Excerpts from the digital graphic series - a 2017 chapter

While Delhi Hectic came together from photographs, photoshop and a Wix website, Bombay Hectic was crafted using only the phone. “I would capture pictures, edit them, write the text, place it on the photo and upload it on Instagram. I chose Instagram because I wanted to make the series snappier, and it was an app where people came to interact with photos, not video content like how it is now.”

Poll

Who will win the Punjab Elections?

BJP 32.76%

AAP 43.10%

INC 24.14%

Submit

View All In Poll

As the 35-year-old warmed up to Bombay, posts decreased. Last week, it made a comeback  on the page’s 8th anniversary when he shared an early 2015 chapter, with the promise to relaunch the series. But will they have the same voice as eight years ago? The city and Anis have changed since then, and so has their interaction with each other. “After 25 chapters, the series is a chronicle of the city and myself. 

Now it’s like a diary entry where each day can be different or monotonous, but it’s never a ride that goes nowhere,” the Bandra resident continues. “Back when I would visit here with my mom for summer vacations, I felt a sense of alienation because everything felt constricted. I only knew South Bombay, Juhu and Parel; also the houses aren’t as big as they were in Delhi. The cities felt the same but with way lesser space between people. I’ve lived here for so long so I am able to see Bombay for what it is. And I can’t fathom it — the same city that has British-era buildings also has a living forest, and every few kilometres, people are diverse.”

Aazar Anis

Anis is almost ready to release new chapters. “They are devoid of hope since I wrote them during the lockdowns. But now, it’s important to add the element of a new start.” Stay tuned for city views that the Delhi-born, Mumbai-based writer with a Manto tattoo on his forearm has to share.

Log on to: @justanothermellowghost; Bombay Hectic on Facebook