New Delhi: Mukhtiar Ahmed, a 106-year-old Delhi resident, has recovered from Covid-19 and is possibly one of India’s oldest to have come out of the viral illness.
Ahmed, who was recently released from the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH), had witnessed the Spanish Flu in 1918 (he was 4-years-old at the time).
In his own words, Ahmed had fought off Covid-19 with a firm resolve and faith in the almighty. It took him 17 days to recover from the virus.
Ahmed, however, said he has seen bigger troubles and “drama” in his life. Hailing from Osmanabad in Maharashtra, he had worked as a set designer in Mumbai’s film industry.
Ahmed gave some of the illustrious names with whom he had associated — Balraj Sahni, Meena Kumari, Raj Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar and Nargis. He had worked in movies like Pyaar Ka Saagar, Kaali Topi Laal Rumaal and Junglee.
Ahmed fondly recalled some of his interactions with film stars and their children, including Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Aamir Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan.
In real life, however, nothing was movie-like for him. Ahmed said he had lost his entire family, including three children and 11 grandchildren, during the 1993 Latur earthquake.
He was on the verge of losing his sanity when fate brought him to Delhi, where he made a living by begging on the streets.
Time passed, until one day a family residing in old Delhi found him and decided to take him home. Ahmed has been living with his adopted family for 13 years now.
Ahmed said his message to people in this time of crisis would be, “Be strong, and have faith in god and yourself”.
ThePrint’s National Photo Editor Praveen Jain brings you glimpses of Ahmed’s life in Old Delhi.
