A man's observation about life in India's major cities has prompted a wider conversation on urban planning, public spaces and culture. In a video shared on Instagram, he argued that cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Pune offer very few affordable activities beyond eating out or shopping.
The video was posted by Instagram user @the.headless. In it, he said, "Have you ever realised that even though cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru are so popular, there isn't much to do other than eat or drink somewhere? I recently went to Pune and wanted to explore the city, but there was nothing to do except visit cafes and restaurants, which is pretty much what I do in Mumbai."
He added that he had a similar experience during a visit to Bengaluru a few months earlier.
(Also Read: Dell founder Michael Dell shares 42-year-old document that changed his life: 'It convinced my parents...')
"Our cities have become all about consumption. The only way to spend quality time is by spending money. Most investment goes into malls, shopping centres, cafes and restaurants, leaving us with very few opportunities to experience our cities or our culture," he said.
{{/usCountry}}"Our cities have become all about consumption. The only way to spend quality time is by spending money. Most investment goes into malls, shopping centres, cafes and restaurants, leaving us with very few opportunities to experience our cities or our culture," he said.
{{/usCountry}}The content creator also argued that there are not enough affordable museums, libraries, art exhibitions, music events or dance performances for people who want to engage with culture regularly.
"We're treated as consumers, not citizens. That's why our cities are not walkable, there are very few well maintained promenades, barely any greenery and hardly any public spaces. Even the ones that exist are often poorly maintained. It's quite tiring," he added.
Take a look:
How did social media react?
The video received a mixed response from viewers.
"Big agree," wrote one user.
Another commented, "This is so true. I don't want to go to another cafe in Mumbai."
A third person said, "We need parks, art spaces, workshop spaces and performance spaces. It is sad that city planning revolves around consumerism instead of community development."
Some users praised other cities instead. "Thank God I'm from Kolkata," one person wrote, while another commented, "Come to Chandigarh, bro."
Not everyone agreed with the creator's take. "Mumbai, yes. But not Delhi. You have so many historically and politically significant places there," one user wrote.
Another added, "Please come to Delhi. There are plenty of museums, historical monuments and parks, and many museums offer free entry."
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)