At 7’2”, Imam makes no tall claim to fame

Asked if his height has been an asset to him, he says, “Of course, yes” without a moment’s hesitation. It was due to his height that he represented the State in basketball for three consecutively years from 1989. It was his height which fetched him job offers from the Southern Railways, Tatas and the Indian Army.

And again, it was his unusual height that took him to the Kannada filmland. Nagalinga Leele, Kadina Hakki, Nanna Hendatiya Lagna, Kalla Nenta and Sulla Beega are some of the movies he has acted in.

Imam is currently working with the KSRTC’s Body Building and RepairSection.

What makes him stand so tall? Imam answers height runs in the family. His father was 6 feet 9 inches tall, his mother and wife both stand at 5 feet 9 inches while his son, a student of class V, is already 5 feet 2 inches tall.

But surely height also has some drawbacks. It does, says Imam. “I can’t buy readymade garments or shoes. Everything has got to be tailor-made,” he rues.

“Besides, although I am employed with the KSRTC, I cannot sit or stand comfortably in any bus.” Even if he wants to, it’s always in the last seat, which has more leg space. Very often, he lands up on the footboard (“Of course, only after taking the conductor’s permission,” he adds.)

He is all praise for his employers who he says are very understanding and assign works which do not cause him any inconvenience.

However, Imam claims that it is due to him that the 60,000-plus employees in KSRTC get 20 per cent more cloth every year for their uniforms. The employees are now given three pieces of 2.80 m of clothinstead of two pieces, which they used to get earlier, he said.

With a height as good as that what does he aim for? “Nothing much, just to continue acting in films,” he says adding, “I would also like to see my son become the tallest man in the world.”