‘Greed, hubris, foolishness’: Bollywood actors tweet against tree cutting in Mumbai’s Aarey Colony
Filmmaker Karan Johar described the cutting of trees as a ‘massacre’.

Several Bollywood film actors voiced their criticism against the decision to cut trees in Mumbai’s Aarey Colony area on Saturday. At least 29 people were arrested late on Friday in connection with protests against the authorities’ move, even as the Bombay High Court dismissed a second petition to stop the exercise.
Protestors had started demonstrating against the authorities’ move to start cutting trees in the area on Friday night to clear the space for a metro car shed, hours after the Bombay High Court rejected petitions against it. The police charged at protestors with batons even as many demonstrators camped outside Aarey through the night.
Bollywood actor Swara Bhasker on Saturday said the cutting of trees in Aarey was “about greed, hubris and foolishness” and called for protests against it. “The fact is that alternative spaces for the carshed exist, have been okayed by experts,” she tweeted. “Protest against colossal stupidity and this damaging decision.”
“We have to be stewards of our world treating the planet with respect,” tweeted actor Madhuri Dixit. “Mumbai has few parks for our children, few forests for our wildlife. There has to be another way than cutting the trees in Aarey.” She added that there was a need to come together to protect the planet and Aarey.
Filmmaker Karan Johar described the cutting of trees as a “massacre”. “We are our own worst enemy!” he tweeted. “Infrastructure can never precede nature! We need to stop!”
Actor Varun Dhavan said the authorities’ decision was “heartbreaking” and questioned why it was allowed even after public protests. “With such an outcry to stop the cutting of trees why is this being allowed Mumbai has done enough for the people in power to realise cutting down Aarey is something the citizens don’t want,” he tweeted.
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“There’s always been a conflict between development and conservation,” tweeted actor Alia Bhatt. “Yes, the city needs to build infrastructure to support a growing population. But the city also needs trees and parks and greenery. We need to protect nature like life depends on it. Because it does.” Actor Ileana D’Cruz described the decision to chop off the trees as “awful news”.
Actor Sidharth Malhotra said: “The ecological imbalance this can cause is beyond control and it must stop. I urge the authorities to help Save Aarey if not for us, for our future generations.”
Filmmaker Pooja Bhatt said in a “fair, ethical, just and humane world” the state authorities would protect the trees. “Alas, this is the world we live in,” she tweeted. “One without a moral compass and conscience. God help us all!”
“Cutting trees at night is a pathetic attempt at trying to get away with something even those doing it know is wrong,” tweeted filmmaker and actor Farhan Akhtar.
Last month, protestors had camped outside actor Amitabh Bachchan’s bungalow in the city’s Juhu locality after Bachchan tweeted in support of the metro project.
Meanwhile, the 29 people arrested in Mumbai in connection with protests against authorities’ move to cut trees in the city’s Aarey Colony area got bail on Sunday evening, The Hindu reported. “They have been granted conditional bail on a cash bond of Rs 7,000 each,” advocate Aditya Bambulkar said. “The conditions of the bail also requite them to appear at the police station for inquiries.”
Earlier on Saturday, the police had also detained Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi leader Prakash Ambedkar at the protest site and took him to Powai police station.
#AareyForest destruction is about greed, hubris and foolishness. The fact is that ALTERNATIVE SPACES FOR THE CARSHED exist, have been okayed by experts. Protest against colossal stupidity & this damaging decision! #SaveAarey #SaveAareyForest @ConserveAarey @Dev_Fadnavis pic.twitter.com/JR0x8F0Puo
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) October 5, 2019
We will live to watch our own devastation! 😢😢😢😢 #AareyChipko #AareyForest #AareyForestPolitics https://t.co/LvwkhyhSIL
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) October 5, 2019
We have to be stewards of our world treating the planet with respect. Mumbai has few parks for our children, few forests for our wildlife. There has to be another way than cutting the trees in Aarey. We need to work together and save the planet and come together to #SaveAarey
— Madhuri Dixit Nene (@MadhuriDixit) October 5, 2019
Massacre is what this is! We are our own worst enemy! Infrastructure can never precede nature! We need to STOP! #SaveAarey
— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) October 5, 2019
This is heartbreaking news. With such an outcry to stop the cutting of trees why is this being allowed mumbai has done enough for the people in power to realise cutting down aarey is something the citizens don’t want https://t.co/df6llNejGX
— Varun Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) October 5, 2019
There's always been a conflict between development & conservation. Yes, the city needs to build infrastructure to support a growing population. But the city also needs trees & parks & greenery. We need to protect nature like life depends on it. Because it does.#LetMumbaiBreathe
— Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) October 5, 2019
Heard the terrible news about the cutting down of trees in #AareyForest started last night! The ecological imbalance this can cause is beyond control & it must stop. I urge the authorities to help #SaveAarey if not for us, for our future generations 🙏@narendramodi @Dev_Fadnavis
— Sidharth Malhotra (@SidMalhotra) October 5, 2019
Such awful news 💔 https://t.co/PnP8Fibm5Q
— Ileana D'Cruz (@Ileana_Official) October 5, 2019
In a fair,ethical,just and humane world it should be the other way around. The state should be protecting the trees from the men with machetes who arrive cloaked in darkness. Alas,this is the world we live in. One without a moral compass & conscience. God help us all! 💔 https://t.co/5jA63cx8Yy
— Pooja Bhatt (@PoojaB1972) October 5, 2019
400 trees have been cut in the dead of the night. As citizens sang and joined hands in unity pleading to STOP this massacre. Can’t you see they are UNITED by love!?! Love for nature. Love for our children and our future. #Aarey #ClimateAction #ActNow #ChangeIsComing pic.twitter.com/7XCwSeaqDT
— Dia Mirza (@deespeak) October 5, 2019
Why were trees cut in the dead of the night ? Who gets rich(er) because of this metro car shed? Everything about this is shady from the get go, including how the first signatures for the tree felling were obtained. https://t.co/cnFgxgFmKK
— TheRichaChadha (@RichaChadha) October 5, 2019
Cutting trees at night is a pathetic attempt at trying to get away with something even those doing it know is wrong. #Aarey #GreenIsGold #Mumbai
— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) October 5, 2019
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