‘finally, life is back on track’

What happens to a singer when he loses an ear? Vijay Amin’s life changed two years ago when he was returning to his Mira Road house.

“I got late that day and was at Matunga station. I was talking to my daughter on the phone when I suddenly felt a sort of electric shock and I passed out. When I came to, all I could see was the colour red. There were bodies everywhere, and then someone asked me my name and contact number. It was then that I realised there had been a blast,” recalled the singer, who is known for his rendition of the Marathi song Dhagala Lagli Kada.

The 46-year-old lost his right ear, suffered a head injury and had major injuries on the arm. His left ear remained unaffected as the mobile covered and thus protected it.

“I stopped singing though people advised me not to. Then my doctor promised me that I would be able to sing again. I had a tynpanoplasty done where they open the ear and put an artificial eardrum. I can now hear with my right ear as well,” he said.

Amin was handling promotions for Bank of Baroda when the blasts took place. “I spent 160 days at home and the bank did not give me six months’ salary. Finally, I wrote to Sonia Gandhi and Arjun Singh and thanks to the support from HT, I was heard. After three months, I got my dues and a job at the bank.”

“After two years, finally, my life is back on track and I am soon going to launch an album of my own,” Amin beamed.