For Richa Chadha, Mumbai is a city that keeps revealing itself. A fishing trip with a young Koli friend took her to a little-known stretch of coastline, where she spotted an abandoned lighthouse and realised how much of the city's history remained unfamiliar to her. That discovery helped set the wheels in motion for Musafiri, her first non-fiction series. Conceived as "edutainment", the eight-episode first season looks beyond the familiar travelogue to explore Mumbai's layered past, its communities and the people working to preserve its stories. Chadha, a history graduate of St Stephen's College, hopes the series will encourage viewers to look more closely at the places they inhabit - and to approach travel with curiosity and care. In conversation with NDTV Good Times editor, Meher Bajwa, she discusses the personal impulse behind Musafiri, the problem with performative travel, and why India deserves to be explored with the same curiosity we bring to destinations abroad.
You've described Musafiri as "edutainment". What led you to make a non-fiction series about history and culture?
Richa Chadha: I'm a history graduate from St Stephen's, and I also studied media briefly. If I had to combine those degrees, I would have done something like this. I was worried about why people would listen to an actor talk about history, but I'm also concerned that people aren't reading enough and may lose a sense of context. I wanted to understand where we come from and why we are the way we are today.
Why did you decide to begin with Mumbai?
Richa Chadha: I wanted to start where I was. I live in Juhu, and I have a friend from the Koli fishing community. One day, when I wasn't feeling great, he took me out on his fishing boat to a place that wasn't on the map. There was an abandoned lighthouse, and I could see my house from there. I remember thinking, 'How little do I know about this city?' I later learnt that the Portuguese had built the lighthouse. It made me realise how much there is to discover close to home.
What kinds of stories did you want the series to tell?
Richa Chadha: I wanted it to be about 'people, places and pyaar'. You meet people doing interesting work, like environmentalists trying to rewild areas with indigenous species. In the first episode, there's also a retired academic who conducts history walks in South Mumbai, showing people how a church was once a synagogue, where Chinese communities lived, and where a Chinese temple stands. The places themselves can be mind-boggling, too. There are sites around Mumbai that hold extraordinary histories, yet hardly anyone knows about them.
You've said that Mumbai is only the beginning. What do you hope viewers take away from these stories?
Richa Chadha: India should be explored with the same curiosity with which we explore Europe. Every place has its own distinctions, and that's where the fun lies. Mumbai itself has existed in waves: there were seven islands, ancient ports and communities shaped by different religious and trading traditions. When you begin to reimagine a place and understand what it was, I think it creates a better sense of self for us as a people. History can also teach us practical things, from how communities managed water to how they lived with their surroundings.
Richa Chadha in a still from Musafiri.
What do you think Indian travellers could do differently?
Richa Chadha: I think you have to recognise when travel becomes performative. You're taking a photograph and running off, rather than enjoying the place. You don't speak to someone, try a meal by the roadside or take the time to soak it all in. Luxury travel is amazing if you can afford it, but India has so much more to offer. I'd encourage people to slow down, smell the flowers as well as the coffee, have conversations and start caring about the places they visit.
Is there a risk that drawing attention to lesser-known places could damage them?
Richa Chadha: Some things that are hidden gems ought to be hidden gems. There's the little-known island my fisherman friend took me to, and I didn't include it in the show. I may have visuals, but people won't know how to get there. At the same time, I believe that if people have a better sense of themselves and their culture, they'll do more to preserve it. That sense of self comes from understanding our history and heritage - not simply looking back at a supposed golden past, but acknowledging things for what they are.
What has been your favourite kind of story to follow while making the series?
Richa Chadha: I love the historical accidents that happen - the larger patterns that aren't obvious when you're living through them. Bombay's rise as a major port, for instance, was shaped by events elsewhere, including the opening of the Suez Canal and the American Civil War. When American cotton became unavailable to British textile mills, traders from Surat and Parsi communities came to Bombay to sell cotton. I love looking at that bigger picture and seeing how events across the world connect over time.
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