Hansal Mehta compares Mumbai with Colombo: How long will we live like this

India Today

16 hours ago

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta, after returning from a shoot in Colombo, shared a strong post about the poor state of Mumbai. He expressed disappointment over the city's dirt, chaos, broken roads, and people's careless attitude. He stressed that even Colombo, despite its problems, looks cleaner and more organised than India's so-called financial capital.He wrote, 'Just returned from a long shoot in Colombo. A country grappling with economic crisis and fairly recent political turmoil, and yet its capital is cleaner, more organised, and more dignified than the so-called financial capital of a rising superpower (sic)."advertisementThe filmmaker continued, 'Every time I come back to Mumbai, I am appalled, not just by the filth, the chaos, the broken infrastructure, but by our collective indifference to it. We excuse it all with 'but we have such a large population.' True. But we also have a population that has been taught to expect very little, demand nothing, and normalise the unacceptable (sic)."
Taking aim at Mumbai's soaring property prices, Mehta added, 'We live in a city where real estate costs a soul and a lifetime. For what? A view of garbage-littered streets, open drains, and civic apathy dressed up in designer branding. A city consumed by consumerism, yet hollowed out from the inside. How long will we continue to live like this? Apathetic, exhausted, and resigned, mistaking endurance for pride, and chaos for character (sic)."While acknowledging that he still holds love for Mumbai, Mehta criticised those in power for exploiting the city and stifling any chance of genuine change. 'I still believe I love this city. It has given me everything. But it's strangled by those in power, people who never let it breathe, who won't allow it to care for us. They profit from its decay and dress it up as resilience (sic)."The post resonated with many netizens, who echoed similar frustrations. One user commented, 'Sir, all these concerns have been raised for a long time, but nothing really changes. Corruption is still very much present, and it hasn't improved at all.' Another added, 'We in India lack civic sense. No one is afraid of the law.' A third remarked, 'Hansal, cleaning up is always the cleaner's job in India. Unless that changes, nothing does (sic).'Hansal Mehta is known for creating impactful, socially relevant cinema. His work spans acclaimed films like 'Shahid', 'Aligarh', and 'Omerta', as well as the popular web series 'Scam 1992', which brought widespread attention to the story of stockbroker Harshad Mehta. Through his storytelling, Mehta often challenges power structures, societal indifference, and systemic failures.- EndsMust Watch