Muharram brings respite for Munni

Munni tries to restore her life after being socially ostracised because of a song.

LAHORE: The month of Muharram has brought some relief for Munni who had to close her small grocery store in Lahore ever since the Dabangg song “Munni Badnam Hui” became a hit.

Munni, a mother of two, has reopened her store as the advent of Muharram has caused her neighbours to switch from their Bollywood soundtrack tapes to elegies.

Munni says she has opened the store as she knows nobody in her neighbourhood will play “Munni Badnam Hui” at full volume, at least during first 12 days of Muharram. “So far nobody has sung this song in front of me and I hope that the things are going to be okay,” she said.

Munni had to bear financial losses as well as mental anguish since the song became a hit. She said that every now and then someone would come to her store and sing, ‘Munni badnaam hui darling teray liye’ in front of her customers.

Munni said that while she didn’t pay much attention to it earlier, when it became a routine she had to close her store. She said that problems weren’t limited to her professional life but disturbed her personal life as well, because on seeing her, boys would start singing the song very loudly to tease her.

Munni’s grocery store is located inside her house and she has to run it to make ends meet. She said that after a long time she was able to place her charpai (woven bedstead) in front of her store during the day. “I was scared that someone might tease me again but this didn’t happen and I am much more at ease now,” she said. “I hope that I won’t have to face the same torture after Muharram.

(I am hoping) things will return to normal and hopefully some other song will become a hit by then and people will forget the song about Munni.”

The Express Tribune also spoke to Billu who had to face the same kind of problems when Abrarul Haq’s popular track “Billo De Ghar” released.

During that time Billu wrote letters to several newspapers explaining the problems she was facing.

“I still remember those days as the worst days of my life. We had a paan shop at the corner of our street and the shopkeeper would play the song all the time. I had to face this problem for months and I couldn’t go out freely,” said Billu.

She added that people tease others for fun but don’t think about the problems that the other person might have to face or how their joking actually might hurt others.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th, 2010.