BOL NEWSPAPER | July 17 2022

The Laapata actress is renowned for her simplicity which is adored by not only her fans but the industry as well. This week BOLD had a chance to speak to this diva about her career, project choices and married life. We initiated the interview by speaking about her first comedy role that she played in the dra ma serial Hum Tum. She excitedly shared the experience of how she took this project as a challenge since she has never been offered or played comedy plays.

She was in a very candid mood as she was back on sets again after her maternity break.

“Maha was the first comedy charac ter of my career. I was a bit nervous in the beginning, but it proved to be quite challenging yet interesting for me. Hon estly, I thought I could never do a com edy role and even didn't want to do one but somehow I accepted ‘Hum Tum’ and have realised that why I didn't do it ever. Now I have the confidence to ex plore this genre more.”

She added that every new role is a challenge for an actor but for me doing a comedy for the first time was a real risk. "I really enjoyed it to the fullest. The situations were so funny in the serial that we all used to laugh all day on shoot."

Surprisingly, Khan proudly owns her negative or grey characters which, many may agree, are completely in contrast with the actress's actual personality. So, how challenging were those an-

I think when a woman becomes a mother, she gets a special strength at the same time. God has made a woman so strong and powerful that she manages it all. My daughter keeps wide awake all night literally. So, I am sleep deprieved all the time. But here I would mention that if your spouse is supportive, things are managed with much ease. Falak supports me at every moment(s) in life

she has done so far? “Actually I enjoyed playing evil characters the most. I believe these roles gave me more margin of acting as I had to go completely against my real personality. Being an actor, the more varied roles you adapt, the more you explore your talent.”

Two years back Sarah tied the knot with singer Falak Shabir in a fairy tale affair. The couple has been blessed with a daughter Alyana, born October last year.

As there is an actor and a singer under one roof, have you ever considered trying some singing with him? Sarah smiled softly in her signature style and admitted that they both had been offered projects by renowned brands and platforms to sing together but she was not ready for that at that moment.

“I believe, acting and singing are two very different fields. It is very rare that an actor is similarly good at singing as well. I have always wanted to do acting so I should not plunge into things in which I am not expert in or have learned. So, at the moment, I am not interested in singing.”

Sarah Khan The many faces of

By Kaukab Jahan

KARACHI

Sarah Khan is among those Pakistani actresses who came to prominence in a short span of time because of her distinct style, beauty and of course, acting skills. Started her career as a teen star in a drama serial Badi Aapa (2012), Sar ah didn’t look back and got her breakthrough in just three years with a negative character of an op portunist girl in Alvida (2015) for which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Hum Awards. Soon she started to appear in leading roles and gave back to back hit characters in dra mas like Tumhare Hain, Nazr-e-Bad, Yaar-e-Be wafa, Belapur Ki Dayan, Karamat-e-Ishq, Mere Bewafa, Band Khirkiyan, Mere Humdam, Dee war-e-Shab, Sabaat, Raqs-e-Bismil, Laapata, and a rom-com serial Hum Tum.

As far as Falak is concerned, Sarah is not sure whether he would try his luck in acting too. However, Sarah agreed that she has seldom tried singing with her husband at home, but for practicing to mold her voice for high pitch. “I sometimes have to try a bit harder when delivering my dialogues in loud notes. As Falak do riaaz (practice on vocal chords) on harmonium every morning, I also join him to work on my own vocal chords, which is called gala kholna in musical terms. I only do it to the limit which can help me in my acting." She further adds humour to her answer by telling us what benefit she has of marrying a singer, "One of the benefits of marrying a singer is that you can work on your vocal chords with him.”

If her fans should start waiting to watch Sarah Khan practicing singing as well in any video on social media, Sarah said that they shouldn't because she thinks her voice is horrible. “I don't want to show it to our fans. But you never know, Falak may put up those funny videos someday. You know he is fond of randomly making my videos and uploading them on social media.”

Maha was the first comedy character of my career. I was a bit nervous in the beginning, but it proved to be quite challenging yet interesting for me. Honestly, I thought I could never do a comedy role and even didn't want to do one but somehow I accepted ‘Hum Tum’ and have realised that why I didn't do it ever. Now I have the confidence to explore this genre more

Sarah’s eyes sparkle with happiness and warmth when she talks about her daughter Alyana. She is seven months old now and was only three when Sarah resumed working. She finds it a blessing to be a mother but at the same time experience thorough change in life when managing a newborn with work as well.

“I think when a woman becomes a mother, she gets a special strength at the same time. God has made a woman so strong and powerful that she manages it all. My daughter keeps wide awake all night literally. So, I am sleep deprieved all the time. But here I would mention that if your spouse is supportive, things are managed with much ease. Falak supports me at every moment(s) in life. If I ever have a son, I wish he would entirely walk in the footsteps of his father.”

Her fans are ususally curious if Sarah can speak Arabic as she was born in Madina, Saudi Arabia from a Lebanese mother and a Pakistani father.It is also a surprise that she does not have an Arabic accent and speaks Urdu fluently.

“We are four siblings; three sisters and one brother, all born in KSA. My sister Noor and I came back to Pakistan when we were very young to get enrolled into school as at that time, there was not a proper schooling in Madina. That is why our Urdu is very clear. But I wish my daughter could speak Arabic with other languages.”

Acting is Sarah’s passion but she has set a personal boundary or limit for her, and if something is beyond those lines, she would say no to that role or character. So, on replying to if she has ever thought or offered of trying her acting skills in film, Sarah was firm that if she ever gets a character according to her demand, she would love to do that. “I am sure I would perform better if I am comfortable with my character”, she added.

She also revealed about her lack of dancing skills. “I even didn't dance at my sister’s wedding but yes, I did it at my wedding only.” Laughs.

Sarah has just wrapped a shoot of a web series for a local platform and shared that her experience was wonderful. She's quite hopeful about the genre of OTT platforms and web series, where our actors are already doing wonders nationally and internationally as well.

She shared that working with Bilal Abbas for the series was another amazing experience. However, she could not reveal much about the series yet confirmed that it is going to be released soon. "It is a romantic story and I am sure people will be entertained well." She added.

Having an infectious smile and adorable personality, Sarah Khan has made a place in the industry with her powerful acting and in fans' hearts with her simplicity and innocence.

Sarah Khan started her career in 2012 with a role of a teenage girl Sarmeen in drama serial Badi Aapa. After doing a few more supporting roles for a couple of years, Sarah appeared in leading role as Anushey in drama serial Sultanat-e-Dil

Her notable characters are: Aania in Tumhare Hain (2017), a story of love triangle.

Maham in Nazr-e-Bad (2017) drama about the old superstitious concept of Nazr-e-Bad or evil eye.

Natasha of Belapur Ki Dayan, a supernatural horror drama serial in which Sarah's character is possessed by a ghost.

Suboohi in Band Khirkiyan (2018), where she played a wife of a loving but possessive man.

Miraal a young arrogant woman belonging to the elite family in Sabaat (2021).

Zohra, a prostitute with heart of gold in Raqse-Bismil (2020).

Falak a middle class girl who is good at studies and fond of playing badminton and love interest of his cousin Shams in drama serial Laapata (2021).

Maha in Ramzan special play Hum Tum (2022).

Theatre in Pakistan Between Yes and No!

By Isra Shams KARACHI

When it comes to a collaborative form of performing art like theatre in Pakistan, there has been nothing to write home about. As things currently stand, the theatrical scene in the country is undergoing some kind of a resurgence yet again, thanks to some riveting theatre shows that were recently staged in both Karachi and Lahore and earned a huge applause from the public.

The history of theatre, one of the oldest traditions in the subcontinent, dates back to the third century, a period which was predominantly ruled by Hinduism.

The Hindu religion has had a significant impact on theatre, playing a pivotal role in evolving a unique culture that was emerging along the banks of the River Indus in that period.

Drawing on rich Sanskrit literature, the culture gave rise to a folk tradition as well as a means of artistic expression in South Asia. The rise of commercial theatre in the subcontinent was seen later in the 19th century, when the Urdu drama had taken a centre stage.

During the British Raj in India, the East India Company took over the local theatre scene. Since most stage plays were now being written in London, the theatre quickly evolved into a socio-cultural tool to impose the English culture, the English language, and its traditions on the brown people of the Indian subcontinent.

Given the fact that the subcontinent seemingly enjoyed its theatrical heyday before the colonial occupation, the rise and fall of the theatre in the region, ever since its independence from the British rule in particular, has been subject to scads of factors, both known and unknown.

Since its creation as an independent state in 1947, Pakistan has had two distinct types of theatre: one that is based on adaptations from English and the other meant for local audiences providing them live entertainment in the form of juggats, or sit-in desi-style comedy.

At time passed by, a new kind of theatre emerged that prioritised spotlighting contemporary social and political themes over producing slapstick comedies and adaptations from foreign literature. That was supposedly the time when Pakistani theatre reached its pinnacle and stage plays with some thought-provoking content took over as the primary form of entertainment, particularly for the educated class.

Stage dramas flourished in cities like Karachi and Lahore, and such leading names like Khawaja Moinuddin and Zia Mohyeddin came to the fore to charac-

Stage dramas flourished in cities like Karachi and Lahore, and such leading names like Khawaja Moinuddin and Zia Mohyeddin came to the fore to characterise the local theatre

terise the local theatre. The upswing, though, was just momentary, and soon the fall occurred. The 1970s saw restrictions on numerous businesses, including the art and entertainment, as a result of the re-emergence of a dictatorship regime and the ensuing rise of political upheaval across the country.

The mainstream theatre, which was previously a major source of public entertainment, is now restricted to private settings only. In a marked contrast, so-

cial justice theatre found all the space it needed to flourish, kudos to Tehreek Niswaan and Ajoka Theatre which sprang to the fore despite state repression and crackdown.

Major theatres in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi were also converted into a mujra joint during that time, a shameful development making a mockery of classic and conventional theatre in Pakistan.

Then came the devastating COVID-19

pandemic, which took a heavy toll on the entertainment industry and theatre was no exception of course. However, after two years of Covid hiatus, the focus of attention is back on theatre fighting a losing battle to regain its lost glory.

Muhammad Ahmed Shah, President, Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, believes the pandemic hit them badly as most activities, including theatre, were severely affected. “During such trying times, the Arts Council came forward to

support the artistes’ fraternity. Coming back strongly post-Covid, we are now going to re-organise one of the finest theatre plays such as Sadhay Chauda August," Ahmed Shah added.

"Theatre used to be a platform for great artistic expression, but its gradual commodification led to scripts losing substance and performers choosing money over matter. And why wouldn’t they? After all, highest-paid actors are the ones who are

the most talented in the industry," says Muhammad Qavi Khan, a veteran TV and film actor and stage artiste.

"Theatre performers don’t rehearse with the same diligence that they used to do in the heydays of the industry; now it’s all about the hype generated from movie-like hoardings and fancy production techniques. Most theatre actors of today cannot even read their scripts properly, let alone act them out," Qavi said.

Anwar Maqsood, Pakistan’s most celebrated playwright, satirist and act, says During Covid, theatre come to a standstill due to which I stopped writing, however, post Covid I started realising the fact that the inter-disciplinary activities of art and culture are something that entertain people and bring them together, and what could be the better way to restart writing than redoing ‘Saadhay Chauda August’.

“So I picked up my pen and resumed writing a play which I had stopped somewhere in the middle.’ Theatre had come to a standstill and ‘Saadhay Chauda August’ was the sort of play that needed to be staged to a full house. Now with the script is complete, I have told Kopykats Productions that it should only be staged once things are back to normal and theatres fully open.”

According to Faizan Sheikh, a TV and theatre artiste and TV host, "In Pakistan, every individual seems to have played a part in the downfall of theatre - from poor performances to unattended shows as well as non-allocation of budget to the industry.”

Faizan Sheikh believes lack of training institutes is another principal reason behind the downfall of theatre in the country as only the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) is playing a commendable role in this regard. "In order to promote theatre, we all need to play our part with a much-needed support from the government as well", he said.

Dawar Mehmood, the CEO of the Kopykats Productions, says it will take some time for theatres to be fully functional, but we do want to begin drawing people back to the stage. “We hope to see a full house for Sadhay Chauda August, which is wil be staged after Eid-al-Adha," according to Dawar Mehmood.Though the possibility of a complete revival of theatre and stage drama is low, a series of drastic but sustainable measures needs to be employed to expedite the flow of emerging artistes, provide them a better working environment, and bring more theatre to the public across the country.

Major theatres in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi were converted into a mujra joint, a shameful development making a mockery of classic and conventional theatre in Pakistan

Know women's best friend

composition of the diamonds.

It will be studded with 2.6 carat diamonds. Pet Corner also plans to make clients' collars or other decorative items to suit their needs.

By Khwaja Amer

Diamonds are the perfect symbol of eternal love, unwavering commitment and exciting romance. No other gemstone conveys human emotions more powerfully than a diamond - a magical, rare and timeless stone. These qualities of a diamond have made it the number one choice for engagements and weddings of filthy rich celebrities all over the world, including Bollywood and Lollywood. Nearly 90 percent of engagement rings and 80 percent of wedding rings in such ceremonies contain diamonds for the overwhelming majority as young couples still see diamonds as the primary manifestation of everlasting love and romance.

The phenomenal growth in demand for this admirable gem, to a great extent, is attributed to women empowerment which has brought a drastic change in their lifestyle. Women adore diamonds because they feel loved and special, and it gives them a sense of beauty. So gone are the days when only MahaRanis and Nawabzadis used to wear this precious stone.

The increased economic independence

of women in relationships, and the trend for women to be more involved in their engagement ring purchase has also brought an upward trend in the diamond market. To delve deeper, BOLD got in touch with a diamond dealer, Adnan Ishtiaque who has a profound knowledge about diamonds. He shared a few researches that support the phenomenon of women desire or love diamonds. For example, the share of women buying their own engagement ring has doubled from 7 percent to 14 percent in Pakistan's affluent society within a five-year period. The tradition of parents of the groom buying engagement rings for the bride to be is gradually fading out.

Interestingly enough, when women buy their own engagement ring, they spend on average 33 percent more than men. While still in our part of the world the engagement ring is traditionally being purchased by the men for their brides to be, diamond dealers suggest they bring their fiancé along for they know that they will then be able to sell an expensive diamond ring. These trends highlight an opportunity for retailers to develop marketing programmes that reflect more modern couples and purchasing behaviour.

Further commenting on this trend he said, “Encouragingly for those of us in the diamond industry, these trends demonstrate that even as society’s attitudes to-

wards love and marriage continue to evolve, the desire to express the most significant and emotional moments in our lives with diamonds remains universal. As wonders of nature billions of years old, every diamond tells its own ever-lasting story and those who have the privilege of wearing them become part of the fabric of this journey.”

A number of Bollywood celebrities boast of having pretty expensive diamond rings. In the case of Anushka it took the former Indian skipper three months to find the ideal ring for his lady love – a story of love’s labour’s won. Finally, after a hectic search he reached an Austria-based designer, who encrusted the ring with a very rare kind of diamond that ‘reflects surprising elements every time you see it from different angles’.

The ring is reported to have cost the cricketer 1 crore.

However, Shilpa Shetty’s engagement ring has the highest carat-size on this list. Her engagement ring cost her husband a whopping sum of Rs.3 crores. Deepika Padukone’s ‘unbelievable’ ring has a massive emerald cut diamond and is reported to have cost Singh a pretty sum of 2.5 crores.

Priyanka Chopra’s 5-carat cushion-cut diamond ring with two small baguette diamonds on the sides is estimated to be around 2 crores. Ashwarya Rai Bachchan is often seen in a 3-diamond engagement ring design, also worn by Deepika Padukone and Meghan Markle as their engagement rings.

Our very own celebrities have also not lagged behind. Aiman Khan is also seen

wearing her engage ment ring in almost all of her pictures. Her engagement ring has a very simple design with one prominent diamond shining in the middle of a plain gold band with the bed that carries the bigger diamond. Ayeza Khan’s wedding ring is encrusted with small diamonds and one solitaire protruded in the middle of the bed of diamonds. Naimal’s engagement ring has a thicker gold band and a cluster of diamonds placed in an oval shape. Due to the fact that she wore it in her ring finger, it surely must’ve been a gift from Hamza which he must’ve gifted while proposing marriage to her.

Dog lovers have also not lagged behind. A pet store in the United Arab Emirates (Pet Corner) has introduced beautiful diamond collars for dogs.

According to Arab News, the collar costs $10,000 (approximately Rs. 2 million) and each collar will have a 'smell' clip made of gold and diamonds. It will be accompanied by a certificate regarding the origin and

"Dogs are man's best friend and diamonds and jewels are one of nature's most precious and beautiful creations," said Sedarth Mahendra, Pet Corner's Chief Executive Officer.

Mahendra says dog lovers want the best for their pets to make them look different. “What we've made is the comfort and convenience of the dogs. It will also make them look differ ent. We will introduce more such items in the coming months.”

The recent discussion on diamond on talk shows in the local channels started soon after the alleged audio in which Amber, the daughter of the Real Estate tycoon Malik Riaz could be heard talking to her father went viral in social media.

In the audio she can be heard telling her father that she had sent Bushra Bibi a three-carat diamond ring, which she had refused to accept and as such a five-carat diamond worth Rs10 million ring has to be arranged for her.

To know more about diamonds Bolnews contacted Adnan Ishtiaque, a Certified Diamond Grader (Graduate Diamonds from Gemological Institute of America).

He said that a five-carat diamond is not easily available in the local market so it could only be purchased from overseas, for instance in the Middle East etc. for not less than Rs.10-15 million approx.

Talking about the quality of the diamonds he said, “The four Cs are the four main characteristics traditionally used to determine the quality and value of a diamond: carat, cut, clarity, and color. The characteristics of a diamond are graded and categorized by the diamond industry to establish its retail value. Quality diamonds are graded by a qualified expert or Diamond Grader and carry a certificate of authentication.”

Diamonds, according to him, are available in all seven rainbow colours. But the

most expensive diamond despite the popularity of white diamonds are Red Diamonds. This is primarily due to their rarity. Red diamonds also differ in the source of their color from other colored diamonds.

When asked about the popular shape of the diamonds Adnan said, “The round brilliant cut is the most popular shape of diamond. For hundreds of years, diamond cutters have been working with this cut to maximize its brilliance and fire. According to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), more than 60 percent of couples choose a round diamond for their center stone. The round cut has been around since the 1800's making it by far the most popular year after year.”

Talking about the difference between the Belgian cut and Indian cut he argues that Belgian Diamonds or ideal cut diamonds clearly have higher quality than the Indian diamonds because of their precision & delicate edges, symmetry, and brilliance, hence, they fetch higher price.

Moreover, Belgian diamonds are machine bruted through computerized techniques and Indian ones are hand cut with less HiTech machines.

Speaking about the much talked stories of engagement rings of Lollywood celebrities he says that you can’t be sure whether they are wearing a Diamond or Zirconia ring for it can only be determined by using a Diamond tester or Diamond Grader. However when looking to tell the difference between diamonds and cubic zirconia, consider the hardness through different instruments or trained eyes through a Microscopic analysis. A diamond is the hardest stone known to man while a cubic zirconia has a much lower rating of hardness. Diamonds are made of carbon which lends to their brilliance and hardness.

The Umbrella Academy Season 3: Twice the siblings, twice the chaos?

By Mubarra Yousuf KARACHI

With only its two previous seasons The Umbrella Academy has developed quite a reputation of having a chaotic story line and uncontrollable characters, and the third season proved to be no different in that aspect.

The third season picks up right where the second ended, running off the adrenaline of a victorious fight where the Umbrellas yet again stop another apocalypse in hopes that they have finally restored the timeline. However, when they time travel back to the present from 1963, they are in for a shock when they enter the Academy and realize that it has been over run by a group that go by the name of The Sparrows, a different set of siblings that were chosen and adopted by Reginald, a group definitely more powerful but also hostile. A move very cold hearted and calculated but also very expected of the man that both the Umbrellas and now Sparrows have come to refer to as ‘Dad’.

The first episode opens up with a dance off turned fight scene that thrusts you back into the world of the Umbrella Academy that all its fans had missed for the two long years spent awaiting this new season. This is also when we get to meet the new group of siblings with their own set of interesting skills. Personally, the most exciting new sibling being the crowsummoning Fei, possessing an ability you could only understand if you watch her in action, while she also oozes badass, matrix

vibes. Probably the most questionable new sibling would the floating cube named Christopher, who doesn’t seem to have an explanation behind being a cube but is apparently hilarious, if only we could decipher everything he was saying. The new sibling that probably had the most character development would be the gravity defying Sloane who also quickly becomes Luther’s favorite acquaintance. We surprisingly also come faceto-face with Ben, an Umbrella sibling who had died before the beginning of the first season, or atleast an alternate version of Ben, not the friendly faced “ghost” that we have met previously, but a version of him who is a lot meaner and competitive , and who quickly gets annoyed with being told how much he was missed by the Umbrellas but it was impressive to see Justin H. Min bring to life an alternate version of his character so beautifully. This season brought out more personality from the Umbrellas, particularly Diego, who is just as charismatic as always, and

Lila Pitts, whose connection grows stronger lead by a series of events we didn’t see coming. This is also finally the season where we witness Luther really step out and fill in his character and have some memorable scenes throughout the season. Allison and Vanya definitely go through the most emotional turmoil after making discoveries post their latest time travel, the largest character change however would have to be the transition of Vanya to Viktor Hargreeves, a transition that was handled pretty well by the writers.

Overall, in my opinion, introducing a whole new set of siblings was ambitious and gave way for a lot more chaos, but also meant a requirement of more character development, an area they may have had a little trouble finding their footing.

Even though fighting off a group of “heroes” that have taken their place in the Academy is not dooms day equivalent, a season of The Umbrella Academy could never be complete without yet another apocalypse, which has become quite a running theme for this quirky comic book adaptation. This time the threat comes from,

what comes to be known as the potentially universe ending swirling ball of energy, the Kugelblitz, linked to the Grandfather Paradox, that emerges because of the coming together of two non-co-existent timelines, brought forth by the landing of the Umbrellas in current time, forcing the otherwise scattered group to work together to save the universe from impending doom. A theory that may sound confusing but is meticulously explained throughout the 10 almost hour long episodes, however in true Umbrella Academy fashion don’t expect all your questions to be answered, making this season in particular seem like a transitional season, with quite a few fillers, undoubtedly preparing for an upcoming fourth season (an idea that has been proposed, but yet to be confirmed by Netflix), where we could potentially get more of an insight into the different relationships between characters that seem to be forming this season.

The new season may not have topped its predecessors on the ‘whacky’ scale, but still comes with a few shocking plot twists that keep u watching on and if you enjoyed the show enough to reach this season, it is absolutely worth your time and more than enough fun to segway, and hold us off till the next season arrives (hopefully in less than two years this time). It will also be interesting to see how this will run into the next season or if this is where TV series starts running out of steam, an unfortunate fate met by a lot of out favorite TV shows recently.

Choosing shampoo, no more a hassle

KARACHI

Shampoos remove oil and dirt from your hair it catches throughout the day. But shampoos can also become one of the reasons why your hair fall can increase. Confused? Shampoos don't just contain chemicals but may include some ingredients that don't suit your hair.

So, your favourite shampoo may contain an intense and harsh component. That may wash away the natural moisture from your hair and make your scalp dry. That's why you shouldn't buy a shampoo just because your favorite influencer advertised it.

Instead, do some research and be sure to read the in-

gredient list; essential oils, vitamin B3, and biotins are the must-have elements for anti-hair fall shampoos.

One of the safest decisions is switching toward organic shampoo. Yes, I mean sulfate-free products!

Chemical-free or sulfate-free shampoos only do well to your hair. At least you can use them without worrying about causing further damage to your hair.

As added advice to clarify your shampoo-based concern: yes, you can shampoo your hair every day. However, this applies if you use the right shampoo for your hair. It is amazing to wash your hair every day with a shampoo that offers your hair the precise nourishment it needs. It even cleans all the excess dirt and pollutants accumulated on your scalp and promotes scalp health!

Here's why you should choose a paraben and sulfate-free shampoo:

Reduce skin irritation

Yes, you have heard it right. Shampoo can irritate your skin big time. Switching to organic bath products, especially shampoo will lessen skin irritation compared to other products. Moisturise your scalp Your scalp is prone to dryness. Moisturizing bath soap, body washes, and shampoo can hydrate the skin without irritation. No harsh chemicals Many bath products contain potentially dangerous chemicals like

+ WORKOUT + SMILE + REPEAT

phthalates, parabens, and sulfates. These are hormone disruptors, which can adversely affect your hair growth. These harsh ingredients are not found in organic shampoo, conditioner, soap, or other organic baby products.

Eco-friendly Bath products made with organic ingredients are environmentally friendly. As you shampoo off your hair, the suds that become mixed with water will affect wastewater. Additionally, because the ingredients are environmentally sourced, the manufacturing process doesn't harm the environment. Ladies, it’s time to go Sulfate-free!

Four reasons to hit the gym - other than fitness

By Muhammad Ali

You either join a gym to lose weight or pack some muscles; both are great reasons to sweat out.

But what if we tell you that hitting the gym is not just a bodychanging experience; it can bring huge changes to your lifestyle.

From your physical health to your mental health, it can do wonders to your overall health. Benefits can be massive, even more than what you think now. So next time, if you don't feel like going to the gym, read the benefits it offers (other than fitness). I am sure you will be convinced!

Improve brain functions

Exercise improves the performance of our brains. It strengthens our memory, gives us creative energy, and builds intelligence. Thus the overall brain performance is enhanced.

Aerobics and meditation stimulate neuron growth in our brains. These neurons give us control over our brain health, especially covering areas of depression and dementia. Regular exercise has a positive effect and strengthens the nerve impulses in our brains.

Moreover, weight training helps with your memory. According to a study by American Medical Association, you tend to remember things more when you regularly lift some weights as it keeps you focused, increasing your attention span.

Control anxiety and depression

Exercise raises the endorphin levels in your body, producing the 'feel good' chemical (i.e., feelings of euphoria and happiness are released) in your brain. Hence, it is a scientific fact that even light or moderate exercise will reduce feelings of anxiety and decrease depression.

Boosts self confidence

When you exercise, your physical health improves. When your physical

health improves, you automatically start feeling and looking better.

You have a positive body image, which increases your confidence, boosts selfesteem, and makes you feel better.

Promote better sleep

Exercise can greatly benefit you if you

usually have trouble falling and staying asleep at night. Exercising raises your body temperature, which calms the mind and helps you fall asleep quicker. Exercising also results in your body needing to recover, making the brain feel tired and letting you sleep easier through the night.

Getting a good night's sleep is crucial

for good mental health. Good regular sleep helps you in many ways, like improving your attention span, improving your memory, and lowering stress.

Do wonders for your mental health

Everyone is aware that exercise

improves physical health; it reduces weight resulting in a trimmer waistline, and it helps you live longer. But there are also many mental health benefits of exercise.

Whether young or old, male or female, fit or unfit, exercise will positively impact your moods. Moreover, it will improve

your energy and boost your overall wellness. All of this can be easily attained, and all you need to do is moderate amounts of exercise daily!

Next time when you don't feel like going to the gym or a stressful day keeps you away from fitness, read these benefits to sweat out!

Danya Ali

WAKEUP

BET Awards 2022

Tommy Hilfiger returns to New York Fashion Week

Hilfiger, which

announces its return to New York Fashion Week for the first time in three years with an experiential runway event that will unveil the latest "See Now, Buy Now" Fall 2022 collection while immersing audiences physically and digitally into a refreshed brand world.

Taking place on September 11th at 7pm EDT, the interactive experience draws inspiration from New York's oneof-a-kind creative scene: an epicenter of people and subcultures, a collision of lofi and hi-tech, and a fusion of style and creativity. Infused with the ambiance and raw grit of New York City - the birthplace of the TOMMY HILFIGER brand - the event will connect people through spontaneous moments of creativity at an IRL showcase set at the Skyline Drive-In in Brooklyn and in a parallel metaverse activation.

"My heart immediately went to New York's iconic creative culture when I thought about where to launch our return to fashion week," said Tommy Hilfiger. "This is where fashion, art, music and entertainment were all coming together when I first started out in the industry. And today, it is still this approach that inspires me to engage with the cutting-edge communities building new creative experiences. This season is all about the collision of my favourite archival inspirations with new live event concepts and virtual worlds. It's the perfect expression of what we stand for as we pay homage to our roots with a return to NYFW."

Innovative multi-media brand activations will bring the Fall 2022 TOMMY HILFIGER collection to life - from New York City to European capitals to Chengdu, and beyond. New retail concepts in select TOMMY HILFIGER stores and takeovers with key wholesale and pure player partners worldwide will complement the phygital showcase. Partnerships with global talent will debut on and off the runway, heroing TOMMY HILFIGER's roots in shaking up prep classics.

In an industry-first, the "See Now, Buy Now" catwalk will be live-streamed into the global Roblox community of over 50 million daily users, accompanied by avatars

in Fall 2022

who will take over the

denim,

Global

tries

Chloe Bailey

Jabari Banks

Lena Waithe

Mary J Blige

AFP Tommy

is owned by PVH Corp,

dressed

TOMMY HILFIGER styles

remixed virtual city of New York. Every style hitting the physical runway will be available to purchase globally through Tommy Hilfiger's "See Now, Buy Now" concept, including digital product exclusives on Roblox. The brand's partnership with the global multiverse platform launched in December 2021 and contin-

ues to expand through new phases.

About TOMMY HILFIGER is one of the world's most recognized premium lifestyle brands, uplifting and inspiring consumers since 1985. The brand creates iconic style, which comes alive at the intersection of the classic and the new, co-created with people who are shaping culture

around the world. TOMMY HILFIGER celebrates the essence of classic American style with a modern twist. Tommy Hilfiger offers premium quality and value to consumers worldwide under the TOMMY HILFIGER and TOMMY JEANS lifestyles, with a breadth of collections including men's, women's and kids' sportswear,

accessories, and footwear. Tommy Hilfiger has an unwavering commitment to sustainability and inclusivity.

retail sales of TOMMY HILFIGER products were approximately $9.3 billion in 2021 and the brand is powered by more than 16,000 associates worldwide - present in 100 coun-

and more than 2,000 retail stores, including its largest global flagship store at tommy.com PVH acquired Tommy Hilfiger in 2010 and continues to oversee a focused approach to growing the brand's worldwide relevance, presence, and long-term growth.

Ayeza Khan

Eid-ul-Adha 2022: Best looks of Pakistani celebrities

By Kayenat Kalam KARACHI

Here’s the round-up of some of the best looks of divas.

Keeping

Mawra Hocane

Mawra

Urwa Hocane

The

There might have been a change of plans for most people this Eid-ul-Adha amidst the monsoon season but it didn’t stop many from celebrating the festival in its full swing. Other than sharing meat, Eid delicacies, and love, people also shared their pretty Eid pictures on social media.

Pakistani actresses are no different and resonated with their followers when it came to celebrating the meaty Eid with traditional zeal, hosting big-fat dinners, and of course, dressing up a little extra to get that “Eid glam”.

Ayeza Khan went for an all-ethnic look on the first day of Eid, wearing a bespoke attire by Mohsin Naveed Ranjha.

The diva adorned herself in a lilac Kurti and a traditional gharara with hand embellishments and gold block print as she posed alongside her husband Danish Taimoor who also wore an MNR’s traditional black Kurta & Pajama. The two wished everyone a happy Eid, giving us some major couple goals!

it classy, Ayeza wore a pastel blue outfit on the second day of Eid and accessorized her hair with red roses for a jaw-dropping look. The Chupke Chupke actress later shared her breathtaking pictures wearing a pink pishwas paired with white and gold jhumkas.

Hocane slayed in a middleeastern look on Eid-ul-Adha, adorning a beautiful pink cotton silk kaftan with gold block prints. The classy yet super-comfortable look helped Mawra to enjoy Eid with her loved ones despite having a high fever all day. At the end of the day, it is all about what makes you feel the most radiant on your bad days.

Iqra Aziz

Iqra Aziz sizzled in pastel green and red shalwar kameez, meticulously embroidered and detailed with hand embellishments. The Khuda Aur Mohabbat star kept her hair simple and let her Kundan earrings do the talking!

gorgeous Urwa went for an elegant white attire with black embroidery and accessorized it with white pearl earrings. The actress did not opt for an extravagant look this Eid yet she managed to slay with her effortless charm.

Mahira Khan Mahira, who spent the last few weeks promoting her film “Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad”, left us all enticed to upgrade our wardrobes with her breathtaking looks at various events. However, the superstar kept it simple yet elegant this Eid-ulAdha in a light fawn-colored outfit pishwas and a low bun. And oh boy, it only takes her to wear red lipstick to turn the heads!

Mehwish Hayat As if she is already not making the world drool over her as “Aisha” in Ms. Marvel, Mehwish Hayat woke up and decided to spice up the style game this Eid-ul-Adha, flaunting a pastel green ensemble by Faiza Saqlain paired with embroidered organza dupatta and gold jhumkas. With her slicked-back hair and Kajol on fleek, Mehwish’s Eid look was to die for! The actress was also busy with the promotion of her film “London Nahi Jaunga” which is making headlines for all the right reasons.

Sarah Khan

Sarah Khan went for an exquisite look in a steel blue eastern ensemble, with ostentatious beaded embroidery paired with an organza dupatta. With a dewy make-up look and shaped bangs, her Eid look was summer-perfect!

Saba Qamar Be it eastern or western, you can count on Saba Qamar to rock any outfit that comes her way. The diva looked stunning in a peach-colored meticulously embellished attire paired with an embroidered organza dupatta and a matching handbag with “Shanoo ki Pari” written on it. The actress recently starred in Sarmad Khoosat’s “Kamli” and mesmerized the audience with her impeccable performance.

Hania Aamir

Hania Aamir celebrated her meaty Eid in a printed Shalwar suit. The diva sure knows how to make a simple outfit all fun and cool with the right accessories. Wearing plain green bangles in one hand and blue in the other, Hania went for a dark maroon lip color on dewy make-up to make her Eid look simply alluring!

Maya Ali Maya Ali looked ravishing in a vibrant light blue pishwas, detailed with hand embellishment and flamboyant jewelry to make it classy, elegant, and traditional, all at the same time. The Teefa in Trouble star looked absolutely radiant in a silver and white chiffon attire paired with an organza dupatta and chori dar pajama.

With the monsoon season at its peak and a rising number of Covid cases, it was the little things that made Eid-ul-Adha special. Pakistani celebrities ensured to make their fans a part of their Eid festivities by sharing their drool-worthy selfies and pictures from family gatherings on social media. We absolutely adored every look and loved how each of these talented and beautiful ladies carried themselves in their own way!

Backpacking in Baku

By Dr Khwaja Ali Shahid KARACHI

Summer vacation for my family began with a quick tour of Azerbaijan, a Central Asian country. Availing of a group package offered by a local tour operator, we were on a PIA plane from Karachi to Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, in no time. Carrying mostly tourists and vacationers, the plane went over the Caspian Sea to finally reach the destination in about 4 hours with a time difference of one hour. Just like getting the electronic visa on a 2-day notice, the immigration process is also smooth and hassle-free, even for green passport holders.

For Pakistanis, Azerbaijan is relatively a new tourist destination option, which is still in the process of development and growth as a truly tourism-oriented country. In a non-English speaking country like Azerbaijan, foreign tourists and visitors largely confront with a language barrier, which is a major source of worry for them, particularly when it comes to booking local rides. Despite a Muslim majority population, Azerbaijan is a secular state and one even has to carry a water bottle while visiting the washroom at Baku’s Heydar Aliyev International Airport. The glass building of the airport by itself is an exemplary illustration of the overall Azerbaijani mindset that revels in erecting some amazing architectural wonders throughout the country.

Manat, the official currency of Azerbaijan, is quite strong as 1 Manat is equal to PKR 117 (at the time of our visit), which is mostly due to their huge foreign

exchange reserves earned by exporting oil and gas to other countries . Not only do the people of Azerbaijan have a huge affiliation with Pakistan, it’s very common to see a Pakistani flag waving around some corner of the city or even painted on different walls when moving around the capital. The brotherly love towards Pakistan, according to our tour guide, is largely due to the unprecedented help and military assistance provided by the Pakistan Army in Azerbaijan’s successful war against Armenia.

When visiting Azerbaijan for tourism and leisure, one’s tour must ideally be five to seven days long. A day or two can be dedicated to visiting any of the Gabala’s resorts which lie 225kms away from Baku.

Another day can be utilised for touring the Absheron peninsula, Yanardag and the Fire Temple or Ateshgah, while other days’ itinerary can be used for trips to the Old Baku City, the modern state-of-the-art buildings of the capital and some hours may also be spent shopping at the local malls or at the Torgovaya (merchant street in Russian) part of the centuries-old Nizami Street.

When it comes to the Modern Baku, its LED-lit trio, of the Flame Towers, happens to be the iconic structure for the entire country. Designed in a flame shape, the buildings depict the Land of Fire’s association with the fire and especially with their roots in the Zoroastrian, one of the world’s oldest monotheistic religions. This 33-floor build- ing has the same symbolic significance for Azerbaijan as held by the Petronas Twin Towers for Malaysia or the Burj Khalifa for the UAE. Azerbaijan is now focusing on making buildings with unique architecture, similar to the UAE.

The construction of the Flame Towers started in 2007 and it was com-

pleted in 2012. Many people claim that the Flame Towers can be seen from anywhere in the Baku city, but this perception is not true.

Just opposite the Flame Towers, you can begin your walk on Baku Boulevard which lies in close proximity to the Caspian Sea. Traditionally, it starts from the Freedom Square, but in the last 10 years, the Yeni Bulvar or the New Boulevard has doubled the length to around 4 kilometres all along the Caspian Sea. The other places to visit near the Flame Towers are the Highland Park, the Alley of Martyrs, and the Mini Majlis or The National Assembly. The Highland Park lies at the end of a long flight of broad stairs. All these could be covered in a quick, panoramic one-day tour. Just near the Baku Boulevard, lies the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, which is the first specialized museum of carpets in the world. In an hour or two, you can easily visit the 3-floor museum designed in the shape of a carpet. The first floor showcases Azerbaijan’s traditional carpets, highlighting its development and role in tradition preserving the heritage. The second and third floors of the museum display the art of carpet weaving, how the carpet-weaving schools work and also exhibit the contemporary carpet weaving as practised across the world. The entry ticket to the museum is 7 manats for

adults and 3 manats for children. Located near the old Shirvanshah Palace, the Museum of Miniature Books is one of its kinds, housing more than 6000 mini–books and collections, which cannot be read without using magnifying glasses.

Mini-Venice, also known as Little Venice, is an entertaining family activity. The man-made waterways give a Venice look with a garden and floating boats and its entry fee is 5 to 10 manats. The Heydar Aliyev Center, designed by a British-Iraqi architect and designer Zaha Hadid, is another tourist attraction, especially because it offers some best locations for photography as well as boasts of an all-white ‘I love Baku’ sign, featuring in the green background of the flowers-filled garden. Made with curved lines and fiberglass walls, the Heydar Aliyev Centre is a modernist structure that

Hidden spots in Islamabad

Little known places in Islamabad that are completely worth your time

is supposed to be a building worth 250 million dollars. It’s entrance fee is 25 manats which also includes the access to the the Classic Car exhibition. Children under 6 years of age have free entry.

Azerbaijan is also renowned for its clubbing culture helping people to truly enjoy and while away their evenings with dance and drink. Similarly, there are many coffee outlets that offer shisha smoking at reasonable rates. To one’s surprise, the Republic of Azerbaijan is considered to be an Asian country, however, it is indeed a transcontinental country that considers itself being a part of Europe.

The writer is a physician and an avid traveller. He also hosts a YouTube channel named DocTree, promoting organic gardening in Pakistan. He tweets @Ali_Shahid82

By Muhammad Adil

Islamabad is often considered a very insipid city in Pakistan. This is partly due to the fact that it does not have a rich history, like other major cities such as Karachi or Lahore, which span hundreds of years. It is also partly because of the way Islamabad is marketed, with the hills in mind. Don’t get us wrong we like a good hill as much as any other person, but chalking Islamabad down to Faisal Mosque, a few hiking trails and some places to eat is very reductive. Islamabad has a lot to offer and now more than ever with unique attractions and experiences that you probably will not get anywhere else in Pakistan. The truth is that many Islamabadis may not even know about some of these places, however, this article is not to judge anyone to simply share the love for these locations and offer a unique opportunity to anyone who finds himself in Pakistan’s capital.

Islamabad Bird Aviary

With Margazar Zoo shutting down Islamabad lost one of its biggest attractions. However, where visiting a zoo is sort of a detatched experience where you get to look at animals through a fence, the bird aviary is completely different. You get to be amongst the birds in this large space designed for birds - from flamingos to parrots hovering all around you. If you have even a tinge of bird watcher in you watch it as these friendly birds flock around you, and show boat so you can take the most Instagram worthy pictures. It also happens to be one of the biggest aviaries in Asia and with its lush interior you might just trick yourself into thinking you are in a Disney film. If you have a fear of birds this is the place to get rid of it too, its understandable that this experience might not be for everyone.

Melody Food Park

Okay, now that you have played with some birds, taken amazing pictures next to some cool trains and found yourself amongst ancient caves. You must have worked up an apetite. Islamabad has you covered in that respect too and though you could make your way down to one of the many amazing resteraunts in the city, you should definitely also consider going down to the Melody Food Market. Now it is no Lahore food street but, what it lacks in enormity it makes up for in it’s variety, because Islamabad is such a multi-cultural hub. There is a piece of every province in Islamabad from Balochi tikka to charsi kebab and from Sindhi biryani, to Afghani burgers. The Food Park is a great place to take your taste buds on an adventure and try out new food or even quench some homesickness by trying something from your province.

Maybe you do not care for birds and trains. Maybe the reason you are in Islamabad is for the hills and to get away from civilization. To find something with more meaning to it. Well, the Shah Allah Dita Caves were made for you. Far away from main Islamabad you can find yourself transported back in time to this ancient civilization, which is more than 700 years old and is surrounded by ruminants of its Buddhist residents. You would not necessarily think Islamabad is a place where you could find something straight out of an Indiana Jones movie but the caves are just that and more. Trek around the village, go inside some caves, look at the amazingly preserved Buddhist relics and then find a piece of your inner puzzle that you never even knew you were missing.

Railway Heritage Museum

Railway in Pakistan has a deep and important history. Being the back bone of any industrial revolution, it carried Pakistan into the new age. It allowed for easier access to far-flung areas for employment and it even offered people the opportunity to visit their loved ones more often. If you are a history buff or just into trains this place is a must visit. It makes you feel like you are in an episode of the Peaky Blinders especially on a dusky day, because of the old-timed building the museum is situated in and the surrounding beautiful and pristine antique locomotives that seem to take you to Hogwarts at the drop of a hat. This one is also great for kids because it can be a real educational experience, which is aided by an extremely learned staff that know their stuff and are happy to answer any questions.

No list of places to

what

It is a great place to be to

it even better is that you

make a whole day out of it because you have to

there. Just imagine a picnic by the waterfall and swimming in the ice-cold water afterwards. Sounds serene, doesn’t it? Well then, what are you waiting for? Pack your trekking boots and make your way up there. Islamabad is more than just a few trails and a few green roads. Islamabad is a city that will surprise you with how much it does have to offer. All you need to be is inquisitive about what opportunities lie there. This list covers 5 however, just by talking to some locals on your way there or seeing a random sign board to something you find interesting may just lead you to an adventure of a life time.

Shah Allah Dita Caves

Bruti Waterfall

see in Islamabad would be complete without giving homage to the area’s intense natural beauty. Nestled in the Margalla Hills is this beautiful natural waterfall.

kill the heat and

makes

can

hike

Is Artificial Intelligence taking over the art industry?

By Salman Sabir KARACHI

Modern inventions and advancements in technology likeArtificial Intelligence, AR, VR, etc. are continually changing the dynamics of several industries on a global level. From fashion and lifestyle to business and economics, we can see rapid transformations in every segment. A publication by "https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349423811_ Understanding_and_Creating_Art_with_AI_Review_ and_Outlook"ResearchGate highlights that AI has revolutionized the art industry.

The latest advances in the domain of artificial intelligence have brought the development of distinguished algorithms and high-end tools. This new type of humans and AI-infused concept has brought a new perspective relating to the creation and reflection of ideas for creative artists.

Let’s dive deeper Technologies backed by Artificial Intelligence have brought a strong impact on the way creative artists think and work. The expansive scope within this new domain has now become a reality and has given a whole new dynamic to the fields of art.

With the advent of more advanced concepts and platforms like Web3 and the Metaverse, the industry has also progressed at an unprecedented pace. Futuristic ideas such as the concept of immersive environments and use cases like digital identities, avatars, virtual clothing, accessories, and human interaction are now witnessed by the entire world where AI has played a vital role.

AI-Driven Art: How these two worlds are connected?

Today, the world talks about blockchain technologies, token-based economics, and tech-driven art. These advancements have given rise to new ideas, possibilities, opportunities, and perspectives within the fields of art.

It is undeniably true that machine learning has opened a whole new arena to explore and adopt.

By utilising this state-of-the-art technology and its

related tools, artists have found new ways to go above and beyond their ideas. Believe it or not, the rarest case of human vs. machine is when it comes to understanding and creating art. What’s more interesting is that artists are now able to better analyse their art, digitise it, and create novel pieces. So, at this point, a concrete answer would be that AI can analyse existing art and aid in creating new art. Now the use cases are huge in number but the impact is common across the industry.

AI Tech Art is the new age of creativity

The study by Research Gate summarises that AIdriven art is backed by various computational methods, machine learning algorithms, and advanced tools that help in visualising, interpreting, and analysing creative

Movies R Fun!

ideas and thoughts. From music and visual arts to fashion and fine art, AI is now being used and incorporated strongly within many art segments.

The biggest and most trending use of AI in arts is its application in future tech concepts like designing hybrid clothing, lifestyle accessories, avatars, digital identities, NFTs, etc. Keeping this in mind, one could easily conclude that the arts industry has got a new life and has moved forward from the conventional forms of art.

It can also be seen that AI has played an exceptional role in enabling creative artists to imitate the distinguished styles of famous artists from the past. The application is like an out-of-thebox idea as it assists in creating as well as restoring existing art pieces.

Today, creative digital artists can analyse and transform their unique creative imaginations into

realities. It all started with a single idea and that’s utilising machine capabilities in creating humanlike art. So, from Simon Colton’s Painting Fool HYPERLINK "https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/ en/articles/artificial-intelligence-and-the-artstoward-computational-creativity/"

The future of AI and art Postmodernists think that art is dead but modernists think otherwise: it is the beginning of a diverse, futuristic, and high-end creative artistry backed by AI and machine learning. Enabling artists with the capability to visualise and realise new synthetic art realities is something that was nearly impossible without AI. While looking at the current art trends and

practices globally, it is evident that the new dynamics of arts will continue to evolve and thrive in the future. New AI tools are introduced that are making the unimaginable a reality for creative artists. They can easily experiment and implement their creative thoughts into unique art pieces with less effort and time. As a result, they get more precision, logic, and rationale in their work.

A considerable number of industry futurists expect that a new genre of art will be introduced and called as AI-Art in the near future. Backed by ultramodern concepts and sophisticated computation algorithms, this new genre will bring in new avenues of learning and employment as well.

In addition to that, a whole new form of economy is emerging as a result of AI-Art auctions. This is just the beginning so the numbers are in a few million but are highly expected to become billions in the future. Some industry experts also called this “the AI Art Gold Rush”. This brings artists and art collectors under a single roof to collaborate and trade art with each other.

It is also expected that AI art exhibitions will be witnessed soon which will appear to be trade show-like events. These exhibitions will be based on unique ideas and concepts just like a similar exhibition named “AI: More Than Human” which was held in London.

Last but not least, the impact of AI in NFTs is considerably important with respect to the future of art. The reason behind it is that Metaverse is now no more a new concept and considerable developments are already happening within this domain which will require a more advanced and high-end input of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the future.

Backed by all the facts, insights, and expert opinions, it can be easily said that Artificial Intelligence is not set to take over the art industry but it has taken over and transformed various dynamics of the conventional art industry. There is a lot more happening in the world of arts which gives us a glimpse of the thriving future of artificial intelligence and machine learning in global art.

By Omair Alavi KARACHI

Some film books are informative, some are entertaining and some have ‘fun’ thrust on them; Josh Cooley’s Movies R Fun is one such book that features in all three categories. It is informative for those who aren’t well-versed in films, entertaining for those who know their films and can be made a fun activity, depending on your imagination. You can use this book as a guide to learn about Hollywood films that you haven’t seen, you can go through it to refresh your memories of Hollywood flicks that you love or even think of it as a collection of classic moments in Hollywood that should be preserved for their ‘being just classic’. These moments are taken from films that have been released since the 1960s, because before that, most moments were in the black and white, which goes against the ídea’ of this book.

The writer, who also works as an artist for Pixar, must be commended for presenting the most memorable and hilarious scenes from Hollywood films in an illustrated and funny manner. You will find Brad Pitt’s character from Fight Club asking for trouble to Sharon Stone’s character from Basic Instinct sitting in her famous cross-legged pose, in these pages. Also accompanying these illustrations are famous scenes from The Godfather, The Terminator, Fargo, Goodfellas, as well as Rosemary’s Baby and Die Hard, and if this list doesn’t make you go for this book, nothing will. Since this book has less words and more pictures, it is easier to understand no matter what age bracket you fall in. If that’s not encouraging, the quality of the illustrations is surely going to win the day for you. You might be a reader who adores the Golden Era of Hollywood, loves the entertaining 80s or believes that the newer the film, the better the quality, these pages won’t fail you. It has everything for the readers no matter which era they prefer, and which genre they are more comfortable with. And then there is the text that suits the minds of the film buffs who literally live in the place called ‘down memory lane’. Be it the iconic scene from Donnie Darko, Leon the Professional, or Jaws, every iconic moment makes its

appearance to give readers something to cheer about.

The way this book has been written reminds you of books that are usually written for younger audience, hence it reminds the readers of a children’s picture book, which tackles films that are appropriate for grown-ups. It might look like a film book for kids but it’s appropriate for those who are only kids at heart, and refuse to grow up.

And if you are in the mood to show off your skills as a Hollywood buff in front of your friends, this book will provide you the opportunity. How? Every page where an illustration is present, the name of the film from which it is taken isn’t mentioned. Sit around your friends and use this book to start a game, the answers of which would only be known to the biggest film buff in the group, or to the person who has seen the names mentioned on the last page.

Each illustration is playfully illustrated and captioned in these pages to cover more than 75 years of Hollywood. Add to that the fun reading and you have a book which doesn’t let you grow. You can read Arnold Schwarzenegger’s dialogue from Predator in his own style or imagine the shower scene from Psycho, while going through this book.

It would have been great had movies before the 1960s also been part of this book because many pre 1960 flicks had some very interesting dialogues, scenes and monologues. Some of them including the Gone With The Wind line 'Frankly my dear I don't give a damn', and 'Of All The Gin Joints In All The Towns In All The World, She Walks Into Mine.' from Casablanca could have been included here. They are not only amongst the most memorable lines from Hollywood, excellent illustrations could have accompanied them as well.

Some of the films included here could have been avoided too, like monologues from Kick-Ass, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Drive, Deliverance etc. because they were good films, but not classics. It would have been better had the writer penned a piece about his experience as a writer and an artist because the way he has explained the book’s synopsis at the back cover, it would have turned out to be an interesting read.

Also, 43 posters are way too less for an interesting book like this and it would have been great had pages could been added here.

There are many reasons that make Josh Cooley’s collection of Cinematic Classics better than other film books

software to AIDriven art and designing for the Metaverse, it is all backed by the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Veteran actor Tanveer Jamal loses his battle with cancer Famous Sindhi singer Rubeena Qureshi passes away

By Bold Desk KARACHI

actor, director, and producer Tanveer Jamal, who was battling cancer for a long time passed away in Japan on Wednesday at the age of 62.

The veteran performer who had been part of the TV industry for more than three decades was considered an icon for his perfect diction, his conduct, and his ability to befriend actors from all age groups.

He was first diagnosed with lung cancer in 2016 but recovered from the disease to make a comeback to TV. However, the recurrence of cancer a couple of months back took him back to Japan where he was being treated until where he lost the battle with cancer.

Tanveer Jamal was amongst the better-looking actors of his generation and his distinctly colored eyes made him prominent amongst the rest. He not only won PTV’s coveted Best Actor award once but was instrumental in the launch of a satellite TV channel in the country.

The now-defunct Shaheen Pay TV (SPTV) was his brain-

By Omair Alavi KARACHI

What works for one film may or may not work for another! That’s something director Taika Waititi should realize before he moves ahead into another project because his decision to recreate iconic Avengers: Endgame moments failed to do justice to Thor: Love and Thunder, the latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The film can be categorized as an extension of the Thor franchise but does little or no good to the MCU since it takes the Thor series back to the pre-Taika Waititi phase.

If you don’t remember that phase, let me remind you because the God of Thunder broke up with his ex-girlfriend, went on to destroy his home planet, and joined hands with the Guardians of the Galaxy after killing off Thanos but after he ‘snapped’ once.

The plot

Thor: Love and Thunder begins with the origin story of Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) who after losing his daughter to drought, is chosen by the Necrosword and begins killing all gods for their ignorance. However, when he attacks the New Asgard, he battles against Thor and his friends including Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi), and a new mighty Thor. Their combined might sends him away for the time being but is unable to save the Asgardian kids who become Gorr’s bait for the ‘gods’.

Things become interesting when it turns out that the new addition to the team is in fact Thor’s ex-girlfriend Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) who in an attempt to cure herself of cancer gets her hand on Mjölnir which turns her into the female god of Thunder. However, every time she uses the Mjölnir, its magic weakens her defense against the disease, sending her towards her death faster.

Thor and his team featuring his ex-girlfriend and his trusted allies manage to

child and had he kept working on the idea, Private TV channels would have entered Pakistan a long time before they eventually did.

Tanveer Jamal began his career in the late 1980s for PTV but turned to production and direction in the early 1990s when Network Television Marketing (NTM) began its transmission on Shalimar Television Network (STN). Since he was more into action thrillers, he was the first director to shoot a chase on the water in a TV drama, and later expanded it to colliding cars in his home production Godfather.

He leaves behind his Japanese wife and children beside the many fans who loved his performances in dramas like Teri Raza, Tasweer, and Godfather to name a few. He even acted in a couple of films, the last of which – Rangreza - was released a few years back.

The Japanese Connection would have been his entry into the world of film direction but his sudden death has left a question mark regarding the release of the movie. One hopes that Tanveer Jamal’s production sees the light of the day so that his countless fans out there could say goodbye to their favorite actor.

If you have listened to the famous Sindhi folk song Mor Toh Tille Rana, then you must have heard of Rubeena Qureshi. The veteran singer lost her life to cancer at the age of 81 and left her fans around the world saddened with her final exit.

She was not just a popular singer but also the mother of TV and film actor Aamir Qureshi, and the wife of legendary film star Mustafa Qureshi. Her son Aamir inherited the music genes from her mother and before turning to act, began his career as a rapper in the 1990s.

Born on October 19, 1940 in Hyderabad (Sindh), she began her singing career when Radio Pakistan started its operation in her hometown in 1955. For two decades she kept dominating the airwaves and played an integral part in the success of TV as well since she appeared regularly on the medium.

Her famous songs included Aaee Mund Malhari, Dachi Waliya, Mor Tho Tille Rana, Sajjan Karay Seengar, and Yar

She

Rubeena

She was laid to rest in the compound of Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s shrine in Karachi and was mourned by her fans which included the former President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, the current foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari amongst others.

show as he often does when playing the bad guy. With a thick Greek accent, he angers Thor who wants his help to save the Asgardian kids but his request is denied because Zeus doesn’t want to do anything with the God Butcher. Considering he is a god himself; he had all the right to do so, and Crowe’s performance showed that he was convinced that he was doing the right thing!

The bad

Chris Hemsworth dominates the action sequences here while Natalie Portman takes the lead in the romantic sequences but together their arc lacks chemistry. The two characters are without any doubt an integral part of the franchise’s development but when Thor is in the scene, he is more in the supporting role to Jane which might seem okay in the trailers but not in the film. Instead of acting like two gods who meet after a handful of years, their interaction comes out as two youngsters flirting with each other.

Secondly, the director tries to include too many central characters in the film, which results in neglecting already established fan-favorite characters like Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and Korg (Waititi, himself). Yes, the action sequences are there, the wow moments are scattered around and the visual effects are first-rate but Thor: Love and Thunder seem to be missing the magic here, the same one that saved Thor: Ragnarok and was expected from the makers this time around.

rescue the kid but not before angering the

god Zeus (Russell Crowe), stealing his thunderbolt, and losing one of their allies in the process. That’s just one part of the story, in the other part they had to face Gorr the God Butcher, whose only mission in life is vengeance and who has the power to annihilate all gods, including Thor.

The good Co-written by Taika Waititi and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, Thor: Love and Thunder takes the story of Thor forward, but

in order to do that, they had to give some closure to the past. Through Jane Foster’s entry and the shattered Mjölnir’s reappearance in Thor’s life, they manage to do just that. The scenes featuring the jealous

Warhammer are beautifully done and give the weapon a life of its own, which wasn’t there in the case of either Mjölnir or any other weapon. The new Asgard has grown since the last time it was shown on screen,

and that’s the beauty of being part of the MCU which keeps on growing.

However, the star of this film is not the male or female Thor but the antagonist played by an unrecognizable Christian Bale. When he didn’t have the power to slay gods, he was shown as a weak human who believed in his god but once he realizes his mistake, he transforms into a being more dangerous than Thanos. While Thanos wanted to wipe the human beings from the face of the Earth, Bale’s Gorr wants to annihilate those who are supposed to be in charge of the well-being of the humans.

The scene where he terrorizes the Asgardian kids without touching them, and with a mean smile on his face is enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine. Despite having less screen time and fewer scenes than expected, he manages to successfully return to the familiar territory of comic book films, where he once used to reign as Batman.

The same goes for Russell Crowe’s Zeus who is just there for a few minutes but steals the

It would also have been better had the director brought something new to the MCU instead of recreating already popular scenes because the recreation failed to evoke the same response from the audience. It reminded me of the third and final Iron Man flick where one Iron Man suit fitted all and looked more hilarious than serious. What’s done should not have been repeated this soon, because the audience especially the Marvel fans don’t forget their favorite scenes.

The verdict: 3/5

The saviour of the Thor franchise might become its destructor if not controlled. Co-writer/actor/director Taika Waititi needs to rediscover his magic before its too late for both him and the audience. The storytelling in the new Thor movie wasn’t up-to-the-mark, the characters seemed abandoned and the gimmicks used here would have been ideal for a special TV movie featuring Thor, but not as a film.

I am talking about the Jean-Claude Van Damme-style split at the start of the flick (yes, you read that right!), the fight sequences featuring the kids (so 1980-ish!) and the return of the Asgardian theater troupe wouldn’t have been a part of a serious ‘Marvel’ flick but they were used in this film. Chris Hemsworth is a wonderful actor and is the ultimate Thor, but the director must understand that he has a responsibility on his hands and he should take the character in

right direction before his own direction is changed.

Olympian

the

Director Taika Waititi’s attempt to recreate ‘Endgame’ moments fall flat with Thor: Love and Thunder

Prominent TV

Sajan Jay Firaq to name a few. She didn’t restrict herself to just the Sindhi language and even recorded songs in Urdu, Seraki, Punjabi, Pashto, and even the Chinese language.

shifted to Lahore once her husband became a popular film actor in the 1970s but didn’t quit music because she was known as ‘Nightingale of Sindh’ for her sweet voice and wanted to do justice to the title.

Qureshi who won many national and international awards was due to receive her Tamgha-e-Imtiaz from the President of Pakistan earlier this year but couldn’t manage it because of her ill health. She had been suffering from cancer since 2020 and was in a coma for the last two months.

How Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad is likely to raise the bar for Pakistani Cinema

QAZ promises the start of something bigger!

By Bold Desk KARACHI

Every few years there comes a film that changes the way the films are being made. It not only brings a wave of ‘change’ but also raises the bar so high that for the next few years many filmmakers would be busy emulating that raise in their own way. In Hollywood, Terminator 2: Judgment Day in the early 90s, The Matrix in the late 90s, and Avatar a few years later changed the game with their brilliance. India had Sholay to thank for its migration from low-level action flicks to high-level Bollywood, while in Pakistan, Na Maloom Afraad did the trick in 2014. Had it not been for Na Maloom Afraad, the only films that would have graced the cinemas would be either patriotic flicks or from those producers who had the TV industry to fall back on. It not only introduced a novel way of filmmaking that was instantly liked by all including the audience but also showed filmmakers that they can make quality films on a lesser budget if they plan well. Since then, Fizza Ali Meerza and Nabeel Qureshi have delivered big films, that have raised the bar high, and their latest movie Quaid-eAzam Zindabad takes their game to a new level. The Fahad Mustafa and Mahira Khan starrer is without any doubt better than any Fizza – Nabeel flick, since Actor in Law and is likely to change the way films are being made in Pakistan

It has the distinct Nabeel – Fizza magic

Fizza Ali Meerza and Nabeel Qureshi are not just the producer-director of their flicks, they also write the scripts of their films. From Na Maloom Afraad to Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad, they ensured that every film of theirs had a different style that kept it apart from the rest of the industry, and the result in front of all.

Whenever their films are screened, they come out as different because they believe in creating characters instead of making a film, because it is the characters that drive the story for them. Add larger-than-life execution and you know that the film from this duo will be different from its competition because they know how to make a film, and impress the audience at the same time.

The audience remembers their characters and their dialogues, which is huge considering most of the films that competed with their product ended up in oblivion. Besides their former boss Nadeem Baig, no other filmmaker has managed to upstage this duo, and their script-writing ability makes them one step ahead of all the competing filmmakers. Yes, they might get inspired at times but their films also ‘inspire’

Fizza Ali Meerza and Nabeel Qureshi are not just the producer and director of their flicks respectively, they have also written the scripts of their films from Na Maloom Afraad to Quaid-eAzam Zindabad

those who inspire them, that is Bollywood. Directors across the border tried to make their own version of Actor in Law in Batti Gul Meter Chalu whereas the upcoming Raksha Bandhan seems like a rip-off of Load Wedding and if Pakistani filmmakers can inspire Bollywood folks, then they must be doing something right, right?

A social message that would go down a long way …

Nabeel and Fizza’s last two films – Load Wedding and Khel Khel Mein – might not have done well at the box office but they had social messages that no one else dared to address. While the former revolved around the dowry issue that’s common all over the country, the latter spoke about the Dhaka Debacle of 1971 and on both occasions, the filmmakers were able to make their views clear. By using pop culture references, they infuse comedy and drama into their scripts which is something that others emulated only after Na Maloom Afraad.

In QAZ, they address the issue of corruption in such a way that no one in the audience minds it. Yes, there are a few who would not agree with the manner in which they present their corruption cases but then these people only visit cinemas once every couple of years, only to return dissatisfied for no reason. For the rest, displeasing Quaid-e-Azam is the best way to make the cine-goers realize that corruption is not the answer to everything, and if one person stands against it, things might change for all.

Despite their limitations, Nabeel Qureshi and his team were able to pull off the stunt in such a convincing way that most of the audience couldn’t believe their eyes

Fabulous stunts like never before!

When was the last time you saw a stunt being performed in a Pakistani film and wondered how they were able to pull it off? If you take a minute to think of the answer, then it means that you haven’t seen such stunts before in a recent Pakistani film. In the past many films had stunts but that was before the 1980s when filmmakers knew the importance of such acts. Since then, it has been a journey down the hill, and it wasn’t until Fahad Mustafa’s character jumped from the motorbike to an airplane that Pakistani cinema broke the descent. That jump was followed by a wellchoreographed motorbike chase that reminded the fans of Bollywood flicks that have big budgets, better fight instructors, and international experience, and even attempting such acts is worth mentioning here. Despite their limitations, Nabeel Qureshi and his team were able to pull off the stunt in such a convincing way that most of the audience couldn’t believe their eyes. For them, only Tom Cruise was capable of something similar and Fahad Mustafa trying his best to do the same was an attempt that should be cherished than criticized.

Action sequences that are worth every penny...

And finally, something about the fight sequences where everything except the kitchen sink was used to show the Dabangg entry of the protagonist! Call it a copy of Ajay Devgn’s entry in Singham, or something similar to Ranveer Singh’s Simmba but the fact remains that had Salman Khan not come up with Dabangg, these two actors wouldn’t have followed suit. They only appeared as cops after Salman Khan showed them the way, and Fahad Mustafa did the same, only on this side of the border for a change.

Yes, the fight instructor Mehboob Shah could have inserted his own touch into the fight sequence but with a limited budget, that’s not possible in Pakistan at the moment.

In a film industry where outdoor sequences are fewer in number, he must be commended for trying to imitate Hollywood. The fight sequences at the start of the movie (at a warehouse), and the climax (in the airplane) are something to look forward to because they have not been executed this well in a film in Pakistan, before.

In fact, the audience must have seen the fight scene on an airplane in a Hollywood film but not that much in Bollywood as well, except in Abbas – Mustan flicks like Race and others. Trying to go toward that route takes guts and the makers of Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad must be commended for taking that risk with their most frequent collaborator Fahad Mustafa. What remains to be seen is where they go from here, because Fahad Mustafa’s Inspector Gulab Mughal is likely not to stop after this adventure. Let’s wait and see how the trio that has been together since Na Maloom Afraad takes the battle to another level when ‘Inspector Gulab’ makes his cinematic return in the coming years. Trust me, the way he is dominating the box office, his return is inevitable. Until next time!