Syed Mohammad Hadi Rizvi, Mamunjan to us, was the third off-spring of BhaiAbba and Apa. He was the elder of the two sons. Mamunjan was married to Kaniz Zehra (Badi Mummy) from Handia, Allahabad, India. Mamunjan had completed his master’s in History from Lucknow University. He was employed as Labour Officer at the Bombay Docks/ Ports from where he retired in 1992(?). Mamunjan lived in Kurla, a suburb of Bombay till his death.

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Badi Mummy was also very religious. She also used to recite majalis on the ladies side in Kurla. Badi Mummy died in 201?.

 

We can safely say that the whole nuclear family of Mamunjan was very religious.

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Mamunjan was very intelligent and had a sharp mind. According to his own narration, in his childhood, he will go to majaalis in Lucknow, especially recited by Maulana Naqqan Saheb and then on returning home will recited the same majlis word-by-word to his audience – elder sisters and younger brother. Later on also, Mamunjan used to recite majalis in Kurla.

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Another aspect of Mamunjan’s personality is illustrated by Suroor Apya when she makes the following observation about Mamunjan – Mamunjan always taught good poetry to me and I am fortunate to have been exposed to good litterateur by Mamunjan.

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Besides being very religious, Mamunjan was also a very lively and entertaining personality. He was also very much interested in patang-bazi (Kite-flying) -  one of the means of entertainment of their times. We still talk about his famous quote related to patang-bazi – Saala, phir kaat gaya.

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Mamunjan was also a very good chutkula-go (narrator of jokes). I still remember the night before Vikki’s wedding in Sandila when Mamunjan, Achhe Mamun, Hakim Saheb (their ex-classmate and friend from Lucknow days and a professor at AMU Tibbiya College) and Bhaijan, kept us awake throughout the night with their one-after-the-other chutkule (jokes).