Mumbai’s iconic sea breeze, once a runner’s delight along Carter Road, has turned into a toxic memory for actress Saiyami Kher. In a heartfelt Instagram post on Tuesday, the upcoming ‘Hawaiian’ star shared a selfie wearing a mask, lamenting how air pollution has robbed her of the simple joy of morning jogs.
Kher, who has been running for over a decade, described her routine: ‘Every morning, I ran on Carter Road breathing in the cool sea air. That breeze made me fall in love with this city and running.’ But now, she says, masks are mandatory before stepping out, evoking painful pandemic flashbacks—minus the virus, but with pollution doing the damage.
The actress painted a grim picture of her new reality. Windows and doors stay shut, air purifiers hum constantly, and runs happen staring at home walls instead of the ocean. ‘I never imagined breathable air would become a luxury,’ she wrote, underscoring how running isn’t just exercise for her—it’s therapy that calms the mind and heals the soul.
Kher’s post transcends personal gripe, calling out denial of air quality data. ‘This isn’t just weather; it’s not politics. Data shows the air is bad, yet some deny it,’ she noted. For many like her, masks symbolize lost mornings in a beloved city. Her poignant question lingers: ‘Is demanding clean air too much to ask?’ As Mumbai chokes, her words urge collective action before more joys fade into polluted haze.