Zoya Akhtar Opposes Mumbai’s Floating Ad Barges: ‘We Need Respite, Not Sponsored Sunsets’

Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar has criticised plans to install floating advertising barges and illuminated hoardings along Mumbai’s coastline, expressing concern over the city’s growing commercialisation and shrinking open spaces.

The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) recently invited tenders for the proposed advertising installations, prompting fresh debate over their impact on the city’s waterfront and public spaces. Akhtar, who was born and raised in Mumbai, said residents were already dealing with mounting urban pressures.

“This city is bursting at the seams, with its population, construction, traffic, pollution, noise, garbage, lack of open spaces, felling of trees etc. It’s already an assault on the senses. We are in desperate need to connect with nature, and not disconnect further. And we need respite, not sponsored sunsets! Why would people want to look at ugly hoardings when sitting by the water,” she shares.

She also stressed that residents should be consulted before such projects receive approval, arguing that citizens’ views deserve consideration given the high cost of living in Mumbai.

“People pay through their noses for homes with a view and even if they don’t live by the sea, they spend a considerable amount to live in Mumbai. Their opinion has to matter.”

The proposal has also prompted concerns about possible consequences for the coastal environment and marine ecosystems. Beyond ecological considerations, the planned installations have revived discussions about the increasing volume of commercial messaging in public spaces.

Akhtar called for clearly defined zones where advertising could be permitted, rather than allowing commercial displays across the city.

“Please mark certain areas for commercial advertising and limit it to that. A city must not have signage everywhere. It’s mentally taxing, we don’t realise but to be bombarded with constant messaging is very stressful for the mind,” Zoya ends.

Her remarks have added to the wider discussion over balancing commercial interests with residents’ access to open, peaceful and visually appealing public spaces along Mumbai’s waterfront.

Source: Hindustan Times