He worked all his life for the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and the Progressive Writers Association (PWA), and for many years after their wedding, his income was the meagre stipend from the Party. For many years, the couple lived with their two children in accommodation provided by the Communist Party of India, which was a one bedroom in an apartment shared with three other families. Since all the other families were also communists and involved with theatre or cinema, Shaukat was also bitten by the bug of theatre.