Mumbai’s Real Estate Crisis: ‘Paying Crores for Holes in the Wall’ Sparks Debate
A Mumbai woman's video of rows of towering residential buildings in the city and her commentary on the city's population has sparked a debate on social media about migration, real estate, and the housing crisis. In her reel, Instagram user Jayantika pointed to the construction work around her and said there were “easily around a thousand people living in that block alone” and another thousand likely to occupy the new tower under construction.
The view, she said, made her realize “how overcrowded Mumbai really is.” Jayantika criticized the prohibitive cost of urban living, saying people were “paying crores and crores of rupees for just a hole in the wall.” The video received close to 23,000 likes.
Backlash over ‘Belonging’ and Migrant Assumptions
As the clip gained traction, a section of Instagram users began attacking her, accusing her of being a migrant who had no right to comment on the city’s culture or real estate landscape. Several urged her to “go back” to her hometown. Responding to the hostility, Jayantika clarified: “Guys, stop telling me to ‘go back’. I’m a Maharashtrian from Mumbai, for gods sake. This is my ‘back’.”
Some Netizens Defend Mumbai: 'You’re Paying for Opportunity, Not Walls'
Some users pushed back against her characterisation of cramped apartments. One wrote that what she called “holes in the walls” were in fact high-end luxury flats that only a small slice of the population could afford. Another user argued that Mumbai’s steep prices were not about square footage but opportunity: “You aren’t paying crores for a hole in the wall. You are paying crores to live in a city that gives unparalleled opportunities… If you haven’t secured that opportunity, life will be hell for you.”
Others Offer Counter-Narrative: 'This Isn’t Luxury — It’s a Distribution Crisis'
Several other Instagram users defended Jayantika and said her observations captured the city’s deeper economic contradictions. One user called the video “tone-deaf” but agreed with her underlying argument that “this is not a population problem, this is a distribution problem.” They blamed property hoarding by wealthy families and corporations, claiming that instead of circulating through the economy, housing often becomes “rent pockets for generations.” Commercial overdevelopment—malls, party offices, premium mixed-use complexes—was cited as another reason homes remain unaffordable.
Another user added: “It is literally crores of rupees for a pocket of air. No land value.” Some viewers compared the claustrophobia of Mumbai’s skyline to life outside metro cities. One spoke of moving from a Delhi high-rise back to a family home in Himachal, describing the “freedom” of waking up to open verandas. Another said simply seeing the dense cluster of towers made them feel suffocated: “Glad to be in a land which we own… Feeling claustrophobic just seeing the building.”
Conclusion
The debate sparked by Jayantika’s reel underscores the complex issues surrounding Mumbai’s real estate market. While some see the high prices as a reflection of the city’s unparalleled opportunities, others highlight the need for a more equitable distribution of resources. The conversation continues to evolve, reflecting the broader socio-economic challenges faced by one of India’s most vibrant yet overcrowded cities.
