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ARTIST OF THE WEEK
M U S I C FACTO I D
O UTF IT G OALS
BOOK REVIEW
20 minutes with Badar Mehmood
Baluch Twins
Ayesha Omar – The Queen of Fashion
Dick Van Dyke: My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business – A Memoir
The super-talented, veteran and brilliant Badar Mehmood is in conversation with BOLD
From music to filming, all you need to know about the young and talented musical bretheren
Ayesha Omar has always been at the top of her fashion game
TV Legend Dick Van Dyke talks about his career, his life, and his ‘adventures’
JANUARY 9-15, 2022 PUBLISHED FROM KARACHI, LAHORE & ISLAMABAD GLOBAL CIRCULATION IN 6 CONTINENTS, 256 COUNTRIES VIA BOLNEWS.COM
Shaiza Kiran Karachi
Imran Ashraf has become a name synonymous to impeccable acting, you’ve known him for years through your TV screens, sometimes as a loyal sidekick in Dillagi to a sensible and sane brother in Khuda Mera Bhi Hai to playing a significant role as a transgender on a mission to change fate in Alif Allah Aur Insan to everyone’s favourite Bhola in Ranjha Ranjha Kerdi, to the iconic Musa in Raqs-e-Bismil, the maestro has proved his mettle time and time again. And we’re sharing with you his journey to stardom and what shaped him to be the Imran Ashraf we know today. From child star to an established actor The burning passion for acting was always there in his eyes and soul even at the age of 8 years old when played a child actor in the drama Jab Mohabbat Nahi Hoti alongside Nouma Ijaz and Arifa Siddiqui. He also worked with Faysal Quraishi in a telefilm before going away to a boarding school. His potential was picked up by the playwright Khalil ur Rehman Qamar who wrote a script for him called Chandpur Ka Chandu, ‘by the time he approached me I had grown up, I was much taller so then his own son played the part then, it was directed by Dilawar Malik’ shared Ashraf. The actor is, without any doubt, a master of his craft. Describing himself in his own words, he is a passionate man in every aspect of his life, be it friendships, commitments or even his love for food, everything he does buds from a place of passion. ‘When I first started acting, I had my fair share of trial and errors in the beginning, but once I perfected my craft I just fell in love with acting. And what started off as love has now turned into madness for me.’ Touching on the issue of the industry not willing to take risks when it comes to the narratives they present and the way they layer the characters, the star shared that he owes his fans a lot more than mediocre and run-of-the-mill scripts therefore he usually opts for a challenging role when it comes to signing a script. From a triumphant actor to a well-received script-writer When Ashraf wasn’t getting the kind of scripts he wanted, he decided to write one and what came out of it was Mushk. Apart from being the actor’s brainchild, Ashraf also starred in the drama playing Adam. His writing was reminiscent of the old PTV dramas and the star admits that he wanted to show a hero with a spine, Ashraf also commented: ‘We often see men being the dubious villains with their wrong doings, but who will teach these men to do the right things? Creating a character like Adam I wanted to show a man who serves as an example for other men to follow.’ The star is currently working on a script that he revealed will be directed by Ehteshamuddin. For Ashraf, audience is his boss Usually when a project is airing, the audience is usually at two extreme ends of the spectrum, they either love it or hate it, and there really is no in-between. While it is very easy to sit behind a screen and criticise someone’s work, giving solutions to the critique is equally important, and in this day and age it’s very easy to impose your opinion on someone. All it takes is a comment that others read, endorse and forward without actually watching the serial and the actor agrees as he says, ‘audience is the boss,’ he then went on to share that he’s been on the receiving end to both, love and critique, but he always makes it a point to try not to hurt anyone, and honestly that’s how it should be for everyone. Acting is his first and last love For a true artist, the avenues don’t matter when portraying your craft, be it via music videos, short films, OTT platforms. Ashraf recently starred in Soch band’s music video for Tera Deewana and as an audience, it seemed way more than just a music video. The 6 minutes told a story, it was almost like a short film that had me hooked till the very end. Ashraf weaved magic on-screen with Adnan Kandhar and Bilal Saeed calling it a wonderful experience. ‘I came all in for the project, it wasn’t a music video for me, it was a film, it had dialogues, the band sang the number exceptionally well and I really enjoyed working on it.’ The icon is thrilled to make his mark in the film industry with his debut film Dum Mastam alongside Amar Khan. When asked about the switch from TV to films, Ashraf shared that he does not believe in tweaking his craft for different avenues, he does not believe in differentiating one project from another. Adding to his experience the star shared, ‘my acting is very precious to me, and so whenever I use it to breathe life into my character, I am very cautious of how I use it.’
Truly
Becoming the most loved Bhola in the country Bhola was a character that Ashraf is remembered for in every household, from 8 year olds to 88 year olds, people just can’t stop adoring Bhola to this day and it is quite natural that Bhola at some point, took over Ashraf’s identity. People would spot him and call him Bhola, fans keep requesting time and time again for the actor to show a side of Bhola when they meet him and Ashraf is full of gratitude for landing a role like that of Bhola’s: ‘It was Bhola that gave me an identity and not the other way round, I believe that every character is a hero in its own way, rarely do we see someone specially-abled being portrayed with such detail and the credit goes to Kashif Nisar for bringing such characters to life and being inclusive to everyone.’ A character like Bhola can distress a lot of actors, the intricacies and the attention to detail that it required is not an easy feat, but for Ashraf, it was just another day at work as he talks about how he stepped into Bhola’s character: ‘I prepared for Bhola thinking that I was born Bhola, I started thinking like him, I started walking, talking, joking and behaving like him, so basically I turned my life into Bhola’s to play the character. And this is how I prepare for every character that I perform, having done more than 70 plays, it is very humbling that God has been very kind to me.’ The woman behind his success Behind every man’s success there is a woman and it proved to be true for Ashraf too, the star often talks about how his wife has brought him luck and even while speaking to us, we couldn’t help but notice the amount of love and respect his tone conveyed for his wife. ‘She’s very lucky for me,’ he shared, ‘I believe that it’s because of her luck that my career took off in the industry.’ It was not an easy journey Touching on the journey that it’s been building a name for himself in the industry, Ashraf’s stance left quite the impact as he shared that the struggle he had to go through to become the actor he is today was simply the price one has to pay. He shared that the struggling phase polished him and helped him become a great actor and if it wasn’t for the challenges he faced he wouldn’t be reigning the industry like he is now. Ashraf also made it a point to encourage the budding actors to take on the challenges without any hesitation for they are a price that everyone in the industry has to pay. And as the actor keeps himself occupied with shoots and soon-to-be promotions for his film Dum Mastam which is expected to release this Eid-ul-Fitr, all of it points towards an extremely entertaining 2022 ahead which we are eagerly looking forward to!
The star touches on the journey he’s had paving his way through industry biases and getting his breakthrough
NOW SHOWING
PA K I S TA N ’ S N U M B E R 1 P U B L I C AT I O N
The King’s Man
Spider Man: No Way Home
Kahay Dil Jidhar
The Matrix Resurrections
In the early years of the 20th century, the Kingsman agency is formed to stand against a cabal plotting a war to wipe out millions.
With SpiderMan’s identity now revealed, Peter asks Doctor Strange for help.
The storyline revolves around the mysterious disappearing of one of the four university friends who later reunite under shocking circumstances.
To find out if his reality is a construct, to truly know himself, Mr. Anderson will have to choose to follow the white rabbit once more.
Scream Twenty-five years after the original series of murders in Woodsboro, a new killer emerges, and Sidney Prescott must return to uncover the truth.
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The need for representation in our media For decades, white stories centred around teens in movies and on TV have been at the forefront of entertainment Mobeen Arif Karachi
Our lives, our cultures, and our struggles are composed of many overlapping stories. Eventually, these stories are transformed to tell tales on a television screen, comprising all the trials and tribulations of the common folk, making it widely relatable and relevant to audiences. But it just so happens, there is a large gap in our media where although content is consistently being made for children and adults but a major subgroup in the middle is consistently forgotten about. When it comes to the entertainment industry, the teenager or the common young adult is the last person in the list of marketable content. Almost all the industry’s projects revolve around themes of marriage or domestic life, whereas shows or movies with relatable content for teenagers remains unquestionably limited. For decades, white stories centred around teens in movies and on TV have been at the forefront of entertainment. In today’s age, where we have access to all the world’s streamable content, the brown teenager’s inevitable predisposition to western media is warranted simply because it is the only avenue out there that aims to represent their issues. I grew up consuming mainly western pop culture simply because there was nothing else being produced for my age group. My choice to watch shows like Glee or One Tree Hill cannot be considered as a choice when it was the only option available that remotely resonated with my struggles. When was the last time Pakistan had a coming of age movie or show primarily catering to a high-schooler? While this may be dismissed by many as trivial in the grand scheme of things, it dictates a dangerously unfortunate precedent amongst the populace. When the only portrayals you have exposure to in media are predominantly white, it breeds a rather drastic effect on questioning minds where it instils Eurocentric values in the absence of proper native representation in media. The problem lies in the very fact that this particular train of content is of western origins, where cultures, values, lives and banalities of life may differ vastly from the life of a typical brown teenager. The UK series Skins is often heralded as a timeless didactic encapsulation of teenage troubles, the first season of which was cast with real teen actors where they went on to portray many relevant issues ranging from anti-social behaviour or anorexia to loneliness and death; issues that still hold up today. But at the same time, it showcased all the things that would seem alien to a Pakistani teenager. Its primary setting was amidst European families where these doting blue-eyed students rode bicycles to school, went to pubs, listened to British music, played in the snow, and had access to unparalleled freedom. Suddenly, all the character portrayals aren’t relatable even if some of the issues they face are. And whilst Skins broke boundaries with its raw narrative and some important representation, including having a brown immigrant teen in the character portrayals played by Dev Patel, it still felt foreign at times. Did my young-adult trajectory have something amiss? Did I have to be more like these teens who talked about the weather in their European accents and had beans for breakfast or went to pubs? Was I not living the quintessential teen life that I was so avidly watching on television? Shows like these build their foundation on authentic portrayals, which some of them truly do, but due to their target audience being predominantly white, they can often wind up alienating brown viewers whose own teenage reality is far from the show’s version. Adichie’s Ted Talk on The Danger of a Single Story is the perfect representation of what our society might be going through, especially when it comes to young adults. The highly celebrated African author put it quite aptly
when she spoke on how impressionable and vulnerable we are in the face of a story, particularly as children: “Because all I had read were books in which characters were foreign, I had become convinced that books, by their very nature, had to have foreigners in them, and had to be about things with which I could not personally identify with.” We can draw realistic parallels from Adichie’s struggles where she was influenced by the repetitive “single story” in her
youth, causing her to believe that this was the only story to exist. It was only after being exposed to African authors who conceptualised relatable stories did she realise that “people like me, girls with skin the colour of chocolate, whose kinky hair could not form ponytails, could also exist in literature.” It’s fairly simple, the fact that no consistent native representation for a brown teen exists in our media industry is what fails each and every centennial of Pakistani origins. We are faced with all-consuming narratives of white families, leaving us to be dominated by that stark visual and making us rethink our experiences for they simply don’t match what we see on television. The entertainment industry predictably fails 63 per cent of its entire population, and not for the lack of an audience, which there is a vast majority of,
but simply because of the industry’s ineptitude in branching out of their run-of-the-mill domestic married life portrayals that do not seem to end. Where would these forgotten viewers go if not for other readily available avenues that seem to fill this drastic gap in content; Netflix viewership statistics boast a whopping 33 per cent of teenagers whereas YouTube is not far behind with 31 per cent of its teen audience. That’s 1/3 of an available marketable audience that is consuming media on a daily basis, media that tells singular stories or whitewashes native stories. Adichie concluded her talk by endorsing the power of storytelling, and how once we choose to reject the single story can we appreciate the complexity, highs and lows of every person, city and culture. We are all much, much more than a single story. We are the culmination of hundreds of stories: stories from the past, stories yet to be written and stories we are actively writing ourselves. A few months ago, a group of young individuals based in Islamabad took it upon themselves and made an entire scripted show that characterised the life of the brown teenager. Titled Midsummer Chaos, which was put on YouTube, became a huge viral success, albeit for the wrong reasons. The various memes that followed can be attributed to the show’s terrible production and its whitewashed portrayal that made it feel inauthentic. Despite its shortcomings and its limited budget, the series garnered hundreds of thousands of views in a very short time. The main takeaway isn’t that the show was bad, it’s the very unsurprising fact that an audience for an entirely teenage oriented drama existed. The show did what Pakistani media has always been afraid to do, validate this particular market’s potential and then provide them with relatable content. On the other hand, shows like The End of the F***ing World which tackled coming-of-age for teen misfits and existential or nihilistic crises amidst teenagers, or on a lighter note, the classic Freaks and Geeks, which became a cult classic due to its excellent portrayal of high-school life, garnered success simply because of their authentic narratives aimed at teen audiences. A prime regional example could be the show Yeh Meri Family that centred around a simple premise about a boy belonging to a middle-class family and his life. However, the show’s ability to represent seemingly trivial issues ranging from thinking your dad is uncool to dealing with your big brother leaving for college are all the reasons it stands out from all other media productions because it showcased real and relatable stories for the youth. And that is something we desperately need in Pakistan. If the industry won’t budge on the sheer need for more stories, maybe it can be swayed by the copious amount of untapped money that exists within this group. Because the audience exists, as proven. And there is a rather drastic gap in our content production for these people, as evident. The minute we start telling our own stories, maybe then we will stop becoming victims of another biased sample of Eurocentric media.
Adnan Siddiqui becomes the first meme of 2021 Bold Desk Karachi
The first weekend of 2022 brought with it the first meme of the year featuring Adnan Siddiqui. The actor was present at the destruction ceremony of confiscated goods organised by the Customs (Enforcement) Karachi where he recorded himself joining in the process of destroying seized liquor and drugs. He posted the videos of the process along with a selfie he took where there was fire in the background, not knowing, that it would go on to become the biggest meme of the month. The selfie in front of the raging fire was picked up by Pakistani Twitter and even after a week, still continues being shared on various social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and even Whatsapp. From reflecting on life choices to running away from deadlines, the picture fits every situation one can think of. Talking about the meme, the actor himself shared a good laugh with BOLD as thanked his parents and God for his existence to provide meme material to the world. The actor takes pride in being the first meme of the year as he elaborates on the reason for taking the picture, “the intent of the picture was not to show the mere fire behind me, I wanted to show people that I have burnt meth, ice and other intoxicants which are a poison for the youth.” Amused at the memes being made, the artist seemed pretty happy that he was a source of bringing laughter to people. The actor commented that he did not have the slightest idea that the picture would go viral when he was uploading it, and well, that’s social media in a nutshell, you never know how people will react to the things you post! PA K I S TA N ’ S N U M B E R 1 P U B L I C AT I O N
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Directing super-hit serials including Cheekh, Dunk and Ishqiya, the super-talented, veteran and brilliant Badar Mehmood is in conversation with BOLD Bold Desk
just want to make a movie for the sake of it, I want to polish my craft and then put it to good use when making a film.
Karachi
Starting his career at the age of 19, Badar Mehmood accomplished so much in such a short span of time that one could only dream of. He entered the field as a video-editor and gradually became one of the most famous directors of Pakistan. He has numerous soaps and telefilms to his credit. He has always touched on sensitive social issues through his dramas which are often brushed under the carpet. Directing super-hit serials including Cheekh, Dunk and Ishqiya, the supertalented, veteran and brilliant director, Badar Mehmood is in conversation with BOLD.
Are you working on any project? There’s nothing yet but I am working on a script that will take about 2-3 months to go in the shooting process.
Can we expect any dramas like Dunk or Balaa? I’ve been trying my best to produce something that the audiences like, and while it’s in work I can’t say anything. Only the audience will decide if it becomes the talk of the town or not but I will try my best to meet the expectations.
What’s your creative process? There isn’t a certain set of rules that I follow. I just make sure that the story and the characters are very strong, the rest I adjust with the flow of the story.
Directors sometime lose their cool at the set during shoots, is this the case with you also? I don’t believe in shouting and creating unnecessary panic. When I am on a shoot, my team is my family. I only get bothered if the set gets loud. I try to gel in with the team and prefer working in a friendly way.
You received a lot of criticism on your dramas, Dunk and Cheekh for instance, people had a lot of reservations on the themes and subject matter. How do you deal with it? Creative art isn’t something that everyone will love or hate, people even find flaws in God’s creations also so critiquing a man’s work is no big deal. Yes, there’s been harsh criticism, sometimes it’s even below the belt, but like I said it varies from person to person, making something that every single person on the planet will love and approve of is impossible. People will find faults at the end of the day, so I don’t really worry about the criticism, I just give my 100% and the rest is for people to judge.
As a director, are there any grievances that you have? I am very blessed in that aspect as a director, whatever I wanted to do I achieved it. Fahad Mustafa too guided me a lot. Just getting things approved is a tedious process in itself but I would again say that when my name gets attached to projects, they are approved instantly and I feel blessed in this regard.
6 dramas directed by Badar Mehmood that should be on your watch list PA K I S TA N ’ S N U M B E R 1 P U B L I C AT I O N
If I talk about the content in general then I think directors need to work on the quality of the content, there are certain topics that directors steer clear from, topics like crime thrillers, they don’t get approved that easily, channels feel a little hesitant but it’s time that directors explore different genres.
A lot of dramas usually start strong but disappoint in the end and vice versa, they don’t maintain that benchmark throughout the course of their run-time, why is it so? Dramas are subjective, the beginning and the endings are also subjective, some would like it, and some wouldn’t be too impressed. The
quality of the script has nothing to do with new or old writers, it just varies from person to person and what they make of it, how they perceive it. I do agree that dramas begin on a strong note and then along the way loses its strength but writers and producers are focusing on this now and I am hoping that this will change very soon.
Journalist and critiques often get a little too harsh when it comes to their reviews, some I would say write the reviews to point out the negatives only, what are your views on it? Everyone wants their project to do well, no one would intentionally make a sub-par proj-
ect. Of course there are flaws at a lot of places, and I am not saying that you shouldn’t point out the negatives, you should, but where there are negatives, there are positives too, and I think the positives should be mentioned too. I’ve read a ton of reviews that state both the negatives and positives, it is impossible that you watch a 40 minute episode and don’t even find a single positive thing and vice versa. I think the journalists should not include their personal point of views in the reviews, whether they agree or disagree with the stance.
Any movies in the pipeline? Nothing in the pipeline as of yet, but I do plan on making a movie once I feel like I am polished enough to produce or direct it. I don’t
As a director, whatever I wanted to do I achieved it. Fahad Mustafa too guided me a lot. Just getting things approved is a tedious process in itself but I would again say that when my name gets attached to projects, they are approved instantly and I feel blessed in this regard
Balaa
Cheekh
Ishqiya
Dunk
Aisi Hai Tanhai
Meri Beti
ve A story of an obsessi women Nigar who crosses all limits to win her love interests which just marks the rst beginning of the wo that is yet to come. s Featuring Bilal Abba ah Khan and Ushna Sh in pivotal roles, the its drama stands true to name.
Starring Bilal Abbas Khan, Sana Javed and Nauman Ijaz, the story is inspired by an ce incident that took pla a ere wh a, dh rgo in Sa d professor committe suicide over false ns harassment allegatio s by a student and it wa the t tha led ea rev er lat ilty. professor was not gu
the The plot showcases of a trials and tribulations eks se o wh at nn Ma n, woma r of justice for the murde aced her friend, Nayyab. Gr a hn Us r, ma Qa by Saba s Khan, Shah and Bilal Abba es on the drama also touch ent, sm ras ha of s the theme murder, internalized ce. misogyny and injusti
ssyn Featuring Sonya Hu story and Sami Khan, the grave the d un aro es olv rev nal rso pe g kin lea issue of pictures and how the tim, society blames the vic of st ho ole wh sparking a d her problems for her an ached family. The shame att viral ing go es to the pictur ther to mo ’s tim vic the ds lea try and kill her.
of The serial tells a tale yal love, trust and betra d which revolves aroun d two sisters, Roomi an nia Ha by d ye pla a, mn Ha ha ms Ra d Aamir an l Khan. Hesitant to tel the t ou ab r he fat r he a’s man she loves, Hamn the actions cause both y sisters to pay a heav price.
Based on the social issues of family and relationships, the story revolves around three women fighting for true love, integrity, justice, equality, genuineness and liberty.
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A beautiful mix of tears, joy, and nostalgia, this Harry Potter reunion special takes you back where all the magic began Maria Arif
and it left the fans simply ecstatic! Felton says in the interview, “Emma and I have always loved each other, really. I think I was in the hair and make-up chair and someone said something along the lines of, ‘She has a crush on you.” Watson confirms having a crush on Felton in the special and this was a huge gaga moment for the viewers. Needless to say, it warmed our hearts. The fact that J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series was absent in this reunion special caused quite a wave of disappointment among viewers. She appeared only through archival footage from 2019 and was featured for about 30 seconds or less in the entire onehour-and-45-minute special. From the looks of it, her absence in the show has to do with her controversial comments on the transgender community in June 2020 because of which she came under fire and received a lot of backlash and criticism. It’s hard to say if that’s actually the reason behind her nonappearance, and while we really appreciate her creative genius that led her to create the magical world of Harry Potter, we can’t help express disappointment at her comments at the same time. Another reason why we felt sad was how so many other important characters were absent from the special including Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore), Emma Thompson (Sybill Trelawney), Maggie Smith (Minerva McGonagall), Robert Pattinson (Cedric Diggory), Warwick Davis (Filius Flitwick and Griphook), Julie Walters (Molly Weasley) and Timothy Spall (Peter Pettigrew). A much heartbreaking moment during the special was the little tribute paid to Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) who died in 2016 of pancreatic cancer. His death left us absolutely shocked and heartbroken, and all these feelings resurfaced during the final tribute to this legend where Dumbledore asks him, “After all this time?” and he replies, “always.” The friendship between Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, as evidently displayed in the special is a whole other territory, one that simply brings a huge smile on the face. From Radcliffe teasing them so much about their characters having to kiss in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, to Watson choking up at one point in the special and telling Grint, “It feels like you’re, like, a pillar of my life,” the emotions got the better of us. The emotional journey that Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts took us could go on, but as Watson aptly put it, “There’s something about Harry Potter that makes life richer, like when things get really dark and times are really hard, stories give us places we can go, where we can rest, feel held.” The special hit all the right chords at one time, and one simply can’t deny the fact that it marked the ultimate end of a beautiful era. It will make you laugh, cry, feel strange at heart, all at the same time. But, in the end, it will make you feel whole. Complete. Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived.
KARACHI
2022 started off with quite a bang for most people – there were fireworks, loud and exciting parties, lots of food and of course, the customary ‘New Year resolutions’. The start of a new year is always marked with celebrations and merriment after all. However, for all the Potterheads out there, the beginning of 2022 was something else – it was magical. The air was filled with a new kind of enthusiasm, anticipation and impatience for them as they desperately waited to feast their eyes and ears on the much-awaited Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts. This 2022 reunion special of the Harry Potter film series was released on HBO Max on 1st January 2022 and it’s safe to say that it stirred up a whole lot of different kinds of emotions among fans ranging from nostalgia, utter joy, sadness, curiosity, and a wee bit of disappointment too. It feels like only yesterday when we were bawling our eyes out while also rejoicing at Harry’s ultimate victory when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was released back in 2011. It took the Potterheads a long while to finally accept the fact that it was the end to one of the greatest fantasy series of all times and we ultimately made peace with our emotions and feelings. But, as it turns out, this pandora box had to open again (thanks to the 2022 Harry Potter reunion special) that graced our televisions at the very start of this year and brought all the nostalgia back to the surface. The 2-hour long 20th anniversary special of the Harry Potter series is nothing short of an emotional trip down memory lane. It starts off with Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) talking about their life on set and how they literally grew up on it, followed by many other cast members such as Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom), Robbie Coltrane (Rubeus Hagrid), Gary Oldman (Sirius Black), Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange) and a few others sharing memories from the time that they worked on the franchise. But it isn’t just that – there’s so much more to this wonderful reunion special that left us teary eyed and overwhelmed. From fun behind the scenes to on-set shenanigans to cast members sharing anecdotes from the set to directors and producers talking about the whole filming and casting process, think of it as a short, bittersweet ride that marked the end of a beautiful era. The best and the most magical highlights of the reunion special can’t be listed as for a true and a diehard Potterhead, there’s so much to take away from it. One simply can’t overlook the special bond shared by Emma Watson and Tom Felton which we get to witness right in the beginning where the moment they lock eyes, they engulf each other in a big, warm hug while grinning from ear to ear. The love they share which is so evident in the reunion is nothing but cheering
Zuher Khan touches on his documentary The Hollywood Experience & the industry Is this the right time for the industry to join hands with Hollywood? Bold Desk Karachi
The hall was hustling and bustling on Tuesday where the screening of Zuher Khan’s documentary motion picture ‘The Hollywood Experience’ took place. With critics, artists, singers and press present at the screening, began the documentary which dives deep into the craft of acting and describes the essence and the foundation of the show business. Consisting of experiences and accounts of various Hollywood stars, the documentary provided the much-needed insight into the Hollywood industry, something that budding industries can take notes from. The documentary also shed light on how simple of an industry Hollywood is, speaking to the press, the young producer shared how Hollywood was a comparatively approachable industry when compared to Bollywood. And with the ban on Pakistani artists working in India, the artist went on to explain how getting into Hollywood is not as daunting as it sounds encouraging actors here to try their luck in Hollywood. When asked about his views on the current state of the Pakistani industry, he commented that the industry is full of talented artists who have the skill and tremendous charisma to make it on greater levels across various film markets around the world. Impressed by the talent PA K I S TA N ’ S N U M B E R 1 P U B L I C AT I O N
around him, Khan seemed rather enthusiastic as he revealed a documentary on the Pakistani industry is also on the cards where he’d be featuring local artists and their experiences in the industry. Giving in to the good looks that he already has, one can really picture him a hero and that’s something that he’s been willing to do too. Khan fondly mentioned that he would love to do a collaboration with Lollywood. Apart from willing to work in TV dramas, the producer also has plans to produce a film in Pakistan. Expressing his love for Pakistan
and the impeccable talent the country has, Khan revealed that the sole purpose of bringing his documentary here was to encourage the industry that this is the right time to join forces with Hollywood and produce movies that the audience will remember. And to think of it, our industry can really use some help from the biggest industry in the world and revive the cinema culture in Pakistan. Starting his career with the production “3 Holes And A Smoking Gun” which went on to win Best Actor 2015 at the “Winter Film Awards”, Best U.S Narrative Feature Film 2014 “Laughlin International
Film Festival”, Grand Jury Prize and Best Actor 2014 “Red Dirt International Film Festival”, Independent Spirit Award 2015 “Garden State Film Festival”, Best Screenplay at the “Downtown Film Festival Los Angeles”, Best Actor In a Supporting Role 2015 & Recognition of Dramatic Excellence “Buffalo Niagara Film Festival” & Best Supporting Actor 2015 “Cinerockom International Film Festival Khan’s documentary is all set to release in the summer of 2022 and will get a SVOD, TVOD and AVOD release across all digital platforms around the world apart from a dedicated DVD release.
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From music to filming, all you need to know about the young and talented musical bretheren Bold Desk Karachi
Baluch Twins, hailing from Lyari, are up-and-coming Pakistani singer songwriters that have garnered a wide audience across the nation. The popular music duo have been part of some major platforms like Nescafe Basement and Braadi Broadcast, whereas their music has also been nominated for several prominent awards. The two-piece band, comprising Adil and Asim Baluch, rose to fame after their song ‘GharoliGhoom Charakhra’ became a hit. Their music not only means to give importance to Baluchi music, but also give it a national platform, hopefully inculcating it within the mainstream music industry as an established genre. BOLD Desk had a chance to sit with the brothers and talk all about their musical journey, from origins to controversies. Why drove you two to choose music as a career? Music is very personal to us. Our father would sing to us too and that certainly inspired us. You could say that it runs in the family. We are so connected to music that we can sing non-stop as it gives us inner peace and happiness, for in this medium, we have the freedom to express ourselves openly. What are you studying currently? Is it something related to the arts? We graduated in Film Making from the University of Karachi with a distinction. Our music grew with us and as we matured, we realised that we did not like the commercial way of approaching things so we really wanted to opt for the arts since it gives one the liberty to express freely. When film making got a boost in
Pakistan, we also thought to delve in the field and explore this rich medium. All these avenues such as music, film making, and photography, are closer to our hearts because we can encapsulate so much emotion in a single frame or a song, and travel back and forth through them. It’s very much a part of our existence. Since there are many platforms through which a lot of up-and-coming musicians are gaining recognition, how many of these new opportunities were useful for you? These platforms are of great help to
musicians and all other creatives. Our first song was released through Braadri Broadcast and that not only give us exposure, but also recognition in the industry. In 2019, we participated in Nescafe Basement Season 5 that became another reason for our rise to fame. We also collaborated with Bigfoot Music to perform a ghazal. Apart from these, we have always tried to stay close to our fans and connect with them through social media platforms. The ones who can relate to our music or find some emotional attachment do end up sharing our work and this is how we garner love and respect.
Even though you were wellknown singers, but after the PISA controversy, everyone was talking about your band. How difficult was it to get there (PISA nominations) and what were your feelings when you couldn’t attend? We were already nominated in the Lux Style Awards so afterwards PISA also called us for nominations. As far as PISA is concerned, it has already been talked about a lot. Going to Dubai was not that difficult but we still can’t explain how emotionally involved we were in the process from the day we got nominated.
We were excited to be surrounded by so many stars but unfortunately things did not fall in place.
the arts the way it should be seen. There is a lot of effort that has been put in from our end to help grow as Baluch Twins.
Why you have named yourselves as Baluch twins? Who came up with this name? When we went to Braadri Broadcast, Sikandar Mufti started calling us Baluch Brothers. This became our name for some time. It evolved when we did Nescafe Basement where people would call us Baluch Twins and it ended up sticking. It’s also our identity and we are glad that people gave us this name that we carry proudly.
Where do you aim to be in the next five years? We see things categorically. We don’t overthink about the consequences, but instead try to live with the present. I will say that we do set targets for ourselves, to always aim for growth.
What inspires you as youngsters to create music? Every day is a new day for music. From anything to anyone can inspire us to create, write, and produce.
Do you practice music and singing daily? We have now started practicing a lot more, ever since we finished our academics. With studies, it was very hard for us to manage both.
What is your creative process? There is no specific formula; sometimes we note down the lyrics and then come back to it to organise whatever we jotted down. We also take notes according to the emotions of our songs. This comes naturally to us. However, we start with visualising the narrative we want, whereas lyrics and audio is our main focus while producing music. Did you face any difficulties whilst making a name for yourselves in an already competitive music industry? Hardships are there to make us grow and we take it positively. Hardships will always be a part of our lives. The only difficulty I would like to mention here is when we have to make people understand the other perspective of music. People don’t look at
Any new album in the works or possibly releasing soon? We are aiming to launch our solo album this year!
When it comes to other musicians, who inspires you the most? We like all artists who freely express themselves. Every singer and musician is different from the other and that’s what makes them who they are. Their uniqueness and individuality is what people recognise. Every artist has different observation thus their expression is different. What advice would you give to our readers? Every artist should be supported regardless of their social media followers. Every artist has the potential to make it big, they just need support. This is how we think we should improve as a nation and love our artists and the work that they do. All should be loved and respected as they all work hard to be where they are.
Auj release their first music album Following their big win at the Pepsi Battle of Bands Season 4, Auj is all set to release their first and longawaited music album Sifr. The band released a music video for their song Nawazish in July 2021 which will also be featured in the album and we’re excited to see what they’ve got in store for us. Azaan Sami Khan drops music video for Ik Lamha Azaan Sami Khan released the music video for his song Ik Lamha featuring Maya Ali as his love interest in the video. The vintage cars, horse carts, trams and cabaret will surely take you back to 90s. Helmed by Ehteshamuddin, Ik Lamha is the third single off Khan’s debut album, Main Tera. The lyrics for the song have been penned by the award-winning lyricist AM Turaz and the beat is a mix of qawwali backed by electric guitar and tablas.
Uzair Jaswal releases music album Lovestruck Uzair Jaswal released his second album called Lovestruck which features nine original tracks written by the singer himself backed by a mix of unique electro-pop/ new age sounds. The album encapsulates the journey of love. His first album scored him a Lux Style Award for Album of the Year with several hit tracks including Sajna and Bolay.
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Bold Desk Karachi
From new releases to new music videos to new singles to things that we’re anticipating and excited for, there’s a lot going on in the music industry right now.
Saba Qamar and Fahad Mustafa to star in Asim Azhar’s new single After starring in Abrar-ul-Haq’s song Begum Shak Karti Hai, Saba Qamar will soon be seen alongside Fahad Mustafa in Asim Azhar’s new single where she will be playing a blind woman. The singer took to Twitter to share the excitement with his fans along with a teaser from the music video.
Ghalat Fehmi becomes the most streamed song in Pakistan on Spotify As 2021 came to an end, Spotify released a list of streamed songs in Pakistan throughout the year and the most streamed song turned out to be Ghalat Fehmi by Asim Azhar which was featured in the movie Superstar starring Mahira Khan and Bilal Ashraf in lead roles. Following close-by were Gumaan by Young Stunners and Afsanay by Talha Anjum. The list also featured Butter by BTS, Tu Aake Dekhle by King and Brown Munde by AP Dhillon.
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Five times Hira Mani proved that she is a true style diva!
The Photographer
Tapu Javeri Bold Desk Karachi
Tapu Javeri is no ordinary man, he is an ace celebrity/fashion photographer, budding entrepreneur, jewellery designer, and radio jockey. Son of jeweller Hassan Ali Mohammad Javeri and Ayesha Javeri, his roots stretch all the way to his ancestors who were court jewellers to the Nawabs of Kutch. His first photograph was published in a leading newspaper at the age of nine and its safe to say that the veteran photographer excels at everything he does. With a career spanning over more than three decades, he is often credited as the “pioneer” of photography in Pakistan.
Bilal Lashari: Pakistani cinema’s one man army
Models who reigned the fashion industry Anoushia Jabeen Karachi
The Pakistani Fashion Industry had an influx in the early 2000s, and it began to develop. Our designers have begun to gain international recognition, making us all proud of our culture. While fashion trends change over time, one constant is the view of models and the conditions that must be met in order to be a part of this world. Models are commonly described as tall, gorgeous and dive-like, and this is not a false claim. Indeed all of our models, male or female, are always stealing the shows with their charm and poise. Here is a list of some of the most well-known fashion figures who continue to serve dazzling styles and have represented significant names in the industry.
Bold Desk Karachi
Bilal Lashari is many things, a film director, cinematographer, screenwriter, and even an occasional actor and has flawlessly honed his craft in almost all areas of filmmaking, which is considered something quite rare in Pakistan. Famed for his directorial debut in the 2013 movie Waar which broke multiple records, Bilal was able to carve his own niche in the film industry in a short span of time. The action thriller was also shot and edited by Lashari himself. Born in Quetta, the underrated cinematographer belongs to a Balochi family and holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and majored in motion pictures and television from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California.
Upon his return, he dipped his creative hand in music videos first and directed the music video of Sajni Pass Bulao Na by Jal - The Band which earned him many praises along with a Lux Style Award, especially for its visual effects and sterling direction. Unlike conventional directors in Pakistani, Lashari has a knack for bringing something unique and peculiar to the screens.
His style of filming majorly relies on CGI graphics and action-packed sequences. Despite commendable expertise and being perpetually in command of his vocation, the auteur’s films always gets delayed, apart from Waar- his most anticipated film The Legend Of Maula Jatt has been postponed indefinitely. It is quite rare to see a director who decides to serve as their own cinematographers and editors but Bilal Lashari surely always gets the job done-even if the final products take years to perfect. If you would ask us, we firmly believe that the young DoP (director of photography) has the ability to offer a kaleidoscope of views whenever he takes the helm and his prowess is definitely something our film industry can use, especially in the genre of action-thriller. PA K I S TA N ’ S N U M B E R 1 P U B L I C AT I O N
Hasnain Lehri Hasnain Lehri, who began his career in 2014, came to prominence in a short period of time and won awards at the Lux Style Awards for three consecutive years in a row as the Best Model Male (2016, 2017, and 2018). It would not be a deception to state that this handsome face is conquering the fashion industry as a model. After numerous notable performances for renowned designer names like HSY, Deepak Parwani, Nomi Ansari and Ali Zeeshan, he’s been labeled a show stopper. Lehri, is a committed individual who chose to pursue his passion against family opposition and conservatism. Amna Ilyas Starting her career as Remember when Amna Ilyas’ Bharam Culture Video took the internet by storm? Although some may remember her from Farhan Saeed’s video song Halka Halka Suroor Hai, this gorgeous lady has gone a long way. She is presently starring alongside Junaid Khan in Ek Jhoota Lafz Mohabbat and is expected to acquire even more popularity in the acting industry. She began modelling at the age of 17 and has since received accolades for Best Model Female at the 14th Lux Style Awards and Best Dressed Female at the 11th Lux Style Awards as she has been a model for designer brands like HSY and Karma. God has certainly blessed her with a sense of humor and a sense of glitz, two qualities that are rarely found combined. Omer Shahzad Starting off as a model in 2011, Omer has since gone on to become a wellknown actor on Pakistani television, with roles in drama series such as Alif Allah Aur Insaan, Adhoori Aurat, and Natak. Modelling for Zaianb Chottani, Zaheer Abbas, HSY, Deepak Parwani, and many others throughout the years earned him nominations for the Lux Style Awards’ Best Model Male category. Vaneeza Ahmed made a wise decision in choosing him above 200 other guys, as she has given us a true jewel in the fashion sector. He still has a long way to go in his acting career, and we’re excited to see where his good fortune takes him. Emmad Irfani The Jalan famous actor has given us reasons to be proud by working for national and international brands. Guess being a massive draw as a model wasn’t enough for this talented man who decided to branch out into acting as well, and recently astonished us all with his performance in the hit drama series. He has collaborated with prominent Pakistani brands like Nomi Ansari, HSY, Maria B, Karma, and many more, winning accolades at the Lux Style Awards and MTV Pakistan. In addition to Pakistan, he has worked with international businesses such as Prada, Versace, Dior, and Levis. His attractive looks and charming personality has never gone unnoticed.
Mehreen Syed Mehreen Syed’s journey from being a commercial model to businesswoman and brand ambassador for well-known multinational businesses was long and winding, she earned her recognition and dignity along the way becoming an inspiration to many. She has won a lot of accolades for her hard work and has been complimented for her appearance throughout the world. She is prominent not just in the fashion world, but also in the film industry for her acting skills. Aside from that, she was lauded for her support of transgender people when she conducted vocational pieces of training for them and assisted them in getting established via various job possibilities. She is, without a doubt, a force to be reckoned with. Sadaf Kanwal Controversies are something Sadaf Kanwal has never been afraid of, and she’s been dealing with it amusingly since her marriage to Shehroz Sabzwari. She has a successful career as a model and an actor, and her dance abilities are equally recognized after her appearance in the song Kaif o Suroor. For the years 2017 and 2019, she received the Lux Style Awards for Stylish Model of the Year and Best Model of the Year, respectively. Her Instagram is where we can see her glamour on a frequent basis, she is also known as the “Selfie Queen” for the perfect selfies she takes every now and then. Although she has had a successful modelling career, she currently appears to be focusing on achieving stardom as an actor.
“Tapulicious”, his line is an evolution of photo-manipulations who take inspiration from the streets in order to create some hip wearable art. One glance at his work and you will notice that his love for painting is predominately present in his photos montages, especially in the hues of brown and blue. However, with the passage of time, he has indubitably dabbled in other crafts besides jewelry items and art pieces. Upon testing positive for Covid-19, Tapu sent replaced his lenses and cameras with soaps and suds, indulging in a new hobby. The ever experimental artist’s Instagram feed is now filled with vibrant soap stories that really make us think, is there anything he can’t do? His mantra: “life is long enough to do everything you desire” — means he’ll never give you a lame excuse for falling short on expectations.
Iman Ali After her debut in Khuda Kay Liye, the Pakistani supermodel rose to prominence and captivated hearts with her attractive looks and grace. She is one of Pakistan’s highest-paid models. Not only has she collaborated with Pakistani designers, but she also worked with prominent designers from India, like Manish Malhotra, JJ Valaya, Suneet Varma, and others. Her decisive and forthright demeanor is often admired, and she doesn’t seem to mind when it isn’t. Her fearlessness in being herself is what every girl wishes for. F O R B O O K I N G A D S , W W W. B O L N E W S . C O M / N E W S PA P E R
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Mobeen Arif Karachi
Ayesha Omar is one of the fashion divas who makes heads turn left and right, wherever she goes. Many of us may know her as her famous TV character, Khubsoorat, the name of which is perfectly on brand for she looks eloquent and fashionable almost all the time. The Pakistani actress initially started off her career as a model and has seen unparalleled success in both these creative fields. Let’s take a peek back to some of her favourite looks.
There’s no doubt that whenever Ayesha Omar decides to tie the knot, she’d be a sight to behold. But until then, she is generous enough to give us some incredibly regal bridal looks that just leave us stunned amidst all her glory. Her recent shoot with the brand Saira*Shakira was top tier elegance that makes the top of our list. The model wore an exquisitely detailed organza gown with a Jamawar Lehenga on a lilac canvas saturated with intricately designed ornate hand work, paired with the most exquisite ruby-diamond accessories that brought the look to its majestic realness.
Styled in a Cinderella-esque photo-shoot (with a desi twist!), she dons a majestic emerald green piece from Maryam Hussain’s winter collection. The look features a regal three piece traditional Karandi suit embroidered and appliqued with pink that extends to ornate jacquard sleeves and finally paired with a blood orange silk dupatta bringing it to its dignified finished opulence. The model may have turned up in a lot of western looks, but when she opts for eastern wear, she sells it hard. We’re all in and we love every second of it.
Next time you feel overdressed, ask yourself instead; why everyone else is so underdressed? Every day is an opportunity to make someone’s jaw drop with a look you pull out. Because there is no such thing is extra, especially on Ayesha Omar for she is always about fashion. Spotter in this sartorial elegance, the pavement may as well be a red carpet. In all her sartorial prowess, she dons distinctive printed pants with a simple black zip-up crop top and the cutest white Pashtun cap. It’s effortlessly chic.
Donning a refined white and yellow striped pant suit from Lulusar, she’s giving us executive fashion realness in a fun springtime manner. It’s girl boss but approachable, it’s postmodern minimalist finesse, it’s everything. Featuring a custom loose striped open-jacket over an off the shoulder white crop top, completed with matching palazzos and gold necklace. It’s perfect for an effortless day time executive moment or even for a laid back professional event, and Ayesha Omar certainly sells the look.
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Wearing the most chic sleeveless black peplum top embellished with exquisite thread embroidery and bordered with white and brown detailing, this formal look by Tena Durrani looked absolutely stunning on Ayesha Omar. Further matched with an allblack lustrous mermaid cut skirt, it definitely comes to the top of the list in the model’s luxury wear looks. As much as she loves white, she’d conquer the world if this fashionista were to take on a fondness for all black everything.
Stunned. Speechless. That’s what we feel every time this woman walks the red carpet, because she turns it out every single time. The Pakistan International Screen Awards last year was no different for the fashion legend as she strutted down the carpet in a grand pastel gold & silver dress constructed by the Kuwaiti brand Labour Joisie. Enthralled with sparkly tassels, the dress embraces her petite frame in all its elegant realness, featuring a v neck line over this graceful floor length mermaid silhouette, it leaves us absolutely breathless. Magnifique!
All white everything? The actress has recently been obsessed with white clothing and we are absolutely not complaining, for she looks ethereal in almost every single one of them. Styled by Arbaqan Changezi, the actress can be seen wearing an exquisite hand loomed cotton saari by Mohsin Naveed Ranjha laden with white embroideries. This minimalist à la mode look is further paired with huge gold earrings with a tinge of emerald and her hair in a neat bun. It’s dripping with angelic ecstasy and we can’t seem to look away. Definitely a top tier saari moment for Ayesha.
Given her love for white attire, the actress/model who is now a beauty entrepreneur chose to wear a sophisticated white dress by Zaheer Abbas official to her brand’s launch event. Draped in all its flowy realness, the style icon chose to perfectly accessorise her look with a brown leather three buckle corset belt that she chose to match with a single brown leather hand cuff, and the entire ensemble paired so perfectly with her chestnut brown hair. For those who veer away from anything white, take notes! And remember, sometimes less is more.
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Danya Ali Karachi
Everyone from relatives, neighbours to the last article you read gave you a bunch of advice about pregnancy do’s and don’ts, but what’s the truth? Do you really have to eat for two? what is better for the fetus? And the real question; who to blame for that acne, exhaustion on mother-to-be’s face? baby girl or a baby boy? Well, the matter of fact is regardless of the gender of the baby, morning sickness, changing hormone levels, and that huge baby bump contribute big time to a pregnant woman’s sufferings. So before you believe in anything bizarre, we are here to bring you the truth behind six of the most misunderstood pregnancy myths.
Myth 1: Hey, you need to eat for two A big no! Yes, it would help increase your caloric intake when expecting, but you should never overeat. Overeating can be a disaster to both the mother and the fetus, especially if the diet contains a lot of empty calories like bakery items and sugary drinks. Make sure to include fresh fruits, nuts, milk in your diet to provide nutrition for you and your baby. According to Ob-Gyn Dr. Nazia Rashid, all moms-to-be should aim for a gradual increase in calories throughout the pregnancy. You only need to have 200- 340 extra calories (on top of your 2,000 daily recommendation), and that too in your third trimester. Ideally you should gain about 1.5 to 2kgs a month until you give birth. If you were above the healthy weight range, you should follow a diet plan. “Moreover, monitor your weight; most pregnant women gain between 10kg and 12.5kg (22lb to 26lb), putting on most of the weight after week 20,” Dr. Rashid added.
Myth 2: Rest as much you can Please don’t listen to them, just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean that you avert physical health. Exercising is not only good for you and your mental health, but it is also crucial for your baby’s health. If you worked out before getting pregnant and are accustomed to your routine, you are good to continue with your exercise regime once you’ve consulted with your healthcare provider. Just avoid any new, strenuous activities like holding your breath, excessive bouncing or stretching, jumping, and sudden jerk motions, in short, any of those exercises that can make you fall. Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity for at least five days a week. Even If you were not very active before conceiving start with gentle exercises, like walking, and light stretches and exercises at home to keep yourself fit.
Myth 3: Ditch those romantic nights Loud and clear - Sex does not affect an otherwise healthy pregnancy. You don’t have to avoid being cozy with your
partner, as sex during pregnancy does not increase the risk of preterm labour in low-risk pregnancies. The only time you should avoid it is when you are bleeding heavily during pregnancy, or the water has broken. Other cases where you must consult your doctor before sex are when experiencing placental problems, cervical insufficiency, or any other factors that may add to the chance of preterm labour, says Dr. Azra, Ob-Gyn, local hospital, Karachi.
Myth 4: Say goodbye to your coffee No, we don’t agree with your mom asking you to drop that morning cup of coffee. Pregnant women can still have a cup of coffee every day, but here’s the thing, limit your caffeine intake to 200 mg or less. This amount equates to about 1.5 cups of coffee, so you can ditch the morning fatigue and be less irritable.
Myth 5: Mother’s mood affects baby Pregnant or not pregnant, being happy 24/7 is an impossible feat for all genders. How can you stay happy all day long? Work, stress, traffic are there to spoil your day. After getting pregnant, women don’t become super humans who can control emotions; hormones, body changes, and tiredness can take a toll on their physical and mental health, causing severe mood swings. It is normal for pregnant women to have mood swings.
Myth 6: Vaginal delivery is not possible after a cesarean delivery Well, stop right there because a woman can have a vaginal birth following a previous cesarean delivery. Dr. Azra explains the decision to give birth via a cesarean or vaginal delivery depends on how the on-going pregnancy is progressing, the woman’s labour, and the risk of any potential complications. If everything goes normal, you can have a normal delivery. What needs to be changed If you’re pregnant and are confused about any of these myths, it’s time to ignore these baseless thoughts. If you take good care and be a little more cautious then nothing will harm you or your baby. Covid or no Covid, you should never put your health or your little one in danger. And most importantly, avoid people who dull your shine. Remember everyone; we have to be a little more supportive towards moms-to-be; they’re already going through so much, so instead of just giving them lectures about what to do and what not to do, just be there, listen to their rants patiently, it’s a brave thing to do! So mommies, eat good, rest well, and flaunt that bump – you’re bringing the miracle of life and that’s all you should care about!
Shaiza Kiran Karachi
Finding the right foundation is a journey and when you find the perfect match for your specific skin tone, skin type and concerns, you’ll want to hold onto it for dear life, at least I do! And let me tell you that this isn’t even the hardest part, the hardest part is making your specific foundation formula work flawlessly on the skin throughout the year. There are going to be hot days where you’ll be sweating, rainy days, windy days, cooler days where your skin will be pale and parched. While most of the foundations only have the shelf life of a year when opened, it’s important that you use (and finish) your foundation within its expiry date. This means that you’ll need to make minor adjustments to tweak your foundation season by season, and we’ve got tips!
Turn your matte foundation luminous Matte foundations are great for combination to oily skinned types, especially in summers when the weather is hot and humid. But things can get a little too matte in the drier and cooler months, the dry air can cause dry patches on the skin and a matte formula would cling to these dry patches giving you an uneven and lifeless finish. To tackle that, start by prepping your skin with a hydrating moisturizer and a hydrating primer that fills in the pores and fine lines on the skin. Add to your foundation a drop of liquid highlighter for a luminous finish. For those who get really dry in fall and winters, try prepping the skin with a face oil to avoid the foundation from clinging, set with a light translucent powder and you’re good to go.
Tools matter Most of us like applying our foundation with either a brush or a beauty sponge assuming it won’t affect the foundation, when in reality, the tools that you use to apply do effect the way your foundation looks. If you have a matte foundation and want to add a little bit of luminosity to it, opt for a damp sponge. Beauty sponges are especially great for people with dry skin because they add in that extra bit of moisture. For those who have oily to combination skin, damp sponges are the way to go in winters and brushes in summers. If you have a foundation that’s already sheer in terms of coverage, applying it with a damp sponge will further take away from the coverage. When you want to build coverage, use a brush and when you want to sheer down the coverage, use a sponge to blend it in.
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Turn your luminous foundation matte Luminous foundations often disappoint when it comes to their staying power. The creamy formula is great for those with dry skin but a nightmare if you have combination to oily skin. To increase the longevity of such foundations start with a moisturizer and a mattifying primer, take some translucent powder and set your face with it before you go in with foundation. This helps mattify the foundation and makes it last a lot longer. You can also take a translucent powder and mix it into your liquid foundation to get rid of the dewy effect.
Change the undertone of your foundation While it’s unlikely that your undertone will change, it is highly likely that you ordered a foundation online only to figure out that it makes you look ashy or grey which means, it’s not the right undertone for you. Ranging between warm, cool and neutral, you can adjust the undertone of your foundation by neutralizing it. The best way to fix wrong undertone foundation is to first neutralise your foundation’s undertone with a colour that falls opposite on the colour wheel. Once your foundation is neutralised, slowly add foundation colour adjusters to adjust the undertone to your desired shade.
Change the shade of your foundation Enjoying your time out in the sun during summers may give you a beautiful tan, which means the foundation that matched you really well at the beginning of the season is now a little light for you, the same happens during winter when you get paler. To fix that, invest in foundation lightening and darkening drops to customise the shade of your foundation throughout the year.
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Welcome to Mubashar Naqvi Muzaffarabad
People often ask me about the perfect time to visit the scenic tourist spots of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and I always reply, “All the time” Whether its summer or winter and spring or fall, Kashmir has its own charm and attractions that make it a safe haven on earth for the tourists as well as for people like us, who live here. Kashmir doesn’t disappoint you in any season: The one, who missed Kashmir’s summer, could not feast his or her eyes with the scenic views of snowcapped mountains encircling the picturesque valleys in scorching heat, beautiful streams of crystal clear water flowing gently in all almost all parts of the land and off-course, the rivers of bluish water at the heart of the cities and towns. Last but not the least, Kashmir’s majestic waterfalls. Much more to explore in summer! Snowfall in the upper parts adds more charm to the mesmerizing beauty of Kashmir. The sight of snowcapped trees with white dressed mountains in the background turns it into a Paradise on Earth. Kashmiri shawls, Pheran, Kangris (fire pots) and cuisines are some of the inseparable products of the white winter of Kashmir. On the other side of the Line of Control (LoC) in Indian Occupied Kashmir, the forty days period starting from December 21 to January 31st is known as Chilai Kalan, which is considered as the most crucial phase in winter due to the severity of the cold. And for spring, I must borrow the translated version of few tempting verses of a poem written by a famous Kashmiri poet Master Zinda Kaul in the Koushar language which beautifully depicted the advent of Kashmiri jovial spring…
Don’t forget to taste pink tea (Noon Chai), Kashmiri Kulcha, Baqar Khani, Goshtaba, Walnut and a number of other traditional drinks and edibles while your stay in Kashmir to keep yourself warm during the harsh weather conditions. Traditional Kashmiri meals such as Rogan Josh, Modur Pulav, Matschgand, Yakhni or Yoghurt Lamb Curry, Dum Olav, Kashmiri Muji Gaad, Aab Gosht, Goshtaba and many other delicacies of Kashmiri cuisine are lipsmacking, give these a try.
Holding those feet upon my beating heart I shall narrate all the pains and sufferings of my life. Shall make him to remember the love-filled lap That used to hold the baby. What I possess, I shall hand him over. Love’s depth I shall awaken for him. Flowers shall I lay in his path. I hear he is on a visit this way..! Kashmir’s spring carries’ countless colours and aromas all the way and every day. Finally, we are in autumn and let me confess without any exaggeration that nothing can be more beautiful as autumn in Kashmir. Autumn is the striking time of the year in Kashmir. It gives a look, like the leaves falling down from the variety of trees fall in love with the beautiful land and wanted to kiss it impatiently. Autumn is almost magical season in Kashmir when the valley takes on the bridal colours of golden and red from mid-September to the end of November. It is the perfect time for photography lovers to visit Kashmir and capture the romance of nature. One would never miss the range of flying leaves in the air and walking over the land fully carpeted with the autumn leaves. The mighty chinar (maple) trees make the autumn in the other part of the state truly magical. The dry leaves of chinar turn rust, covering the ground everywhere. And with the slightest breeze, these leaves seem to murmur something to each other.
Don’t forget to visit Tulip Garden. Situated in the heart of the capital city Muzaffarabad, the best time to visit the garden is spring. The garden has been established on the pattern of Tulip Garden Srinagar to express solidarity with the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir. Srinagar, the summer capital of occupied territory has Asia’s largest tulip garden that draws millions of tourists every year. Kashmir is beautiful inside out and open, accessible and enjoyable all the time. Every season has its own unique flavour, which needs to be fully enjoyed. And what makes the place more comfortable is the hospitality of locals – they are friendly and lovable. The roads are wide and better, transport and hotels are affordable which would not be heavy on your pockets and there are good discounts for tourists. You just need to decide which part of the heaven you are going to explore in Kashmir but keep in mind that hilly areas demand 4x4 vehicles and winter warm stuff.
A vegetarian’s guide to finding food in Karachi In a society centred around meateverything, having a plant-based diet can be quite the struggle Mobeen Arif Karachi
There are three things every vegetarian knows for certain: Veggie burgers feel like you’re eating an alien’s cat food, spices are your best friend, and the average restaurant typically only has a few things on the menu that a vegetarian can eat, and most of them tend to be either sides or bread. And no, fries do not get the label of a full meal. So if want to go to a restaurant that has more than just onion rings on the menu, use this guide. None of these spots are fully vegetarian (Karachi is yet to have such an eatery), but they do have many vegetarian options you could make a fulfilling meal out of. Let’s dive right in!
Good ol’ Desi Realness Does it get any better than daal chawal or a piping hot pot of palak paneer? The correct answer is, no it doesn’t. When your tummy is seeking comfort food, desi is the way to go. Indian and Pakistani cuisines have the best vegetarian options that are often very easy on the pocket. Rajhdani Delights is the ‘thaali’ place to go to, where they’ll literally serve everything – sabzi, daal, vegetable qorma, palak, Gujarati curry, papad – you name it, they have it. You could also go to Angeethi and have a variety of their veggie-only selections, ranging from palak paneer, mix sabzi, chana daal, and so on. Similarly, Nawab Dynasty has a huge range of vegetable delicacies to choose from; paneer handi, sizzling bhindi, vegetable jalfrezi, to name a few. Desi options will always come in great abundance when you’re in Karachi, and your appetite will be more than just satisfied.
Cucina Italiana Feeling a little saucy? Well, don’t worry, because when it comes to Italian food, the pastabilities are endless! The cuisine doesn’t really rely on meat too much but instead compensates with all the goodness of herbs, fresh tomatoes, garlic, and a whole lot of cheese. If you’re craving a pizza, Xanders has a Spinach and Feta cheese pizza to die for, perfect for a filling vegetarian meal. Other than that, you could also opt for several pasta mains around the city; For all-cheese everything, Jardin’s Four Cheese Pasta will satisfy; For a touch of red, the Spaghetti Marinara from Bella Vita or Pomo ought to do the trick, and for thrill-seekers who go green, pesto (made with pine nuts and basil) is a rich addition that transforms the ol’ pasta cravings, and you can find a great pesto pasta at Neco’s! Another worthy option is the Linguini Pesto Primavera at Colette, loaded with garlic and parmesan to satiate one’s hunger.
Pan-Asian Everything A vegetarian’s escape into food can most certainly be fulfilled by all the incredible offerings of pan-Asian cuisine. Why? Because the combinations are boundless. From Vietnamese to Japanese, Malaysian to Thai, you can curate your meal as your heart desires. Chop Chop Wok does a great Noodle and Rice bar where you can even add tofu to your meal, including your very own veggie selections. Other than that, jumping on the hot pot trend might do your appetite some good, as restaurants like Wang Wang showcase a wide range of vegetables paired with a delicious spicy broth and an array of noodle categories to choose from! Want something on the go? Head on over to Bao Bae’s food truck and indulge in their thick-cut Wok charred noodles laden in an exquisitely tangy black pepper and tamarind sauce, topped with a generous sprinkle of coriander and garlic. PA K I S TA N ’ S N U M B E R 1 P U B L I C AT I O N
Mubashar Naqvi is Muzaffarabad based writer. He writes on culture, travel, food and socioeconomic issues in the region. He tweets @SMubasharNaqvi
Salad Heaven Eventually, you should make someone repay you for all the times you’ve had to eat salad at a steakhouse. And when you do, make them buy you a salad and come full circle on life’s irony. Xanders has an incredible quinoa and cranberry salad that one just can’t get enough of, loaded with rocket, mint, feta cheese, wilted cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and of course, cranberries! Another quinoa salad worth trying is the one available at the restaurant Swing, which delivers a no-nonsense version of the classic. Whilst we are on the topic of greens, it’d be a sin not to mention the cosiest joint in town – Necos. This place will have everything your vegetarian tummy desires, from great salad options to even many vegan offerings. Looking for less trouble? Try Eatfit, a healthy home delivery food service that might as well provide you with the best Meditteranean salad you would ever have.
The Bread and Wrap Club While burgers and vegetarianism rarely go hand in hand, there’s always a mean sandwich or wrap that could save the day. When you want a classic, eat fresh. Subway’s veggie delite will always be something you can rely on, having control over what veggies go into what sauces it will hold. Other than that, espresso has an excellent Mexican burrito, albeit it is with meat in the menu, but given how the burrito is made up of several separate ingredients, it is pretty easy to request the kitchen to remove the meat, which they will do so happily! Craving a substitute for rolls? Try the Falafel wrap at PITA which features a crispy veg shawarma made with pita, falafels, garlic aioli, tahini and iceberg.
Traditionally Turkish If you’re watching the famous Turkish drama Ertugrul, you should also try out their food as well! Since the cuisine is heavily dependant on meat, especially lamb, the likelihood of finding a fulfilling meal here is quite little. Surprisingly enough, Zeytin had quite a few options for the plant-diet gals. Picture this; You start your meal with a culmination of Fattoush salad, and a side of hummus paired with what is the tastiest naan available ever. Then you move on to a cheese Pide, which is technically a Turkish flatbread, but it’s so so much more in taste when compared to your regular flatbreads. You could also get the vegetable Borek, which is essentially a flaky doughy pastry filled with several greens lathered in a tantalising sauce. You finish off with a Knafeh, a concoction of vermicelli, cream, and cheese, that will leave you wanting more.
Street Food And boy oh boy, how could this list be anywhere near to completion without mentioning Mirchilli. Featuring a wide range of exquisite veg options, from Masala Dosas to Bunkebabs, from Chana chaat to Pani Puri, this place does it all. You will even find the famous uttapam dosa here, quite similar to a flatbread, but much more desi and tasty. Another similar place is Khao Dosa, branding itself as the house of khaosuey and dosa, which serves exactly that amongst many other delicacies of authentic South Asian cuisine!
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Emily in Paris, but still the same old American This Netflix rom-com may be all the buzz right now, but not for the reasons you think Mubarra Yousuf Karachi
If you somehow missed the first season last year, Emily in Paris was released at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, with nationwide lockdowns raging the better half of the globe, producer of Younger and Sex and the City, Darren Star, released this latest rom-com show. With everything happening around us, the show inevitably became everyone’s temporary escape from all the unpredictable elements of our reality, which was probably a major reason why it took no time for Emily to jump up in the top 10 list on Netflix, with a similar reason attached to the success of the second season, timing being one of the better decisions for this show. Emily in Paris, as the title suggests, follows a woman named Emily as she lands in the city of love to become an overseas representative for her Chicago based marketing firm. However, but this is not a mere story of an ambitious American, but is instead packed with intense relationship drama, a crazy wardrobe, and a whole lot of disasters. Since the very beginning, Emily has always had a hard time settling into the French way of life, all the way from a major language barrier to their nowork weekends, with a lot of viewers suggesting that her ineptitude to fit in the French way of life was probably due to the lack of interest on Emily’s part, or her being overly comfortable with her Americanness. She believes she can survive her stay on the “fake it till you make it” motto, until the fact that she doesn’t speak French nor is she trying very hard to becomes a recurring joke in the TV series. Facing backlash on this laid back attitude in the first season, a little effort was made to send Emily to French classes so she can fit in better and become well suited to her clients at work, especially if she is to stay in Paris longer than anticipated, which is something fans will have to look forward to in the possible upcoming season. The second season picks up exactly where the
When it comes to satire, the new starpacked Netflix feature is as subtle as a sledgehammer. But is that necessarily a bad thing? Mobeen Arif Karachi
The world is ending, and nobody cares. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Our scientists have been practically shouting about the end of days that our inaction and negligence towards global warming will bring, but the response from the majority (read: right-wing) has been pretty underwhelming. This kind of passive and nonchalant reaction isn’t new, it has been prevalent over the past few decades. It was especially highlighted during the last two years when misinformation ran rampant and a general disposition to outrightly reject rational voices from the likes of Dr. Fauci became the dividing norm. Not a better moment than now for such a movie, Don’t Look Up is touted as a close representation of our reactive action, or rather inaction, towards global urgencies like climate change or a pandemic. Received as the brainchild of famed filmmaker and writer Adam McKay, the film follows two Midwestern research astronomers as they discover a giant comet hurtling towards earth, expected to make an impact within six months and consequently kill all
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last left off, with Emily betraying her only French friend, putting herself in the middle of a weird love triangle between her friend Camille and the latter’s boyfriend, Gabriel. This recurring plot line makes the two seasons very similar, with Emily creating relationship problems for herself, making this the basic narrative that we follow throughout all the episodes released. After discovering Gabriel would be staying in Paris and not moving to Normandy as he initially planned, Emily tries to fix the problem she had created while keeping Camille in the dark, only to blow up the situation and making it worse for everyone involved. This is a route that Emily follows with a lot of the problems she comes across or creates, believing she can fix them all by herself, not wanting to take the advice of her Parisian fellows. Down the line, Emily meets a new love interest named Alfie, who initially takes no liking
towards Emily, a sentiment that follows suit with a lot of viewers of the TV series. A character that is interesting to watch and grow through season 2, both inside and outside the office, is Sylvie. Her snarky remarks and sly grin while she smokes a cigarette every time something goes wrong is not only amusing to watch, but quite relat-
life on the planet. This discovery leads to a frustratingly difficult path of getting everyone to acknowledge the graveness of this planet-killing conundrum. The obstacles in their path comprise of all the classic tropes that resemble reality to a disturbing degree; a Janus-faced political leader more worried about her next election than an extinction event, brought to life by the impeccable Meryl Streep; her cynical and self-serving staff, showcasing the impeccable comedic timing of Jonah Hill; overly peppy media powerhouses that are more interested in facile entertainment than truth, characterised by Tyler Perry and Cate Blanchett; and socially awkward billionaire tech tycoons who only feign interest in the greater good but are innately gravitated to where their wealth can be exacerbated, portrayed brilliantly by Oscar-winner Mark Rylance. Don’t Look Up also happens to star two of the most famous actors in the world, Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio, as the underling astronomers dedicated to broadcasting the truth, even though some of them get swayed by temptations of fame. One glance at the star-packed cast is enough to convince every generation to immediately watch this film, but the star power didn’t stop the arbiters of cinema from tearing the feature to bits. Criticisms for the movie have been more or less consistent on one single note; that it’s a low hanging fruit the movie latches itself on. The comet becomes the obvious metaphor for climate change, whereas the many character tropes serve to embody various real-world individuals, from the likes of Donald Trump to Elon Musk. While subtlety may be absent in this satirical venture, would it have really helped in making the point of the movie? Marvel movies consistently amass critical approval despite their plots
Wheel Of Time – Amazon Money Heist Season 5 Part 2 – Netflix Hawkeye – Disney+ The Witcher Season 2 – Netflix Don’t Look Up – Netflix
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able. Mindy also grows as a character amidst trying to live her dream in Paris of becoming a singer, even though her past always seems to haunt her. One of the reasons this tv show became as famous as it did in the time it was released was because of its highly unrealistic setting, its representation of the inner workings of the corporate world,
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practically derived from a single overused stencil. Granted, those films are graded for what they are, whereas satire aficionados like to be challenged. On that note, one can’t help but ask what Don’t Look up intends for itself to be. What McKay achieves in this film is a perfect satirical mix that seamlessly treads the line between cinematic absurdity and real-life. The people caught up in a critique of how the movie delivered its theme rather than focus on the actual theme of the movie fail to realise that their divided response is ironically the very thing McKay satirises. Bluntness of the message need not be considered the film’s flaw, but rather its unique selling punch, for not everything requires a nuanced approach, especially with a subject matter as important and as hotly debated as climate change. Subtlety was not the point. If the film’s aim had been to embody a conceptual mind-meddling art house aggregate, then this analysis would look a lot different. However, Don’t Look Up is anything but that; its primary motive derived from the fact that squabbling about how the message gets delivered is preposterous in the face of human extinction. The characters of DiCaprio and Lawrence try pertaining to a friendly script when taking the media spotlight for their deadly warnings, but their eventual anger-fuelled meltdowns throughout the movie, reminiscent of the “I’m mad as hell” monologue from the Peter Finch starrer Network, serve as the context Mckay tries to drive; that we should all be crying out about climate change and global warming as it is: a horrifying reality of our era. Throughout the course of the film, the truth-stating underlings hear several dismissive statements from high officials, ranging from the president trivialising the ordeal by stating “you know how many end of the world meetings we’ve had over the years” to news executives telling them to “keep it light.” Not farfetched from reality, this display of indifference towards grave danger is exactly what many money-hungry officials in power showcase during world-changing events, especially witnessed during the pandemic, and even more so amidst the fight for legitimizing concerns regarding climate change. Sure, no one likes to have to be the one to acknowledge that our dear planet is turning against us, all due to the shard of corruption in humankind that brought about this extinction level threat. But the movie does exactly that, culminating success on one
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and the navigation of friendships and romantic relationships showcasing a stark lack of responsibility and accountability. Initially, this is what the world thought it needed to escape our the realities, but this quickly became a joke about clichéd American behaviour when the TV series had the potential of
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being a laid back, inconsequential and inoffensive comedy instead of being disrespectful to not only the French but many other cultures. With all that the writers tried to improve with Emily’s character based on the backlash they received after the first season, there were things that just didn’t sit well with anyone, particularly the representation of the Ukrainian character named Petra. Petra is framed as a thief who steals from a luxury brand store, with Emily being the one telling Petra right from wrong, who still does not listen, while Emily heads back to return the items she had, doing the right thing as she always believes she does. Not only is this an overtly problematic representation of another culture but it also does not do much to help the already negative picture that is painted of Eastern Europe in the West. This caused enough outrage that the Ukrainian cultural minister called out Netflix and Emily in Paris for misrepresenting Ukrainian women, writing in a Telegram post: “We have a caricature image of a Ukrainian woman that is unacceptable. It is also insulting. Is that how Ukrainians are seen abroad?” With everything that this TV series represents, if it were to be compared to a romantic comedy that was released a decade or two ago then maybe some of these things could have been overlooked as funny. A lot of the show and its plot twists were also things that could have been easily predicted. One thing however is the ability of the TV show to help you dream your idealised trip to Paris as that still seems like a farfetched reality in our lives at the moment. With that being said the show is still enjoyed by many, hence the show being nominated for various awards last season and being under the Netflix top 10 list in Pakistan and around the world. So the only question we all are really left with is; will Emily ever learn French?
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single aspect of its theme; urgency. There is no time for interpretation or subtly mixed messages where a viewer is led to an eureka moment, eventually transcending into complete social awareness. It’s already too late and the theme corroborates that haste. The point being, there’s no salvation coming for us. There is no big red button you get to push a day before the end of all times to avoid certain death for humanity. Much like a slow burn thriller, our reality is already in the second half of a script we ourselves tainted, amping up to its climactic point. The narrative of the film does get dark, but what brings the film to soundness is its harmony between nihilism and absurdity with effectively delivered humour. Lawrence plays the character to nail with her deadpan comedy and the running gag of her consistently questioning as to why a military general charged her for what later turned out to be free snacks was one of the best bits in the entire film, whereas Timothee Chalamet’s evangelical gamer boy persona really steals the spotlight despite limited screen time. DiCaprio and Streep prove their acting prowess once again, delivering their character to portrayals brilliantly. Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi’s cameos are a treat during the film, where they also end up performing a hysterically satirical song, with McKay establishing how much influence celebrities and pop culture icons have in our society. With an extraordinary soundtrack, the movie ends on an extremely dystopian note, commendable for McKay to not shy away from delivering a gloomy subject to its entirety, as Bon Iver plays us out through his depressingly beautiful new track, Second Nature. In other worthy elements to highlight, there’s a particular line in the movie where DiCaprio’s character says: “We really did have everything.” As vividly striking the dialogue is, it becomes even more jarring with the unmistakable experience of living in this decade, as extremely erratic monsoons and floods knock on our coastal cities, as wildfires rage on simultaneously in several parts of the planet, and we come to terms with what is truly happening; the world is ending, and we could have done more to prevent this reality coming to fruition. We can do more. Given what the world witnessed in the past two years, the more hyperbolic plot points of the film didn’t seem as exaggerated. It’s a horrifying notion to come to terms with, but the movie Don’t Look Up is much more a documentary than it is a satirical comedy.
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Dick Van Dyke: My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business – A Memoir TV Legend Dick Van Dyke talks about his career, his life, and his ‘adventures’ Omair Alavi Karachi
When is the best time to read about the life and times of TV’s very own legendary figure Dick Van Dyke? On the eve of his birthday, of course; and if it is his 96th birthday, then it multiplies your motivation by 96 times! Dick Van Dyke’s bestseller My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business – A Memoir is available in the market if you want to know how a newbie ended with his own show, what made him venture into films and help Mary Poppins as well as solve murders in the 90s hit show Diagnosis: Murder. In this autobiography, Dick Van Dyke recounts his adventures from the day he was told that his date of birth was incorrect, to the moment he decided to retire some seven decades later. It was what happened during those years that make up this book, where Dick Van Dyke is being Dick Van Dyke. If you didn’t know that in the beginning, he wanted to join the church, or that everyone knew everyone when he was growing up, or that he nearly had an encounter with the mob when he was doing his stand-up act, you need to get your hands on this book. He not only talks about the many aspects of his colorful life as an entertainer but also reveals details of his carefully guarded life as a family man. While addressing the readers, he talks about his wife, his kids, and marriage, but doesn’t stop just there. He discloses the details of his affair to Michelle Triola and how he balanced his life between the two ladies. Not many knew that the man who always played ‘straight-as-an-arrow’ kind of character, had a busy personal life, but as he calls it in the title, it’s all about his ‘lucky life in and out of show business’. When Dick Van Dyke was young, he couldn’t join the army during the Second
Photos: File World War as a soldier for health reasons, but he compensated for that loss by boosting the morale of his fellow countrymen as a radioman for the military. That made him realize that he could carve a career in showbiz, but since he was from a small town, he didn’t know many people who could help him. But since luck favors the brave, he let luck decide his fate and people from Carl Reiner and others helped him become the most loved celebrity in the United States in no time. He talks about meeting his idols Stan Laurel and Buster Keaton during their final days and impressed them so much that they wanted him to speak at their respective funeral, which he did. He also discusses the experience of working in Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins, Warren Beatty’s Dick Tracy, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang that was produced by the makers of James Bond. He does mention how he convinced Walt Disney to let him play an extra role in Mary Poppins, and how
much did he had to pay from his own pocket to ‘Uncle Walt’ for that ‘extra’ character. Interesting, isn’t it? For those who grew up watching Dick Van Dyke on TV and wondered why he was into singing and dancing, as well as roller skates, well this book covers that aspect as well. After all, who wouldn’t stay into singing and dancing if legends like Frank Sinatra and Fred Astaire respectively appreciated you. That’s not all, he was a close friend of the civil rights movement leader Martin Luther King Jr. and explains how his assassination changed him, and the rest of the country. Dick Van Dyke was always appreciated for his clean comedy and he explains that it was his upbringing and his principled stand that helped him remain ‘clean’ throughout his career. He said that he never accepted characters that had anything to do with sex, nor did he appreciate intimate scenes that were deliberately written to attract viewers because he wanted his family to watch his shows, and not despise him. It is within these pages he talks about one of his grandchild’s sudden death, and his addiction to alcohol, two incidents that changed his life. The author also mentions how the success of Diagnosis: Murder brought him closer to his children, most of whom worked him in the hit 1990s series. The pictures in this book show that Dick Van Dyke led a ‘lucky’ life in showbiz and is clearly happiest while relating amusing anecdotes about his boyhood, struggling days, and his collaborators Carl Reiner and Mary Tyler Moore. A few incidents that bring smiles to the readers’ faces are also mentioned within these pages, such as Jerry Lewis’ attempt to distract him while he met the Queen, and what did Her Majesty say about The Dick Van Dyke show. If you are still curious how he got his own show so early in his career, you have to read this book to find out.
Will Authors: Will Smith & Mark Manson 2021
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2021
F9, No Time To Die and The Matrix Resurrections couldn’t do well at the box office for various reasons!
Why did Hollywood blockbusters fail in Pakistan?
Omair Alavi Karachi
With the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, cinemas in Pakistan were able to stage a comeback after a closure of more than one year. The film crossed Rs. 200 million milestone in just 10 days, and if its run continues, it might go on to become the highest-grossing Hollywood movie in the country. However, its predecessors – the ninth installment of the Fast and Furious series and the 25th James Bond flick – weren’t that lucky, and neither was the fourth edition The Matrix that was released a week after Spider-Man. Neither film was able to do any kind of business in the county and there are various reasons for that. In fact, James Bond barely survived one week, and is hardly available in theatres after New Year and same can be said for The Matrix Resurrections. Why did the three franchises that have usually performed well in Pakistan couldn’t repeat their performance at the box office, is a million-dollar question, and we will try to answer it in three simple steps. A late release didn’t help either Dom or Bond! Had the distributors who imported these films, and the cinema owners who screened them been smart, these films would have helped cinema revive long before Spider-Man: No Way Home was released. When you compile the list of most successful films at the box office in Pakistan, three out of the nine Fast and Furious films will feature in the top 10. Bond series might not have been as successful as the Fast franchise, but they have a connection with the audience that dates back to the 1960s. That’s why both the films would have done well had they been released sooner. When F9 was released worldwide on June 25, cinemas were closed in Pakistan due to the pandemic. But it could have been released when the cinemas did open nearly
four months back, instead of December, but the distributors waited for the audience to return to cinemas instead of bringing them to the cinemas with what was a golden egg in their possession. That’s where they erred because between June and December, people saw the film in every way they could; from downloading the film from torrents (illegally) to purchasing the movie on DVDs, F9 was out there for six months. Neither the distributors nor the cinema owners announced that the film would be coming to cinemas soon, a practice that is followed across the world, and when most of the cine-goers had watched the film in the comfort of their home, only then it was announced that it would hit the screens. That was too late for a film that could have brought in the audience without doing much; the same thing happened with No Time To Die which was released worldwide in October but came to the cinemas in Pakistan one week before Spider-Man: No Way Home on December 10. That decision alone cost the film for most of the people saw the film in cinemas across the world (as traveling was allowed), and when Agent 007 entered Pakistani cinema, he was either too late to save himself, or the franchise. Those who had not seen the movie knew the spoilers from either those who had seen the movie or from Twitter accounts that love spoiling films for others, and that’s why many decided to stay away. The surprise element that helped Spider-Man: No Way Home become a box-office sensation could have saved these two movies in Pakistan, but since they were late to the stop, they missed the bus! One fails to understand why the makers of The Matrix Resurrections didn’t delay their film internationally, for such a decision might have benefitted the film and the franchise. Instead, they chose to take Spider-Man: No Way Home head-on, and the result wasn’t mush different from the villains in the MCU flick. One week after its release in Pakistan, cinema owners have reduced the shows of The Matrix Resurrections to accommodate for the rush that wants to meet the friendly neigbourhood Spider-Man. The simultaneous digital release and the negative reviews did the rest of the damage.
PA K I S TA N ’ S N U M B E R 1 P U B L I C AT I O N
A ticket costs more than Netflix’s monthly fee! Until and unless the ticket prices are reduced in Pakistan, and cinema is made accessible to all instead of the elite, the industry will not revive or survive. In a country where a Netflix account costs less than a 3D film ticket (it cost Rs.1000 in one of the cineplexes), going to the cinema will soon become a luxury instead of a pastime. It’s true that the pandemic hit the cinema industry badly and they need to recover too, but the same happened to the rest of the industries. People who used to keep money aside for a cinema trip now have other things to worry about; it is not just the cinema ticket that has increased but also the prices of electricity, petrol, gas, and household items. So, until the cinema management realises that they have to attract people by decreasing their ticket prices, the number of people visiting cinemas will continue to decrease. Ticket prices aside, the refreshments available in the cinema are also very expensive and while you could get Rs. 1200 worth of nachos for an entire family from your local supermarket, you will get one serving of the same in your neighbourhood cinema. Don’t be surprised that in the coming days, people will cut down their cinema visits and make plans on a monthly or quarterly basis, instead of every week, ultimately coining the phrase ‘greed killed traditional cinema.’ No marketing, yes problem! And finally, something about the marketing strategy of international films, something James Bond and Dominic Toretto could have benefitted from. Not many people knew that cinemas had opened in Pakistan when these films were finally released. Cinema owners must realise that social media shouldn’t be the only platform for marketing, since not everyone has an access to social media in Pakistan. And even if we assume that everyone uses social media, then it is unlikely that everyone who is interested in cinema would be following your account. Traditional methods such as advertising on TV, digital platforms including YouTube, and using banners on important roads would surely make people aware that cinema is open, and ‘so and so’ film is waiting for them. If that’s not done sooner, others might take the lead and divert the remaining cine-goers to their platforms by playing smart, than being overconfident. F O R B O O K I N G A D S , W W W. B O L N E W S . C O M / N E W S PA P E R