Meet the poster boy of Bollywood

BOLLYWOOD BUFF: Ausaja's collection has not only film posters but thousands of rare lobby cards and show cards too.

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Mumbai: Mahal, Pyaasa, Guide, Devdas, Kagaz Ke Phool you name it and he has it. Thirty-six-year-old S M M Ausaja has been collecting rare handmade Hindi film posters for the past 20 years and now he has about 5,000.

It all started with his fascination for Bollywood’s angry young man, Amitabh Bachchan, during his growing up years.

“As a college student I used to queue up for his movies and that’s when it started. I started going to all these theatre owners in Lucknow, where I grew up, and used to beg them for the posters. It all started as a fascination for the actor,” Ausaja said remembering his hey days.

Ausaja's collection has not only film posters but thousands of rare lobby cards, show cards, film magazine and film slides too.

Sample this, a 1949 issue of Film India magazine, the first of its kind or the poster of Charulata designed by Ray himself.

Ausaja also has a booklet of 1946 film Aap Ki Sewa Mein, in which Lata Mangeshkar sang and acted as well.

From a poster of Dr Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani to Pritam, it’s a collection that any library would value but Ausaja is not willing to sell it at any price.

And now Ausaja is ready to work on two books – one on the cinema of evergreen actor Dev Anand and the other on some of the best films of Bollywood. No doubt, both will have features items from his collection.