Momina Mustehsan is the latest singing sensation in the country. Everybody is talking about her, she is all over the place, in the news, on social media, in magazines, in interviews and wherever there is glamor. That is what she is for most of the people around our country.
For me she is not that. For me she is much more than that. For me she is someone exceptionally talented. For me she is a simple girl, who lived her life the simple way and has passion for music. She might continue to live that way because in a very recent interview she said that singing was not a profession to her, instead it was her passion.
We have had superstars that have been 'larger than life'. They are all the same, no difference – and they keep on coming. I do not intend to disrespect them in any way, but if it is all the same then it becomes monotonous.
I can give you an example, a simple one. Inaam Ghar was the first show to do what everyone is trying to do nowadays. That was original and unique and that is why people liked it a lot.
Then Fahad Mustafa came up with his own version of that type of a show, which was just as good and then every television channel followed suit. And now even the original shows do not attract me a bit.
In the same way being larger than life is sort of clichéd now. Or at least that’s how I feel.
We need Momina to show us a side of celebrities to which we have never been exposed. We have rarely seen celebrities who are just like normal people. Momina portrays that image. She is one of a kind.
Momina can curtail this trend where anyone bordering on fame has to act like a ‘celebrity’. There is life beyond that.
We make people heroes because we choose them as such. If today we choose Momina Mustehsan, it bodes well for the future.
Anyone following Momina’s footsteps would take note of her excellence in studies and pursuance of music, not as a career, but an art that she is passionate about. For Momina, fame is not the end to which music is the means.
She is gorgeous, yes, but can we all go beyond that please? Can we as a nation stop obsessing over beauty and more importantly can we stop defining it in such narrow terms? Can we laud her talent over her looks?
She debuted on Coke Studio and that was with the legendary Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Yes, she is that good to be chosen by Coke Studio for the cover of Afreen Afreen, originally sung by Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khaan Sahab – one of the greatest musicians of all time.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s Afreen Afreen is simply a masterpiece. The Coke Studio cover was brilliant as well. Rahat Fateh tried to emulate Nusrat Sahab as much as possible and he did justice to his part. Momina with those additional lyrics, was as good as any other singer could have been.
Hence, Momina’s talent is obvious. And with her personality she might be able to transform the idea of stardom in Pakistan for the better.
On a finishing note for Momina Mustehsan, Abida Parveen said something about people like her:
‘Dhoondo ge agar mulkon mulkon,
Milne ke nhi, nayaab hain hum’