Sholay’s ‘Rahim Chacha’ who made tailors strike in Karachi – Life & Style

Avatar Kishan Hangal, who played the role of Rahim Cha Cha in the famous Indian film Sholay, was born in the year 1914 in Sialkot, Pakistan.

AK Hingal is known by fans as a famous actor but before becoming a part of the Indian film industry, he was a talented tailor who excelled in cutting clothes.

According to BBC, AK Hingal’s mother died when he was a child and he was raised by his elder sister.

He consulted the party leadership who told Hangal to form a comrade union and fight, we will guide you.

AK Hingal established Noonin. And then talked to the fellow workers and after that also brought the workers of other shops along.

He would also call party leaders in union meetings, after which it was decided that all tailoring shops in Karachi would go on a one-day strike. A procession was also taken out on that day.

He formally announced the Karachi Tailoring Workers Union, of which he was elected as the president. Along with this a draft was prepared to be sent to the employers which contained three main points: recognize the union, implement the Shops and Establishments Act and recognize peace workers as employees.

According to Hingal, the owners were furious. He asked for time and said that he will reply in writing. Even their own bosses got angry and they were arrested for going on strike.

AK Hingal and his colleagues were released on bail and became full-time Communist Party workers, but no one was ready to hire them.

Later he was appointed Karachi Secretary of the party.

This news spread all over Karachi, all the employees involved in tailoring in the city protested and the next day tailors across the city went on strike.

It was the first strike of tailors in Karachi in 1946, led by the head of the tailors’ union, AK Hangal, who later became a famous Bollywood actor and played the role of Rahim Chacha in the film Sholay, in which his dialogue ‘Atna’ Sunata kevin hai bhai’ became famous.