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Total Siyapaa: Despite a Pakistani groom and an Indian bride, the movie could have been better!

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Ali Zafar’s fifth Bollywood film, Total Siyapaa, is an outlandish comedy of errors which unfolds on a single, wild night. The movie is another version of the popular cliché of what happens when a boy meets the girl’s parents for the first time. Things are going great for the couple, Aman, played by Ali Zafar, and Asha, portrayed by the talented Yami Gautam, until Aman is persuaded, with much protest, to meet Asha’s parents. Chaos ensues as the couple face characters ranging from a Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ)-obsessed child, baseball-bat wielding youngsters, a chronic complainer (played skilfully by Kiron Kher), trollops with tooting accents and a nuttier than a bar of snickers granddad. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Total Siyapaa Official Facebook Page[/caption] Mix the quirks of the characters, which are, to put it mildly and in printable language, cucking frazy, with a dangerous container of frozen soup and some near murders, and you have the recipe for a mammoth Siyapaa. Interestingly, things at the house take a massive turn for the worse when Aman is asked the all too familiar question of ‘what is your family background’. This is when the parents unexpectedly learn that their Indian daughter, who was brought up as a Hindu, has chosen a Pakistani man, who follows a different religion. That’s when the already awkward dinner turns into an out and out farce. Aman, the innocent, well-spoken boy from a good family, struggles to maintain his nerve as each character presents a new challenge. As he becomes more and more entrapped by the family’s eccentricities and a host of unexpected circumstances, Aman’s relationship with Asha comes under stress too. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="522"] Photo: Total Siyapaa Official Facebook Page[/caption] His love for Asha makes him drop his accha bacha (good boy) standards and work to wriggle himself out of a welter of problems as he, against his will, finds himself in police stations, a flower shop and even the prospective father-in-law’s office. The interaction between Kiron Kher and Ali Zafar is hilarious throughout the film and there is a particularly funny scene where a distressed Aman has to deal with an elderly relative in a lavatory. While Total Siyapaa has its moments, I can’t help but think that the film, which is clearly meant to be an entertainer, has great unfulfilled potential. Initially titled Aman Ki Asha, it could have been fantastic had it included more of the comedy centred on the cultural differences between the two countries and Aman working to make peace with his antagonistic Indian family. It only touches on this matter briefly and if the script had more such banter, it would have really helped engage the audience for longer periods. The trailer and climax of the film, where the Pakistani identity of Aman is revealed, brings about an expectation of the Indo-Pak angle, which unfortunately isn’t exploited to the fullest. As a result, the film tends to meander from one comedy skit to another. The supporting cast, with the exception of the outlandish sister, played by Sara Khan, aren’t able to sparkle to the same extent that the family members did in the Meet the Parents series. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Total Siyapaa Official Facebook Page[/caption] While it’s neither engaging nor unpredictable enough to be termed a must see, there’s still plenty to commend in the film. Zafar is fantastic as the puzzled Pakistani and you can certainly relate to the very Pakistani earnestness and charm he brings to the role. The multi-talented Zafar sparkles, whether on screen or through the soundtrack, since in addition to playing the lead role, he composed and sung the songs too – the title track of which is sure to be a super-hit. One hopes he will soon become the first choice for the male lead in rom-coms too, much like Parineeta Chopra for filmmakers seeking a great female lead. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17ngzn_total-siyapaa-official-trailer-2013-ali-zafar-yaami-gautam-anupam-kher-kirron-kher_music[/embed] Moreover, the guy is an absolute gentleman and was supremely patient despite the stampede causing attention he was getting at the premiere in Pakistan. Courteous to the core, he even left a conversation midway with Humaima Malick and Aminah Shaikh when interrupted by a humble autograph seeker. Seeing Zafar on the big screen should be a huge draw for most people, considering he is probably the man most men want to be, and of course, the man most women want to be with. All in all, if you’re looking for a light-hearted and amusing film that the lady in your life won’t object to, this ultimately harmless film, which has some great songs, one of which sees Zafar partner with Fariha Pervez, is a good pick.



Is morality determined by the length of a woman’s blouse?

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Over time I have noticed a common trend on Pakistani Facebook pages, especially those of designers and celebrities: crude, caustic and downright hateful slandering of celebrities. I recently stumbled upon a picture of Humaima Malick looking gorgeous in an elegant Élan ensemble and all I could think of was the talent and beauty that exists in our country. But then I read the bitterest of verbal abuses on the picture, which included:

“She is lookin’ dumb and her makeup is damn worst” “Kitni ugly hai pata nai kyun uthaya hua hai isko” “This is behayaee and immoral behaviour”
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="448"] Photo: Élan Facebook Page[/caption] Apparently, showing inches of your midriff is “immoral” and a bigger issue than dishonesty, breach of rights, self-righteousness and hatred. If a dress were to simply determine how decent or virtuous a person was then one wouldn’t need to develop any virtue at all. A woman in a scarf is seen as pious and one in a western attire as corrupt; a baseless prejudice that has people believing that morality lies in the length of a woman’s blouse. Funnily, all of these comments came from women using pseudonyms and pictures of objects or animals in their display pictures. It became apparent that these women were living highly controlled and over-protected lives. Sadly, women living under the strict patriarchal control of their husbands, fathers or brothers are not allowed to wear what they want, go where they want, work where they want and sometimes even marry who they want. Women who demand their basic rights are subjected to abuse and violence; curbing their chances to grow, thrive and survive. This points to the root issue of the breach of basic human liberties, including self-expression and living in a manner one pleases. Living in the 21st century, where the world is witnessing the discoveries of the first draft of the human genome, Shinya Yamanaka’s induced pluripotent stem cells, Higgs boson at CERN and Photonic molecules at MIT, we are stuck judging women for their choices in dressing. It is unfortunate because, instead of respecting basic rights, they conveniently bash those who choose to live uninhibited lives. How can women be empowered when the image of an empowered woman becomes a subject to hate? When will women realise that they can only grow if they allow other women to freely express themselves? Our people need to realise that the country can only progress culturally if we reassess our standards of morality and respect, and appreciate everyone in the same manner. Making an issue out of something so trivial and labelling it immoral would not only disempower women but the entire generations to follow.

11 bizarre moments that are always expected on Eidul Fitr

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So finally Ramazan has come to an end and our very own meethi Eid (aka Eidul Fitr) is here! Although there are some of us who despise the endless train of Eid visitors, some of us anticipate the various... amusing moments that are bound to arise during these holidays. Here are 11 moments that signify Eidul Fitr’s arrival: 1. The looney lunar: Many people are sleep deprived on Eid. Why, you ask? Well, what else can you expect when the announcement of Eid is sprung on you at the eleventh hour, courtesy of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee? Pakistanis, by habit, leave quite a few important things to the last minute and so this announcement is of the utmost importance to us. It is when this announcement is made that we scramble out of our slumber and run hither-dither trying to get our last minute shopping done. And then, of course, there are the chand raat celebrations which we must most definitely take part in. So again, you ask the reason behind why we look like we cried the night before? This is it. 2. Gluttony: The night before Eid, you believe that you have actually lost weight and will maintain this for the rest of the year. This was what you wanted. You wanted to lose weight and then comes Eid with all its deliciousness and that resolution goes down the drain as soon as we hit the breakfast table. In my opinion, we are known to eat more on the three days of Eid than we do throughout the month of Ramazan because there is So. Much. Food!  [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Photo: Tumblr[/caption] 3.  To drink or not to drink: I am not sure how many of us go through this, but the fear of mistakenly drinking or eating something during Ramazan sticks around for a few days (hours for some) after the last roza (fast). In my case, I end up giving myself a mini heart-attack after sipping a cold glass of water in the afternoon on Eid day. Don’t worry; you’ll need time to get out of your ‘fast’ lane.  [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500"] Photo: Giphy.com[/caption] 4. That filial duty: When our parents ask us to visit distant relatives at any other time of the year, we feel no shame in a blatant refusal. However, on Eid, it is us reminding them about their not-so-filial duties because you never know who hands that envelope full of crisp notes.  [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500"] Photo: Mashable[/caption] 5. Holier than thou much:   All those who scrutinise our every move to find a reason to shame us suddenly drop their Ramazan cloaks and are ready to rumble! Now they are are free to admire Humaima Malick’s new dance. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="162"] Photo: Funnyjunk.com[/caption] 6. Tailor woes: Need to get that last minute peeko on your dupatta done or one of your sleeves is somehow shorter than the other? The innumerable curses upon the tailor continue once the roza has ended.  [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Photo: Tumblr[/caption] 7. Last minute shopping: Dress? Check. Shoes? Check. Jewellery? Check. Bangles? Oh Crap. Someone get the car out. Now!  [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="280"] Photo: Tumblr[/caption] 8. Those dreaded hugs: Eid is one occasion in which 'hugging' suddenly becomes okay. But really, what is the point of the three hugs? Aren't we confused enough already with two or one kisses dilemma that now we need to figure out the amount of times we need to hug? How about a little less action and a little more conversation, please?  [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Photo: Tumblr[/caption] 9. Eidi-flation: That moment when you feel like telling your rich relatives about the height of inflation when they hand you that hundred rupee note.  [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500"] Photo: Giphy.com[/caption] 10. Never ending questions: Unable to strike a conversation? These relatives know how to make you talk. From “why are you working?” to “when are you getting married?”, the question-answer session this Eid is going to be grueling and unforgiving. And the relatives do it with such aplomb; they will ask you anything under the sky, without much thought or hesitation.  [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="250"] Photo: Tumblr[/caption] 11.   The table-talkers: Serving guests who start their discussion with the essence of Ramazan being about patience and ending with the doom of Pakistanis for not being Arab enough, while incessantly asking you to pass the bowl of Sheer Khurma. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="250"] Photo: Tumblr[/caption]   Eid is essentially all about sharing joy and happiness with the people you love, including family and friends (even if some of them are killjoys), because a few hours won’t hurt so much now, will they? And while we are blessed to celebrate the occasion, let’s spare some time for those less fortunate and remember not to take Eid for granted. And most importantly, Eid Mubarak!


Raja Natwarlal: Humaima, ‘Pakistan’s Rani’, fails to rule the Indian Box Office

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Yes, Emraan Hashmi is back in his ‘serial kisser avatar’ in Kunal Deshmukh’s Raja Natwarlal. This time Emraan is blessed with both: his serial kissing traits and his power packed spontaneous performance. The movie created a lot of buzz pre and post release, as it casts Pakistani ‘drama queen’ and movie star, Humaima Malick, opposite Emraan. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x21ou0p_raja-natwarlal-official-trailer-emraan-hashmi-humaima-malik_people[/embed] Although, Humaima made her début in the Pakistani film industry with ‘Bol’, back in 2011, in Bollywood this is her first release. There were a lot of expectations for the movie to be a success for everyone, including Emraan, Humaima, Kunal and Kay Kay Menon. So, what happened to the movie? Let’s explore that thought. Raja Natwarlal is a typical revenge saga of a con-man, Raja Natwarlal(Emraan Hashmi) fighting for the cold-blooded murder of his partner cum caretaker, Raghav (Deepak Tijori). Raja stands up against all odds to take vengeance from Vardha Yadav (Kay Kay Menon) with the help of a retired con artist, Yogi (Paresh Rawal). Raja leaves his love toy, Ziya (Humaima Malick) – a bar dancer, back in India and flies to Cape Town (Raghav’s empire) with Yogi to con Raghav. What happens next is a typical Bollywood caricature. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640"] Emraan Hashmi. Photo: Publicity[/caption] Kunal and Emraan, together, gave some great hits in the past, including Jannat and Jannat 2, but this time despite being 100% dedicated to the show; they couldn’t save the movie from getting lost somewhere in translation. There was no grip in the plot; blame it on the writing, editing or whatever – Raja Natwarlal sinked at the box office. Performance wise, it is a decent affair. Emraan gives a 100% to both his images; as a revenge seeker he was believable and livid, and as a serial kisser he is back in form. And Humaima Malick does not restrict herself in any scene. In fact, she looks gorgeous throughout the film and shows no signs of shyness. She cannot be called cheap or vulgar under any circumstances for this character. She managed to look naturally sensuous. However, she deserved a much better character than just ‘acting as a support’ sort of part. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640"] Humaima Malick. Photo: Publicity[/caption] Deepak Tijori is back on the silver screen, after a hiatus, in a brief role. He performs decently and gives exactly what was expected from him. Kay Kay Menon and Paresh Rawal were the usual: detailed, faultless and a treat to watch in some scenes. All the main characters in Raja Natwarlal are experienced and cannot be questioned on their performance potentials. The only new bird in the flock was Humaima Malick, and even she bagged (unofficially) three movie-deals as a result of this performance. One is with Vidhu Vinod Chopra (starring Sharman Joshi opposite her) and the other with Shaan, titled ‘Mission Allahuakbar’, which is about to hit Pakistani cinema theatres in 2014. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640"] Photo: Publicity[/caption] In totality, Raja Natwarlal has nothing novel or interesting to offer; a list of talented actors is wasted. I would rate it two out of five and I am being generous.


I see Gullus everywhere…

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“There is no hypocrisy in Pakistan; we just have completely different standards for men and women.”
The comment above summarises the general feedback I received on a meme I created, which went viral on Facebook last week. I hope the irony of that statement was not lost on them. The idea behind the meme was to call out a population that was in an uproar about Humaima Malick crossing over to the tinsel town next door but was showing a general acceptance towards Fawad Khan doing the same. I am no moral authority to judge anyone’s behaviour but it is always fun to start a debate. Once the meme was in public domain, my opinion on the matter was irrelevant. The comments ranged from discussions on the nuances of being half-naked, as opposed to being shirtless, to the dissection of each intimate scene in both movies. I believe one person even did an analytical study on the distance maintained, or the lack thereof, between the protagonists. Apart from some internet trolls, the general discussion on Facebook was fruitful, with a varying degree of opinions, till the big guns got involved. Pages like Pakium dot Com and Viral in Pakistan took the image from my page and reposted it on their pages, without permission or credit. My page has a mere 8,000 likes, which is nothing compared to the likes of 500,000 that Pakium dot Com enjoys. When the admin of that page stamped his moral authority on the subject, asking people to report the image as being against our nation, our culture and our religion, the floods of hate mail started filling my inbox. The hate mail ranged from the usual ‘ghair parlaymani alfaaz’ (non-Parliamentary words) to tangible threats to my life, both virtual and physical. The online moral authorities had spoken. When the harassment failed to incite a response, the admin of Pakium dot Com, filed a false copyright infringement claim with Facebook claiming to represent Walt Disney Corporation. Facebook took down the content without so much as investigating the matter. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="518"] Photo: Shehzad Ghias[/caption] The old adage was inverted,
Jeet gayee mehangayee, har gaya English.” (Inflation won, English lost)
We are coming out in hordes on the streets against the ‘Gulu Butts’ of Pakistan but there resides a Gullu Butt in all of us. Those unable to wield sticks on the streets abuse the power of the internet. It is very easy to label anyone as being anti-state, just as people on television do not exercise any caution in doing so. Pages with clout on the internet are using their power to settle personal vendettas. They derive their authority from the number of likes on their page, the online equivalent of the ballot box. Without decrying Facebook dhandlee (rigging), I plead the virtual Gulu Butts to exercise caution. If they have a problem with an image or a person, engage in a meaningful dialogue rather than mob rule. A lot of thought and effort goes into creating content for the internet. A meme going viral is a moment of pride for the creator. All that work should not be undone just because the content questions a person’s view of the world.

Game of Thrones Season 6 comes to Pakistan

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There are rumours flying around of production beginning on an Indian version of Game of Thrones (GoT). We let India sneak ahead in the nuclear arms race but we seem to be far ahead of them in the television dramas race. However, this could be a game-changer – to ensure we maintain our advantage we must make our own version of GoT before India! To make the job easier for all prospective producers, I have taken the liberty of casting the Pakistani Game of Thrones. 1. Mahira Khan as Daenerys Targaryen Our latest export to Bollywood is really the only option to play the mother of dragons. We can even pretend Humsafar was a prequel to GoT giving Khaleesi the perfect bechari aurat storyline to justify her wrath. We can also cast Sheheryar Munawar Siddiqui as Khal Drogo to give her company in season one. 2. Fawad Khan as Jon Snow This clearly does not need a description. I can only imagine how long the audition line would be for the role of Ygritte. And no Sonam Kapoor, you can't play Ygritte. 3. The late Maqsood Hassan as Tyrion Lannister He was the only actor in Pakistan who could have done justice to the role of Tyrion Lannister so I am using this space to honour the legacy of the veteran who devoted his life to the stage. 4. Ali Zafar as Jamie Lannister Ali Zafar definitely has the looks to pull off the Kingslayer. 5. Aamina Sheikh as Cersei Lannister We just need to pull out the blonde dye, and censor all the Jamie-Cersei scenes from the series. 6. Nadeem Baig as Tywin Lannister The legend of the film industry completes the Lannister family. 7. Inzamamul Haq as Robert Baratheon The boys played well in the war. He definitely has the beard. 8. Shaan Shahid as Stannis Baratheon Just like Igloo King cone, there can only be one “true” king here too. 9. Osman Khalid Butt as Renly Baratheon Because, why not? 10. Ali Azmat as Lord Varys They might as well be twins. 11. Javed Sheikh as Ned Stark He is the guy you call whenever you need one of these roles so why change that now. 12. Humayun Saeed as Rob Stark Only if he puts his own money into the production – for once people might be celebrating the Red Wedding. 13. Syra Shehroz as Arya Stark She does look like she could be 13. 14. Humaima Malick as Sansa Stark Just a humble request to the Pakistani producers, don't see this as a cue to put an item number in the Pakistani GoT. The girls can act too you know. 15. Bilawal Bhutto as Bran Stark I mean if someone gets to be carried on the back of somebody solely based on their family legacy... 16. Nasir Jamshed as Hodor He is out of employment after the World Cup, so he may need to raise his intellect to match it with Hodor's though. 17. Hamza Ali Abbasi as Joffrey Baratheon A young guy who thinks he is the king and it is his job to police the behaviour of everyone. Hamza Ali Abbasi is perfect! 18. Aamir Liaquat as Peter Baelish Is there a more hated character in The Seven Kingdoms? 19. Imran Khan as Jorah Mormont Forever friend zoned by the prime ministership. 20. Zubaida Aapa as Melisandre Magic is basically the Zubaida Aapa ke totkay (home remedies) of Westeros.


Aamir Liaquat introduces his own brand of lawn: “OMG! I can’t stop laughing!”

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The infamous TV show host Aamir Liaquat Hussain has decided to expand into the fashion world by launching his own lawn brand called ‘Aanchal’, becoming the second religious figure (after Junaid Jamshed) to introduce women’s clothing. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Aanchal Lawn Facebook page[/caption] Though it is unsurprising to see public figures from various backgrounds introduce their own clothing brand, the public’s response to his new venture was rather startling. Some of the women whom I shared this news with reacted in the following ways:

“What? No way!” “OMG! I can’t stop laughing!” “I will never buy it.” “I would rather die than buy his lawn.”
And this made me wonder as to why these women – who are Hussain’s target market – have such a negative view towards his new venture. While some found his new project surprising, Hussain himself believes there is nothing surprising about it and that he has always been creative.
“I was already doing the kurta range for men, you must be aware of that. But I have always had a large female following and I have always been a creative man. That’s all there is to it.”
Curious to see how his collection looked like, I decided to venture through his product. Keeping Hussain’s reputation aside, going through his prints made me realise how utterly unimaginative he was. The suits were amateur at best; in fact, a 10-year-old could have done a better job than his designers. From flowers and butterflies to a man playing golf, the whole line was disappointing. Hussain believes that his line is an ode to ‘life and home’. Well, I don’t think anyone who has seen his prints would agree to that. Odd, yes; ode, not so much. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Friendsmania[/caption] In Pakistan, there has been a growing trend among celebrities stepping into the field of clothing, introducing their own brands and boutiques. Not to mention, even our fashion designers – who initially would only stick to designing considerably expensive outfits, mostly consisting of bridal, formal and trendy wear – have expanded into the world of lawn. Nowadays, fashion trends and styles are changing at a pace like never before, and investing in the lawn business has proven to be quite rewarding for most people. That is why we see new designers and celebrities launching their own lawn brand every year, from Sana Safinaz and Umar Sayeed to Deepak Perwani and Nida Azwer. Interestingly enough, when it comes to celebrities and public figures, it is mostly men who jump into the fashion industry; Shahid Afridi, Ali Haider, Aijaz Aslam, Junaid Jamshed and even Fawad Khan have all been part of this lawn rat-race. Some of the celebrities apparently even venture into the apparel business when their popularity starts to decline or because they decide to retire. The popularity they gain from their respective fields not only helps boost their clothing businesses but also allows them to maintain their popularity amongst admirers. In the world of marketing, big names always sell. It is not a new concept. That is one reason why many products – especially consumer items – are quite often endorsed by famous public figures as part of advertising and promotional strategies. For example, we see Kareena Kapoor endorsing Faraz Manan’s lawn and Humaima Malick donning Nida Azwer’s line. So celebrities who own their own lawn brands are in fact cashing in their popularity to sell their product. As long as the trend-setters can succeed in keeping their target market happy by creating demands and exploiting it well, this wave shall keep taking its course towards the boom. We might see even more public figures offering their lines of clothing to the fashion savvies out there. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Twitter[/caption] However, in order for Aanchal to work, Hussain would need to up-his-game significantly. It is too early to decide if a clothing brand carrying his name would be successful or not, but one thing is for sure: The public demands better styles and designs, irrespective of who is selling it to them. So it would do Hussain well to rethink his designs and bring in better people to facilitate his new venture. Unlike his raw feats of playing with Tahir Shah’s hair and feeding mangoes to people on his TV show, Hussain needs to bring in finesse for Aanchal to sell.

Where have all the urban Pakistani girls gone?

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Hello Pakistani filmmakers and television producers, my friends and I exist in this country too! There are two types of Karachi girls shown in Pakistani dramas and films – she’s either “bholi bhali” ,“seedhi saadhi”, “masoom” larki or a complete “chundaal” aurat out to snatch your “bhola bhala”, “seedha saadha”,“masoom” man! One of the reasons why I can’t watch anything “Pakistani” these days is because I can’t see a representation of women like myself on TV. I yawned when people fawned over Khirad – I was pissed off that a smart woman like Mahira Khan would take on a role so submissive and meek. I watched it till the end hoping that she would kick Asher’s mummy-obsessed (albeit very cute) bum! Sadly, she took him back and everyone worldwide clap-clapped! I couldn’t relate to Humaima Malik or Iman Ali’s characters in Bol. I couldn’t relate to Subeeka Imam’s rich daddy’s girl character or Zhalay’s courtesan character in Jalaibee. I can’t see myself in the singers, morning show hosts, designers, models or actresses on TV! Now, why am I cribbing about not finding a role model on TV? Because there are tons of urban women like myself roaming around in Karachi. Sadly, filmmakers and drama producers consider us too boring to really showcase our stories in dramas or films. We don’t fit the stereotype! We are neither slutty savitris nor sati savitris (Thanks Osman Khalid Butt for that expression)! We’re opinionated, we’re tenacious, and we’re not wrapped up in a chaddar! At the same time, we don’t look or dress like the models on TV. We don’t take shit from others and can gulp down silly men like a paratha roll! Some of us have chosen to go the traditional route and marry, some of us haven’t! We’re young, we’re fun, and our stories would be a much-needed departure from the typical characters seen on TV. If you go back to the memorable days of Tanhaiyaan and Ankahi, Marina Khan and Shehnaz Shaikh played normal urban women in the 80s. I can relate to them more than anyone on TV right now. Have our female characters in film and television regressed along with the nation’s regression? Marina and Shehnaz did not look like models, they didn’t dress in designer clothing, they weren’t stereotypically masoom or chaaalak, but they made us laugh, they made us cry, they were strong, they were brave and their stories were interesting. They were relatable! I, for one, don’t want to open my television and hear another woman moan about her saas (mother-in-law) or miyan (husband), hatch plans against her bahu (daughter-in-law), or overact! Filmmakers and producers, can we please bring back the urban Pakistani girl on television? This post originally appeared here



The good old days of ‘Subuh Bakhair’ and today’s deteriorating morning shows

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The history of morning shows in Pakistan dates back to January 1988, when the nation witnessed its first morning show, Subuh Bakhair, live on Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV). The show was hosted by the famed author and travel writer, Mustansar Hussain Tarar – the Chacha Jee of our era – for nearly seven years. He is considered as the pioneer of live morning transmissions in Pakistan.

“Assalam-o-Alaikum saray Pakistan aur pyare Pakistan!” (Good morning to all of Pakistan and beloved Pakistan!)
These words still echo in the hearts and minds of millions. This was Tarar’s trademark with which he used to open his show in his famous idiosyncratic style. His prime audience majorly consisted of children, with whom he interacted with intense affection which was reciprocated with equal love and affection, since this was the man who would run their most awaited cartoons at 7:10am, before they headed to schools. Owing to his compassion for children, he declared himself as the Chacha Jee of Pakistani children and was eventually widely recognised by this title. Subuh Bakhair is an immensely endearing memory of our childhood. The show was a rich source of information and knowledge for all the sections of our society, ranging from children, elders, women, art lovers, music lovers, and literature lovers Recently, a little break from work gave me a chance to watch the modern day morning shows, for three consecutive days on three different channels. These morning shows enjoy intense abhorrence among those in my social circle. Out of sheer curiosity, I decided to entertain myself with these shows for three days, and my experience goes somewhat like this: Day 1/Show 1: The show was celebrating the pregnancy of Dua Malick (Humaima Malick’s sister). Given the outreach of electronic media to even small villages now, it is imperative for morning shows to take up the topics related to pregnancy and mother and child health care. This medium can be used to educate the masses, especially women, who don’t have access to better health facilities. However, I failed to comprehend the point of doing a show on Humaima’s pregnant sister where a group of ladies on the show laughed out senselessly with implausible joy over her pregnancy as if she was the first lady ever to produce a child. What was more sickening was that her husband was giggling on how he strayed all night to different medical stores in search of a pregnancy test as his wife couldn’t wait till dawn to confirm the good news. Whether you are a celebrity, a prominent figure or just another guest on the show, why would one share such personal experiences and memories on a live morning show? There are some things that should stay between couples. Day 2/Show 2: The show was about Sadia Imam’s Valima. Since it was the wedding of such a renowned actress, a full morning show dedicated to her auspicious occasion was mandatory. This was preceded by a mehndi and reception function. It was a fun-packed show with all the beefed up ingredients such as dance performances by our inglorious film stars on Indian songs. Half of the guests were ordained as ‘larkay walay’ (groom’s side of the family) while the other half were the ‘larki walay’ (bride’s side of the family). Unfortunately, I could only watch the Valima and was deprived from viewing the rest of the festivities surrounding this great betrothal. Day 3/Show 3: The show was based on a topic that sells every time – Saas-Bahu (mother- in –law/daughter- in- law) domestic issues. The rival families were ostensibly low-profile actors masquerading as real family members who were well trained for the nail-biting squabble. They acted brilliantly and adeptly, except for a few moments where their nervousness and pretence couldn’t go by unnoticed. The dialogues were so well-written and the quarrel was so natural that people could easily be fooled, as if they were witnessing a quarrel between women in some neighbourhood. It had all the elements needed for a gripping drama – accusations, pejoratives, grumbles, tantrums, and verbal onslaught. It was pure melodrama. Every now and then, the expert on marital affairs was also asked to intervene to appease both the parties. The show ended with an ‘expert opinion’ on the sanctity of the institution of marriage, family relations, and social values. The chapter of perennial wars between saas-bahus was closed once and for all, and they lived happily ever after, or perhaps until the next show. This three-day experience left me dismayed and made me deplore the regression of our morning shows, which once were the hallmark of our media industry. Media is a two-way traffic. It is a reflection of our society, whereas society validates it by exhibiting acceptance. Sadly, however, the knowledge and ‘entertainment’ being sold by our media is purely regressive, bereft of any orientation for vision or intellect building. When media houses object to the quality of shows being run, the claim one gets to hear is that,
“It is due to public demand.”
However, sanity argues a simple rule otherwise; the demand can only be multiplied by the consumer, the creation of demand always lies with the producer. Let me elucidate it further with an example. The recent craze of game shows (now being run on almost all TV channels) was an ‘idea’ first launched by only one TV channel. Audiences, tired of monotonous dramas, grew insanely addicted to it in no time and the ratings – the life line of TV channels – soared. Subsequently, the demand was multiplied and every channel forcibly fell victim to this insanity. Now here comes the dilemma. Every channel, instead of investing their own brain and inventing their own ideas, prefer to choose the convenient way and sell their products i.e. bring up the ‘original copy’. The poor quality content is not contested with better, improved, and alternate content, but by churning out the same material. This ultimately results in fewer choices for the viewers to extract something healthy from the box our lives are enclosed within. The trade secret for the survival of today’s media is hunger creation, hunger proliferation, and feeding the drooling mouths with substandard fodder. Media is creating the demand and society is playing the role of a multiplier. Hence, the higher the demand, the higher the supply. TV shows are like pills, no matter how harmful they may be, people refuse to quit taking them, since it gives them great solace. Since the producers have intoxicated the consumers with these pills, the burden of the blame lies largely on them, and accusing consumers for not cutting down on the dosage while at the same time providing them a huge supply, is a complete travesty. A considerable introspection is needed from the media houses when it comes to the quality of the products they are milking their ratings from and how drastically they are leading the whole society to intellectual decadence. Because unless these pills are replaced with healthy supplements, the vicious cycle of demand and supply will continue forever.

Dekh Magar Pyaar Say: A scatty and mediocre cliché

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Dekh Magar Pyaar Say, directed by Asadul Haq and starring debutant Sikander Rizvi and his leading lady, Humaima Malick, will keep the audience spellbound because of the directors’ cinematic prowess. The movie also showcases great shoot locations, such as Lahore and London. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2xxti2[/embed] However, along with adding scenic beauty in order to add production value to the movie, a movie must also have a strong plot and a story to keep it moving forward. Unfortunately, Dekh Magar Pyaar Say could not score full marks when it comes to the plot, but it is good enough to be called an average and watchable movie, though it definitely lacks that particular punch which leaves viewers with strong memories of the movie. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Photo: Dekh Magar Pyaar Say official Facebook page[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Dekh Magar Pyaar Say official Facebook page[/caption] Although the story was decent enough and was a good attempt and adds another feather in the crown of the recently revived Pakistani cinema, the plot isn’t top notch, but it does keep the characters and the situation glued together until the end. If you are interested in sights and sounds of cities, then Dekh Magar Pyaar Say is a must watch movie and I personally feel the production can stand tall on an international level. Therefore, it is a thriving attempt and the entire crew must be applauded for their efforts. Choosing Lahore as one of the locations to shoot the movie adds a romantic appeal to it, for Lahore boasts of love and has a rich cultural history. Moreover, the energy of Lahore creates a mystic effect that captivates the viewers into its charm. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="545"] Photo: Dekh Magar Pyaar Say official Facebook page[/caption] While there may be a number of factors which make a movie an interesting watch, the wardrobe worn by the leading actors also increases the viewer’s interest. In Dekh Magar Pyaar Say, one of the leading fashion icons of Pakistan, Hassan Sheheryar Yasin, creates magic with his selection of wardrobe for the cast. The movie is a complete one from all aspects. It has a nice story, is shot at simple locations but with historical values, the actors present their acting skills in the best way possible, the soundtrack adds value to the movie, and the movie does take the Pakistani cinema to a new level. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="596"] Photo: Dekh Magar Pyaar Say official Facebook page[/caption] However, I personally believe that the story lacks, at most parts, the enthusiasm to keep the viewer’s glued to the screen. Even though both Humaima and Sikander came together to become a charismatic on-screen couple, Humaima did over-act in some scenes. Apart from a handful of such scenes, her acting was uncluttered, focused, and well-balanced with debutant Sikander’s onscreen persona. Even though Sikander made his acting debut, he seemed comfortable while sharing the screen with Humaima and his acting skills are more refined than one could have expected. Moreover, there was mediocrity in the plot and some parts didn’t make sense because it felt they were added by force and not by will. With Pakistani cinema’s revival, we must appreciate the efforts of the movie’s director, producer, and scriptwriter Asad, Ali Murtaza, and Saba Imtiaz, respectively. The sights and sounds shown in the movie are colourful and present a life that is closer to reality. The soundtrack also has a desi touch to it, which emphasises the romantic and emotional side of the movie. Songs including Tasveer, I am Sweetie and Kabhi Kabhi are written and composed beautifully while Kaala Dooriyan is a groovy song that will make you tap your feet with the tune. The movie was said to be a romantic comedy, however, you must watch it to know if it really was one or was there a twist in the story when you least expect it. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x308xik[/embed] [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2ydrn1[/embed] With Asad’s insights on directing, and Nic Knowland’s cinematography, the scenes executed will be a source of inspiration for other Pakistani directors. While some parts of the movie did come off across as clichéd and others had a déjà vu feeling, the movie does stir emotions within the audience and will keep the audience wondering how it will end. Such hiccups in the plot may have washed away the crew’s efforts. However, the songs, Sikander and Humaima’s chemistry, and the locations saved the movie and eventually brought a smile to the viewer’s face. In terms of script writing, it was written pretty well, despite the movies shortcomings. However, even with a clichéd romantic story, Dekh Magar Pyaar Say is a breath of fresh air and brings a new face in the form of Sikander Rizvi and a new director, Asad.


Hindi Medium: It is Saba Qamar’s world, and we all just live in it

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When was the last time you saw a Pakistani actress killing it in Bollywood? Mahira Khan, you say? I consider her a part of the production design for Raees and not the cast, since she was nothing more than a pretty looking prop in a movie dominated by Shah Rukh Khan and narrative absurdities. Hmm, so your comeback is Humaima Malick? Ever wondered why she is rarely seen anywhere on screen after the disaster that was Raja Natwarlal? Next up, Meera ji? Oh so you are being funny now, you cheeky bugger you. Mawra Hocane?  Like seriously, are you kidding me? I am not even going to dignify that with a response. But finally, we have someone from these shores who did not just go to Bollywood to play embarrassingly awkward eye-candy; we have somebody who wasn’t happy being sexually objectified, because she got a role in a Bollywood flick. Step forward, Saba Qamar, the Pakistani diva who crossed borders not just to increase numbers, but with the potential to become number one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjkFr48jk68 Mita Batra aka Honey (Qamar), is married to Raj Batra (Irrfan Khan) who is quite content with his ecosystem living in Delhi’s infamous Chandni Chowk. Life is all hunky dory for the nouveau riche Raj selling original copies of designer wear. But wife Mita – who realises, how despite their riches, can’t break into the hallowed company of the true elites because they can’t fluently converse in the Queen’s language – is eager to angrezify (refine/make it more English) their lifestyle. This is because she wants her daughter, Pia, to get an admission into a fancy English medium school. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Moving from the under-privileged hustle bustle of the old city to a swanky home in south Delhi, an admissions consultant and multiple efforts later, the duo are still nowhere close to the elusive Holy Grail, the uber exclusive Delhi Grammar School, headed by Ms Lodha (Amrita Singh). This is where Raj finds out about the Right to Education Act (ghareeb (poor) quota) which requires them to fake being poor. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Willing to go the extra mile, Mita and Raj are on the move again, this time shifting to an impoverished neighbourhood. But would this prove enough to get Pia in to the school of their elitist dreams? That’s what forms the rest of the plot. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="525"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Director Saket Choudhary has chosen to tell a story which hits a little too close to home for a lot of people on both sides of the border – the same colonial overlords, the same obsession with vilayati boli (foreign language) as a status symbol. But Choudhary takes a leaf out of the acclaimed Indian director Rajkumar Hirani’s levity booklet by taking this serious issue of the great language divide and packaging it in satirical humor to nudge you into thinking about it. The writing is on point with perfectly timed comedy – the delicious cherry atop this cinematic cake. But the real reason why Hindi Medium does so well is the lead duo of Khan and Qamar. While fans of Indian cinema have grown accustomed to Khan’s powerhouse performances over the years – and he doesn’t disappoint this time around either – the real surprise for a vast majority of people is the acting of our best female export to Bollywood. Qamar is just plain fantastic as the Chandni Chowk lass with social climbing aspirations. The best part is that she is good and she very well knows it. She recently boycotted one of our country’s premier award event citing how the show was not worthy of her attendance. She said,

“Ever since I have had a Bollywood stamp, all the top brands are chasing me for endorsements. Where were all the brands before I went to India? No one has ever approached me for the last 13 years that I have been working.”
Talking to Hindustan Times, a leading Indian daily, Qamar proudly added,
“Even Hindustan Times and Pinkvilla have compared me to Mahira Khan and given a verdict that my performance is far better than hers in Raees.”
And we totally concur. https://twitter.com/bengaltigress11/status/866229583409946624 Qamar is a complete package and has everything right down from incredible looks to a fantastic acting ability. It is one thing signing a film with Khan, supposedly the best brown, actor on the face of God’s green earth, but holding her own against him deserves some serious appreciation. For now, it is Qamar’s world, and we all just live in it.

Love, pain, sorrow and hints of infidelity – Shaan Shahid’s Arth 2 is one intense rollercoaster ride

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Just after the revival of Pakistani cinema, I vowed that I will not miss any Pakistani movie on screen. Since then, I have watched some of the most brilliant movies containing strong messages and some amazing performances. I was just as excited to watch Pakistani movies like I had always been to watch Indian movies. Pakistani cinema was producing movies that finally garnered my interest. Shaan Shahid, a Pakistani actor, writer, model, and now a film director, is quite known to us since ages. Shahid’s career span has now extended for more than two decades while completing almost 500 films with phenomenal acting. He has successfully established himself as being one of the most popular leading actors in Pakistan Three brilliant movies starring Shahid that I cherished watching were Khuda Ke Liye, Yalghaar and Waar. These movies not only demonstrated his brilliant acting skills but also gave a push-start to revive Pakistani cinema. Although Shahid played a vital role in lifting up the movie business, it was seen how he was now winning the hearts of the new generation. Likewise, when the trailer of Arth 2 released, it felt exciting to now witness Shahid taking on a new role towards a romantic storyline. What got my attention more was the news of Mahesh Bhatt calling up Shan to remake the Pakistani version of his Bollywood movie, Arth. Shahid’s direction alongside Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s vocals and the beautiful visuals seemed intense to me. I was excited for the movie and wanted to see what and how Shahid would translate it as. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH9opHVuwt4&t=4s I was there to watch the show on the very second day of release. The cast and story seemed as exciting as the idea of having to see the first remake of a Bollywood movie in Pakistan. The movie begins with a breakdown in a struggling musician’s marriage, Ali (Shahid), who plans to move back to Pakistan from UK. He luckily finds Uzma (Uzma Hassan), who herself was on the verge of a breakdown in her marriage with her filmmaker husband Farhan (Mohib Mirza). Uzma is Ali's fan and wants to save his dying music career. In the midst of all this, the two deepen their relationship and become quite close to one another, given the similar circumstances both are facing in their lives. Uzma's husband, Farhan, gets a chance to work with superstar Humaima (Humaina Malick). Farhan and Humaima's relationship is darker and causes them a great deal of emotional turmoil. The movie talks about love, pain, sorrow and hints of infidelity. All in all, the movie itself is one emotional rollercoaster ride where you will feel everything the characters feel and will be too attached to them by the end of the movie. Despite a few setbacks, Shahid successfully got the music right, giving us more than a few memorable songs. Sahir Ali Bagga has never been in a better form than he's seen in Arth 2. I salute the efforts made by Shahid to redirect an already successful Bollywood movie into a Pakistani version, highlighting the narrative in a local, relatable manner. We need to realise that Pakistani movies and story lines cannot yet be compared to Bollywood; it will take time for us to reach to that level since we are still new. Regardless, they still did an absolute fantastic job! As Shahid brilliantly explains,

“Arth is the first film with the DNA of an Indian story to be set in Pakistan. If we want to strengthen film trade between our countries, Arth’s model is a great way of collaborating.”
A huge shoutout to Hassan, whose performance, I believe, was the best amongst all the actors. People should definitely see this movie because not only will this help further revival of Pakistani cinema, but also because it is an entertaining watch and will be worth your time. All Photos: Screenshots

Rustic and audacious, The Legend of Maula Jatt is a risk that just might pay off for Pakistani cinema

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At the time of writing this article, the trailer for The Legend of Maula Jatt (LoMJ) has already garnered around three million views on multiple accounts on Facebook, around one million views on YouTube, and more than a million views through different reaction videos. It has generated the hype it truly deserved. Anurag Kashyap was one of the first ones to tweet about the trailer, while the likes of Karan Johar, Alia Bhatt and Sonam Kapoor are full of praise for what they have seen. https://twitter.com/anuragkashyap72/status/1076108848929202176 https://twitter.com/karanjohar/status/1076341258686091264 This is Fawad Khan’s first film since returning from greener pastures, Bilal Lashari’s second venture after the trendsetting Waar, and Mahira Khan’s reunion with Fawad. What’s not to look forward to? It has something for everyone; even for someone like me, who thought Waar was overrated and disjointed (even though very well treated). Before moving further, let’s address the elephant in the room. I have seen numerous posts leaving comments like:

“Gladiator ki copy hai.” (This is a copy of Gladiator) “Game of Thrones chhaap liya.” (They’ve copied Game of Thrones)
My simple answer to whoever says that to me is:
Tou aap chhaap letay!” (So you could have copied it!)
Whether or not it is copied, has the Pakistani audience seen Fawad in this avatar before? Has the Pakistani audience been privy to this scale on the big screen by a Pakistani film before? The answer is a plain and simple no. Teefa in Trouble was a big film, but even that does not come close to the scale Lashari has brought to the screen. It might not be at the level of Baahubali, but it’s close to KGF, which is already breaking record after record. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Undoubtedly, LoMJ looks grand. However, what’s important is the substance behind the froth. It doesn’t look grand for the sake of it; effectively meaning it does not look like Thugs of Hindostan or Tashan. It looks rustic. It looks raw. It looks audacious. It does not look like a remix by Neha Kakkar; it looks like a remixed track by Tiesto. It does not look like what Farhan Akhtar’s Don was to Chandra Barot’s Don; it looks more in line with Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes to Alfred Werker’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes; essentially improving a classic in modern times. Does it also have the potential to become Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag? Yes, it does. Remaking a classic is a daunting task. Expectations are high and there will always be some purists who will never be happy, no matter how well you do. Agneepath, for example, was a very good remake; however, it also faced criticism for removing the character of Krishnan Iyer. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Fawad’s look is on point; his hair, not so much. However, his intensity is contagious. My forehead had a frown while watching his trailer, and for no reason at all really. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="480"] Photo: Giphy[/caption] Hamza Ali Abbasi looks closer to Khilji of Padmaavat, and to be honest, falls slightly short of Fawad in the trailer, particularly in that laughter scene. Perhaps he is supposed to? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="480"] Photo: Giphy[/caption] Mahira is there, albeit overshadowed by Humaima Malick’s slyness. Gohar Rasheed looks evil, and Nayyar Ijaz even more so. Sreejesh Nair’s soundtrack speaks for itself, and is probably going to be 50% of the ticket’s worth. I would also not have been surprised if the characters started speaking Dothraki, but why not? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] One of the toughest tasks of the film was the makeup, and boy have Maram and Aabroo lived up to the task, barring Fawad’s hair. Did I mention his hair looks out of sync? The trailer of LoMJ is thus everything it was expected to be and then some. Will it make commercial sense? Let’s have a look. Firstly, it’s an expensive film. That scale and grandness does not come cheap. In order to make money, it will have to become the highest grossing Pakistani film ever. Not just the highest, but highest by a mile. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] There are still two problems with the film though – starting with the language. It’s 100% a Punjabi film, just like the original. How the audience from Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will react to a national level Punjabi film remains to be seen. If Shaan Shahid is to be believed, Karachi already has a problem with films being made in Lahore, let alone a Punjabi film. Secondly, if the rumours are true, there are no songs in the film. A film without a song in today’s time is, once again, audacious. In front of LoMJ will be Wajahat Rauf’s third film, taking around 20-30% screens out of the 130 or so available. Rauf’s film is a comedy entertainer with a relatable young cast. Can that topple the grandness of LoMJ? You never know. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="480"] Photo: Giphy[/caption] As Maula says,
“Maulay nu Maula na maray tay Maula nae marda!” (If Maula does not kill Maula, then Maula does not die)
Maybe the only reason for Maula Jatt not working at the box office will be Maula Jatt itself. The Legend of Maula Jatt is set to release on Eidul Fitr 2019.

With Zidane back on the sidelines, will Real Madrid make the most of the summer transfer window?

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For much of the 2018-19 season, Real Madrid’s campaign has been driven by pessimism and trepidation. From mediocre performances on the field to a lack of purpose off it, the Los Blancos found themselves entrenched in a diatribe with a swathe of negative opinions from fans and critics alike.  But the return of the clubs’s favourite son Zinedine Zidane after his dignified exit nine months ago has cut through all the noise, at least for the time being. Zizou’s work is cut out for him as the rebuilding job at a club like Real Madrid, with extremely high expectations, won’t be an easy task by any stretch of the imagination. https://twitter.com/kevinchimuka/status/1113392173150502914 However, unlike towards the end of his last tenure, Zidane will have financial backing from the club. A report from The Independent claimed “Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has promised Zidane an expensive overhaul,” immediately after the Frenchman’s arrival. A few days later L’Equipe’s front page (titled Casino Royal) stated that: “Perez is ready to show faith in Zidane to turn the ship around by giving him a €500 million summer budget.” If Madrid are keen on spending heavily in the upcoming summer transfer window, they will have to do it wisely, bearing in mind their current expectations and without compromising future ambitions. Defence Real Madrid’s defence is, arguably, the least concerning aspect of their squad. Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane might not have had the best of seasons, but they still form a formidable pairing in the centre of defence. But with Ramos aging and especially if Varane decides to leave, Madrid would need adequate replacements in order to beef up their backline options. Looking at the options, three names stand out in particular. These include Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly (27), Inter Milan’s Milan Skriniar (24) and Ajax’s Matthijs de Ligt (19). [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Kalidou Koulibaly during the Serie A match between US Sassuolo and SSC Napoli at Mapei Stadium - Citta' del Tricolore on March 10, 2019 in Reggio nell'Emilia, Italy. Photo: Getty[/caption] All three have no obvious weaknesses and possess the ideal skill set expected from a defender (strength, positioning and ball playing skills), supplemented by the fact that they are young enough to be part of the club for a very long time. While Madrid would be happy to bring in any one of these players, Skriniar would be cheaper as compared to the other two, considering the absence of a release clause in his contract with Inter. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Milan Skriniar of FC Internazionale competes for the ball with Danny da Costa of Eintracht Frankfurt during the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 Second Leg match between FC Internazionale and Eintracht Frankfurt at San Siro on March 14, 2019 in Milan, Italy. Photo: Getty[/caption] The 24-year-old also offers an added dimension of having played as a defensive midfielder with the Slovakian national side, and consequently can provide cover on two positions while also aiding in-game tactical switch. Midfielders Real Madrid have a substantial amount of talent in the centre of the park, with an impressive blend of young (Marcos Llorente, Fede Valverde and Dani Ceballos) and experienced players (Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro). In order to cater to an aging Modric and take off pressure from Kroos, Madrid need a couple of additions to their midfield. However, they don’t need to spend heavily in this regard as the players they have loaned out – James Rodriguez to Bayern Munich and Mateo Kovacic to Chelsea – will be ideal suitors. Rodriguez’s incisiveness in the final third, both in open play and dead ball situations, will add creativity in central positions. This is of particular importance because a majority of Madrid’s attacks are wing-based, which is why the Colombian’s presence will stretch opposing defences and bring more unpredictability going forward. Also, through his quotes in the press, the midfielder has also indicated that there is no love lost between him and the Spanish giants, despite being left frustrated for playing time under Zidane previously. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] James Rodriguez of FC Bayern Muenchen controls the ball during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Muenchen and 1. FSV Mainz 05 at Allianz Arena on March 17, 2019 in Munich, Germany. Photo: Getty[/caption] Kovacic might not have had the best of seasons at Chelsea, but he can still play a vital role in The Whites midfield with his ability to play line-breaking passes; a trait which is of pivotal importance, especially against many La Liga sides who like to sit deep and defend. Also, the Croatian’s best time in Madrid colours came while playing under Zizou, which makes a strong case of having him back in the Spanish capital. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Mateo Kovacic of Chelsea in action during the FA Cup Fifth Round match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on February 18, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. Photo: Getty[/caption] Forwards Ever since the departure of club legend Cristiano Ronaldo, the talk surrounding Real Madrid’s attacking pedigree has shown no signs of subsiding. Since the departure of the Portuguese, the goals have significantly dried up for the Los Blancos and hence the need for some clinical finishers in front of the goal is, probably, more than ever. Talking about forwards, one player that has constantly been linked with Real Madrid is Chelsea’s Eden Hazard. Although there is no doubt about the Belgium international’s footballing prowess and he will also be a seamless fit at Real, signing him now, at the age of 28, would mean the club shelling a lot of money in return for only two to three peak years. While it would be unfair to totally rule out a move, the club should only consider Hazard as a fall-back option. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] 31st March 2019, Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales; EPL Premier League football, Cardiff City versus Chelsea; Eden Hazard of Chelsea looks back at a missed chance. Photo: Getty[/caption] Moving on, Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) Kylian Mbappe, despite being an ideal solution to Real Madrid’s goal scoring troubles, is a long shot considering his massive price tag. Although there are plenty of rumours in the transfer market regarding his move to Spain, the French club will go all out to keep the 20-year-old star at the club, keeping in mind the fact that he is at the core of their European ambitions. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Kylian Mbappe of PSG celebrates a goal during the Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint Germain and Guingamp at Parc des Princes on January 19, 2019 in Paris, France. Photo: Getty[/caption] Taking into account all the factors and realistic options available on the market, Real Madrid will be better off if they work on the lines of signing Liverpool’s Sadio Mane and Inter Milan’s Mauro Icardi. Mane’s pace and technical ability has been part and parcel of Liverpool’s success in the past couple of seasons, and he will add a lot of potency to Real Madrid’s attack. Although he has played mostly as a winger for The Reds, if need be, he can play in a more central role as a striker as well. In Mane, Madrid will find a willing worker, who can track back and help out with defence and also link up well with Marcelo Vieira on the left wing. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Sadio Mane of Liverpool FC runs with the ball during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on March 31, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. Photo: Getty[/caption] On the other hand, Icardi has stacked up some great numbers for his Italian club with his lethal finishing. He may not participate much in build-up play but his positioning and movement in front of the goal is particularly impressive. Real Madrid have been guilty of creating lots of chances but not converting them during the ongoing season, but Icardi’s signing should go a long way in changing that. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Mauro Icardi of FC Internazionale scores the second goal during the Serie A match betweenGenoa CFC and FC Internazionale at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on April 3, 2019 in Genoa, Italy. Photo: Getty[/caption] To Madrid and Zidane’s advantage, being knocked out of the title race on all fronts is somewhat a blessing in disguise, as it gives them additional time to plan for the future. But the 13-time European Champions will have to be clever with the way they go about their business in the transfer market, before it builds up more scar tissue against their name as a formidable force in the world of football.

Why is the US making a mountain out of the Masood Azhar molehill?

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The United States has introduced a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution to blacklist Masood Azhar as an international terrorist. Azhar is the leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed (banned in Pakistan since 2002) and has been blamed by India for masterminding February’s Pulwama incident, even though no evidence has been produced which links Azhar to the incident. China has refused to list Azhar as an international terrorist after careful consideration of the definition of international terrorism according to international law. China has made this position absolutely clear and as such, it would appear that the US is looking to transform the UNSC into a place of high stakes geopolitical theatre, because China’s veto of the US resolution is inevitable. The US therefore is using the internationally immaterial issue of Azhar in order to provoke tensions between China and India at a time when the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is already invoking blood-curdling Sinophobia in further attempts to rally the jingoist Hindutva vote. But this is not all that the US is doing. Washington is also provoking and in fact insulting Pakistan by suggesting that a local matter is worthy of wasting the UN’s time, even after one of the permanent members of the Security Council has made its position unambiguous. As if on cue, India’s jingoistic media kicked into high gear suggesting war against China. Meanwhile, members of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) continue to call for a boycotting of Chinese goods. When it comes to Pakistan however, America’s willingness to inflate the international importance of Azhar makes it clear that the US is willing to risk productive relations with Pakistan in order to both placate India and to goad India into an even more extreme position vis-a-vis China (not that the BJP needs much help in this respect). Although the US has admitted that Pakistan’s role in the Afghan peace process is crucial, beyond this, the US has clearly made its decision in terms of a long term strategy in South Asia. While some US diplomats will feign attempts at a balanced South Asia policy, the reality is that India is now a key US strategic partner. US diplomats at the UN will happily do India’s bidding, even over a matter as absurd as trying to convince the world that Azhar is an international terrorist when legal precedent says otherwise. Pakistan must adjust its own expectations accordingly. While it would be imprudent for Pakistan to provoke any superpower, the message that Washington is not so subtly sending is that when it comes to a superpower partner, China is the singular key to Pakistan’s prosperous future, while the US is becoming little more than a puppet master helping direct flagrant Indian aggression against China. This is all the more reason for Pakistan to take a more assertive role in the Afghan peace process. As the country most directly affected by Afghanistan’s prolonged status as a failed state, Pakistan has no excuse not to emerge as an international leader in driving forward an all-parties peace process. Any idea that Pakistan should merely shadow the US in respect of the peace process should now be put to rest, as it is clear that the US has India’s strategic desires at heart and that, by comparison, Pakistan’s security needs come a very distant second or even third. The reality Pakistan must now face is that whilst America’s priorities in the South Asia during the 80’s related to containing Afghanistan to the West and the Soviet Union to the North, today the US is squarely focused on provoking China and for this, India will remain a key ally of Washington. All that Pakistan must now do is acclimate itself to a new reality where China’s all-weather friendship will grow in stature and material importance while the US will be willing to insult, debase and ignore Pakistan as though the events of the 80’s never occurred. This post was originally published here. 

Knock knock! Annabelle is coming home and things are about to get real scary

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Following the Marvel path, The Conjuring universe has grown steadily over the last six years through both, the increasing returns that most films in the franchise have delivered and in stature through the critical acclaim that the first two Conjuring movies received. Now five movies in, the franchise is showing no signs of slowing down with a third Conjuring film already set for 2020. But before that, we’re getting another Annabelle movie. And this one promises to be much different than its predecessors. [caption id="attachment_81026" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] Annabelle Comes Home, which will serve as the sixth film in the Conjuring franchise and the third Annabelle film, does not take the prequel route like Annabelle: Creation did. Unlike the first Annabelle, which was widely panned for being a rudderless and aimless production, this film shifts the focus directly towards the Warren family – the paranormal investigators played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga who served as the protagonists of the first two Conjuring films. [caption id="attachment_81027" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] The first trailer, which came out recently, sprinkles a handful of jump-scares throughout its two and a half minute runtime and the film more or less appears to centre on an artefact room where the Warrens keep the demonic doll. However, soon enough the doll begins turning up in strange places and much to the surprise of the Warrens, so do the other artefacts. The weight of this is felt by the Warren’s 10-year-old daughter, Judy, and her friends who seem to be at the centre of the latest Conjuring film. [caption id="attachment_81024" align="alignnone" width="598"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] By all accounts, Annabelle Comes Home seems like a much more small-scale film as compared to its predecessors which were much more expansive in scope. And though the Warrens are back, they don’t seem to have a central role in the film in the same way as their daughter does. This is promising because it means that perhaps this time the focus will be on a tightly-constructed narrative, which is where horror films work best. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] As evidenced by the trailer, it’s perhaps also safe to assume that this film won’t just be about the titular doll but will also focus on some of the other haunted artefacts in the Warren family’s possession which, if anything, may provide the producers with a few more ideas for some future spin-offs. In the context of this film though, it will undoubtedly add to the scares. This is something that producer James Wan has confirmed when he essentially described the film as being Night at the Museum with an evil doll because of the various haunted artefacts that will be activated in the film. [caption id="attachment_81031" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] The good thing is that Annabelle Comes Home seems to channel all the elements that have made the Conjuring franchise such a big success, which provides the viewer with something to look forward to. After straying away from the central narrative and focusing on aimless origin stories, the franchise seems to have finally learned its lesson. With Annabelle Comes Home, the focus seems to have been shifted back towards the scares and, in a blatant but smart bit of fan-service, the filmmakers have brought back two of the franchise’s most beloved characters, even if it’s in a supporting capacity. That said, only time will tell if the latest installment in the Annabelle saga matches up to the Conjuring movies, which at present, stand head and shoulders above the other films in the franchise. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Annabelle Comes Home hits cinemas on June 28, 2019.

India’s ‘Operation Isolation’ and the soft power of sports

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“Our message is stronger than ever. Please stop the fighting. Please stop the killing. Please drop your guns.” Juan Antonio Samaranch, President International Olympic Committee speaking at the Winter Olympics, 1994. The sports arena has often been used in modern-day diplomacy to advocate for peace, but it has also been used to aggravate existing conflict. George Orwell wrote in The Sporting Spirit (1945) that sports is “war, minus the shooting” and has the potential to bring out the worst characteristics of nationalism. How that is controlled, or even amplified, is in the hands of those who hold the political controls.  In the days following the Pulwama incident, tensions once again began to escalate between Pakistan and India. While India’s very first reaction was the imposition of a heavy economic sanction, many of the responses which followed came in the form of sports sanctions, primarily impacting something very close to the hearts of people on both sides: cricket. The fourth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) became the primary target of the increasing hostility and vitriol. Prominent Indian-owned media companies and broadcasters, including IMG Reliance, D Sports and CricBuzz, terminated their contracts and coverage of the tournament, leading to a virtual PSL blackout in India. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also came under extraordinary pressure from prominent Indian sporting personalities, media outlets and ordinary citizens, to boycott the upcoming Pakistan-India match at the cricket World Cup (June 2019). https://twitter.com/YusufDFI/status/1097384109200928768 https://twitter.com/MinhazMerchant/status/1099007211689467906 Outside of cricket, other sports have also been effected. It is suggested that Pakistan supplies 90% of the hockey sticks used in India, and would suffer heavily from an increase in customs duty of 200%. As a result, the hockey fraternity in India would have to quickly find new suppliers who could match the demand, as well as replicate the quality from across the border. The Shooting World Cup, which was taking place in New Delhi a week after the attack and was intended to be an Olympic qualifier, also got dragged into the conflict when Pakistani athletes were not granted visas to participate in the tournament. Further economic sanctions would come later, followed by military responses, but it appears that the use of sports sanctions was going to kick start this ‘Operation Isolation’. However, these sanctions did not prove to be effective in isolating Pakistan on the sports field. We saw the PSL replace its distributors almost immediately and have yet another successful edition. Regarding the World Cup, wide coverage of the discussions between the BCCI and the International Cricket Council (ICC) were made public, including copies of the communication between the two bodies. It is clear that the ICC and the organising team of the World Cup do not condone any political battles being played out on the cricket pitch. https://twitter.com/TimesNow/status/1098065107693625344 Perhaps the most surprising stance came from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in response to Pakistan’s plea regarding the Shooting World Cup. Not only did the IOC revoke the tournament of its Olympic qualification status for the particular discipline, they further went onto suspend all discussions with the Indian government regarding hosting future sporting events in India. The IOC also recommended that all international federations should refrain from hosting any international sporting events in India until written guarantees are provided assuring participation of all athletes. This may prove to be a landmark ruling from the Olympic governing body, which has traditionally not taken such a publicly strong stance on political matters. This is especially true as the initial plea was only to do with the shooting event. However, India is no doubt going to work to revoke this suspension as quickly as possible, even if it means salvaging its ties with Pakistan. Failure to do so could mean that a number of its hosting rights and bids would be up on the chopping block, including the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup (2020), the Hockey World Cup (2022/2023) and ICC Cricket World Cup (2023), among others. https://twitter.com/mehreenzahra/status/1098830460862558208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1098830460862558208&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fblogsdesk.tribune.com.pk%2Fapplication%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D80906%26action%3Dedit This of course is not the first time tensions have escalated between the two neighbours, nor is it the first time that the field of play is used for sanctions to be deployed and political statements to be made. India-Pakistan cricket relations have been turbulent ever since they kicked off in 1952. There have been many positive outcomes where both countries have hosted each other on multiple occasions and opened up their borders for citizens to travel in support of their teams. At the same time, boycotts from governing bodies and protests from ordinary citizens have also had the opposite impact on cricket and other sporting ties between the two nations. The Indian cricket tour to Pakistan (2004) is considered as one of the four most prominent acts of sports diplomacy, with the ‘Christmas Truce’ of World War I (1914), where German and British soldiers were said to have held informal sessions of casual football on Christmas day, being number one. Even outside of the subcontinent, sports have always been a feature of international diplomacy, albeit a more subtle one. We have seen countless protests and boycotts when it comes to international sports, such as the Black Power Salute (at the 1968 Olympics), America’s boycott of the 1980 Olympics during the Cold War,  the Soviet Union’s boycott of the 1984 Olympics, and the international sporting boycott of Apartheid South Africa. However, it would not have been difficult to foresee the potential for sports to have these impacts when the Olympic movement was first initiated. After all, it was developed on the sole idea of using sports to encourage and improve peace among the warring kingdoms in Ancient Greece. The way international sports are conducted and covered today, indicates their potential and ability to bridge gaps between nations. With massive potential to be used as a catalyst in international diplomacy and break barriers, the power of sports can only be as strong as the will and commitment of our global leaders. In an era where hard power is frowned upon by the international community, governments are increasingly inclined to use alternative modes of diplomacy, sports included, to achieve their political goals and shape their international image. If we, the people, can understand the relationship between the two, then we can also influence its impact. This isn’t the first time sports have been used to convey and act upon undertones of conflict and hate, and it unfortunately won’t be the last. For now, we can be aware of how these actions relating to the field of play can be used to condition or influence certain emotions within us, and also pray that our leaders use the pitches and courts to help us come together, rather than to push us apart.

When khudkushi became her only freedom

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The sky was a pool of black ink, dusted with stars at midnight. Arsh looked out from the window — she saw many little streets sprawled out below. She had only known these streets from inside the walls of her room. She had never walked on them. She had never been under the open sky. She looked at these streets longingly. To her, these streets and everything else of the outside world was a distant dream. Arsh was thinking about him. He came again tonight. Her caramel skin flushed bright pink as he folded her into his arms. Her heart fluttered as his fingertips grazed her bare skin. She had never felt so close to a man before. Over the years, many men held her, touched her, felt her — but he was different from all the others. She fell in love with him. She waited for him each night. She longed for him, as any lover would. On the nights he didn’t come, she was restless. She waited for him till she saw him next, till he told her how beautiful she was. As she stood by the window and watched darkness engulf the sky, she decided she’d tell him what she felt for him. Maybe he’d take her away somewhere far. Maybe he’d relieve her of this life. Overhead, a star blinked in the dark sky, as if telling her it was time. The morning sun filled the brothel. It was bright inside. Arsh slipped into plain white clothes and went downstairs. The morning is always bright. It’s the night that’s dark. It’s always the night that’s dark.  “Arsh!” Farnaz called, with a cigarette clenched in the corner of her mouth. “You look happy! I’ve never seen a bigger smile on your face.” “I’m going away,” Arsh said in low voice, so that nobody else could hear. Farnaz laughed. But then her eyes were suddenly wide with concern, and her skin shone pale under the gleam of sunlight. “You know you can’t go away,” Farnaz said quietly. Arsh smiled in reply and bustled away. The rest of the day, she was tangled in her thoughts. She didn’t even know his name but she knew he was the one who’d save her. The world glittered with promise. “Take me away!” Arsh whispered into his ear. There was a steely glint in his eyes. “Please take me away!” Arsh’s voice crackled at the edges. He slapped her so hard her teeth rattled. “You’re a whore,” he spat. Arsh swallowed everything else that she had to say. The words dried up in her throat. It was near dawn but Arsh was wide awake. She looked into the mirror, her dark eyes sunken in an ashen face, stared back at her. Her lips were stained in a dark, blood-like red. Her hair, black and velvety like the sky at midnight, carelessly tumbled down her back. Her angarkha, heavily embroidered in gold and silver threads, danced around her when she moved. 'A whore,' she thought. She felt sparks of resentment cascading in her as she looked at herself. She felt angry. But then her anger melted and she started crying. And as a tear caught in her lip, she realised her lipstick was smudged at the corners. His words filled her head. They were sharp, piercing—they cut through her like knives. Even after he left, the word ‘whore’ twisted inside her. It crushed her. It tinted her entire existence. It was a small word but it encompassed a bitter world — a whore’s world. Arsh had endured years of abuse. There were different men in her bed each night. They treated her like an object. They used her and then discarded her. She was perceived as an unthinking, unfeeling being. Her existence only sparkled in the dark hours of the night. They forgot she was human too. She looked at the faded sky from the window. She spread out her hand towards the sky, trying to reach for it. It was close but far away. Maybe just like the man who she thought would save her. Khudkushi (suicide). The word echoed against the big, bare walls of the brothel. Its weight settled on all women who lived inside. It grew heavier and heavier, thicker and thicker, folding them in, needling them all over. It hung in the air, sharp and poisonous. 'Khudkushi,' they murmured in small voices, afraid not to say it out too loud. They didn’t want anyone else to hear. A silence spread in the brothel, full of fear and anticipation. It was suddenly dark inside, and empty despite the people. Outside, the day shifted from morning to night. And the air smelled of earth and ash and rain. And faintly of death. Arsh took away her life. She cut her wrists and bled to death. For her, death wasn’t just an end—it held meaning. It meant freedom. It meant floating somewhere far, untethered. It meant relief from a corseted existence. Khudkushi became Arsh’s freedom. She finally fled from a life she did not want to live.

Iran and Iraq may not be tourist hot spots, but they offer a spiritual journey like no place else

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I was recently invited to a trip to Iran and Iraq by a group of close friends from Lahore, and as I had never been to these states before, I decided to take the opportunity to visit the shrines frequented mostly by Shia pilgrims. After all, how else was I going to be able to travel through war-torn Iraq (where the Islamic State has only recently been defeated) and gain access to the heavily sanctioned country of Iran? Mesopotamia – the cradle of civilisation and home to many Imams of the Islamic world – has been off-limits to most ordinary tourists since the days of Saddam Hussein. We took off from Lahore and a few hours later found ourselves landing in Baghdad, the famed city of The Arabian Nights. The airport was small and run-down, and we had to wait for at least two to three hours for our group visa to be cleared. We waited patiently and entered Baghdad at dusk; there were palm trees galore and the roads were smooth enough. Our excitement was mounting as we headed straight for the illuminating shrine of Ghous Pak (Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani). We paid our respects at the beautifully lit white shrine, ate the delicious langar (communal meal) of rice and chicken (provided by a Pakistani family from Faisalabad) and then headed to our hotel. We felt more than welcomed to a city founded on the west bank of the Tigris in 762AD by the Abbasid dynasty. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The beautifully illuminated shrine of Ghous Pak[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] The door to his shrine[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="419"] His final resting place[/caption] We stayed at Hotel Palestine, which is located near the ancient Tigris River, with a colourful history of its own; it was a favourite among foreign journalists during the Gulf wars and had been shelled! [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] View of the Tigris River from Hotel Palestine[/caption] There are roadblocks all over Iraq and paramilitary forces with armoured vehicles can be seen on all major roundabouts. The receptionist at our hotel smiled and clapped joyfully when she discovered we were Pakistani and gave us comfortable rooms (our recent military standoff seems to have made them happy). Baghdad looks like it is stuck in an 80's time warp – the buildings all seem to be from that era. However, most of the debris from the bombed-out infrastructure has been removed. We found it to be a bustling city with crowded restaurants and bad traffic jams. We crossed the Tigris River many times, the last one being to visit the shrine of Persian mystic Mansur al Hallaj. He is known for his saying, “I am the Truth”, which many saw as a claim to divinity resulting in his execution, while others saw it as an instance of annihilation of the ego. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] The tomb of the Persian mystic[/caption] We also visited the burial place of Abu Hanifa, the founder of the Hanafi school of Sunni jurisprudence. However, the highlight of our Baghdad stay was the visit to the north of the city to Kazmain, where Imams Musa al Kazim (AS) and Muhammad al Jawad (AS), both direct descendants of the Prophet (PBUH), are buried. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Outside the Ziyarat of the Kazmain Imams in Baghdad[/caption] This is a world famous shrine and one of the most important mosques in the Islamic world, with a huge gilded dome and four minarets rising above its courtyard, all covered with gold, Kufic inscriptions. There are canopied balconies, mirror mosaics, glazed tiles, and endless floors of marble. The final resting places of all the Imams buried in Iraq, we were to discover, were equally awe-inspiring. The shrine was very crowded during our visit and there was a long walk to it as it has been bombed in the past, which is why the nearby streets had been cordoned off. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Armoured vehicles and soldiers guarding shrines are a common sight in Baghdad[/caption] The other highlight of our Baghdad visit was to the 2,000-year-old Persian monument Taq Kasra, or Arch of Ctesiphon, the world’s largest brick vault. Somehow it has survived all the recent wars and is truly a sight to see, given its immense scale and elegance. Taq Kasra is located near the shrine of Salman al Farsi (RA), a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the first Persian to convert to Islam. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] Taq Kasra[/caption] On our last day in Baghdad, we headed to the ancient town of Samarra to visit the 10th and 11th Imams, Ali al Hadi (AS) and his son Hasan al Askari (AS). Both are buried in a heavily-guarded shrine, which has been bombed twice in recent years and had to be rebuilt. Adjacent to the mosque is another domed building built over the cistern where the 12th Imam, Muhammad al Mahdi (AS), disappeared; hence the title of the Mahdi, the Hidden Imam. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The last place Imam Mahdi was seen[/caption] We were sorry to leave Baghdad – there was much to see and such little time – but we had to move on to Karbala, where rain greeted us. Powerful energy emanates from this city, the burial place of Imam Hussain (RA), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), near the place where he was martyred during the Battle of Karbala in 680AD. Within the shrine of Imam Hussain (RA), we found the mass grave of all 72 martyrs of Karbala who fought and died alongside him, despite the heavy odds they faced. We soon joined the thousands of people jostling to enter the Ziyarat. Opposite is the shrine of his brother, Hazrat Abbas (AS), who was also martyred during the Battle of Karbala by Yazid’s men while bringing some water from the Euphrates River for the Prophet’s (PBUH) family. There is a lovely walkway lined with palm trees between the two shrines, and we often went there to sit and pray as our hotel was nearby. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Hazrat Abbas (AS) shrine glistening as the sun sets in Karbala with the walkway in front[/caption] Our next stop was Najaf, and luckily our hotel was located right next to my favourite Ziyarat: Imam Ali’s (RA) resplendent shrine. He is considered the father of Sufism, as almost all Sufi orders claim their descent from him. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] Imam Ali's (RA) shrine in Najaf[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] The entrance to the shrine[/caption] After visiting his peaceful shrine, we went to Kufa to see the great mosque, one of the oldest in the world, where Hazrat Ali (RA) was struck by a poisoned sword and passed away after two days. We visited his simple but elegant house next to the mosque (thankfully preserved by the Iraqi government) where his body was washed before being buried in secret. Imam Ali (RA) had earlier dug a well in his house and even today one can drink its healing waters. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The Great Mosque of Kufa[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The house in Kufa has been preserved by the Iraqi government[/caption] Our final stop was the city of Mashad in Iran, home of the eighth Imam, Hazrat Ali Reza (AS), whose shrine is really the heart of the city – all roads lead to his Ziyarat! We took a short flight from Najaf to Mashad, which is the second most populous city in Iran. Mashad means the place of martyrdom; Imam Reza (AS) was poisoned by Caliph al Ma’mun. A fact I learned during my journey is that none of the Imams lived to an old age – all were poisoned or assassinated. Imam Reza’s (AS) ornate shrine is enormous, with its many courtyards and mosques, and is considered the Vatican of Iran, run in an efficient and orderly manner. It is also gorgeous, with its Persian carpets and crystal chandeliers galore. We were lucky enough to eat from the shrine’s famous langar and enjoyed the Imam’s hospitality! [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The underground crypt where people can pray and meditate[/caption] Mashad is a clean, modern city, and feels like it could be anywhere in Europe, except all the women wear long black chadors. Before we knew it, our visit was over, and tired but rejuvenated we found ourselves on the plane back to Lahore. There were so many memories to treasure and so many adventures to retell. Iraq is slowly recovering from war and getting back on its feet, and I would recommend everyone to go visit this fascinating country alongside Iran, regardless of your religious beliefs. As we were told wherever we went, “Ziyarat qubool.” (May your pilgrimage be accepted) (All photos by author)

Rawalpindi: A chaotic labyrinth, caught between heritage and heresy

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In the post-modern world, the topography of the city has undergone a drastic shift. Rapid urbanisation and growing job opportunities have resulted in many cities in the developing world being swamped by an increasing number of people coming in from the villages and suburbs. In order to accommodate this burgeoning populace, the intrinsic structure of the modern metropolis has had to evolve. Countries such as India and Pakistan have had to grapple with the dual ambitions of wanting to urbanise their cities while also wanting to hold onto their rich architectural heritage. The complex history of a multi-ethnic country such as Pakistan has been razed to the ground in order to erect soulless towers to replace the colonial monuments which have served as a reminder of our turbulent past. [caption id="attachment_81733" align="alignnone" width="600"] Heritage building encroached on by local traders at Jamia masjid road.[/caption] Rawalpindi is an example of a city wrestling with these two seemingly dichotomous aims. On the outskirts of the Rehmanabad Metro station lie some old houses with large verandas and an edifice which is almost reminiscent of the homes in Downtown Abbey. Erected in the early 1960’s, they adorned the city with their marvellous porticos and the locality came to be known as Satellite Town. During the time that Islamabad was being built as the nation’s new capital, Satellite Town functioned as a diplomatic enclave of sorts, with many embassies located there. The Victorian-style houses were thus built to accommodate foreign dignitaries residing in the city. [caption id="attachment_81748" align="alignnone" width="600"] A night view of Jamia Masjid Rawalpindi which was founded in 1905.[/caption] Over the years, however, as Islamabad became the diplomatic hub, Satellite Town found itself shrinking in importance, and the neighbourhood was consumed by a city which was expanding at an unprecedented rate. The old houses of the locality now stand like ghostly relics of the past. [caption id="attachment_81678" align="alignnone" width="452"] Chan bazaar, Rawalpindi.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_81734" align="alignnone" width="450"] A view of Raja Bazaar road.[/caption] In a house on Sadiqabad road lives an old engineer who has closed the gates of his house, along with his heart, to the outside world. The resident is Afzaal Ahmad, a man who comes from a distinguished family of army personnel. While looking at his old photographs, Ahmad recounts: “The Rawalpindi I was raised in was a marvel, an image straight from the British calendars. Smooth clean roads, small markets, coffee shops along with a nice book shop (London Books company), low traffic and an orderly crowd.” [caption id="attachment_81736" align="alignnone" width="600"] The main entrance of the Afzaal Ahmad's house.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_81737" align="alignnone" width="600"] Old magazine ads from the collection of Afzaal Ahmad.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_81745" align="alignnone" width="600"] Rawalpindi's Kashmir Road in the 1960's. From the records of Afzaal Ahmad.[/caption] The markets at the time were quite small and there was only one major road in Saddar at the time, Mall Road, which catered to everyone's needs. Ahmad recalls that the famous road had a hairdresser, a laundry shop and few clothing outlets as well. He adds: “I remember most of my classmates in Station school were British or Anglo-Indians. Anglo-Indians were considered to be the most educated after the British. I still remember this one Anglo-Indian traffic sergeant who used to roam around alone on Murree road. People were so afraid of his discipline that they wouldn’t cross the road until he had gone away.” [caption id="attachment_81738" align="alignnone" width="600"] Backyard of the house.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_81743" align="alignnone" width="600"] An old building occupied by partition migrants in Saddar.[/caption] For Ahmad’s generation, and the ones which followed, things took a downward turn after Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto came to power. Fearing the consequences of nationalisation and increasing religiosity, many foreigners fled the country. The Anglo-Indians too fell prey to this and many migrated to America and Australia. The resultant vacuum gave rise to a new emerging class of locals who had a different mentality. They were hungry to tear down the old to make way for the new. [caption id="attachment_81744" align="alignnone" width="338"] An old temple in miserable condition in Moti Bazaar.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_81749" align="alignnone" width="475"] A name plate outside a house in Dhakki mohallah, Angat Pura.[/caption] Rawalpindi as a city has always had a storied history. Punjab has been ruled by Graeco-Bactrian Kings and later by the Sakas, Iranian nomads, and in 1765 Sardar Gujjar Singh controlled the area which is now called Rawalpindi. The city remained under Sikh rule till 1849 when it was taken over by the British. Hence, this land has had many identities, and one can find linkages to an extraordinary past through the city’s buildings and districts. [caption id="attachment_81679" align="alignnone" width="600"] A view of Moti bazaar, Rawalpindi.[/caption] Despite the removal of the Sikh Raj, the Sikh community remained an integral part of the cultural fabric of Rawalpindi till 1947. Their remnants are still visible in Kartarpura, Angatpura, Arjun Nagar, Mukha Singh state, Old Banni and adjoining areas. The city was predominantly influenced by Rai Bahadur Sujan Singh whose haveli (house) still stands in the old Bhabra Bazaar. Rawalpindi at one point in time was a jewel, a unique blend of both old and new architecture. Over the years, people that have been allotted these vacant properties have damaged them due to sheer negligence, and today these buildings are but a shadowy reflection of their former glory. [caption id="attachment_81739" align="alignnone" width="600"] An old pre-partition haveli in Saidpuri gate trying to save its colors from the wrath of the modern age.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_81741" align="alignnone" width="600"] A colonial style balcony on College Road, where famous Indian actor Balraj Sahini grew up.[/caption] Rawalpindi today is a chaotic labyrinth. Building laws and municipal regulations are virtually non-existent. Politicians and profit-driven land owners have given local municipal authorities the approval to demolish heritage buildings and sites. Commercialisation has trumped heritage. Heretics have squashed history. Rawalpindi still has the potential to become the epicentre of regional heritage, but only if preservation work is begun immediately. Today, the view from the metro bus offers a gloomy look at a frenzied skyline onto a city which does not know what it wants to be because it has forgotten what it once was. (All photos by author)
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