As Mumbai’s infrastructural makeover crawls past its deadline, four creative artistes have struck comedic gold amidst all the civic disruption
Mayur Jumani visits a construction site in Andheri. PIC COURTESY/MAYUR JUMANI ON YOUTUBE
The past few months have been quite the romantic affair with the City of Dreams for this writer. On late night drives, early morning commutes and mid-day errands, the city has leaned in and softly whispered in our ears, ‘Inconvenience is regretted’. The BMC’s audacious self-declared May 31 deadline to get the roads monsoon-ready has come and gone. And while the unpunctuality is no laughing matter, here’s how Mumbaikars are finding a silver lining.
JCB jugalbandi
Mayur Jumani, multi-instrumentalist, Andheri
As a musician and a recording artiste, the auditory aspect of the ongoing construction has been the most maddening. Even though I live on the 21st floor of a high-rise, the constant humming of the mega machines would still leak into my recording. I finally stepped out one day to record live sounds of the drills, excavators and cranes. I came back to the studio, and penned an ode to the city titled JCB Hai, Meri Hai Mumbai. The drills and hammers form the percussive foundation of the track. To end it on a high note, I actually headed to a construction site to shoot my music video. I was able to hop on a stationary JCB for a bit. Sitting on the other side now, watching the city from the JCB’s point of view — I felt like the king of the city.
Log on to: @mayurjumani on Instagram
Dig this tee
Ajoy Advani, creative consultant, Bandra
Ajoy Advani sports the graphic tee. PIC COURTESY/AJOY ADVANI
There are possibly more excavators parked in Bandra than cars at this point. My idea was born out of sheer frustration from seeing the same sight day in, day out. I used an image generator to create a visual of a JCB crane with the message ‘I Dig Bandra’. With some help from a friend, we tweaked the image to match Bandra’s lanes. What started as a joke, quickly gathered steam. As an add on, I started sending tiny bits of construction debris that I found lying around, safely sealed in a plastic bag. While the first batch of T-shirts has sold out, I might just consider making another batch.
Log on to: @ajoyadvani on Instagram
Artificial relief
Manoj Omre, visual artist, Andheri
A video reimagines Mumbai’s metro pillars; (right) The Hogwarts-themed AI-generated video. PIC COURTESY/MANOJ OMRE
A drive from Seven Bungalows to Bandra West now takes me nearly 45 minutes, thanks to the excavated roads. Sitting impatiently in a traffic jam one day, a thought struck my mind. I created a generative AI-assisted video of a Mumbaikar hopping on a broomstick from the Harry Potter series, and zooming past drivers and riders.
In another reimagination, I present the possibility of building futuristic portals to fight the traffic menace. Closer to reality, I recently used AI to imagine how vertical green cover on the Metro and flyover pillars can provide respite to commuters. My works have garnered some attention from a few political figures online. Whether it will lead to anything productive, that remains to be seen.
Log on to: @manojomre on Instagram
Thank you, BMC
Zervaan Bunshah, actor and content creator, Dadar Parsi Colony
Zervaan Bunshah and Erika Packard in the spoof reel. PIC COURTESY/BUNSHAH on Instagram
My father is an orthopaedic surgeon. The state of the roads right now is a blessing in disguise for our finances. Jokes apart, the shoddy work has left my neighbourhood flummoxed. You can walk into a restaurant for lunch and by the time you step out, the road will have disappeared; I’m not exaggerating. I’ve found humour through my short-form videos where I turn the issue on its head.
In a video with my friend Erika Packard, we stepped out to stage a Mumbai darshan-style tour of digging sites across the city. We caught a few eyeballs, especially with our hands-on approach [which included shots of Bunshah covered in rubble]. But as always, aren’t we all walking a tightrope when it comes to satire? As for my prediction for the completion date, [chuckles hysterically] it’s never happening.
Log on to: @bunshah on Instagram
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