Ludhiana (Punjab): Baggy trousers, tight coat, big shoes, and a moustache, a man in Ludhiana entertains people by pretending to be Charlie Chaplin. Maan Singh has been doing this since he was ten years old. Singh can be seen performing and entertaining passersby in Ludhiana's pottery market.
Greatly inspired by the world famous British comedy actor, Maan Singh has chosen to make people laugh and be merry. He considers it an effective way to make people forget sadness and hardships in life just like in his own. No wonder, the Charlie Chaplin lookalike has become a tourist attraction in the Ludhiana market.
Talking to ETV Bharat, Maan Singh said, "I work for a shop here on bitterly cold days, under scorching heat, and even during rains. It takes around one hour to do the makeup and get ready." He works to attract more customers by playing different characters and earns Rs 10,000 every month.
Imitating Chaplin gave Maan Singh a mask to hide his sadness and hardships. He said, "I have been working since the age of 10 to support my family. Earlier, I used to work in Delhi's Raj Kapoor studio, where I mastered my expressions and skills." He further said, "After my parent's sudden demise, all the responsibilities of the household fell on my shoulders. I moved to Ludhiana and started staying in a slum area."
Singh also said, "Government has allotted a flat to me where I live with my wife and three children. Taking care of my family with a meagre amount of just Rs 10,000 has become difficult now." While showing his facial expressions, Singh said, "anyone who sees me gets a smile on their face. Some people even make fun of me. But only I know how I make others happy while I am sad."
Sharing his experiences, Singh said that he might be earning less, but the respect that people show towards him gives him immense happiness. People also come to take photographs with me, he said with a sense of fulfilment.
