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Mushtaq and Yusuf are actually cousins but they have their own, independent printing units. Both of them learn the art from their own fathers who further learnt it from their grand-father living in a village near Tarapur. Mushtaq’s father, Babu Bhai has been printing since the last forty-six years. Mushtak does printing with one of his assistants while Babu Bhai irons the printed fabrics. They run their adda in the name of ‘Shanoo prints’ and largely make batik dress materials and wall hangings for the local market. Their business is not very large scale. On the other hand, Yusuf Bhai largely exports his products that include block prints, batik, bagru, dabu, t.c. prints etc. He experiments with newer products like scarves and stoles as well. This state awardee likes to participate in several fairs. ‘U. M. printers’, as his workshop is called, is four decades old and employs eleven people. It is one of the bigger ones in the city.
