19 September,2026 07:44 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Illustration/Uday Mohite
What if firebrand bureaucrat Tukaram Mundhe were handed charge of Mumbai's civic issues, sports and the Mumbai Schools Sports Association (MSSA), education, culture, the Censor Board - or even music and performances? What would Mumbaikars expect from him? Cleaner streets? Discipline on the playground? A shake-up in schools and colleges? A stricter cultural watchdog?
We asked a few prominent Mumbaikars, in jest, what they would want FDA chief Tukaram Mundhe to take charge of - and what they would expect him to change. Here's what they came up with.
Shabana Azmi, Actor
"Khaana is a very big thing on a film set. The workers get the most oily and chilly food! The HODs mangao from Swiggy, the stars eat two spoons of low-fat dahi with five makhanas and black coffee, for which a special food van accompanies the star; the daily charges of which are 10 times more expensive than what the workers eat. Tukaram Mundhe should issue an order that there should be no disparity of food on the film set! (Tongue firmly in cheek!)."
Cyrus Broacha, Comedian
"If Mundhe were given the power to take over something like traffic control, I'd ask him to tackle VIP convoys. Once, I counted 27 cars in a convoy, while little children and old women had to wait to cross the roads in South Bombay. Nowadays, they even have an ambulance tagging along at the end. They must be expecting the worst. It's one thing if top officials such as the PM or CM need these, but for every political official to have one seems like a bad idea. People these days also have a lot of problems with stray dogs. As a dog lover, I think one thing Mundhe can do is get these dogs trained as security dogs. Then ministers can self-drive, and these security dogs can go with them for protection. We're one of the only countries that continue to treat ministers like emperors, travelling with their convoys of elephants. Why can't they take public transport like the rest of us?"
Sandeep Patil, Former India cricketer
"If you are asking me to indulge in some fantasy, I'd like Tukaram Mundhe to have a role in improving our roads across the state. Look at how bad the roads are! Even our flyovers are filled with potholes and bumps that are particularly dangerous for bikers. This road apathy crops up often when I drive to my getaway in Lavasa."
Rohit Dandawate, Global Parents Teachers Association
"If a leader were to change the education landscape drastically, we'd ask them to reduce stress on students and focus on activities that let children have fun while learning. We can also ask him to look at private schools that don't follow playground regulations and don't give children enough space to play. What do we think is going to happen to their health?"
Mervyn Fernandis, Hockey Olympian
"If someone like Mundhe were to suddenly emerge in the sports world as an administrator or head of a prominent sporting body, I would like him to look into age-fudging at the grassroots level. I strongly believe that age-fudging at the U-16 and U-18 levels, whether through greedy coaches, fake paperwork or any other method, is one of the biggest banes of Indian sport. Many young, talented players suffer and miss out on deserving opportunities because someone much older has taken their place."
Brinda Miller, Curator, director, Kala Ghoda Arts Festival and artist
"Cleanliness is most important. While SoBo is fairly clean, I notice these problems across the suburbs. I would also wish that Mr Mundhe looks into the need for more forests, similar to Central Park or Hyde Park. Trees lining our avenues and streets are the art we truly need. The city needs more museums. We only have two major institutions."
Dr Abhishek Satam, Zoo biologist, Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Udyan and Zoo
"Mumbai is a unique urban ecosystem, yet there are some delinquents who put our natural heritage at risk every passing day. I would like to see any new urban infrastructure project that wishes to take space in Mumbai undergo strict scrutiny and a full ecological assessment. Additionally, it's time we made biodiversity-sensitive planning non-negotiable. Butterflies, birds, reptiles and countless lesser-known species form an interconnected habitat; unplanned development cannot be allowed to come in the way of it."
Shantam Pandit, Theatre practitioner
"I would suggest three important things for the betterment of theatre: transparency in the flow of money, a proper database and audit system, and more space for shows with justified ticket pricing. If there is transparency, artistes can understand why payments are delayed. A proper database and audit could also help identify fraudulent theatre groups and acting schools."
Mandeep Singh Makkar, Citizen activist, Chandivali Citizens Welfare Association
"If we had Mundhe-like leaders, we would need to focus on how the Development Plan (DP) is implemented. Public land is encroached, roads keep being narrowed, and we need to focus on a pedestrian-first policy. Roads, especially, are an urgent need, with ambulances and fire brigades requiring clear access to all localities."
Dhaval Shah, Citizen activist, Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens Association
"There will be a lot to do if a leader like that takes over city matters. Good roads, clean water and garbage dumping - these are all issues, while citizens lack even the most basic facilities. One should also look at the bridges department in Mumbai, which simply plays âtareekh pe tareekh' with citizens. Every month, we have a new deadline for infrastructure projects, and nobody sticks to their word."
Interviews by Upala KBR, Aditi Alurkar, Clayton Murzello, Ashwin Ferro, Tanisha Banerjee, Shriram Iyengar, and Devashish Kamble.
This is a work of fun with a spin on the clean-up man of the moment, Tukaram Mundhe, and is not a news report.
