Mumbai Police responds after Vir Das flags firecrackers being burst outside Jogger’s Park despite ban in public spaces

Days after Diwali, actor-comedian Vir Das pointed out on X (formerly Twitter) that crackers were being burst near public spaces despite the rules.

Actor-comedian Vir Das has flagged the bursting of firecrackers in public spaces in Mumbai despite the High Court's prohibition. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he questioned how long people will continue to flout the rules. The Mumbai Police responded to his post and escalated the issue to the Bandra Police Station.

Vir Das questions public bursting of firecrackers in Mumbai

Mumbai Police responded to an X post made by Vir Das regarding firecracker use.

On Tuesday evening, Vir took to his X account and wrote, “Crackers still happening right outside Joggers park. At what point do we as citizens take the orders of the @mybmc and @MumbaiPolice seriously?” The official account of Mumbai Police responded, writing, “We have informed the Senior Officials of @BandraPS.” He reacted to them with folded-hands emojis.

Vir also reacted to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) banning the use of rockets and aerial firecrackers in Mumbai till November 25. It came after major fire incidents caused by bursting firecrackers at various locations, according to the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB). Reacting to a Hindustan Times post about the same, he wrote on X with sarcasm, “Well. This should work. It’s been so effective thus far.”

Late in October, the BMC reminded citizens of the HC's prohibition on bursting crackers in public spaces. Calling for an ‘eco-friendly’ Diwali, they urged people to avoid bursting firecrackers as they cause air and noise pollution that leads to health hazards. The BMC also urged people to opt for green crackers. Actors Gurfateh Pirzada and Divyanka Tripathi revealed that they recently experienced house fires caused by firecrackers. Divyanka's apartment guard died due to smoke suffocation.

Vir Das’ recent work

This year, Vir made his directorial debut with Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos. The actor also wrote and produced the film, which was also backed by Aamir Khan. The film received lukewarm reviews and collected ₹7 crore worldwide, according to the trade website Sacnilk. The film tells the story of the adopted son of two gay British agents who aspires to follow in his fathers’ footsteps. When he’s finally sent on a mission, he finds himself in trouble.

Vir currently has stand-up comedy shows scheduled for India, the UK and the US.