Few characters in Hindi cinema have been as warmly remembered as A.K. Hangal’s Rahim Chacha from Sholay. With his gentle demeanour, unmistakable voice and understated performances, Hangal became one of Bollywood’s most loved character actors, appearing in films such as Guddi, Bawarchi, Namak Haraam, Abhimaan, Aandhi, Chitchor and Shaukeen. But long before audiences knew him as the kindly father, neighbour or grandfather on screen, Avtar Kishan Hangal had built his life around another craft, tailoring. He learnt the profession in his younger years and went on to become a skilled tailor and master cutter in Bombay. What distinguished his work was his knowledge and practice of British cutting, a disciplined tailoring technique known for its precision, structure and attention to proportion. Hangal learnt and followed this method throughout his tailoring career, developing the kind of technical expertise that made him much more than someone who simply stitched garments. For him, tailoring was a craft, one that demanded patience, precision and an understanding of the individual wearing the garment.

It was through this world of precision tailoring that Hangal's story became intertwined with M N Rao, the Mumbai tailoring house established in 1965. Hangal became a mentor to the young tailoring establishment, sharing his knowledge of cutting and construction and helping shape its approach to bespoke tailoring. His expertise in British cutting became part of the knowledge passed on to the house, an approach centred on precision, proportion and the disciplined construction of a garment. Decades later, that philosophy continues to remain part of M N Rao's bespoke tailoring practice. Today, the brand's next generation, Vinayak Rao and Madhusudan Rao, is carrying the legacy forward, retaining the principles of traditional cutting while evolving the experience of bespoke tailoring for the contemporary customer. What began as a relationship between a master cutter and his protégé has therefore become part of a larger story of craftsmanship passed from one generation to another.