'Mumbai and its kids are choking': Deepika Padukone flags rising AQI, tags BMC

Mumbai: Actor Deepika Padukone has raised concern over Mumbai’s air pollution, drawing attention to the city’s deteriorating air quality in a social media post on Thursday.

The actor took to Instagram Stories to share a map of India’s west coast displaying air quality levels across the region. The graphic showed Mumbai’s Air Quality Index (AQI) at 153 — a level classified as “unhealthy”.

Reacting to the data, Deepika wrote, “The city (and its children) are choking! How is this okay!?”

She also tagged the official Instagram accounts of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and its health department, appealing to authorities to address the issue. Her post included a folded-hands emoji, signalling a request for urgent attention to the city’s worsening pollution levels.

An AQI reading between 151 and 200 is categorised as unhealthy, meaning air quality can begin to affect everyone, particularly children, elderly people and individuals with respiratory issues.

Deepika Padukone is not the only actor to highlight concerns about Mumbai’s air quality in recent weeks. Actor Saiyami Kher had earlier shared her experience of coping with pollution while pursuing her routine runs along the city’s seafront.

In a post last month, she reflected on how the once-refreshing sea breeze at Carter Road had changed due to worsening air conditions.

“I started running a decade ago. Every morning, I’d find myself on Carter Road, chasing the ocean breeze. That wind is what made me fall in love with this city and running. I want to feel it again. And dystopian as it is, I put on a mask before lacing my shoes. It took me back to the pandemic. Except there’s no virus in the air endangering our life. The air itself could kill us,” she wrote.

Actor Richa Chadha has also voiced concern about Mumbai’s pollution levels on several occasions, describing the situation as a “manmade tragedy” and urging more people to speak up for cleaner air.

Deepika’s post adds to the growing conversation around environmental and public health challenges in the city.

The actor is known for her advocacy around mental health through the The Live Love Laugh Foundation. By highlighting the city’s air quality, she also drew attention to the broader impact of environmental conditions on physical well-being.

Deepika welcomed her daughter Dua in 2024 and has since been selective about her professional commitments. Her Instagram display picture currently reads “In my mom era”, reflecting her new phase of life.

On the work front, she will next appear in filmmaker Atlee’s upcoming action film alongside Allu Arjun. She is also part of director Siddharth Anand’s action thriller King starring Shah Rukh Khan.

Meanwhile, her remarks about Mumbai’s air quality have resonated widely on social media, with many users echoing her concerns and calling for stronger measures to tackle pollution in the city.