A handful of students from Hansraj College, who were hanging out after their classes on a Monday evening, around the famous lover’s point (LP) zone of their college, were surprised when they spotted an Amitabh Bachhan look alike walking up to them! “It was 3pm in the evening and the college was almost empty. I was talking to my friends and from the hostel gate a guy entered who was waving to the crowd of students who were chilling around at the LP in Hansraj. Suddenly, we could hear our seniors hooting and laughing in the background,” recounts Vinit Mehta, a second year student of Hansraj College.
Continuing the story of the mysterious man who was getting an uproar of applause from the students, Vishwas Girdher, a second year student shares, “The man stood in front of LP and started to wave like Amitabh Bachhan. I looked up and got surprised. In front of me, just at an arm’s length, stood someone resembling Amitabh Bachchan. I looked properly and realised that the man was a mimicry artist who was dressed just like Bachchan – had the same face cut, beard and hairstyle. He was even talking like Amitabh Bachchan.”
Students posted photos and selfies on their social media account with Arvind Arora
The mimicry artist who looked like Amitabh Bachchan was a Lajpat Nagar resident, Arvind Arora, and was visiting Hansraj College for an event conducted by an NGO in the college’s auditorium. After the event Arora was spotted by students who flocked to him and started interacting with him. “Students started crowding around him and taking selfies with him. Bheed kafi jama ho gayi thi. Around 40 students had gathered and were taking selfies and uploading it to their stories and statuses on social media,” says Abhinav Rana, a second year student of Hansraj College.
Arora, who himself is a graduate from Sri Aurobindo College, Delhi University obliged the students with selfies and humoured them on, by playing a game of Kaun Banega Crorepati too! “When I saw the man was passing from my side, I said Kaun Banega Crorepati? And that man stopped and said lets play one round. He started with typical dialogue of kbc -satsriakal, adaab, namaste, deviyo aur sajjano aaj humare saath hot seat par hai apaar ji . Apaar ji ka hardik abhinandan ki jiye talion ke saath. Chaliye aap aur mai khelte h ye adbhud khel jiska naam hai, jaandar,dumdaar, shaandar Kaun Banega Crorepati,” says Apaardeep Singh, a second year student of Hansraj College, adding, “he then asked me how many colours are there in vibgyor and I said 7. Then, just like the real Amitabh Bachchan, he said Apaar ji agar aap 6 khte…. toh vo jawab galat hota. 7 is the right answer. Aap jeet gaye hai 1 crore rupae . And then we both hugged and he jokingly said come to Bombay to collect your 1 crore.”
Mimicry artist Arvind Arora
59 year old Arora has been invited to many a functions and weddings in the city to perform at as Amitabh Bachhan and has a career spanning over five years as a mimicry artist. Loving the interaction with the students at Hansraj College, Arora said, “Students were appreciating me and loved playing KBC with me. I really liked performing for them. I had come as a guest for an awards event to Hansraj. As I was walking up to my car to go home, these kids started coming to me and interacting with me. I felt like I am back in college myself! I am also hoping to visit the kids of Kirorimal College some day, as that is the college of Bachchan sahab, himself.”