across the world
By Omair Alavi
KARACHI
Pakistan’s film industry owes a great debt to director Bilal Lashari. His first film Waar kick-started the revival of Pakistan's film industry back in 2013 and, after nine years, he has raised the bar high once again with The Legend of Maula Jatt. The film has not only broken records across the country but has also become the fastest Pakistani film to cross the Rs. 50 crore mark, a record that might be hard to break. BOLD had a sit-in with the maverick director where he spoke about the challenges he faced after announcing this passion project, why wasn’t he nervous ahead of the film’s release, and why so much time passed between the announcement and the release of The Legend of Maula Jatt. Here goes:
BOLD: After multiple delays, The Legend of Maula Jatt has finally been released. How do you feel about your passion project which could have made it to the screens earlier, in normal circumstances?
Bilal Lashari: It is very difficult to describe how I feel about the release of The Legend of Maula Jatt. There were so many roadblocks for us that I stopped concerning myself with the release date and just worked on the film, giving it everything I could. Before the Covid pandemic, there were legal issues and when it was finally set for release, the cinemas closed down due to pandemic, and we were forced to wait. During that time, I had thought a lot about the moment when the film would see the light of day, but ahead of the film’s release, I felt neither anxious nor nervous, which was a good thing. In fact, I feel very relaxed now that the film has been released and getting the kind of response, we hoped it would get. I am excited and relieved
that this chapter of my life has come full circle, and I can finally move on to other things.
In 1979, Maula Jatt conquered everything from the box office to the audiences’ hearts and minds. How difficult was it to remake a cult classic, that too four decades later?
It was a very difficult task to say the least, not because we were making a big-budget film, but because we were remaking an already successful classic. In such a situation, you have to cater to not one but two different groups of the audience – those who loved the original one, and those who would like the newer version. I don’t want to use the word ‘competing’ here but we were sort of being compared with the original Maula Jatt which was made in another era, for another audience. Add to that the scale at which we were making the film, and the ensemble cast we had selected, and the expectations automatically increased for everyone from those who loved the original film to those who were waiting for the retelling.
To satisfy all kinds of audiences, we had many checkboxes to tick; the dangerous thing in such a situation is that when you try to cater to all kinds of people, the film starts to diffuse into something else. Thankfully, we tried our best to not let that happen otherwise we would have lost both our integrity and identity. After watching the film, people praised our work, which means we were able to overcome our biggest challenge –keeping the two films apart.
A Punjabi film without a song would have been considered a crime in the past, but you were able to pull it off. Was it a conscious decision to exclude songs from the final product or did it just happen?
It was a conscious decision on our part because we wanted our product to come out fresh, and different from the previous film. Since we were following the Western structure of the script, a song would have been a distraction for the viewers. Even without the song, the flow is there, the story is there, and had we inserted a song just for the sake of it, it would have looked forced. The narrative we were building had no need for a song (also, no space too); we would have been rightly criticized had we been making a musically inspired film, but we weren’t. It’s a very intense and engaging film that keeps on building, and a song would have not suited it in any way.
The Legend of Maula Jatt might be the most expensive film ever made in Pakistan but the budget is peanuts when compared to foreign films CONTINUED ON PAGE 66
Some members of the audience would also take back the action moves, the likes of which haven’t been part of a Pakistani film before. How did you make that happen?
(Laughs) When we released the trailer, many people loved the action scenes we incorporated there but trust me, that was nothing compared to the action we choreographed in the film. In order to have proper action scenes, we hired international stunt coordinators who came to Pakistan and trained the local talent for two months. When we had the action team ready, we shot the sequences and kept the action sequences in tone with the raw, gritty, and realistic acting style of the film. Even though the story takes place in a fantasy world, you will not see the physics-defying fight here because that would have seemed odd.
Yes, there is violence, yes there is blood, and yes there are a lot of action scenes that aren’t suitable for kids, but I haven’t made the film for kids, hence I have no regrets. Unlike the West, which is not open to violence, we are, so when you visit the theatre for The Legend of Maula Jatt, leave your kids at home. Our film targets the younger (teens, to be exact) and the older crowd and they would fully enjoy it when they watch it in cinemas.
The Legend of Maula Jatt is not only the most expensive film ever made in Pakistan, it is also the biggest one in terms of worldwide release. How does it feel to know that people of every country, ethnicity, and language are enjoying a film made in Pakistan, that too in a regional language?
Honestly, we didn’t have many barriers to cross when it came to international release, because films from Pakistan aren’t that regularly released around the world. Since our film was bigger than any other film from Pakistan and was made in a language that is understood in all parts of the world, the market was a little different when compared to Urdu films. In some regions, both the Urdu and Punjabi-speaking folks loved the film, while at home everyone was looking forward to it, ahead of its release. made in Pakistan but the budget is peanuts when
Add to that the scale at which we were making the film, and the ensemble cast we had selected, and the expectations automatically increased for everyone from those who loved the original film to those who were waiting for the retelling.
To satisfy all kinds of audiences, we had many checkboxes to tick; the dangerous thing in such a situation is that when you try to cater to all kinds of people, the film starts to diffuse into something else
compared to foreign films. However, since the Punjabi language spoken in the film is easily understandable, it will open doors to a new market for us. We always believed that the film would bring the people belonging to Indian Punjab, our Punjab, and the Sikh community closer across the world, and despite limited marketing resources, it has become huge thanks to the word of mouth.
Did you insert the dance sequence to compensate for the lack of song, or was that really necessary?
If you have seen the film, then you know that the dance performance by one of the characters was required at that moment but if you haven’t, you will agree to its placement and requirement after you have seen it. The new actress Saima Baloch is one of the big surprises of the film, and like all the secondary characters have worked very hard on developing her character. I would like to add here that after watching the film, the audience will take back at least 10 characters with them once they exit the theatre and each one will give them something to remember. You debuted with Waar in 2013, and after nine years came up with your second film. When do you plan to come up with your next venture, considering the gap between the first two films, we might have to wait for the next decade?
(Laughs) It depends on the subject of
my next film because frankly while making The Legend of Maula Jatt I had no clue that it would take such a long time to complete. It might seem that we were working for eight to nine years on this film but the truth is that due to legal issues, Covid-19, and other things, a lot of time passed which wasn’t our fault. Is film ko bananay main itna time nahi laga jitna isko shru karne main aur khatam kar k release karne main lag gaya I would say it was a game of patience more than anything else but thankfully, the delay gave me extra time to work on the trailer and that helped. As for my next flick, it might either be bigger than The Legend of Maula Jatt or on a smaller scale, something you would call a sukoon wali film. The scope of that film would determine how much time it would take to complete.
You must have noticed the similarities between the fight sequences of Bollywood releases Kalank and Shamshera which were conceptualised after the first trailer of The Legend of Maula Jatt was released.
Since I haven’t seen either film, I have no idea how much inspiration the directors took from our trailer. I can only comment on that once I have watched the aforementioned films, but then, even we are an inspired version of the original Maula Jatt. Anyone can get inspired by anything because the final product is not a blatant copy but a stylised inspiration, which in my opinion is okay. If our film inspired another film, I would like to take it as a compliment.
Finally, the million-dollar question: Should we watch the original Maula Jatt before embarking on a journey to the cinema for your version, or should we watch your film first?
Usually, everyone who likes to watch films must have seen Maula Jatt but if they haven’t, there is no harm in watching it before or after our film. Since our film isn’t a remake of the original film, watching the older one wouldn’t spoil anything for them. I might have said in the past that we are remaking Maula Jatt but during the production, we evolved beyond that, and the final product is a different film, that follows a different story, and the only thing that links the two are the characters, some plot points, and a few dialogues. Everything else is different from the first film and even those who have seen it would consider the newer flick to be a different experience altogether.
Following the announcement on October, 18, 2022 of the nominations for the forthcoming Lux Style Awards, several musicians were quick to point out the lack of representation and diversity among the nominees in the music categories. Singer Meesha Shafi was the first artiste to point out this disparity, saying, “Erasure at this scale (there is an exceptionally high number of nominations this time) of the entire female population occupying the music industry is unjustifiable and highly problematic.” Given that not a single woman has been nominated in any of the music categories for the forthcoming Lux Style Awards, one definitely understands where Meesha is coming from. Other singers also took to their social media accounts to call out the award show for its failure to include some of the fantastic music released by women over the past year. Zeb Bangash stated, “I wonder why no woman artiste made the cut this year.” Other notable female singers like Momina Mustehsan, Rachel Viccaji and Natasha Baig also criticised the snubbing of female artistes.
The timeless songs of Mehdi Hassan are loved and appreciated not just in Pakistan but around the world. The latest example of his undying legacy was the usage of his ghazal “Dunya Kisis Ke Pyar Mein” at the Paris Fashion Week.
The fashion event’s theme was climate change, and the German fashion brand GmbH had its models walk the ramp to Hassan’s evergreen song about love.
Interestingly, GmbH’s spring collection of clothing has been named Ghazal, and serves as an ode to the beauty, culture and heritage of South Asia. The fashion house stated that their clothing line and choice of music were all part of “a project of unlearning as we work towards decolonising our minds. In this process, we are reclaiming a kind of personal spirituality within the complexities between freedom and morality.” There are a few artistes whose music embodies South Asia in the way Hassan’s does, and one can see why his ghazal was chosen for the ramp walk.
In what is already proving to be a good year for Pakistani cinema, it looks like audiences can look forward to yet another potential blockbuster. Comprising an all-star cast which includes the likes of Farhan Saeed, Iman Aly, Feroze Khan and Sonya Hussyn, the film Tich Button recently held its trailer launch as the film is all set to hit theatres on November 11. The trailer launch ceremony saw Farhan, Iman, and producer Urwa Hocane grace the event as they gear up to begin their promotional rounds for the forthcoming film. Although both Feroze and Sonya were absent from the trailer launch, Farhan and Iman's witty repartee during the event was more than enough to keep audiences present at the ceremony engaged and entertained. The trailer itself gives viewers a look at what appears to be a comedic drama containing the usual romantic subplots which are present in most Pakistani films of late. However, the never before seen on-screen pairings of the lead actors are perhaps what will entice audiences the most.
It is a rarity to see a TV serial which is centred on politics.
Written by Zanjabeel Asim Shah, Meri Shehzadi is one such story based largely on a political theme and has something to offer for everyone. Directed by Qasim Ali Mureed, the TV serial has a star-studded cast, including Urwa Hocane, Ali Rehman Khan, Qavi Khan, Atiqa Odho, Shabbir Jan, and Nauman Masood.
The first episode of Meri Shehzadi introduced Dania (Urwa Hocane) who lives with her maternal grandparents played by Qavi Khan and Shamim Hilaly. Since Dania is the child of their late daughter Zunaira, both of them have raised her like a princess – hence the title of the TV serial. Zunaira was married to Salahuddin (Nauman Maqsood), who is a nephew of Dania's maternal grandfather, while his elder brother Ghiyas Uddin (Shabbir Jan) is a politician and is serving as the chief minister of Punjab.
Dania's maternal grandfather holds a grudge against Salahuddin for moving on with his life and forgetting Zunaira, who he once claimed to be so much in love with. He blames Salahuddin and his family for forgetting Zunaira too son.
Urwa's portrayal of Dania has been terrific so far. Dania is a simple, soft-spoken girl with no interest in materialistic things and has been shown as an intelligent young woman, who is well aware of her rights, what she wants and what she deserves.
The two families are reunited once again when Ghiyas Uddin proposes the idea that his son, Shahroze should marry Dania.
While Salahuddin still honours the memory of his first wife, he has moved on and remarried. Dania's stepmother (Najiba Faiz) is easily the most hateful character in the show. The actress has done a phenomenal job to make the audience despise her despite her little screen time. In Dania's very own fairy tale, she has some resemblance to Cinderella's stepmother.
Ali Rehman Khan as Shahroze enters the fray. However, the romance is short-lived as
it is revealed that Shahroze already has a wife and a son, with whom he lived in America.
This revelation shocks Dania to the core because she genuinely believed that her paternal family wanted her to be a part of their lives. But, as it turns out, this marriage was just an attempt at political face-saving. Given the deteriorating health of Ghiyas Uddin
and his impending death, he hoped this marriage would make his son more acceptable in the eyes of his allies and voters as their new leader.
Even though Dania's world has turned upside down, Shahroze and his mother manipulate her into believing that it is all for her own good. They emotionally blackmail her for their personal gains. It is startling how Salahuddin, who claimed to love his daughter, is aware of this entire situation and gaslights her when she voices her concerns.
Ali once again proves his acting chops in this show. Ali and Atiqa also make an interesting mother-son duo as Shahroze is seen nodding happily at Shahana whenever she belittles Urwa's Dania.
Atiqa's Shahana is simply a treat to watch. Although her character reflects every ounce of cruelty, selfishness and entitlement, the veteran actress has made her role so enjoyable to watch that viewers love to hate her. This role appears to be tailor-made for her as she has the authority, confidence and command to keep our eyes glued to the screen.
In the end, Dania decides to keep Shahroze’s secret for the sake of the family.
With regards to Dania's relationship with Shahana, Shahroze, Salahuddin, and the various other characters, one cannot predict whether this TV serial will become a typical ‘saas-bahu’ story or whether it will surprise us with something out of the box.
The fourth episode ends with the death of Ghiyas Uddin, but what makes that scene a bit more interesting is that he was looking at Dania in his last moments. Was he regretting putting her in this situation or was it the look of hope that she's going to carry on the family legacy as he wished to?
Undeniably, audiences are looking forward to seeing more of this story to understand how family dynamics impact or strengthen the political reputation of these characters, and how one incident can derail years of hard work and struggle.
By Omair Alavi KARACHIThe National Academy of Performing Arts should be commended for giving youngsters a chance to express themselves, and they didn’t disappoint the audience with their latest offering – Coffee Bar – which was staged for a couple of days in Karachi last week. Adapted from an Arabic play by Egyptian playwright Ali Saleem, the one-act play revolved around only three characters but the impact of these ‘few’ characters was as powerful as that of an ensemble cast.
Adapted and directed by Usama Khan, a NAPA graduate, the play begins with a drama producer (Hasnain Falak) meeting a playwright (Ashmal Lalwany) in his office, where the two discuss the possibility of a collaboration. What begins as a friendly conversation first turns into a praising competition and later into a shouting match, because the playwright didn’t agree to a change the producer was suggesting.
It is when the producer sheds his politeness and uses the ‘power’ card that things become interesting as he uses his position to tell the playwright that if he doesn’t agree to the change, he might not consider producing the play, the same play he claimed a few minutes back as a masterpiece. Does the playwright yield under the producer’s pressure or does the producer has his way as always, Coffee Bar takes the audience on a journey filled with wit, satire, and funny one-liners that may come from either the oppressor or the
oppressed, depending on whose side you are on.
The play has a third character as well – the butler/waiter (played by current NAPA student Naveed ul Hassan) who despite not having a dialogue remained involved in the process. At first, he looks like someone who would take orders but as the play progresses, he turns out to be a representative of the bureaucracy, who appears when buzzed or called for help. Call him anything you want, but he is the person responsible for everything that goes on the stage and stays calm even when things go out of hand because he knows that others might come and go, but no one will mess with him, because of who he is representing.
If you haven’t guessed yet, the play is all about power and how that power corrupts even the incorruptible. The way the director adapts the original play to the current dynamics makes it worth your time, especially since it isn’t that lengthy. For a play less than one hour long, it connects with the audience at another level and doesn’t leave them even after they leave the theatre. Some agree with the producer while others sympathize with the playwright, but everyone agrees that the control was in the hands of the person least likely to be the boss.
As for the actors, both Ashmal Lalwany and Hasnain Falak were believable as the playwright and the producer, and although Hasnain had the upper hand because of the power he wielded over others, Ashmal represented the majority who know they are right but can’t take a stand against those who believe they are the law. Their dialogues, their interaction with each other, and their expressions are first-rate and although their voice wasn’t clear at some points, they were able to convey their emotions to the audience without going out of their characters.
The technical department was the one that failed the audience because the lighting which was supposed to be as important as the character didn’t work as it should have at some points. Also, the carefree use of swearing words could have been reduced because not all the people in the audience were adults. It did make a few of them uncomfortable and
it would be great if the director considers doing what the playwright in the play wasn’t considering when the play returns for a longer run.
On the whole, Coffee Bar highlights the inconsistencies in our surroundings and why we are okay with going with the flow rather than standing up for what’s right. Despite being penned originally in the 1960s, the situation hasn’t changed either in the Arabic world or in this part of the world, where someone in the shadows always controls the strings.
AFP
‘The Philosophy of Modern Song’ by Bob Dylan, a collection of essays on the art of songwriting, is set for publication in November.
This is the Nobel laureate and folk-rock legend's first book of new writing since 2004, when he released "Chronicles, Volume One."
The book exploring the power song writing is set for release this year with the publisher Simon and Schuster.
Excerpts published in The New York Times offer musings from the beloved American poet and musician on Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night" and The Who's anthem "My Generation."
Many of the essays include "riffs" that see Dylan expand on his words with a shorter, looser piece where the artist waxes poetic on the track in question.
"Something in your vital spirit, your pulse, something that runs in the blood, tells you that you must have this tender feeling of love now and forever, this essence of devoted love held tightly in your grip -- that it's essential and necessary for staying alive and cheating death," Dylan riffs on Sinatra.
The book is also set to include musings on artists including Hank Williams and Nina Simone.
Dylan says "My Generation," the 1960s smash that's one of The Who's most recognizable songs, "does no favours for anyone, and casts doubt on everything."
He says "fear" -- of getting old, namely -- "is perhaps the most honest thing about the song."
"We all rail at the previous generation but somehow know it's only a matter of time until we will become them ourselves."
Dylan, who burst onto the folk scene in New York in the early 1960s, has sold more than 125 million records around the world.
Rumours of a "Chronicles, Volume Two" have swirled for years but fans will now have "Philosophy" to tide them over until -- or if -that sequel is published.
The 81-year-old has maintained a rigorous touring schedule, and is currently on a global itinerary set to continue into 2024.
In 2020 he released his 39th studio album, "Rough and Rowdy Ways," to critical acclaim.
He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016 "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition."
By Omair Alavi KARACHIMehta. Even the romance between Sargun’s Preet and Diljit’s Jaggu is cute, and never crosses the line.
Paunde
Babe Bhangra
Ne is not just another comedy film in the Punjabi language, it is an attempt to bring the two Punjabs closer. The protagonist here might be an Indian Punjabi actor (Diljit Dosanjh) but the title role is played by another Punjabi (Sohail Ahmed), from the other side of the Wagah Border. Together, they create magic like never before and the result is a humorous production that relies on clean comedy, social messages and hilarious situations. Add to that the familiar touch of Indian Punjabi cinema, the exotic locations, and a simple entertaining story, and everyone from the makers to the audience ends up a winner.
The Plot Eternal dreamer Jaggi (Diljit Dosanjh) and his two friends work in a store in Canada but are sick and tired of their mediocre lifestyle. Their plan is to become rich quickly, without putting in much effort. After failing to impress potential investors with their incredibly stupid ideas including an undergarment that works in space, they come up with an ingenious scheme – adopt an abandoned old man from an old-age home, get him insured and wait for his natural death so that they could usurp his insurance money, without doing much.
Their quest leads them to Iqbal (Sohail Ahmed) who has hardly a month to live, according to his caretaker Preet (Sargun Mehta), and doctor. Things go awry for Jaggi and his pals when instead of getting weaker, Iqbal regains his health (thanks to their efforts) and even surprises his doctor who gives him a clean bill of health. What will Jaggi and his friends do since the loan they took to care for their ‘investment’, seems to be running out, and the con seems to be back on them. Watch the film in cinemas if you want to know the answer and have a great time in between.
The Good
From the first frame till the last, everything in this flick is placed perfectly but what makes it hilarious is the chemistry between Diljit Dosanjh and Sohail Ahmed. While Diljit’s character Jaggu is more like the Govinda of Dulhe Raja, Sohail Ahmed fills in as Kader Khan from the same film. Diljit makes plans to get rich quickly which are quashed by Sohail Ahmed’s Baba who seems to have done everything in his lifetime. From winning marathons to staying underwater for three minutes, there is nothing he hasn’t mastered and that’s what keeps the audience guessing.
If Diljit Dosanjh is the pull of the film, Sohail Ahmed is the push, but together they work. The confidence with which Diljit’s character asks his friends to ‘trust me’, or the swag with which he moves (or pedals) around is exactly what the audience wanted. His comic timing is perfect, especially in the scenes with Sohail Ahmed and Sargun
Director Amarjit Singh Saron must also be commended for not going for below-the-belt jokes, and staying afloat with ideas that at times remind the viewers of the Road Runner cartoons, where Diljit Dosanjh plays the Wily E Coyote and Sohail Ahmed is the Road Runner. The way he handles the emotional part of the film is also worth mentioning because when things don’t happen the way Jaggu planned, there comes a time when he is left alone and that’s where the director’s brilliance takes over and keeps the momentum going when lesser directors would have faltered.
The Bad
BBPN begins as a film where three losers want to strike gold without doing much, however, the last half an hour revolves around a heist. It’s not that confusing since its part of the main plot but it would have been better had the characters involved in the heist had some experience in that regard. The Expendables look was a treat for sore eyes but for those who aren’t familiar with the franchise that would have been a drawback. The director could have inserted the film’s poster or shown it on TV to make the uninitiated, initiated.
Also, Sargun Mehta’s character should have had more to do onscreen, considering she is quite popular across the world, and wearing glasses throughout the film did little justice to her beauty. And finally, for a Diljit Dosanjh film, the music isn’t the strong suit here, which may be good for the film and the audience who are more involved in the plot, but not for those who would have bought the ticket to be treated by their favourite Punjabi singer.
The Verdict
Unlike most Pakistani Punjabi films (excluding The Legend of Maula Jatt, of course!) BBPN is a clean comedy film with a message for the viewers, who might be from six to sixty-six, or beyond.
Written by Amarjit Singh Saron, Naresh Kathooria, and Chanchal Dabra the film’s dialogues are in simple Punjabi, simple English, and sometimes in Urdu and Hindi, depending on which language you understand. Despite not being well-versed in Punjabi, I was able to laugh uncontrollably throughout the film’s run and even predicted some of the forthcoming dialogues with mixed results. This film must be shown to forthcoming filmmakers on how to make a comedy film without the help of vulgar jokes and situations, and how to insert a social message in it. The writers and the director fall back on the strategy of the golden era of cinema and empower characters to take the story forward. Although Diljit Dosanjh, Sargun Mehta, and Sohail Ahmed have the highest number of scenes, the other actors also chip in, making their presence felt when they can. It is a must-watch film for those who prefer sanity over vulgarity, and do it before it’s too late!
The best of Bob Dylan
All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
All Along The Watchtower - U2
As Long as the Grass Shall Grow - Johnny Cash
Ballad of Easy Rider - The Byrds
Desolation Row - My Chemical Romance
Dirty Lie - The Secret Sisters
Farewell, Angelina - Joan Baez
Forever Young - Louisa Johnson
Go Away Little Boy - Lone Justice
I Shall Be Released - The Band
I'd Have You Anytime - George Harrison
If Not For You - Olivia Newton-John
It Ain't Me Babe - The Turtles
Just Like A Woman - Bob Dylan
Kansas City - The New Basement Tapes
Love Rescue Me - U2
Love You Too Much - Greg Lake
Make You Feel My Love - Adele
Married To My Hack - The New Basement Tapes
Mr. Tambourine Man - The Byrds
My Back Pages - The Byrds
New Pony - The Dead Weather
Nobody 'Cept You - Jack Savoretti
Quinn the Eskimo - Manfred Mann
Senor (Tales of Yankee Power) - Dierks Bentley
Steel Bars - Michael Bolton
Stranger - The New Basement Tapes
This Wheel's on Fire - The Band
Touchy Situation - Jack Savoretti
Up To Me - Roger McGuinn
Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show
Waiting for the Morning Light - Gene Simmons
When I Get My Hands on You - The New Basement Tapes
Between 10 to 20 percent of people who contract coronavirus are estimated to have long Covid symptoms -- most commonly fatigue, breathlessness and a lack of mental clarity dubbed brain fog -- months after recovering from the disease.
The US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) estimates that nearly 145 million people worldwide had at least one of those symptoms in 2020 and 2021.
In Europe alone, 17 million people had a long Covid symptom at least three months after infection during that time, according to IHME modelling for the World Health Organization (WHO) published earlier in October.
Millions of people around the world are believed to suffer from long Covid yet little remains known about the condition -- though research has recently proposed several theories for its cause.
These millions "cannot continue to suffer in silence", WHO Europe director Hans Kluge said, calling for the world to act quickly to learn more about the condition.
Researchers have been racing to catch up but the vast array -- and inconsistency -- of symptoms has complicated matters.
More than 200 different symptoms have been ascribed to long Covid so far, according to a University College London study.
Fatigue in the background
"There are no symptoms that are truly specific to long Covid but it does have certain characteristics that fluctuate," said
Olivier Robineau, the long Covid coordinator at France's Emerging Infectious Diseases research agency.
"Fatigue remains in the background," he told media, while the symptoms "seem to be exacerbated after intellectual or physical effort -- and they become less frequent over time".
One thing we do know is that people who had more severe initial cases, including needing to be hospitalised, are more likely to get long Covid, according to the IHME.
Researchers have been pursuing several leads into exactly what could be behind the condition.
A study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases in September found that Covid's infamous spike protein --- the key that lets the virus into the body's cells -- was still present in patients a full year after infection.
This suggests that viral reservoirs may persist in some people, potentially causing inflammation that could lead to long Covid-like symptoms, the researchers said.
If they are right, a test could be developed to identify the spike, potentially leading to one of the great and elusive goals of long Covid research -- a clear way to diagnose the condition.
However, their findings have not been confirmed by other research, and several other causes have been proposed.
'Data not very solid yet'
One leading theory is that tissue damage from severe Covid
cases triggers lasting disruption to the immune system.
Another suggests that the initial infection causes tiny blood clots, which could be related to long Covid symptoms.
However "for each of these hypotheses, the data is not very solid yet", Robineau said. It is most likely that "we are not going to find a single cause to explain long Covid", he added.
"The causes may not be exclusive. They could be linked or even succeed each other in the same individual, or be different
in different individuals."
A way to treat the condition also remains elusive.
For the last year, the Hotel-Dieu hospital in Paris has been offering long Covid patients a half-day treatment course.
"They meet an infectious disease specialist, a psychiatrist, then a doctor specialising in sports rehabilitation," said Brigitte Ranque, who runs the protocol dubbed CASPER.
"In the team's experience, a majority of the symptoms can be attributed to functional somatic syndromes," she said. These
are a group of chronic disorders such as chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia that have no known cause.
Cognitive behavioural therapy, a psychological approach often used for those syndromes, is used to treat long Covid alongside supervised physical activity, Ranque said.
"The patients are brought back in three months later. The majority of them are better. More than half say they are cured," she told media.
"But about 15 percent did not improve at all." —AFP
By Nina Larson GENEVAA Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) is commonly referred to as a disease that is not transmissible directly from one person to another. The most common examples of NCDs include autoimmune diseases, osteoarthritis, strokes, most heart diseases and cancers, diabetes, osteoporosis, Parkinson's disease, chronic kidney disease, cataracts, Alzheimer's disease and many others.
Non-communicable diseases, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), are responsible for 74 percent of global deaths and cracking down on risk factors could save millions of lives.
A report from the UN health agency shows that so-called NCDs, which are often preventable and caused by an unhealthy lifestyle or living conditions, kill 41 million people every year, including 17 million under the age of 70. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes and respiratory disease now outnumber infectious diseases as the top killers globally, says the report, titled "Invisible Numbers.”
"Every two seconds, someone under the age of 70 is dying from an NCD," Bente Mikkelsen, head of the World Health Organization's division that oversees such diseases, told the media.
"And yet a minimal amount of domestic and international financing is spent on NCDs. This is truly a tragedy."
NCDs are not only the world's biggest killers, but they also have serious impacts on how people weather infectious diseases, as the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated.
People living with NCDs like obesity or diabetes were at greater risk of becoming seriously ill and dying from the virus, the report said.
"The data paint a clear picture. The problem is that the world isn't looking at it," the report warned.
Contrary to popular belief, these "lifestyle" diseases are not mainly a problem of wealthy countries.
A full 86 percent of the global premature NCD deaths happen in low- and lower middle-income countries, the study said.
This makes addressing the problem not only a health issue but also an issue of "equity", Mikkelsen said, pointing out that many people in poorer countries do not have access
to the prevention, treatment and care they need.
A new NCD data portal launched by the WHO in September last week shows the highest prevalence of deaths from cardiovascular disease -- the world's biggest killer -in countries like Afghanistan and Mongolia.
WHO said it was misleading to consider NCDs lifestyle diseases, since much of the exposure to risk factors is beyond an individual's control.
"Far too often, the environment in which we live constrains our decisions, making healthy choices difficult, if not impossible," the report said.
While the numbers are startling, the WHO stressed this is a largely fixable problem, since the main risk factors for NCDs are known, as is how to best address them.
Tobacco use, unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity and air pollution are seen as the main causes driving the soaring NCD numbers.
Tobacco use alone is responsible for more than eight million deaths each year.
"Over a million of those deaths are among non-smokers, non-tobacco-users, so innocent bystanders," Doug Bettcher, a senior advisor to WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghe-
breyesus for NCDs, told reporters.
Another eight million deaths are attributable to unhealthy diets, meaning either too little, too much or too poor quality food, the report said.
Harmful alcohol use, which among other things causes liver cirrhosis and cancers, kills around 1.7 million people annually, while physical inactivity is responsible for an estimated 830,000 deaths.
But WHO argued in its report that there are clear, proven ways to drive down those risk factors, insisting that if all countries implemented them, 39 million lives could be saved over the next seven years.
"WHO is calling on all governments to adopt the interventions that are known to work to help avert 39 million deaths by 2030 and make countless other lives lived longer, healthier and happier," Mikkelsen said.
The report emphasised that relatively small investments in NCD prevention and treatment could make a huge difference.
Pumping an additional $18 billion per year into such measures in poorer countries could generate net economic benefits of $2.7 trillion over the next seven years, it said. —AFP
It’s no secret that Georgian diamonds, notably the romantic styles of the Regency era (1811-1820), are in vogue these days. The popular Netflix show Bridgerton has brought Regency-era England back to the forefront of design, especially when it comes to interiors and jewelry. While many of us are already fond of the furniture and house settings of this era, these are the decades-old gems that have truly captured the interest of the people.
The great minds of the Regency era, from novelists like Jane Austen and William Blake to notable royals like King George VI, shaped the period's rich history and cultural transformations.
Since the Prince of Wales was Prince Regent from 1811 to 1820 and then took on the title of King George IV of England after that, the tastes and styles of the time are sometimes said to have been influenced by him. Even though George IV only ruled for nine years, the early 1800s began with King George III's insanity and ended with the prince's death. Other design eras have also been named after their kings, but the Regency period is the easiest to recognise because the prince had an impact on fashion that had never been seen before in England's history. However, his impact stretched well beyond things like furniture, buildings, and fine jewellery. Regency design was one of the most innovative, creative, and expensive in English history. During the Regency period, wealthy English patrons liked to copy the Prince Regent's love of neoclassical architecture and other revival styles like Gothic and Indian. The jewellery of the Regency period mirrored these shifting fashions.
Fashion during the Regency era
Column dresses with low necklines and low waistlines were popular among ladies after the French Revolution. Most of the time, these dresses were made of thin, delicate materials and had pretty floral patterns on them that were made with fabric printing, lace, and appliqué. Floral prints on accessories like hats, belts, reticule purses, and jackets helped break up the white colour scheme of the time. The jewellery and accessories of the time were simpler in design and employed fewer materials, with a focus on only one or two that went well together - in contrast to the ornate styles of the past. At formal events people also often wore a diadem or tiara with a jewelled belt. To put it bluntly, no one with a heightened taste ever wore all of those items together. Abiding by the maxim
that "less is more," just a select few accessories were chosen to be worn together. Romanticism and neoclassicism both made significant contributions during the Regency Era. The many jewellery trends all included floral and leafy designs. Jewellery styles of the Regency era were influenced by fashions from across the vast kingdom. Waistlines were cinched in just below the bust, a style detail that owes a debt to the classical Greeks and Romans. The Court of Napoleon exemplified the "imperial style." There were a lot of motifs in the decor, clothing, and accessories of the time. Jewellery from the Regency period often included the snake or Ouroboros emblem. The Greek and Roman influences are clear in the use of thinner, more form-fitting fabrics and the way waistlines were pulled to a point just below the bust.
Bejewelled paste
Paste jewellery was a favourite in the Georgian era, and it carried over into the Regency era with little change. Even though we know Regency ladies loved glittering jewels just as much as contemporary women do, these stunning pieces weren't necessarily made out of the most functional materials.
Paste, which cost just a quarter of the original, became very popular. It is a kind of flint glass, but is more than just a fake gem. It can easily compete with its more precious relatives, such as diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. Paste not only made it possible for those who weren't members of the nobility to purchase beautiful jewellery, but it was also used to create whole jewellery ensembles.
Coral pendants
Antique coral necklaces are always in fashion due to their charming and unique appearance. Coral has a long history and was thought to ward off evil and protect its user from all ail-
ments. Coral beads of all natural colours were skilfully strung into necklaces of many different designs. Coral was also often utilised in the fashionable art of cameo portraiture in Regency-period jewellery. As a finishing touch to their plunging necklines, chokers, and simple circular necklaces were all the rage during the time. From a soft pink to a deep red-orange, coral was a popular gemstone during the Regency era, when these beads were created. One can almost envision the flamboyant women of the time, with coral necklaces draped around their necks, frolicking around during a picnic.
People in the Regency period knew how to show their love via the gift of jewellery. One cannot understate the weight of courtship, love, and marriage in this era's culture.
The Nerflix show Bridgerton is spot-on and accurate here. Portraits and eye miniatures were popular as a way to remember the love that was forbidden or far away. Sometimes months would pass without a reunion with a loved one, hence tributes had to be especially heartfelt; and a small image of their greatest love would be the perfect way to keep their memory alive.
Although portrait miniatures did not become widely used until the Regency period, they had been popular in European royal courts since the 16th century. During this time, there was a resurgence of miniature portraits, which were often commissioned by nobles. These intricate designs were painted on ivory and enamel, which were then put into jewellery, usually pendants, and surrounded by pearls or other popular jewels. Men's snuff boxes were also made to look like jewellery, and many of them had a tiny picture of the owner on the inside. Also, this was the best place to hide a picture of a mistress or other evidence of an extramarital affair. It's possible that lovers would even keep a strand of hair enclosed in jewellery as a way to always have a little bit of their sweetheart with them. Courtship using acrostic jewellery was also common. Romantic acrostic jewellery is a trend that was borrowed from the chic French. Secret communications were coded and proclaimed using gemstones. It's safe to say that the Regency period had it all, from exquisite paste suits to pearl-encrusted headdresses and portrait miniatures.
One may call it a cosmic coincidence that the famous singer Shahnaz Begum, who rendered three immortal patriotic songs for Pakistan, died on 23rd March – a day when almost every Pakistani listens to her everlasting hits Sohni Dharti Allah Rakhe Jeevay Jeevay Pakistan and Diya Jalaye Rakhna The scribe met Shahnaz Begum in Dhaka on July, 20, 1982 to interview her for a Karachi-based weekly newspaper. We got along very well since during her time in Pakistan I had interviewed her for a local English daily and had also met her a couple of times in the office of Zaman Ali Khan, former general manager of Karachi centre of Pakistan Television (PTV). After completing the interview, I invited her to attend my daughter’s first birthday on July 30. She not only readily agreed to attend the birthday party but also promised to sing on the occasion.
That was an unforgettable ceremony and I still remember that the first song she sang was Behzad Lakhnavi’s ghazal Kahaan Ho Tum, Chalay Aao, Muhabbat Ka Taqaaza Hai. This song was originally composed by a Bengali composer Ali Hussain, who was working for the PTV during the 1960s. That song, sung in her honey-soaked voice, has undoubtedly lived long in the memories of all those present on that occasion. My son, who was only a five-year-old toddler at the time, still cherishes that particular song as his all-time favourite.
On that occasion, Shahnaz Begum also sang her other popular numbers like Ham Tum Jahan Milay Thay Phoolon Ki Rehguzar Mein and Aas Bandhi Ghar Aaye Badra. Both songs were composed by Sohail Rana and written by Asad Mohammad Khan. On the sideline of the wonderful evening, she sat down with my wife to discuss her collection of Kanjivaram sarees from Dhaka.
Since her husband, Major (R) Rahmatullah, was also a colleague of my brother-in-law, Khawaja Sajed at the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh, that meeting with her turned out to be very cordial and interesting. We discussed her time spent in Pakistan, especially the heydays of PTV, when it was producing quality TV series like Alif Noon and Khuda Ki Basti as well as a host of memorable songs.
Shahnaz Begum fondly remembered Sohail Rana’s compositions of her milli naghmay (patriotic songs) written by Masroor Anwar, Asad Mohammad Khan and Jamiluddin Ali. PTV was indeed fortunate that a musical genius like Rana who composed the greatest and most memorable national songs for Shahnaz Begum’s mellifluous voice.
Let me mention here that while listening to flawless rendering of Urdu ghazals from Bengali singers I was always surprised to note how they could pronounce Urdu words so correctly while singing, even though they could not always do so while talking. This is particularly true for words involving the alphabet ‘Z'. For them ‘rahguzar’ is always ‘rahgujor’ and ‘dilnawaz’ is always ‘dilnowaj’, and so on. I asked Shahnaz Begum about this, but she had no answer.
While humility being the key to success for Shahnaz Begum, she never talked with excessive pride about her achievements or abilities, despite her immense popularity as the way some celebrities do after achieving such fame and recognition. Unlike most singers of her status and fame, she was accessible to all. A very simple person, she also invited us for dinner at her home once. I regret that we could not attend the dinner as we had to leave for Nepal the same night. Her solemn patriotic songs are still a prized possession of our national music archives. Though she left Pakistan after the creation of Bangladesh, her songs reverberate around the country on almost every occasion of national celebration or remembrance. The songs which captured virtually every Pakistani's heart still continue to do so to this day – indeed a miracle of the Shanaz-Rana duo. This may, to a great extent – at least for Pakistanis – justify the coin-
While humility being the key to success for Shahnaz Begum, she never talked with excessive pride about her achievements or abilities, despite her immense popularity
cidence of her departure to her heavenly abode on March 23.
Born on 2 January, 1952 in Dhaka, Shanaz Begum made her singing debut at the age of 11 as a playback singer for the film Notun Sur in 1963 in Dhaka. She then rendered her first song for Dhaka TV in 1964. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, she sang patriotic songs such as Sohni Dharti Allah Rakhe and Jeevay Jeevay Pakistan for PTV. Four of her songs were selected in a BBC survey of the 20 greatest Bangla songs of all times – indeed an honour no other Bangladeshi singer has yet achieved. Interestingly enough, she also earned accolades for her patriotic songs in Bangladesh. After 1971, she sang Ek Nodi Rokto Periye, which was considered to be one of the finest patriotic songs ever written in the Bengali language.
In recognition of her immortal songs, she was given the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh Ekushey Padak in 1992. The award is given to recognise contributions in a number of fields, including culture, education, and economics. In her singing career spanning over 50 years,
Shahnaz Begum recorded around 500 songs for radio, TV and films but released only three solo and three mixed albums. After performing Umrah, she decided to quit career. “I’m more into religion these days, and I’ll never sing,” she said in an interview to a Bangladeshi newspaper. “As such these days the singer, a kindred spirit to millions of her devoted admirers, does not sing anymore,” the newspaper added. Here it is pertinent to mention a piece from a former editor-turned-diplomat late Wajid Shamsul Hasan, which reads: “Leaders make history and history makes nations. I consider living to see Pakistan’s 71-year Jashne Azadi a special gift of God. On top of this, a former colleague from the Pakistan High Commission — a commodore from the Pakistan Navy serving the mission as head of the Naval and Defence Division during my tenure — made my day by sending me a video-clip of a Bengali Pakistani singer Shahnaz Begum rendering the evergreen Sohni Dharti Allah Rakhe. The officer’s note was extremely poignant. He wrote (I can’t reveal the Officer’s identity as I did not seek permission to quote him): “Irony of our history is that our top national songs, and most popular motivational songs, are all sung by Bengali singers.” Lyrics sung by Shahnaz Begum were so motivational that during a performance, Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto walked to the stage behind the famous composer Sohail Rana and his orchestra of kids and joined in. Renderings by Shahnaz Begum were so powerful that they bypassed Hafeez Jalandhari’s composed national anthem in popularity, and remain more popular than the country’s official national anthem to this day.” Shahnaz Begum may no longer be in this world but her golden voice, naturally linked to Pakistan’s image of itself, will continue to enthral all of us.
KARACHI
How would you react if a string of enigmatic letters arrived at your doorstep with an alarming regularity and threatened your well-being as well as that of your family? Driven by the instinct of selfpreservation, ordinary people would swiftly register a complaint with the police or, if the situation escalates, find a safer neighbourhood to settle down in.
The Brannock family in Netflix's sevenpart limited series The Watcher aren't ordinary people. Like most hard-working and ambitious yuppies, they are enticed by the trappings of the American dream and can go to any extremes to attain it. The family wants to escape the grim realities of urban life in New York and immerse themselves in the carefree quietude of a suburban idyll. When they find a stately home on 657 Boulevard in Westfield, New Jersey, their dream no longer seems like a distant possibility. The suburban abode, though a tad exorbitant, bears the promise of a comfortable life for the Brannocks and they leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the property falls into their hands. Their blind devotion for the house and the dreamlike existence it represents culminates in bizarre circumstances that have drastic implications. Their decades-old suburban home attracts unwarranted attention from an assortment of people. At first, the family has to endure the hostilities of their intrusive neighbours who frequently berate them about their radical plans for refurbishment.
While the Brannocks resist these aggressive interferences with territorial ease, circumstances take an unpredictable turn when they start receiving ominous letters from someone called The Watcher. The writer of these missives not only harbours a keen interest in their house, but is also privy to details about the lives of its inhabitants.
When they receive the first letter, Dean Brannock (Bob Cannavale) and his wife Nora (Naomi Watts) have the good sense to inform the police. After a series of unfortunate events, the family even briefly moves into a motel to ensure their children's safety. However, Dean and Nora tend to waver over the decision to vacate the premises and find another neighbourhood to live in. Their reasons are justifiable and ordinarily wouldn't be called into question. After all, their dream house isn't haunted; it merely carries the weight of its
own mysterious past. The couple's initial reluctance to wake up from a dream that has transformed into a nightmare is undoubtedly the catalyst for The Watcher. Dean and Nora's willingness to protect a home they have fashioned from the devious clutches of miscreants adds a fresh dimension to the series. As viewers dive deep into the intricacies of The Watcher, many of them might be tempted to think of the times when they have admired the exteriors of homes that didn't belong to them. Discerning audiences might be tempted to ask a few questions that pertain to these fleeting moments. For instance, does appreciating the facades of these homes give the onlooker a special stake in them that surpasses the rights of the original owner? Does he or she
become a stakeholder in the house simply by admiring its beauty?
The answer to these questions is unmistakably a resounding 'no'.
Nevertheless, it is these curiosities that remain the driving force behind The Watcher. A quick Google search is all it takes for us to realise that wealth and income disparities are higher in the US than in almost any developed country. The seven-episode Netflix series ought to be perceived as a biting critique on the everwidening experiential gap between the 'haves' and the 'have nots'. In a capitalistic society that is intrinsically unequal, there's always a burgeoning pressure to uphold one's position in the upper tier of society. The Brannocks are the unwitting victims of this obsessive trend and their detractors, too, are prisoners of a system that breeds inequality.
Be that as it may, The Watcher isn't tailored towards providing audiences with
serious social commentary. Instead, the limited series carries the verve and intensity of a compelling saga fuelled by unexpected occurrences. The seven-part series bears a distinctly genre-busting quality as it moves in quick succession from a quintessential whodunit to a mystery thriller that verges on horror. This is largely because The Watcher is loosely based on a real, unsolved case where a family received letters from someone who was 'watching' their house. Since the reallife 'Watcher' is yet to be found, the Netflix series cannot faithfully provide closure to the case. As a result, The Watcher uses a whole spectrum of conspiracy theories and possibilities as a crutch to steer the plot towards unpredictable directions. What emerges is a gripping show that relies heavily on meandering arcs that don't always lead to mind-boggling epiphanies. If the creators had made a conscientious effort to provide a more definitive denouement that moves beyond the realm of hearsay, The Watcher might have packed a hefty punch. In its existing form, the series struggles to achieve its true potential. The house that the Brannocks fall in and out of love with also struggles to come alive. Instead, the imposing home that is at the heart of the story is treated like a mere locale rather than a character in its own right. The endless possibilities about what ails the cursed residence may keep some viewers entertained until the final episode, but their frustration will resurface when loose ends aren't duly addressed.
Despite these concerns, compassionate viewers might view the shortcomings of The Watcher as its fundamental strength. It is difficult to deny the fact that an unsolved mystery is far more intriguing than a story whose dimensions aren't shrouded in a smokescreen of secrets.
It is refreshing to see Bob Cannavale and Naomi Watts as a frazzled pair that is haunted by the spectre of their own home. Noma Dumezweni delivers a stellar performance as the complex, cancer-riddled sleuth Theodora while the inimitable Jennifer Coolidge does justice to the role of a sly, calculating realtor.
After the first season, viewers might be tempted to browse the internet for articles that explain the ending of The Watcher Audiences are advised against succumbing to these temptations as this will only lead them towards a dead-end. In the long run, it would be best to revel in the ambiguities of the limited series, even if there is no way of discovering the truth about a house weighed down by its own secrets.
By Omair Alavi KARACHIIf you are a fan of video games, then you must have played a lot of video games. But even then, you wouldn’t know how Tetris is related to an Olympic Sport, why Final Fantasy was named so ahead of its release, and what reasons led to the creation of Sonic the Hedgehog in the first place. To find out answers to such queries, you have Ben Bertoli’s 101 Video Games to Play Before You Grow Up, a book that would surely make you regret growing up. From Super Mario Bros. to Pokémon, from Minecraft to FIFA, every game that should be played before growing up is mentioned here. From the game’s inception to the final product and reception, every detail is mentioned in these pages as are the reasons regarding why that game should be played by the gamers (if they haven’t played it), what made it special at the time of its release and why it is still relevant, after so many years.
The book 101 Video Games to Play Before You Grow Up is neither a guide to the best video games to have graced any screen, nor is it an encyclopaedia. It is a rare book that aims to educate and inspire youngsters who want to step into the world of gaming but have no clue how to go about it. It covers multiple genres of video games from Platformer, Action & Adventure, Sports & Fighting, Role Playing & Strategy, Puzzle & Arcade, and Party & Rhythm which more or less consist of all those wannabe gamers should know.
After going through this book, the narrative of which is catchy and gripping, young minds will understand that there is a method to madness even in the world of video games. They can take it as a history lesson for video games since it covers the 1980s and 1990s extensively, whereas it might seem relatable to their parents who were ‘them’ during that period. Although the discussion on the Console Wars of the past could have been included separately in the introduction, instead of being mentioned every now and then, the book more or less manages to convince its readers and their parents that life is all good, even if it is lived in the midst of video games.
Unlike the book 101 Books You Must Read Before You Die, the approach of this book is much different. It talks about all those games that helped in making the video game industry an empire and explain the reason behind some of the game’s creation. You wouldn’t have believed it had someone told you that
a quarter-eaten pizza inspired Pac-Man’s design, Sonic the Hedgehog was created to compete with Super Mario Bros., and FIFA is one of the best-selling video games of all time. Each video game gets one page of its own – sometimes two – in this book where the author explains to the readers everything he could in that limited space. The consoles are mentioned on which that game could be played (for those who want to try), and the genres to which those video games belong are also displayed whereas the ratings are visible as well, just to comfort the parents who are usually against violence, even though they might have liked violent games in their youth.
The ‘First Seen’ segment mentions the year in which the game was released for the first time as does the name of the company that came up with the idea or bought the idea from some videogame developer. The ‘Did You Know’ section mentions a ‘Funny Fact’ about that very game and keeps it interesting so that speed readers aren’t bored with the technical language. Youngsters of today who hate books but love surfing would find the book to their liking because it has been designed in an eye catchy manner, where everything that is to their liking would catch their eye.
The book also explains the basics behind many video game consoles and brings forward the stories of several companies that came and went with the passage of time. Yes, it might move from one point to another without giving the readers breathing space but that’s because most of them know what might be coming their way. As long as the readers take it as an introduction to the world of video games, they will be content with whatever this book offers.
For the fans of Tidbits and Trivia, each page has something to offer. Readers who have played a handful of video games mentioned in this book can search for their favourite games while expert gamers can record their thoughts in the ‘My Favourite Moment’ and ‘Notes’ sections provided on each page. They can even record their experience of playing that game (if they have played that game!) as well as their personal ratings to keep a personal score that might help them in the future.
So, if you didn’t know how Satoshi Tajiri’s love for collecting bugs and tadpoles in the neighbourhood led him to create Pokémon or why the PC port of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the Nintendo Entertainment System was unbeatable, don’t be surprised as you aren’t the only ones who are clueless. Just concentrate on the 101 Video Games mentioned here, their history, and on the fact that how many have you played!
The season of Halloween is upon us. While some like to celebrate this yearly tradition by donning fancy costumes on October 31st, others are more interested in going trickor-treating. However, countless film enthusiasts around the world use the month as an excuse to watch horror films to make the best of Halloween. In keeping with this spirit, presented here are ten of the spookiest films which you can watch this October if you have caught the Halloween bug.
Let's start with a horror classic – Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece Psycho. While the film may not be a traditional horror film, the excellent building of tension, character reveals and cinematography make this film a must-watch for all those seeking some unexpected scares and plot turns.
However, for viewers more interested in lots of blood and gore, the 1974 Wes Craven classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre will surely satisfy your needs. This film has spawned an endless variety of iterations over the years and has also amassed a cult following. The fact that it is “based on actual events” serves as a unique selling point of the film. However, viewer discretion is advised for those interested in watching this film. The slasher genre is one which meshes
well with horror. This union created another classic aptly named Friday the 13th. The film follows a supernatural being hell-bent on slashing down anyone who comes in his way at Camp Crystal Lake. This film is another one which launched a successful franchise with iterations upon iterations of the supernatural being who just refuses to die. Another classic, and one much talked about in recent times, is none other than the film Halloween. Screened in 1978, the film follows the protagonist, Laurie, as she tries to escape an unhinged killer obsessed with murdering her. Michael Myers – the throat slashing, mask wearing villain –also refuses to die. While the film has had many spin-offs, the one which reunited Laurie and Michael Myers for a showdown 40 years later, Halloween Ends, was perhaps the most boring finale in cinema history. Watch it if you want, but the film leaves much to be desired and does not live up to the original.
Do you fancy being chased and subsequently killed during your lucid dreaming session? That is the premise of our next horror pick, A Nightmare on Elm Street another Wes Craven film. Released in 1984, the film follows a group of teenagers who are targeted by a long razor-clawed villain named Freddy Krueger. The film has a lot of jump scares and it too went on to become a cult classic. For Johnny Depp fans, this one is a must-watch since it marked his feature film debut.
Now, if you really want something truly frightening, watch The Exorcist, released in 1973. Based on William Peter Blatty’s novel, The Exorcist is a masterpiece directed by William Friedkin. The musical score is as haunting today as it was some 49 years ago. The eerie mood of the locations and the premise is captured to perfection. The Exorcist still remains the only horror film to be nominated for 10 Oscars, and it went on to win two. Its filmmakers at the time also claimed that they would give people their money back if they watched the film alone at the cinema. This film will give you a double dose of horror alongside a riveting film-watching experience.
Evil Dead, as the name suggests, is about evil beings who are dead. A mustwatch for horror fans and those who like going to lonely cabins, this Sam Raimi film showed the world why exactly he is regarded as a master of this genre. Star-
ring Bruce Campbell, who also served as an executive producer on the film, it is widely regarded as a seminal film in the horror genre. It was rebooted for younger audiences but failed to deliver on the spookier elements of the story. With the world currently enveloped in a seemingly endless array of problems, one wonders if the end of times is near. For those looking out for any such signs, look no further than The Omen – the original 1976 flick starring Gregory Peck. The film sees Peck battling against the forces of evil in what seems like a doomed quest. Most of you have already heard of the Conjuring franchise, which is why the whole series is omitted from this list. One of the infamous Warren cases – the case of a young family living in a haunted house – made this set of films a household name. The house that witnessed brutal murders is also featured in The Amityville Horror franchise. This series also has a rebooted version with Ryan Reynolds playing the protagonist. The film is based on the book written by the victims of the paranormal house.
To all the fans of Annabelle, the supernaturally possessed doll – also one of the Warrens’ cases – we suggest you watch Child’s Play. This film also features a doll, Chucky, but this one literally goes on a killing spree. Littered with jump scares and dark humour, Child’s Play launched a successful franchise too. This autumn, enjoy these horror classics, but be sure to lock your doors and not go out exploring in the dark.
By Jordi Zamora and Eric Randolph PARIS
Jonathan Franzen is an American writer and novelist beloved by millions of readers across the world. Such bestselling novels as The Corrections and Freedom have made him one of the foremost literary authors of his generation in the United States, and his most recent, Crossroads, is seen by some critics as his greatest achievement yet.
Jonathan Franzen, however, likes coming to Europe where he doesn't face "the baggage" his public persona carries back in the United States. But in his home country, his success has been blighted by a somewhat cranky public image that has seen him painted as the epitome of the privileged white man — someone even set up the web address "ciswhitemale.com" to go straight to Franzen's Facebook page.
At 63, he is patient with his critics.
"America was created by white men. It's still run by white men to the advantage of white men," says Jonathan Franzen. "If you're a white male writer, you're automatically under suspicion, you're part of the power structure.
"For younger people, especially in these highly political times, I'm wrong until proven right. Anything I do. And I understand that and I accept that. I'm not bitter about it, because I have had enormous privileges simply by being white and middle class in the US."
'Offended Oprah'
His reputation for snobbish privilege was born of a few controversial opinion pieces and public statements, as well as his refusal to have The Corrections featured on Oprah Winfrey's book club.
All of which makes him happy to be visiting Europe, where Crossroads has just been released.
"In the US, I'm still the guy who offended Oprah, the guy who says unpleasant things on the subject of climate, or the guy who hates cats — that's the level it is in the US," Franzen says.
"People over here don't have that baggage."
One topic on which he remains unapologetic is climate change, on which he has written extensively — often angering activists and scientists with his pessimistic outlook.
"The assumption (of activists) is that if we just build enough wind farms, we can save the planet. Sorry, that's not the reality," he says.
"We've passed the tipping point... There's a lot of work to be done in strengthening all sorts of structures to better withstand the increasingly violent shocks we're going to get because of climate change."
'Care for community'
As for his day job, Franzen's aim, clearly set out in an essay in the 1990s, has been to address societal issues through highly accessible writing and relatable characters.
"There are certain readers who really like hardcore crazy stuff, but there are a lot of readers who read for character and story and I feel that's my community.
"Part of the rules of that community is I'm not going to try to impress you. I'm going to be your friend. I'm not going to be the superior artist who knows more than you do," he adds.
Crossroads — which tracks five members of a family in a small US town in the 1970s — feels like the pinnacle of this focus on character, and is his first not to be set in the present day.
Critics and fans have loved it, with the New York Times calling it "warmer than anything he's yet written".
He knows, however, that his reputation effectively rules out any more awards to add to his National Book Award for The Corrections
"I get nice emails from readers. They say thank you for The Corrections, thank you for Crossroads. To get one of those in a year makes it all worth it," he says.
"Even if I had some chance of winning another prize in America — which I don't — it's like... who cares?"
One question that he is tired of answering is when the sequel is coming, since he initially presented "Crossroads" as the start of a trilogy.
He confirms that he has written some follow-on parts, set in later periods, but said: "It's no fun to write a novel if I know what I am going to do with it.
"It won't be quick." —AFP
Sohail Zuberi’s solo show titled Archaeologies of Tomorrow, held in 2018, was a true testament to his sheer commitment and devotion to a two-kilometre stretch of beach in Karachi. The multidisciplinary artist channelled his engagement with the sea, and what it throws back onto the land, in order to comment on the urban development, disparity and divisions rife in Karachi. While his interaction with the changing ecologies of the beach has been an ongoing process for over a decade now, it is apparent that his enthusiasm for and fascination with his selected two-kilometre stretch of beach has not waned. As a result, given the endless material and fountain of creativity and inspiration the sea and the beach provides Zuberi, he returned to Koel Art Gallery this year with a follow-up show to his earlier exhibition from four years ago.
Archaeologies of Tomorrow-II picks up exactly where its predecessor left off and continues along the same thematic lines. While the concept and nature of Zuberi’s work may have already become familiar to those who had earlier visited his exhibition four years back, there is no denying that his work has not lost its potency or novelty.
Through this exhibition, Zuberi one again wanted to use the beach as a lens through which the peculiarities of Karachi could be explored. As he stated, he worked primarily “with found objects and documentation of chance encounters to create an archive-based body of work which comments on the site's ever-changing physical, cultural, and social landscape.”
This was evident immediately as one entered the gallery space. Displayed right in front was a rectangular glass case, resting upon two cement blocks, which held a plethora of cowrie shells. All of these had been collected by Zuberi during the decade-long span in which he has been frequenting this relatively small stretch of land. The genius of Zuberi’s work is his ability to turn the mundane into the profound, and his gift of seeing merit in objects which others would dismiss as having little value. His engagement with these found objects is made all the more intriguing given their potential historical and cultural relevance. This is exemplified by the cowrie shells. According to Zuberi, “The prized cowrie shell is most abundant in the Indian Ocean. It was collected primarily in the Maldives islands, Sri Lanka and along the Malabar coast of India. Historically, they were used as currency in several parts of the world, particularly in the trade networks of Africa, South Asia, and East Asia.”
As visitors interacted with the shells simply based on their artistic merit, they may well have been unaware of the story behind each one of these shells. In a sense, that is the true beauty of Zuberi’s work. He manages to not only give artistic merit to these found objects but also allows audiences to appreciate them even if the work is stripped of its potential cultural and social moorings. Pertaining to the cowrie shells, Zuberi says, “They are still used extensively in many cultures today for decorative and ceremonial purposes. Some cultures believe that cowrie shells have the energy of an ocean goddess, bringing prosperity and good health, and consider them to be a sign of femininity and fertility. These shells are also used in jewellery and as embellishments on clothing. The cowries wash up in
sizeable quantities on Sahil beach during the monsoon season, but continue to arrive in small numbers throughout the year.”
As mentioned earlier, Zuberi’s work also functions as a commentary on environmental degradation, climate change, evolving ecosystems, and man’s rampant destruction of the fine balance that exists within nature. The many photographs on
display across the exhibition captured not only Zuberi’s process and how he engaged with his subject matter but also served as poignant reminders of how rapidly we as a nation have destroyed the natural ecosystem of Pakistan. One of the primary examples of this has been the deforestation of mangroves, and the resultant problems which have arisen due to their absence.
“The brackish waters of Gizri Creek used to have many clusters of thick mangrove forests till the early 1990s when the reclamation and eventual development replaced the once thriving ecosystem,” Zuberi says. Two extraordinarily captivating images
on display were those of the Avicennia Marina seeds littering the beach of Karachi, and the seeds of Rhizophora Mucronata being cradled in between two palms. For Zuberi, these pictures further build upon the theme of a changing ecosystem. “By following the routes their ancestors took, hundreds of thousands of Avicennia Marina seeds now wash up on the shores of Sahil beach during the monsoon season instead of landing on the coast along the creek,” he says. Zuberi goes on to add that “the appearance of rarer, spike shaped seeds of Rhizophora Mucronata has also increased over the years. The wave-dissipating stones put along the creek to re-enforce the seawall and other coastal structures have left no clear space for mangroves to grow. With no place to perch themselves anymore, their life ends abruptly.” Hence, these images showed the haunting reality and harmful consequences of years of neglect and poor policymaking which has left Karachi with a depleted number of mangroves. However, alongside these powerful reminders of a deteriorating ecosystem, Zuberi also demonstrated his training as a multidisciplinary artist. The work on display at “Archaeologies of Tomorrow-II” proved that whatever the sea coughs up, Zuberi can use it to create art. From the steering wheel of a boat to the captain’s chair and fishing nets and to the doors, planks, pegs and hinges which would have once adorned a boat sailing in the sea but were now in an art gallery, Zuberi’s collection of items was truly staggering. His ability to collect these disparate objects and combine them in the gallery setting to give them a new lease of life was, in more ways than one, reminiscent of the ship of Theseus, also known as Theseus’ paradox. Zuberi had also transported to the gallery, in its entirety, a long wooden structure which had once been part of a boat. Given the sheer size of the beam, it had to be cut in two in order to be transported, but its angular presentation in a solitary space against a backdrop of white walls only added to its aesthetic appeal. The mammoth structure served as a reminder of the immensity and vastness of the sea given that it can so easily swallow such objects. Moreover, the exhibition also showcases just how much waste, pollution, and rubbish ends up in the water at Karachi and how, sometimes, the Arabian Sea vomits it back onto the city’s shores in protest.
Ultimately, there is perhaps no quote which better embodies and encapsulates Zuberi’s work and his decade long engagement with the beach than the one which he himself has attributed to his latest collection. With reference to his most recent exhibit, Zuberi has quoted Friedrich Nietzsche, who stated: “We do not belong to those who have ideas only among books, when stimulated by books. It is our habit to think outdoors – walking, leaping, climbing, dancing, preferably on lonely mountains or near the sea where even the trails become thoughtful.” Zuberi’s work is a testament to these words.
Zuberi’s work functions as a commentary on environmental degradation, climate change, evolving ecosystems, and man’s rampant destruction of the fine balance that exists within nature