Valsad is a city and a municipality in the Valsad district of the Indian state of Gujarat. The city has a collectorate, a district court, and a police headquarters with a historic prison. The municipality is governed by the city mayor. The name 'Valsad' derives from vad-saal, a Gujarati language compound meaning "hampered (saal) by banyan trees (vad)" (the area was naturally rich in banyan trees). Morarji Desai, the former Prime Minister of India, was from Valsad, as was also the Indian independence activist Bhulabhai Desai. The forefathers of British rocker Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara) were from Valsad, as well as those of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw.Some of famous Bollywood actors were also born in Valsad like Nirupa Roy,Bindu,Prachi Desai,Manhar Desai,Mahesh Desai and producer Manmohan Desai. The Alphonso mango (known locally as Haafus), for which the city and environs was once famous, is still important to the local economy. Villages in the Valsad district have numerous mango orchards, the only source of income for many villagers.