Padma Bhushan Ar. HAFEEZ CONTRACTOR — the man who has shaped India’s urban landscape for over four decades — delivers a blistering, no-holds-barred critique of Mumbai’s development policies, exposes the “jagidari” culture paralyzing the city, and presents a radical vision that challenges everything we think we know about building our cities. In conversation with TITTO EAPEN, Chief Editor, Homes & Buildings Magazine.
Fort, Mumbai. The heart of old British-era Bombay. In a heritage building that has witnessed nearly a century of the city’s tumultuous growth, Padma Shri Hafeez Contractor sits behind a desk that could tell its own stories of deals made and dreams realized.
The office — if it can be called that — is more of a war room. The walls are lined with awards — more than the tower models displayed anywhere. National honours. International recognition. Decades of architectural excellence. Yet, in this room, surrounded by the weight of his own achievements, Contractor seems restless. Impatient. Even angry.
Through the window, Mumbai sprawls in all its chaotic glory — a city that Contractor has been trying to save from itself for forty years.
He doesn’t do small talk. He doesn’t do diplomacy. What he does — and what he has always done — is tell the truth. Unfiltered. Unvarnished. Uncomfortable.
“You should be ashamed,” he says, not to me, not to you, but to all of us. “We should be ashamed of our skyline.”
This is the man who has shaped Mumbai’s skyline more than anyone alive. He has designed some of India’s most iconic structures, won more awards than most architects could dream of, and commanded respect across the globe. And he is telling us we have failed.
Q. Sir, you’ve been contributing to Mumbai’s skyline for over four decades. With population rising, climate change accelerating — do you believe Mumbai is on the right course? Is the development that has happened — and the development that should have happened — actually on track?
Let’s sketch two words from what you just said: skyline and climate change. Rather than going to the sky, let’s get to the floor.
Mumbai is a coastal city. We’ve been reclaiming land throughout our history — all coastal cities do. But today we face something new: sea levels are rising. In the next ten to fifteen years, we’ll see significant change.
The first thing we should do is protect what we have. Not just roads and drainage — hospitals, colleges, homes where millions live. How do we keep that intact?
All over the world, people are reclaiming land. Yes, we also need land. But the way we should do it is different: reclaim and create a complete dike next to Mumbai. Protect the city and use that dike for new infrastructure — housing, hotels, parks, rapid transit. Make us efficient, beautiful, competitive with the world.
Q. You’ve often compared Mumbai to Singapore. Why does that comparison haunt you so much?
Look at Singapore sixty years ago — just a small island. We were much better off. Today? They adopted progressive policies and left us far behind.
We’ve gone backward. Our policies are…..”No, this should not be done. That should not be done.” Why?
We should be ashamed of our skyline. We’re not allowing anything. I’ve filed petition after petition to ministers, to governments. Everyone says they’ll act. Nobody does.
The unfortunate thing about Mumbai — about us — is that once a law has come, however bad it is, nobody has the guts to change it.
THE CRZ LAW
Q. You’ve been extremely critical of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) laws. What makes them so damaging, and why haven’t we been able to reform them?
Do you know how our CRZ law originated? Mrs. Gandhi went to Goa, saw a high-rise destroying the landscape, and declared, “This should not happen.”
Now we’ve imposed that same restriction on Mumbai — a city of twenty million people.
“It’s the most stupidest law for a metropolitan city like Mumbai. But nobody is powerful enough to change it.”
What should CRZ mean for Mumbai? Allow us to build on the sea. In Girgaon — our most congested area — I can build taller inland, but not on the waterfront. That’s madness.
MUMBAI’S SHAME
Q. You’ve spoken about the lack of coastal access at many public forum. This is deeply personal for you, isn’t it?
How many kilometers of Mumbai’s coastline is open to the public? Ten percent? Maybe? Do we have a single restaurant where I can sit by the beach and eat? Maybe some illegal place in Juhu. Legal? None.
“If a friend comes and says, ‘Let’s sit by the sea and have dinner’ — I’m shocked. I’m ashamed. I can’t take him anywhere.”
THE FSI DEBATE
Q. You’ve long advocated for higher FSI. Can you tell us about the infamous plane conversation with Chief Minister Manohar Joshi?
I’ve always said Mumbai needs a minimum of eight FSI. Only then will prices come down and housing become affordable.
One day, I was on a flight with Chief Minister Manohar Joshi. He asked, “Hafeez, what should Mumbai’s FSI be?”
Now, I knew he was against increasing FSI. I’d always said eight. But I thought, “My God, if I say eight and he gets a heart attack, what will I do in this plane?”
So I said, “Four, sir.”
“Huh? Why? You start telling me four FSI!”
It’s simple calculation. If someone’s having a baby, they need another room. People flood into Mumbai every day — we’re not creating space.
THE PREMIUM TRAP
Q. We pay the highest premiums — ₹5,500-6,000 per square foot. With 46 different premiums, the government has become the biggest stakeholder in real estate. How does this affect affordability, especially in a city where property costs ₹30,000-35,000 per square foot?
You’re absolutely right. Our premiums are astronomical. But you have to also think from the government side. We’re not Dubai — money doesn’t flow from oil wells. Here, the municipality must earn.
For years, the government slept. They never increased FSI, never did anything. Then the BJP government came in and increased FSI across the country — thank God. But now municipalities need funds for roads, water, infrastructure. They have to charge these premiums.
“We’re paying for our past mistakes.”
THE THIRD MUMBAI ILLUSION
Q. The government has recently announced “Third Mumbai.” But when I see Mumbai There is a 80% Mumbai which is yet to develop. Thirty to Thirty-five percent of Mumbai’s land is still occupied by slums. Twenty-five percent of land is waiting for redevelopment. Then we have hectares of idle and industrial land like the BPT holds 800 hectares. Then there’s BPCL, Indian Oil, Bharat Fertilizer, BARC Tata Power Holding 1000 of hectares of land.
You are absolutely correct, there is a new Mumbai possible within Mumbai. First thing to do is reclamation as much as possible. Now comimg to your second point, according to me, slums in Mumbai is as good as chori karo —we have been encouraging slums.
Today, the most easiest thing to do in Mumbai is Slum karao — make slums — wait for some years then it becomes official. And now look at the irony, But I can’t get permission for a building?”
Do you take permission before having children? No. But for building, I must wait in a queue.” Population grows — people live longer now, 100, 105 years. Medicine has progressed. But our laws are from the Roman era — horizontal zoning from four thousand years ago!
You also mentioned about BPT land lying idle, Eight hundred hectares! For years! Nothing happens. People are making slums there. As soon as you propose developing BPT land, they say, “No, no, we have another plan.”
“These are jagidaris.” The bureaucrat controlling that land — it’s his fiefdom. He won’t give it up. The country must come together, make laws for this city.
“Mumbai has everything. It just doesn’t have someone who says, ‘I will do it.’”
HIGH-RISE IS THE SOLUTION, NOT THE PROBLEM
Q. You are one of the most vociferous proponent of high rises. But I’m not a big fan of high rises, according to me, it will create more challenges for the urban core in the future — water scarcity, waste management, energy consumption. How would you like convince me?
Please correct yourself. Just imagine a thousand people in one high-rise — their waste, garbage, sewage all concentrate in one place. Easily collectible. I can treat it below. Spread that horizontally — I occupy more land, need more roads, and collecting garbage becomes harder.
“High-rises aren’t a challenge — they’re a necessity for a city.” In a dense, vertical city, I’m not dependent on cars. I use electric trains. I occupy less area, fewer roads. The rest can be green — paying back for what we’ve taken from nature.
A VISION FOR 2030
Q. Where do you see Mumbai by 2030? What kind of infrastructure, what kind of ecosystem — commercial and residential — do you envision?
I have faith in this government. They’re listening. They care for the country. “Mumbai will be one of the most glorious cities of the world.” But first, we must: n Change CRZ laws — allow sensible coastal development n Increase FSI — make housing affordable n Streamline approvals — stop wasting years n Reclaim with dikes — protect against rising seas n Develop BPT land — unlock 800 hectares n Create coastal access — give people their waterfront n Think vertical, not horizontal — save farmland, save forests.
