10 years ago, on this very day, that is, July 21, 2013, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan hugged and ended their five-year feud. The credit for it goes to politician Baba Siddique. It was at his grand Iftaar party that history was created.
Bollywood Hungama exclusively reached out to Baba Siddique on the tenth anniversary of this unforgettable episode. The dashing politician was very reluctant to talk about it. But when prodded, he said, “I had no idea (that the tenth anniversary of the hug is taking place). I was taken aback when you informed me. I don’t know what to say about it. It just happened. And I can’t believe it’s been ten years. Waqt kitni tezi se nikal jaata hai. You get up in the morning and before you realize, its night!”
When asked how people reacted to it, he answered, “Dekhiye, Ramzan ka mahina paak mahina hota hai. No one knew it would happen. Upar waale ki faziliyat thi ki woh ho gaya aur dono mil gaye. I believe it is the duty of everyone in the world to spread peace. My mentor Sunil Dutt saab used to say, 'Unka kaam hai nafrat woh ahle siyasat jaane, mera paigaam hai mohabbat, jahan tak pahuche' (Those who know politics, their work is hatred; my message is love, wherever it reaches). He used to believe that ‘mohabbat baant te chalo’.”
“Even at that time, I was asked, ‘Yeh kya ho gaya’. I was like, ‘Jo hua, aapke saamne hua’,” said Baba Siddique and laughed.
This was a time when both Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan were not on talking terms. Was it there in his mind that this is a good opportunity to bring them together? He explained, “No. It happened in the heat of the moment. Sochne ka waqt hi nahin mila. Both were invited. They both came. It was God’s will. Aur acchi cheez hi hui na?”
Baba Siddique confessed that he became a known face after this incident, “But that’s fine. I had to give a lot of interviews, though I am very shy with the media. Even then I had said, ‘Upar waale ki marzi thi. Ho gaya’.”
The incident led to a lot of jokes on social media, all in good humour. He was termed the ‘ambassador of peace’! Stand-up comic Atul Khatri demanded that Friendship’s Day should be renamed Baba Siddique Day! Many demanded that he should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He laughed at these and said, “Nobel Prize dilwa do yaar!”
Then on a serious note, he opined, “This is the need of the hour. Our Indian culture has always been about brotherhood. Mahatma Gandhi got us independence without using any weapon, didn’t he? Britishers were forced to leave. So, we have inherited this idea of unity and brotherhood.”
Baba Siddique’s iftaar parties have now become an important star-studded event annually. When did he start with it? He informed us, “I started in 2010 at a restaurant named Sheesha in Bandra. In 2011, it was held at Mehboob Studio. The next year, they declined to host it as they had some issues with us cooking so much food on their premises. I opted for Taj Land’s End in 2012 and 2013.”
He continued, “Until 2014, it was a party only for gents. Then Salman’s sister and a few others wondered why they weren't allowed. I realized that they had a point. From 2015, men and women both were invited with open arms.”
Baba Siddique also said, “People from all communities are invited so that they understand our culture. In our iftaar parties, we neither give bouquets nor give speeches. The idea is to just meet, greet and enjoy the feast.”
Baba Siddique is good friends with Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan but many other stars. Aamir Khan once said that he has known him since childhood. On this, Baba Siddique said, “We have all grown up together. We are Bandra boys. I was in St Anne High School. Aamir is also its alumnus. I graduated from MMK College. Since the 1960s, superstars of the bygone era also used to reside in Bandra like Dilip Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty, Navin Nichscol, Rekha, Saira Banu, Shatrughan Sinha. There were hostels where some actors were staying during their struggling days. I have been a Youth Congress activist since 1977. Being in political circles, I got acquainted with them. Also, Bandra was like a community and this is why we all formed a bond.”
The politician is quite handsome and we asked him why he didn't try his hand in acting just like his other Bandra buddies. He smiled and exulted, “I am in a different field. If possible, do tell our filmmakers that if they want to cast me as a politician in one of their films. I guess it’ll help change their perception about politicians!”
Baba Siddique then spoke about his journey, “My father had a watch shop. He was a businessman. So am I. I am into construction and I lease properties. I started with student politics. I had my own organization called Baba’s Organization For Students Society. It was short-termed as BOSS! At that time, our boys used to fight elections in National College, MMK College etc.”
He continued going down memory lane, “Those days were different. There was no 10 pm deadline. The meetings used to go on till 2 am. You’ll be shocked to know that we used to put up screens and play a film through a projector, for slum residents. We used to join them and sit on the floor. Roads used to be shut for this purpose. It was easy to do as there was not so much traffic.”
Since he is friends with so many stars, does he watch films? To which he said, “Yes. Earlier we used to see it on Friday with family. Nowadays, I don’t get time. With OTT platforms, I also see films in the comfort of my home.”
As for other interests, Baba Siddique said, “I am a sportsman too. I play box cricket for the Otters Club. We even have tournaments. I am the captain of the 50-plus team. We also play football. As a student, I used to represent my school in hockey.”
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