as "middle class" housing, and are often more affordable than much of the housing in Mumbai. Some chawls have shops or businesses incorporated into their structure, which provide employment or shopping opportunities to the inhabitants. Occasionally, scam call centres have been operated out of chawls. Residents of chawls sometimes cite a sense of community where everything is shared amongst themselves; the cramped design of chawls forces social interaction between residents and very often special occasions such as weddings or religious festivals are celebrated communally. In popular culture In Mulk Raj Anand's novel Coolie, the central character Munoo lives with two family groups in a chawl during his time in Bombay with detailed descriptions of the living circumstances. The 2019 Marathi-language drama film, 15 August () revolves around life in a chawl, with the majority of the filming taking place there. In Kiran Nagarkar's novel Ravan & Eddie, both main characters and their families live in a chawl. Chawls are featured in a Mumbai level in the game Hitman 2. See also Cortiço – a term used in Brazil and Portugal for an area of concentrated, high density urban housing, Cortiço houses are typically divided into small rooms that are rented. Casa di ringhiera a very similar type of housing built in the same period, and for the same purposes in Northern Italy. Corrala, casa de corredor, or edificación de vecindad, a similar structure typical of Madrid, but also found in some other towns in Castile, as well as in parts of Andalusia and some other cities in Spain. Corral de comedias, this same structure used as a venue for theater, especially in Madrid during the Spanish Golden Age. References Further reading External links Times of India Life in a chawl. 6 February 2011. Slate (magazine)/Quora What Is It Like to Live in a Chawl? First person description of growing up in a chawl. 25 June 2013. Culture of Mumbai Housing in India