Singing sensation from Noida battles poverty to score 93.7%
On the first day of the month of Ramzan, 17-year-old Minnatullah gave his Noida based family a gift they will remember for ages — he scored 93.7% marks in his class 12 boards. What makes his achievement sweeter is that Minnatullah has already made a name for himself in the world of music. All this despite the fact that he comes from a family of meagre means.
A former participant of popular talent hunt show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs, Minnatullah is a celebrity among his classmates at Delhi Public School, Noida, Sector 30. Given his melodious voice, his friends often ask him to sing.
Hailing from Araria district of Bihar, Minnatullah stays in Noida sector 8 with his parents and five siblings. His father Reyazuddin (48) is the sole bead earner of the family. Every day Reyazuddin rides his cycle to collect brown bread from factories and supply them to shopkeepers in Noida for a meagre sum. The family moved to Delhi in 2004 and it was in 2010 that Minnatullah was enrolled in DPS under RTE quota.
When HT approached him on Sunday after the results were declared, Minnatullah was elated. He even sang a famous Bollywood number. Minnatullah said he received support from his school teachers and credited them for his achievement.
“I found commerce and Business studies to be interesting and I received excellent support from my teachers and friends. I used to study in school hours as well as at home,” Minnatullah said.
The ‘little champ’ now wants to concentrate on his singing and believes that he has what it takes to be one of the best singers in India. “I want to concentrate on my singing career post my 12th boards. In Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs, I managed to enter multiple rounds. This time, I want to go better prepared,” Minnatullah said.