Take 5: ‘Who will want to sit here in this heat, dust?’

No, I haven’t. I can’t afford a phone, though almost all my customers have one. In Delhi, it is difficult to do without phones. Even rickshaw-pullers use them nowadays. I have seen customers carrying fancy phones.

2. What do you think of the ministry’s decision?

It is of no use to me. The government should introduce measures which will benefit street-side barbers like us.

3. How do you keep pace with changing trends?

I charge Rs 10 for a shave and Rs 20 for a haircut. On a good day, I cater to about 15 to 20 customers. But there are also times when I wait an entire day and hardly get even five customers. I learn new hairstyles by observing people. Sometimes I follow the instructions of my customers. They show me pictures of fashionable haircuts on their mobiles and I try my best to give them those cuts.

4. What problems do you face in running your shop?

I set up my shop here 10 years ago, but a year ago, the Railways built this wall. There was a road here earlier, which people used as a shortcut to get from the residential areas nearby to the Mandawali Chandra Vihar railway station. But ever since this wall came up, people take a detour and not many people come this way. As a result, my business has been hit hard. I can’t even move out of here because I have my regular customers and I don’t want to lose them.

5.  Are you losing business to bigger salons?

Of course. People are ready to shell out more money for better comfort. Even small salons nowadays have installed coolers or ACs. So, who will want to sit amid this heat and dust?
koel banerjee