Richa Chadha came to Mumbai for the first time when she was 16. Back then, the reason for visiting the city was a play, in which she was cast as an ‘extra’. But life had a different plan for her. Years later, she is a successful actress and a producer. Her recent project, a series titled Musafiri on YouTube, is a reminder of how beautifully the city welcomed her and made her one of its own. In an exclusive interview with Zoom, Richa said the decision to relocate from Delhi to Mumbai came from the fact that women had the autonomy to move around freely.
Richa Chadha appeals for better roads in Mumbai
Having said so, Richa also feels that the city needs to urgently undergo a massive transformation in terms of its roads. Talking to us, she said, “I really want the road quality to improve. Mumbaikars deserve better because national tax revenue, central excise revenue, income tax and so much comes from the city. Itna tolerance bhi nahi hona chahiye. Things are falling on your head, and roads are full of potholes.”
Richa Chadha on Musafiri set
Richa Chadha wants more public transport in Mumbai
The actress further added that good connectivity through public transport is important. “For betterment of the whole city, we need to have more public transport, like BEST buses with better connectivity; not fewer, but more buses.”
She gave examples of how public transport in London and Amsterdam is cheaper and well-connected. “A.C. buses should be there for common people working in the city and definitely increase the train capacity, because it’s very unsafe; so many people die every day. Life should not be so cheap. People come here for their earnings and to make the city prosperous. We deserve to care for them,” she said.
Richa further said, “It sounds very strange coming from an actress’ mouth that there should be more public transport. It’s a proven fact that when the quality of public infrastructure improves, it means more money comes into circulation. If your tickets are subsidised and the connectivity is good, if you can trust the bus to come on time, the train to come on time, and so many people depend on it. This also eases the road traffic.”
Richa Chadha
Richa Chadha says she still uses public transport to travel around Mumbai
When asked if she used public transport in the early days in Mumbai, Chadha revealed she still takes trains and metros to reach her destination. “I use everything in the city. All modes of public transport I have used in the city, and I sometimes still do. After COVID, you can wear a mask. If I have to go for a shoot from my house to Powai, I get dressed, and I just take the rickshaw to the metro station. The production car comes to pick me up at Powai and takes me to the set. I can easily travel like that. I do that a lot. I also recently took a train from VT. I have taken lots of trains and buses in the city; that’s why I know that there is a lot of scope for improvement.”
She further urged the government to increase the number of BEST buses and also offer perks to passengers that would encourage people to take public transport instead of putting a load on the road with private vehicles.