Just a day after India observed World Environment Day, Mumbai’s Aarey Forest in Goregaon East became the focal point of a serious conflict. On June 6, tribal families from Moracha Pada accused Film City authorities of burying thousands of trees and destroying farmlands in Sultanat Valley, land that has been cultivated by 42 Adivasi families for generations.
The community alleges that their ancestral fields were covered with soil and hundreds of trees uprooted to clear space for a new film set, sparking widespread outrage.
A silent war over land
Around 100 Adivasi families say they’ve farmed this land for decades, growing vegetables like cucumbers, bhindi, and turiya. While they lack formal land titles, they hold harvest records recognised by local authorities. “Our proof is in our crops,” says Suvarna Padvi. “First they took the forest, now our farms.”
The conflict escalated after activists secured a stop-work order from Film City in April, warning that landfilling could block natural water flow and cause monsoon floods. Still, the construction continued. The production house claims the land belongs to Film City and insists no trees were cut, only “bushes.”
Videos from the site show uprooted trees and debris dumped into a nearby river, triggering flooding in farms. Locals also allege bouncers assaulted them during protests, and police never responded to emergency calls.
Film City’s stand
Film City’s management maintains the land belongs to them and is leased to production houses, denying any tree felling and saying no BMC permission is required. However, the tribal community insists they have proof of farming rights supported by local authorities and vow to fight what they call a “land grab”.
Prashant Sajanikar, Joint MD of Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari, defended the action, saying the land legally belongs to Film City and was leased out. “Only bushes were cleared, no trees. The Adivasis have no documents,” he stated.
Legal loopholes or land grab?
Activists argue that under the Forest Rights Act (2006), tribal families can claim cultivation rights if they prove pre-2005 occupancy. “We will fight legally,” said a resident. Meanwhile, environmentalists fear this is part of a larger pattern of green space encroachment in Mumbai.
As monsoon sowing begins, the Adivasis’ fields remain threatened, caught between bureaucratic apathy and Bollywood’s expanding empire. With no official response from the government, the battle for Aarey’s soul continues.
