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BOOK REVIEW
THE ART REVIEW
GOALS SYSTEMICOUTFIT DISCRIMINATION
DRAMA TALK
Madhuri Dixit
In Conversation with The Brilliant Usman Riaz
Pretty in pastels Enough of quota
Neelum Muneer in a challenging avatar
There is no better way to celebrate the 55th birthday of Bollywood’s Dancing Queen than reading about her
The man behind Pakistan’s first handdrawn animation studio
havehas rounded up some of our The quota We system run its course favourite celebrities Eid looks of the and now merit is essential to establish season 2022! good governance in the country
We are curious to watch how Aabis Raza and Misbah Ali Syed have planned Pyar Deewangi Hai
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PUBLISHED FROM KARACHI, LAHORE & ISLAMABAD GLOBAL CIRCULATION VIA BOLNEWS.COM
Blaming the latest MCU flick for the failure of Pakistani films is easily the joke of the year!
By Omair Alavi
He came, he cast a spell and he conquered, that’s the best way to describe the arrival of Hollywood blockbuster Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The film has set new records around the world and is all set to enter the list of highest-grossing films in the coming weeks. However, the kind of 'reception' the good doctor got from Pakistani filmmakers wasn’t something he was expecting, since most of the film producers who released their films on Eid took an unnecessary stand against its screening, after their plan to delay its release backfired. As Saba Qamar’s character said in Ghabrana Nahi Hai, ‘let’s start from the beginning’. Muslims all around the world were extremely excited to celebrate the Eid ul Fitr as it was the first festival with relaxed Covid-19 restrictions – Dining out was allowed as was full capacity in cinemas, besides shopping late at night. It is said about Pakistanis that no one celebrates like they do so they were over the moon during the last ten days of Ramadan and had planned their Eid just as they used to before the pandemic. However, the release of Pakistani films might have been exciting but the news also came as a shock to the cinemagoers when they got to know that as many as five Pakistani films – 4 Urdu and 1 Punjabi – were poised for a simultaneous release in cinemas, and none of the producers were willing to back out from the race. In a country where Eid ul Adha releases have dominated the box office, releasing Ghabrana Nahi Hai, Chakkar, Dum Mastam, and Parde Mein Rene Do alongside Syed Noor’s Tere Bajre Di Rakhi was always going to be disastrous, but the producers were either overconfident or too blind when it came to the fate of their films.
blockbuster after Eid, about the disaster in the making scenario, things might have been different. Not only would the smarter producers have moved their films away from Eid, but they would also have waited for a better window where their films could have been properly marketed, promoted, and exhibited. Shouldn’t it have been better had the filmmakers sat together before the release of Doctor Strange? Why didn’t the filmmakers, who are now standing side by side after the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, meet before Eid to come to an understanding regarding their films’ release date? Why didn’t they delay their own film to save their money instead of demanding a delayed release for a
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And then there are the ticket prices which are raised without any justification ahead of Eid. For a person who wants to watch a film in Pakistan, there are only a handful of singlescreen cinemas remaining where ticket prices are lower than Rs. 500. For everyone else, there are Multiplexes where the ticket prices shoot up to Rs. 1000 during the Eid holidays, and where refreshments cost as much as the ticket, if not more. In an era when OTT platforms cost less than a cinema ticket, Hollywood films released simultaneously across the world are the only reason for Pakistani cinegoers to book a ticket and watch the film, otherwise, they have many means to watch the same film for free, in the comfort of their home with cheaper refreshments and an accessible remote in their hand. History seems to be repeating itself for in the 1970s, the advent of VCR (Video Cassette Recorder) dented the cinema industry a huge blow, and OTT platforms are revising history all over again. Back then, the cinema owners didn’t increase ticket prices to counter the rise of VCR but lowered them, and the same steps would help the cinema industry today if they want to stay relevant.
Banning Hollywood isn’t the answer, making quality films is!
Why isn’t it feasible to release multiple films in Pakistan?
In Pakistan, there are less than 150 active screens at the moment which is far less than the ideal cinema count. In such a scenario, releasing two Pakistani films would have been the best way forward, because these films would have shared the box office collection, depending on the audience’s demand. However, bringing five locally produced films was always going to divide the box office, resulting in the failures of most films, irrespective of their language and genre. They also didn’t take into account the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness which is a sort of sequel to both Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Anyone with an iota of business sense would have predicted how suicidal five Pakistani film releases would have been in front of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness because ever since the release of SpiderMan was delayed last year, the audience has been anxiously waiting for Benedict Cumberbatch’s arrival in cinema. Had the distributors briefed their clients properly about the issues facing the cinema industry, about the arrival of a potential
Rising ticket prices are making people opt for other avenues!
film that has made more money than all five Eid releases at the box office combined? Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness didn’t just drop from the sky or come suddenly into a cinema near you, its release date was announced way before any Pakistani film producer knew when Eid ul Fitr was taking place. They were either too naïve to grasp the gravity of the situation or were hoping for a delayed release for the Hollywood flick; whatever their backup plan was, it backfired. The whole world knows that ever since the Marvel Cinematic Universe came up with Avengers a decade back, there has been no looking back for the franchise. Their films are not only just released in cinemas, but they also make and break records during their first weekend, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness did the same. Delaying the film would have meant hurting the cinema industry in the country which hasn’t been able to bounce back after the Bollywood ban in early 2019.
Since 1948, Pakistan’s film industry has been churning out films, most of which have done well at the box office. However, in the 70-odd years since the release of Teri Yaad, Pakistani films have had more solo runs than running along with competition. Indian films were banned or had a delayed release in the country in the 1950s and the 1960s, and after the 1965 War, they were completely banned; a decision that was overturned in the mid2000s. During that time, the standard of films in Pakistan gradually went down and by the start of the new millennium, Pakistan was amongst the worst film-producing countries in the world. Yes, there was a brief resurgence of Pakistani films in the 1990s but that had more to do with the quality of songs improving in films than the improvement in the quality of filmmaking. It was only after the release of Main Hoon Shahid Afridi, Waar, and Na Maloom Afraad that audiences returned to cinemas, and finally found entertainment on weekends and holidays. The viewers had a choice to opt for either a Pakistani film, a Hollywood flick, or a Bollywood movie, and whichever film they watched, it helped the cinema industry in Pakistan. Since the Bollywood ban of 2019, Pakistan has hardly produced a film of international standard barring Laal Kabootar and Baaji. Why should a cinemagoer pay Rs. 900 for a Pakistani film when he has an option to watch a Hollywood flick for the same price? Why would anyone leave the comfort of their home to visit a cinema where the film might not be as good as their expectations? These are some of the issues that local filmmakers, distributors, and exhibitors must address before the filmmakers come out all guns blazing against high-quality content, before the distributors start painting a rosy box office
picture and before the exhibitors sell their property to mall owners, as they did in the past. Back in 2009, when the fourth installment of the Fast and the Furious franchise was released across the globe, the first film in the franchise was running successfully in Pakistani cinemas. The cinema industry in the country, (not the film industry, that’s separate!) has come a long way from that position and has become part of the global box office after a long time. Now films are released in Pakistan on the same day and cinemagoers make sure that they get the first-day firstshow ticket of their favourite franchise, be it Justice League, Avengers, or even Men in Black. Instead of pushing back Pakistan in the pre-2009 situation, it’s better to look forward and plan ahead. The filmmakers should raise the quality of their films and work on the content so that both films and cinemas can go hand in hand in Pakistan rather than ask for a quality film's delay. Otherwise, if the cinemas aren’t making profits from running local or foreign films, they might close down and make way for shopping malls and apartment complexes. That’s what happened when the filmmakers started believing they were doing their countrymen a service by making films in the 1980s and the 1990s, and from the current outburst it seems they are still stuck in the past.
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Wajahat Rauf and Shazia Wajahat fastened their belts and brought the most wanted movie of the year to the cinema screens
By Maheen Aziz ‘Remember the word selfish’, this is what Hania Aamir said in response to a question during the press junket when I asked her what is the best dialogue she has delivered in the movie which she thinks is the crux of her headstrong role. After two to three months of tiring promotions, gelling in with people on the streets, and in shopping malls, the cast finally welcomed audiences at the cinemas for the final viewing. Anticipating for the best content and assured the complete package of drama and entertainment, Parde Mein Rehne Do hit the big screens on Eid ul Fitr. The movie has already created hype with its trailer where Shani (Ali Rehman) and Nazo (Hania Aamir) are seen arguing about a test that hinted male infertility. Under the name of Wajahat Rauf as a director and Shazia Wajahat as a producer, the movie appealed to many and therefore attracted a huge crowd to cinemas to dig deeper to know the storyline and, of course, fulfill their entertainment craving.
Usually, movies have two protagonists, a male and a female, but in PMRD from Ali Rehman, Hania Aamir, to Javed Sheikh, Saife Hassan, to Sadia Faisal everyone played a pivotal role in not only building the narrative but appearing as strong support for the other characters too. Here, a new face, Hassan Raza, is worth mentioning who has played Shani's
friend. Having performed for 10 years in theatres, Hassan surely caught everyone's heed with his stellar performance, dialogue delivery and screen presence. The craft of Hassan is so polished and honed that speaks volumes of his long association with the theatre where one gets the training of becoming a flawless actor and this could be seen on the big screen when Hassan performed.
Javed Sheikh is everywhere these days. By everywhere I mean in dramas and movies and that is obviously because of his perfect acting and adaptation to roles, which so ever. In PMRD, Javed is playing Shani's father. He is that one typical complaining father who wants his son to do as he commands. He even interrupts his marital life and asks for grandchildren, but in the end, he agrees in what his son
finds solace and happiness. To be honest, I haven't been following Ali Rehman's dramas but since he has appeared in this flick, I must say that his acting has another level. It would not be wrong if I say that it's not the character that gives recognition to the actor, it's the actor who puts life to the character and Ali Rehman did just that. Picking up a role of an infertile male was never easy for him. It's something that has never been talked about so openly. In the movie, he is seen going for an infertility test, facing the truth of his life that he can't become a father, hiding the fact from his wife yet proudly roams around as an egoistic man, but finally bows down for the sake of saving his love and married life. Hania Aamir has been this fragile pretty girl in the dramas who's tears would melt many hearts. However, Nazo is just the opposite; she's strong-headed and values her freedom, she doesn’t shy away from voicing out what's in her heart and never minds smoking if she is tensed. This character has completely changed her on screen persona. Nazo marries Shani accepting all odds. She only puts her foot down when her dignity is compromised and her trust is torn by the one she loves - Shani. Even when she leaves Shani, she never puts her ego ahead but tells him that if there's no trust there's nothing. She takes all blame on herself (instead of speaking the truth that Shani is infetile, she tells his family that she can't become a mother). This makes her the wonder woman of the movie. Later in the film, comes a point where
Omair Alavi KARACHI
The Indian film industry in Mumbai may produce the highest number of films in the world, but it remains indebted to one Madhuri Dixit who helped save ‘Bollywood’ in the late 1980s and the 1990s with her graceful existence. Nandana Bose’s book on the ‘eternally young’ Madhuri tells the readers why Bollywood remains grateful to the diva, how she changed the way actresses were perceived and what made her become the first ‘televisual star of her era’! Published under the umbrella of the British Film Institute, this book is written mainly for the foreign fans of Madhuri, those in the West rather than the West of India (that’s us!). It gives the Bollywood outsiders a view of Madhuri Dixit’s career and why she matters to India despite her retirement. It may look like a biography but is in fact presented as a study that takes the readers down memory lane, at a time when Madhuri Dixit was making inroads as an actress. It also traces the actress’s career that began in the mid-80s and discusses the ‘Madhuri effect’ that changed a lot of things using her star persona, her popularity, and her ability to stay relevant throughout her career. Divided into four chapters, the first one is aptly titled ‘India’s Dhak Dhak Girl – Rise to Stardom’ which discusses the early years of Madhuri’s career, followed by ‘A Zeitgeist Icon’ and ‘The Dancing Star’ that tackle her main years at the top. The last chapter ‘From Star to Celebrity' discusses Madhuri’s career post-retirement as a leading lady, and how she managed to stay ‘in’ despite not acting in films regularly. The author also reveals some of the lesser-known facts about Madhuri Dixit’s earlier career, and how she was ‘advertised’ before making it big in the industry that was famous for making and breaking careers. She first makes the readers comfortable in the 1980s, then introduces Madhuri in the latter half of the decade, and finally discusses her impact on Indian popular culture, and her continuing popularity even after turning fifty, five years back. The best thing about this book is that it doesn’t limit itself to Madhuri Dixit, but for some die-hard fans, that can be a drawback. The author tells the readers how Madhuri changed from a young girl in a fantasy land into a whole nation’s fantasy, and how her evolution was in sync with that of the entire country. She was there when the VCR revolution was at its peak, she made her way to the top during the cinema revival of the 90s, and
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Shani goes to Nazo to apologise but in the heat of argument, he calls her selfish. Here is the second part where Nazo again becomes the center of attention when she reflects the word ‘selfish’ and explicates it in an unfiltered manner. Wajahat has given all characters their space to freely perform hence the best of all actors could be seen on the screen. Yasir Hussain's guest appearance as a doctor brought out a roar of laughter in the hall, Sadia Faisal as Shani's cousin is a breather from the tense situations, and Saife Hassan, an understanding father, even knowing that the couple is going through a tough time when his only daughter comes back he never bothers her or her husband. He so gently delivered a message to all desi families that husband and wife's privacy should be respected and shouldn't be breached by creating mayhem. On the other hand, Shafqat Khan’s acting added the much-needed flavour and humour. Munazzah Arif essayed the role of a typical mother who always listens to her husband and puts pressure on her son to listen to his father without arguing. The young and talented music director Aashir Wajahat proved his mettle by composing great songs that will surely ring in the ears for at least a week. I must say that there wasn't a weak moment where I lost interest in the movie. It wasn't dragged, redundant, or unnecessarily dramatised. Only two categories must have not liked the movie; those who are uncomfortable with the subject and the others who are triggered by the topic.
made a comeback when multiplexes became a norm in India. Before Madhuri’s entry, Bollywood was on its way down but once she became ‘the’ Madhuri Dixit, she turned the spotlight on herself and stole the show with whatever opportunities she got. According to this book, Madhuri was always destined to make a name for herself, and that is why when the author discusses her career’s unusual trajectory, the readers are able to connect with the words as if it all happened yesterday instead of decades ago. It is through this book that many readers would also realise that unlike the film actresses of her era, Madhuri was more of a hero, than a heroine because she changed trends, instead of following them. She was the first actress of her generation who led a scandal-free life (some of the rumours are addressed!), who chose to get married at the peak of her career, and who keeps herself busy by appearing on TV (as herself) unlike many actresses who have faded away after marriage. She may have acted in a handful of films in the last decade, but every time she has appeared on the big screen, she has performed as if she had never left! The most important aspect of Madhuri’s career – dance – is given a whole chapter where the author talks about her inspirations, her performances, and her ability to outdo her co-stars (except one Prabhu Deva in Pukaar). How dance made her different from her contemporaries and how choreographer Saroj Khan featured in her success is what many would like to know, and what the author also presents with facts, figures, and films. Enough of the pros, let's discuss the cons. The book should have been more Madhuri-centric than India-centric, for the readers want to read why Madhuri chose different roles and how she felt during the making of some of her iconic films. Instead, they get a history lesson about the evolution of technology in India, and how advertisements changed the way things were marketed among other things. And when you have a book on Madhuri without her colourful pictures, that’s unacceptable in my ‘book’. Although she doesn’t need color to look ‘perfect’ it would have added colour to these pages. Yes, the readers get to read about her iconic films and characters but that’s not what they want in the first place. They wanted to read about their favourite star’s early life, how her colleagues saw her when she started, how her contemporaries felt about her when she was outgrowing them and how she managed to stay ahead of the others despite her advancing age. The 100-watt smile had something to do with her success, but there is no mention of that anywhere in the book.
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By Khawaja Naveed uddin KARACHI
Theatre, drama, farce, or allegory are performing arts, imitations of real life. But in all theatre is the most unique form of art. However, history does not say when the first play was staged and when the theatres actually began. An ancient Stoneage man would one day probably tell the story of his hunting experience of that very day in his primitive language and symbols to his companions sitting around the fire, gesturing with his hands and moving his limbs. However, it can be said that the theatre was present in all civilisations of the world, be it Roman or Greek, Chinese, Japanese or African, Asian or even in the Sub-Continent. But, the earliest form of stage play in the Indian subcontinent was Sanskrit. It appeared sometime in the 3rd century BC and it was most probably during the era of Chandragupta Moriya. Back then, under the auspices of kings, games based on religious stories were usually presented for the purpose of both entertainment and education. Kali Das's play Shakuntala influenced writers of other languages and civilisations in the years to come. The greatest works of theatre of this period are found in the form of Bharat Mani's "Nut Shaster". In it, Bharat Mani explained the rules and regulations of theatre. In history, the characteristics of the actors are described in detail, guidelines even formulated the principle of stage decoration – the art of drama was universal. Calmness and balance were essential to the parable therefore scenes of tragedy and bloodshed were avoided to not to disturb the peace of mind of the spectators. Theatrical dramas used dance and music actors used to tell life story with their head, eyes, eyebrows, arms and hand gestures. There were innumerable types of gestures, inclinations, movements through which all moods, feelings and thoughts were expressed and these were the essence of a play. Parallel to this religious sacred theater was the folk theater, which was named Bhand, a Sanskrit word that means, parable or staged story. Kings used to hire clowns for entertainment purposes on various occasions and farmers used this genre of theatre for their catharsis. In this particular genre of theatre used humour and satire to express his suffering and is often found mentioned in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in the poetry of Nandarshi and Sheikh Noorud-Din Wali. Books and research by Sir
Walter Lawrence, Encyclopedia Britannica and other British authors also mention these bhand as street theatres. The traditional theatre of South Asia was similar to that of medieval Europe, where religious mythology was represented on one hand and clowns, court clowns and imitators on the other. Urdu theatre has inherited all these traditions that continue to this day. In 1855, the last Nawab of Odh Wajid Ali Shah, staged the play "Indar Sabha" written by Agha Hassan Amanat in the courtyard of his palace. It was supposed to be the first ever Urdu stage play, a drama based on the story of Peri Jamal and Prince Gulfam. Wajid Ali Shah himself was an expert in Kathak dance and Katha Kali. Wajid Ali Shah did many experiments in this regard, from bright makeup and glittering costumes to, music in the background. Later this tradition of Urdu play gradually took the form of Parsi theatre. The Parsi theatre ruled the subcontinent for almost a century. A mix of stories and social stories was presented in the Parsi theatre. During the British Raj, theatre evolved from stories and myths to reflect the realities and sufferings of the poor. Parsi theater, unlike its name, included Parsis, non-Parsis, Muslims, Christians and Hindus who wrote plays, composed music and wrote songs. This theatre blurred
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the line between high and low art. It is pertinent to note that the cultural intervention of Europe in the 19th century also influenced the theatre and drama of the subcontinent. Along with Parsi theatre, Gujarati, Bengali and Marathi continued in the subcontinent. The world also came to acknowledge the stage dramas when the famous Bengali poet, writer and playwright Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel Prize in 1913. Parsi
During the British Raj, theatre evolved from stories and myths to reflect the realities and sufferings of the poor
theatre flourished because of Agha Hashar Kashmiri (1879-1945) who was very well versed in world literature and made social issues the subject of his dramas. He adapted the literature of other languages in a unique way and wrote poetic dialogues. In 1920, he performed his popular plays Blumangal and Naik Parveen. This was the height of Parsi theatre. Parsi theater halls were built in all the cities of the subcontinent, but later, with the establishment of the film industry in Bombay, most of the directors, actors and musicians of the theatre moved there. Agha Hashar also opened a film company in Lahore and films based on the most popular theatrical dramas began to be made. The influence of Parsi theatre on cinema lasted for almost half a century. With the decline of Parsi theatre in the fourth decade of the twentieth century, most theatre halls converted into cinema halls. The big names in the middle of the twentieth century include Imtiaz Ali Taj, Krishna Chandra, Saadat Hassan Manto, Rafi Pir and Upendranath Ashk. The play "Anarkali" written by Imtiaz Ali Taj in 1932 is still a milestone in Urdu drama where he presented a popular folk tale Sasi Punnu with a combination of real historical characters like Emperor Akbar and Jahangir. He was excelled in characterisation and during his time in Government College, Imtiaz Ali Taj used to stage English plays by translating them into Urdu. Dumb Joro and many of his other plays are still staged today. After his extensive research on plays, Imtiaz Ali compiled a history of Urdu classical dramas. It is also a fact that Urdu theater has evolved more than its Parsi counterpart. Although Urdu drama was neglected before 1850 and Urdu scholars and writers considered the genre of drama to be inferior to the level of literature, it later emerged on the basis of their ideas and narratives. For some time after the partition of the subcontinent and the formation of Pakistan, dramas were staged on the themes of the largest migration in history in 1947, the blood-shed and atrocities of the Sikhs and the problems of the refugees. In this regard, plays written and derived by Manto are staged event today. At the same time, Khawaja Moinuddin emerged with his outstanding plays that include "From Lal Qila to Lalu Kheet", "Taleem-e-Balighaa (Education for Adults)" and "Mirza Ghalib on Bandar Road". It was the scenario of that age, the left-wing movement gave birth to the 1960s ideology, which resulted in a dynamic student movement overthrowing the Ayub government. In the years to come, Pakistan went through the
tragedy of splitting and then came the era of democracy in which Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto gave people the idea of a new Pakistan. This era of theatre was neither part of the drawing room culture nor the remnants of Parsi theatre, it was said a public culture. Political developments have given rise to mass movements in theatre, arts and music. During that period cultural and literary institutions such as the Pakistan National Council of Arts and the Academy of Letters were established, Al-Hamra Arts Council was also given a new building. The plays in the theatre were adapted from foreign literature and student theatre flourished. Around the same time, Sarmad Sehbai and Najam Hussain Syed founded the contemporary theatre. For the first time in Pakistan's theatre, original plays and adaptations were presented. Kamal Ahmad Rizvi also holds an important position in this regard since his contributions set an example for the industry and new-comers. In 1977, Bhutto's government came to an end and General Zia-ul-Haq started the darkest period in Pakistan's history by imposing martial law. All kinds of cultural and theatrical activities, even student theatre were banned. Not only political activists but also writers and poets suffered from imprisonment, forced hiding and faced deportation. And this was not the first time that the victors and rulers of the time had dragged the scholars, intellectuals, poets and writers on their necks. However, it is important to note that the dramas in Bhutto's institution, the Pakistan National Council of the Arts, continued for commercial purposes. It was a theatrical play without any rehearsals based on outstanding dialogue. These commercial stage plays were viewed with contempt by serious theatre, but they gained public attention as well. Comedy plays gained acclaim and popularity on the merits of artists like
Other theatre artists who disagreed with commercial theatre took a parallel path in the 1980s they began to stage theatre plays in homes and on the streets, targeting both the political and theatrical administration and the dictatorship. The Ajoka Theatre in Lahore was a prominent group that staged its first play Jalus in 1984 in the lawn of a house. Initially, the group consisted of university students, focused on social change and human rights plays. Rafi Pir, one of Pakistan's theatre groups, is a group free of ideological restrictions that resisted NGO funding and turned to multinational funds. It was founded in 1974 by Salman Pirzada and his brothers. Rafi Pir is one of the founders of modern Urdu Punjabi drama in the subcontinent the group tried to create original drama according to contemporary conditions and also introduced a thin spectacle in Pakistan. The group’s contributions are widely appreciated, and they also
Amanullah, Umar Sharif, Sohail Ahmed. They used the same ancient folk tradition of Bhand and Jagat, which has been used in the region for catharsis for centuries. However, in the years to come, the world would have to take the place of mockery in the same way that Gandasa and Badhak had taken the place of aesthetic tastes in cinema and who knew that the same mockery and Badhak would become a part of the national mood. This theatre replaced the dying cinema and due to commercialism cinema halls became theatre halls, just like the Parsi theatre was replaced by cinema years ago. This commercial theatre has now flourished in Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan and Sahiwal. However, the Punjabi theatre is now in decline due to its absurdity, commercialism and the producer's compulsion to work on given lines and tight schedules.
host theater, music, and puppet show festivals where both folk and urban artists gather. At the same time, stage dramas of social, political, economic, and even colleges and universities have been present in Pakistan at all times, which are also nurseries of new talent. Notable among them are Punjab University, University of Engineering and Technology, and Government College. Private production companies have turned the theatre into professional and commercial avenues to make it a part of Pakistani culture. But the country is plagued by a shortage of theatre training institutes. The only performing arts academy is NAPA working in Karachi that aims to bring out and promote talent across the country. Theatrical, drama, as well as music, are taught here but we need more in accordance to accommodate flourishing young talent.
The traditional theatre of South Asia was similar to that of medieval Europe. Urdu theatre has inherited it
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By Bold Desk
the world. The way they discovered our work is very simple: we were working very, very hard, we applied and showed them the work and they were very excited to see a film like this coming out of Pakistan. So, we will go and showcase our work there to the amazing people in the animation industry.
KARACHI
The world of animation is a magical place where your dreams can be formatted into gorgeous drawings that can teleport you into a space where possibilities are endless. The hand-drawn animation is this but on another level because for eons now it has spoken to audiences in a way that inspires us all. Recently, Pakistan’s firstever hand-drawn animation studio, Mano Animation Studios' upcoming film ‘The Glassworker’ was officially selected to be on a very distinguished list of nominees in the ‘Work in Progress’ category at Annecy 2022 (Annecy International Animation Film Festival) in France where several other distinguished and highly praised films have previously gauged standout awards as well as box office success. Recent high-profile projects featured at Annecy's Work in Progress include Sony Pictures Entertainment's Oscar-winner "Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse" and Oscar nominees in Netflix's "Klaus" and "Over the Moon," Cartoon Saloon's “Wolfwalkers,” Michael Dudok de Wit's "The Red Turtle," and Dean DeBlois' "How to Train Your Dragon 2”. Hearing this news, we were compelled to find out more about this incredible production, how it originated and the team behind it. We went straight to the source and spoke to the founder of Mano Animation Studios, Usman Riaz, and got to know a little bit of background on how this exceptional news came about:
Give us a little background about yourself?
My name is Usman Riaz. I am 31 years old. I live in Karachi, Pakistan and have been drawing since I was a child and animation has been the dream for me. I studied at Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture for two years and then dropped out because I was selected as a TED fellow. I traveled the world to speak at TED and TEDx conferences and eventually I wound up in Boston where I was given a full scholarship at Berklee College of Music where I studied for two years as well. I then got an opportunity to go to Japan to present our art, animation, and music work. I took that opportunity and I was invited to Studio Ghibli where I had a wonderful experience and learned a lot. After that, we found Mano Animation Studios and it’s been amazing from thereon.
Why do you want to bring animation to Pakistan?
There’s so much talent in Pakistan and so much untapped potential. I never wanted to go abroad and work, I wanted to be able to do hand-drawn animation here in the country. I would always say if someone started an animation studio here I would
How did it feel to be nominated for Annecy 2022?
It is truly an honor to represent Pakistan at Annecy 2022. Only 8 exceptional feature films are selected from all over the world for Annecy’s Work in Progress category. To have our first feature film, ‘The Glassworker’, on the same stage as so many incredible and inspiring animated films that have come before us is genuinely humbling. With this amazing opportunity, we will be able to showcase the incredibly meticulous work we are doing at Mano Animation Studios. To be the first handdrawn feature film to come from Pakistan and for it to be acknowledged by our peers is extremely encouraging. I love the craft of animation more than anything in the world, and I have dedicated my life to it. With Annecy’s ‘Work in Progress’, we are and hand-painted backgrounds show everybody that we can do this just as well as anyone in the world if given the opportunity.
Right now nobody takes us seriously because we aren’t producing noteworthy content jump on the opportunity and go and join that studio but no one did, so Mariam, Khizer, and I started our animation studio and we haven’t looked back since.
How does your music tie into this project?
Music has been a big part of my life since I was a child as well. It’s always been drawing and music for me. For our film, ‘The Glassworker’, I’m writing the score for the film with a co-composer Carmine Diflori who is another student from Berklee College of Music and a brilliant musician. Music has never really left me, I’m just not performing right now.
What is the concept behind this animation project?
The concept for this animation is just to make a beautiful film with a thoughtprovoking story. Beautiful animation
Did you write and create the story as well?
I firmly believe that if we make something good then everything else will follow
‘The Glassworker’ is an original story about young Vincent and his father Tomas, who run the finest glass workshop in the country and find their lives upended by an impending war in which they want no part. The arrival in their town of an army colonel and his young, talented violinist daughter, Alliz, shakes their reality and tests the relationship between father and son. The love that develops between Vincent and Alliz is challenged constantly by the differing views of their fathers. It is a time when patriotism and social standing are considered more important than free thought and artistic pursuits. It is a time when love is not relevant.
in the incredible position to share my love for the craft with the most outstanding studios, artists, and animators in the world.
What other projects are you currently working on?
How do you see productions like this adding value to Pakistan?
We have to show the world that we are capable of doing this. Right now nobody takes us seriously because we aren’t producing noteworthy content. There are a lot of small independent studios doing amazing work but nothing on this scale or a global level. We want to make a film that is as good as anything you’ve seen growing up. And if we achieve that then we’ll be adding value to Pakistani entertainment in the best possible way.
What is the inspiration behind the
story? I’ve always been fascinated by glass blowing. I came across glass blowing on a trip to Venice when I was very young. It’s such a fascinating process and nobody has covered it. It’s a unique story point for our film and glass blowing has never been shown in the film so, I think it will be very interesting.
What made you want this film to be in traditional hand-drawn animation?
The answer is simple. I love hand-drawn animation. There’s no real reason or ulterior motivation. I love this craft more than anything else in the world and I have devoted my life to it. I want to pursue this and carry on the great work our (the team’s) great heroes have been doing. I think I speak for everyone at Mano when I say that we want to make an amazing film that will hopefully inspire others to try the craft, to draw, to pick up a pencil, and just try. That’s what the films we watched did to us.
Is the production-based completely in Pakistan or are others from abroad contributing as well?
Mano Animation Studios is based in Karachi and Los Angeles, however, the creative team is entirely in Karachi, Pakistan. The majority of the animation work and the majority of the backgrounds PA K I S TA N ’ S N U M B E R 1 N E W S PA P E R
are being done in Pakistan. However, our team is very global. We are working with people from Japan, South America, the United States, the United Kingdom, and most parts of Europe. It’s a very global project and different aspects are being handled by different studios and their levels of expertise. I can’t go more into detail right now but we are collaborating with a lot of people to bring the entire scope and vision of this film to completion.
How did Annecy discover your work?
The Annecy Animation film festival is the most prestigious In the world and it’s extremely difficult to make a film even worthy of premiering there, whether that’s a short film or a feature film. Obviously, with short films, the timelines are much smaller. Feature films are a huge undertaking and order to premier your film there is a great honor. We have been selected for something which is extremely competitive called the ‘Work in Progress’ panel. The last few films that were in the work in progress panel were Netflix’s ‘Klaus’, ‘Spiderman: Into The Spiderverse’, Cartoon Saloons ‘Wolf Walkers’, and ‘The Red Turtle’ by Studio Ghibli. These are very incredible movies and to be in the same sentence as those films is absolutely incredible. Only 8 exceptional feature films are selected for the ‘Work In Progress’ panel from all over
We are only working on this film and have been doing so for many many years because it takes obsession and dedication to create something worthy of showing on an international stage. I firmly believe that if we make something good then everything else will follow. The point is that this film needs to be good. We will only get one shot at this and we will not waste the opportunity.
Tell us a little more about your team?
Our team comprises very passionate and dedicated people. I have to especially thank Mariam Paracha, our art director & assistant director, and Khizer Riaz, our producer & line producer; without these two Mano will not be able to function and I could not have gotten this far without their incredible contributions. Then I have to thank our animation director Aamir Riffat and our head of character design Sofia Abdullah. These people make up the core team of Mano Animation Studios. They have given up a lot in order to join me on this crazy journey and I keep thanking everybody constantly so much that they get annoyed at times but I truly mean it. We would not have gotten this far without everyone’s contributions. I mean, the main reason we have gotten this far is by the grace of God. The team itself has been so dedicated and so passionate and our wider team again is composed of very talented, passionate people who believe in this vision that I have presented to them and I could not be more grateful.
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By Fakeha Kausar KARACHI
People might have adapted modern lifestyle but there are still a few issues that need attention; such as body shaming. For centuries, especially women have been subjected to body shaming. Body shaming is referred to mocking someone for the way they look physically. I’m sure we all have heard some very common fat-shaming comments; ‘oh, you have gained weight’ ‘that outfit makes you look fat ‘maybe you should eat something healthier, in the same way, skinny-shaming is something that exists, perhaps, more silent but equitably hurtful. As much as it is considered a good thing to be thin, it is sometimes a remark of embarrassment followed by ‘you should eat more’ or ‘you look like a hanger with clothes on’. And sometimes also grabbed by the wrists’, ‘oh look at the size of your wrists, it’s so fragile.’ All these statements are passed on very lightly specifically because being thin is close to today’s beauty standards. What we fail to understand is how the slightest comment can have an effect on someone’s “self-image”. As society gradually promotes body positivity and accepts tall girls, the issue of skinny girls being ashamed of their body type seems to be ignored and overlooked. We know very little about what a person goes through to lift themselves up every morning and we fail to realise that a single word can turn into insecurity for some people. Our society compares thinness to health and roundness to unhealthy. However, body weight does not completely determine health. Some thinner women appear to be healthier but suffer from underlying chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, muscle atrophy, anorexia, or even depression and it is fair to
say that most people have little to no awareness of these conditions. Not only do ordinary people go through skinny shaming but celebrities also go through online bullying and are targeted for their body types as well. Spider-Man: Homecoming famed actress Zendaya is often targeted for her skinny physique. In 2016, Klausner, a renowned comedian, tweeted referring to Zendaya: “She is starving... You don’t have to have an eating disorder to attend the Kids Choice Awards but it certainly helps”. Zendaya then responded by schooling the comedian on how his remarks are not funny and that his words can be very triggering: Do you find it funny? Now... go and look at your beautiful body in the mirror and say you love it”. People need to understand that body shaming works both ways and offends skinny
women as much as women with plus sizes. Celebrities like Kendal Jenner, who are exemplary for their beauty and lavish lifestyle have also been publicly targeted multiple times with comments like: ‘you need to put more food in that body’ ‘tall girls shouldn’t be so skinny’ ‘where does all the food go?’ to which she responded: “I’m constantly criticised for being too skinny, I’m trying to gain weight but my body won’t let it happen. What people don’t understand is that calling someone too skinny is the same as calling someone too fat. It’s not a nice feeling,” Even in general, people should be kind towards each other. You never know who is going through what physical illness which has given them this shape. Furthermore, kindness shouldn’t be restricted to women only but people also need to take into
consideration is how body shaming affects men. An estimate of 80% of men, don’t voice their negative thoughts about their bodies out of sheer awkwardness. Furthermore, men still struggle with their body image and have a strong belief that they don’t live up to the male body standards. A lot of men struggle with physical dissatisfaction or negative thoughts about their bodies but we, as a society, don’t emphasise enough on this issue and how it can affect “self-confidence” and “self-worth” in a person. This might not be a physical attack, but it affects people’s mental health and damages their self-esteem to an extent – It can cause embarrassment, anxiety, sadness, anger, fear, low self-respect, and low self-image. It can also trigger social anxiety, resulting in isolating oneself from gatherings, depression, and eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. In some extreme cases, this can lead to suicidal thoughts. According to a study of body weight and suicidal behavior in adolescent girls, self-reported and measured weight status increases the likelihood of suicidal thoughts in young women. People usually assume in regard to skinny individuals that since they have the “perfect body” there’s no way they could be self-conscious about it which further stops them from voicing their concerns in any way since their feelings on the matter are considered irrelevant. Skinny shaming is just as unacceptable as fat-shaming and it should not be considered fine to tell people to eat more to gain weight or eat less to lose weight. Newsflash: Not so. Even the little grin that follows these words is intolerable. Let’s stop telling people how they look and be kind instead. People should not value or accept people on the basis of their weight, colour and size.
Parenting does not come with a manual, there’s no right or wrong way to do it, but these tips might help!
Our desi mentality reminds us that everything is the mom’s duty when the baby arrives, but that’s not true
By Muhammad Ali "I just became a father, and everything seems all over the place. I am pretty confident that I will protect my baby from the world, but what can I do to make things easier for my wife in these first few weeks?" This is probably the first thought many of us may you get when we witness the miracle of life. Although there’s so much to learn, Knowing what to expect when the baby arrives will help you care for your new baby and support your partner through the entire process. Remember, you’ll get to hear a ton of advice from people, but make sure you listen to your partner first. Here are some tips that I am implementing these days; trust me, it isn’t easy but totally worth it.
got her back
Co-parenting is the key
It’s no secret that babies thrive on consistency. You and your partner will need to work together to establish routines for your baby. And once those routines are developed, you’ll both need to be on the same page to stick to it. Since you both were most likely raised differently, be sure to talk about your expectations for raising your child and how you plan to go about it. Raising a child is not alone a mother’s job; you too have a crucial role to play.
Help where you can
Ceaser or normal delivery, regardless of how your partner delivers, her body will need time to recover and the last thing she needs is stressing about the extra work that needs her attention. Our desi mentality reminds us that everything is the mom’s duty when the baby arrives, but that’s not true. The only activity exclusive to mothers is breastfeeding, the rest can be done by anyone. Fathers can bathe, change diapers, cook, clean and rock with the best of moms. Doing so allows your partner a much-needed break from the action. If your partner is nursing, there's more than one way to feed your baby. While men can’t breastfeed, they can be the ones to give the baby bottles of milk or formula, which gives your partner a break and provides you with some extra opportunities for bonding with your baby.
Night shift is all yours
As fathers, it is best to share in the early weeks of sleepless nights. There's so much you can do: Pick the baby up, do any necessary diaper changing, cradle the baby to sleep, deliver the baby to your partner for feeding and let them rest in the crib or bassinet once the feeding is finished. This will help you connect more
Postpartum Depression is real
Postpartum depression and anxiety is a genuine issue that affects many new mothers around us and I understand that as a loving partner. You may feel the urge to help fix things. First and foremost, make sure your wife gets the medical help she needs. If she’s struggling with postpartum depression, never take it lightly. Consult a psychologist or a psychiatrist as soon as possible and sort things out.
Don’t rush; take one game at a time!
with your baby and give time to your partner to catch up on her sleep and take needed rest. Night shift also includes dinners, here’s an invaluable piece of new-dad advice: Never ask an exhausted new mother, “What's for dinner?” Instead, try, "Hey, what can I get for dinner?" Parenthood is so much more than a full-
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time job, which means your wife's share of chores will pile up. So pick up the slack on dishes, laundry, dusting, thank-you notes — whatever needs doing, whenever possible. All of this will help your wife to recover fast and feel relieved; she needs nothing but love during this time, so make sure you shower her with all the love you have to give!
Listen to her
Sure, everyone’s trying to help you by offering the advice that worked for them but know that what works for one couple may not work for the other couple. But the most important person to listen to once the baby arrives is your wife, discuss how things should be taken care of with her.
Most people love taking a dig at how a couple decides to parent their child, putting all the pressure on the mother, and it can get frustrating at times. So encourage your partner to communicate, listen to her vent, and allow her to tell you how she is feeling and what she needs. Things won’t feel overwhelming if she knows her teammate
Being a first-time father and meeting your baby for the first time is exciting! Once the baby is around, your fatherly instincts will kick in, and you’ll grow into an amazing dad. Don’t confuse yourself too much; babies need time to adjust to the new environment and that is natural. Trust me when I say that there’s only so much you will learn when you spend time with your little one. Just go with the flow and enjoy fatherhood while you can!
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Ali Rehman Khan
Bilal Ashraf
Humayun Saeed
Sheheryar Munawwar
Kim Kardashian's blonde ambition extended to not one but two Marilyn Monroe gowns at the 2022 Met Gala weight loss in a longer interview for Vogue’s website, saying, “I would wear a sauna suit twice a day, run on the treadmill, completely cut out all sugar and all carbs, and just eat the cleanest veggies and protein. I didn’t starve myself, but I was so strict.” The crash dieting has also upset a ton of fans as they believe that Kim was disrespecting Monroe, who loved flaunting her curves and was touted as a plus-size icon back in the day. Often seen promoting appetite suppressants on Instagram, Kim has a mixed history with body positivity and it appeared disappointing to see her continue this red-carpet trend, especially because she’s describing what essentially amounts to a three-week crash diet. Kim was essentially reprimanded by fans who felt that she should do a better job at how she promotes an urgency for weight loss given her following and status.
By Shaiza Kiran Sixty years after Marilyn Monroe sang “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” for John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden, her iconic nude dress was unearthed at the 2022 Met Gala Red Carpet event donned by Kim Kardashian - making her the only person besides Monroe to ever wear the dress. The reality star and shape wear maven borrowed the sparkly beige gown that was made for Monroe so exclusively that it was sewn on top of her body to make it as form-fitting as it can get in 1962 to sing “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy from Orlando’s Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum. Auctioned at $5 million, the historic nude dress happens to be the most expensive vintage dress to date and holds a rather sacred place in the eyes of the true Monroe fans. When Monroe asked costume designer Jean Louis to make a dress for her, she told him, “I want you to design a truly historical dress, a dazzling dress that’s oneof-a-kind, a dress that only Marilyn Monroe could wear,” according to Ripley’s. Controversy also doubled when the reality star posted a photo of her claiming to wear Marilyn Monroe’s Norman Norell dress that she wore to the Golden Globes in 1962 —where she received the Henrietta Award For World Film Favourite, but fans and historians are still speculating if the dress she’s posing in is a replica for her source was changed from Juliens Auctions to Heritage Auctions in her Instagram post. The mogul also claimed to be holding the same award from 1962 that Monroe had won that was owned by a friend of hers, the floral designer Jeff Leatham, who purchased it at auction in 2018. In the aftermath of the Gala, ire has started to brew forth amongst the fashion archivist community: several conservators of fragile garments, including the former Head Conservator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, have expressed outrage that Kardashian went so far as to pull the original gown out of storage and wear it, thereby potentially damaging the garment.
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Was it necessary?
As controversy swirls in the days afterward — with pointed criticism from muse-
the look was in no way reminiscent of the icon despite Kim dyeing her hair blonde which took her 14 tedious hours. And this leaves us questioning, was it really necessary to take the iconic dress out for a spin when you had an exact replica of the dress to wear? Many would argue that this was a great opportunity for Kim Kardashian to be the center of attention, but when has Kim ever not been the center of attention? Anything she could’ve chosen to worn would have gotten people talking, then why go after a dress that holds this much of significance? And many could see their point, they were aghast that such a fragile dress had been removed from the vault where it was carefully preserved at a certain temperature over a certain material that would keep its integrity intact and to then see it worn by a reality star, who, even if she didn’t bust a seam, was exposing the dress to any number of elements that could damage it. What kind of person thinks one night on a red carpet is more important than preserving history? But at the same time, the dress did exactly what the museum had thought of, it bought the otherw3ise forgotten dress to the limelight. Once back to the museum, the dress will generate thousands of dollars in sales from fans of both the women, be it for critique, and be it for admiring, people will be visiting both ways.
Even more outrage at the MET Gala: Emma Chamberlain’s Patiala Necklace
The dress was loaned to Kim Kardashian with a set of instructions
Scoring a dress as iconic as this did not come easy for Kim Kardashian, the dress with a set of lengthy instructions that were to be followed before the dress was returned back to the museum. It prohibited her from making any alterations whatsoever to the precious piece, leading the star to go on a grueling diet and exercise regimen to ensure it would fit. The dress was only allowed to be worn at the Red Carpet up to the stairs and Kim slipped into a replica of the dress for the rest of the event, she wasn’t allowed to sit or eat in the loaned dress. Among the points agreed upon in allowing her to wear the dress was that a Ripley representa-
tive needed to remain with the dress at all times and Kim requested that it be a woman given the private nature of stepping into the dress.
Kim had to lose 16lbs to fit into the dress
Revealing it all to La La Anthony at the Red Carpet, Kim shared how she did not fit into the dress the first time she tried it on: “I tried it on, and it didn’t fit me, I said, ‘Give me like three weeks.’ And I had to lose 16 pounds down today to be able to fit this. It was such a challenge. It was like a role. I was determined to fit it.” “Since I haven’t eaten carbs or sugar in about three weeks, we’re eating a pizza and donut party back at the hotel,” she added. She provided even more detail about her speedy
um curators about the ethics of a collecting institution loaning out a piece of fashion history to be worn on a red carpet, fashion historians, Monroe fans, art conservators and the internet had some very strong opinions on the matter. The videos of conservators dissecting the videos from the dressing room have been making rounds on social media where they talk about the visible stress wrinkles across the hip and how Kim kept stepping on the hem at the stairs potentially causing insurmountable damage to the hem. People also argued how the use of cotton gloves when handling and trying to fit Kim into the dress could have snagged on beads, and embellishments. A lot of people found the overall look to be straight-up boring, missing that sweet spot and the aura that Marilyn Monroe had,
This year's MET Gala's biggest snafu was touted to be Kim Kardashian wearing the iconic Marilyn Monroe dress. However, as the reality TV star stole the limelight for damaging the historic ensemble, what many didn't notice was how Emma Chamberlain opted for a rare piece of jewellery to go with her Louis Vuitton figure-hugging dress at this year's MET and it did not seem to go down well with the general public. The Maharaja of Patiala had commissioned Cartier to make the heirloom piece with the De Beers diamond as the centrepiece and it was completed around 1928. It was famously known as the Patiala Necklace. It went missing for a certain period of time before reappearing in London and being “re-bought” by Cartier. However, the allegations of the choker having been “stolen” at some point have not so far been substantiated. Whatever side you may be on, you cannot deny how the two feats have proven to be very on-theme because nothing screams gilded glamour quite like expropriation.
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Our celebrities turned to pastels this year for Eid and the pictures turned out to be a sight for sore eyes, with ghararas dominating most of the looks, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite Eid looks of the season!
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Jaanay Dou Taha G
Pasoori Ali Sethi, Shae Gill
Sapnay Falak Shabbir
Bikhra Abdul Hannan, Rovalio
Ishq Di Chaawan Danny Zee
Pyar Hai Asli Maanu, Hasan Raheem, Talal Qureshi
That That PSY, Suga of BTS
As It Was Harry Styles
Until I Found You Stephen Sanchez
By AFP
Just in time, against a backdrop of war in Europe, comes Eurovision, the world's biggest live music event with its quirky, camp celebration of culture and song. Watched by millions, the song contest held this year in Italy's northwestern city of Turin is providing a welcome moment of celebration and solidarity amid the geopolitical turmoil caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. With a first semi-final Tuesday night and a second on Thursday, the 40 competing countries will whittle down to 25 to battle in the finale Saturday. Ukraine's rap folk band Kalush Orchestra is the favourite to win. Fans gathered outside the PalaOlimpico sporting arena Tuesday expressed cheer at the atmosphere of camaraderie. "I think it's amazing that this year Eurovision can happen again, especially now with the circumstances in Europe," German fan Matthias Korte, 30, told AFP. Ricardo Duarte from Lisbon called Eurovision "magic"."I believe there is a Eurovision spirit and you can feel it when you're here," said Duarte, 53. "It unites people and all in a very joyful way." "Ukraine is very much a part of our Europe, the Europe that we love and the Europe we want to build together," he said, adding it would be tragic to "let (Russian President Vladimir) Putin get his way".
'Give That Wolf a Banana'
First Class Jack Harlow
The European smorgasbord of musical kitsch and culture has enthralled the continent for decades, serving up a steady supply of no-holds-barred belting, flamboyant costumes, onstage pyrotechnics and awkward presenter banter in heavily accented English. In its 66th year -- 2020's edition was cancelled because of coronavirus -- the cultural mash-up is camp and over-the-top, and often just outright odd.
tition. "They are authentic, original and really unique, and this is what we want to showcase."
Mechanical bulls and fiddles
This year appears to be no exception as seen by Norway's Subwoolfer, who perform their upbeat "Give That Wolf a Banana" wearing cartoonish yellow wolf masks complete with white teeth, or Latvia's entry "Eat Your Salad" by Citi Zeni with its naughty lyrics and planet-loving message. Enjoying a flood of popular support and tipped by bookmakers to win the cult competition is Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra, with the brisk rap lullaby "Stefania". The song addressed to a mother, which mixes hiphop and traditional Ukrainian music, was written before
Russia's February invasion of Ukraine. But with striking lyrics such as "I'll always find my way home even if all the roads are destroyed", the song has become "really close to the hearts of many Ukrainians", said frontman rapper Oleh Psiuk, who along with the band received special government authorisation to attend Eurovision. "There are efforts that have been made now to destroy and discredit Ukrainian culture, but we are here to show that Ukrainian music and Ukrainian culture exist," Psiuk said on Sunday during the official kickoff to the compe-
Although watched by viewers of all ages, the competition sometimes verges on the provocative. During rehearsals, San Marino contestant Achille Lauro gyrated atop a red mechanical bull dressed head to toe in lacy, transparent Gucci while Albania's Ronela Hajati belted out "Sekret" amid nubile, undulating dancers in an energetic, risque performance. Sheldon Riley of Australia -- one of the handful of non-European countries to compete -- showed off a voluminous white ostrich feather cape worthy of Liberace, while Moldova's Zdob si Zdub & Advahov Brothers have brought a high-octane dose of energy with their accordion and fiddle-laden "Trenuletul". Meanwhile, the UK's long-haired, ever-grinning Sam Ryder is giving Brits a long overdue whiff of possible victory with his entry "Space Man", after a quarter of a century of disappointment. Last year's winners, Italy's leather-clad glam band Maneskin, will perform at the finale Saturday with a new single, "Supermodel". At the Coachella festival in California last month, Maneskin frontman Damiano David shouted out "Free Ukraine" and an expletive levelled at Putin. The European Broadcasting Union, which organises Eurovision, excluded Russia from the show on February 25, the day after its invasion. During the official kickoff, performers walked the turquoise carpet runway flanked by press from corresponding nations. Votes are cast by music industry professionals and the public from each country. Out of fairness, nobody can vote for their own nation. Last year, 183 milion people watched the contest.
By Bold Desk KARACHI
It’s going to be a year since Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood split as a band. However, there was good news for the fans of both the pop stars that their music icons somehow did not disappoint their fans and managed to drop songs for them. Where Faisal sang for Coke Studio, Bilal launched his single ‘Naya Naya’ which he dedicated to his fans. Co-written by Anwar Maqsood, Murtaza Choudhry has directed the song video. The song has a nostalgic touch for his fans as there are rarely any songs now which follow a singer himself. The video shows Bilal Maqsood exploring a small town in Turkey. Talking about his single, he took to his Instagram and wrote,'Naya Naya', my first solo single is dedicated to you guys. I’m talking to my amazing audience without whom I’m nothing. It’s a new life for me and I cannot deny the fact that you all are an integral part of my new journey." Before he recorded this song, Bilal introduced Urdu nursery rhymes at the Karachi Literature Festival which was surely the need of time for there are hardly any Urdu rhymes for children. He also joined other fellow artists for the Pakistan Super League anthem song of Quetta Gladiators. PA K I S TA N ’ S N U M B E R 1 N E W S PA P E R
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Don’t fritter away your precious time during upcoming holiday season. Try your hands at these tasks Write something every day:
Writing is an art. Not many people know how to articulate their feelings, thoughts and emotions beautifully through words. Hence, write something every day to become proficient at using words. Besides, writing is quite therapeutic. Jotting down what’s going on in your mind will help you gain clarity and prove to be cathartic. Also, it is an effective self-reflection method as one gets to ponder over their actions and reactions. You can actively step into someone’s shoes to see things from their perspective and gauge the gravity of the situation practically. You can start keeping a small diary and fill in a page every night, or create a blog. Alternatively, just start answering questions on Quora, and gradually build your brand.
By Mariam Naeem Khan Summers are here and, for many of us, vacations would start soon. What do you plan to do on this vacation? Travel? Sure, however, it’s expensive, given the surge in airfare prices. Visit a parent, sibling or a friend in another city? That’s a wonderful idea. Have you planned what you’d like to do during your visit with all that time on your hands? How about upgrading your skills by taking a course, meanwhile? Or perhaps learning a foreign language that would look good on college and job applications? Vacations are the perfect time to indulge in relaxing yet productive activities. Here are a few ideas to kill your world-weariness and indulge in some activities that would polish your skills.
Spruce up your living space:
Now that you’ll be spending more time at home, might as well refurbish your living space. Start with the washroom and kitchen, and we’re sure you will spot some issues that need to be fixed. Check if the kitchen cabinets have to be cleaned or changed altogether, and how does the countertop look? Cluttered or clean? Think if you should invest in extra storage space around the house, or change those old, dusty curtains that have been hanging in the living room for eons. Once you’ve refurbished and reorganised things around your home, you’ll feel much better and happier.
Enroll in a short course:
Gone are the days when one was required to be an expert in a certain line of employment. You need to acquire quite a few skills and competencies to stay relevant in today’s job market. Vacation or annual leaves are the best time to upgrade your skillset. You’ll find a plethora of short, inexpensive courses on multiple online platforms like edX, Coursera, MasterClass, Skillshare, Udemy, etc. You can learn from the experts, share experiences and opinions with people from different countries and earn a certificate. EdX offers some interesting courses on entrepreneurship, digital marketing and financial management. Similarly, creative writing taught by Margaret Atwood on MasterClass can prove to be of great help for many. It’s best to opt for a course which isn’t directly linked with your profession, so you can learn something new and exciting.
Socialise, watch Netflix and grow a plant:
Learn about Artificial Intelligence:
You must have heard of AI, but do not necessarily know how significantly Artificial Intelligence will change lives. According to research AI Multiple, cognitive technologies such as robots, AI, machine learning, and automation will definitely replace 16% of jobs in the USA by 2028. All routine occupations such as call centre representatives, sales representatives, receptionists, cashiers, bookkeeping and data entry jobs, courier services, proofreading, assembly and packaging jobs, cleaning and washing, etc. will be replaced by AI in the next 15 to 20 years. If you are a college or university student, you must read up about AI to know how to stay relevant during the automation revolution.
Learn coding:
Coding is transforming a task into a language that is understood by computers. There are different languages for coding, but the most commonly used ones are Java, C++, and Python. All modern technological devices such as smart TVs, electronic cars, etc. have internal coding systems. Learning coding is not only an additional skill but also gives earning opportunities.
If you want to laze around in vacations, that’s absolutely fine. Catch up with your friends and family and spend some quality with them. Bake a cake with your grandmother, visit the bank with your granddad to pay the bills, help a cousin complete their assignment, or buy a book your sister has been wanting to read. Enjoy an entertaining series on Netflix with your family and a hot cup of tea, and simply relax. Spread smiles and live in the moment! Apart from this, perhaps, you can buy a sapling or two, water them sufficiently and watch them grow into lush green plants – this is very meditative. Summers are perfect for jasmine flowers to blossom, and the plant grows easily. Alternatively, aloe vera and devil’s ivy are perfect year-round houseplants. Summer is a beautiful season – when everyone wants to relax, unwind and refresh. Be productive and invest in yourself to make the most of this wonderful season!
There’s so much you can bake from simple bread dough and we’re here to help you do just that! By Zehra Batool Let’s face it, not everybody is an expert at baking and the struggle is quite real for some of us. Many prefer cooking over baking as they find it relatively easy. Considering the fact that cooking is a lot more experimental, there is room for maneuver. But when it comes to baking, it’s quite the opposite, where even a minor mistake can ruin and is very difficult to fix. If you can knead the dough, have you ever considered being more creative with it? Baking can definitely be a daunting task. It is always a bit terrifying to wait and watch if your dough will rise. At the same time, trying to figure out how yeast works can be very confusing, and you never know if your dough will bake properly in the oven. It is really not as simple as it sounds. But hear this, you will never have to worry about it again as we offer some utterly effortless and innovative ways to use bread dough, other than the basics like bread itself, pizza, and buns. Before we do that, we need to prepare the bread dough. Luckily for you, we have also figured out a fool-proof recipe for making some remarkable bread dough that your taste buds will surely enjoy. All you need are some basic ingredients that are probably available in your kitchen right now.
Ingredients
• 1 packet of yeast • 1 tsp salt • 1 tbsp sugar • 1 tbsp butter • 4 cups all-purpose flour • 1 ½ cups warm water Let the yeast foam in the warm water for a few seconds, then add the rest of the ingredients and knead. Now place the dough ball in an oiled mixing bowl and keep it in a warm place. You only need to wait for 45 minutes for the dough to rise and ta-da!
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How to use bread dough in 6 creative ways
KARACHI
Bagels
Cinnamon Rolls
Preheat the oven to 475 F. Divide the dough into 4 equal balls. Roll each ball into thick ropes and join the ends to form bagels. Now keep these aside. Bring 10 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Boil each bagel for about 1 minute per side, until they rise to the surface of the pot. Place these bagels onto a prepared baking sheet and bake until they turn brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Roll the dough into a 12 by 15-inch rectangle. Top it with ½ cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Starting from the shorter end, roll it up tightly and make thick rounds. Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed up.
Croissants
Pretzels Preheat the oven to 400 F. Divide the dough into 10 parts. Roll them into a rope and twist the ends into a pretzel shape. Bring baking soda and 9 cups of water to a boil in a large pot and drop pretzels into it for 20-30 seconds. Place these onto a baking sheet and sprinkle each with salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Roll the dough into rounds and spread butter on these. Roll out another piece of dough and place it on top of it. Stretch the dough to fit over the bottom piece. Repeat these steps until all dough and butter have been used. Once this is done, lightly press the layers then cover them with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes. Then roll out the dough and cut it into 8 pie-shaped wedges with a knife. Starting with the wide edge, roll each wedge towards the point. Place rolled wedges on baking sheets, point upside down and curve into a crescent shape. Brush the croissants with beaten egg and bake for 15-18 minutes.
Breadsticks Preheat the oven to 375 F. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. Knead each piece and shape it into a breadstick. Arrange these on a baking sheet. Mix 3 tablespoons of melted butter and garlic powder together in a bowl and brush it onto breadsticks. Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown.
Calzones Preheat the oven to 400 F. The dough should be rolled out into a large circle, roughly half an inch thick, and one side should be topped with mozzarella cheese, vegetables, and pasta sauce. To seal the calzone, fold over the untopped side, pinch the edges together, and then transfer to a baking sheet that's been sprayed with cooking spray. Place the calzone on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Simple and easy, right? Told you, not everybody needs to be an expert. While it takes a little bit of time and patience, we believe the outcome makes it totally worth it.
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Here is a great guide to an eclectic mix of different sitcoms all offering their own special spin on the genre and that truly have become mainstays for fanatics. A great guide to get you started on sitcoms. The Big Bang Theory
By Muhammad Adil Sitcoms have always been the forerunners of mainstreaming binge-able content. They have always had this innate ability to take very mundane parts of our everyday lives and shine a comedic relatable light on them. Examples can be found across the board through multiple genres with tropes such as the apartment sitcoms like Seinfeld, the workplace sitcom like The Office, and even children’s specific sitcoms such as The Sweet Life of Zach & Cody, and more recently spin-off sitcoms such as Brooklyn 99. All these shows have captivated us with memorable moments and quotable lines. The storylines are so impactful that they keep you talking for years, however, these don’t necessarily have a storyline that shines through every episode. So sitcoms truly are one of the best genres made for television media and if you have watched one you want to watch more.
Community
I would be a little surprised if you have not heard of this sitcom yet. The Big Bang Theory launched back in 2007 and ran till 2019, with a total of twelve seasons following a very lovable cast living in Pasadena, California. The five main characters are always up to antics that result in the Mars Rover crashing, or the apartment elevator breaking down over the course of the show. The show starts with Penny (Kaley Cuoco), a waitress at the Cheesecake Factory, moving across the hall from roommates – and best friends – Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Sheldon (Jim Parsons). Sheldon was a boy genius turned physicist, and Leonard is his co-worker at Caltech University. Their dynamic stands out as Sheldon is deemed robot-like, as he struggles to understand people’s emotions, while Leonard is a very expressive and sensitive character, who spends most of the episodes pining over Penny. Their friends and co-workers Howard (Simon Helberg) and Raj (Kunal Nayyar) are one of the reasons behind the success of the show as they struggle to get into relationships but fail and are extremely over-the-top with their conquests.
Community, which ran for six seasons between 2009 and 2014, has an incredibly diverse cast, which is part of the appeal of the show. It features the lives of several students at the local Greendale Community College and their dynamics and friendships over the course of their time there. The show features many pop cultures and film references and has multiple love triangles. The main reason why you should stop what you are doing and binge it on Netflix is the storyline which is incredibly gripping. The main cast includes Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) who is suspended from his law firm due to his fake college degree, Britta (Gillian Jacobs) who is an activist and pessimist, Abed (Danny Pudi) who is a film student and is autistic, Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown) who is a mother of three and a devout Christian wanting to establish a brownie business, Annie (Alison Brie) who is the youngest and is a control freak, Troy (Donald Glover) a former high school quarterback, Pierce (Chevy Chase) a millionaire who can be very arrogant, and lastly Chang (Ken Jeong) who is an unstable Spanish teacher. The cast turns to each other when they need a study group, as Chang is threatening to fail them in Spanish, which is how their friendship grows.
Friends
While there have always been mixed reviews about this popular sitcom, it is undoubtedly a classic, with a catchy unforgettable theme song. The show aired from 1994 till 2004, featuring ten seasons following six friends and their relationships. The show’s plot starts with Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) fleeing her wedding and life and reuniting with her childhood friend Monica (Courteney Cox), who works as a chef, and moves in with her. Here she befriends Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), an eccentric character who is a part-time masseuse, Joey (Matt LeBlanc) a bachelor who is dim-witted but lovable, and Joey’s roommate Chandler (Matthew Perry) who is known for his sarcastic retorts, and Monica’s brother Ross (David Schwimmer) who is sweet and insecure. If you have already watched the show multiple times, you can always watch the reunion special that aired in 2021, which the entire cast returned for.
Kim’s Convenience
If you are looking for an extremely wholesome show that is centered on family life, this is the perfect sitcom for you. Kim’s Convenience is a Canadian sitcom that aired from 2016 to 2021. Following the lovable Korean Canadian Kim family which runs a convenience store, the family patriarch Appa (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) and the matriarch Umma (Jean Yoon) try to make ends meet as immigrants in Toronto. Their daughter Janet (Andrea Bang), who goes to art school, and their estranged son Jung (Simu Liu) are also shown as second-generation immigrants who at times face challenges when trying to fit in while staying connected to their roots.
All of these are amazing recommendations ranging from the classics to the more recent stuff – there is something for everyone. So, what are you waiting for? Hop onto a streaming service find the above recommendations and spend the next few weeks giggling with your best friends as you quote your favorite lines and discuss possible fan theories.
Sam Raimi, the director who kickstarted Marvel Cinematic Universe is back to take it forward with ‘Strange’ flick By Omair Alavi KARACHI
He might not be the most powerful Avenger, but Doctor Strange has his own strengths and weaknesses. In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which is the sequel to 2016’s Doctor Strange, the most magical Avenger is back to set things right, without realizing that it will take more than one ‘doc’ to get the job done. In what can easily be termed as the most terrific as well as confusing film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Strange gets to meet many friends, foes, and many friends who later turn into foes. Not only does he get the chance to correct his past mistakes, but also learns from new ones, that take him from ‘around the multiverse, in just 120 minutes’.
The Plot Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness takes place after Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) had supposedly ‘fixed’ the mess he created in Spider-Man: No Way Home. However, with the sudden arrival of America Chavez (Xochitl Gómez), the good doctor’s life enters a chaotic phase from which there is no escape until he ‘completes’ the job. When he realises that ‘others’ are also behind America’s superpowers – the ability to traverse the multiverse – he decides to ask for help but goes to the wrong Avenger. Unknown to Doctor Strange, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) is the one behind the attack on America as she wants to use her powers to travel through the multiverse and be with her kids whom she ‘lost’ during WandaVision. Despite resistance shown by Doctor Strange, Wong (Benedict Wong), and their sorcerers at Kamar-Taj, the Scarlet Witch
forces Strange and America to seek help in other Multiverses, which takes them to different Earths. Will Doctor Strange be able to save America and defeat the Scarlet Witch or will the Scarlet Witch win and reunite with her kids, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness takes you on a ride that ends with the answer to these questions. The audience gets to meet many MCU and non-MCU characters during this journey who help Doctor Strange in their own way, by either showing him the right way or standing by him when he needed them the most.
The Good
The film is quite fast-paced and has no dull moments, which is a welcome change for Marvel, who saw two of their last three flicks (Eternals and Morbius) fail miserably at the box office. Thankfully, the fans of Doctor Strange who last saw him fight alongside Spider-Man were able to retain their excitement and unleashed it as soon as the Sorcerer made his appearance in theatres. With director Sam Raimi back at the helm with his first Marvel flick in fifteen years, things were always going to be different for ‘Raimi’ reasons. The director was aided in his quest by the best special effects team in the world but brought the ‘horror' factor to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He was also able to produce undoubtedly the best duel in MCU where two Doctor Stranges fight each other in what can only be termed a battle of magical musical notes. Also, the way he plays with the ‘dream walking’ effect is something only the director of Evil Dead could have pulled off. He must be indebted to Benedict Cumberbatch for staying in character(s) despite being in the Multiverse of Madness, and the same goes for Elizabeth Olsen, who plays Wan-
da Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in the movie. When the film began, the audience was sympathetic towards Wanda, but when she showed her true self, they switched sides and supported Doctor Strange who used his charms and confidence to win over the audience in no time. Fan-favourite Benedict Wong was once again underused as Wong, which was sad, especially after his cameo in Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The viewers expected to see him in a bigger role, however, he spent most of the time either fighting the Scarlet Witch or arguing with Doctor Strange. Rachel McAdams as Doctor Strange’s love interest Christine Palmer had more to do in this installment and she would be remembered for her performance for a long time. Somehow, I felt that Xochitl Gomez who played America Chavez was not utilized well as a superhero; instead, she came out more as a superhero-in-distress. She might have more to do in the next MCU flicks but in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, she had her moments, and nothing more. On the other hand, Chiwetel Ejiofor's Mordo had a more interesting character and dialogues, without which the film would have seemed incomplete.
The Bad
The makers of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness assumed that everyone in the cinema must have seen everything released or aired under the MCU umbrella. Even the most ardent fans might have missed a couple of episodes here and there, resulting in a brain-freeze moment. You might not have seen Inhumans or What If? because frankly, they came on TV and MCU is all about films (till recently). That’s why when a certain member from Inhumans makes his appearance or a variant from What If? appears on the screen, it leaves a few viewers confused. The same thing happens to the viewers who missed WandaVision or didn’t have the chance to revisit the first Doctor Strange movie in six years, because what might be a normal thing for Marvel executives, might be forgettable for MCU fans PA K I S TA N ’ S N U M B E R 1 N E W S PA P E R
who had to deal with bigger issues since Doctor Strange’s debut, including losing and finding their favourite Avengers! Secondly, the film is as much a sequel to the original Doctor Strange as it is to Spider-Man: No Way Home but while Doctor Strange is revisited on a couple of occasions, the latest Spidey flick isn’t. That arc where Doctor Strange made everyone forget about Spider-Man should have been dealt with tactfully, especially since Sam Raimi is at the helm, the man who gave life to Spider-Man in the first place. It seems that the protagonist of this film is not Doctor Strange who helped Peter Parker a few months back, and was the main reason behind the arrival of beings from the multiverse to New York.
The Verdict 3.5/5
It was about time that Marvel’s mind-bending surgeon-turned-superhero Doctor Strange had a bigger problem to deal with. Yes, he made others forget about Peter Parker but in this venture, he takes on the repercussions from No Way Home. After watching the trailer, many thought that he and Scarlet Witch might join hands in their first flick after Avengers: Endgame, however, the 'twist' at the start of the film made it even more memorable. Many people in the audience, especially younger people, had their doubts about the 62-year-old Sam Raimi who hadn't directed a film in eight years, but he brought that aesthetic factor to the film that was missing in Scott Derrickson's first Doctor Strange. He kept the narrative moving around Doctor Strange, and added a dose of horror, action, and thrill that made the audience fall in love with the title character, despite his cocky behavior. There are a couple of surprise cameos in the movie, but that’s only for those who haven’t seen the films yet. At times it seemed that this Marvel adventure shouldn’t have been a PG-13 flick, because it uses many aspects from the R rated world, but then, the bigger the problem, the difficult the solution, and Doctor Strange couldn’t have saved the multiverse had he been restricted one way or the other.
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We are curious to watch how Aabis Raza and Misbah Ali Syed have planned the plot to prove she is not a criminal. So who is behind the messy murder mystery? Will it be Sami Khan or her vamp of a mother-in-law that will frame her? We are betting that it is the former who will be framing the heroine and will put Neelum behind bars. The first episode has foretold enough about Sami Khan’s character as Daud, who is our heroine’s maternal cousin and a university lecturer while Rabi is also a student. He witnesses her candid meetings with Mateen and harbours an innate desire to marry her. However, he is a silent muser who is burning deep down from the pain of seeing her beloved cousin with someone else. The plot also has a hint of the Netflix series ‘You’. Sami Khan is flaunting that madly-in-love, Joe Goldberg attitude who keeps tabs on his love interest, stalks her, and probably won’t even mind killing someone for the sake of achieving what he wants. Sami’s other drama Inkaar too had a similar storyline where Imran Ashraf stabs the love of his life, portrayed by Yumna Zaidi, so she is unable to marry Sami Khan. We then see the female protagonist fighting for justice and bringing her attacker to book. In both You and Inkaar, the heroine becomes the victim and has a toxic lover. How will ‘Pyar Deewangi Hai’ be different? We are curious to watch how Aabis Raza and Misbah Ali Syed have planned the plot.
By Ghazala Sulaiman An influx of new dramas, flaunting ensemble casts and piping hot stories are all set to hit our screens, including Saba Qamar’s ‘Fraud’, Saboor Aly’s ‘Nehar’, Danish Taimoor’s ‘Kaisi Teri Khud Gharzi’, Feroze Khan’s ‘Habs’ and Neelum Munir’s ‘Pyar Deewangi Hai’. After a Ramadan packed with rom-coms and pure comedies like ‘Hum Tum’ and ‘Chaudhry and Sons'; the list appears to be quite tempting for all drama aficionados. The competition appears to be high this drama season and one particular plot that has caught our attention seems to be ‘Pyar Deewangi Hai’, starring the debutant, Shuja Asad, and Sami Khan, alongside Neelum Muneer.
A hint of Netflix’s ‘You’
A challenge for Neelum Muneer
Directed by Aabis Raza and written by Misbah Ali Syed, the drama boasts veterans like Javed Sheikh, Gul-e-Rana, and Saba Faisal in the cast. From what we have seen from its teasers and an episode released last week, Pyar Deewangi Hai reveals a love story marred by toxic relatives and gruesome murder. The plot revolves around a blossoming romance between Rabi, essayed by Neelum Muneer, and her paternal cousin, Mateen - essayed by Shuja Asad. The early promos showcased a feisty Neelum and her fiancé, lost in the bliss of discovering each other as life partners. But then entered a furious-looking Sami Khan, with his big, thick spectacles, and snatches away Neelum from the midst of her daydream love story. This signified that our villain is one possessive, fanatic lover- like we have seen in stories such as Ishq Hai and Inkaar. On the contrary, the next promos show Neelum miserable and in deep anguish. Apparently, she gets married to her beau only to lead a challenging life, where her mother-in-law, essayed by Gul-e-Rana, ensures she is subjected to mental torture. She abhors Neelum’s character for being fair and beautiful, while she feels insecure for having dark skin. Later, she also shames Rabi for her inability to bear a child. But it seems that the toxic mother-in-law is just the start of her worries. Another promo shows Neelum in the court of law, being tried for murdering her husband. She screams that she is innocent and it is apparent it will be a tough time for her character
It's too early to draw any judgment about ‘Pyar Deewangi Hai’, before the unveiling of its ultimate narrative. But one thing is for sure it must be a challenging role for Neelum. It's an avatar she hasn’t portrayed yet in her recent projects and is bound to make her stand out as a victim who is tortured and later, accused of murder. She last played the role of Shijrat in Mohabbat Daagh Ki Soorat and is basking in the glory of her latest cinematic endeavor ‘Chakkar’ where she plays a double role. In the promos of her recent drama, there is not a single scene where she is not being emotionally and physically abused. Usually, victims who undergo extreme mental and physical anguish often lose their mental health, as we saw in Hum Kahan Kay Sachay Thay with Mehreen’s character. How will Neelum’s character survive while fighting for justice? The drama surely has left us intrigued. However, at the same time, we are assuming that Pyar Deewangi Hai will be attracting all the noise, for both good and wrong reasons as it seems like one depressing story but the only thing that can surpass this fact will be the actors’ acting, directorial twists, and a strong plot. While some might enjoy the mystery in the love triangle, others are bound to question the blatant exhibition of cousin marriages and abuse in a marital relationship. How will the story be amongst critics and drama buffs, let’s wait and watch!
By Kaukab Jahan KARACHI
This year when after a long wait, Eid has come without the fear of the pandemic people are eager to go out of their homes and meet their dear ones on the festive occasion like they used to. One of the getaways of people on Eid is going to the cinema. After a closure of two years, cinemas in Pakistan are finally open and have lit their screens up with four Urdu and two Punjabi feature films. One of these films is Ghabrana Nahi Hai which has become talk of the town because of its name. Those who are relating it to the popular phrase from the addresses of former PM of Pakistan must know that the film has nothing to do with politics. The phrase is simply used in the sense of typical Pakistani way of calming one out when in distress. A romantic comedy film with a love triangle and a villain in among them as well, GNH also supports the issue of women empowerment in the folds of the story. The story line is smooth; dialogues are catchy and acting by all the actors is are up to the mark. The film features an ensemble cast including Saba Qamar, Zahid Ahmed and Syed Jibran as the leading trio with Nayyar Ejaz, Sohail Ahmed and Afzal Khan aka John Rambo in crucial roles. The story of GNH revolves around Zubaida aka Zuby (Saba Qamar), a middle class girl next door from the city of Faisalabad. Zuby has a dream of becoming an actress so to justify her wish; she posts videos on TikTok hence garnering two million followers on the app. Meanwhile Zuby comes to know that his father (Sohail Ahmed) has a property in Karachi that he wanted to sell after his retirement in order to marry Zubaida with all the demands and obligations of Pakistani wedding but ultimately realised that his plot has already been grabbed by a land mafia owned by Bhai Mian (Nayyer Ejaz). After knowing this, Zuby heads to Karachi to get her family’s
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land back. To get over her father’s concern, who is scared of putting her daughter in front of the mafia, Zuby tells the family that she was going to Karachi for an audition. Once she’s reached Karachi, she is picked up from the railway station by her cousin Vicky (Syed Jibran), who is already head over heels in love with Zuby. Assuming it not the right time to propose to Zuby, he finds himself occupied in helping her
to get to the culprits, and in these exertions, Zuby falls for a police officer Sikander (Zahid Ahmed), who eventually turns out to be one of the men behind Bahi Mian to give him legal/ illegal support and then get his share in return. GNH, though, may lack somewhere in perfect cinematography and colour/voice grading but it remained intact and up to the standard in two major ingredients of film: sensible flow of story and good framing. Worthy enough to get the audiences glued to their seats till the end. Unlike many Pakistani films, in which sometimes the real plot gets lost somewhere in order to capture just the splendour, GNH mainly focus its camera wherever it is appropriate. Moreover, the film has all the ingredients of a sub continental commercial film like romance, comedy, thrill and action. Saba Qamar, the highlight of GNH, always surprises audiences with her exquisite, in-the-character looks, the best dialogue delivery and nonverbal dialogues with her expressions and gestures. Saba has mostly done comic roles, even in the Bollywood flick Hindi Medium with Irfan Khan Zahid Ahmed even though stars in a serious role but at the same time yields the overall feel, of the film, comedy. We hope to see him in more films in more challenging and distinct roles for which he is famous for in dramas. Ahmed though already has earned a big name in the drama industry by doing a variety of roles, his appearance in the film is amazing and he has proved himself fit for the big screen as well. The most surprising element is the entry of Syed Jibran in this film. His character Vicky, turned out to be the major comic relief in the film, being a mix of Punjabi Munda in a lifestyle of a Karachi ka Larka. No doubt, he worked hard on his looks and mannerism for the role. After watching him in negative and grey roles in dramas for the last couple of years, Vicky is a refreshing change. Many may agree that Jibran is much or even more fitting for the big screen! Nayyer Ejaz has again proved to be a perfect villain, this time, a wilful land grabber of cosmopolitan with all his cruelty and evil scheming. Sohail Ahmed despite a very small role in the film left an impact till the end. Afzal Khan in the role of an assistant police officer was a reminiscence of old Lollywood era. Ghabrana Nahi Hai is Saqib Khan's directorial debut for cinema. Khan has already directed and written numerous drama serials, teleplays, and telefilms for television. His notable work is the recently aired Hangor, a telefilm on Pakistan Navy, inspired by the real incidents of 1971 IndoPak war while many other projects for the ISPR under his belt as well. This is the second time Saba Qamar and Zahid Ahmed are seen together in any of Khan's projects after Hangor. Being a debutant as film director, Khan has done well. The film was nicely scripted, wisely filmed, and tightly knitted. Saqib Khan shares the credit as writer of the film as well with Mohsin Ali. This is after a long time in the history of Pakistani cinema that a major cinema owner has come forward into film making. Ghabrana Nahi Hai is produced jointly by JB films owned by Jamil Baig the owner of Nueplex Cinemas and Mastermind Films owned by the much experienced player in the field Hassan Zia. The unique selling point of GNH is its appealing storyline. If it is really to resume cinema’s operation back to normal (which was never even before pandemic), then we must need to make movies in decent nominal budget with fresh ideas, good acting and perfect camera work and editing. F O R B O O K I N G A D S , W W W. B O L N E W S . C O M / N E W S PA P E R