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By:

Minal Sancheti

2 May 2026 at 12:26:53 pm

‘Transparent, smarter, faster, and corruption-free’

Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde dreams of Mumbai’s transformation with innovative ideas and team work Pic: Bhushan Koyande On May 22, Ritu Tawde completed 100 days as Mumbai’s Mayor. She is the only second Mayor of the City of Dreams from the BJP. In an exclusive conversation with Minal Sancheti, Tawde outlines her plans for Mumbai in the coming days. Excerts… What were some of the challenges you faced in these 100 days? With the support of PM Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, I...

‘Transparent, smarter, faster, and corruption-free’

Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde dreams of Mumbai’s transformation with innovative ideas and team work Pic: Bhushan Koyande On May 22, Ritu Tawde completed 100 days as Mumbai’s Mayor. She is the only second Mayor of the City of Dreams from the BJP. In an exclusive conversation with Minal Sancheti, Tawde outlines her plans for Mumbai in the coming days. Excerts… What were some of the challenges you faced in these 100 days? With the support of PM Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, I got the position of Mayor of Mumbai. For four years, there were no corporators. People have expectations that the civic issues will be solved. Earlier, there was an administrator mindset and methodology of working without a corporator. This mindset needed to be changed. In addition to that, speeding up infrastructure work and projects was a big task. Civic issues due to pre-monsoon work, like drainage repair, cement concretisation of roads, and AQI, are the prime issues to be addressed. Can you tell us about your plans to make Mumbai develop in terms of environment as well as infrastructure? BMC is already implementing a cement concrete road project to ensure that the city is free from potholes. There are different infrastructure projects which are being undertaken by various authorities, including flyovers, metros, railover bridges, and redevelopment projects, etc. After the year 2014, Mumbai has seen rapid development projects such as the coastal road, Atal Setu, and Metro 3. These projects have really transformed Mumbai into a global city. BMC has also undertaken various infrastructure projects. Some of them have already been completed. As far as the environment is concerned, BMC has taken several measures. BMC has issued and is ensuring the strict implementation of pollution control guidelines. These guidelines apply to government construction sites and projects as well. BMC has developed urban forests at more than 60 places, and we are trying to create greener spaces at open plots, locations, and under flyovers, wherever possible. BMC also ensures the strict implementation of a ban on single-use plastics. We have approved the work on the Gargai Dam. The dam is being built to fulfil the future water needs of the city. It was long pending, and we also reduced the cost of building the dam. What changes are you planning in the city's administration? When contested elections were held by the BJP, we requested citizens to send suggestions so that we could achieve a good outcome and chalk out the plan. Based on that, we created a manifesto, and after winning the election, I, as a mayor and member of the Mahayuti alliance, have declared a 100-day programme. What are your priorities? Water, cleanliness, health, education, etc. My colleagues and I have decided to work on the ground because there is so much pre-monsoon work being carried out. This includes desilting rivers and nallas, road works, road repairing, trimming of trees, cleaning of side drains, and many others. Also, I visited some of the project sites, like the redevelopment of Siddharth Hospital and Rajawadi Hospital, to ensure speedy, proper work. The site visit always helps to take a stock of the situation and understand the ground realities. We see many demolitions being carried out. What do you plan to do with the spaces? The land, which is owned by the government, BMC, or any other authority, is always invaluable. These lands are important for developing the projects and extending the capacity of existing projects and infrastructure. Thus, if any encroachment or illegal construction is found, then it has to be demolished. Someone living on government land cannot claim ownership of the land. Before demolition, every authority ensures adherence to the procedure to vacate the space, which also includes verification of proof of residence and eligibility for rehabilitation. Those who are eligible get rehabilitation. What changes are you planning in the city's administration? We have started with the aim to transform the administration by making it citizen-friendly, faster, and smarter. By doing this, we want to meet the global standards. Mumbai, being the country’s financial capital, needs robust administration. We need 100 per cent digitalisation by incorporating AI at various levels and corruption-free governance. This is what we are aiming for. Being a local self-government, BMC is bound to provide basic civic services and amenities to the citizens of Mumbai. As I mentioned earlier, we have given sanction to the Gargai Dam project, which will boost water supply once completed. We have also launched the Mumbai Clean League 2026 to improve public sanitation and cleanliness at public and tourist places. This league will run for a year, and it will also invite public participation. We are also focusing on the improvement of the public health system. We are focused on the timely completion of hospital infrastructure projects, the development of the Hospital Information Management System, as well as the availability of medicines and other facilities. We have developed a dashboard where everyone can see the availability of beds at BMC hospitals. As far as education is concerned, we have initiated procurement of 27 articles from the GeM Portal, which are to be given free of cost to the students. This GeM procurement is happening for the first time in the history of BMC. The procurement will be placed on the GEM portal, ensuring a transparent and corruption-free process. This will also save crores of rupees. Do you think Mumbai's Mayor should have more executive powers? In what terms? Yes. Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra and the financial capital of Bharat. BMC is the richest and biggest corporation in the world. Mayors and councillors are the representatives of citizens in general. To meet the expectations of the people, executive power and rights may be accorded. This would help to perform more efficiently. How do you look at the women's governance in the BMC? I am thankful to the CM Devendra Fadnavis. His visionary leadership and trust in women's power are something that the state has never seen before. In BMC, apart from the mayor, out of 27 different committees, 17 have been given to women, including BEST, Improvement, and Education Committee. The post of Municipal Commissioner has been given to a woman in the form of Mrs. Ashwini Bhide. It is for the first time that a lady has been appointed as a Municipal Commissioner in the history of 155 years of BMC. There are a total of 138 lady councillors in the house. There are many key administrative positions in which women are working. From the labourers to security, the disaster management, and administrative office work, in every possible position, women are showing they are efficient. In short, whether it is a deliberative wing or an administrative wing, women have already proved their mettle. However, society still needs to change its mindset and accept that women should be given more positions, rights, and dignity because women's empowerment ultimately results in the strengthening of society and the nation. What is something that you will do that the earlier Mayors did not do? Every mayor works in their own way, depending on the political party and the needs of the hour. Overall, the work depends on all the circumstances. So the work of a particular mayor cannot be compared to that of others. As the mayor of the BJP after 44 years in BMC, I feel that not only Mumbai or Maharashtra, but the entire nation is looking at the performance of the Mayor of Mumbai closely. I am aware of the expectation of the Mumbaikars since after four years Mumbai has got its Mayor. In the term, I will try my best. I will work for making Mumbai transparent, smarter, faster, and corruption-free governance. This will remain our core objective during the tenure. What is your dream project that you aim to complete? I wish to build a themed-based entrance at the check naka of Dahisar, Airoli, Mulund, and Vashi. We will make lounges, washrooms, restrooms, self-help group stalls, special rooms for women, a parking facility, a garden, and a green belt. We will ensure that the facility remains environmentally friendly. The work has already started at Dahisar.

The Soul of Bharat on the Big Screen

Mumbai: April 4, 2025, my heart feels heavier than it ever has. The news hit me like a monsoon storm—Manoj Kumar, the towering legend of Bollywood, the man who painted patriotism across our screens, is no more. At 87, he slipped away at Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, leaving behind a reel of memories that flicker in my mind like a projector that won’t stop spinning. As a movie fan who grew up with his films, I’m not just mourning an actor—I’m grieving the loss of a piece of my soul, a piece of India itself. They called him "Bharat Kumar," and oh, how he earned that name.


I remember the first time I saw ‘Upkar’ (1967). I was a kid, sprawled on the living room floor, eyes glued to our old TV. Manoj ji played Bharat, the farmer who gave everything—his dreams, his love—for his country’s soil. That song, “Mere Desh Ki Dharti,” wasn’t just a tune; it was a heartbeat, pulsing with pride and sacrifice. I’d hum it walking to school, feeling like I, too, could be that noble, that selfless. He won a National Film Award for that one, and rightly so—it wasn’t acting; it was living.

Then there was ‘Shaheed’ (1965), where he brought Bhagat Singh back to life. I’d sit there, popcorn forgotten, as he roared defiance against the British, his eyes blazing with a fire that could’ve lit up the darkest colonial night. It wasn’t just a film—it was a revolution on celluloid, a call to remember the blood that bought our freedom. Manoj ji didn’t just play the martyr; he became him, and every time I watch it, I feel that lump in my throat, that sting in my eyes. It’s no wonder it snagged three National Awards—his passion was a gift to us all.


Oh, and ‘Purab Aur Paschim’ (1970)—how do I even begin? He directed and starred as Bharat again, this time wrestling with the clash of East and West, showing us the beauty of our roots while the world tried to pull us away. I’d laugh at Saira Banu’s antics, then choke up when Manoj ji stood tall, singing “Hai Preet Jahan Ki Reet Sada.” It was a blockbuster, sure, but it was more—it was a love letter to India, penned in his signature hand-over-face style. That move, mocked by some, was his shield, his quiet strength, and I adored it.

And who could forget ‘Roti Kapda Aur Makaan’ (1974)? He directed and starred as Bharat—again, because who else could?—tackling poverty, injustice, and the gut-wrenching struggle for the basics of life. I’d watch, fists clenched, as he fought for the everyman, his voice cracking with raw emotion. It wasn’t just a movie; it was a mirror to our society, a cry for change. Seven Filmfare Awards across his career, they say, but this one felt like it carried them all—his heart bled through every frame.


Then there’s ‘Kranti’ (1981), the epic that had me on the edge of my seat. Manoj ji as the freedom fighter, leading Dilip Kumar and Hema Malini through a storm of rebellion—it was grand, it was gritty, it was everything Bollywood could be. “Zindagi Ki Na Toote Ladi” still echoes in my ears, a reminder of the battles he fought on screen, battles that felt so real I’d dream of joining the fight. He didn’t just direct that film; he sculpted a monument to resilience, and I’d cheer like a fool every time he outsmarted the British.


As I sit here, flipping through these memories, I can’t help but feel cheated. Manoj Kumar wasn’t just an actor or director—he was family. Born Harikrishan Goswami in 1937, he carried the Partition’s scars from Abbottabad to Delhi, turning pain into purpose. He gave us over 50 films in a career spanning four decades, snagging the Padma Shri in 1992 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2015—honors that felt too small for a man who gave India its cinematic soul. His last role in ‘Jai Hind’ (1999) might’ve flopped, but it didn’t dim his light in my eyes.


I’d read how he met Bhagat Singh’s mother before ‘Shaheed’, seeking her blessing—can you imagine the weight of that? Or how PM Lal Bahadur Shastri urged him to make ‘Upkar’ after the 1965 war, handing him “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan” like a sacred torch? That’s who he was—a man who didn’t just entertain but carried a nation’s dreams.


Manoj ji, you weren’t just “Bharat Kumar” to me—you were the uncle who taught me pride, the friend who shared my anger, the poet who sang my hopes. Your films weren’t movies; they were my childhood, my rebellion, my tears. I’ll miss you like I miss the India you dreamed of—flawed, fierce, and forever ours. Rest in peace, sir. Om Shanti.

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