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Mission Delhi – Aezaan Sahil, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya’s Dargah

Mission Delhi - Aezaan Sahil, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya's Dargah

One of the one percent in 13 million.

[Text and photo by Mayank Austen Soofi]

It is decided. The young man aims to be a film actor. He is aware that dreams often fail to translate into reality. After all, he grew up watching “baba” struggle with his own dream.

Aezaan Sahil’s father is a writer and a poet. “Baba writes in Hindi, in Bundelkhandi dialect… he has written many poems and has filled up many diaries with stories and thoughts.” So far his father has not been able to bring out any of his work to the notice of the wider world. “In his youth, baba tried to get himself published but could not succeed. Now he is busy earning for the family.”

Employed in a Gurugram bank, Aezaan lives with parents and a younger brother in Delhi’s Jaffarpur Kalan. This evening, he is visiting Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya’s sufi shrine, his back leaning against the marble exterior of Mughal emperor Muhammed Shah Rangeela’s grave-chamber. “Baba do feel disappointed about not becoming a published writer.” The father has instead become a supervisor in a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya school. “When baba is at home, he is always writing and writing… our house is full of his diaries.”

Last year Aezaan joined a diploma course in theatre arts “but because I was so busy in my job, I couldn’t find time to attend the classes.” He pauses. “It is important to have a regular income.” He however routinely studies films after his work-hours, especially the films of late Irrfan Khan. “When Irrfan saheb would act in a film, he would leave no trace of Irrfan Khan in him, but would become the person he was portraying… sometimes I also want to be somebody else and not me… maybe that’s why I’m drawn to acting.”

Aezaan has no friend, he states. “Being alone is better. I get more space to work on my plans.” Next moment he shakes his head. “These days I’m not uploading my photos and reels on Instagram as much as I should…. It is necessary to have a following on social media, to get the attention of people…”

While tomorrow is full of unknowns, Aezaan, who turns 24 this week, regularly draws renewed inspiration from his writer-father. “Baba has never abandoned his passion… I hope I can be like him.”

[This is the 593rd portrait of Mission Delhi project]

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