The Dia Mirza Diwali Video Row, Explained: Why the Bombay High Court Had to Step In

This one is a mess. And it started with the most boring, wholesome thing imaginable: a civic video asking people to go easy on the firecrackers.

Let me take you through it, step by step.

Step 1: The video

The Bombay High Court had issued directions on firecrackers on public streets. Off the back of that, the BMC ran an awareness campaign and asked a few well-known faces to record short appeals.

Dia Mirza, a long-time environment campaigner and a UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador, was one of them. She made the video without charging a fee. Her message: celebrate Diwali with joy, minus the noise and pollution.

Madhuri Dixit and cricketer Ajinkya Rahane recorded videos for the same campaign.

Step 2: The objection

Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam objected on X. He said the BJP didn't need lessons from her on how to celebrate Diwali, and alleged she was linked to "anti-India forces." Other critics labelled her "anti-Hindu."

Asked why he hadn't objected to the other videos, Satam reportedly said that Madhuri Dixit and Ajinkya Rahane represented arts and sports.

Step 3: The deletion

Soon after, the BMC removed Dia's video from its social media pages. Madhuri's and Rahane's stayed up.

That's when it blew up.

Step 4: The backlash

Opposition leaders piled in:

• Aaditya Thackeray (Sena UBT) questioned Mayor Ritu Tawde's claim that she didn't know Dia was part of the campaign

• Varsha Gaikwad (Mumbai Congress) said every citizen must be treated equally under the Constitution, regardless of religion

• Rais Shaikh (SP) asked why only Dia's video was removed

Dia's own response was calm. She said Diwali celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, and the video was simply meant to encourage a healthier, more mindful celebration.

Step 5: The High Court

And then the court itself weighed in. A bench of Justice Girish Kulkarni and Justice Neela Gokhale ordered the BMC to restore the video.

The judges said they were "disturbed by the stray comments made by some politicians," and reminded everyone that India is a secular country. They noted Dia had acted in line with the court's own directions, and that this was purely an environmental issue that shouldn't be given "any other colour." Everyone, they observed, breathes the same air.

So, what's the actual takeaway?

Strip away the politics and this was always about one thing: air quality in a city that struggles with it every winter. A video made at the BMC's request, to support a court order, ended up being deleted because of who was in it. Whatever side you're on, that's the part worth sitting with.

We've written before about Mumbai's green push in Make Mumbai Green Again.

Frequently asked questions

What was Dia Mirza's Diwali video about?

Made at the BMC's request as part of an awareness campaign following Bombay High Court directions, it urged people to celebrate Diwali without firecracker noise and pollution. She made it without charge.

Who objected to the video?

Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam objected on X, saying the party did not need lessons from her on celebrating Diwali, and alleged she had links to 'anti-India forces'.

Did the BMC delete the video?

Yes. The BMC removed it from its social media pages after the objection. Videos by Madhuri Dixit and Ajinkya Rahane from the same campaign stayed up.

What did the Bombay High Court say?

A bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale ordered the BMC to restore the video, said they were disturbed by stray comments from some politicians, and reminded everyone that India is a secular country.

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Vishal Waghela is the Co-Founder of AltBollywood and a proud neo-generalist who refuses to pick a lane. Film, music, memes, fashion, AI, internet subcultures: if pop culture touches it, he's already three rabbit holes deep. He writes the way he lives online, loud, emotional, a little chaotic and always honest about why culture makes us feel things. Come argue with him on Instagram at @vishal.waghe1a.