Moustache or Mooch is considered to be part of manliness. Considered as important as a Pagdi which represents dignity and honour, mooch comes in the same category. The concepts of having a mooch have gone through a lot of changes and are as old as history. Now mooch has become part of fashion though a lot many men and youth feel better to stay clean shaved.

Earlier shaving of the mooch was also considered as part of mourning. Also if anyone was asked to shave it off on other situations, it was as a matter of disgrace. The term “moonch mundva dena” spoke of honour being soiled.

People have been sporting a variety of styles to suit their faces. Some are heavy like that of Natthulaal in the movie ‘Sharaabi’. ‘मूंछें हो तो नत्थूलाल जैसी हों वर्ना ना हों’ still brings out laughter when you see someone maintaining that style.

Then there was the spiral one just like jalebi which made Karna Bheel of Jaisalmer globally famous. Now we also have someone from Udaipur who has gone extremely famous as the face of Rajasthan Tourism, Mr. Upendra Vyas.

I can recall Indian men being called as too chocolaty without moustache. The movie actors without a mooch were very openly addressed as chocolaty heroes.

Mooch styles of India were more talked of when it depicted the robust personalities. Long and curved slightly turned upward were considered to be a sign of the Rajpoot clan. The small ones but bushy were recognised as sentries mooch, the huge bushy ones were mainly referred to in the dacoit stories.

The even smaller ones and too trimmed like Charlie Chaplin mostly ‘belonged’ to the munim or the cashier characters in the old era movies and even now in the stage plays. Small yet curved almost entering the nostrils showed a funny but ruffian character. Basically mooch has been there almost everywhere in the stories also when the air of superiority of the zamindaar characters needed to be shown.

Now that the younger generation prefers to stay clean shaved, well almost, mooch has become a sign of maturity. All said and done, the mooch does look good on a man adding a machoism to his personality.

To think of it, has any other devta apart from Lord Shani been shown with a mooch in any epic serial? No, I don’t think so.