Historical aspects

The Nawab of Lucknow, Wajid Ali Khan, was one of history’s greatest patrons of Mujras. Wajid Ali Khan had hundreds of nautch girls, or dancing girls at his behest. Some of them were history’s greatest beauty queens, legendary pride of northern India. It is said that he had more than 300 nautch girls to his personal enjoyment.

The culture of Lucknow stood in stark contrast to the Punjabi development with Lahore at its capital. Maharajah Bhupinder Singh of Patiala was another hedonistic ruler, who took to mujra dancing with a passion. With a zest for life and beauty, Maharajah Bhupinder singh took upon himself to promote mujra dancing and developed the dance culture in the Punjab. Although he was based in Patiala, Lahore received great influence from his cultural pursuits.

Another mujra in a slightly different variation of the Punjabi vernacular. Saraiki, or Siraiki is the language of the southern / south-western Punjab region, centering on Multan. This particular mujra features a dancer performing to Saraiki music. Classic!

This mujra by Pakistani film actress Noor has been much lauded throughout the subcontinent. Noor is one of the better  known actresses of the Lahore film industry, and has done much crossover work in the mujra realm. Enjoy!

The Mujra is one of the most beautiful and timeless dance forms of the Indian subcontinent. It evolved as an amalgam of kathak and erotic dance, reaching zenith in the courts of the Mughal rules of India. From the seat of Delhi and Lucknow emerged oen of the most unique and exotic dances the world has ever known.

Like many other facets of life in India, the mujra dance evolved into forms hitherto unknown. It took on a significantly carnal overtone and became associated with the red light districts of Lahore, now the cultural capital of Pakistan. It was in Lahore that it saw development into what can only be termed as the Eastern counterpart to the lap dance. However, it retained the ancient glory of the medieval Mughal courts.

Mujras have developed into a variety of sub types. Colloqually speaking, we have the classical mujra, with proponents such as Fasih ur Rahman. Some may argue that this isn’t a mujra at all. Others may counter with the assertion that it is held to be so by the majority of the Pakistani audience.

Yet another type of mujra is the much popularized “stage show mujra”, catapulted to startdom by the rise of videotaped stage shows distributed on poor quality CDs among the masses of Pakistan.

Simultaneously, a different mujra stream was developed across the border in India. This saw the refinement of the traditional murja and subsequent introduction into high budget Bollywood films such as “Mughal e Azam” and now Jodhaa Akbar.

Well we’re talking about the Pakistani variety here. Is it the way the ladies shake their booties (figuratively speaking of course). or is it because it involves a significant sensual aspect, that can only be best portrayed by the sinuous grace of a Pakistan woman? Whatever the case, the fact remains that the Pakistani mujra has become immensely popular on both sides of the border, and indeed throughout the entire world.

They say a rose by any name smells as sweet. Well that may certainly be true in the case of the mujra performers. Interestingly, many mujra performers do not reveal their true names or identities. This is primarily due to the social taboo that comes with mujra performances, a practice looked down upon in a conservative Muslim country.

Nevertheless, the industry has thrived and continues to present us with mind boggingly addictive dance performances that are without parallel in the east or west.

Nirma shakes it all in one of the most famous mujras to hit the airwaves! This was ostensibly one of her earliest performances and created a veritable ruckus in Pakistan!

The Mujras of Lahore are in a class of their own. Created first in medieval India under the patronage of the Mughals like Akbar the Great, the Mujras in Lahore have evolved into a whole new art form in recent years. In present day Pakistan, Mujras have come up not only in the notorious Heera Mandi of Lahore, but also in theatrical performances fervently captured on video.

Lahore Mujras are now enjoyed not only in Pakistan but have also gaind a wider audience in India, throughout the Middle East and even in Europe and America.