The Rise of Mehak Malik

Over the past four or five years, a 27-year-old Mujra performer from Gojra, Toba Tek Singh, has won over all those with Shahi Shauq. In such a short time, Mehak Malik, a khwaja sira performer who entertains in private events, has amassed 11.5 million followers on TikTok alone. Her appearances are anticipated days in advance. Mehak Malik performs to the songs of local Punjabi singers such as Zeeshan Rokhri and Tahir Nayyer, in addition to Naseebo Lal's songs. A quick search on YouTube will reveal Mehak Malik's popularity in the rural communities of Punjab. Several of her dance videos have over one hundred million views.

Sister duo, Nargis and Deedar were immensely popular in Punjabi stage and mujra dance scene in the early 2000s, but their performances were primarily limited to Lahore's theaters. In contrast, Mehak Malik performs at private events throughout Punjab. People lavish her with enormous amount of rupees.

Mehak Malik's performances have their dedicated TV channel on a local cable TV network in South Punjab which runs advertisments for 'hakeems' and 'babas,' who treat impotence, black magic, and supernatural feats. Their ads and Mehak Malik dance performances alternate on the channel 24/7.