Nightlife
This seafront mill complex is set to become South Mumbai’s new party hub
With Red Bull Unforeseen taking place at Mukesh Mills, the forgotten mill complex comes into the limelight of the city’s nightlife for the first time.
When you arrive in Mumbai, you are immediately hit by a wave of energy – the city buzzes with a wild yet organized chaos.
You might find yourself navigating through highways or narrow lanes, all while everyone around you is trying to keep up with the rapid pace of life. The energy of the city is thrilling and yet relentless, with an ebbing and surging rhythm.
But here’s the thing: even with all that constant movement, there are these little pockets of calm tucked away in the old town. It’s like finding a quiet corner in the middle of a whirlwind, offering a nice contrast to the city’s frenetic pace.
And while the rush of urban life makes it easy to overlook things, Mumbai is full of hidden gems and beautiful memories just waiting to be uncovered.
In one of these pockets lurks a certain structure that has stood silent, with loads of local lore and untapped potential – Mukesh Mills.
Mukesh Mills
© Focus Sports
Once a giant in Mumbai’s booming textile industry, it eventually fell to ruin, was marked off-limits to public, and was the victim of urban legends and crazy conspiracy theories.
A forgotten giant
Mukesh Mills isn’t just a set of dilapidated buildings in Colaba. It’s been around since the late 1800s, built during the British era.
It was a powerhouse of the textile industry in the city, having been the first mill set up in South Bombay, standing tall with a picturesque view of the glistening Arabian Sea. Yep, it was a big deal.
They had thousands of people working, machines whirring, and a constant beat of production going on. But, over time, there were owner disputes, labour inequality, and shifting tides across mills all over the city which eventually saw a decline in the industry.
Mukesh Mills
© Focus Sports
While other complexes like Kamala Mills and Phoenix Mills got fortunate makeovers, Mukesh Mills stood ignored in Mumbai's landscape. After daily work was shut down in the 1980s, bringing the century-old energetic bustle of industry to a standstill, it was forgotten and its structures left to disrepair.
“We tried to revitalise it (Mukesh Mills) with the turn of the century, but the complications were too much.” says Sunil Warerkar, the Executive Director of TCI industries, who took over ownership of the mill complex decades ago.
Eerie folklore
Something about the dark emptiness, rundown buildings and creepy aesthetics caught the eyes of many Bollywood filmmakers.
By the 1990s, the Mukesh Mills became a popular shooting spot for Hindi flicks, music videos and action sequences. But this is where the lore gets a bit skewed.
The eeriness of the place went up a notch as unfathomed stories about the place having bad juju sprung up.
Mukesh Mills
© Focus Sports
A film shoot stopping mid-scene, a leading lady ‘possessed’ with an invisible force, unexplained voices, equipment getting stalled were just a few of the ‘ghost stories’ around Mukesh Mills that got exacerbated through mainstream media.
“It’s funny how people spin tales around the unknown. In fact, one of those infamous night shoots that spawned conspiracies… all the events that were claimed to have happened – we were right here, just a few metres away from the supposed incidents. We were in the office that same night, where we’ve been for 25 years. If it were haunted, we would have all run away long back!,” says Sunil.
While urban legends and conspiracy theories abound on the topic of Mukesh Mills, there are citizens like music producer SickFlip on the other end of the spectrum. Sarvesh Shrivastava aka SickFlip grew up in Mumbai’s Navy Nagar, which is less than five kilometres away from Mukesh Mills. Yet, he has never even heard about it.
“Mukesh Mills? Is it like Kamala Mills?” said SickFlip when asked about the location.
For someone who has travelled around the country and world for his craft, SickFlip is well attuned to stories of cities, towns and neighbourhoods.
But the public inaccessibility of Mukesh Mills has rendered it so far at the back of the mind of Mumbaikars, that even the ghost stories have not stopped it from becoming a forgotten landmark of the old city.
Mukesh Mills
© Focus Sports
Re-envisioned for the first time
However, there is hope for a new life to this iconic location. It is set to be open to the public for the first time through Red Bull Unforeseen.
“There’s a lot of unknowns about Mukesh Mills. It almost didn’t make sense that it's been untouched for this long. Bringing some life back to this place just made sense,” says Akshat Kumar, co-founder of WMS Entertainment, the agency tasked with organizing Red Bull Unforeseen.
Red Bull Unforeseen is the ultimate secret party. The 2025 Mumbai edition of the party will be hosted at Mukesh Mills on 7th June, with unexpected experiences and interactive zones for partygoers.
“When we decided to do this edition in Mumbai, we wanted to find something a bit unconventional,” says Akshat.
That totally adds up because Mukesh Mills is such an exciting prospect for a secret party; it’s inspiring, definitely unconventional, and with great vision, it can be the perfect party venue.
The British-style architecture, ample open space and seafront promenades make it very different from a regular Mumbai club or party atmosphere, which generally tend to be modern, indoor locations.
“Compared to previous editions this one is going to be super unique. You can expect different zones with themes from carnival to an urban yard and an actual Red Bull car in the middle of the party! But that’s all I can say for now,” teases Akshat.
Red Bull Unforeseen at Mukesh Mills will be something expected. Think industrial grit clashing with hyper-modern light installations. Imagine electronic music pulsing through ancient halls that are now exposed brick and mortar, creating a soundscape that’s both raw and futuristic. A completely new party environment, allowing the musical artists to bring something new to the turntable.
Room at Mukesh Mills
© Focus Sports
SickFlip has been around the block, from collaborating on international records to playing at Sunburn and NH7 Weekender. He’s now set to headline Red Bull Unforeseen.
“I’ve been a part of huge festivals with massive stages and themes but there’s nothing I’ve done this close to home,” says Sickflip with a smile.
“Honestly, once I saw how we’re doing Red Bull Unforeseen at Mukesh Mills, it made complete sense. I’ve attended huge parties and events like the Pineapple Holi party earlier in 2025. But the anonymous, dark, dungeon energy that this place has, with the past being rebirthed into a new life – it really vibes well with the kind of industrial and warehouse sound that I go for,” he adds.
Mukesh Mills is more than a derelict structure. It’s a piece of Mumbai’s soul and a yesteryear monument to its industrial might. And on 7th June 2025, it might just be rejuvenated as a new waterfront industrial party venue for the city.
Red Bull Unforeseen will be a first time in an actual generation for the public to not just step into Mumbai’s past but also be a part of bringing it into the future.
