Hafizuddinbhai first started making Ravan effigies for Ramleela when he was in school. Then it was a 'sahyog' (helping) for the family. Now, the 62-year-old, a resident of Noida near Delhi, makes it a point of coming to Mumbai to not just make some quick bucks but also do his bit of "public seva" — contributing to Ramleela as a Muslim.
"I must have been 15 then. My family was into the business of making these effigies. We lived in Aligarh where Ramleela was about volunteering and not money. People would decide what they wanted to act. I have once taken the mike myself to do a devotional song," said Hafizuddinbhai who does not do anything else through the year.
"I look after home and children's work in Nagar Nigam as a contractor. Now, making these effigies is about money and also a public seva. I feel as a Muslim associated with Ramleela, I contribute to unity," he said.
Like every year, Khan said, he is making most effigies in Mumbai this year too. "I am not doing anything in Delhi. I used to, 25 years back, but then a Bali-Sughriv issue cropped up. One of them filed a case for the use of ground," said Khansahab, as he is popularly called in his circles.
This time he got along 20 boys to make around 11 effigies between Azad Maidan, Chowpatty, Versova, Malad, Ghatkopar and Chembur. "They took leave to work here. This includes my seven children," said Hafizuddin adding "they are all agyakari (obedient)".
Hafizuddin moved out of the job and dabbled into painting, tailoring, and even driving. Helping the needy, giving them work and even marrying some are charity works he lists. "I once wore dhoti-kurta, applied tilak and sat as a pandit to get a marriage done when there was a problem," he said.
As a Muslim, said Hafizuddin, he never faced any questions or harassment. "I used to work as block president of Congress once. During Emergency, my neighbour asked me to join BJP. When people questioned me, I told them grahan (eclipse) hai. In love and friendship one has to do this," said Hafizuddin.
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