24 December,2010 07:00 AM IST | | Kumar Siddharth
If you have been locked out of your house, car, or lost your keys, there are the duplicate key-makers to pry open any locks in a matter of few hours and rupees
"I can make out from the body language if a person is a burglar duplicating keys with an intent of theft", says Saibu Jagtap, proudly. Duplicate key-makers have been serving mankind from the time the first lock was latched. Even today, this community helps all those who have been locked out of their own homes, cars amongst others. They can be distinctly identified since they are always surrounded by jingling key bunches of all types. They can replicate keys of any household lock, car or bike with the same ease at reasonable rates.
u00a0Saibu (23), a duplicate-key-maker sits opposite the PICT (Pune Institute of Computer Technology) campus under the hoarding that reads ufffd 'expert of making keys' (sic). Talking about his profession, he says, "For most people, this is a very bland and banal occupation. But for me this is an extraordinary job and that is why I never get dismayed. I feel like chabhiwala of Hollywood blockbuster, 'Matrix reloaded'. One should be passionate about whatever he does. Sometimes I feel like a secret agent who is on a mission to find the ultimate master key which can undo each and every lock on planet earth."
Traditionally, duplicate key makers had manual metal filers to grind and give desired shape and cuts to the key which was a cumbersome process. Nowadays, they have switched to special automatic machines that can perform the work in a jiffy. This saves a lot of labour. "My dream wish is to duplicate a key based on an imprint on a soap just like the way they show in Hindi movies. But no such customer has approached me with such a request till date", says another key-maker Shabbir Ahmed, who is also teaching his adolescent son the art of 'duplicating keys'. He further added that the customer who will fulfill his dream would get lifelong free service from him. "This may not be good business sense. But I will still do it," says Shabbir.
