Seraj Anwar/Patna

A man who stitched trousers for superstar Shah Rukh Khan for his blockbuster movie Mohabatein is a celebrity in his hometown of Arwal in Bihar and people from far-off places are flocking to him for getting their clothes stitched from him.

Once infamous for Naxal violence, Arwal located about 65 km from capital Patna, is today a happening place thanks to Mohammad Aftab’s new shop where customers come to get their trousers stitched from the same hands that once sewed for the Bollywood stars.

Aftab had to leave Mumbai due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the recurring lockdowns. Back home to he has opened a tailoring shop. Due to his experience, he is quite a famous person in the town and a celebrity in his own right.

Mohammad Aftab at his tailoring shop

Aftab claims that he has stitched clothes for film stars like Dilip Kumar and Shahrukh Khan. He worked for 20 years with the famous KK Tailors of Mumbai located at Masjid Railway Station.

Mohammad Aftab started his life in Danapur, Patna, where he studied till class VIII. Thereafter he became an apprentice at a local tailoring shop. He undertook formal training in tailoring from a local tailor whose shop was located at Boring Road.

In 995, he moved to Mumbai and started working for KK Tailors. Till last year, he worked there, and had the Covid-19 pandemic not happened he would have perhaps continued be live and work in Mumbai.

Aftab claims that he had stitched the pants Shahrukh Khan wore in the movie Mohabbatein starring Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai. He even got a chance to visit Shahrukh Khan's bungalow Mannat once.

K K Tailors in Mumbai

Once he says he accompanied KK Tailors' owner Mahesh Babu to Mannat to take the measurements of Shah Rukh Khan. He says some actors used to come to the tailoring house and others preferred the privacy of their homes for that.

Mohammad Aftab says, “Every sewing master is a specialist. Some specialize in shirts and some in kurtas. I am a pant specialist." He says that only specialist artisans are kept in KK Tailors. “My job was to cut and stitch the pants,” he says.

After leaving Mumbai, Arwal started his work from his house in Shahi Mohalla. He charges Rs 500 for stitching a pant-shirt combo. Due to his workmanship people from places like Arwal, Ara, Gaya, Jehanabad, and Patna are coming to his shop for getting their clothes stitched.

Aftab says that people from far-off places like Bhojpur and Jehanabad have also started coming to him.

He no longer intends to return to Mumbai. “I have so much work here that I have no time even to breathe,” he says giving a reason why he would rather stay back and work on expanding his business.