In celebrity shoes

Sabu Ramesh Tiwari is a city-based tailor. After wrapping up his day’s work, he moonlights as an actor. But Sabu plays just one role —that of superstar Rajinikanth. He shares the actor’s looks, mannerisms and has perfected the star’s walk and voice as well. Sabu was one of the doppelgangers recently spotted signing autographs and taking selfies with fans at a single-screen theatre in Pune.Like other doppelgangers, Sabu puts his job on hold regularly, to rehearse and perform across the country. In fact, he wishes he could do it full time. “Given the option, I would love to pursue this as a full time career. I feel that this is what I was born to do,” Sabu exclaims passionately. Like him, Sunil Dhende, a photographer by profession, happens to be the doppelganger of yesteryear star Dev Anand. While these two part-time actors juggle between their roles, there are others like Rahul Mitre (Johnny Lever’s lookalike) and Bapu George Jadhav (your neighborhood Amitabh Bachchan) who are full-time doppelgangers. They spend hours in front of the mirror getting the expressions right, learning new dialogues and even go to lengths to nail the right look. Rahul Mitre, for instance, got his hair permanently curled to match his idol and lookalike, Johnny Lever.
Looking like celebrities, these doppelgangers get the celebrity treatment, and in addition, they are also called for shows where they perform famous dialogues, dance moves and monologues that the original stars made popular. “I began imitating Dev Anand when I was in class seven. I started to walk and talk like him. My body movements too are inspired by the actor. I am 54-years-old and have played junior Dev Anand for the past 35 years, but every

I get thrilled when someone calls me Dev,” says Sunil. Rahul Mitre and Bapu George Jadhav too love that they look like celebrities. About 16-years ago, films like Judaii, Hadh Kar Di Aapne and Dulhe Raja were making both Johnny Lever and Rahul famous at the same time. People began running to him for autographs mistaking him to be the celebrity. That’s when he realised the potential of being a doppelgänger. “I don’t need to practice anymore; Johnny bhai is now a part of my identity. I have even forgotten my real name,” he smiles.Now, these actors are all set to shine on the silver screen too. They have been cast in singer Anand Shinde’s directorial debut Nandu Natware.

Getting into character
Be it the flick of the cigarette or wearing sunglasses in his inimitable style - everything that Rajinikanth does, Sabu too can do, though not with the same finesse. He has done about 50 shows till date and still works on perfecting these moves with the hope of mastering them one day. “I started with practising in front of the mirror. But now it’s part of my personality. Even though I haven’t met the actor, I thank him from all my heart,” he says. Sunil, who imitates Dev Anand, has performed about 16,000 shows till date and confides that if you do not keep practising you are bound to get rusty. “Even if you don’t spend hours in front of the mirror and just continue to watch the actor’s movies and perform shows every week, the character gets set in you and it’s an easy from there on,” he shares.