BOL NEWSPAPER | May 29 2022

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TV TALKER

AUTHOR SPEAKS

MUSIC BITE SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION

EMERGING STAR OF THE WEEK

Pakistani actors have fallen into the ‘’Angry Young Men’ trope

Theatre maestro Zia Mohyeddin honored with a feature documentary!

Abrar Ul claims Nach Enough of Haq quota Punjaban is not licensend to The quota system has run its course andanyone now merit is essential to establish

Q&A with Fariha Rasheed

Such characters are fiercely affecting the audience’s view of love and relationship

NAPA paid rich tribute to the living legend

good in the country Thegovernance singer announces that he has all the rights of his song

This week's BOLD exclusive interview

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PUBLISHED FROM KARACHI, LAHORE & ISLAMABAD GLOBAL CIRCULATION VIA BOLNEWS.COM

I’ve seen the scope of her performance in Kamli and she is flawless. It’s always fun to work with a team that synergises with your performance, keep you on your toes, and Saba is all about it. Every day she behaves like a newcomer who is there to learn, to put all her heart and hard work into it and be spot on."

Expanding on her relationship with Sarmad Khoosat, the director of the film, Sania said that they have been friends for years and she knows him very well. "In this movie, Sarmad is not present physically, but yet he is there in every frame.

We have worked together so much and it’s only Sarmad who has pushed me to my limits, or maybe even beyond. Even in Kamli, he made me do crazy and adventurous things that I wouldn’t have done otherwise, but he makes sure that it’s all safe in the end. He would perform the stunts and action sequences himself first and then ask us to perform just to make sure of the safety."

Whoever becomes famous these days, becomes associated with a certain brand, however, Sania is not seen in commercials all that often. She explicated in her complete modesty that her mind does not work from that angle. Her focus has always been theatre, acting and volunteer work.

By Maheen Aziz On my way to the PH Solutions' office (a PR firm) I had the rough and tough Sania Saeed in my mind.

Just like Zarghuna of Sang e Mah. Secretly harbouring a wish to meet this living legend, I finally stepped into the office, after meeting everyone, I peaked through a glass door of the room where Sania was having a snack break as she was constantly giving interviews since morning.

I waved at her and she smiled and waved back and I took this little interaction a sign of having broken the ice. An hour later, I finally had the beauty seated right in front of me. Her eyes were shining with a spark in them and her smile was so heartwarming and captivating that I forgot my questions. I quickly took out the paper from the notepad where I had written down my questions.

Before starting the interview, I, who rarely gets nervous before most interviews, confessed how nervous I was and why?

She gave me her radiant disarming smile.

I turned the recorder on and asked her about her role in Kamli: "She is a woman of my age and from a village, she’s also blind. Her story revolves around how she deals with life and the situations that she’s put in. We shot in really difficult circumstances but had fun shooting it together.

If there was no fun, the shooting would have become a daunting task for the team.

It was a tough movie to shoot."

With Joyland making it to Cannes Film Festival and receiving a 10 minute long standing ovation by the attendees, the cast and crew of the film have brought immense pride and honour to the country as it’s Pakistan’s first ever film to make it to the prestigious film festival. Sania Saeed who plays a pivotal role in the film shared her excitement about the project and shed some light over the story, not giving too much away since the movie hasn't released in Pakistan yet. "Joyland being accepted at the Cannes Film Festival from Pakistan is a huge and progressive step.

The narrative is different and modern, the story meets the international standards and strengthens the idea of working on the stories and the way they should be told."

This is also about personal aptitude for me. I am not someone who would promote beauty products, it will look very exploitative to me and to be honest, my mind is not convinced to do it

I read the whole script and then write my reasons of why I’m not inclined towards the script and explain it in detail. But I sometimes have to do a character because my friends convince me

She’s given decades to the industry acting her heart out, be it television, theatre or films, no one compares to Sania Saeed

Being the seasoned acting prowess that she is, Sania was first and last seen in Manto in 2015. Which made me wonder why she doesn’t do films that often, Sania revealed:" To be completely honest I have never been offered a movie. Secondly, I really need to see and weigh the collective impact of the movie. It may not be a popular interest but I would like to do a film which forces one to think, even if you disagree with its story it still should have that power to move you. Television and theatre have always been my first love. For fun, I would always like to do a movie. In any project, acting itself is a lot of work but in at the end of the day, it’s about the impact that’s made through the narrative. If I have not done a movie yet may be the actress inside me has not felt like doing a film yet. Not all actors are for all mediums. I am not fit probably, maybe I don’t fit in the big screen."

She heavily relies on the trust factor among the team members and the comfort level too. Having said that she shared that the cast and crew of Joyland is also a part of her team. "I have been working with them for a very long time. I can trust them in terms of putting forward a strong narrative which is also my intent before I pick any character" From the sets of Kamli, she seems to be fond of Saba Qamar and her brilliant range of acting: "Saba and I have been looking forward to working with each other for quite a long time. I don’t watch television too so often, but if it’s Saba's drama then I make it a point to watch it.

PA K I S TA N ’ S N U M B E R 1 N E W S PA P E R

"I am an ambassador of ACF, SIUT, TCF, Indus Hospital, I actually like and enjoy these things a lot. I believe in missions, things that make me happy and put my mind at peace. I physically go to ACF, play with dogs, clean donkeys and spend time with animals, I also do voice overs for ACF. For Kiran Foundation, Indus Hospital and SIUT, I do all the work they ask me to and I try to be there to help them as much as I can in my capacity.

This is also about personal aptitude for me. I am not someone who would promote beauty products, it will look very exploitative to me and to be honest, my mind is not convinced to do it."

When asked about her take on doing more mature roles, even in the 90s, the starlet revealed, "I was 18 years old when I essayed the role of a mother of four in Aahat. We look at things from today's perspective but for me I do what I find interesting. I think the characters that are being written for the younger lot are very monotonous and redundant. In our time, the type of characters written for us were so strong that age never mattered to me at all. For example, the character of Mehrunnisa was one-of-a-kind, even the series as a whole had such strong impacts such as Ao Kahani Buntay in which I did 16 get ups and 13 characters and a lot of my other characters will reflect my selection of characters.

In Sang e Marmar, I played Omair Rana's mother, and no one can doubt his or my character portrayal because this is the way you put life to a character. If I am playing a character that is predictable or a role that the audience expects me to be, what fun is that? I get very interesting roles to play in dramas such as Raqeeb Se which is a love story involving people my age group and then there’s theatre too. We have recently concluded a play where I am playing the role of a wanderer."

Have you ever denied any character?

"All the time!" she replied as I surprisingly looked at her and went on to ask "Really?"

She said that it is not a joke to write a script.

It is a very demanding job that takes about 26 hours to write a script. I read the whole script and then write my reasons of why I’m not inclined towards the script and explain it in detail. But I sometimes have to do a character because my friends convince me," she adds as she chuckles.

Since many celebrities are opening salons, brands and collaborating for businesses, I asked Sania if she is planning to shift towards the entrepreneur side of things, maybe open a salon anytime soon?

“Who would people want to come to my salon" She answers with self-effacement because she’s modest and down-to-earth.

"Maybe I will open a school. I come from a background of education and my entire family has a teaching background."

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Sania Saeed was also seen in an episode of Asim Abbasi’s web-series called Churails where she murders and then goes on to cook her own husband on being gay. The episode went on to become one of the most loved and at the same time, grotesque, episodes of the series. Talking about her character Sania shared, “these acts are disturbing. I could do it with Sarmad because there is a trust factor between us." The actress recalls a moment from her set when she was shooting for Aabis Raza and got panic attacks when she had to hit a child.

"The nihari scene was shot twice, and the team had to take me to Sarmad to show me that he is alive and okay. It was one of the most difficult tasks I had done." She still gets shivers recalling the moment when she had to essay a role of a cruel woman in Churails who has no mercy for her husband and makes nihari out of his meat.

"This is a dangerous profession and challenging too." We switch from this topic to her character in Noor Mahal as I could see Sania getting lost in her thoughts and dread.

"I thoroughly enjoyed playing the character of an oracle. It was kind of mystical and the woman floats around. She has curly hair, dark skin and blue eyes and no one knows where she has come from. I loved the heavy voice of the character and the way she talks. And of course, like I said Sarmad makes you do crazy stuff."

Talking about the changes that we need in the industry she said that a lot needs to change within the industry to bring forward their A-game. "Foremost, the need of the audience has to be understood. We don’t work on the basis of research but numbers."

I asked her most of the producers produce the dramas that people want to watch oth-

erwise if production houses, directors and writers bring something extra-ordinary or out-of-the-box for the audience it faces immediate ban. I mentioned the movies Javed Iqbal and Zindagi Tamasha.

"I believe the whole banning process is false. It has to do with the general politics of the country and how the elements and fragments are being used to fuel the politics. There are two types of people working in our industry: the true story tellers and the commercial minds. There are millions of rupees that have gone into dumbing down the audience. They don’t have a basic education, there is no culture of debate, disagreement or multi-culturalism and when you have evacuated the basics from the country so you have also transformed their mindsets and it has now come back to us in

The nihari scene from Churails was shot twice, and the team had to take me to Sarmad to show me that he is alive and okay. It was one of the most difficult tasks I had performed

disastrous ways."

Speaking about room for foreign projects, the actress said, "There is a plenty of room for Pakistani actresses and actors to be in the ads. No foreign actor or actress is going to capture the market. They have appeared in one or maximum four ads. The trend of immediate reaction has been set by the social media."

She has never hid her love for theater.

The artist commented on it’s scope in the coming future, "It depends on the industry's

focus in the end. There are certain roles in which only Saleem Mairaj will fit, Paras will fit or Rashid will fit. It depends on the need of the character. Lets take my example, I am performing since decades and only my work speaks for myself. Alot of theatre actors are ruling hearts and TV screens such as Zahid Ahmed and Gohar Rasheed. If Paresh Rawal is not doing lead roles that does not mean he is not good enough to be in the lead, it is just the demand of the character."

Sania Saeed is currently gracing our

screens with Sang e Mah, and talking about the project as a whole she shared, "Working with Saif and Mustafa, it was easy for me. This is my team who see these different characters in me. There were many youngsters in the dramas but they have asked me to sit on the horse and essay this strong headed woman that Zarghuna is."

Strong not only in her characters but also as a person, the entertainment industry sure hit a jackpot by discovering Sania Saeed.

them on the arts and paying tribute to Jamil Naqsh, who has been known as the pioneer of cubism in Pakistan, and Rabia Zuberi whose name was long associated with the Karachi School of Arts.

Apart from the display of artwork and sculptures, the event programme included panel discussion on topics such as mentoring youngsters and the future of art. There was a 'My Journey' panel discussion with renowned Noorjehan Bilgrami discussing her life stories and experiences while having a one-on-one conversation with Nurayah Sheikh-Nabi.

The other session called 'Art Today' moderated by Sibtain Naqvi. The discussion centred on Pakistan's artistic revolution. The panel included three well-known art industry figures: Sameera Raja, Pakistan's leading gallerist and owner of Canvas Gallery, Jamal Shah, a prominent art critic and artist, and Quddus Mirza, an art critic, artist, and

Lahore-based art educator.

The third session, titled 'Curating a Show,' focused on how to become a curator and what the working relationship of a curator and an artist requires. The session featured three well-known Pakistani curators from various genres: Muhammad Zeeshan, Waheeda Baloch, and Irfan Gul. Kashif Shahzed moderated the event.

The fourth panel was titled 'Mentoring Prospect Artists,' and it featured artists discussing how they found mentors and how it affected their life and art. Akbar Ali, Syeda Sheeza Ali, Sana Nezam, and Abdul Malik Channa make up the panel.

The event's primary target audience was young artists, art students, and general pub-

lic who might be interested in pursuing art as a vocation.

The other motive of the art fest was to spread awareness about public art to the general public and to present art as a progressive platform.

On Sunday evening, the art festival came to an end. Certificates and awards were given to the artists. AUJ – the band also performed live at the closing ceremony.

The art festival was a much needed break from regular gallery shows and exhibitions.

Karachi reactivates and rejuvenates itself after every art show like Karachi Biennale and Art Festival where no passes are required to enter and the general public is strongly encouraged to attend.

By Sarfaraz Rizvi KARACHI

A grand event organised by the culture department of Sindh took place at the Sambara Art Gallery. The show was well-curated by an eminent artist and art activist Abdul Jabbar Gull.

The purpose of this festival was to honour the late renowned names like Jamil Naqsh and Rabia Zuberi, as well as to shed a light on thge struggles of Sindh-born artists.

"The primary aim of the event was to bring artists on one platform," Abdul Jabbar Gull shared in an interview. “The culture department and its Director General, Aleem Lashari, took the initiative. The reaction was enormous and overwhelming throughout the planning stage and it has now evolved into a sort of international show.”

“Big names from all over the world took part in it with the common thread that they’re all born in Sindh. Then there were a couple of renowned artists that we’ve paid homage to, Jamil Naqsh and Rabia Zuberi who were born before partition,” Gull stated.

He revealed the number of creative people that took part in the festival, saying, "Collectively there were 130 seasoned and young artists. The artworks displayed at the art fest were roughly 150 in numbers.”

"The second edition of the Art Fest continued for four days — from May 19 to May 22," stated DG-Culture Aleem Lashari.

He stated that the cultural department has always attempted to provide a platform for emerging artists. He further said that there is no percentage or commission that the cultural department or the gallery is keeping from the artworks which will be sold. If any painting gets sold, the artist receives 100% of the proceeds.”

The display of the paintings were categorised; the names of icons who were being given honour and homage came first.

Second came the names of well-known and prominent artists who had been asked to participate in this event. Last but not the least, there were young artists who were given an open call to present their art work through the platform. After recieving an overwhelming response the jury selected 65 artists out of 100’s who applied for the exhibition.

Attendees highly appreciated the efforts of the curator, cultural department of Sindh and artists who have managed to put such a grand event for the public to educate PA K I S TA N ’ S N U M B E R 1 N E W S PA P E R

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Such characters are fiercely affecting the audience’s view of love and relationship

By Ghazala Sulaiman Pakistan's drama landscape is living the era of the ‘Angry Young Man’. Most of the content we are consuming is replete with the insidiously problematic culture of ‘rage’ and ‘angromance,’ portrayed by the leading male character in various stories.

Volatile, demanding, and unforgiving; these male avatars have a predictable trajectory throughout the script. They all tend to fall in love with that one girl that will challenge their toxic masculinity and then these men full of angst and ego will use their power, dominance, and manipulation to claim their obsessive love. What is worse, most of these questionable portrayals later turn into glorified tragic heroes, compelling the audience to empathise with them.

The kind of men we need to avoid

For years, we have witnessed this ‘angry young men’ trope in Hollywood with Robert De Niro and in Bollywood with Amitabh Bachchan.

But now such representations of outright violent and misogynistic men are only subjected to an extreme backlash in both the aforementioned industries.

We saw how the masses rejected Kabir Singh for his romanticised version of toxic masculinity. When is Pakistan’s entertainment industry rejecting such characters in dramas? If truth be told, it seems we have a long way to go. Time and again, we witness such characters surfacing in our stories as villains. But now, their presence seems to have become a norm on our screens with our actors

trapped in portraying such vivacious roles.

The strongest portrayal of a noxious alpha male, in recent times, surely belonged to Feroze Khan’s Mir Hadi in Khaani, which aired in 2017. A spoiled brat-sonof-a-politician, he did horrifying acts on screen that truly gave us nightmares.

But in the end, in a plot twist, he is saved from execution and rises as a redeemed hero. Although it was not unprecedented, however, never been portrayed in such a way as well which is why it was liked a lot and also gave a boom to Feroze’s career.

He played a similar role in 2015 in Gul-eRana, where he kidnaps the love of his life and forcefully marries her.

Both these roles made Feroze Khan

immensely popular amongst his female fans, who couldn’t stop gushing over his rough, tough, and dominating character.

Mir Hadi especially became a hot favourite, thus welcoming a spell of such roles on our screens.

The aura of toxicity continued with Imran Ashraf’s role in Inkaar as Rehan Chaudhary. Yet again, the son of an influential man, he was obsessed with a girl who he stabs 25 times when she refused to marry him. As usual, the heroine forgives the villain as he turns over a new leaf to become a hero in the eyes of all.

A year later, we saw Feroze Khan return in the cliched avatar in Ishqiya. Boasting a vexed character so severely problematic,

The Dirty Harry actor turns 92, and we celebrate his birthday by going through his legacy

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Khan marries his girlfriend’s sister to teach her a lesson when she was unable to marry him due to family pressure. But clearly, the star doesn't get tired of playing the same avatars. In the much recent, Aye Musht-E-Khaak he plays the selfish, and manipulative Mustajab who tries to satiate his ego by marrying a girl who says no to him, when he is already betrothed to a woman back in America.

We also saw Danish Taimoor joining the bandwagon and essaying an angry young man in Ishq Hai. He ruins the reputation of the one he loves by forcibly kidnapping her and marrying her. Now, in his currently on-air Kaisi Teri Khud Garzi, he essays the drug-addict Shamsher who thinks he owns the girl he wants, with or without her consent.

Such characters are fiercely affecting the

By Omair Alavi KARACHI

He may look older than a few but Hollywood veteran Clint Eastwood doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. As an Academy Award-winning producer and director, and multiple Oscar-nominated actors, he works with the energy of a younger man and keeps surprising his fans with successful films. The best way to pay tribute to the legendary actor, director, and producer on his 92nd birthday is to go through his films that have helped Hollywood evolve, instead of the other way round.

In Aim for the Heart – The Films of Clint Eastwood, the writer Howard Hughes takes the readers back to the 1950s when Hollywood was trying to diversify itself by going for never-attempted genres and never-seen faces. It was there that an unknown Clint Eastwood made his way into the movies, and has not left despite the passage of seven decades. The writer – at times writing as a fan, which is good – also discusses why Clint had to struggle early in his career, when he was labeled either too tall or too thin to be the leading man, features that helped him become the number one film star in the world!

Before you read about Clint Eastwood’s films, you should read about his struggles and that’s what the author does in this book. In the pages preceding the first chapter, he explains why Clint Eastwood was considered an outcast and why he was preferred as the ‘Man with No Name’ in Sergio Leone’s films, which went on to create a new genre now known as ‘Spaghetti Westerns’. It is in these pages you learn about the Hollywood of the 50s and the 60s, and how it was dealing with the changes, but not even the best astrologists would have predicted that Clint Eastwood would be a part of reviving Westerns in general, and Hollywood in particular.

As for the book, it is exactly what its cover says – it aims at the heart and covers nearly all movies where Clint Eastwood was present in any way. The narrative is written as if the author is sitting beside you and telling you what he knows about

audience’s view of love and relationship.

So much so, that fans accidentally start romanticising such behavior by male heroes, finding it swoon-worthy that these men can go to any lengths to get the heroine.

But the truth is that such toxic on-screen characters are borderline sociopaths who can never be dreamboats or heartthrobs, no matter how wealthy, influential, or ruggedly handsome they are. After all, being obsessive, lustful, and possessive is not equivalent to love.

The soft boys we adore

It is no harm for our writers and directors to unveil the soft and vulnerable side of men to the world. The kind of guys that are sensitive, obliging, respectful, and show emotional vulnerability are the

the film, which is exactly how it should be. He must be commended for intelligently dividing the still-relevant Eastwood flicks into genres instead of talking about them chronologically, which is what every other book on the actor does.

The fans of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Unforgiven could read about these films in the first chapter titled ‘The Westerns’, whereas Dirty Harry flicks and In the Line of Fire could be found in the second chapter titled ‘The Cops’. In the same way, ‘The Lovers’ talks about his romantic flicks (oh yes, there are a number of them!), while ‘The Comedies’ handles the films where he makes the audience laugh. ‘The Dramas’ tackle the serious flicks in which he may or may not have starred whereas, ‘The Thrillers’, and ‘The War Movies’ discuss the many action flicks where Clint Eastwood ‘made your day’, sometimes as a ‘nobody’ and sometimes as a soldier.

Don’t be surprised to find out that in order to become successful, Clint Eastwood had to skip continent, and it was in Europe that he tasted his first success in films. Yes, he was a major star by the time Rawhide became a household name, but Clint Eastwood wanted to go bigger, and there was just one way to do it – make a name in films. Since filmmakers in Hollywood weren’t ready to bank on his talents, he accepted director Sergio Leone’s offer and became a ‘Man with No Name’ through A Fistful of Dollars.

What makes this book a perfect Eastwood vehicle is the way it talks about all of his films; yes, there are spoilers on some of the pages but if you haven’t seen a successful Clint Eastwood film, then you deserve to be spoilt. For an actor who took to direction within the first ten years of his first film, Clint Eastwood has come a long way and this book explains that journey without sounding preachy. You will get to know about his scandals, his relationship with his children, and his association with his frequent collaborators, all while talking about his films. Great, isn’t it?

How Clint Eastwood has managed to stay relevant since the 1960s is a mystery only he can unravel. He gave Hollywood the template of a tough cop when he was in his 40s, partnered with an Orangutan at

heroes we need to ship on our screens. And yes, they too get popularity, love, and of course, ratings.

The biggest proof of this is the blockbuster story of Parizaad.

From young to old, all Pakistanis were hooked to this new-age story that showed a man so soft and possessing a heart of gold. All the wealth in the world still kept him humble and exhibited that a hero doesn’t always have to be a raging, sturdy, handsome thug to make a story an ultimate hit.

We also saw Shehryar Munawar’s role as Osama in Sinf e Ahana Commander who probably needs to be rough and tough due to his career in the army. In his personal life, he was the softest towards his stepdaughter and his wife- who didn’t even love him. But this character was determined to protect her as a progressive partner and be there by her side.

Haroon Shahid’s character as Saffan in Hum Kahan Kay Sachay Thay was a loving and sincere friend. When no one understood Mehreen, he did and was determined to stay with her as a pillar of support till she allowed him to.

Meanwhile, Aswad who was an egocentric male maniac, from the very beginning, rose as a hero again due to a plot twist in the drama.

Haroon’s other character Saim in Akhir Kab Tak gained much popularity.

Fajar, a victim of sexual harassment, is misunderstood by her family and inlaws due to her constant nervousness and fears, Saim, as a husband, stood with her to support her in every decision she took. We truly believe it's time for the drama industry to undergo the ‘soft-boy revolution’. It's already happening in the West, with Netflix particularly making sure that they have soft boys as the champions in most movies and series. For example, Netflix’s You has ensured that the audience has no sympathies with Joe Goldberg and his shenanigans. But it does impart the message that a difficult childhood can lead to troublesome adulthood.

Since we are already influenced by the West, let’s hope that the soft-boy revolution is one of the inspirations we soon adopt in our entertainment, creating a healthy image about love, relationships, and men.

the age of 50, saved the US President in his 60s, and even went into space after his 70th birthday. That’s not all, he won his second Academy Award as Best Director at the age of 75 and has been nominated twice since, which is not an easy feat, considering most actors his age are either retired or dead.

There might not be any colored photographs of Clint Eastwood's films in this book but the way the writer discusses these films, you are bound to think about the movies. His acting prowess in the latter half of his career has improved considerably and the writer acknowledges that rightly. He didn’t win an Oscar for Best Actor but he has helped many win the trophy, such has been his greatness as a director. Even those films like The Rookie and Pink Cadillac where he wasn’t on top of his game both as an actor and director, get discussed here and Clint’s shortcomings are mentioned.

And if you didn’t know, long before Sylvester Stallone and Tom Cruise climbed mountains, Eastwood did so in The Eiger Sanction; and that it was his tough-cop persona that later inspired films like Cobra, Beverly Hills Cop among others, then you need to get your hands on this book. He is one of the few actors in the world who have the highest number of catchphrases to their credits too. One of his ‘lines’ became so popular that even American President Ronald Regan (who himself used to be an actor) went on record quoting Go Ahead, Make My Day, from Sudden Impact.

If you are a Clint Eastwood fan, you might already have this book in your collection but if you aren’t, this book will make you one for sure. Reading about his work not only helps the readers understand the way things were done in Hollywood back in the day but how it has changed over the years. If in The Enforcer he doesn’t appreciate being partnered with a female cop or doesn’t like ‘Asians’ on his lawns in Gran Torino, then that’s because things were like that in Hollywood at that time. As an entertainer with over sixty years' experience, Clint Eastwood has shaped the lives of many, and the best way to pay honor his legacy is to know him, on the day he came into this world. Happy Birthday, Clint!

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By Omair Alavi Artists especially theatre artists in Pakistan will remain indebted to Zia Mohyeddin, the theatre maestro who left his wellsettled life in England to be in Pakistan so that he could train the artists as per the international standards. He has been doing that for nearly two decades and hundreds of his students have managed to make it big in Pakistan’s entertainment industry.

On 19th May 2022, the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) paid a rich tribute to Zia Mohyeddin by showing a feature documentary produced and directed by his own grand-nephew Umar Riaz. The feature documentary 'Some Lover to Some Beloved', chronicled the maestro’s life from his childhood days in Pakistan to his life abroad and his current status as founding father and President Emeritus of NAPA. Not only was it well-received by the audience, many including this scribe couldn’t find an empty seat at NAPA’s Zia Mohyeddin Theatre and had to sit on the stairs to be amongst the audience. The documentary was divided into multiple parts to keep it simple and concise; while the first one revolved around Zia Mohyeddin himself, two others were dedicated to Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Dr. Dawood Rehbar, both of whom left an indelible mark on Zia Mohyeddin’s mind and career.

Everyone who is into literature knows Faiz Ahmed Faiz who was a renowned poet of that era; how Faiz connected with Zia Mohyeddin is what this documentary tells the audience. With the help of renowned educationist Arfa Sayeda Zehra and Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s daughters Muneeza and Salima Hashmi, this segment chronicles Faiz as much as it does Zia. The second part revolves around the

relationship Zia Mohyeddin shared with his first cousin Dr. Dawood Rehbar, who guided him whenever he was in need of emotional support and guidance. Dr. Rahbar who spent his last few years in America passed away after recording his comments for the documentary, and Zia Mohyeddin's wife discloses that Zia Mohyeddin who rarely cried, cried a lot after his death. In this segment, Zia Mohyeddin talks more about the good doctor than the good doctor speaks about his famous cousin; he even shows the picture he has put on display in his office at NAPA, such was the influence of the great man on his life.

There was another part of the documentary where Zia Mohyeddin talked about his past and his early days that were spent in Lahore. Not only did he show the viewers to his old house in Lahore but also the now-defunct bus stop where his father collapsed from a heart attack; he also guided the audience towards his cousin Dawood Rehbar’s house which was quite near to his own place. The documentary also revealed that Zia was infatuated with one of his friend’s beautiful sisters but the way he described the incident of his first and only chance of meeting her was something only he could have done and made the audience laugh at the same time.

The theatre maestro left his well-settled life in England to be in Pakistan so that he could train the artists as per the international standards And then there was the segment where his wives (two exes, one current) spoke about his idiosyncrasies, his punctuality, and his unusual habit of taking just three sips from a teacup or smoking half a cigarette. While their views were being screened on the large screen, Zia’s expressions were also captured by the director which was nothing short of

amusing.

The event was attended by the who’s who of the theatre community including renowned thespian Ehteshamuddin, Mrs. Azra Zia Mohyeddin, NAPA Board Chair Syed Jawaid Iqbal, and board member Javed Jabbar. NAPA CEO Junaid Zuberi, famous cinematographer Suleman Razzaq

By Wajiha Jawaid

Ajani said producing music had been his passion and he was super excited to launch the first season of Ajani Records. “I wanted to provide a platform for Pakistani artists who have talent but fewer resources and opportunities to show their talent,” he said. The show comprised

KARACHI

Music is intrinsically connected to our cultural identity. It reflects the diversity in our values and helps to build bridges among people while conveying the message of love, hope and harmony.

Despite its great influence over the masses, music has not been getting proper projection in Pakistan. For the past few years, we have noticed a sharp decline in the music scene in the country. Apart from a few corporatesponsored television shows, such as Nescafe Basement, Coke Studio, Pepsi Battle of the Bands, and Cornetto Pop Rock, there have been hardly any platforms for musicians to show off their craft.

New platforms such as Tiktok might have given few singers a boom during the Covid period, but there are still many singers who have not been heard or provided the right platform to be heard.

To revive the music scene in the country a US-based Pakistani music producer Hussain Ajani has launched a new musical show, Ajani Records. The show’s teaser was unveiled at an event recently in Karachi amid renowned singers, musicians, and bigwigs of the Pakistani showbiz fraternity.

The night began fashionably late but the glittering presence of stars made it worth the wait. We spotted 90s pop sensation, PA K I S TA N ’ S N U M B E R 1 N E W S PA P E R

(who worked as an assistant cameraman in Zia Mohyeddin’s famous flick Immaculate Conception) and famous TV actor Adil Wadia also graced the event with their presence while many NAPA students were there at the venue to pay their respects to their popular teacher.

However, the documentary wasn’t

Ali Haider, the singing nightingale Alycia Dias, young musician Rafay Israr, television stars Tipu, Rafia Rafiq, and many others.

Speaking on the occasion Hussain

of an interesting line-up of artists including aspiring singers and veterans.

“We have folk singers like Arif Lohar and Sanam Marvi. Then, there is Javed Bashir – we all know his command over the Sufi music. Music maestro Ahmed

without issues, and considering it took more than five years to complete, another five days wouldn’t have hurt. The jerky camera movement could have been avoided and the editing could have been crisp; the total duration could have been cut down by at least thirty minutes. There was no need to run Dr. Dawood Rehbar’s audio when the video was to follow it, and the same could be said of some of the shots that could have been kept away because of their ‘private’ nature. Showing the eighty-oddyear-old doctor sleeping on his sofa wasn’t something the audience would have missed, had it not been part of the documentary.

The same goes for Zia Mohyeddin’s work in Hollywood and Britain which was limited to only Lawrence of Arabia.

He made his appearance in many flicks including Behold a Pale Horse, Khartoum, Bombay Talkie, and Ashanti but none was mentioned in the documentary. Similarly, the director chose to overlook his two Pakistani films Mujrim Kon and Suhaag in which he worked with renowned Pakistani actors including Rangeela, Alauddin, and Rozina (in Mujrim Kon) and with Nadeem . and Shamim Ara (in One can say that this documentary covers his recitals and his theatre training in Pakistan more than his acting career, but it could have easily included his TV appearances in the 1990s. Who can forget his return to Zia Mohyeddin show on PTV after his return from the UK, and his famous collaboration with Shoaib Mansoor – Dhun Hamari Tumhare Naam Hui – where he talked about those Pakistani songs that were copied in Bollywood, and vice versa. Also missing was the footage of some of his plays as well as the comments of some of his famous students which would have made this documentary a 'document' to look forward to.

On the whole, the documentary paid a rich tribute to its subject Zia Mohyeddin, who was present in the audience and jokingly told the attendees that it contained a few details that could have been kept out. Still active at 91, Zia Mohyeddin has been a force to reckon with in the country and has made Pakistan proud with his many appearances in international TV and film projects. He is a legend who should be cherished, and 'Some Lover to Some Beloved' does exactly that.

Jahanzeb has also taken on board for a beautiful romantic number. Among the youngsters, we have Raafay Israr, Alycia Dias, and Anilka Gill,” he stated.

Talking about the challenges while launching the brand, Hussain said it was hard to put up a show while living abroad.

“The biggest challenge I faced was the distance. I was in the US so I had to make a team in Pakistan that could coordinate on my behalf, he added. Hussain added that he was fortunate enough to meet media mogul Sultana Siddiqui who helped him in the launch. “I have been lucky to get connected to Sultana APA through a really good friend and, later she helped me throughout the process,” he stated Season 1 of Ajani Records will feature ‘Mahi Ve’ sung by Raafay Israr, ‘Judai’ sung by Ahmed Jahanzeb, ‘Tu Hi Subha’

by Alycia Dias, ‘Ghar Ajaa’ by Sanam Marvi, ‘Rabba Mere’

by Javed Bashir, ‘Faqeera’ by the legendary Arif Lohar and the season’s cover song ‘Lal Meri’ by Anilka Gill. The songs' teasers were unveiled at the event gathering quite the applause by the attendees.

Coming back to the event, of all the seven artists we got a chance to talk to Alycia Dias who was excited to be part of the show. “I have sung an upbeat track with beautiful lyrics that are sure to hit youngsters. The song was recorded almost a year ago but we shot its video a few months back,” the singer stated.

The debut season of Ajani Records will air soon on Hum TV and the music label’s official YouTube channel.

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Motherhood can be daunting, especially for first time moms, here’s how you can make it easier

By Danya Ali KARACHI

Dear Moms-to-be all over the world, You are amazing! It is cliche, but I could not think of a better way to start this. You are on a journey to dedicate your life to that tiny human living inside your womb. You are selfless yet strong and beautiful.

I know nobody says such soothing words when you are going through a tough path like pregnancy. Having a baby can be taxing on your body regardless of the method you deliver via, but if doctors have advised cesarean delivery, commonly referred to as a C-section, you’ll need more time to recover as opposed to a normal vaginal delivery.

Fret not; this is not the end of the world. We live in 2022, and there is absolutely nothing impossible now. Here are some suggestions to help speed up the recovery process for of mommies who have undergone a C-section to spend less time tired — and more time bonding with your new baby.

1. Don’t rush – Rest

The key to recovering from a C-Section is to be as patient as possible. It usually takes about six weeks to recover from the surgery, but it depends on your situation as well. If you have had any problems during or after your c-section or looking after other children at home, you may feel you need more time to recover.

After a cesarean, the average stay in the hospital is around 2-3 days. You may be able to go home sooner if you and your baby are well.

While in hospital:

• You'll be given painkillers to ease your pain • You can start breastfeeding, don’t worry about the low milk supply. It all gets normal after some time.

• You'll be encouraged to get out of bed and move the next day after the delivery.

• You will feel dizzy when you first set your feet down on the floor, but it will all get smooth after a while.

• First few hours, you can only take water or light meals.

• A thin, flexible tube called a catheter will remain in your bladder for at least 12 hours

• Your wound will be covered with a dressing for at least 24 hours.

2. Your wounds are your best friends – Don’t shy away

Your scars are your medal, ladies. Your doctor will advise you on how to look after your wound.

You need to:

• Clean and dry the wound every day.

• Wear loose clothes and cotton underwear to avoid rash.

• Take the a prescribed painkiller when needed.

• While you're breastfeeding, watch out for signs of infection.

• Non-dissolvable stitches or staples will usually be taken out by your doctor after a week or so.

• Follow up with your doctor a week later to check if everything is alright.

3. Take your time before returning to

your normal daily routine

Don’t exhaust yourself and don’t rush, take it easy and tackle one day at a time! There might be days when you will feel fine, but then there will be days when the memories of going through the delivery procedure will haunt you. But not to worry, all is a part of life, and you will recover very soon. Try to do gentle activities, such as a slow walk, to reduce the risk of blood clots. Don’t overexert yourself.

You should be able to hold your wee one once you get home. But you may not be able to do few activities straight away, such as driving, exercising, carrying anything heavier than your baby, or having sex.

4. Postpartum changes are real – Don’t ignore them

Your body will undergo few physical changes even after your baby is born. Changes you will experience are as follows: • Most common: Afterpains, a type of cramping that occurs as your uterus returns to its size.

• Breast engorgement.

• Dryness diastasis recti, or the separation of your abdominal muscles.

• Severe hair loss.

• Skin changes such as loose skin or acne.

• Night sweats.

• Headaches.

Afterpains will eventually go away with time.

For other physical changes, if you feel something that doesn’t seem right or feels uncomfortable and awkward, don’t stop yourself from discussing it with your doctor.

Mental health is equally important. Many females go through post-partum depression and it takes time to get out of the condition. If you feel like expressing and crying, do that as it is also a part of the recovery.

Final Verdict: Your husband will be your best friend

I just can’t agree more with this; your husband will play a major role in your recovery. For ladies, who have loving husbands, you are in good hands.

There will be days when you won’t be able to move, stop crying, or eat your favourite food, in all those moments you got to have that special person to help you do life. During such a time, you have to have your husband by your side.

Keep it loose keep it cotton

One word to live by in hot weather is the word breathable.

Architects usually design houses from the onset with the idea that they need to have some form of cross ventilation and this should extend to your summer wardrobe as well. The first step is to rock all your oversized T-shirts and pants they are flowier with bigger cutouts for your sleeves and that allows air to flow to the sweatiest parts of your body. It is also a plus that the oversized look is really in these days, throw on an oversized t-shirt, some straight-fitting dress pants, and a bucket hat and you’ll be looking chic and cool at the same time.

The second option is having cotton clothes. We do not recommend going out of your way to buy new summer pieces just to check this box but it’s a nice consideration to have when you go out shopping for summer clothes.

The way cotton is at a molecular level leaves a lot of gaps for air to pass through while still remaining rugged enough for whatever life throws at you. If you marry both of these together you get looks that don’t only look cool on you but make you feel cool too.

By Muhammad Adil As May comes to an end so does Spring and with it the sweet mild weather that makes daily chores and travels bearable. This also means that what is coming next is the same dreaded hellscape that summers in Pakistan can be – temperatures hitting over 45 degrees centigrade on the regular. Weather like this is dangerous even if you overlook the obvious dangers of dehydration it can lead to skin damage as well as a listlessness synonymous with the heat.

This article then exists to prepare you for the battle against the sun so you stay cool and come out of summer going into fall mostly intact.

SPF is your best friend

Your skin’s worst enemy is the sun, the sun kills off and burns skin cells and in some cases, overexposure to the sun even leads to skin cancer. Here, sunscreen can be your best friend. The question then is what makes a good sunscreen? The answer is simple: a high enough SPF rating. The SPF rating highly depends on your daily exposure to the sun, most creams, and general skincare products these days come with some SPF protection usually in the 20 to 30 rating range, and if you are indoors a lot this might just suffice. However, if you spend the majority of your day outside exposed to the sun then it is highly recommended that you invest in a quality sunblock or sunscreen with a rating of at least 50.

The other important thing to remember with SPF products is the need to re-apply them regularly especially if you are in the sun most of the day. Now a concern may be the fact that these high SPF creams usually come with the undesired effect of leaving a white film on the skin which looks like caked makeup, especially on wheatish or darker skin tones. To circumvent this what we recommend is looking for a water-based sunscreen which again requires more reapplication but gets rid of the unwanted white film effect. You can also opt for a tinted sunscreen that has more of a tint to even out your skin rather than leaving a white cast.

PA K I S TA N ’ S N U M B E R 1 N E W S PA P E R

Try the salad

Now it’s no surprise that a lot of the summer lethargy that many of us experience comes from a lack of good old H2O, dehydration is also extremely lethal as it can lead to problems with your kidneys and in some cases even death. The problem with staying hydrated, however, is it is so hard to drink plain old water all the time.

Whereas most sugary substitutes don’t hydrate you enough or have enough sugar in them to satiate the needs of confectionary for a month.

This is where green salads come in most vegetables and fruits are chock full of nutrients and more importantly water. You can cheat the system.

Not to mention a lot of nutritionists recommend avoiding heavy proteins in the summer as they take more energy to break down and stay in your gut longer. An ancillary benefit of all this would also be that though you might not have your summer body right now but substituting the junk meals with salads may actually get you the shredded physique of your dreams.

Global warming on the rise is not only increasing the earth’s temperature but also fueling longer and hotter heat waves. So there is no time like the present to form life long summer habits that can help you each year. There is also a trend in most of these nuggets of advice that they are helpful all year round and incorporating them into your daily life will only add value to it and make you the best version of yourself.

Take a hiatus from hot beverages

This may seem like a very obvious fix but a lot of people feel like having a hot cup of tea or coffee actually makes them feel cooler. This is mostly because when they consume hot tea and it’s hot outside our body tends to perspire giving them the illusion of feeling colder when in reality they are just losing water. The old adage that you are what you eat sticks true here. If you are consuming hot beverages you are going to feel hotter in the long run. It is not even just that, hot beverages like tea and coffee have caffeine in them which has been proven to lead to dehydration. Overall hot beverages are a no-go and good alternatives if you want a kick is changing to iced versions or kicking the caffeine out entirely and test out some fresh juice options or chillers.

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From sunscreen to serum: You’ve got to add these products for healthy, clear skin

By Muhammad Ali There are many products men need to give their skin a bit of TLC. While I don’t mind using (or stealing) skincare products from my wife, sister, or other female friends, it makes a lot more sense to use products specifically formulated for men. Why? Because our skin tends to be thicker, oilier and has more pores than females. Although all genders may have similar concerns—fine lines, sun damage, rashes, and dryness—there are benefits to targeting issues with ingredients and formulations devised with a particular skin type.

Here is a list compiled of basic essentials especially curated for male skin: A good energising face wash

Whether you have normal, dry, or oily skin, washing your face with a good face wash will eliminate the dirt and oils that naturally build up on your skin. Cleaning the skin will clear away dead skin cells, preventing clogged pores that lead to breakouts and ingrown hairs.

Every day, our face is exposed to free radicals, which causes wrinkles and fine lines to appear, and sagging skin to develop. Washing our face prevents these free radicals from damaging the skin and helps it look younger. But make sure you choose a face wash that’s exactly formulated for men.

Never neglect an eye cream

There is no denying that sleep, diet, and stress reduction are all tremendous preventative methods for better-looking skin around the eyes; a decent eye cream can also be a great addition among them. Only that eye cream should be considered that includes caffeine, which circulates the blood around

the eyes, contracting the blood vessels and reducing the dark circles, wrinkles, and puffiness.

Night cream

Well, it may sound like a girl thing but trust me it's essential, and I must say if you want to know its significance, ask your lady love.

That fresh-looking skin in the morning is all because of a proper night routine. Just a dab of a nourishing rich cream powerfully addresses nearly every aging issue: fine lines, puffiness, and dead skin.

A face scrub

Regular exfoliation is a must—it gives

dulling dead skin cells a boost and helps all other skincare products work better.

Men can greatly benefit from exfoliation, which helps soften and tone the skin and remove grime and dirt; face scrubs repair skin by rejuvenating skin cells, reducing acne breakouts, and eventually giving you a spot-free clear skin.

that they’re also water-resistant for sweat, rain, and everything else. No matter which sunscreen you choose, the most important thing is to use it properly. This means reapplying it every two hours, especially if you’re out in the sun, and making sure you use enough.

Sunscreen is a must

It's impossible to pick a single best face serum because all guys can’t have the same skincare needs—it makes sense that no two of us should have the same skincare regimen. Basic care is essential; on top of that, we all need to build our own unique steps to target whichever unique hurdles our skin

Remember the famous dialogue from your lady love’s favourite movie ‘ good looks, good looks, and good looks’? So if you want the same, add SPF 30 or higher and offer broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays — the best part is

Use a serum for healthy, clear skin

faces (like acne, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, irritation, inflammation, rough texture, and so on).

Serums are one of the best ways to add some customisation to your skincare routine.

For example, if you are acne-prone, a good salicylic acid serum (applied 2-3 times weekly) might help mitigate the matter.

Get your essentials today

You won’t believe how skin concerns or disorders can affect self-esteem, relationships, and work performance. But it’s never too late to develop a skincare routine. So start today and make sure you maintain it to have long-lasting results.

From Lollywood to Hollywood, casual age bias lurks for women pervasively

By Shaiza Kiran I grew up watching Humayun Saeed and Adnan Siddiqui playing lead roles, decades later, these people are still ruling the screens, not just on TV but on films too. I remember falling in love with young Adeel Hussain in Mata-e-Jaan back in 2012 and he is still seen in lead roles such as in the recently concluded drama serial Aakhir Kab Tak. However, can I say the same when it comes to the leading actresses who were ruling the TV screens back in the day? Not so much.

For eons in our entertainment industry, women over 40 have been largely invisible on the big and small screen, relegated to playing the not so pivotal roles of mothers, scheming sisters-in-law and evil mothersin-law while men who fall under the same age bracket are still scoring main roles in the dramas and movies romancing women half their age and no one seems to bat an eye. Why? Because the entertainment industry is a harsh place for women who dare to age. And in all honesty, we are all guilty of fetishing the young and dismissing the famous women after they have hit a certain age. And this is not just a problem that plagues the Pakistani entertainment

industry but also Bollywood and to some extent Hollywood before it got a grip on the situation and started valuing this certain age bracket in women. Even Meryl Streep, who has accumulated more Oscar nods in her 60s than most actors can hope for in a lifetime, recently admitted that her career was finished decades ago.

“I remember as I was hovering around 40, I thought each movie would be my last, really,” she told the Wall Street Journal in July. “And all the evidence of other 40-yearold women at that time — this is 27 years ago — would lead you to believe it was

over.” Streep is still starring in films in her late 60s, which makes her a unicorn in Hollywood. The entertainment industry is youth-obsessed in general, but age is of particular consequence for actresses, who tend to burn brightest in their 20s. As they approach middle age, their careers dim, the number of available roles diminishes, and they start to see themselves replaced by younger starlets.

Last year in Hollywood, women over 40 swept key categories at various awards shows – at the Emmys, Kate Winslet, 46, won Best Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series for her role in Mare of Easttown.

Hannah Waddingham, 47, won Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, PA K I S TA N ’ S N U M B E R 1 N E W S PA P E R

while Jean Smart, 70, won Best Actress in a Comedy Series for Hacks. Other Emmy winners included Gillian Anderson, 53, and Winslet’s Mare costar Julianne Nicholson, 50. At the Oscars, Frances McDormand, 64, took home the Best Actress award for her role in Nomadland, and Youn Yuh-Jung, 74, won Best Supporting Actress for Minari.

But when compared to the local entertainment industry, women are often criticised for being paired up against heroes who share the same age bracket, case in point, Ayeza Khan and Osman Khalid Butt’s pairing in a comic Ramzan venture Chupke Chupke sparked a great debate on the internet with people referring to Khan as Butt’s mother rather than his love

interest. Even the movie star of the country, Mahira Khan, wasn’t spared from the ageist comments from a veteran artist in the industry who quoted that she was too old to be playing the lead roles and should consider opting for roles in a maternal capacity. Not to imply that there is anything wrong with playing the role of a mother.

It only becomes a problem when women are told, if not shamed into, only doing maternal characters like they are unable to do anything else just because they are over a certain age.

Such grievances have been tossed around since the dawn of the entertainment industry, with a lot as talented as Bushra Ansari, Sakina Sammo, Hina Bayat Khan,

Saba Hamid, and Samiya Mumtaz, rarely do we see narratives that give them the pivotal stage that they deserve after years of being in the industry. There is not much margin for the middle-aged actresses as they are believed to be playing mature characters like a mother– there’s no in-between for women. Similarly, women who wish to join the industry in their 30s and 40s have to work twice as hard to prove their mettle, take Hina Dilpazeer for instance, Laila Wasti and Tara Mehmood, all of them are phenomenal at what they do but the lack of strong roles is what keeps their talent encapsulated. Men, on the other hand, are offered roles whatever their age, but most females disappear from the screen during perimenopause, or emerge a few years later in supporting roles, usually as dowdy, eccentric, or senile grandmothers, evil stepmothers, or spinster aunts. And even if older actresses are given other characters than what is often seen, TV and film casting favours those women who look comparatively younger than their actual age and also have bodies that are the shapes and sizes of younger women.

This same vision also applies when it comes to onscreen couples. For example, Tom Cruise has only ever had one romantic interest over the age of 35: Cameron Diaz in Knight and Day, who was 38 when the film was released, while Cruise was 48. The Hollywood star is now 59 years old and is set to appear this year in Top Gun: Maverick.

But his romantic interest from the 1986 original movie, Kelly McGillis, 64, said no one contacted her about reprising the role.

Men even gain something with age – they have more authority and confidence while women are only left with ragged roles.

Take Hadiqa Kiani as an example, the talent that she’s brought to the table with her acting stints is impeccable and a step in the right direction to make space for middleaged women in key roles. The change that is needed should come from within us as a society. There is an immense need to unlearn ageism first and only then can the entertainment industry progress like our counterparts in the industry.

Ageing is as natural as it can get, some age gracefully, some don’t age at all, and some age like the rest of humans, there’s nothing wrong with ageing but unsolicited comments on ageing, age-policing and undermining the older lot is what needs to change. While a 50/50 gender split into roles and older women cast in TV and film will help matters, what really needs attention is more women working behind the camera and in the writing studios telling stories that women of all ages want to hear. In the age of multiple streaming services, this should be possible particularly so given that women watch and stream more TV shows than men and it’s time that their viewership is valued.

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Anne Hathaway Anne Hathaway looked flawless in a bespoke couture gown by Armani Privé, but kept the colour and silhouette simple to allow her Bulgari necklace to speak for itself.

Aishwariya Rai Bachchan The pink petal dress worked wonders for Aishwariya, designed by Gaurav Gupta, the dress featured a mermaidstyle silhouette and a petal-shaped structure on its back.

Sharon Stone

Katherine Langford

The actor wore a blue and white gown by Dolce & Gabbana.

At her Cannes debut with L'Oreal Paris, Katherine chose to wear Prada and it certainly worked for her.

Rebecca Hall Resurrection’s Rebecca Hall donned a black Gucci lurex and chiffon plissé gown embellished with gold and silver sequin rays.

Julia Roberts Lashana Lynch No stranger to glamorous locations after appearing in the latest Bond film No Time To Die, Lashana Lynch turned the elegance all the way up to 10 in a white Fendi Couture gown.

Julia Roberts opted for a Louis Vuitton black tux-style jumpsuit, accessorised with Chopard jewellery.

Natalia Kapchuk Wearing La Metamorphose, Natalia Kapchuk walked the red carpet blooming in white.

Tom Cruise Man of the hour Tom Cruise returned to Cannes with new film Top Gun: Maverick, looking dapper in a sleek Giorgio Armani suit.

Deepika Padukone Deepika Padukone wore an exquisite, hand-embroidered sari by one of her home country’s most celebrated designers, Sabyasachi Mukherjee.

Elle Fanning Star of The Great Elle Fanning looked ethereal and fairy-like in a gorgeous Armani Privé gown.

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Lori Harvey Lori Harvey graced the red carpet donning an Alexandre Vauthier ensemble paired alongside Messika Paris jewels.

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Hadiqa Kiana lights up New York’s Times Square

The veteran singer claims that the song's ownership rights were infringed by Karan Johar's production house - Dharma Production Abrar's reaction to the controversy I have not sold my song 'Nach Punjaban' to any Indian movie and reserve the rights to go to court to claim damages.

Producers like @karanjohar should not use copy songs.

This is my 6th song being copied which will not be allowed at all.

By Bold Desk KARACHI

Hadiqa Kiani has been named the third ambassador for Spotify's Equal Pakistan campaign scoring a billboard in the centre of New York City's bustling Times Square as Spotify’s artist of the month. Mehak Ali and Grammy-winning Arooj Aftab became the first ambassadors for Spotify's Equal Pakistan campaign, which focuses on female musicians from Pakistan.

With a very successful singing career spanning over two decades, Hadiqa Kiani’s song, ‘Yaad’ from her album Vasl is featured on Spotify’s Equal Global Playlist.

“Hadiqa Kiani’s versatility knows no bounds. Being a trendsetter for Pakistani women over the past two and a half decades, she has conquered all, shattering every glass ceiling along the way. Hadiqa remains an icon and an inspiration that artists, especially Pakistani women look up to,” highlighted Rutaba Yaqub, Spotify’s Music Manager for Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

“We are elated to have her as the [EQUAL Pakistan Ambassador] for the month (May) where she will act as the torch bearer, leading the way for not just female artists but the community in general to pursue their dreams.”

According to Spotify, each EQUAL Pakistan Ambassador of the Month will receive organic and on-platform promotion across Spotify's editorial spaces. The model is meant to propel artists’ reach on the platform in both their home countries and beyond. Each EQUAL Ambassador is set to get a billboard placement in the middle of Times Square in New York as well. It includes artists like Zeb Bangash, RFB, Natasha Noorani and Sameen Qasim. The initiative also includes Equal Destination that features a number of female artists from the country on playlists such as Top Local Female Artists in Pakistan 2021, Women of Coke Studio, This is Abida Parveen, and This is Noor Jehan.

After five hour of Haq’s tweet, a UK based company MOVIEBOX which claims to control the largest UK Bhangra catalogue tweeted that Johar and his company had legal rights to use the song in their film and the earlier tweet by the singer was defamatory and unacceptable.

Kaukab Jahan KARACHI

The fans of Pakistani music know it very well that many of our songs are often copied; across the border by the one the biggest film industry in the world, Bollywood. This time is Pakistan the famous ‘Nach Punjaban’ by the renowned Pakistani singer Abrar Ul Haq featuring in upcoming Bollywood flick ‘Jugjugg Jeeyo’ produced by Dharma Productions owned by another stalwart of the region Karan Johar.

When the trailer of the above said film was released on May 15 with some clips from the song, the social media users in Pakistan especially twitteraties bombarded with social media networks with tweets, statuses and comments, condemning the copying of another hit from Pakistan by Bollywood. #AbrarUlHaq and #NachPunjaban remained the top trend on twitter in Pakistan for almost two days. It is to be mentioned here that from the trailer it can be clearly observed that the song has been re-composed for the film.

On the same evening, Abrar Ul Haq also took to his twitter and clearly negated any possibility to sell his song to Dharma Productions and also mentioned that this was his sixth song copied in India.

Controversy attached with Nach Punjaban

When Nach Punjaban was released 20 years back in

2002, the song was highly objected to by a few quarters of society of its ethnic implication and that it was derogatory to Punjabi women. After that, the singer replaced the word Punjaban with Majajan and even used Majajan in his concerts and radio and television shows afterward.

The singer has been the victim of controversy since the beginning his career

Not only Nach Punjaban but Abrar Ul Haq’s first hit Billo (a.k.a. Billo De Ghar) from his debut album Billo De Ghar released in 1995, threw him in hot waters, when some newspapers started quoting some religious factions that the subject of song Billo was prostitute with whom a man is desperately in love and wanted to marry her. Later, in 1997, when Mian Nawaz Sharif led PML-N government came into power; the song was banned from state-owned PTV and radio channels all over Pakistan. However, in 2016, when Abrar's album ‘Billo Returns Aithay Rakh’ was released, it included the track "Aaj Bhi Billo Zinda Hai" with a reviving theme.

Other songs that Abrar claimed were copied

How much the ‘Billo’ was made the subject of controversy, it could not stop the popularity of the song and the singer. Two years after its release, the track was copied in a Bollywood flick ‘Ziddi’ with the same

composition but Hindi lyrics. It was sung by Lalit Sen and filmed on Sunny Deol.

‘December’, unlike Abrar’s trademark bhangra inspired songs, was a melodious Urdu language love song from his second album Majajani (1998) and was lifted in a 2005 Bollywood film ‘Chocolate’ almost without any changes in the lyrics. Sunidhi Chauhan lent her voice for the song and it was filmed on Irfan Khan, Emraan Hashmi, Arshad Warsi and Tanushree Dutta.

The title song from Abrar’s third album ‘Bay Ja Cycle Tay’ (1999) was the third song of the singer that was copied in 2001 by an Indian musician Altaf Raja with lyrics changed to Hindi. Later the melody of the song was also imitated in Bollywood film ‘Aagey Se Right’ (2009).

‘Sanu Tere Nal’ from Abrar’s fourth album ‘Mein Gaddi Aap Chalawan Ga’ (2000) was lifted by singer Udit Narayan for his music album in 2002 with the same composition replacing Punjabi lyrics with Hindi while keeping the English lyrics the same.

The famous title song of Abrar’s fifth studio album ‘Assan Jana Mall-o Mall’ (2002) was plagiarised in 2006 by music director Harry Anand for the film ‘Teesri Aankh’. This time the stolen tune was sung by none other than Suno Nigam while Suzanne De’Mello did the rapping. It was captured on Sunny Deol and Neha Dhupiain.

Nach Panjaban has been officially licensed for it to be included in the Film 'JugJugg Jeeyo' by @TSeries. @karanjohar and @DharmaMovies have the legal rights to use this song in their film and the tweet by @AbrarUlHaqPK earlier today is defamatory and completely unacceptable.

Abrar Ul Haq however, next day, tweeted, without mentioning the MOVIEBOX, that if someone claiming the song was licences to them, then produce the agreement. He also warned of to take the legal action Song 'Nach Punjaban' has not been licensed to anyone.

If someone is claiming it, then produce the agreement. I will be taking legal action. #NachPunjaban BOLD tried contacting the singer several times but Abrar Ul Haq, was unavailable for any comment. However, the famous music streaming services Deezer and Spotify show the label of Nach Punjaban ‘MOVIEBOX BIRMINGHAM LTD’.

The young pilot, singer and song-writer talks about thriving on love from his fans and what keeps him juggling between 2 very demanding jobs

By Shaiza Kiran KARACHI

Can you imagine being thousands of feet above the ground, in the air, singing an original song that you just released as you fly by the clouds? Yep, that’s what an ordinary day in Shahroz Khan’s life feels like. The young star is a pilot by profession with a passion for music and when it comes to his talent, sky is the limit.

Bold sat down with the rising star to talk about his aspirations, his dreams and his journey so far.

Coming from a family where his father was a commercial pilot and his mother belonged to the entertainment industry, Shahroz, since a very young age developed an affinity for flying as well as the entertainment industry, he’d often take part in the singing competitions around him and that’s how he excelled at music. It was during his flight training in the UK that he decided to pen down his love for the Pakistan Air Force and started working on a song as a tribute to them. And as luck would have it, the Pakistan Air Force itself was busy working on a song for 7th September and the two got into a collaboration. The song received rave reviews and love from fans which encouraged him to

pursue his passion, and he did just that!

The singer also performed at the President House singing an ode to Kashmir which was a dramatic act where girls from various colleges from Islamabad performed and Khan recalls it being one of the most beautiful performances of his life and the appreciation that he received from the President was commendable, and not many young artists achieve what Khan has already achieved within a short span of time.

Apart from the patriotic songs, Khan has also ventured into commercial music with his single Akh Da Nasha that features Areeka Haq in the music video who fits the character perfectly because of her beautiful eyes. The song turned out to be a hit among fans sitting at 4M views on YouTube alone and it seems that the singer’s efforts to venture into the commercial music industry have certainly paid off.

Equally enjoying aviation and singing, the pandemic put his profession as a pilot in the back seat and gave him more time to focus on music, he set up a studio at home and got straight to work. Never missing a day at the gym, the singer and song-writer loves playing cricket with his family and friends.

Khan shares an avid patriotism for the country, despite studying in the UK he chose to move back to

Pakistan and we asked him how the shift felt, ‘In Pakistan we have a mindset amongst the youth that everyone wants to go abroad for further education or to get a job but what I believe is we are second class citizens over there and in our country which is an independent state we are first class citizens and when I was there I used to miss Pakistan and I wanted to come back and live in my own country and do something for my own country,’ said Khan.

Khan was approached by Tik Tok to churn out fresh content every day and he’s been nailing it, not many artists are that consistent, and we asked him about the force that keeps him going: ‘it’s the love and passion that cannot be explained in words, it’s already very challenging to create music and then mixing, mastering and engineering it along with a PA K I S TA N ’ S N U M B E R 1 N E W S PA P E R

Equally enjoying aviation and singing, the pandemic put his profession as a pilot in the back seat and gave him more time to focus on music, he set up a studio at home and got straight to work. Never missing a day at the gym, the singer and song-writer loves playing cricket with his family and friends

prim and proper music video, then posting it with the right hashtags and marketing tools, it’s made me a marketing expert too but my driving force is the love that I’ve received from people and of course, the Almighty helps too!’

Talking about being an independent artist in the current music industry with no music channels for support as compared to the artists in the West who have a ton of platforms and opportunities, Khan shared that artists like him have had to become smarter and learnt to represent themselves with platforms like Tik Tok, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram that help push their work forward among the masses. And while we agree the social media has done a lot to help artists in the country, it comes with its sets of cons too – cyber bullying and hate comments. When asked how Khan deals with the hate comments, he had a simple mantra: ‘I take the hate very positively, I believe that when you’re creating good content, you get haters. So what I do is whenever I get a mean comment, I reply with a sad face and the trolls often change their statements that we were kidding, you do sing well.

People don’t realise the impact their comments can have on an artist and their work, they just want to do it for fun and to whip up controversy – not sure what the thought process is behind it but the youth needs to learn to be empathetic and kind.’

Having worked with the Tik Tok sensation Areeka Haq, when asked about his dream collaboration Khan revealed that he’d love to work with Neha Kakkar as he feels that she’s got an incredible vocal texture.

Expanding on what’s keeping him busy these days, the singer shared that he’s working on a music video that’s been shot on VFX and CGI that he learnt from the Pinewood Studios in the UK and is now implementing in Pakistan. The track called Sensation that will be out very soon is being produced by Ali Mustafa who has previously produced for Neha Kakkar and Honey Singh, with a very urban feel to it Khan hopes that people will like it.

Looking how far the singer has come in a short span of time, we asked him for a piece of advice for the new-comers who look up to him: ‘There are no short cuts, you can achieve greater things in the music industry only with your sincere hard work, patience and persistence. People usually tend to come in for quick popularity and when they don’t get it, they leave, the only person who survives in the end is the one who has been patient and working hard consistently, there’s no other way around it.’ We’ve got our eyes on Shahroz Khan and think he’s the next big thing in the music industry.

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BOLD: Your grandfather N.M Rashed is known as the father of modernism in Urdu Literature.

How does his work and poetry inspire you?

Fariha Rashed (FR): My grandfather was on another level altogether, he was a genius who expressed himself through his poetry.

He was a rebel, like my father (also a poet and a diplomat). My grandfather and father have always inspired me to be more than ‘ordinary’ in every aspect of being a human and to push against the status quo. This is a level of growth by the way, that each and every one of us can ascend to if we choose.

I believe I have adopted an essence of spirituality from them and built on it through my adult years with an aim to reach a higher level of consciousness, which is what I believe they both achieved in their lifetime.

By Hassan Naqvi Fariha Rashed is the CEO at Pitch Media Inc., a leading Pakistani PR Consultancy. She completed her Masters in Mass Communication from Kinnaird College in 2007, and did what is the equivalent of a Bachelors, from Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design [PIFD] in 2003. After working in advertising for a few years, Fariha worked for a leading Energy Drink brand as National Communications Manager till the beginning of 2012.

Taking her entrepreneurial interest one step further, she launched her PR Consultancy called Pitch Media Inc. by mid-2012, and through it, loves indulging in some creative projects with well-known local and global brands, organisations and talent.

She aims to continue representing the best Pakistani companies and people, strengthening their presence in media as well as amongst their target markets. This week Fariha shares her journey with BOLD.

we paved the way for Public Relations to become a viable industry in Pakistan and an expertise that has benefitted companies and individuals greatly … those who have had the fore site to invest in it for long term image building. Covid-19 impacted the PR industry in the same way it impacted all other businesses. PR agencies were hit with financial constraints because clients no longer wanted to invest in the same kind of PR as before, especially holding on-ground PR activities. PR activities literally came to a standstill and agencies found themselves not being able to retain the same amount of employees as before. However, during the

and put their complete trust in us as an agency to take them where they need to go with PR. I love working with young talent, and love being a part of their journey of growth.

BOLD: Do you think with the advent of technology and gadgets the media and PR industry has transformed as well?

FR: Yes, definitely. Technology and gadgets have aided the media and PR industry in disseminating information, news and updates much faster and in real time.

However, at the same time,

BOLD: You are known as one of the guru’s of Public Relations?

How do you think Covid-19 impacted the PR industry?

FR: Thank you for saying that although I believe all PR people and agencies that were bold enough to enter into this field at that time when no one understood the concept of PR in Pakistan, are all pioneers of the industry and gurus in their own right. Collectively

FR: Make sure you are ready to work hard and are not just entering this field because of its glamour appeal. Media and PR personnel are on call all the time. They are required to be available 24/7, especially in this fast moving digital age. Make sure you are a people’s person and like building long lasting professional relationships with people. You need to have strength of character as well as strong morals, ethics and values. Be confident in yourself and learn to carry yourself in a way that people will take you seriously, trust you and make them feel that they can depend/ rely on you.

BOLD: What are the three things people don’t know about Fariha Rashed?

- I make incredible mixed chai.

- I am extremely spiritual.

- I paint and have actually been trained in it by one of our great artists, Mansoor Rahi. I also did a course from the Academy of Art of Uzbekistan in Tashkent, and was trained by their best artists. I love drawing portraits and oil painting.

BOLD: As your father was in foriegn services, you must have travelled abroad alot. How have those cultures transformed you as a person?

FR: It is such an honour to be born to a diplomat … a man who was the epitome of diplomacy and sophistication. My father, through his work, gave my sister and I the opportunity to not just travel the globe but also live and study in various countries and observe many cultures. He was the kind of father who always encouraged us to completely immerse ourselves in the culture of each country we lived in where we learnt local languages and always engaged in extracurricular activities at school. This allowed us to broaden our perspectives and elevate our mindset. We made many friends across the world who remain in contact with us to date.

I believe these experiences mold us into the people we are today and I am proud to say that it made us self sufficient, independent and strong individuals who have always achieved what we set out to in life. Cultural exchange of any kind serves to transform people as it does away with misconceptions and nurtures the concept of ‘oneness’ … at the end of the day we are all basically and intrinsically the same. Our apparent outward differences must be celebrated.

BOLD: What will be your tip for the youngsters who want to join the media and PR industry?

BOLD: What are your upcoming projects?

FR: Currently I am working with a few eateries that require PR for their recently launched businesses.

I am also working on creating more interview based content for my instagram platform @inkquarterly where I interview inspirational people and share their stories with our followers.

BOLD: How was the experience of running an entertainment magazine?

pandemic, there was a greater increase in demand for digital PR from clients as everyone was trying to drive traffic towards online buying.

BOLD: With which celeb or brand you have enjoyed working the most?

FR: I know you want me to pick one but that's not possible! I have worked with such diverse clients belonging to so many differing industries and fields that all I can say for sure is that I love working with creative, open minded people who have a strong vision for their businesses/ careers

because everyone wants to get the info and news out first, technology and gadgets have raised the possibility of misinformation being spread like wildfire, caused mostly by a lack of proper background checks or verification. Content creation is getting more creative as every business wants to compete with the other through their social media platforms and other forms of online presence. That is a good thing. We just need to collectively ensure that as media and PR personnel we are being responsible with the info and news we are giving out to people … we must be authentic and fact check everything.

FR: Running an entertainment magazine when print media was at its highest point in Pakistan, was intense. I did everything myself initially from concept to implementation of the publication.

So I wrote content, designed the magazine, got advertisements for it, and dealt with the printing house and distribution agency as well. That was an amazing, hands-on learning experience for me for sure, not just regarding my own capabilities but also how to start and run a business from scratch! I was proud of the fact that my venture was different to any other publication in the market at that time as other magazines focused mostly on fashion, whereas my magazine covered all aspects of entertainment including art, film, theatre, sports, dance, music etc. We secured exclusive interviews with big international stars and every quarterly issue had a specific theme … I believe that’s what made it stand out. It was loads of fun but unfortunately when everything went digital we decided to discontinue the print version as it wasn't making business sense anymore.

Treat your taste buds with scrumptious mangoes while reaping their several health benefits too suming them. Besides this, people who are prone to latex allergy should avoid consuming mangoes as mango proteins are quite similar to latex proteins, although latex-fruit syndrome is quite rare but you might want to get it checked if you find that you’re having an allergic reaction to mangoes.

Discussing more about the common side effects caused by mangoes, Dr Sana explained that the fruit causes a spike in blood sugar level. ‘Mangoes contain natural sugar (like many other fruits) which might contribute to increased blood sugar in patients with diabetes. However, fibres and antioxidants play an important role in minimising the natural fruit sugar. Nevertheless, it is better to eat a small serving of mangoes if one has been diagnosed with diabetes.’

Mangoes can also play a part in increasing or decreasing one’s weight, confirmed Dr Sana. In ‘Sugar content in mangoes can play a part in increasing or decreasing your weight. If you watch your portion size, calories in mangoes can keep you feeling full for longer intervals. Alternatively, if you eat mangoes in huge quantities daily, the sugar content will increase your weight and cause diarrhoea due to fibre content.’

By Mariam Naeem Khan On a scorching summer afternoon, Mrs Azfar, a homemaker and a mother of two, surveys several fruit stalls at a new fruit market at Super Highway, Karachi, to purchase good quality, delicious and ripe mangoes.

When asked if she was purchasing mangoes for a special occasion, she told me, ‘My boys love mangoes. We look forward to summers because it’s the holiday season and mangoes are available in abundance.

We organise mango parties and invite our family and friends over.’

Another customer, Mr Noman Shahid, a salesman by profession, stopped by a certain fruit stall that displayed mangoes only.

‘These mangoes look good. How much for a kg?’ he asked the vendor.

‘Rs 300 for a kg,’ the vendor replied.

‘Pack me two kgs,’ Shahid replied.

When asked why he didn’ bargain for the best cost, Shahid replied that the mangoes were worth the cost that was quoted.

Within a few minutes hordes of customers lined up at the mango fruit stall to make their purchases and by evening a large quantity of mangoes had been sold.

Mangoes are succulent, tropical fruits commonly found in Southeast Asia and India. Mango seeds travelled from Asia to Middle East, East Africa and South America around 300 or 400 AD. The large quantities of mangoes sold in the US are imported from tropical countries like Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and Haiti.

Ripe mangoes are mildly acidic in nature as compared to the raw, green ones, which are highly acidic, ranging from 3.4 to 4.8 pH, but are rich in Vitamin C and other medicinal properties.

What happens when you eat mangoes?

Mango is a juicy, scrumptious summer fruit which is served as a dessert in many households. However, it is extremely nutritious and beneficial for one’s health. Dr Sana Azfar, a health expert, recommends consuming at least one mango daily till the seasons lasts as the fruit contains nu-

Popular beliefs about mangoes 1- Mangoes will cause acne

MYTH: No, mangoes will not make your skin break into pimples. In fact, vitamins C, K, A in mangoes will make your skin supple, smooth and soft. You can, however, have an allergic reaction to mangoes causing your skin to break into blisters.

You must see a doctor if your skin reacts unusually to mangoes.

2- Mangoes can make you gain weight

TRUE: Dr Sana explained earlier, consuming large quantities of mangoes daily will increase your weight because of natural sugar present in the fruit. If you control your portions, then mangoes will help you shed those extra pounds.

3- Mangoes generate heat in the body merous vitamins, minerals and fibres.

‘Mangoes contain vitamin K, which helps blood clot effectively and prevents anaemia. It has approximately 65% of vitamin C which is important for glowing skin as well as healthy and strong hair. Minerals like magnesium and potassium in mangoes help lower blood pressure and maintain a regular pulse,’ she told BOLD.

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Mangoes contain beta-carotene, an antioxidant, that fights free radicals. These free radicals damage cells and can potentially lead to cancer. The carotenoids also maintain eye health, protecting it from sunlight and blue light emitted by digital devices.

Apart from this, mangoes can successfully treat constipation, as they

contain amylase compounds and dietary fibres. Mangoes are extremely beneficial for pregnant women as well. Dr Sana advised, ‘It is recommended that pregnant women make mangoes a part of their daily diet because they are rich in folate, the natural form of vitamin B9, responsible for healthy cell division and DNA duplication.’

What to watch out for?

Mango skin contains small quantities of urushiol, a compound with allergic properties. Some people might experience an allergic reaction while peeling the mango or eating it directly. An allergic reaction includes redness, itchy skin, swelling, dry and flaky skin and blisters. Therefore, it is advisable to wash mangoes thoroughly before con-

TRUE: This isn’t entirely a myth. Mangoes contain phytic acid which generates heat in the body. Remember how our elders used to soak mangoes in water for a while before eating them? This was to reduce phytic acid quantities which is usually found in mango skin.

Mangoes are delicious, nutritious, and extremely precious. Enjoy the fruit to the fullest while the season lasts.

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By Fakeha Kausar KARACHI

Are you an Anime fan?

Want something to keep you on the edge of your seat? Or perhaps something funny and wholesome? Here are some of the high-rated, much-vaunted, and heart-fulfilling anime picks you must watch – if you haven’t already!

Living in the 21st century, the diversity in the content consumed and liked by the audience is uncanny. From Turkish to Korean dramas, Spanish series to Russian movies, the assortment is unreal.

Now, some may be wondering, what is “anime”? Some may be like “oh, it’s just cartoons, with well-animated action graphics” I’m sure someone who truly loves anime grinds their teeth every time someone calls it cartoon *sigh*.

Anime is au fond of hand-drawn and cybernetic animation that originated in Japan and no, it’s not just for kids. That’s right!

People who are double your age are also patrons of Anime.

What’s even more flabbergasting is that there are numerous genres and varieties

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ner. In lieu of giving a clearly defined hero, Death Note gives us a rather multiplex protagonist who, to be very honest, we’ll have a hard time rooting for on many occasions. But hey, what is a show without a good mind-bending turn?

to explore according to your mood and to match your vibe. Be it your thirst for adventure, or your yearning for a good laugh, or perhaps something to have you biting your nails, Anime’s gotcha!

Solicitous for action and thrillers?

Attack on Titan-Shingeki no Kyojin is collimated in a world where mankind lives inside cities surrounded by immeasurable walls that protect them from Titans, whacking humanoid creatures who devour humans apparently without any reason. Yikes!

Now hear me out, imagine, all of mankind is nearly exterminated by giant creatures called Titans, and these titans are not just ordinary titans; we’re talking about titans that are several stories tall. They seem to have no intelligence, cram down human beings, and worst of all, they do it for sheer pleasure rather than as a source of food to satiate hunger.

Shoreward to the present, mankind hasn’t seen a titan for over 100 years when suddenly, one day, Eren, who is only 10 years old at the time, along with his foster sister Mikasa witness something grisly, as the city

Ravenous for adventure and speculation?

Parched for extramundane and mysterious stories?

walls are destroyed by a colossal titan that appears out of thin air. The two kids are left with no choice but to watch their mother get eaten alive by a titan. Filled with infuriated emotions, Eren vows that he will exterminate every single titan and take his revenge.

The catch!

The best part about Attack on Titan is its technology and advancements over time and the story behind every titan puts you on the edge of your seat without having to expect it the slightest bit. You never know who’s a traitor or has the ability to turn into a titan.

Yes, you read that right! *Spoiler

Alert* Even the humans living inside the walls have the capability of turning into titans. !

You fall in love with the characters and in fact, see their development throughout the show. It gets even more interesting when you see how their weaknesses turn into strengths and succor alongside their rivals and comrades.

It gives you everything you want and consummates your supernatural and action thirst. That’s right, the show is not so modern yet modern enough to fixate your attention on the little details. If you’re looking for anime with a ton of plot twists, this is definitely your show!

Imagine a world full of crimes, theft, petty feuds, brutal murders, and insensate violence, which surprisingly is getting more and more customary in our world as well.

I’m sure you’re all wondering what’s the catch here. Well, with all the crime around you, imagine having the ability to eliminate the criminals all around the world, by just writing their names in a special notebook?

Spooky, isn’t it?

Death Note is a very distinctive and eccentric anime series. A notebook falls from the sky, and whoever writes a name in it is capable of killing the individual visualised in his mind.

A sadistic God, Ryuk, for his own amusement and entertainment drops his “Death Note” into the human world and a 17-yearold, Light Yagami stumbles upon it.

Light Yagami, who acquires this power to kill, deploys it in hopes of creating an idyll, where he is a supreme God. Geez, too much?

Only criminals and offenders are to be punished in hopes of a perfect society.

Is this, however, right?

The show raises many questions which cannot be effortlessly answered. Likewise; Is it okay to kill those who do wrong? Can they be rehabilitated? Is Light Yagami really a hero and a saviour?

Well truthfully, Death Note being a psychological thriller, elevates a lot of moral questions in regards to justice, vigilantism, and extreme penalty in a very credible man-

Were you waiting for something undaunted and visionary fiction?

Or a touch of martial arts? Hunter x Hunter is your go-to anime to satisfy your hunger for adventure and fun.

Hunter x Hunter has 148 episodes and traverses over seven major lots. The profundity of the stories told and the care taken in character development makes HxH a deceptively opaque series.

HxH tells the story of a 12 year-old-boy, Gon, on a journey to follow in his alienated father’s footsteps and become a hunter, and learn why being a hunter was worth abandoning Gon as a child. Does that ignite a spark in your heart?

The foremost protagonists (Gon, Lillua, Leorio and Kurapika) all have their own idiosyncratic backgrounds and quirky personalities which, in the best of opinions, are super fun, and pleasurable to watch.

Putting them all in one equation, their chemistry and understanding is just stupendously wholesome that it legit makes you want to cry tears of joy *Sniff*.

Let’s talk action!

Hunter x Hunter, being a Shounen Anime, has its own jutting dividend of epic battles and power displays, precisely it gives you the heebie-jeebies.

What about the bad guys, you ask?

From an observant eye, the creators of HxH put some life and spice into the antagonists in the series. Now, usually, the anti-heroes are displayed as just powerful and mean, but in HxH, the bad guys have exceedingly intriguing personalities that, hands down, body slams you into falling in love with them as well.

On the whole, Hunter x Hunter is a beautifully level-headed and lucid anime.

There are fights, fuzz, companionship, and fan service. What else do you ask for in an anime?

By Omair Alavi KARACHI

It is an animated film, but can easily be termed as one of the best heist movies of all time

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Every now and then, there comes an animated flick that makes you want to watch all animated flicks released in cinemas.

This job has been performed by The Bad Guys in 2022, which might be an animated film but can easily find its place among the best heist films of all time. It was so entertaining that its biggest drawback was not being a live-action flick!

Based on Aaron Blabey’s children’s book series, The Bad Guys revolves around career criminals namely Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina), Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), and Mr. Pirahna (Anthony Ramos) who together form a perfect team that robs banks, paintings and everything in between. While Mr. Wolf is the mastermind and getaway driver, Mr. Snake is the safe-cracking expert, Ms. Tarantula is the hacker, Mr. Shark is the master of disguise and Mr. Pirahna is the loose cannon who does all work related to muscles.

Directed by Pierre Perifel, the story changes when the bad guys are apprehended during a heist gone wrong and are sent to be ‘reformed’ to the one person who has no haters in the entire world - the celebrated, philanthropic guinea pig Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade). While it was the Governor Foxington (Zazie Beetz) who ‘pardons’ them, it is up to the Professor to extract the goodness out of them.

Unknown to all, the Bad Guys are only trying to be good, as they want their next heist to be their last one, after which they plan to ride off in the sunset. Do they succeed or do they fail, do they turn over a new leaf or do they return to their old ways, watch The Bad Guys if you want to know what happens next.

The presence of the Bad Guys hating police chief Misty (Alex Borstein) is also important to the story as is the timely appearance of Tiffany (Lilly Singh) the reporter who wants to get the news, anyway which she can. It is because of these major and minor characters that The Bad Guys keeps the audience entertained throughout its run. There are jokes related to animal traits and pop culture among other things that are scattered along the way, and keep the audience wanting more.

Despite its late release in Pakistan, The Bad Guys cater to

both the young and the old alike. It has a car chase sequence that reminds the audience of most of the classic car chases in Hollywood flicks, followed by a few well-planned heists, some shocking twists and turns, and above all, a climax any film viewer would be proud of. The film might have been based on a children’s book but it gave proper Mission Impossible vibes where bad things happen to the Bad Guys, but still, the audience doesn’t hate them.

Writer-director Etan Cohen’s screenplay has been penned quite intelligently and takes place in a universe where humans and anthropomorphic animals co-exist. It not only plays on the horrid reputations of the Wolf, Snake, Tarantula, Shark, and Piranha but also brings forward their ‘human’ side where they act like normal people who celebrate birthdays, fight over ice cream, and don’t trust anyone. I guess that’s human enough, even for animals with bad reputations!

What makes it different than other animated films is that it doesn’t come across as one; everything from the voice acting to the dialogues and the scenarios seems to remind the audience of some live action Hollywood flick. At times it's like Pulp Fiction, at times like Ocean’s Eleven, while sometimes it seems like an animated

version of the hit TV show Leverage where there was a planner, a hacker, a hitter, a thief, and a drifter. Get the drift?

Like most animated flicks, this one has a message for all, be it young or old folks. It tells you that being good means putting others' needs before your own; being good means sharing stuff with others; and that, friends are the best people to be with even if all seems hopeless. The way it handles the ‘A wolf in sheep's clothing’ idiom and comes up with a story around it, is something only a talented screenplay writer and a director can achieve.

Yes, the film has a few jokes that might not be appropriate for the younger audience but once it moves into the third act, everything else takes the back seat. It steals everything from classic crime capers and owns it in such a way that you end up loving the very concepts you might or might not have seen in other films. The animation style is taken from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the human-animal universe is borrowed from Zootopia while the heist is inspired by every heist movie imaginable.

This high-octane, adventure thriller is not just a good pass time, it also teaches an important lesson to the film students out there. The way the director handles multiple twists and turns or borrows from the best Hollywood flicks is how it should be done. Being in 3D only makes it more colorful for the audience; don't be surprised if you end up cheering for The Bad Guys at the end of the film, because their intentions are noble, even if others see them as bad!

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By Zehra Batool KARACHI

Today, being single makes navigating the dating scene seem quite impossible with endless obstacles when it comes to finding 'the one', from awkward dating app tête-à-tête to first date blunders. But what if the answer lies in turning to the stars?

The Italian-language Netflix original represents a rare class of light-hearted romcom that translate into guilty pleasures, even quoting some of the genre's most iconic lines, thus unfolding without too many surprises and everything falling as expected or predicted. Based on the book of the same name by Silvia Zucca, An Astrological Guide for Broken Hearts features Alice Bassi, a Libra who has been downtrodden and hopelessly single. She is on the hunt for love and interprets the birth charts of every potential partner to find the one who is most compatible with her. With our sudden lust for all signs dictated by astrology — not to forget the dating apps sporting star sign badges — it seems only fitting to let the stars help you narrow down the dating pool.

Be as it may, Alice winds up finding out the hard way if the zodiac truly plays a role when it comes to finding true love. While it is a work of fiction and not a real guide for dating, it may help some demoralised souls along the way.

Becoming friends with Tio, a charismatic astrology guru, Alice tries to find love by looking to the stars. Quite honestly, the dating world does seem to be heading

in that direction nowadays — after all, we all turn to the zodiac for every little thing, don't we? In contrast to the vague, repetitive horoscopes found in the depths of the newspaper, the rom-com TV show gets more serious about astrology by employing birth/natal charts. In case you are not familiar, birth charts represent the positions of the Sun, Moon, and the other planets at the exact time of birth. They may not sound

reliable, but they can provide valuable information about a person's strengths and weaknesses, personality traits, and red flags to keep an eye out for.

Alice, who is a little over thirty and stuck in a dead-end job, just discovered that her ex-boyfriend is engaged to his pregnant girlfriend and has a vague feeling that she is failing at adulthood as a whole. One dreadful morning, Alice meets Davide Nardi

when she would rather have stayed home and watched her favorite rom-com. The hunky yet indecipherable Davide is brought in by the small television network Alice works at to help streamline production and personnel. Then she runs into Tio — an actor and astrologer — who claims that he can turn her life around with a few positive predictions from the stars. Skeptical, but willing, Alice accepts Tio's advice and begins to

only date men who have compatible Zodiac signs with hers. Astral affinity, however, does not guard this hopeless lady against experiencing a string of bad dates, embarrassing confusions, and awkward surprises, just like every other person in the dating world. It also does not stop her from becoming more attracted to Davide every day.

Despite its simplistic and unoriginal nature, there is something captivating about

An Astrological Guide for Broken Hearts.

Such shows are often successful due to their lead characters. Like Bridget Jones or New Girl's Jess, Alice Bassi is fun, lovable, and happens to be relatable. While she is messy and wears pretty outfits and is unsure of making decisions in her love life, she is a rather confident and independent woman in her career. As she battles the often-confusing world of men and steers her career in a TV studio, you will find yourself rooting for her success. In the Netflix series, there is a sense of tragedy for the hopeless romantic.

While relying on the half-hearted aspect, the Italian series also throws in the harsh realities of dating. Thus, Alice must go through men and learn lessons, which forms the crux of her character development. While the series tries to stay grounded on the star signs, it still kicks out the rom-com vibe that is so common to modern television.

As expected, the series boasts a cast packed with Italian stars. Leading the cast is Claudia Gusmano as Alice, Michele Rosiello as Davide, and Lorenzo Adorni as astrological guru Tio. With twelve episodes in both seasons, the series feels like a complete one with each episode focusing on a zodiac sign, and one can surmise that the third season seems unlikely since all twelve zodiac signs have been covered, and the second season felt conclusive. Considering each episode only lasts 30 minutes, this is an easy series to bingewatch on a weekend. The show will leave you wanting more, and if you are a sucker for romance, you are bound to be hooked from the first episode.

Nicholas Cage makes a return to mainstream cinema through his latest flick, where he plays himself!

By Omair Alavi KARACHI

In the 1990s, Nicholas Cage was amongst the most popular actors in the world; from Face/Off to Gone in 60 Seconds, Leaving Las Vegas to Con Air, Moonstruck to The Rock, he was here, there, and everywhere. In fact, he continued to deliver hits in the new millennium with The Family Man, National Treasure, and Lord of War. However, in the last decade, he hasn’t done something substantial, causing the 58-year-old to become a ‘legend no one wants to cast’ in Hollywood.

That’s the main plot of this film, where he plays a fictional version of himself, who finally gets ‘an offer he couldn’t refuse.’

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a self-deprecating comedy featuring Nicholas Cage as the out of work Nick Cage who isn’t on the best terms with his ex-wife Olivia (Sharon Jorgan), and daughter Addy (Lily Sheen) and only accepts to appear at a birthday party in Spain so that he can pay his bills. And when he thought that he had no friends left in the world, he meets his host Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal), his super-rich, super-fan in Mallorca, Spain.

Being rich and influential makes Javi a potential suspect in the kidnapping of the daughter of an anti-crime politician, and the CIA agents Vivian (Tiffany Haddish) and Martin (Ike Barinholtz) approach Nick Cage for his help since no one would suspect him of spying. While he does a few minor jobs for the agency, Nick Cage also bonds with his host and starts believing in his innocence, until he flies Cage’s family to be with him in Spain, without his or their consent. Is Javi the sweet person he portrays himself to be or is there a villain lurking behind the super-fan, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent will present the answer to you when you go and watch it.

Directed by Tom Gormican, this film is strictly for Nicholas Cage fans who have grown up watching him do everything in films. The pop-culture references, the Nicholas Cage specials, and the laughs are scattered all over the film which makes you want to revisit the actor’s impressive body of work. It isn’t that the film is strictly for those who have seen Nicholas Cage flicks, it’s for those cinemagoers as well who don’t know much about the Academy Award-winning actor because he did a few bad films in a handful of years.

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from the moment it begins till the end, with Nicholas Cage and Pedro Pascal dominating the proceedings as ‘The Man and his Fan’. Add Neil Patrick Harris to the equation as Nicholas Cage’s manager, and the classic 90s flavor is solidified in these 107 minutes.

From the scene where Nicholas Cage mistakes his host for household help, or where he jumps over a wall, leaving behind his host, the veteran actor is in the mood to impress. The scene where he is doing drugs and playing a spy is hilarious, as is the scene where he decides to use his talent to save a loved one. The good thing is that he seems to forget the recent strings of flops associated with his name and starts afresh just like the guy in Face/Off who starts afresh once he gets a new face.

One must also mention the constantly-blushing Pedro Pascal who plays the role of Javi, Nick Cage’s number one fan to perfection. Whenever he is sharing the screen with Nicholas Cage (which happens most of the time), his character seems to be wondering whether it is a dream or a reality. His performance is at its peak when he is showing Nick Cage his collection of stuff he used in the movies because at that moment, Pedro Pascal is nowhere on the screen and Javi is everywhere, cherishing his best moments.

If you are a true Nicholas Cage fan, you will instantly connect with the moments from his old films including Leaving Las Vegas, Con-Air, The Rock, and Moonstruck which are recreated in such a way that the audience feels connected with the leading man who is playing himself on the screen. How the writer and director put all those Nicholas Cage references in one movie is only what someone who has grown up watching his films could have done and it seems the team behind the script was no different from the audience.

They make fun of Hollywood in a way that no one gets offended, while the on-screen chemistry between Pedro Pascal and Nicholas Cage reminds the audience of the buddy-cop films of the 1990s.

The scenes where two Nicholas Cage appear (the younger and the current one) also remind the audience of Adaptation where he played more than one character. The younger one keeps telling the older one that he is not an actor but a movie star, and after watching this film, his many fans would agree. He is one of the few Hollywood actors who excelled in drama, action, thriller, and even romantic comedy and failed because he wanted to explore himself unnecessarily. With this film, he has finally found out that they love him and in order to love them back, he will have to do better films and avoid Ghost Rider stuff that didn’t help his career in any way.

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