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Mohammad Gulzar Saifi (February 16, 1983- ) is an Indian educator, community organizer and polio survivor in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India. He was the featured protagonist in the 2009 Academy Award-nominated documentary film, The Final Inch. [1]
Gulzar is a graduate in English from Meerut's Chowdhary Charan Singh University. In part, because of the celebrity status which attended the film, this teacher with a disability has come to earn a living by giving English lessons to about 60 children daily.[2] Gulzar has learned the hard way that "polio is not a disease, it’s a disaster for many ... I was lucky, I had a good family who looked after me but what about those who don’t, those who are abandoned? I appeal to everyone to get their child vaccinated against polio."[3]
There was comparatively little media coverage about The Final Inch in India, even as its people seemed obsessed with Oscar-front-runner Slumdog Millionaire.[4] However, articles in The Times of India, Daily India]] and word-of-mouth in Meerut's Dibai Nagar area confirm that Saifi is the star of the documentary.[5] Saifi's prominent role in the film has caused a dramatic change in his life; and when the film was included in the Oscar race, people were congratulating him with flowers and garlands.[6]
Assessing on the film's potential impact, Meerut District's Chief Medical Officer Dr K Maheshwari observed, "The sensitivity with which the film has been made is a sign of the earnestness of those involved in the polio eradication program. Gulzar's story is bound to be a lesson for many families ignoring polio vaccination. We really hope it works towards motivating that section of the society."[2]
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