Eight years ago, a Facebook page called Humans of Bombay made its digital debut. The blog, with wholesome and moving true stories, was the voice of Mumbaikars that they didn’t know they needed. The popularity of all of Humans of Bombay’s digital platforms remains undisputed, but it’s the stories that make it stand out. The site founded by Karishma Mehta has a series of stories that best mimick the spirit of the maximum city. In the course of capturing the quirkiness of the city, the blog researched the phenomenal stories of the people of Mumbai, formerly Bombay. The news hit the mark, with several going viral. After collecting chronicles from all over Mumbai for eight years, Mehta is now opening up to her own journey. A range of human emotions – stories of love, healing, humble roots, strength, courage, nuances of Jugaad – all under one roof. Mehta, who firmly believes that the key to India’s soul is her people, shares that hearing their stories changed them in ways that nothing else did.
“I was 21 when I started Humans of Bombay, and in those 8 years I seem to have been taking multiple MBA courses at the same time. But with all the business, finance, and shit, the only invaluable skill we’ve honed is the art of storytelling, ”Mehta said in an interview that has published excerpts on her own page.
It all started when Mehta stumbled upon photographer Brandon Stanton’s hugely popular Humans of New York Facebook page. This made sense to Mehta, who couldn’t find a similar photoblog in Mumbai. This is how Humans of Bombay came about. The blog started on Facebook but has now moved to its own home, humanofbombay.in.
As well as telling stories, Humans of Bombay also raises funds through crowdfunding links. Mehta recalls how sharing an Ali Bhai’s story led the site to raise Rs 23 lakh overnight. After asking readers to contribute for his 23 years of suffering in prison, the response was overwhelming.
A few days ago the book ‘Ordinary People Extraordinary Stories’ written by Mehta was published by Dia Mirza.
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