Lights, sound... lockdown: How Mumbai, the city that never sleeps, went into slumber

Now...

By Gajanan Khergamker*
As it peeped from between two parked cars, a couple of policemen, masked and armed, holding fort at South Mumbai’s Babulnath Zone turned abruptly in response. Anticipating a motorcyclist breaking the lockdown and zipping through the parked vehicles, a police constable bolted towards the spot, a hand holding onto his mask and another with a raised baton only to find a peacock emerging and fanning out its full plumage.
Astounded by the appearance of the bird in an otherwise-crowded residential zone, the constable stood transfixed as it strutted about, oblivious of the penal threat, attempting to catch the attention of a peahen that stood tall atop the bonnet of a parked Esteem. As the peahen bolted across the road to enter a temple premises, the peacock followed in hot pursuit even as the constable grappled with his mobile to grab a photo for the record.
After all, it is not common to find peacocks in pursuit of peahens on a South Mumbai road. This, among a string of other instances of nature healing itself as humans of the world’s largest democracy, remained, locked down in the times of coronavirus.
A little distance away, at Girgaum Chowpatty, a swarm of pigeons inundated the zone covering long stretches of sand. “They’ve taken over the place a demolished kabootar khana (feeding place for pigeons) stood, broken down by the authorities for want of legality.

You can break down a structure but how can you take action against thousands of pigeons who have decided to break the law,” says Pardhi Savitri, a roadside gajra seller, now rendered workless owing to the lockdown yet hooded to protect herself from COVID-19.

The documentary captures how for the first time, in the history of the Maximum City, her lifeline -- the trains -- came to a halt, roads lay barren and the city... shut!

As daughter Laxmi, a dishevelled Pardhi girl all of six, stood with grains in her small palm and a pigeon pecked away without fear, the distinction between the tribal and the nature stood blurred. Attempts by the civic authorities to rid Mumbai of the birds and urban tribals like the Pardhis have been legendary. They fail miserably as the two continue to exist in sweet free harmony even as the rest of the city stands locked down.

... and then

Coronavirus has taken an unprecedented toll on the world, in general, and India, in particular. That said, the lockdown placed on citizens across India from March 25 led to an enforced social distancing and kept masses indoors. However, the effect the lockdown has had on the environment, animals and birds has been nothing short of positive.
And, the positives of the lockdown do soften the harsh punishment of staying in during the period. India, once through with the COVID threat, must learn to retain the positives.
On March 25, 2020, Mumbai, the city that never sleeps, went into a slumber during the world's largest lockdown launched by India to control the spread of COVID-19. For the first time, in the history of the Maximum City, her lifeline -- the trains -- came to a halt, roads lay barren and the city... shut!
The “Lights, Sound ... Lockdown”, a DraftCraft Films Production, that showcases Mumbai as never seen before, was released in public domain exactly a month later on April 24, 2020. The documentary is created in conjunction with news portal The Draft as part of the Ground Zero Project that documents reality in India and Beyond Borders.
NOTE: The material for this documentary was generated during the first month of India's lockdown from March 25, 2020 to April 24, 2020 by Team DraftCraft from across Mumbai while, at all times, observing the mandatory social distancing norms as laid down by law.
All material provided in the documentary is copyrighted. It may, however, be shared and distributed freely but only 'as is' and 'with attribution' to DraftCraft Films Productions.
Here goes a link to the documentary: Lights, Sound … Lockdown...

---
*Founder of think tank DraftCraft International, founding editor of news portal The Draft, founding solicitor of The Chamber Practice and producer/director at DraftCraft Films

Comments

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

Farewell to Saleem Samad: A life devoted to fearless journalism

By Nava Thakuria* Heartbreaking news arrived from Dhaka as the vibrant city lost one of its most active and committed citizens with the passing of journalist, author and progressive Bangladeshi national Saleem Samad. A gentleman who always had issues to discuss with anyone, anywhere and at any time, he passed away on 22 February 2026 while undergoing cancer treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He was 74.

From ancient wisdom to modern nationhood: The Indian story

By Syed Osman Sher South of the Himalayas lies a triangular stretch of land, spreading about 2,000 miles in each direction—a world of rare magic. It has fired the imagination of wanderers, settlers, raiders, traders, conquerors, and colonizers. They entered this country bringing with them new ethnicities, cultures, customs, religions, and languages.

Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov, the artist who survived Stalin's cultural purges

By Harsh Thakor* Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov (September 14, 1885 – April 20, 1964) was a Soviet artist, professor, academician, and teacher. His work was posthumously awarded the Lenin Prize, the highest artistic honour of the USSR. His paintings traced the development of socialist realism in the visual arts while retaining qualities drawn from impressionism. Gerasimov reconciled a lyrical approach to nature with the demands of Soviet socialist ideology.

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.

Public money, private profits: Crop insurance scheme as goldmine for corporates

By Vikas Meshram The farmer in India is not merely a food provider; he is the soul of the nation. For centuries, enduring natural calamities and bearing debt generation after generation while remaining loyal to the soil, this community now finds itself trapped in a different kind of crisis. In February 2016, the Modi government launched the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) with the stated objective of freeing farmers from the shackles of debt. It was an ambitious attempt to provide a strong safety net to cultivators repeatedly devastated by excessive rainfall, drought, and hailstorms.

Development at what cost? The budget's blind spot for the environment

By Raj Kumar Sinha* The historical ills in the relationship between capital and the environment have now manifested in areas commonly referred to as the "environmental crisis." This includes global warming, the destruction of the ozone layer, the devastation of tropical forests, mass mortality of fish, species extinction, loss of biodiversity, poison seeping into the atmosphere and food, desertification, shrinking water supplies, lack of clean water, and radioactive pollution.

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

Thali, COVID and academic credibility: All about the 2020 'pseudoscientific' Galgotias paper

By Jag Jivan* The first page image of the paper "Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis" published in the Journal of Molecular Pharmaceuticals and Regulatory Affairs , Vol. 2, Issue 2 (2020), has gone viral on social media in the wake of the controversy surrounding a Chinese robot presented by the Galgotias University as its original product at the just-concluded AI summit in Delhi . The resurfacing of the 2020 publication, authored by Dharmendra Kumar , Galgotias University, has reignited debate over academic standards and scientific credibility.

Search This Blog