Mumbai is special: Nargis Fakhri

Six years ago, Nargis Fakhri came to Mumbai for the first time — for her debut film Rockstar. Since then, the actress has been flying back and forth from New York City (NYC). Currently in the USA, the actress plans to visit India soon to promote her next release. Nargis tells us why she loves Mumbai and yet NYC is so different.

That first night

“I first came to Mumbai for my debut in Rockstar in 2010. That first night I landed, I got to the hotel very late. I was severely jet-lagged and couldn’t sleep. I just stared out of the window until the sun came up and was surprised to see what I did — a city that was asleep when I arrived. I had woken up to become something, I’d never seen before. I know many say Mumbai is like NYC, but I beg to differ. There were so many people, cars and things on the streets. Vegetable vendors, bulls pulling carts, people yelling and selling things and loads more. I was so overwhelmed by the sight, I didn’t leave my room for more than 24 hours.”

The next day

“The following day I built up the courage to go downstairs and look for a place to get a SIM card. It was as overwhelming as looking at the streets from my window. I was going to turn back, after walking around and looking lost, when someone asked if I needed some help. He escorted me to get a SIM card and even used his ID to get it for me because I wasn’t allowed to get one. It was a very sweet gesture which really calmed me down and made me realise how beautiful the soul of the people in this city is.”

Learning to love

“It took me some time to enjoy the city. As I came to Mumbai with work already in hand and didn’t have so much time to explore in the beginning. I was sort of in a bubble, just going to work and back to the space I was staying.

I did take my time to develop my love for Mumbai. I came alone, so my discovery and learning process was by trial-and-error. Now, I have a similar feeling for Mumbai that I have for my hometown, New York City. I have made a few friends. I know no matter what I can call them and they can call me and if I don’t see them for ages, I’m sure we can pick up where we left off.”

Why I love Mumbai

I love many things about Mumbai, but what I love most is the fact that you can call for almost anything you want at anytime of the day! I definitely love the food options and variety we have in Mumbai. I don’t eat out much but I do enjoy Suzette’s and Salt Water Café and also, Pizza Metro Pizza. Mumbai sure has great food options, and it’s hard to pick a few.”

 I like that I actually feel safe in Mumbai.When I was here during the monsoons, I enjoyed listening to the rain and watching it fall outside my window but when I had to travel or go outside, it was quite a messy affair. Dressing to suit the season did take some getting used to.

But..

“I will always love New York City, no matter what. I have traveled all over the world and find NYC to be the city with everything and every type of person squeezed into the five boroughs. People come from all over the world and that’s what makes it exciting. I have always felt NYC is not really apart of USA — it’s its own special place.”

If I had to compare... 

“There are some comparisons I can make on NYC and Mumbai. NYC has a great public transportation system - I have my BMW, which stands for Bus, MetroCard and Walking! 

It has the best shopping in the world, especially during sale time! You can get some great stuff for so cheap! You just got to know where to look. NYC is the best walking city! I love that I can walk from China Town to Central Park and you can see the difference in neighborhoods as you walk.”

Never change, Mumbai! 

“But I don’t think I would change anything about Mumbai. Because Mumbai is special. I believe that the way the city is, is the beauty of it. Why do we travel? To see and experience the different places, their feel and functioning, right? Mumbai has its own flavour and can’t really be compared to any city, and that’s a great thing. We have to embrace Mumbai in its beauty.”