As Diwali nears, firecrackers are selling like hot cakes at Mohammed Ali Road, where shops open as early as 7.30 am and start seeing heavy crowds by 9 am. Minesh N Mehta, general secretary of the Mumbai and Thane District Firework Dealers’ Welfare Association, said, “The trends over the year have changed a lot. Earlier, we used to get Chinese crackers, which were mostly sound-producing ones, but we have seen a rise in the demand for crackers that emit light and colour, such as flower pots or phuljadi [sparkers].”

This is because more fireworks have been designed with kids in mind in recent years. Mehta added, “Earlier, the youngest targeted groups of manufacturers would be those in their early teens, but due to demand among kids, manufacturers have designed smaller and safer versions of bigger fireworks. These are sold at cheaper rates as well, and this year we have seen that they are in high demand.”