If you believe the legacy of Heera Mandi is limited to Lahore’s historic red light district, think again.
Today the real Heera Mandi thrives in Defence (DHA), says Yousaf Salahuddin.
Appearing as a guest on Amna Isani’s YouTube channel, Mian Yousuf Salahuddin, the well know cultural historian, philanthropist and maternal grandson of Allama Iqbal, discussed the shifting legacy of Heera Mandi.
“Now, as I said, the biggest Heera Mandi is in Defence (DHA) because all the money is there. Most of the new wealth and ill-gotten wealth is in Defence, and now, people come with their own backgrounds, some are new, some are old.”
He clarified that people often confuse professional dancers (tawaifs) with sex workers.
“Dancing girls were professional dancers, sex workers were stationed in that area, which is called ‘Chakla’ in Urdu. It was an area where only they operated. But people began to mix up the two. People did not understand the difference between dancing girls and sex workers,” Yousaf said.
Salahuddin also reflected on the cultural decline of Shahi Mohalla (Heera Mandi) during General Zia-ul-Haq’s regime.
He pointed out, “It was in 1988 that a strict crackdown began, because most of the voters from that community were PPP supporters. Since the entire community leaned towards PPP, a crackdown was launched. One day, for no reason, all the girls were picked up. During Zia-ul-Haq’s era, it was said that these women would usually sit in the upper floors of the brothels.”
Yousaf Salahuddin expressed concern over the current state of performances in theaters, comparing them to the past.
“What happens in theaters now is horrific, the kinds of performances you see there, you can’t even call it a mujra anymore. Mujra was a refined form of art. In the past, it was a sophisticated cultural performance, not like what happens today.”
Salahuddin criticized the recent portrayal of Heera Mandi in media, especially in films, saying, “All the films that have been made recently, especially that film which was Bansili’s film, I think I saw only one episode of it. They have glamorized it a lot, made it famous, but they did it wrong. It all seems like it’s Lucknow. Brother, this is Lahore’s market. There’s no such attire here, nor such culture. They brought in the culture of Delhi and Lucknow and placed it here.”
Yousaf Salahuddin calls for a better understanding of Heera Mandi’s cultural importance, focusing on its art and separating it from its controversial past.
