The Mumbai Metro operator has raised safety concerns after a video showing Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan performing pull-ups on grab handles inside a metro coach went viral on social media, cautioning that such acts are punishable under existing laws.
Reacting to the clip, the Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL) shared the video on its official social media handles on Monday with a warning message, urging commuters not to imitate the behaviour.
“This video should have come with a disclaimer like the ones in your action movies — do not try this on Maha Mumbai Metro,” the operator said in a post tagging the actor.
In the video, Dhawan is seen hanging from grab handles inside a moving coach while another passenger follows suit, as other commuters look on. The metro authority said it was not immediately clear when or where the footage was recorded.
MMMOCL emphasised that grab handles are designed solely to provide support to standing passengers and are not meant to bear body weight. Such misuse, it said, poses safety risks to passengers and can also damage public property.
While adopting a light tone in its messaging, the metro operator made it clear that nuisance or damage caused within metro premises attracts penalties under the Metro Railways (Operations and Maintenance) Act, 2002, which provides for fines and even imprisonment depending on the severity of the offence.
Urging passengers to adhere to safety norms, MMMOCL appealed for responsible travel on the city’s metro network.
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“Hang out with friends, but don’t hang in there. Travel responsibly on Maha Mumbai Metro,” it added.
The post triggered mixed reactions online, with several users calling on the authorities to initiate action against the actor in accordance with the law.
One user commented that enforcing the rules would have set a stronger example rather than issuing warnings.
MMMOCL currently operates Mumbai Metro Line 2A along the Andheri West corridor and Line 7 on the Andheri East corridor, while multiple other metro lines in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region remain under construction.
