AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
the homecoming
The history of a house is the history of two countries
JUNE 13-19 2010
JUNE 13-19 2010
AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
Cover Story 16 The Homecoming Ahmad Rafay Alam’s home became a metaphor for Partition
Feature 20 Along came Pollywood The Pashto film industry is in dire straits
Profile 22 Of Silhouettes and Identities Osman Yousefzadeh brings an ethnic sensibility to fashion
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Comment 25 The President’s To-Do List As crisis reigns in the country, the president chalks up his agenda
Portfolio 26 Polaroid Dreams Komail Rizvi’s images are all about holding onto memories
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Review 34 What’s new in films, books and art
Regulars 6 People & Parties: Out and about with beautiful people 14 Tribune Questionnaire: Shaan on defeatism 38 Courtesy Call: When texting is inappropriate 40 Horoscope: Shelley von Strunckel on your week ahead 42 Ten Things I Hate About: Restaurants
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Magazine Editor: Muna Khan, Features Editor: Faiza S Khan, Sub-Editor: Batool Zehra, Hamna Zubair Creative Team: Amna Iqbal, Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Anam Haleem, Tariq Alvi, S Asif Ali, Sukayna Sadik Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Executive Editor: Muhammad Ziauddin. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi. For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk Printed by: Yaqeen Art Press (Pvt.) Ltd., Karachi
JUNE 13-19 2010
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Happy Feet
Lewre the Malaysian footwear brand launched at Silver Sands in Sea View Karachi. 1. Aamir, Ayesha Omar, Rima Farid 2. Samar Mehdi 3. Lew and Maheen Khan 4. Sana and Zurain 5. Zahir Rahimtoola and Lew 6. Maliha Mirza and Pinky 7. Zain Ali and Tabinda 8. Tehmina Khalid, Shalla Rahman and Mr Rahman 9. Asma Hassan 10. Moiz Kazmi.
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JUNE 13-19 2010
PEOPLE & PARTIES
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JUNE 13-19 2010
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Fashion Fever
Atelier was recently launched at Labels’ Defence Outlet. 1. Zaria Iqbal Jamil and Adil 2. Hira Siddique 3. Faraz, Hamza and Ali Shahid 4. Zille and Fahad 5. Haider and Hassan 6. Zaria and Zuha Iqbal Jamil 7.Khadija and Ubaid 8. Asma and Hanna 9. Hamza Tarar 10. Uzma 11. Sana and Fahad Hussayn 12. Zaria and Zuha Iqbal Jamil 13. Mishaal and Fareena 14. Sherbano Iqbal and Rasti 15. Mateen 16. Noor.
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PEOPLE & PARTIES
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Dressed For Success
The Flagship Store, boasting collections of 13 designers, was launched at World Fashion Cafe. 1. Guests 2. Hina Butt and Sehr Anees 3. Minahil and Sehr Latif 4. Rana Noman and Huma.
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PHOTOS: IMRAN FAREED
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“My state of mind is sad” Lollywood’s leading man Shaan hates his gut, loves his country and relates to Charles Darwin. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
A perfect Pakistan.
I would be punctual.
What is your greatest fear?
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
The present situation in the country.
Connecting with the masses through my films.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
Smoking.
Myself.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Where would you most like to live?
Hypocrisy and people not speaking up for their rights.
Pakistan.
What is your greatest extravagance?
What is your most treasured possession?
Cars.
Nothing.
What is your current state of mind?
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Sad.
Defeatism.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
If you didn’t do your current job, what would you choose to do?
Fortitude.
I’d be a lawyer.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
What is your most marked characteristic?
My gut.
Perseverance.
Which living person do you most despise?
Who is your hero of fiction?
No one.
Superman.
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Honesty and the desire to work hard.
Charles Darwin.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Who are your heroes in real life?
Intellect and finesse.
No one.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
What is your greatest regret?
Pakistan first.
Not being able to change the political situation of our country.
When and where were you happiest?
What’s your favourite quote?
I’m still waiting for that moment.
“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination.”
Which talent would you most like to have?
How many hours of loadshedding did you experience yesterday?
Being a better guitarist.
Four hours. a
15 AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
COVER STORY
the homecoming BY AHMAD RAFAY ALAM
I was born into one of those families that presumes one completes their studies at a Western university. And so it was that I found myself preparing for my bar qualification at Lincoln’s Inn. Though the bar was dreadfully boring and, as I later discovered, totally irrelevant to the Pakistani legal system, I was lucky to find accommodation at William Goodenough House in London’s quiet McLenburgh Square. Willie G had quite a few Pakistani residents and we forged the type of deep friendships one forges
when they live thousands of miles from home. It was when I was in Willie G that I met and became
friends with Martand, from Delhi, who was studying to become an architect. At the time, I had
never been to India. I had no notion of what India was like or what Indians were like other than the opinions I’d picked up in school textbooks, novels, television, the press, movies. You get the picture.
Martand and I hit it off immediately. South Asia being a much smaller place than you’d think,
we had been paying guests at different times in the same apartment in Queensway. His maternal grandfather, Bisham Sahni, the great Hindi writer, was a contemporary of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, the
legendary Pakistani poet. I learnt that both his grandparents and my father shared the same alma
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matter, Lahore’s famous Government College. I learnt that part of Martand’s family were from LaAUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
hore, and had been forced to flee to India during Partition. I’ve
raya Alam, is one of those old school Muslim ladies who thought
ain’t seen it, you ain’t seen nothin’) sort, and his connections
but would, eventually, always yield to their husband’s final
always been a proud Lahori, a vekhiya tay jamiya nahin (if you with the city of my birth, along with his wit and intelligence and
the fact that my girlfriend got along with him, made my relationship with Martand stronger.
Still, it was a shock when, one evening Martand barged into
my room at Willie G and said, in mock outrage “Oi b*** ch*d, you’re living in my f***ing house!”
Mr and Mrs Mehmood Alam, my paternal grandparents, shift-
themselves independent if they challenged female stereotypes opinion. A keen tennis player in her college days herself, Surrayya met Mehmood at a tennis match and, from what I gather
from family lore, set her eyes firmly on him. When their affair was finally discovered by her father, Mehmood did the honour-
able thing and they were married. On her husband’s direction, however, Surrayya never played tennis again.
Young, athletic and beautiful, the Alams were embraced by
ed to Lahore at Partition. Mehmood Alam was quite the tennis
post-Partition Lahore’s social circle. If Lahore’s social circle is
to have played Wimbledon as an Indian (1938, where he lost in
opted for membership of the Gymkhana after deciding that the
player in his day, and has the distinction of being the only person
a qualifying round) and as a Pakistani (1948,where he qualified but didn’t get much further than that). I mention the tennis because it was his dexterity with the racquet that got him a job at
Bird & Co., India’s largest trading house at the time. During the
build-up to Partition, the company decided to send Mehmood Alam, who was a manager at the firm’s Delhi operations, to La-
small now, it must have been tiny in the early 1950s. Mehmood relatively more exclusive Punjab Club’s “No Dogs or Natives”
mentality wasn’t to his liking. By regularly playing at the Club’s manicured grass courts and dining and dancing in the magnificent clubhouse situated in the heart of Lawrence Gardens,
Mehmood Alam rubbed shoulders with the bureaucratic and po-
hore. Mobs were setting about Muslims in Delhi. Best to have a Muslim manager for Muslim Pakistan’s Lahore, they must have thought. Prudent.
The Alam’s initial stay in Lahore was brief. Within a few
months of being transferred, my grandfather was hired by the Associated Cement Company (Bird & Co. did the marketing for
ACC), and was sent for training to Bombay. It wasn’t until 1953 the couple returned to the city they have lived in since.
The move wasn’t easy. Families that had opted to migrate to
Pakistan were compensated, if that is the correct term for this
situation, for what they had left behind. What they were often compensated with, and this is why the word compensation isn’t
quite right, was the properties millions of Hindus and Sikhs who, having found themselves overnight religious minorities in a hostile Muslim majority country, left everything in their life
behind when fleeing the violence of Partition into the relative
safety of India. After Partition, with the flood of mohajirs into the newly-formed Pakistan, there was a rush of compensation
claims. Given that, in the words of a New Yorker of the time, the maturity of the Pakistani establishment could be likened to a gang of enthusiast novices, these compensation claims suc-
cumbed to manipulation. They became politicised and, even quicker, the source of great corruption.
For Mr and Mrs Alam — now the parents of two children with a
third on the way and anxious to find a home to settle into – what
all this meant was that there weren’t any good houses left to pick from.
My grandfather is one of those old school Muslim gentlemen
who thought themselves modern if they didn’t insist their women cover their heads but balked at the thought of women exer-
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cising “their independence” any further. My grandmother, SurAUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
COVER STORY litical elite. Chief Secretary and fellow tennis buff Akhtar Hussain was very helpful in arranging young Mehmood Alam a tour of the remaining houses in Lahore’s evacuee compensation pool.
The first house my grandparents toured was located near Lawrence and Mason Roads. It had
somehow been occupied, in my grandmother’s words, by “people so backward that they were sitting in the living room twirling a stick tied to the fan. They didn’t know how to turn it on.” Despite having been years since Partition, the house was still “fully furnished.” My grandparents described
it as surreal. There was a dinner service on the dining table and, in a study in an annex in the back, a glass of water lay on a desk as if someone had just risen to answer the phone. “I told them I didn’t want a house like this,” my grandfather told me. Now over ninety, he stiffens whenever he talks of Partition. His eyes gaze away.
Eventually it was Qurban Ali Khan, the SP Delhi before Partition and now the IG Police of the new
Pakistani Punjab, who was instrumental in getting my grandparents a place they could call their
own and where they could raise my family. Khan Sahib, who was later the Governor of NWFP as well as Baluchistan, had known the young Alam couple from his days in Delhi and their friendship
had grown in Lahore. The house eventually found was on Mall Road, between the Canal and the
Cantonment. It was part of the compensation pool but some powerful bureaucrats had set their eyes on it and were refusing to vacate it. According to family lore, and this is quite a measure of the type of officer he was, Qurban Ali Khan had to get the Chief Minister, Nawab Mumtaz Daultana, himself to arrange the eviction. This is how, after several years of living in a variety of flats,
friends’ homes and rented bungalows, the Alams found themselves a home in Pakistan. According to the Record of Permanent Transfers kept by the Board of Evacuee Property, Mehmood Alam was transferred a 2½ acre plot with a large two storey bungalow in the middle of sprawling gardens located at 90 Upper Mall in November 1959.
My father, the eldest of Surrayya and Mehmood’s children, was married in the front lawn of 90
Upper Mall. So was my sister and, after I convinced my girlfriend to come to Lahore to work as a lawyer, so was I.
The house is huge; large enough to allow my grandparents and two generations of their offspring
to live comfortably. In the Seventies, my grandparents constructed a block of two apartments in the back garden, which they put on rent. The flats are now occupied by my aunt, the potter Sheherzade
Alam and Mehmood and Surrayya’s second child, who lives in the first-floor apartment, and by my immediate family, which lives downstairs. There was enough space left that my uncle Shaban,
Mehmood and Surrayya’s youngest child, has built his home, a two storey flat, in one of the side gardens. I’ve lived at the back of the 90 Upper Mall property for the better part of my life.
When she left Lahore to spend the summer of 1947 in Simla, as the families of the judges of the
Lahore High Court did every year, Shakuntala Khosla had no idea she would never see the city of
her birth again. She was the daughter of Bawa Natha Singh, a canal engineer in the service of the
British Raj. Having risen to the post of Chief Engineer of Canals, Bawa Natha Singh tucked into his savings and bought himself some land outside Lahore, on the other side of the Canal and near the
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When she left Lahore to spend the summer of 1947 in Simla, Shakuntala Khosla had no idea she would never see the city of her birth again.
railway track that marked the outer limits of the Lahore Canton-
per Mall some years earlier when he had visited Lahore. He had
The plot he bought was located on the Mall, around the mid-
house by Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s daughter, the artist Salima Hashmi.
1920s, on this tract of land some five or more acres in size, Bawa Natha Singh built his family a stately home surrounded by gar-
dens. Then, in a stroke of genius that would make him a very rich man, he constructed another six bungalows around the
house and put them on rent. In 1928, Shakuntala was married
been shown around the city of his birth and his grandfather’s He remembers coming to 90 Upper Mall and meeting some peo-
ple who lived there. “One was a potter” he told Martand. “Last name Alam or something.” The penny dropped. I bloody live in Martand’s house.
Martand and I tell this story every time we meet people to-
to G.D. Khosla, a promising young Additional District & Sessions
gether. We’ve gotten quite good at it. Depending on how far into
Later, G.D. Khosla was elevated to the Lahore High Court and
between five and 30 minutes talking about how we discovered
Judge, in her father’s newly built house.
moved to a home in G.O.R. But G.D. Khosla was much more than
a High Court judge. An eminent and distinguished jurist, he was also a prolific author, penning several books of fiction and
history, most notably the Partition classic Stern Reckoning. In the
summer of 1947, Inder Pal Khosla, told me, there was “talk” that
there would be violence at the Partition. But the Khosla family dismissed it as nothing more than bazaar gossip. It was only as
late as July that it became clear that the threat was real and they needed to make a decision fast. I don’t think anyone had any
the night an evening has progressed, we can spend anywhere
I lived in Martand’s house. There are endless permutations to each facet of this story. “I want rent,” Martand will shout at me,
right after it’s been used as an ice breaker to introduce me to new friends. I’ll throw in a flippant retort about how I’m a lawyer and
will see him in court. Sometimes Martand will feign horror over
how I live in a house with sprawling grounds — he’s come to visit
Lahore twice, and both times enjoyed himself so much that he fell ill – when he has to face the insane property prices in Delhi.
Has the story made us better friends? Of course it has. For us,
doubts which way things were going to be. G.D. Khosla and fam-
the story is interesting because of the sheer coincidence of it all.
lect her belongings. Instead, G.D. Khosla himself drove down to
and arbitrary nature of the result of Partition. If it weren’t for
ily opted for India. Shakuntala never returned to Lahore to colLahore, rented a few trucks and, with the assistance of his friend Manzur Qadir, collected all his belongings. On the way back out
of the city, G.D. Khosla stopped by 90 Upper Mall and collected
Every time we tell it, we also point out, at some level, the absurd Partition, 90 Upper Mall would have remained a Khosla house,
ILLUSTRATION: S JAMAL K
ment.
and I wouldn’t have the identity that I have. a
some of his father-in-law’s belongings. That was the last time a member of the Bawa Natha Singh family set eyes on the house.
After Partition, Justice G.D. Khosla and his family lived in
Simla, Mussorie and, finally, Chandrigarh when the High Court
shifted to the new capital of Indian Punjab. G.D. Khosla eventu-
ally retired as Chief Justice of the Punjab High Court and spent the remainder of his years in Delhi’s Maharani Bagh. His youngest son, the architect Romi Khosla is my friend Martand’s father.
It was April 2000 when Romi was in London for work and came
over to visit his son at William Goodenough House. Over dinner,
Martand told his father how he knew someone — me — in the
building who was from Lahore. Romi had actually visited 90 Up-
19 AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
The Pashto film industry or Pollywood, as it is now called, has witnessed many ups and downs since its formal inception in the early 1970s. In actual fact, the history of Pashto cinema predates the creation of Pakistan itself; Amir Hamza Khan Shinwari’s Laila Majnoon, the first ever Pashto film, was released in 1941 in Mumbai and Pashtospeaking areas. However, it was a whole 23 years after partition when Pakistan’s first Pashto film Yousaf Khan’s Shehr Bano was released. Based on a romantic folk story and starring Badar Munir and Yasmin Khan, the enormous success of this film paved the way for Pollywood proper.
along came
pollywood BY SHER ALAM SHINWARI
Initially, well-established Pashto poets were keen to utilise
this new medium with the basic aim of depicting Pashtun society in its true colours, as a way of highlighting its traditions
and romantic aspirations. They largely steered clear of violence, obscenity, vulgarity and the type of firebrand dialogue which
was to become the trademark of contemporary Pashto cinema.
Cinebuffs still fondly remember the storylines, songs and purposeful screenplays produced during the golden era of Pashtun cinema, that is, the 70s.
The octogenarian Murad Baba is a popular Pashto lyricist and
screenwriter, who has to his credit a vast catalogue including
2,000 songs and a hundred Pashto screenplays, including Naway Da Yuway Shpey, Juram Auo Saza and Bungaree Auo Hatkaray.
“Many senior writers like myself had joined the Pashto film in-
dustry in the early 70s to promote Pashtun art and culture on the big screen and at the time, it seemed as if we had achieved what we had set out to do,” he says. “Unfortunately, during the late
80s and early 90s some elements with vested interests plagued
the industry’s artistic environment and began to present a dis-
torted image of Pashtun society. We raised our voice against it on many forums but nobody listened to us, the result was a sharp decline in the industry and the image of Pashtuns at large.”
He is quick to add that Pashto movies were once so popular that
not only would they run in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Quetta and
Karachi but demand led to reels being smuggled to Kabul with some even making it to Europe and the Gulf.
tegrity?” he asks.
song.Nowadays however, standards have been replaced by expe-
tom, the start of the new millennium has seen some efforts to re-
with very little effort. Is this sort of sloppy work going to inspire
weight Asif Khan’s son Arbaz Khan made his debut with Meena
“It used to take us on average a week to compose and write a
diency and an entire film is now conjured up in no time at all and
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our younger generation to set goals for itself or exhibit moral inAUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
Having hit what can only be described as cinematic rock bot-
vive films more suitable for a family audience. Pollywood heavy-
Qurbanee Ghawaree (Love Demands Sacrifice) in 2003. The success
dismal picture, he says, “I suffered huge financial losses from
three of my productions last year because of bomb blasts and the
Considering its ignominious decline since its 70s heyday, is it possible to breathe new life into Pashto cinema?
growing militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. There’s also the fact
that cinemas themselves are being razed. I am releasing one new film, Jaal, this Eid, which will be shown in Khyber Pakhunkhwa, Karachi, Kabul and Dubai”.
Gul adds that producers take a great financial risk in any case
because inflation has rendered costs sky high. “An average Pashto movie costs Rs 7 to 8 million. I want to change the way things
work, but my own kitty does not allow me to do it. I need government and public support.” The MMA government, an alliance of nine religious parties in the erstwhile NWFP, imposed a ban on
any manner of cultural activity during their tenure. They closed down Peshawar city’s lone cinema, Nishtar Hall, and banned
film billboards and posters contributing to the film industry’s downward spiral.
Currently, there are ten cine-theatres in Peshawar, four in
Nowshera, two each in Mardan and Bannu and one each in Swat and Kohat. A total of five new Pashto films will release this Eid,
leading Ajab Gul to request the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to allot him a piece of land in Peshawar on which he might
erect a Cineplex using his own resources. The government now
appears to be promoting some vestige of culture, going by the remarks of Syed Aqil Shah, the Provincial Minister for Culture, Sports and Tourism, who said, “Cine-going is cheap entertainment and we don’t want the public being deprived of it. Any attempt at damaging cine-theatres comes under the Heritage Act.
Some Cine-theatres have been razed recently, but our government marks the end of those days.”
A spokesperson from Shahid Film Productions fears a low audi-
ence turnout due to the devastating floods which have wreaked
havoc in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “The cinema business is already fighting an uphill battle due to militancy, the floods may have
come as the final blow. The government should temporarily suspend taxes in order to buffer the cinema owner’s losses,” he suggests.
Muzaffar, a telefilm director from Peshawar reports that over a
hundred DVDs of new Pashto movies and at least as many albums of this film spawned some imitations and cineastes cautiously
determined that Pashto cinema was showing signs of improvement. In terms of quantity alone, Pollywood frequently releases
more films than Urdu and Punjabi cinema, quality notwithstanding.
However actor/director/producer Ajab Gul paints a much more
will permeate the market in the coming year, despite little official patronage or encouragement. While a cinematic resurrection seems unlikely in the current circumstances, many industry
insiders are excited about the potential for expanding the customer-base for Pashto cinema in Afghanistan. As for Pakistan, Ajab Gul hasn’t lost all hope yet, “I believe there is great potential
in Pashto cinema, and it can stand on its own feet once the government takes proper initiatives.”
a
AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
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of silhouettes and
identities BY ZARA BARLAS
Osman Yousefzada creates a modern silhouette in designs that celebrate the female form
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The fabric drapes gracefully over her body, reminiscent of a shimmering stream that meanders in directions most pleasantly unexpected. Her gaze confident, her posture elegant and her silhouette beautiful. “Let’s cut this, pull this up and bring this in a little,” says Osman Yousefzada, the man who designed this dress. As I wait to speak to him, he adds the finishing touches to his creation, focusing exclusively on
the work at hand. When both client and creator are satisfied, I seize the opportunity to find out more about the designs and the man behind them.
Born in the United Kingdom to Afghan/Pakistani parents, Osman Yousefzada grew up in the
fashion industry, beginning in his youth when he worked with his mother in her dressmaking business in Birmingham. Since then, his work has evolved and he has shot to international fame, with his unique collections that are teeming with fused global elements and dramatic drapery.
He brings prominent geocultural influences into all his clothing, but it is his dresses in particular
that have caught the eye of the fashionista world. In 2008 Osman launched a limited collection of
dresses for Mango, inspired by clothing from all corners of the world, from East Africa to Algeria to Afghanistan. The American edition of Vogue hailed him as the “re-inventor of the Little Black
Dress.” Having been part of London Fashion Week for four years running, Yousefzada has enjoyed international acclaim, and dressed numerous celebrities including Dannii Minogue, Thandie New-
ton and Mischa Barton.
He sees his work as a journey. “It’s an ongoing process of trying to define and create a silhouette,
and to create an identity. That has been my main goal, and it’s a goal that lasts a lifetime,” he says.
“I want to build up a body of work that involves my perception of beauty and my ideas of construction.”
In May this year, Yousefzada featured in the Victoria & Albert Museum’s ‘Research in Motion’
series, in which selected pieces from each of his collections from the past four-and-a-half years were exhibited. His designs reflect his own fused identity, being of Afghan/Pakistani descent and
having had an upbringing in Birmingham: “I think it’s a little bit about where I’m from. It’s always been an element of the outsider looking in, and I think it’s all to do with the realm of identity.”
His design philosophy runs parallel to his life experience, and the thought processes that go into
his works represent the natural coming together of these ideas of identity. “It’s clean, it has global
references and it’s all very modern. It sort of has an element of timelessness, while still having a clear direction. And it’s all quite dramatic in a way,” he explains.
But, he adds, it is not a straightforward process. He sees it as a “continuous mishmash” of
thought processes and research developing from when one’s eye falls on something attractive — in the way a fabric falls, the suggestions of a particular pattern, or the glint of a piece of armour, for example. And this process is not intermittent; “it’s everything all the time,” he says.
In drawing inspiration from world cultures, Yousefzada is careful to avoid the clichés of “ethnic
fashion,” where Western fashion sees designs from other parts of the world as “a form of decoration
without much substance,” as he explained to the UK’s Independent newspaper. Instead, Osman seeks to draw genuine inspiration from other cultures and to celebrate them in his works, whether in prominent strides or through subtle touches.
Recently, Yousefzada was in Karachi where he was able to get a glimpse of some of the latest
“It’s clean, it has global references and it’s all very modern”
works of Pakistani designers. He was pleased to discover young designers being experimental and creating unique works reflective of the personalities behind them.
But more generally, fashion, by definition, is different in Pakistan than it is in the UK, according
to Yousefzada: “In Pakistan, it’s very much about going to the darzi and getting something made,
so it’s all about the couture while the ready-to-wear market is very limited.” While there is much
focus from designers on big-spend items, such as bridal- and party-wear, Osman hopes to see more options for general daywear. He even suggests that he would love to do a shalwar kameez line.
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Yousefzada compares the fashion industry in Pakistan to its music industry, suggesting that the AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
PROFILE two offer immense innovation and creativity, and with time they are developing and evolving.
But there is more to fashion than what you see on the catwalk, as he illustrates: “During my visit
to Pakistan, I saw this cleaner walking around with a huge knot around his kameez. Of course he
was working, but the silhouette was really beautiful.” It is this immense appreciation of the contours and structure of the body that appears inherent in all of Yousefzada’s designs.
He believes that the silhouette is the key to fashion; the structure that is created to show off the
body’s best. “That’s the whole point of designing,” he explains. “To make you look beautiful. It’s
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SUSANNA LAU OF STYLE BUBBLE
basically creating beauty in a technical engineering sort of way.” a
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Backstage at the V&A event, London
the president’s to-do list BY AA SHEIKH
The country is facing a grave crisis (again). It’s apparently on the brink of ruin and anarchy (again) while reeling from a terrible disaster (again) and is scrambling to cope with its fallout (again). Meanwhile blatant acts of terrorism and lawlessness abound (as usual). The government is falling woefully short in managing its multiple crises (what’s new?) and has called
desperately for international help (again). Yes, it’s bad. But it’s heartening to see our president working tirelessly to tackle the situation and keep the government afloat, pardon the pun. With so much to do in so little time, he’s taken to
jotting down things-to-do lists to keep track of urgent plans. These are meant to be ultra-secret but through top-notch investigative journalism we managed to get hold of one. Take a look:
Arrange occasional face-saving visits to flood-affected areas. Saving one’s face is easy since most flood victims are
barefoot anyway. Still, R. Malik to do a prior security sweep to remove all shoes in such areas.
Arrange more foreign trips. I’m sure Mauritius can help us tremendously with flood relief. As can Madagascar.
They’re both islands, aren’t they? And have lovely resorts to boot. F. Minister to finalise dates. Check the latest President and PM flood relief coffers and calculate 10 per cent thereof.
Check the going rate for that wonderful chateau near Marseille that Billoo told me about. Ensure its ownership can
subsequently be traced to my great-great-great-great grandfather.
Play on the Ramazan sentiment and encourage more public donations to flood relief coffers.
Encourage more foreign assistance from all over the world, then recheck the coffers and calculate…well you know
the drill.
Encourage leaders of Australia, Belgium, Holland and Italy to issue anti-Pakistan statements so that I can personally
make trips to their countries, see them eyeball-to-eyeball and convince them that we’re not against them, we’re under them. F. Minister to take note!
Make a show of seriously overseeing all flood relief and rehabilitation efforts. Commit billions to the cause but dole
out only shoestring amounts. Save the rest for a rainy day. A rainy day! Haha! I’m so funny!
That baldie and his brother, the Great Servant! Grabbing cheap popularity and political mileage from the floods. Even
Salman seems to have no taseer on them anymore. Tell him to hound them and prevent them from doing any work in the foreseeable future.
And…the baldie fatso has no right to play Mr Goody Two-Shoes all over, visiting flood victims and all. Tell PM to invite
him over and overdose him on Pai ‘n Nihari.
Tell Billoo to concentrate more on studies and avoid politics for now. He’s growing too fast, and getting too big for his
shoes. That’s dangerous. He should spend several years mastering each class (like I did in my school-college years) and remember that wise saying: Don’t teach your dad how to you-know-what.
And why do I keep using shoe phrases? Note to self: chuck that habit, hard.
Ask HC how much she’s collected from the SMS fundraising drive in the US. Tell her to release the money urgently as
people are dying here. To get their hands on it! Haha! I’m really funny sometimes!
Check with Billoo if he needs any tents for camping or anything in Oxford. ‘Cause we’re getting a lot of those. Some
are actually top-quality stuff.
Block Expressive News and Gee-whiz News and KRY News instantly in case any of my to-do lists leak out. Initiate target-killing for all those who read them. a
25 MAY 9-15 2010
PORTFOLIO
polaroid dreams PHOTOGRAPHY & TEXT BY KOMAIL RIZVI
Fish Harbour – Karachi, Pakistan, 2010
There are a lot of things that have come and gone, and out of
pened to floppy disks? But unlike floppy disks, gramophones, old
up gramophones, old radios and typewriters. These things were
culiar feel to them, like you own a bit of the past, like you own
these things some are worth remembering. Things like windonce a usual part of life, like how cell phones are these days. They
were the mundane, the nothing special, the yes-I-have-one-ineach-room kind of ordinary. But then they became obsolete and wearily faded into boxes sold to the neighbourhood kubarias.
26
You never realised when exactly they disappeared until one day you find yourself suddenly asking your friends, hey what hapAUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
radios and typewriters are worth remembering. They have a pethe beginning, where it all started. It wasn’t until my grand-
mother passed on her Polaroid to me that my true pangs for the past began. This camera meant so much to me. This Polaroid was
yesterday, I owned history, I owned where it all began. Aching to use it, I went from Ayesha Manzil to Defence in search for Po-
laroid film, only to discover that its official production had been
Polaroid Dreams
stopped. Although dismayed, my pursuit for what seemed like
a menacing river, and as the winter wind whipped across my
a bridge readying myself to take an insane leap of faith — bungee
the best moments of my life, and more importantly, remember-
memories did not fade. It was the day when I stood at the edge of
jumping in Whistler, Canada — that I took one final look down at my feet and the solid ground and thought, am I trying to fill
my artistic void with these obsolete objects or am I trying to capture unforgettable memories with the feelings these objects represent? With one last gasp I jumped 160 feet downwards towards
face — I could not help but smile. I knew the answer. Retracing ing my family and friends that I shared them with, was what set out to be the concept behind this series. For me the Polaroid is a
symbol for all that shouldn’t have faded and all that should be remembered — for me they are my Polaroid dreams.a
AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
27
PORTFOLIO
Rung – Karachi, Pakistan, 2008
28 AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
Bloc Party – Vancouver, Canada 2010
Hong Kong – Hong Kong, PRC, 2010
Mehndi - Karachi, Pakistan, 2009
29 AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
Seaview – Karachi, Pakistan, 2010
30 AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
Rocky Area – Karachi, Pakistan, 2007
Amjad Fareed Sabri – Karachi, Pakistan, 2010
31 AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
PORTFOLIO
Swimming – Karachi, Pakistan, 2009
32 AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
Burns Road – Karachi, Pakistan, 2008
33 AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
REVIEW
featured review of the week
book déjà vu BY NM SULTAN
“I click therefore you are” writes Tapu Javeri in the slim coffeetable book, Tapulicious, a collection of photographs taken by Javeri over his career spanning several decades, and retailing at Rs 4,000. The book features an assortment of images, about half of which are reprinted without explanation from Javeri’s earlier work I, Voyeur. Several are fashion-oriented and may even thus have merited the bold opening line, ‘’I click therefore you are’’ – a witty take on fashion’s self-obsession, inherent self-promotion and narcissism, perhaps an allusion to the Hello culture of people gaining importance for no reason other than their image being seen repeatedly. Some photographs, however, are of vast talents, celebrities from the days when achievements were required to be famous, a bygone era, featuring Mehdi Hassan and Madam Noorjehan. I’d like to think that if somebody had told Noorjehan that she existed because somebody took a photograph of her, the conversation would end with a swiftly administered sandal to his head. Still, one can only enjoy the raptures of speculation as Javeri himself doesn’t comment on any of the photographs in this collection, allowing them to speak for themselves, perhaps because of the strength of the photos or because of the inefficiency of his editor/publishers who ought perhaps to have advised some text to highlight aspects of Javeri’s work. The young Bhuttos, Ghinwa, Fatima and Zulfikar Junior, in their Sunday bests at 70 Clifton, appear regal, poised for power that they know awaits them. The image of Anita Ayub in a burka on the beach made headlines when it was printed in the Herald (it was around the time images of her posing topless with a hat covering her chest created waves in India) and a whole assortment of fashion photography is a testament to Javeri’s skills and abilities to push the boundaries. Aaminah Haq shot underwater is one example of that. Meera posing as Eve, apple in hand, is 34 another. AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
running to stand still Javeri’s work from the 90s is still outré today
The images also remind us of the groundbreaking work publications like Xtra or Herald published. Currently there is little in terms of avant garde photography in publications; fashion shoots are “pretty” but don’t stand out, there is a sense of sameness to them. Rarely do images arrest. This is not the fault of photographers whose numbers are on the rise but it is telling that 20 years on, Javeri has no heir apparent much like Arif Mahmood is still recognised as a tour de force in black and white portraitures. A new league of photographers, be they inspired by their mentors, or creating innovative images in digital mediums have no avenues to showcase their work to a reading public. This should give editors food for thought, namely that they must invest in
overexposed Javeri’s opening line, “I click, therefore you are” is true of Pakistan’s party set
A new league of photographers, be they inspired by their mentors, or creating innovative images in digital mediums have no avenues to showcase their work to a reading public.
photography to enhance their publications so that overpriced coffee tables books aren’t left as the only forum in which to publish high quality photographs. Still Waters, an event management company who appear to also dabble in publishing have shown their ability to gather Pakistan’s Pretty Young Things, roll out a red carpet and provide canapés. This has been their strength for all their publications, starting with their debut, the poetry collection Skin, last year. As a publishing house, they should consider paying some attention to the content. If Still Waters truly wishes to provide a boost to the local publishing market, reprinting old photographs and throwing a party to persuade people to buy them again isn’t going to do it. AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
35
REVIEW
art the fifth element BY NARMEEN TARIQ
“The fifth season is inside you, thus the name of the exhibition — The Fifth Season,” said the artist Khuda Bux Abro about his fortnight long exhibition at the first floor of the Poppy Seed Gallery in Karachi. Abro, a staunch supporter of the free media, deals mainly with social themes and human rights issues. For his latest venture, however, he has decided to explore a new arena, a fresh perspective which marks a departure from his usual trajectory. Abro talks about Ghalib’s poetry when asked to cite the inspirations behind his exhibition. He has used a number of verses as calligraphy on his canvas, painting poems in shades of red, blue and brown, giving classical poetry a freshness not often seen on canvas. Some of the most captivating moments of this collection come with the series of self-portraits, made using digital prints on paper. Heavily employing blues and browns in his work, when asked about this particular choice, Abro simply says, “Blue gives a calming effect and is the colour of the universe. Brown is the colour of the earth and gives the feeling of warmth.” Abro decided to carefully amalgamate raw photography and his graphic design skills to form his own unique voice. “I express my feelings through my selfportraits. It is like visual poetry for me.” As a viewer, studying his self-portraits was a bit of a challenge; they are not easy to access; one sensed that each portrait was its own story, but not a story that would give itself up without an effort. When questioned as to which medium and style he preferred working with, the artist claimed to enjoy both equally. “Each type of work has its own significance and impacts the viewer in a different way.’’ With one exception, Abro has in his self-portraits tweaked his photographs. “It’s sad to see that digital is still not considered an appropriate medium for art.” When we think of the word art, our minds immediately go towards paintings, this in spite 36 of the fact that the Pakistani artist who commands the highest AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
Aks-e-Wajood
Aateshein
Shor-e-Khizan
prices abroad, Rashid Rana, works with digital media. ‘’We need to broaden our horizons,” says Abro, whose digital prints look like a mixture of something that has been worked on using a computer as well as by hand. The idea is to puzzle the audience so that they are unable to really pinpoint which mediums have been used and where. It is the classic Cronenberg concern of where the human hand ends and the machine begins. As a viewer, it requires careful examination before one is able to tell the digital effects from the painting and it is this contemplation and curiosity which is ultimately the great success of Abro’s oeuvre.
film eat, pray, leave screaming BY SAEED RAHMAN
I have to admit I was filled with apprehension before I even settled down to watch Eat, Pray, Love having seen Julia Roberts enjoying a close encounter with an elephant in the trailer. Eat, Pray, Love is based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir, with Julia Roberts playing the author. The book was a publishing phenomenon, spending nearly two years on The New York Times bestseller list. The movie seems to be enjoying similar success. Taking place over the course of the year as Gilbert journeys to Italy, India and Indonesia for some self-evaluation and personal growth, the eat portion of the film takes place in Italy, the praying in India and the love sweeps our heroine off her feet in Indonesia. It opens well enough. Gilbert breaks up with her husband, played by Billy Crudup, when she realises that she’s just not into her marriage. It’s not often that you see a female protagonist admitting that maybe she doesn’t care for domesticity. More predictable, perhaps, is the rebound relationship that follows as Gilbert pursues a romance with a younger man, which seems doomed from the get go. Up until this point, the film still had some promise, causing me to lower my defences and think I may have been wrong to have been apprehensive. Oh, but I was too easily deceived. Once Gilbert decides to start her travels, the film reels from one stereotype to the next. The Italy portion of the movie finds our heroine tucking into plate after plate of pizza, and letting go of her obsession with weight. Fair enough. Italy itself is so likeable that some of it rubs off on her. Not so with India. Gilbert enrols herself into an ashram and the clichés just keep on rolling. There is ample dialogue about letting go of pain and letting love in and other assorted snippets of psychobabble. At the ashram Gilbert meets Richard, a fellow American, to discuss new age clichés with. Finally, and not one moment too soon, Gilbert heads off to Indonesia, but don’t think you’re out of the woods regarding her spiritual search i.e. hippy dippy land. Gilbert now finds herself tutored in life lessons by a Indonesian Wise Man, Ketut. Of course, Ketut has
hippy flop The film is full of banal clichés — doesn’t seem worth the trip to the cinema a charming accent and provides oodles of heart-warming advice about, yes wait for it, opening yourself up to love. In Bali, Gilbert runs in to Felipe, played by the charismatic Javier Bardem. They flirt and talk about opening themselves up to love, and eventually they do just that. Bardem plays the hot, overly emotional Latin man to perfection, the role really does not require much, besides he’s already played it many times over. As the credits rolled, I had to hold back from clapping to celebrate the relief of surviving to the end. Eat, Pray, Love trades in every banal self help aphorism out there. Pardon the cruelty, but it creates a sense of purpose for the type of anxious, upper middle class, nearing middle-age woman who feels a lack of significance to her life and is unable to accept that this is probably just because she isn’t significant, not because she hasn’t learned to love herself in one-on-one tutorials with Deepak Chopra. Instead of working with the material and giving it depth and richness, the film just takes the easy route. I wish I’d taken the easy route, the one to leading to the cinema exit. a
37 AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
ADVICE a A recently engaged friend has fallen into the habit of bring-
call
courtesy
SEND ALL QUESTIONS TO OUR ETIQUETTE EXPERT AT
MAGAZINE@TRIBUNE.COM.PK ILLUSTRATION: S JAMAL K
ing her fiancé along to girls’ nights out. We don’t have an issue with her husband-to-be, a perfectly nice man, but we’ve grown tired of censoring our girl talk. How do we tell our friend to leave her love at home without hurting her feelings? Puzzled pal Since it is a truth universally acknowledged that more than two women gathered at one spot are likely to discuss something in the personal sphere, you’ve found yourself in an unenviable situation. On the plus side, it’s only a matter of time till your
recently-engaged friend gets over the first blushes of romance
and realises that she too needs space and time away from her fi-
ance. My recommendation would be to invite them to fewer girly gatherings. If she feels excluded, I don’t think she’s much of a friend if she can’t understand the explanation, “I’m uncomfortable talking about this with anyone but my girlfriends.”
a I was at a dinner party the other day and received and responded to a text while at the dinner table. I only saw it fleetingly on his face, but for a moment the host looked rather cross. Personally I think he’s getting bent out of shape for nothing. Is it really that rude to send a text or two over a meal? Always in touch In a word, yes. Unless your baby was about to fall into a volcano or a nuclear reactor was about to blow up and you were the only
person who knew the password to shutting it down, there is absolutely no excuse for using your telephone while at somebody’s
house for dinner. The message it sends is that you are more interested in whomsoever is calling you than your hosts — it is atrociously bad form. Just because the technology exists for people to
be in touch whenever they fancy, this does not mean that constant contact is necessarily a great thing. People had patience prior to the advent of mobile phones, and ought to have it still.
a I was on a two-hour domestic flight recently and the lady in the seat next to me who had nothing to read insisted — despite my time-honoured routine of pulling out a book and spending the journey in silence — on asking me inane questions (“Are you married?” Are you studying?’’) in order to pass the time. How can I politely avoid this irritating scenario in future? The reader Try your damndest to be seated next to a man during domestic travel, due to social convention they’re generally uninclined to make
conversation with unknown women. If, however, you find yourself expected to provide entertainment for your fellow passengers,
state in no uncertain terms that you have a headache and that talking makes it worse. You could always throw in a look of extreme disdain to seal the deal.
38 AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
JUNE 13-19 2010
HOROSCOPE BY SHELLEY VON STRUNCKEL
Aries Mar 20 – Apr 19 Tidying up problematic areas of your life may not seem exciting. But you’ll soon realise just how much time, emotion and mental energy certain dilemmas have been devouring. True, some arise as a result of the retrograde Mercury, which means initially these appear no more than minor errors. Dig deeper and you’ll recognise just how much you can clear up. And, often, with relatively little effort.
Taurus Apr 20 – May 20 If you begin the week determined to mi-
nimise, if not entirely avoid, unwelcome changes in elements Shelley von Strunckel is an internationally acclaimed astrologer who created the first horoscope column for the London Sunday Times in 1992. A frequent lecturer, she
of your work or lifestyle, you’re in for a surprise. Not only have
you no choice about these, they’re actually in your best interests. But you’ll only know that once you get involved. Take what seems a chance and you’ll soon realise just how much better things could be.
writes daily, weekly and monthly horoscopes in publications around the world including South China Morning Post, The Gulf News, Tatler, French and Chinese Vogue and now The Express Tribune Magazine.
Gemini May 21 – Jun 20 Most Geminis regard themselves as free
spirits, stimulated by new ideas and drawn to the latest and most intriguing developments. While this is true, you can also
be astonishingly rigid, especially when it comes to certain habits. Now events are challenging these. Usually you’d find a way
around such changes. Much as you’re dreading it, making them would open your life in wonderful and unexpected ways.
Cancer Jun 21 – Jul 22 For ages you’ve been sidestepping certain problems on the domestic front, mostly because your initial efforts to do something about them went so badly. While your desire to avoid a repeat of these dramas is understandable, sudden events are giving you good reason to tackle these. And in an exceedingly forceful manner. True, this will require serious courage. But the results will be seriously worth the effort. Leo Jul 23 – Aug 22 You loathe those who’re tight-fisted in any way – but especially financially or emotionally. Consequently you tend to over-compensate by being generous. While, generally, this is no bad thing, at the moment it’s causing serious problems. One or two individuals have developed the impression that this bounty is unending. Worse, they’re more demanding by the minute. Obviously, this can’t go on. Something you must explain frankly. And soon. Virgo Aug 23 – Sep 22 Currently, your biggest challenge isn’t dealing with the dilemmas, small and large, that you’re facing. It’s discerning between what’s your responsibility and, even more important, what isn’t. Ironically, the misunderstandings triggered by the retrograde Mercury in your sign do wonders to clarify exactly these issues. True, you must ask a few pointed questions. But the answers you get revolutionise your thinking on a
40
number of matters. AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
Libra Sep 23 – Oct 23 Several tricky situations need to be tackled. Some are purely practical and therefore easily explained. What’s worrying you are those which might be uncomfortable for others to discuss. Actually, they’re well aware there’s a problem and will be so grateful you had the courage to address it that they’ll be amazingly cooperative. All that remains is for you to speak up. The sooner, the better.
Scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 21 One of the most profitable lessons offered
by this challenging but immensely productive cycle is that, often, you’re better off compromising than working to achieve an
arrangement that’s fair for everyone. This may be out of character. But you’ll soon realise that, while what you were struggling
over wasn’t that important, by moving on, you’ll get a lot more accomplished in a lot shorter time.
Sagittarius Nov 22 – Dec 21 Lately, both existing projects and new ideas or offers have been brilliant. While they’re as good as they seem, don’t allow the optimism they engender make you think you can ignore certain rather tricky matters. Even those that seem minor require attention. And now. Not only will this ensure they’re dealt with, what you learn in the process will prove helpful when dealing with those opportunities. Capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 19 The problem isn’t the new responsibilities you’re taking on. They’re promising - and are just as worth-
while as they seem. It’s that every time you make a plan you must amend it because of unexpected changes. Get used to it. During
this period of transition plans must either change or break down. Knowing that, you’ll organise things so arrangements can be adjusted as circumstances evolve.
Aquarius Jan 20 – Feb 19 Recent intriguing developments both boosted your spirits and provide an outlet for your somewhat frustrated creative side. This has been rewarding, so much that you’ve neglected certain practical or financial matters. These don’t just need attention, because some component of the situation has changed, you’ll need to invest serious time in examining where you stand and whether rearranging things would be in your best interests. Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20 Yet again you’ve become so involved in oth-
ers’ activities that you’ve lost track of one or two situations that
were, until recently, very much on your mind. The recent emo-
tionally intense Pisces Full Moon brought these to a head. Some require only discussion with those concerned. But in others,
circumstances have changed so much that you must seriously
For more information, to order personal charts and to download & listen to detailed audiocasts, visit www.shelleyvonstrunckel.com
rethink your strategy and your objectives.
41 AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
THE HATER
10 things I hate about ...restaurants
1 2 3 4 5
The insecurity. Dear waiters, please let us enjoy our food in peace. If we don’t like our food we will writhe in
pain or just stop eating. Every mouthful doesn’t have to be accompanied with a refrain of “Is everything to your satisfaction?”
Treating diners like they’re mentally challenged. You
have set down the specials board in front of us. Why do
you then have to read it out? Do you really think we’re that dumb?
The obsequiousness. I am not an Arab prince expect-
ing a harem at the casbah. I can top up my own drink, thank you very much.
BY NADIR HASSAN
6 7 8 9 10
Asking for recommendations. What response does the
person who asks what’s good on the menu expect to get? “Well sir, the last customer who ordered the sea bass died of salmonella poisoning the next morning.”
Babies. I’m sure you want your kid to appreciate the finer things in life. Classical music, Rolex watches, a KGS
education. But if you want your wailing brat to enjoy filet mignon, please keep him far, far away from me.
The music. Your menu is written in one of those classy, unreadable fonts. I have to pay a month’s wages to eat
the lobster. The waiters are decked out in waistcoats
and bow ties. Why, then, are you blaring “Who Let the Dog’s Out?” on your sound system?
The takalluf culture. The bill has arrived and everyone looks around nervously. Suddenly all five diners get into a heated argument over who will pay the bill. Except, in restaurants everyone is fighting to pay the bill, not avoid it.
The food. When I am told the fish is fresh, I expect it to be fresh out of the water. Not freshly unpacked from a week-old plastic bag in the freezer.
42 AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4 2010
Making you feel like a loser. If I have arrived only with
a book, that means I would like to read and eat alone. Don’t keep asking me if I’m waiting for someone.
The laziness. Just because the dish washer is on his
smoke break doesn’t mean I want my Pepsi in the same glass in which you served me a Sprite.
JUNE 13-19 2010
JUNE 13-19 2010