The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation removed a video message by actor Dia Mirza from its social-media accounts after objections from the BJP and Shiv Sena. The message had been recorded at the corporation’s request following a Bombay High Court direction to act against fireworks and air pollution.
Mirza’s father was German Christian graphic designer Frank Handrich and her mother, Deepa, was a Bengali Hindu interior designer from West Bengal. After her parents separated, she was raised with the surname Mirza by her stepfather, Ahmed Mirza.
The 44-year-old actor has been married twice. Her first husband was Sahil Sangha. In 2021 she married Vaibhav Rekhi, a Hindu businessman.
Actors Madhuri Dixit and Nishigandha Wad, and cricketer Ajinkya Rahane, also recorded messages against fireworks and pollution at the corporation’s request. Their videos were not removed.
The Bombay High Court had criticised the corporation’s failure to control festival-season air pollution and on October 15 urged it to use well-known people to raise public awareness. The corporation asked entertainment figures to take part without payment.
After BJP and Shiv Sena figures objected, the corporation removed Mirza’s video. Mumbai BJP president Amit Satam wrote that people would not take lessons on celebrating Diwali from Mirza and that cultural roots lay in tradition. Other Hindu-nationalist posts followed.
A municipal official said the campaign followed the High Court’s direction and that Mirza’s message had been removed because of public anger. The corporation had previously used actor Akshay Kumar in campaigns on cleanliness and solid-waste management. It did not issue a formal explanation for removing Mirza’s video.
Union minister Ramdas Athawale said Mirza’s religion should not determine the issue and that India’s Constitution gives people the right to celebrate their festivals. He said Hindus join Eid celebrations and Muslims celebrate Diwali, while also urging caution over excessive pollution.
Shiv Sena spokesperson Shaina NC said Diwali was a festival of light and that the cultural identity and religious emotion surrounding it should be understood. She said people should reflect on pollution but Mumbai did not need advice from outsiders on how to celebrate.
Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde said the decision had nothing to do with religion and accused Mirza of repeatedly taking an anti-Hindutva position and making anti-government remarks. She said such views could not be expressed through the municipal corporation’s official account.
Mirza expressed surprise at the objections. She said the High Court had issued the direction, the corporation had acted on it and had asked her to record the video, so others should not criticise her for participating.
She said air pollution was a serious concern tied to public health and everyone should try to reduce it. In a social-media post, she said she had not asked for payment for the work and wrote: “The days of doing good work are over.”
Mirza also received support. AIMIM spokesperson Waris Pathan asked why Satam had singled her out when Madhuri Dixit and Nishigandha Wad had made similar appeals. He called the difference selective anger and said the real issue was her name.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report