The Washington Post pointed me to a term for India that I had never heard before – Hairy Hindustan. They declare the era of the Indian moustache to be over. But India will not shave off this legacy so easily.
Authority and moustache go hand in hand in ‘Hairy Hindustan’. Meesai, meecha or mooch as it can be known, is as much a symbol of authority and Sarkari power as it is of the villain.
Moustache as Authority
A scene in the indie Tamil film ‘Soodhu Kavvum’ features a group of would-be criminals who seek to kidnap a politician’s son from a rival gang of kidnappers. To do this, they dress as policemen. But how do they pull off the policeman look? Elementary, my dear! With a twirl of your moustache.
Institutional authority in India is often linked to the possession of a moustache. From the Zamindar to the soldier or policeman, these things convey a sense of power.
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