As we enter 2026, Mumbaikars share why they love the city despite everything

lsquoYou are allowed to be who you arersquoHailing from Finland Meeri Shenoy has found happiness in Mumbai Her favourite place in the city is Marine Drive because if the entire city is chaos this is the place one can find pause PicAtul KambleMeeri ShenoyAge 26 Finnish citizen working at FIS Finland International SchoolMoved to Mumbai in 2023Akshita MaheshwariIF yoursquore from Finland the happiest country in the world people assume you must already have happiness figured out So when Meeri Shenoy tells you she has chosen to live in Mumbai mdash chaotic crowded loud and now officially the happiest city in Asia mdash it raises a fair question What does happiness look like when you move from silence to noiseGrowing up in Finland Shenoy was drawn to India long before she ever set foot here Indian classical music Bollywood films stories she couldnrsquot quite trace back to a single source Somehow they found her ldquoSomething really moved within merdquo she says still sounding slightly surprised by it herself Finland she explains was a country she loved deeply but it never felt like home ldquoI always felt like I was supposed to be somewhere elserdquoThat somewhere else first materialised in 2019 At 19 Shenoy landed in India at Delhi airport followed by a quick flight to Dehradun and then Rishikesh Mumbai came later almost as an afterthought She was only visiting But the city had other plansldquoI remember feeling so at peacerdquo she says ldquoI just knew this was where I was supposed to berdquo It was the sort of realisation that came with a strange sense of recognition ldquoPeople ask me if I had culture shockrdquo she laughs ldquoAnd I always say no It felt very normal like I had already lived hererdquoFrom that first visit onwards everything Shenoy did was quietly geared towards returning to Mumbai Studying humanities came naturally mdash history culture people She eventually joined FIS Finland International School Today at 26 Shenoy teaches humanities to students from Grades 6 to 10 guiding them through geography history social sciences and the layered complexities of the worldAs a humanities lover the city constantly feeds her curiosity ldquoIt feels like a sociological study every dayrdquo she says Mumbairsquos history fascinates her mdash the colonial legacy of the Bombay Presidency the indigenous Koli community the Parsis the way layers of time sit ldquoThe cultural richness is unmatchedrdquoBut the happiness of this city according to her lives within the bones of its people ldquoMumbai welcomes everyonerdquo Shenoy says simply ldquoThatrsquos what makes it specialrdquo Coming from Finland mdash quiet spacious often inwardlooking mdash Mumbai should have felt overwhelming Instead it felt exactly like home ldquoTherersquos kindness Therersquos acceptance Yoursquore allowed to be who you arerdquoThis sense of belonging is what ultimately anchors her to the city She has built a life here now Friends who are mostly local an Indian husband she met in this very city and most importantly a home ldquoAt the end of the day the place that makes you feel like you belong is where yoursquore meant to berdquo she saysAnd if you ask Shenoy where she feels happiest in Mumbai she is very quick to respond ldquoMarine Drive is just a classicrdquo she says Therersquos something poetic about it a woman from the happiest country in the world finding peace along a curved stretch of sea and concrete Itrsquos one of the few places where Mumbai pauses ldquoItrsquos groundingrdquo she says ldquoYou feel connected to the city but also to yourselfrdquoWhen asked how Mumbai earned its title as Asiarsquos happiest city Shenoy doesnrsquot talk about rankings or statistics ldquoItrsquos chaotic yesrdquo she says ldquoBut therersquos so much joy hererdquo Happiness in Mumbai is collective It spills out onto streets into conversations onto footpaths and cafeacutesFinding parallels between Finland and Mumbai she admits is difficult ldquoTheyrsquore opposites in almost every wayrdquo she laughs And yet perhaps thatrsquos the point Happiness does not have a single shape In Finland it might come from stillness In Mumbai it comes from belongingAnd for Shenoy happiness looks like this a city that never asks her to explain herself a profession she loves a home she chose and the sea always waiting at Marine DrivelsquoI love that Mumbai doesnrsquot carersquoPicAshish RajeAsisha Behera Age 30 Transwoman works at the Hamsafar TrustMoved to Mumbai in May 2025 from Odisha Khorda Arpika BhosaleThough Asisha Behera is an engineer by training she started working in HIV awareness and was a grassrootslevel worker to promote use of condoms in Bhubaneswar ldquoWhen I was a child my father would say that I was too feminine He told me that if I studied engineering I would somehow become masculinerdquo she says ldquoSo of course I havenrsquot gone in that directionrdquo she addsBehera who moved to Mumbai for a job at the Humsafar Trust feels her struggles started when she was very young ldquoMy family used to beat me a lot They used to do black magic to lsquocurersquo me and finally my father threw me out of the house at the age of 19 So I used to beg on the train but it was not enough to support myself I realised I had a lot of anger coupled with anxiety leading me to be selfdestructiverdquo she says Behera quickly identified that she is on a slippery slope ldquoI started working in the social sector gradually and thatrsquos when I moved to Bhubaneswarrdquo she addsBeherarsquos last profile before heading to Mumbai this year was working for HIV awareness as well as advocacy for People Living with HIV PLHIV She may have chosen a different calling than her fatherrsquos wishes but she was a gogetter and did well at work ldquoFrom outreach work I became a field coordinator then worked as a CSR coordinator and finally a senior placement executive But my dream was to work with Humsafar Trust because in the community queer itrsquos one of the most valued organisations So when I got the offer there was no way to refuse to come to Mumbairdquo she addsBehera loves the anonymity that comes with the fast pace of the city ldquoWhen I walk in the city or get on the train most of the time no one cares Most of the people are not judgemental about my gender identity No one is asking lsquoWhat are you wearing How am I walking What am I What is under my clothes What is my gender identity Do I share my bed with anyonersquo The people here donrsquot care about it I love that about Mumbairdquo she says ldquoThis was not the case in Odisha definitely I will say in Odisha acceptance has just kind of started but not as much as Mumbairdquo she saysMumbai feels Behera has also allowed her a chance to play around with concepts and experiences ldquoThe play is now mdash what can I do What is my boundary I can explore the things that I could not do earlierrdquo she says As far as making it work as a migrant with the city burning a hole through her pocket she is still positive ldquoMumbai is a very expensive city and it is very challenging for me I started off with R6000 but Mumbai has given me the confidence that maybe it will become R1 lakh tomorrowrdquoHer favourite place ldquoI love beaches but my favourite is Versova because it is right behind my home I often go there to work out my feelings along the shorerdquo she says As for getting unwanted looks during these walks she says ldquoI usually say something like lsquoDo you recognise me If you really want to look at me take me home and feed me food Most of the time it elicits laughter from men and they move onrdquo she addsMaybe thatrsquos why we love Mumbai She might laugh but itrsquos always with us and not at uslsquoThe only city with a culture for artistesrsquoAs an aspiring actor Aakarshit Arorarsquos favourite place in Mumbai is the Western Express Highway He loves seeing the film posters scattered all over the highway and hopes to see his own face up there one day PicShadab KhanAakarshit AroraAge 26 ActorMoved to Mumbai in February 2023 from GurugramAkshita MaheshwariIf yoursquore born in Delhi and live in Mumbai there is one question you can never escape Which city is better Gurugramdamunda Aakarshit Arora is no stranger to this question He walks Delhi talks Delhi breathes Delhi yet his heart remains in the city that lets him pursue his dreams Mumbai Born to a finance bro dad Arora was destined to be a finance bro himself ldquoMumbai was never in the planrdquo he says So what made him choose the city of dreams ldquoI have been doing theatre since I was in the fourth graderdquo he gives us a simple answer ldquoI did a finance degree moved back to Gurugram during the pandemic I did a finance job too But that keeda bug remained Acting always called my namerdquoOn the particular Monday morning this writer met up with Arora the sun shone a little too bright It was hot even in December Yet Arora stood diligently on a scorching Western Express Highway posing for his pictures with a smile on his face This highway is Arorarsquos favourite place in Mumbai you see A sentiment not shared by most Mumbaikars In fact if you ask this writer WEH is perhaps the place we hate most in the city All we see on this road is the sea of cars the barrage of traffic the unbearable red of the brake lights All Arora sees are the billboards with film posters Theyrsquore reminders of what he came to the city for Whenever he has a bad day he finds himself staring at the billboards dreaming and hoping to see his own face up there one dayArora is an actor One meeting with him will tell you that he is the most filmi boy yoursquoll meet that month His first stint in Mumbai was for college All throughout his finance degree he kept doing theatre on the side In the last year of college the pandemic hit This meant a oneway ticket to Gurugram But the keeda didnrsquot stop Arora pursued a brief stint in music ldquoMy first song is called Kathor I have it tattooed on my fingersrdquo he shows us ldquoKathor was also the first introduction to filmmaking I made a music video for the songrdquo he says Soon a oneway ticket to Mumbai was on the cards ldquoThe first year I was in Mumbai I got no gigs Nothing was working out Irsquod quit my finance job because I couldnrsquot manage it with actingrdquo he saysldquoI didnrsquot know how to earn money One day this idea came to me lsquoThe life of an actor in Mumbairsquo I thought Irsquoll just upload three videos a week on Instagram I wonrsquot look at the reach or the comments I wonrsquot look at anythingrdquo His earnestness worked His Reels started going viral He got attention from audiences and finally he became a recognisable face in casting circlesOne fine day Arora opened his Instagram and saw the most unexpected name Arjun Kapoor Arora says ldquoHe started following me I had to shoot my shot so I DMed him lsquoSir it would be great if I could meet you some dayrsquo and he immediately said lsquoLetrsquos meet comersquordquo And so Arora went over to have a coffee with Arjun Kapoor ldquoHersquos so chill and so kind Then and there he connected me to Mukesh Chabbra and thatrsquos how I got my next rolerdquoLately lifersquos been good for Arora ldquoIn 2024 I got my first gig as a tertiary character in Rana Naidu Season 2 Although that got cut laterrdquo he laughs ldquoI also got a Marathi film Aarpar I did an OTT show called Baat Pakkirdquo Hersquos got some big projects in the pipeline too but gets coy when this writer speculates about them All this and much more came to him in Mumbai So when this writer asks Mr Gurugram the quintessential question lsquoMumbai or Delhirsquo he says ldquoIf there wasnrsquot the issue of pollution Gurugram would have been a banger city to live inrdquo he says The charm of home never dies Life is simply easier back home So what makes him stay ldquoFor the past three years Irsquove really started liking Mumbai I see myself spending my life here At some point I want to buy a house hererdquoHe adds ldquoThis time around I sort of changed my company I realised that I want to be with likeminded people creative people I want to earn a living by doing something I love Mumbai is the only city where I see a culture where artistes can feel comfortable As an artiste if yoursquore working in a city like Gurugram you will feel out of place constantly Because you donrsquot have your tribe Here I find people who want to do the same thing A little bit of a Fakirrsquos mindset money will be made at some point Letrsquos make art now Letrsquos make something good now The rest will be seen And I love thatrdquoIn the last month of 2025 as we work on this edition this writer has only been thinking about what makes people love Mumbai Everyone we meet we ask this question Never have we ever received an answer such as Arorarsquos ldquoIf Irsquom being very honest in the summers on just a warm sunny day I just love the way the sunlight hits the city Therersquos something about the way the light falls into your windows here It isnrsquot like this in any other cityrdquolsquoThis city brings out a kind of daring in peoplersquoPicAshish RajeDeepanjana Pal Age 46 AuthorMoved to Mumbai in 2005 from the UKJust released Lightning in a Shot Glass a romcom set in MumbaiDebjani PaulTwenty years ago when authorjournalist Deepanjana Pal moved to the city from the UK she fell in love with Bandra ldquoAt that time Bandra was just starting to become cool It had not yet become the Brooklyn of Bombay but was very much on its way thererdquo she recalls ldquoWe had a twobedroom apartment in a building near where Bandra Born stands today We had a large kitchen and three bathrooms and we paid R25000 in rent mdash unimaginable todayrdquoAt first Bandra was a practical decision ldquowe had friends in the suburbs I had family in south Mumbai and work was somewhere in the middle at Mahalakshmirdquo Once she moved there she fell head over heels for the neighbourhoodrsquos oldworld charm ldquoMumbai in general is very dear to me but Bandra felt really like home in a way that no other place ever has for me One of the reasons was just how incredibly walkable the neighbourhood was Again today this sounds like complete fiction given how every road is dug up Despite that Bandra still remains one of the most walkable places in the cityrdquo she saysPal and her friends would just walk to each otherrsquos places in the suburb never needing a car or twowheeler ldquoThose walks were so pretty the houses were the stuff of stories Every lane we entered wersquod look at the homes and go lsquoIf only that uncle or auntie would adopt me then the house could be minersquordquo she says chucklingIt is here in the queen of suburbs that Pal has set her latest book Lightning in a Shot Glass It follows two women mdash a divorced 40yearold and her roommate a 29yearold intern mdash as they navigate romantic dalliances workplace politics and life crises in a city thatrsquos constantly moving and shifting around themldquoWith these two women it was important to me to figure out a space where they were able to take unconventional decisions One of the women Aalo is starting off as an intern at the age of 29 Itrsquos not a conventional choice by a long shot by 29 wersquore expected to have figured out our lives But Mumbai is the kind of city that respects your choice to take a risk make an effort Most of my characters are not doing conventional things be it the kind of lives that they choose to have or the chosen family theyrsquore building These are all things I found the space for in Mumbai and it made sense to me that these characters would find it here as well I canrsquot imagine another city where you get the freedom to do thatldquoThe book is very much my little love letter to the city and the places here that are dear to merdquo Pal continues ldquoOne of the characters in the book says lsquoI donrsquot think Irsquod be the same person if I grew up in Nagpurrsquo Every city brings out different things in a person This city brings out a certain kind of daring and I love that For me itrsquos particularly lovely to see this among women because there are so few spaces that encourage us to be daring and unconventionalrdquoItrsquos not all sunshine and roses mdash Palrsquos journalistrsquos gaze canrsquot ignore all thatrsquos wrong in the city Dugup roads polluted air lack of open spaces skyrocketing renthellip the list has no end much like the traffic jams And yet a stubborn streak of hope prevails in Palrsquos characters just like the famed Mumbaikar resilience ldquoItrsquos not a city where itrsquos easy to find a house or job But the city is filled with people like you whorsquore trying to do things to find their way It gives you space to feel lost therersquos space to feel found Therersquos space to just be and this last one I think one is very rarerdquo she sayslsquoIrsquom made for this place and this place is made for mersquoArsonArsonAge 23 Queer RapperMoved to Mumbai in July 2024 from Jamshedpur JharkhandDhwani GaikwadEvery part of Mumbai serves as a catalyst for creative people mdash whether that is the architecture the fashion the rap scene comedy shows acting industry and so much more that a single sentence cannot do justice For people with creativity every street along with its nooks and corners packed with bustling people buzzes with an energy that draws them towards itFor Arson leaving Jamshedpur and stepping into the jampacked scene that is Mumbai was one of the best decisions that he could make He says ldquoBack in my hometown everybody has a narrow mindset and a narrow plan for their life As a creative person who wanted to explore multiple creative industries there were no doors for me there On the other hand Mumbai is a city that offers opportunities in every single creative sector mdash music visual art performance art you name it There is just so much happening all the timerdquoThis quality is also something that keeps the city going all the time With events workshops and art gallery exhibitions happening all the time who could ever get bored of living in the city Step out and it offers you a myriad of things to do To Arson it feels just the same he could meet a new person randomly and they would end up becoming his mentorTo most people who move to Mumbai for work it is not always easy Some could even describe it as trying to surf on a hightide day When Arson came to the city in July 2024 his first week was spent in Fort which ended up becoming his favourite area He shares ldquoFort is home to such beautiful architecture There are so many stores so many pockets of history I remember leaving my hotel room buying a Cosmo or a Vogue and having breakfast with coffee This memory is now very dear to me because that is how it all beganrdquoLike a lot of rappers who have moved to Mumbai for work the place immediately felt like home to Arson ldquoAfter the first week I began feeling like Irsquom made for this place and this place is made for merdquo he expresses The city has also had a huge influence on his art He says ldquoSocial issues and the issues that I have faced personally have always been a major part of my writing and even my sound Mumbai has made me very aware of things especially class disparityrdquo His experiences have helped him shape his work ldquoBeing in a city thatrsquos hustling 247 I have noticed the pay gap and the struggles of the people and it reflects in the kind of art I create My sound has become gritty and I have become a conscious writer I have met rappers who were born in this city and there is so much that I have learnt from them All of it has affected my musicrdquoldquoI think I am reminded of my love for Mumbai all over again when people are nice to merdquo says Arson reminiscing about his adoration for the city ldquoI work with a lot of service workers and am friends with a lot of bouncers and club staff One of my best memories is celebrating my birthday with a service staff member at Khar Social These people make the city and I have always cherished my interactions with themrdquolsquoItrsquos culturally a happy cityrsquoAyesha Parikh is in her happy place at Art and Charlie gallery in Pali Village Bandra PicSatej ShindeAyesha Parikh Age 39Founder of Art and Charlie gallery BandraMoved to Mumbai in 2017 from LondonDebjani PaulWhen Ayesha Parikh decided to move back from London UK to India Mumbai was a very clear choice for the city shersquod call homeFor Parikh who had just quit her job with management consultancy giant McKinsey and was looking to start her own art gallery there were only two cities she could start her new life Mumbai or DelhildquoMumbai was a nobrainerrdquo says Parikh who went on to found Art and Charlie a contemporary art gallery in Bandra The first reason that sprang to mind was of course the sheer freedom of movement shersquod have as a woman Having lived abroad Parikh couldnrsquot bear the thought of coming back to the aggressive Indian male gaze while walking on the streets ldquoI donrsquot want to ask a guy to drop me home I donrsquot want to have to depend on anybody why should Irdquo she saysldquoMumbai felt like a city where a woman can do whatever she wants You can be going home at 3 am in an auto and yoursquoll be fine I donrsquot even have to think about what Irsquom going to wear when I step out in Bandrardquo she addsOn moving here and setting up the gallery though she found much more to love about the city ldquoThere is a collaborative warmth in the industry hererdquo says Parikh who also coleads the Mumbai Gallery Association MGA ldquoThere are 35 galleries in the association Delhi on the other hand doesnrsquot have a central organisation like that for galleriesrdquoBecause of the MGA the galleries collaborate a lot more including for the upcoming Mumbai Gallery Weekend slated for January 811At a time when Indian art is witnessing a global boom itrsquos Mumbai mdash not Delhi as some might assume mdash thatrsquos seen a bunch of new galleries being set up in the past five years Mumbai is also home to some of the oldest galleries in the nation such as Jehangir Art Gallery est 1951 and Chemould Prescott Road est 1963ldquoI run a threeyearold gallery but am also currently leading the MGA for the next two years Which goes to show how open Mumbairsquos established players are to newer entrantsrdquo says Parikh adding ldquoThese are not things I was aware of earlier but knowing the scene now Irsquom so glad I started in BombayrdquoIt can be hard to remember the good things about the city when wersquore all complaining about the constant construction dugup roads poor air quality and a glaring lack of space mdash outdoors and inside our matchbox homes ldquoI think the lack of space is made up for by the cultural vibrance hererdquo says Parikh ldquoWe have places like Prithvi Theatre or more indie spaces like performance space Harkat Studios or art spacelibrary Fluxus Chapel Mumbai is a culturally happy city happy despite its infrastructural challengesrdquoHer favourite place in the city is of course her gallery space set up in a heritage Portuguese bungalow in Pali Village ldquoIt is a kind of manifestation of my ethos I love that the gallery is on a walking street and not on some grand boulevard where buses and cars are honking all the timerdquo she says adding ldquoI love that the building itself is steeped in history Itrsquos located in this village of Portuguese origin dating back to the 15th century I have placed a wooden bench outside that anybody can come sit on My favourite thing is just to sit there with a coffee and watch the village go about its dayrdquoItrsquos also a city thatrsquos universally acknowledged as friendly ldquoIn Bandra particularly which is such an immigrantexpat hub therersquos an easy mingling vibe at bars and cafes so you can strike up a conversation with anyone Itrsquos the people here who make it a happy cityrdquo she concludeslsquoI can run around in shortsrsquoSinger and songwriter Apoorva Vishwakarma loves the safety and freedom that Mumbai provides her PicNimesh DaveApoorva Vishwakarma Age 28 Singer and songwriterMoved to Mumbai in 2022 from Kanpur Uttar PradeshTanisha BanerjeeWhen Apoorva Vishwakarma moved from Kanpur to Mumbai in 2022 it wasnrsquot a leap of blind faith as much as a calculated act of ambition At 28 the singersongwriter knew exactly what she was chasing which was the space to release her EP and room to grow as an independent musician Mumbai was a city that could sustain both her art and her everyday lifeldquoI came here to pursue my music seriouslyrdquo Vishwakarma says ldquoAnd I stayed because of the opportunitiesrdquo For an independent artiste she explains survival and creativity are deeply intertwined ldquoYou have to do everything mdash gigs sessions collaborations mdash to sustain yourself Mumbai is great for thatrdquo Unlike cities where music scenes can feel scattered or limited Mumbai offers volume and variety ldquoTherersquos more work here than anywhere else especially for independent musiciansrdquo The cityrsquos relentless pace often described as exhausting becomes for Vishwakarma a kind of momentum one that keeps her moving forwardBut her attachment to Mumbai goes beyond professional practicality As a woman living alone safety plays a crucial role in her sense of belonging ldquoWhat I really love is how safe the city feelsrdquo she says ldquoThe societies are regulated there are rules and it creates a very homely environment I can run around in shortsrdquo She currently lives in an SRA building but says the label barely registers in daily life ldquoMy building is full of families And theyrsquore always concerned for me as they know I live alone Irsquove never had this familial feeling anywhere elserdquo That sense of community has been quietly reassuring ldquoItrsquos not intrusiverdquo she adds Having lived in Delhi before the contrast is stark ldquoThere nobody really cares Here people look out for yourdquoEqually important is the freedom Mumbai affords especially for someone whose work depends on expression and audience ldquoIrsquove never experienced this kind of freedom anywhere elserdquo she says ldquoTherersquos an audience for everything hererdquoMumbai also functions as a teacher Watching the daily rhythm of millions people waking up early commuting long distances and working relentlessly has altered her own relationship with effort ldquoWhen you see so many people hustling every single day you start noticing where you stand It pushes you to work harderrdquoVishwakarma doesnrsquot romanticise Mumbai as an easy city or a forgiving one It is demanding crowded and unrelenting but deeply enabling As she continues to build her music career the city remains both stage and sounding board where ambition is expected not just acceptedlsquoMumbai makes you feel like the main characterrsquoPicAshish RajeDrishtii AsknaniAge 23 PR managerBorn and grown up in MumbaiAastha Atray BananDrishtii Asknani is a pukka Mumbaikar who canrsquot just choose one reason to love the city But if she had to ldquoit would be the ocean the way it calms you grounds you and reminds you to pause no matter how fast life getsrdquo says the Thane residentBut like all the rest of us who may have come from different places in India to become who we want to become for Asknani as well the biggest pro of living in Mumbai is ldquoopportunityrdquo That feeling that if you have to do something it may just be possible here ldquoMumbai somehow makes you feel like the main character in your story while still giving you a strange sense of safety and belongingrdquo she saysThe con for her is that it has slowly turned into a commercial forest mdash ldquotall crowded and constantly chasing growth sometimes at the cost of its breathing spacerdquoBut we ask her is it hard to love the city ldquoHonestly it depends on the people Irsquove seen some live here for five years and never feel at home while others start thriving in a few months Mumbai in its own way chooses yourdquo But she does say it takes some work to keep loving it ldquoMy people help me When things get tough I take them and run to the beach or Marine Drive talk for hours have some street food and everything starts feeling a little easierrdquoFor Asknani Mumbai is home and so itrsquos easy to be happiest here ldquoThe people feel like family even the roadragers seem funny Therersquos something in the air To quote Salaam Bombay lsquoYeh sheher sabko apna bana leta hairsquordquolsquoItrsquos where the sea gives you the answersrsquoIshu didi finds that there is no problem so big that it couldnrsquot be solved if you just spend five minutes with the sea PicShadab KhanIshu DidiAge 27 Content creatorBorn and brought up in MumbaiAkshita MaheshwariIF you live in Mumbai and spend any amount of time on the Internet chances are that yoursquove come across a spunky older sister with an ultracoolgirl vibe named Ishu Didi Her series about ldquobeing a Bombay Girlrdquo where she just talks about different experiences of living in Mumbai has garnered millions of views She says ldquoI knew that I wanted to have an Internet presence Except I didnrsquot know what to talk about What can I actually talk about with authority Is it pop culture Yes and no Is it Mumbai Yes I love knowing everything there is to know about the city I currently have three books that Irsquove purchased and five that are in my wish list all about Mumbai Till date the video I have the most views on is a video I made in Marathi and I am really proud of thatrdquoOne scroll on her page and yoursquoll know that 27yearold Ishu is born and bred from Mumbai ldquoThe best part about Mumbai is that you donrsquot have to be born here to be from here If you accept the city as your own it will accept you as its own as wellrdquo she says Ishursquos love for the city comes from the autonomy it gives her ldquoAs a woman I wouldnrsquot want to be in any other city in India This has canonically been the safest most liberal city for women Itrsquos relatively kind to all minorities to women to queer peoplerdquo Beyond that too no city has the culture of Mumbai ldquoIt has always set the scene for art and culture especially and fashion Itrsquos the most explorative city when it comes to culturerdquo she saysShersquos especially a fan of the bars in the city Her series on rating bars in the city is a testament to that ldquoNo one knows where to go on a Friday night If you want to drink where do you go Well I wanted to answer that questionrdquo she says ldquoA lot of people actually think Irsquom an alcoholic but Irsquom really notrdquo she jokes ldquoIrsquove just been to different bars I drink once or twice a monthrdquoAs a longtime lover of this city Ishu has her complaints too ldquoI think wersquore losing the essence of what makes Mumbai Mumbai You know what fuels this city Hope You get torn to shreds and built back up again every day Over and over And wersquove always had this mentality that nothing too bad will happen The city will survive So once we stop having hope for anything to get better thatrsquos when wersquore losing our essence as a city We do need to have hope Otherwise it will all fail Lately it feels like that some of that hope is slipping awayrdquoldquoWhen I was thrown into design college I was just exposed to something calledrdquo she pauses ldquoa class barrier Nothing divides the city more than class The glitz and glamour of the city attracts everyone Everyone wants to come here for the highrises and the posh little life of a seafacing apartment Except to get to that seafacing apartment you might have to lose all ethics and integrityrdquoThe people make a city Mumbai is no exception ldquoI was reading about this concept of public privacyrdquo says Ishu ldquoFor example yoursquore on a local or a metro You share that space with all strangers And you donrsquot owe anyone anything there You can act like whatever be whoever Yet people choose to be nice to each other Yoursquore completely anonymous No one is there to critique your behaviour or question your moral spine And thatrsquos why a lot of people say that Mumbai people are inherently very nice Because I think therersquos a mutual understanding that even if you donrsquot know where the person in front of you is coming from you give them the benefit of the doubtrdquoExcept for public transport we ask Ishu whatrsquos her favourite place in the city ldquoThe Worli promenade Before the Promenade there was the sea face Itrsquos just the sea I think nothing can come close to what the sea makes you feel in all its vastness It feels like itrsquos an open conversation between me and her If yoursquore ever feeling really low and yoursquore just looking at the sea and thinking lsquoWhat do I do nowrsquo She will give you the answer even if the answer is lsquoYou just need to calm down for a secondrsquordquolsquoThe chaos is comfortingrsquoPicAshish RajeRijul GulatiAge 32 Executive Chef Indian Accent MumbaiMoved to Mumbai in May 2023 from New DelhiNasrin Modak SiddiqiAfter an eightyear tenure at Indian Accent New Delhi where he rose to Senior Sous Chef Rijul Gulati moved to Mumbai to help set up Indian Accentrsquos first outpost in the city As Cluster Executive Chef Mumbai City Fireback Comorin and Drift Cafe and Bar now he leads a team of over 20 chefs laying a strong culinary foundation for EHV International He continues crafting awardwinning menus for Indian Accent that have earned him international recognition including a Knife Award at The Best Chef Awards 2025 in Milan and a No 47 ranking on Culinary Culturersquos Next30 Chefs 2025 listldquoMumbai has a comforting chaosrdquo says Gulati ldquoItrsquos a global city mdash the city of dreams mdash where nobody judges you for what you do You can walk around freely even at odd hours After a latenight shift Irsquove eaten greasy Chinese at 2 am and for a chef who thinks about food all the time that kind of carefree meal feels incredibly liberatingrdquo he smilesWhile Gulati has represented the restaurant at popups and collaborations across the world including Italy Austria Israel New Zealand and Riyadh it is Mumbairsquos easy nonchalance that holds him ldquoMumbai lets you be ambitious without apologising for itrdquo he says ldquoAnd it somehow makes room for everything mdash for family street food the sea and the airrdquoToday the city feels firmly like home ldquoMy better half loves it too for obvious reasons mdash safety and even the slightly better air quality everyonersquos talking aboutrdquo he addsGulati feels Mumbai has been voted the happiest city in Asia for good reason ldquoIrsquove cut through traffic in the rain just for a bite of vada pav taken chai breaks that effortlessly turn into long conversations and watched the city unfold at its countless corners where tea is brewed on shop counters and cycle carts day and night Thatrsquos the generosity of Mumbai mdash it feeds you at any hour without question In the end thatrsquos its true joy and simplicity a happy belly makes a happy dayrdquoMumbai teaches you to move fast but think deeply The city is layered mdash much like its food and its diversity ldquoI see it as a truly global city where people and flavours from across the world coexist effortlessly Some of the countryrsquos most celebrated awardwinning restaurants sit alongside muchloved local favourites and that constant exposure to diverse flavours shapes the way you cook Over time cooking becomes more instinctive mdash less precious more confidentrdquo he addsGulati believes that Mumbai also teaches discipline Its chaos only works because there is an underlying structure holding it together ldquoThat sensibility reflects in the menus I create today A dinerrsquos favourite on my current menu is the chilli cheese vada red amaranth keema brun pao a vegetarian reinterpretation of Bombayrsquos beloved keemaandvada pairing Red amaranth or lal saag is one of the brightest most striking greens yoursquoll spot at any bhajiwala and paired with a chilli cheese vada it captures the cityrsquos spirit perfectly After all Mumbai loves chilli cheese mdash on toast in sandwiches on pav mdash and this dish lets that familiar comfort do all the magicrdquo he addsGulatirsquos favourite place in the city is Marine Drive late at night ldquoIt resets everythingrdquo he says ldquoYou can be exhausted or overstimulated and the city simply lets you sit quietly in a corner You can be alone with your thoughts relax or just watch the waves roll in I donrsquot think any other city gives you that kind of space without asking anything in return mdash at least not in Indiardquo The centre stage that is MumbaiTanish JacobRego adores Prithvi Theatre having a personal and professional connection with theatre PicShadab KhanTanish JacobRegoAge 21Theatre artiste Born and brought up in MumbaiTanisha BanerjeeAt 21 Tanish JacobRego already wears many hats in Mumbairsquos theatre ecosystem mdash actor technical operator production manager assistant director and an associate at Tamaasha Studios Freelancing across roles he represents a generation of theatre practitioners for whom the city is not just a backdrop but an active collaborator For Rego Mumbairsquos pull is inseparable from the way theatre here feels as one open generous and constant playground in motionBorn and brought up in Mumbai Rego sees the cityrsquos diversity as its defining strength ldquoMumbai is such a mixed place People are here from everywhererdquo he says That mix he believes shapes the theatre community in fundamental ways When he first started working in theatre what stood out was the people more than work ldquoThe people you interact with in the theatre are very warm Thatrsquos one of the biggest reasons Irsquove stayed in this sphere in this cityrdquoHe credits the city for creating an environment where personal backgrounds and social conditioning donrsquot become barriers ldquoMumbai allows you to break past thatrdquo he explainsldquoIt allows for relationships that are more than just professional or transactionalrdquo That openness he feels directly reflects in the kind of theatre being made with work that is collaborative porous and emotionally invested rather than rigidly hierarchicalOpportunity is the second pillar of his attachment to the city Theatre often seen as financially precarious feels more viable in Mumbai because of the overlaps between industries ldquoBeing in theatre is not really as difficult here as it might be in another cityrdquo he says ldquoThere are so many theatrerelated things you can dordquo With film advertising digital media and live performance coexisting in close quarters Mumbai allows artistes to support themselves while continuing to experiment ldquoSo many industries meet and overlap in this one city which makes it a little easier to sustain yourselfrdquoWhat excites Rego most is Mumbairsquos appetite for risk ldquoPeople here are very innovative Theyrsquore pushing boundariesrdquo he says He contrasts this with cities where theatre follows a more traditional path governed by conventions and established rules ldquoMumbai is a place where people really experiment with theatrerdquo He situates this spirit within a larger legacy pointing to the experimental theatre movement that emerged in the city in the 1980s That lineage matters to him not as nostalgia but as proof that the city has long been willing to question form and contentUnsurprisingly his favourite spot is Prithvi Theatre in Juhu a space synonymous with that history of experimentation and dialogueBeyond theatre the cityrsquos geography and history deepen his affection ldquoItrsquos a coastal city I like the fact that whenever I want I can just go to the beachrdquo he says Hersquos equally drawn to Mumbairsquos layered past ldquoI find the history of the city very interesting mdash especially the culture and the history that have led to this moment right nowrdquolsquoItrsquos a city that tells you dreams can come truersquoSmruti KoppikarSmruti KoppikarAge 58 Journalist teacherStarted living in Mumbai in 1980Tanisha BanerjeeFor Smruti Koppikar Mumbai is not just a city she has lived in It is the city that has made her A journalist and urban chronicler for over 35 years Koppikar is the foundereditor of Question of Cities an online journal focused on cities ecology and social equity Though her family traces its roots to HublindashDharwadndashKumta she has lived in Bombay mdash now Mumbai mdash continuously since 1980 witnessing its transformations from close quarters with a reporterrsquos eye and a citizenrsquos stakeShe arrived in the city in the early 1980s a time when Mumbai offered young women a rare combination of mobility and independence ldquoBombay back in the rsquo80s allowed me to be mobile and independent without worrying too much about safetyrdquo she says That freedom shaped her ambitions early on It gave her the confidence to imagine herself as a journalist who could navigate streets offices and power corridors with relative ease Mumbai also instilled in her a deep sense of equality ldquoYou could go and meet even the most powerful people hererdquo she says contrasting it with more statusconscious citiesOver the decades the city has reshaped the way she understands belonging and happiness Mumbai ldquois not one story or weave but a patchwork quilt of different often contrasting narrativesrdquo That complexity is what gives the city its ldquounique and irreplaceable energyrdquoHer reporting career mirrors the cityrsquos most turbulent chapters From covering the postBabri demolition riots and the 1992ndash93 serial blasts to documenting slum demolitions the destruction of the Mithi river and now the steady erasure of mangroves her work has remained anchored in Mumbairsquos lived realities ldquoThe common threadrdquo she says ldquohas been the passion for the city to tell all its stories and to see it better than it used to berdquo While she admits that the quality of life has deteriorated over the years she refuses to surrender hope Peoplersquos movements she believes can still push back against the destruction presided over by authoritiesWhat keeps her rooted here despite the chaos is precisely that hope Quoting the line ldquoWoh subah kabhi toh aayegi that morning will come sometimerdquo she says Mumbai offers the belief that tomorrow can be better than today Her understanding of cities shaped by years of studying urban affairs tells her that chaos is not necessarily a flaw ldquoThe alternative is a clinical sanitised city often devoid of imagination and energyrdquoHer memories of Mumbai are inseparable from moments of collective resilience She recalls reporting from Dharavi during its first redevelopment in the early 1990s witnessing the violence of January 1993 and watching Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus tentatively return to rhythm even as the 2611 siege unfolded at the Taj Hotel Two moments however stand out as emblematic of the cityrsquos spirit local trains and buses running despite the March 12 1993 blasts and the Bombay Stock Exchange resuming trading days later ldquoIt showed the world that India would not be cowed downrdquo she says Recent citizen movements defending Sanjay Gandhi National Park Aarey forest and mangroves have given her renewed optimismDespite its many flaws Mumbai continues to inspire her ldquoThis city shows you can dream and work towards making that dream come truerdquo she says She loves its waterfronts mdash though she wishes they were more accessible mdash its affordable street food available round the clock and its distinct language slang and idiomAsked about her favourite place she refuses to choose just oneIt could be the upper deck front seat on BEST route 123 the window seat of a BorivlindashChurchgate fast train a quiet spot on Marine Drive walking paths in Aarey parts of Juhu beach at sunset or even Mankhurd and Govandi mdash places that remind her how much work still remains For Koppikar Mumbai is both the story and the unfinished draft demanding attention care and relentless questioninglsquoMumbai mein khul ke jeeno ko milarsquoShreyansh understands that it is difficult to survive in Mumbai but he is grateful that it lets him be himselfShreyanshAge 25 Transman works in LGBTQIA Advocacy Humsafar TrustMoved to Mumbai in 2022Arpika BhosaleShreyansh is soft spoken almost too soft but full of confidence In the last three years Mumbai has embraced Shreyansh but also taught him hard lessons especially as a transman from KolkataldquoI saw a fellowship that was trans exclusive in Mumbai and I applied I got itrdquo he said The management programme was for a few months and helped trans folk and nonbinary people develop skills that aid them in the job market after graduation ldquoI was one of 20 participants selected from across the country and I did get a job after six months but I was responsible for receiving many phone calls It soon became a problem for me because the customers would often call me marsquoam and it made me stressedrdquo Shreyansh quit and pursued other stints ldquoSince July this year I have been working with the Humsafar Trustrdquo he saysShreyansh understands that it is difficult to survive in Mumbai ldquoBut I am very grateful for the city With the fellowship money I got my top surgery or mastectomy done in the first year itself and started my Hormone Replacement Therapy HRT as wellrdquo he says ldquoAisa laga ki mein khul ke jee sakta hoon I felt like I could finally live freely Itrsquos not like Mumbai is problemfree but I feel that what it gives you in return makes it worth itrdquo he saysThe only hard time he really had ldquoIt was between my job as ward boy and the Humsafar Trust job when I had the hardest time and was considering returning back home But a few friends offered me a place to stay and I stayed at a trangender shelters in the city so I was never homelessrdquo he saidIn October of this year Shreyanshrsquos father passed away suddenly ldquoBefore he passed I had visited home for a bit and he had finally begun to see me for merdquo he adds Shreyansh true to his adventurous spirit tells us that his favourite place in Mumbai is Gateway of India ldquoI like Bandra Fort and even boating at the lake in Sanjay Gandhi National Parkrdquo he says