‘Dearest gentle readers’: Mumbai police channel Lady Whistledown to warn against ‘masked guests’

The Mumbai police issued a safety warning about something that could have come straight from Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers.

2 min readNew DelhiFeb 5, 2026 09:31 PM IST

Created by Chris Van Dusen, Bridgerton is based on a series of eight Regency romance novels written by Julia Quinn (Image source: @bridgertonnetflix/Instagram)

Bridgerton, the popular Netflix show, has created a significant buzz, with brands and institutions hopping onto the trend to push their campaigns on social media. Borrowing the tone of the show, the Mumbai police issued a safety warning about something that could have come straight from Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers.

In a recent Instagram post, the Mumbai police shared a creative advisory. Instead of the usual warnings and legal jargon, the message playfully cautioned citizens about chatting with strangers online and falling for deceptive digital personas. The post reminded users that, much like masked guests at a grand ball, not everyone on the internet is who they claim to be.

The advisory states, “Dearest gentle readers, as you navigate the digital ballroom, we hope you don’t fall for the wrong masked guests.” “Alluring appearances can be deceptive. Not every masked guest deserves a dance,” the caption reads.

Watch here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mumbai Police (@mumbaipolice)

Also Read | The great escape: Stuck for 8 hours, Pune industrialist takes a chopper to bypass 33-hour expressway nightmare

The post quickly gained traction, drawing a range of reactions. One social media user commented, “Dear Mumbai Police, you might be the only one who gives absolute creative freedom to your team. Kudos to you and your creative team! I wish I could join you.”

“Woooaah… Mumbai police talking Bridgerton is unimaginable and I am loving it… We shall follow your suggesting, good sir,” another user commented. “We got Mumbai Police and Bridgerton collaboration before GTA VI,” a third user reacted.

Bridgerton season 4 centres around Benedict Bridgerton, played by Luke Thompson, and Sophie Baek, played by Yerin Ha. Created by Chris Van Dusen, the show is based on a series of eight Regency romance novels written by Julia Quinn and released between 2000 and 2006.