Sonali Kulkarni, known for her role in 'Dil Chahta Hai', was stranded in traffic for nearly five hours on Mumbai's Mankhurd bridge on Wednesday night while traveling to Pune. Severe congestion on roads leading to Navi Mumbai brought vehicles to a standstill, causing immense distress.
The Ordeal on the Bridge
Taking to social media, Kulkarni described the situation as 'scary'. Now in Pune, she spoke to Bombay Times about her harrowing experience. 'The traffic team could not reach; they were helpless,' she said. She explained that she chose to speak out out of concern and fear, noting that many people were stuck. Some individuals, heading home, chose to walk down the bridge. Kulkarni herself walked a kilometer back and forth, witnessing children crying and people hungry, with no food or water available. She highlighted the lack of washrooms, making the situation particularly difficult for women. The only positive aspect was the responsive traffic control room, though the engineering and traffic teams could not reach due to the gridlock.
Clarifying Her Intent
Kulkarni emphasized that her voice came from conviction, not confrontation. 'I was not fighting with the government,' she clarified. 'I was stating facts about our harrowing experience.' She stressed that she was convinced about the need to raise the issue.
A Call for Better Civic Planning
Reflecting on the broader implications, Kulkarni urged for accountability and improved planning in a growing metropolis. 'As a metro, we need to think about civic planning and what we lack,' she said. She questioned what would happen in a medical emergency and called for answers from the government, stating that taxpaying citizens deserve them. Despite the ordeal, she noted the public's resilience, with no shouting or quarrels, though she remarked that 'resilience is not a virtue, but it is helplessness.'
