The Bombay High Court on Friday dismissed a plea seeking a stay on the felling of trees at Aarey forest for a proposed metro car shed. This was followed by the arrest of 29 protesters from the construction site today, after the Mumbai Police imposed Section 144 of the CrPC near the area. 

Several Bollywood celebrities have reacted to the situation and extended support to the conservationists. Actor Farhan Akhtar tweeted:

Shraddha Kapoor, who had previously participated in the protests, wrote, “This is wrong and should not be happening,” and “Mumbaikars wake up.”

Alia Bhatt tweeted, 

UN Goodwill Ambassador Dia Mirza wrote, 

Even as celebrities continued to express their protest, the hashtag #shutdownfilmcity started trending on Twitter. Netizens pointed out that the Goregaon Film City — also located inside Aarey — is twenty times bigger in size than the proposed car shed, and poses similar threats to the environment. 

“The sets built at Film City are made of plaster of Paris, styrofoam, wood and plywood. Millions of liters of diesel is consumed by generators to provide power for your lights, air conditioners, digital equipment. All in the name of entertainment. To save Aarey,” a user wrote. 

Responding to rebuttals of Film City encroaching on forest land, Varun Dhawan tweeted,