Mumbai: Gigolo posters flood Andheri West, leaving locals shocked

One of the posters pasted in Andheri West, which has left residents outraged

Posters have sprung up all over Andheri West blatantly advertising the sexual services of a young man. When this paper called the number advertised on a poster, a man picked up and stated, "I provide friendship." Asked what kind of friendship, he replied, "Sexual fantasies for girls and women."

The young male voice went on, "This service starts from Rs 999. It is only for females." When asked why he was offering these services he said, "I am weak in finance [financially weak]. I am a Std XII pass. I do not have much potential."

Speaking in English, and at times Hindi, he added, when asked why these posters are in Andheri West, specifically, "I live in Bandra. I put them up in Andheri as I think this area is a little bit posh. It has been just two days since I put up these posters."

One of the posters pasted in Andheri West

Asked if he has been getting calls, he said, "Till now, there are a lot of people calling me. Most of these are nonsense calls, from college boys who ask me if I have women, girls for them." He added, "I have been a masseur for men and women. Several women asked me for sexual services after the massage and that is why I thought of putting up these posters as a trial."

Posters everywhere

The advertisements pasted all over Andheri West read, ‘Feeling Bore [sic]. Have Some Fun' and ‘Toy Boy, Rent Boy'. The line below has a mobile number, after which is stated unambiguously: ‘Sex Service'. Locals are shocked by the sheer number of posters and the brazenness of the advertising. Said a resident, "These posters are put up all over Juhu Vile Parle Development Scheme, Andheri, DN Nagar, Link Road and Lokhandwala. They are pasted on electric boxes, bus stops and lamp posts at various signals."

Resident Anand Shirali added, "These are just outside my housing colony. They are prominently pasted all over. You just cannot miss them. People have been stopping to stare. Some look embarrassed, others, taken aback." Most of these spots are high visibility, with dense vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Shirali pointed out, "Several places that they have been put up have schools and colleges in the vicinity.

These can impact young impressionable minds. If we notice them, what are the cops doing? Are they unable to see them?" Furious and shell-shocked, a resident ended, "I have never seen something as upfront as this before. We do have the odd posters of ‘whole body massages' and ‘home services for pleasure massages' but nothing as blunt."