It has been 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 his “baba” struggle with his own dream.
Aezaan Sahil’s father is a writer and a poet. “Baba writes in Hindi, in the Bundelkhandi dialect… He has written many poems and has filled many diaries with his stories and thoughts.”
So far, his father has not been able to bring any of his work to the notice of the wider world. “In his youth, baba tried to get himself published but did not succeed. Now he is busy earning for the family.”
Employed with a Gurugram bank, Aezaan lives with his parents and 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 does feel disappointed about not becoming a published writer.”
His 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 classes.” He pauses. “It is important to have a regular income.” However, he routinely studies films after his work-hours, especially the films of the 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 friends, he says. “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.”
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