HYDERABAD: It was while he was attracting huge crowds and making decent money working as a stage artiste in Shilparamam that a fatal incident changed Nookaji’s life forever. Since then, Nookaji has been creating awareness among people on traffic rules and regulations. Soon after the incident in which he lost a dear one, the artiste took it upon himself to educate the citizens on traffic rules. Ever since then, Nookaji has been spending two hours on a daily basis to educate citizens on the need to adhere to traffic rules.
Bocchu Nookaji, 52, who hails from Thuni, recently received an outsourcing job in Cyberabad commissionerate. He moved to Hyderabad in 2006 after he was offered a job as a stage artiste for the Night Bazaar in Shilparamam. A BCom graduate who led a normal life, Nookaji sank into depression after he lost one of his cousins in a road accident.
After learning that the incident happened due to his cousin’s own negligence, Nookaji initiated steps to spread awareness. The artiste sets off to Kukatpally and JNTU-H every morning in his attractive and noticeable attire. His echoing voice has been grabbing the attention of motorists at these busy signals for the past few years. At a time when speed matters the most since we all are in a rush to reach somewhere, Nooakaji has been leading by example to school citizens on the need to drive safely.
A worried Nookaji shares, “Whenever I’m at the JNTU-H junction, I always see youngsters crossing the roads negligently while talking on their mobile phones. Though police personnel are investing efforts on traffic education, we haven’t been able to bring down the number of accident deaths and mishaps. I am just doing my own part as a citizen. All I can do is dedicate some time from my life to help people understand the value of life.”
The artiste, after finding the right spot at signals, begins reciting awareness slogans. Several motorists have thanked him for taking up such a selfless initiative which can help save the lives of many.Mentioning the struggles he has been facing since the lockdown, Nookaji says, “I gained much fame for playing various roles during my days in Andhra Pradesh. Later, I moved to Hyderabad in 2006 to work at the Shilparamam. I worked at the Night Baazar on the weekends with the same passion. I witnessed my friends going back to their hometowns due to the lack of opportunities in the film industry. However, for me, everything was going smooth until the death of my cousin in December, 2017. It hit me hard and I decided to take it upon myself to spread awareness among the public. Though I lost my job after the lockdown was announced, I never stopped taking up the programme.”
After learning about his initiatives, the Kukatpally MLA helped Nookaji. Former Cyberabad Commissioner VC Sajjanar also appreciated Nookaji for his work and offered him an outsourcing job at the Commissionerate. Nookaji now works with Police Jagruthi Kala Brundam and is occupied for three days a week with them.
‘Never turning back’
Mentioning the struggles he has been facing since the lockdown, Nookaji says, “I gained much fame during my days in AP. Later, I moved to Hyderabad to work at the Shilparamam. Though I lost my job during the lockdown, I never stopped taking up the programme.” After learning about his initiatives, former Cyberabad CP VC Sajjanar appreciated Nookaji for his work and offered him an outsourcing job at the Commissionerate