Insta-core is killing culture: Mumbaikars dissect how every event is 'content'

The Rooftop at Sky City Mall in Borivli right now feels like a checkpoint Guards stand at every access entry Visitors are stopped and asked one question Do you have a restaurant reservationFrom February 5 2026 the rooftop has been restricted to customers with confirmed bookings after it faced extreme overcrowding due to people constantly filming social media content there ldquoOur priority is to ensure a comfortable and highquality experience for our customersrdquo said Tanu Prasad CEO of Malls Oberoi Realty ldquoTo maintain these standards and streamline visits we have introduced exclusive access We believe this approach will help us offer an exceptional and memorable experiencerdquoOn the ground the shift is visible We saw tight security Guards at every corner No reservation no entry The move comes as many Mumbaikars say cultural spaces are becoming content zonesShruti Limaye 36 used to attend Kala Ghoda Arts Festival from 2017 to 2020 She remembers when people ldquowould walk around and actually explorerdquo Her last visit during the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi changed her mind ldquoMy friend and I were not even able to walkrdquo she says ldquoPeople were just pushing and clicking pictures They werenrsquot observing anythingrdquoShe recalls trying to stand at a booth and absorb the detailing of an artwork ldquoIf you stand for five minutes yoursquoll get pushed for 10 They just want to click pictures They donrsquot even look at the artrdquo For her the problem is intent ldquoI do miss going but to travel oneanda half hours for this Itrsquos not worth itrdquo Even The Lil Flea feels different now ldquoEverywhere you look it is all about social media contentrdquo She also worries about privacy ldquoI donrsquot want to be recorded You donrsquot know when you are in someonersquos videordquoPhotographer Harshad Pawaskar shares the frustration The last time he attended Kala Ghoda Arts Festival in 2024 he was drawn to optical illusion installations ldquoAs a photographer I wanted to capture it fullyrdquo he says ldquoBut people were just standing in front of it to take selfiesrdquo He was struck by the indifference ldquoThey werenrsquot capturing the full essencerdquoShruti Limaye and Harshad PawaskarAt a vintage car showcase at the World Trade Center last year the scene repeated itself ldquoI went on a Saturday afternoon thinking it would be less crowded It was packedrdquo He could only photograph logos and emblems ldquoI could not capture a whole carrdquo Guards tried to move people along but many continued posing ldquoCarrying my camera in that crowd is a nightmarerdquo he says ldquoI have to hold it above my head like Rajmata Sivagami holding the baby in Bahubali The Beginning 2015rdquoWhen someone is working in the music marketing and social media industry the pressure is visible to them from both sides Shreya Khaladkar 35 marketing and communications lead at Believe India and cofounder of Kpop in India Podcast explains how the issue runs deeperAs of February general rooftop access is heavily restricted due to overcrowding and entry is primarily for patrons with reservations at the restaurant PicsNimesh DaveldquoEven artistes get fed uprdquo she says ldquoAt Lollapalooza people turn up just to take videos They donrsquot know the music They have no idea who this artiste isrdquo According to her social media has become ldquosocial currencyrdquo ldquoPeople want to show they are up to date It becomes a way of justifying social statusrdquoShe attends cultural events as part of her job but admits ldquoIf I didnrsquot love music Irsquod prefer something smaller Some events are exhaustingrdquoBrands she says amplify the cycle ldquoThey invite creators to events and encourage them to create content to increase relevancerdquo Many attendees come hoping brand visibility will lead to collaborations ldquoSome are not even influencers They attend just for content And in the process disturb others experiencerdquoOrganisers are aware she believes but benefit from the visibility ldquoThey are getting free content ticket sales and brand partnerships Sometimes they even reshare the contentrdquoThe culture spills beyond festivals At the TATA Marathon she saw strangers pointing cameras at runners and asking questions without consent ldquoCreators who are not organisers film without consent Itrsquos annoyingrdquoSocial media has widened access More people are attending art shows and music festivals than ever before But when presence becomes proof and proof becomes performance the experience shifts Sky Mallrsquos guarded rooftop may be one response Itrsquos an unfortunate reminder that sometimes to protect the experience you limit the accesslsquoGuardrails should be placedrsquoAyesha ParikhAyesha Parikh founder of Art and Charlie and cochair of Mumbai Gallery Weekend sees the social media wave with cautious optimism ldquoI choose to see the positiverdquo she says ldquoSo many more people who were left out of looking at art are now participatingrdquo Even if some arrive for selfies she believes exposure can evolve into engagement ldquoOnce you start looking some of them will be converted to understanding more Thatrsquos what art should do mdash create impactrdquoAt the same time she admits the shift is disruptive Regular gallerygoers may stop coming because of the inconvenience ldquoEvery new cultural shift creates a freeforall for a whilerdquo she says ldquoThen guardrails have to be placedrdquo Those guardrails are not yet defined She floats ideas even radical ones ldquoCollect phones outside an art fair Massive storage No phones inside We canrsquot undo this culture We have to manage itrdquoAt her own space fullfledged shoots take over the faccedilade without permission Some influencers ask for barter deals Others donrsquot ask at all ldquoTherersquos a certain entitlementrdquo she says ldquoUsing a space for commercial gain without consent or credit is disrespectfulrdquoStill she insists art has power ldquoMateriality changes everything When you see the work in person itrsquos a different feelingrdquolsquoThe live moment still comes firstrsquoNaman PugaliaNaman Pugalia chief business officer of Live Events at BookMyShow believes the idea that concerts exist for Instagram is reductive ldquoTo suggest that audiences are coming to live entertainment purely to create content is an oversimplification of a far more layered cultural shiftrdquo he says adding that social sharing is ldquoonly one part of a much deeper emotional and social experiencerdquo According to Pugalia while consumer preferences have evolved ldquothe sense of belonging remains incredibly strongrdquo with fans not just streaming music but ldquoshowing up in overwhelming numbersrdquo to experience it live ldquoCulture isnrsquot being replaced by content Culture is what gives content meaningrdquo he says ldquoThe live moment still comes firstrdquolsquoAll about art and culture of bluesrsquoJairam VGMahindra Blues is all about the art form and the culture of bluesrdquo says Jairam VG founder of The Hyperlink Brand Solutions and promoter of the Mahindra Blues Festival ldquoWersquove never moved away from that That has always been at the corerdquoAt a time when many largescale festivals are marketed as lifestyle spectacles Mahindra Blues has chosen a different route Its social media is used he explains ldquoto drive awareness and share information about the lineup and the experiencerdquo The tone is deliberate ldquoItrsquos not about screaming out loud The language and tonality are different Thatrsquos our strategyrdquo He acknowledges that every concert has two kinds of attendees the hardcore fan and the ldquosocial listenerrdquo The latter may come for the experience or out of curiosity ldquoI wouldnrsquot hold it against themrdquo he says ldquoYoursquove made the effort to come and listenrdquo Sponsors are part of most festivals but he insists the Mahindra Blues approach remains immersive rather than transactional ldquoItrsquos not about selling products Itrsquos about the genre the culture the experiencerdquo Even the merchandise mdash vinyl records themed food mdash stays rooted in the blues