In the months of November-December, when Mumbai is drowned in festive and New Year cheer, nature lovers in the city have one more reason to celebrate – the annual arrival of thousands of Flamingos! Actress Adah Sharma is among those who eagerly await them every year. This time around, Bombay Times accompanied her to the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary, to witness and also capture their mesmerising beauty.

“Flamboyance!”, exclaimed Adah, as she gazed with rapture at the majestic, winged beauties. “A gathering of flamingos is called flamboyance,” she shared delightedly, pointing towards the pink crescent formed by a huge flock.

An ardent nature lover, Adah rearranged her schedule to prioritise the visit, and also turned photographer for us, capturing the breathtaking sights with enthusiastic clicks. Apart from flamingos, we also spotted seagulls and a multitude of black kites and crabs in the mangroves. For the actress, the visit has a larger purpose – to promote awareness about wildlife conservation.

She explained, “The public idolizes actors and public figures for their sartorial statements, lifestyle choices, and opinions. I hope to inspire people to save our biodiversity and wildlife through more such visits. Many people have told me that they adopted stray dogs after seeing me play with them; others have started using cloth bags. I want to encourage everyone to embrace a cruelty-free approach in their fashion, food, and overall lifestyle by showcasing my real-life choices.”

So, how would she sum up her trip to the flamingo sanctuary? “These birds are incredibly beautiful, and such sojourns make you realize the abundant beauty in nature. The experience was genuinely exciting. The excitement I feel when I see a bird or an animal is the same as many people feel when they spot their favourite actor. Be it watching the flamingos, navigating the spikey roots of the mangroves, or whistling to the birds…every moment was magical,” she answered, adding, “Spending time with nature is what I do full time; in my leisure time, I do movies (smiles). I have three releases this month, and yet I visited here without my phone.”

On our way back, the actress took charge of driving the boat. Thrilled about the experience, she said, “I chose acting as a profession. It doesn’t get more adventurous than that, but I am glad I drove that boat back home.”

Every year, tens of thousands of Greater and Lesser Flamingos migrate to parts of Mumbai and Thane from neighbouring states like Gujarat and Rajasthan, and also countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, and Israel.