Language Shop

The coffee shop is bustling with customers but the group practising the lines does not seem disturbed. To someone overhearing them,it may seem odd as they look at each other and speak sentences in Hindi and Urdu sipping coffee and tea,while Haider either nods in encouragement or buts in once a while to correct the diction.

Haider,a language teacher,says that in the past 10 years,he has spent 10 hours every day in coffee houses across the city,from the Taj Coffee shop to the Lokhandwala Café Coffee Day,teaching Hindi and Urdu dialogues to aspiring actors from abroad wanting to act in Bollywood films and Hindi TV serials.

Haider says plastering posters at popular eateries across Mumbai got him his 200-odd students from abroad who did not understand or speak Hindi or Urdu and faced difficulty in getting roles in Bollywood.

The 35-year-old Haider,who has an English degree from Patna University and is fluent in Urdu and Hindi,says that the anonymity of a coffee shop suits his clientele and it is comfortable for him as well. “There are students who cannot come to our classes at Lokhandwala in Andheri. So,for them,my four assistants and I organize classes in coffee shops. Hiader says diction plays a key role in enhancing an actor’s performance. “Coffee house lessons work well because the casual ambience makes the teacher feel more like a friend. Students pick up lessons faster,” says the English literature graduate who charges Rs 300 for an hour’s session.

Bollywood aspirants are not the only ones who apprach Haider. Sudha Shetty,75,came to him to learn to speak English.

She visits her children in the US every year but feels a bit awkward going out with them as she cannot speak English when they interact with friends. This year,when she visits her children,she is confident of exchanging pleasantries with their friends. Haider has tutored her well.

“Age is no bar to learning a language. I have students already established in the film industry but face difficulty with language in certain roles or dialogues. A few lessons help them,” says Haider,a resident of Andheri,who has taught over 45 from abroad who bagged roles in films. Ashutosh,the winner of Roadies Season 1 also received training in English and Hindi before entering for Bigg Boss,he says.

“There are many from abroad looking for a break in Bollywood; a couple of Indians I tutor learn Urdu because a particular role demands it,” says Haider. He says he is in demand because of his 24×7,anytime,anywhere service.