I am a storyteller and all my stories are pictures of people I shot as they touched me on my journey of Life that I call poetry of Life .
I met Appu this piece of human torso without hands or legs at Chor Bazar many years back . and we became friends I shot him on my trips every Friday at Chor Bazar and he was an iconic beggar a landmark so to speak,
Than in 2008 I took my American friend Dr Glenn Losack to Mahim and he was stupefied by Appu , Appu touched him perhaps like no beggar did and Appu does not plead and beg like other beggars he sits silently you offer him something he accepts humbly.
Than Appu met my granddaughter Marziya Shakir she was about 15 month old and Marziya till date has never forgotten him .. I have not seen Appu for two years now ..I searched for him at his old haunts but no luck.
Appu is from Assam he is a Muslim but I never asked him how he lost his hands or legs ,, I shoot pictures you fill in the blanks ,,Appu is a photo set at my Flickr photo stream, Appu in the rains at the Shia cemetery , Appu trying to fight a goat at Chor Bazar , Appu with Marziya , Appu with me , Appu with Glenn Losack ..and Appu taught me to walk, as my tribute to Appu I walked barefeet for many years despite my diabetic condition.. I still walk barefeet during religious feasts that I shoot in Mumbai or other parts of India .
Appu is a mans story his fight for survival and all those big fat rich Muslims who buy a dozen goats to appease God and his Holy Prophet wont buy him a prosthetic ,, this is misplaced Muslim charity in more ways than one ,,
I give Appu whatever I can I give him hope I give him respect . and he stands for resilience and resurgence of our indomitable Indian human spirit .
