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Fan-tastic collection
The Superstar of the Millennium Amitabh Bachchan has no dearth of fans, and that?s an understatement! But, Lucknow?s got an AB fan who?s breaking all records with his photo collection! Resident of Triveni Nagar, Shivam Singh, 26, is hearing impaired. Yet, he?s got music in his art that keeps him going steady with his hobby?already a collection of 15,000 photographs of Amitabh Bachchan.
The Superstar of the Millennium Amitabh Bachchan has no dearth of fans, and that’s an understatement! But, Lucknow’s got an AB fan who’s breaking all records with his photo collection! Resident of Triveni Nagar, Shivam Singh, 26, is hearing impaired. Yet, he’s got music in his art that keeps him going steady with his hobby—already a collection of 15,000 photographs of Amitabh Bachchan.
For ‘his’ superstar, Singh can walk miles to watch a movie, for a photograph of Amitabh Bachchan, he can spend all his pocket money. Singh has Amitabh Bachchan’s photos plastered all over the house from the drawing room to the kitchen.
Some of the photographs are rare ones of Amitabh and his family. Singh also has hand-written letters from Amitabh’s father Harivansh Rai Bachchan.
Speaking about Shivam's hobby, his father VK Singh says, “He was declared a mentally retarded child by the doctors initially as he was not able to hear and speak properly. But he used to react while watching Amitabh movies and was able to point out the star in the movies. At the age of eight, a doctor in Lucknow told us that he was deaf but not mentally unfit. Till then, he used to watch the movies of Amitabh but could not hear the dialogues. He, then, started collecting Amitabh’s photos.”
"I remember him as a child praying for Amitabh at 2.00 pm. in the night for his recovery after the Coolie accident. I was in tears as I used to pray for Shivam’s recovery from his disability. Then, I came to know about his obsession for Amitabh,” says VK Singh.
Shivam says, “I became an AB fan when I was four after watching Amar Akbar Anthony, I learnt to fight against the odds in life from his movies and his own personal life. AB has seen many ups and downs as I have and I have always been inspired by the star. That is how, I managed to ignore all taunts and barbs by people at me because of my impairment. I never give up like Amitabh. Today, I have completed my MA and computer course. The only drawback with me is my disability and that’s why I am not able to get the job.”
Even with the hearing machine, Singh remains 81 percent hearing impaired. His mother Uma Singh and brother Ravindra Singh have always supported Shivam.
“Initially, we were upset with his mania about Amitabh but when we realised that he could not live without Amitabh’s photos, we decided to support him,” says his mother, Uma.
“I thought, if with all his disabilities he can continue with his obsession then, how can I discourage him. Initially, I used to stop him from spending money on Amitabh books, magazines and films but he always used to save money from his pocket expenses to purchase film magazines and film tickets, Today he has a rare collection of Amitabh photos. He used to write letters to Amitabh but when Amitabh wrote back to him after he recovered from a long illness after the Coolie accident then, I started admiring my son’s passion for the star,” said Uma.
His brother Ravindra says, “Despite being a deaf child he studied with normal students in school. He covered up his deficiency by learning lip reading. Taking inspiration from Amitabh’s life, he completed his MA and Diploma in computers, all due to Amitabh as he learnt to fight for life from the Amitabh films."
Shivam's dream is to invite superstar Amitabh Bacchan home. “I can give up anything to meet him, I just don't require anything from him but want to ask some questions about his life and want to show him my collection. I know I am a poor man but still want to invite Amitabh to my home. I am confident he will visit me one day,” says a confident Shivam.
