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I Am A People's Person: Mustafa Ajmeri



"My day never really begins unless I spend some time networking"		 Atlanta-based promoter Mustafa Ajmeri has to his credit several Bollywood shows and plays, the most recent being 'Kkusum Manhar Lele,' and the 'Anup Jalota/Anuradha Paudwal Show.' Mustafa is married to Kheru and has a son Arif, and two daughters Farzana and Shehnaz.

It is not for nothing that he is called the Indian Mayor of Atlanta. He is here, there, everywhere! You have a problem that needs to be solved, call Mustafa. You need information, or guidance, call him again. You need publicity, Mustafa’s there! 

Well,  we zeroed in on an unsuspecting Mustafa Ajmeri when he walked into Immigration Attorney Chandler Sharma’s office (Mustafa is also  PR manager for Chandler Sharma’s law firm). It was not one of his busy days. Not too many engagements around town. No shows that evening, No trips to the Hartsfield Jackson Airport to meet Bollywood biggies! 

True to his nature, Mustafa was sporting enough to play along. The following is Mustafa's  account of a very average day in his life.
My day started with a trip to the International Farmers Market. Why IFM? Well, there’s a new immigrant from Chicago, and he asked me to give him directions to the market. I was going the same route, so I asked him to follow me. I took him into the market and showed him around.

Then I went to Desi, a printing press across the street to collect flyers for a new Gujarati play that I am co-promoting. 

My third stop was at Horizon Bank to finalize sponsors for the play.

I left from there to the Gwinnett Civic Center, which will be the venue for the play. I had to coordinate with show details there.

My day never really begins unless I spend some time networking. The India Tribune office at Global Mall (the biggest Indian mall in North America) is the nerve center for my networking activities. I spent some time there, before I strolled down to the food court, and visited some of the stores at the mall. When people from the community greet me warmly, it makes my day!

There were other jobs to be done, so I left Global Mall for a trip south of the city to the Hindu Temple of Atlanta. Thousands of people had gathered there for the annual festival and the consecration of a new Shiva temple at the premises. I left plenty of flyers there, and met up with a few old acquaintances. A close friend was volunteering with traffic at the temple, so I remembered to take him a bottle of water.

By mid-afternoon I was on my way to Chandler Sharma’s Law offices. I will probably spend three to four hours here, doing PR work before I leave for a private reception and dinner being hosted by Chandler and Paddy Sharma for office staff.

I must add that I get, on an average, around 45 calls on my cell from community people seeking guidance, information, help etc.

Why do I do what I do? I am a people’s person and I enjoy it. Also, I cannot say no to anybody. I guess that’s what makes me…. well, Mustafa Ajmeri?

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