Mumbai's 66-million-year-old 'secret' fires up the internet

The 200fthigh Gilbert Hill faces threat from haphazard real estate growth around it Pic Sayyed Sameer AbediTucked inside the concrete maze of Andheri West is Mumbais nay Indias bestkept secret a 66millionyearold volcanic structure that can be found at only two other locations in the world And a filmmaker from Delhi is outing it Jaskunwar Kohli 24 who studied filmmaking at St Xaviers College two years ago has released a short film Nobody Knows on YouTube that throws light on 200fthigh Gilbert Hill a volcanic structure from the Mesozoic era believed to have been formed at the time of the mass extinction of dinosaurs due to an asteroid hitThe short film 457 minutes long was uploaded on July 10 and became an instant hit It has so far garnered 114888 viewsThe film begins on a note of suspense there is an ancient secret hidden in the heart of Mumbai except that it is not really a secret and explains the natural phenomenon through a photo walk held in Juneend by a group of photography enthusiasts who call themselves the KlicktoriansAlso ReadMapping Mumbai Annoying yet amazing AndheriAwareness is only aimKohli a freelancer says like many Mumbaikars he knew little about the geographical phenomenon till he began working on a college project I like delving into unique subjects While researching the secrets of Mumbai I learned about Gilbert Hill I was awestruck Can you believe that such a geographically significant structure sits in the city and people barely know about itThe short has been produced under the banner of AlterEgoCrew and Kohli worked on it for a monthHis aim is to create awareness around the prehistoric structure and lend to its preservation Many people admitted to seeing it during their daytoday travel but never thought of finding out what it was he saysAlso ReadSoon you can bungee jump paraglide in MumbaiThe video offers scenic views of the hill and its surroundings and even borrows clips from Discovery Channels simulation videos to depict how the meteor strike led to the hills formation Although the film aims to be expository it restricts itself to the realisation that few people know about the rich history of the hill despite it sitting right before their eyes There is no open talk of its preservation That says Kohli was intentional We only wanted to emphasise its significance and keep it openended so that people can decide how they want to preserve this piece of historyIn contrast a 7minutelong science fiction film Gilbert released by Mumbaibased filmmaker Omar Iyer in November last year had delved into encroachments around the hill through elements of the supernatural Although Nobody Knows isnt the first film on Gilbert Hill none of the others rose to viral fame We just wanted to make a video on the hill We didnt imagine that it would become a hit says Kohli Iyers Gilbert had received 5000 viewsWhats eating Gilbert HillDespite its geographical significance it was declared a Grade II heritage structure in 2007 Gilbert Hill faces the threat of collapsing owing to haphazard real estate growth Extensive quarrying was carried out around it for years until 2007 when the BMC declared it a heritage structure and put end to quarrying However construction activities around it are still allowed Grade II tags are given to precincts with the regional or local importance that possess special architectural aesthetic or historical significance They are local landmarks which contribute to the image and identity of the regionIn 2006 a boulder rolled off the hill raising concerns of its deteriorating condition Worried about its erosion the Bombay High Court then directed IITBombay to prepare a report on measures to preserve the hill