“When my dad received the call from Abhyudaya, tears welled up in his eyes – he was so proud of me. The interviewers were Ajay and Alka, whom I now call “bhaiya” and “didi”.
Imtiyaz continued to excel, earning another double promotion from Class 6 to Class 8. At Hastantaran, the event where Abhyudaya assigns mentors to its stars, Imtiyaz met his mentor, Abhinav Pandey, who greatly helped him with Maths.
“Abhinav bhaiya came home two to three times a month. I’m grateful to him and Abhyudaya for understanding my struggles.”
Imtiyaz also participated in Sunday classes, where he learned calligraphy, origami, yoga, watched movies, and went on picnics. One Sunday, Abhyudaya organised a Warli painting class.
Imtiyaz passed Class 10, but then tragedy struck. His father, the family’s sole breadwinner, was diagnosed with late-stage tuberculosis and passed away a few months later. Imtiyaz missed his 11th year while caring for his father and lost contact with Abhyudaya. With no support from his siblings, he persevered, reaching out to photographers for assistant work. One offered him ₹3,000 per month.
“Living on ₹3,000 was tough, so I started delivering newspapers for another ₹3,000. I survived on ₹6,000 per month for two years. With experience, my earnings increased.”
Imtiyaz decided to complete his 12th privately, working by day and attending night classes. His college teachers helped him pay for the classes, and he earned his 12th certificate in Commerce. He began freelance photography and bought equipment with his savings, but when Covid hit, he had to sell his camera at a loss to cover expenses. After the lockdown, he took on small projects with rented equipment and eventually landed a break in the textile industry, doing apparel photography. Recently, he shot campaigns for Renault and a German switch company.
“Recently, I’ve had the chance to succeed again. I’m thrilled that Abhyudaya offered me the opportunity to photograph Hastantaran 2024. Abhyudaya wants its Sitaras to shine, and I see the stars shining! Thank you, Abhyudaya.”