drives a tonga ferrying villagers and city folk, is smart, bold, brash, and fearless. Jay and Veeru are rootless, aimless, but good-hearted thieves, courageous enough to face a villain like Gabbar Singh. Sholay’s enduring popularity over 50 years, with global repeat viewings, proves that small towns and villages are far from insignificant.


The small towns and pockets of villages have found strong popularity among the mass audience across the country because the audience in those geographical pockets feels happy with the identification they find in seeing the cities and villages they belong to on-screen, telling some of their own stories.


Over the past decade, Bollywood has switched gears from urban romances like Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na (2008), Wake Up Sid (2009), and Break Ke Baad (2010) to romantic comedies set in small towns like Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015), Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017), and Stree (2018). The marked shift is reflective of certain changes in India’s cultural landscape, shaped by a myriad of socio-economic factors that Bollywood is attempting to keep up with.


Set in the North Indian town of Bareilly, Bareilly Ki Barfi breaks away from big-city romances to present real people—with stammers, crushes, and meddling matchmakers-in a charming small-town love story. Its leading ladies are bold, smart, and assertive, defying the ‘cute and shy’ stereotype often associated with small-town girls. Linking this and a similar film is Chirag Dubey (Ayushmann Khurrana), a modern-day Devdas pining for his Bubbly, now married to someone else. Avinash Das’ Anaarkali of Arrah (2017) follows Anaarkali (Swara Bhaskar), a young woman from Bihar’s Arrah who inherits her mother’s profession—performing erotic song-and-dance numbers for all-male audiences, arranged by a local orchestra and its owner (Pankaj Tripathi). Amid whistles, catcalls, and dancing men, she sways in shimmering costumes to suggestive lyrics. Though far from the virginal ideal, Anaarkali owns her choices and owes no explanations-not even to the man who employs her. The Tanu Weds Manu films (2011, 2015), starring R. Madhavan, Kangana Ranaut, and Jimmy Shergill, explore the charm and humour of Kanpur. Set in real locations, the films’ authenticity and relatable characters stem from their grounded setting. Masaan (2015) weaves two parallel stories exploring class, corruption, love, and loss. Set against the Banaras ghats, the film captures the city’s essence and the tragedy of death.


Small towns as backdrops now resonate with audiences from the hinterlands. While smaller-town viewers relate to these stories, metro audiences may welcome their unpretentiousness as a break from fast-paced life. This cultural shift towards honest portrayals has also driven Bollywood’s de-urbanisation.


The prize goes to Kiran Rao’s hit Laapata Ladies (2024), set in a village and highlighting the cleverness of two small-town brides who are accidentally swapped because their identical red veils covered their faces. Over 100 years after such practices were common, the film proves this custom endures—brides still conceal faces, heads, shoulders, and torsos. If the face is hidden, how can the husband be blamed for picking the wrong bride?


(The writer is a film scholar. Views personal.)

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