In Sallu's good books

Big-hearted Azhar Maqsusi, well-known for serving free food to the poor in Hyderabad, recently caught the attention of India’s superstar Salman Khan. “Heroes from our country who are going that extra mile to help people and bring about a difference in the society were invited by Salman, who interacted with them to know their stories. I was the only one from Hyderabad,” says Azhar, adding, “I initially got a call from Salman’s foundation and they said that I had been nominated for a campaign. Later, they called and asked me to come to Mumbai for a photoshoot and to have a conversation with Salman.”

Azhar, has been serving food to the people living under the Dabirpura flyover since 2012 and to those on the street outside Gandhi Hospital since 2014, and at Rasoolpura since last three months. Moreover, the social worker has tied up with several NGOs to feed the hungry in Bengaluru, Raichur, Tandur, Aligarh and Guwahati. 

A clip from the meeting with Salman is also doing the rounds on the Internet. “He asked me how the initiative started and when I shared my story, he appreciated and said that I am doing good work. I told him that I feed 150 to 200 people in total in Hyderabad alone every day, and I try that at least, say, 60 per cent of the city doesn’t go hungry,” shares Azhar.

He also says that meeting Salman has been an amazing experience. “Salman spent the whole day with us, learning about each of our stories, which in itself is a big deal. He was just as he appears on screen —  he speaks his mind, cracks jokes and keeps everyone around him entertained. There were no starry tantrums and the experience in itself was amazing,” reveals Azhar.

Following this experience, Azhar hopes that once Salman shares his story with the world, more people would come forward to engage in similar work in their own cities. “Earlier, when I was on a show hosted by Amitabh Bachchan, titled Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi, where cricketer Azharuddin was also present, a lot of people joined the initiative and did what they could in their own cities. I am hoping for a similar response once Salman shares my story. Hunger has no religion and we are on a mission to make sure that nobody goes hungry in this country.”