Morose Munni, sullen Sheila change names

chief

Prime VIP
Morose Munni, sullen Sheila change names, seeking, er...anonymity

While chart-toppers Munni badnam hui and Sheila ki jawani scorch dance floors across the country, the songs have turned the lives of two sisters in Thane upside down.



(From left) While Munni Giri, 35, wants her name changed to Seema, Sheila Giri wants to be called Sheetal

Sheila Giri and Munni Giri these days don’t even step out of their houses for fear of being harassed by neighbours with ‘Munni’ and ‘Sheila’ barbs. The fact that they are siblings only provides mischief-mongers so much more scope.

On Thursday, the sisters – Sheila, a resident of Naupada, Thane (west); and Munni, a resident of Kopri, Thane (east) – filed independent applications at the Government Gazette Office seeking change of name. Munni, 35, wants her name changed to Seema; and Sheila, 27, wants to be called Sheetal. Both will soon issue mandatory advertisements in newspapers declaring the change of names.

For now, Munni, a mother of two kids, has just stopped venturing out. “Each time I step out, the ruffians around our house break into ‘Munni badnaam hui’. It’s really embarrassing at my age. I just can’t take it anymore,” said Munni. She was talking to this reporter at the Government Gazette Office just before she filed the application.

Sheila had heard from her sister how the Munni song from Dabangg featuring Malaika Arora had turned her life into hell. “I only now fully appreciate what she has been through. For others this may be a joke, for me and my family it’s been a nightmare that just does not seem to end,” she said.

Sheila now does not even drop her son to school. “Every time I went to his school, children began singing Sheila ki jawani. It became just so embarrassing both for me and my child. The song really makes me feel cheap.”



Malaika Arora Khan as Munni in Dabangg



Katrina Kaif as Sheila in Tees Maar Khan

Both married into business families, Munni and Sheila believe television channels unendingly comparing the two songs, the two actors featured in them, and their ranks in popularity charts have only added to their trauma. “There have been programmes where it’s been debated whether Munni is better or Sheila. These days our kids tell who is on top and who is trailing,” said Sheila.

The sisters have even started receiving sms jokes from relatives. “There are so many of them flooding our in-boxes. I don’t know what they are thinking, but we don’t see any humour in this,” said Munni.

Munni’s 10-year-old daughter has got into many fights over her mother being heckled and now her father, Nirmal Giri, is considering suing television channels.

“Television channels have made the two names sound so cheap that people around us are only getting bolder by the day. Just the other day, some channel was talking about Sheila’s rate being more than that of Munni’s and so on. Once we are done with name change, I will personally see to it that the channels stop this nonsense,” he said.
 
Top