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Cinema has become not just a medium of entertainment but also a means of emotional bonding across the world. Every year countless films of different genres are released sometimes romantic sometimes action and sometimes based on true events. Some films do wonders at the box office while some are remembered even after years due to their depth and sensitivity. One such film is Salaam Bombay released in 1988. Directed by Mira Nair this film did not get much discussion at that time but with time it started being counted among the cult films of Indian cinema. After all Bollywoods veteran actor Irrfan Khan got recognition in the cinema world through this film. Could not get recognition even after becoming a hero Although Irrfan was not the lead actor in this film but a supporting actor the soul of this film was a 12-year-old boy played by Shafiq Syed. He had entered the hearts of the audience as the main character of the film Chapu. Even though the film had the support of big stars Nana Patekar Raghuveer Yadav Irrfan Khan Anita Kanwar but the whole story of the film revolves around Chapu i.e. Shafiq Syed. Shafiq was awarded the National Film Award for Best Child Artist for this film which showed the bitter truth of Mumbais streets through an innocent childs eyes. People thought that Shafiqs luck had shone and he would emerge as a big name in the cinema world and become the new star of Bollywood. Away from the glamour towards the struggles But the sad thing is that despite the success of this film Shafiq Syeds life was not what it should have been for a child artist. Neither did he taste financial growth nor did he get many films. Even today he is travelling a journey full of struggle away from glamour. Shafiq was born and brought up in the slums of Bangalore. As a teenager he ran away with his friends to Mumbai where he spent his days on the footpath near the railway station. Mira Nair noticed him then and he was cast in Salaam Bombay. For the film he was paid 20 rupees daily and a vada as lunch. Now he is driving home by auto After Salaam Bombay Shafiq worked in another Mira Nair film Patang in 1994 but after that he disappeared from the film world. He returned to Bangalore to his family where he started living a normal life. Today Shafiq Syed drives an auto rickshaw. To feed his family and fulfill their needs he also works temporarily with small production houses especially in the Kannada TV industry. In an old interview to the Telegraph he had said I had to take responsibility of my family. There was no such responsibility in 1987. Now I have the burden of many people on my shoulders. The battle between family and dreams Shafiq is the head of a family today. He lives with his wife mother three sons and a daughter in a small town 30 km from Bengaluru. He may be remembered for Salaam Bombay but the glamour of films is now far away from his life. In 2008 when Slumdog Millionaire gained international popularity people remembered Salaam Bombay and Chapu but by then Shafiq had returned to a normal life where every day is a struggle for him. Shafiq Syeds story highlights the reality of Indian cinema where art gets recognition but the future of an artist is often lost in the fog. This child who once won millions of hearts as Chapu is still looking for a better life.