MUMBAI: When Mumbai talks politics, it doesn’t whisper, it shouts over traffic, cuts through the monsoon, and spills into cinema halls. On 13 August 2025, CNN-News18 Town Hall plants itself right in the middle of this noise with its Mumbai edition, themed “Ballot, BMC, and the Battle for Mumbai”. The agenda? Put the city’s future in the spotlight just weeks before the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the first in eight years.
Fresh from its Defence Edition, the Town Hall returns with a mix of political heavyweights, millennial ministers, and a hindi movie hitmaker. The line-up reads like Mumbai’s own blockbuster bill: Devendra Fadnavis, chief minister, will spar over civic priorities; Eknath Shinde, deputy CM, headlines “The Undisputed Sena-pati”; Aaditya Thackeray tackles whether Mumbai’s future is “regional” or global; and cabinet millennials Aditi Tatkare, Nitesh Rane, and Yogesh Kadam step up for “The Millennial Ministers” panel.
And because Mumbai is never far from a film reel, filmmaker Mohit Suri will bring a cinematic interlude, delving into “Love, Loss and Legacy” after his latest success. Expect politics and pop culture to collide as only Mumbai can manage.
“This edition is more relevant than ever,” says CNN-News18 managing editor Zakka Jacob. “With the upcoming BMC elections, these conversations are crucial for shaping the city’s vision.” CEO Smriti Mehra calls it a continuation of the channel’s mission to spotlight local concerns while sparking national conversations fitting for a network that’s been India’s No. 1 English news channel for over 3 years.
The event will broadcast live from 4 pm on CNN-News18 and stream on its Youtube channel, inviting citizens to join in from home. But for Mumbai’s political stage, the message is clear: the curtain’s up, the lights are on, and the city’s future is up for debate.
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