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… LSA announced it’s 2009 winners.
Iman Ahmed from The Body Focus Museum
Promptly being handed a folder with the LSA winners, details of their selection, previous award winners and so on, what the organisers had arranged for was for us to ‘mingle’ with the winners while they got their photos done. Designer duo Sana Safinaz (winners in the Best achievement in fashion design — couture category) were there and adding to their elation at winning the award was the huge response their current collections received in both Lahore and Karachi, with the next stop being Dubai.
Iman Ahmed from The Body Focus Museum (winner in the Best achievement in fashion design — prêt category) was there wearing a stunning beige and black ensemble from her upcoming collection. During the photo shoot one noticed she stood very still and maintained a hint of a smile. “I tried remembering all of the tips I’d picked up from doing photo shoots,” she responded.
Maria Wasti (winner in the Best film actress category) looked stunning in an Akef Illyas haircut and an A-line dress by Maheen Karim. Noman Ijaz was dressed in a Hasan Shehryar Yasin (HSY) sherwani. Nadia Hussain (winner in the Best female model category) wore an outfit from Ayesha Farooq Hashwani’s recently launched debutante collection whereas actress and model Aaminah Sheikh (winner in the Best emerging talent category) preferred to don a Rizwan Beyg ensemble.
The somewhat shy menswear designer, Ismail Farid, could be seen beaming at the venue while sporting a pale grey suit. His much-deserved LSA win comes after he wowed audiences with his collection dedicated to the Armed Forces of Pakistan (titled Salute) in the recently held Fashion Pakistan Week.
There weren’t any performances of any sort, just a lot of ‘mingling’. And where there is mingling there is bound to be some form of gossip: rumour has it musician Najam Sheraz (winner in the Best song of the year category) who was conspicuous by his absence did not attend because he wanted to be compensated for his appearance. It was said that the Inn-Se-Nain popster didn’t have a problem accepting the award, but couldn’t see why he should participate in a photo shoot from which the organisers were bound to generate promotion, especially considering that they hadn’t incurred any expenses holding an actual ceremony for the awards.
Coming back, LSA plans to introduce a new category from 2010 of Best screenplay.
The LSA winners are:
Maria Wasti from 'Ramchand Pakistani'
FILM & TV
Film of the Year: Ramchand Pakistani
Best film actor: Shaan (Zille Shah)
Best film actress: Maria Wasti (Ramchand Pakistani)
Best TV serial (terrestrial): Thora Sa Aasmaan (PTV)
Best TV director (terrestrial): Shah Bilal for Nautanki (ATV)
Best TV actor (terrestrial): Talat Hussain in Kabhi Aye Na Judai (ATV)
Best TV actress (terrestrial): Saima in Nautanki (ATV)
Best TV serial (satellite): Khamoshiann (Hum TV)
Best TV director (satellite): Babar Javed for Jhumka Jan (Hum TV)
Best TV actor (satellite): Noman Ijaz in Khamoshian (Hum TV)
Best TV actress (satellite): Sania Saeed in Jhumka Jan (Hum TV)
MUSIC
Best music album: Qismet Apney Haath Mein by Shahzad Roy
Best music director: Rohail Hyatt & Faisal Rafi for Charkha by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
Best music video director: Ahsan Rahim for Laga Reh by Shahzad Roy
Song of the year: Khaboon Kay Rishtay by Najam Shiraz
FASHION
Model of the year (female): Nadia Hussain
Model of the year (male): Ameer Zeb Khan
Best Emerging Talent: Aaminah Sheikh
Best Fashion Photographer: Khawer Riaz
Best Hair & make-up artiste: Akef Illyas
Achievement in fashion design (couture): Sana Safinaz
Achievement in fashion design (prêt): Iman Ahmed of the Body Focus Museum
Best menswear designer: Ismail Farid
Best retail brand: Generations
Strings on the ramp with a model wearing a Saadia Mirza ensemble
The fashion industry in Pakistan, it seems, never puts its feet up for a rest. Barely a week after the Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW) which featured 31 designers in all, a group show was held in Karachi — the Autumn/Winter collections of select designers supported by a cosmetics brand which is beginning to do such shows on a bi-annual basis.
The show featured the likes of veterans Faiza Samee and Sonya Battla (both designers showed at FPW), Ayesha Farooq Hashwani and Zara Shahjehan (both of whom showed their debutante collections) and HSY and Saadia Mirza who had flown their collections in from Lahore.
Faiza Samee opened the show with a collection that was inspired by gypsies of the Cholistan region. She followed the current predominant trends of having large shirts over straight short and long pants with extremely loose sleeves. She chose to pair a few of her ensembles with velvet and some of the clothes were bordered with gota and paired with zebra-printed shalwars.
Verdict: The collection was similar to, but not exactly the same, as her collection shown at FPW. Ayesha Tammy Haq, the CEO of FPW seated among the guests, was also wearing a similar Faiza Samee creation so we’d already had a preview of sorts into the collection the designer was going to show. The collection was essentially very colourful, ethnic and traditional. It was a step away from the fully-embroidered shirts that one can spot here and there. Although well-constructed, the concept of the collection in itself wasn’t anything particularly new.
Model Mehreen Syed wearing a Sonya Battla creation
Zara Shahjehan has been stocking at a multi-designer outlet in Karachi for some time now and showed her debutante collection. Focused on the notion that it did not allow a woman to “let go of her heritage and yet not let it hold her back”, the designer stuck to the same trends that are well, everywhere: long, traditional A-line shirts and straight pajamas all shown to the beat of George Michael and Michael Jackson songs.
Verdict: The collection had its very small moments here and there but collectively failed to impress. It didn’t have her signature or a mark that would differentiate her from other designers, perhaps because she is still very young and has a long way to go. Zara Shahjehan played with sheer fabric on the sleeves as well as the shirts that was interesting to see — sheer being one of the current trends making the rounds on a global level. However it must be mentioned here that one piece by the designer, the long pink coat (dubbed “the matrix coat” in local fashion circles) that reached down to the ankles and paired with a gharara was something Hasan Shehryar Yasin (HSY) has already been doing for the past two to three years.
Saadia Mirza, another big name in fashion, showed her collection which was divided into the following sub-sections: vanity, voyage, visage, vintage and vision. This segment might be remembered more for its theatrics perhaps rather than the collection. After the opening model showed the layered, beige/pink mermaid skirt outfit — perhaps the only interesting piece of the collection — who jumped on stage but Faisal Kapadia belting out a popular Strings number.
He was joined by Bilal Maqsood and together throughout the show they sang several hits, including Munn Ka Qarar, Dhaani and Koi Aanay Wala Hai. Was it an attempt to make it look like a Victoria’s Secret fashion show which, in the past, has featured artistes such as Usher and Justin Timberlake? A similar thing had also been done at the first The Musik Awards in 2006 in which Ali Azmat’s performance was accompanied by the showing of a white fashion collection.
Verdict: On a personal note, one has always liked this designer’s creations but I was disappointed by what she showed: her attempt at a Turkish shalwar (a trend that is catching on fast among the fashion community in Pakistan) failed and the finishing on the outfits was such that there was an outfit from which one could clearly see numerous threads dangling loose.
Sonya Battla, as fabulous as she was in FPW less than a week before she showed at this show, still managed to wow all and sundry with her collection. Worked on with traditional pleating and draping, her collection was her attempt at showing an Indo-Pak kimono in which she experimented with architecture and especially the staircase was used as a definite inspiration. From a burst of colour at FPW she moved on to a mostly grey, eventually red, black and then a pale brown, double-shaded dress shown as the finale.
The collection was very geometric in places. There were intricate pleats on the hemlines, collars, throws, and the designer also made use of velvet and sheer fabric. It was a step away from the large flowing garments Sonya has been showing for the past couple of years, and it was interesting to see this more construction-based side of her.
Verdict: Although the pleats — an inspiration from Japanese fans that were a feature of some of the outfits — had already been done by Adnan Pardesy in 2008, Sonya took that trend and presented it entirely in her own fashion perspective.
One designer whose debut had been eagerly awaited by many in the fashion lot was that of Ayesha Farooq Hashwani (AFH). This designer has been maintaining a somewhat low profile for the past year or two while doing a minimum of shoots and not really putting herself out there. That didn’t prevent her from being spotted by local fashion aficionados though and her debutante collection, based on “confident, subtle, graceful and for the independent woman” did not disappoint in the least.
One of the predominant features of this designer is her tendency towards draping and pleating. Her dresses flowed on each model as she brought together the handkerchief skirt (Maheen Karim has to be credited for starting the trend in the local industry back in 2007), flowing kaftan, a ’70s-style black cat-suit with straight-cut pants and double layered dresses with a different coloured tube top inside the actual outfit, giving a somewhat teasing, peek-a-boo effect with the encrusted diamantes on the side. The jewellery for AFH’s segment was designed by Shehrzad Hashwani.
Verdict: There was no over-the-top embroidery or embellishments, no clichéd attempt at ‘connecting with your roots’ and being ‘traditional’ here. The only bling the outfits sported were the silver encrusted diamantees that every single piece seemed to sport. AFH had a very strong ’70s sensibility to her collection and presented it in a refreshingly modern light.
Ayesha Farooq Hashwani comes in for her designer's bow after showcasing her debutante collection
Hasan Shehryar Yasin (HSY) showed his Rogue Royale collection which was “an ode to strength, to independent women” among other things. The Rogue Royale woman wears red which “is a sign of desire, love, passion, knows no boundaries” etc. After the elaborate adjectives describing his collection were recited on the microphone, HSY showed his ensemble of clothes which were essentially, in a nutshell, his heavy bridals — which explains the red.
Verdict: The triple layered skirts, the fully-embroidered fabric, the models as blushing (‘strong’, ‘independent’ women, eh?) brides who arched their backs almost 90 degrees backwards when they came to the end of the ramp… has all been done and seen before (yawn). Perhaps it was an opportune time for Sheru to show his bridal collection, since the wedding season is around the corner, but didn’t add to the show or the larger cause of fashion itself. The bridals were beautiful, but nothing that he hasn’t been doing before. Simply put, the segment was stereotypical.
I hate to make comparisons, but perhaps in this case it’s inevitable. FPW, other than being one of the biggest things to happen to local fashion, was an exhausting event not only for the designers, models and organisers but also for its attendees. It was a platform on which quite a few new designers raised the fashion bar and to hold an event so close to it raised expectations about what was to be shown on the ramp.
Sonya Battla never ceases to amaze with her sheer innovativeness of thought. Ayesha Farooq Hashwani is a much-needed breath of fresh air, and she brings a western sensibility and her flavour of elegant chic to the local industry. Having said that, the whole long A-line shirt with short/long straight fitted pajamas has already been done to death, and having yet another designer show the same old silhouettes instead of something new and innovative is only going to result in an overdose.
Photography: Faisal Farooqui
It happens almost instantaneously. You’re happily walking down the street one minute and the next you find yourself inside a retail store trying staring at a pair of high-heeled shoes, your mind racing with a million reasons per second why, oh why you should definitely buy it. Those reasons could range from: they go with everything, the heel is perfect, it was what you always wanted, the style is very new and no one has it yet, it’s so ‘you’ etc. All you know is: you must have them. You ask the shopkeeper for a pair to try on.
When you do, it’s almost magical. If they fit right, you walk around the store and it’s almost as if a single light is shining down from the heavens spot-lighting you as you walk around the store. You see them from every possible angle: walking forward, backward, do a little dance move to test their flexibility. The shoes do everything right and you run off to the ATM hoping you have just enough money left to buy them. Incidentally you do and you go home happy with a package in tucked under your arm. Does it matter that, if you’re a habitual shopper, the chances of you actually wearing that must-have shoes are probably (5/365 days of the year) one in 73?
One cardinal rule I’ve always followed is that I almost never venture near a market or a place which would feature something I’d want to get if I don’t have the money to get it. This has almost always worked in preventing me from feeling “deprived”.
Before readers begin to roll their eyes at the “pretentious” notion of being a shopaholic, let me point out that we all have our guilty pleasures. For some that could be books, clothes, cellphones, DVDs, even something as small as stationary, we all have at least one product type that we’re willing to spend a lot of money on every time we come across it. Added with more and more young people (including more and more women) actively working nowadays and having a greater disposable income results in a rapid increase in consumer culture. Why else would there be such a boom in advertising? In “money-saving” deals? The “exclusive” offers in just about everything?
It’s taken a lot for me to admit that I happen to be one of those victims of the must-have/must-buy syndrome, or a shopaholic as the modern pop term describes us. That realization dawned on me the day I looked around and discovered I have around 60 books I bought but haven’t read, more than a 100 magazines that suffer the same fate, some not even out of their packaging so as not to gather dust, a wardrobe full of clothes I’ve never worn and probably never will and around 10 pairs of shoes I spent a lot of money on but never really took out of their boxes. I even have around 10 pets, eight out of which I secretly wish I never bought. But I really hit rock bottom when I realized that one fine day, in about a matter of two months I had spent all my savings and I couldn’t, for the life of me, figure out on what?
Top view of the venue - model wearing a Feeha Jamshed ensemble
The Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW) that was held last week wasn’t without its share of controversies. It started out being dubbed as the second Karachi Fashion Week (KFW) — the first one was held in August 2008 — got delayed due to the socio-political conditions in the country, and then changed at the last minute from KFW to FPW. There were those who thought that it would never happen. But it did, and it set a new standard for how fashion shows are held in Pakistan.
Model Abdullah opens the Ismail Farid "Salute" segment
With a modified 88-foot ramp (from the original 100-foot ramp), a seating of around 450 people and a plethora of international media present, FPW encompassed four days with eight designers showing their collections each day. It was well-organised, started on time and ended timely as well.
Out of the 31 designers that showed there were some collections that stood out in terms of creativity, design and presentation. FPW also introduced several debutante designers whose collections were at par with the maturity displayed by established designers. They reaffirmed that Pakistan has a lot to offer in terms of fresh upcoming talent.
Sonya Battla opened the fashion week with a collection that was symbolic of her flowing silhouettes and luxurious fabricated garments of cotton, organza, linen and velvet. With a palette that encompassed white, red, beige, purple and black, other than flowing dresses she showed pleated Patiala-inspired shalwars paired with short shirts (a style that was predominant in the early ’80s) and black harem pants. The collection was styled with metal ensembles by Nyza Khan which outlined the feminine figure in bustiers, an outline of bras and even a chastity belt! In this collection Sonya Battla pulled off bold simplicity like no other.
One of Nomi Ansari's unconventional black dresses
Fahad Hussayn’s collection titled Love is Worth the Fall, inspired by his personal style, was a predominantly black collection with hints of red, gold and light blue in menswear, styled most notably by large black ostrich feathers on the hats worn by some of the models.
This was the first time the designer was showing his menswear collection and though his male models showed up sporadically in the middle of the collection, they seemed to be getting more and more covered as they appeared — from a turquoise-and-red printed bustier to a waistcoat and then a full coat. The collection had embroidered skulls branding the outfits. From slinky black dresses to a veiled black bridal gown, Fahad’s collection in a word would be: grand. An outfit that stood out for me was an almost backless black dress worn by Nadya Hussain, in which the fabric on the (backless) back portion had been designed to show the back of a skeleton.
In the menswear collection, Kash Hussain had some interesting pieces. He showed flared, pleated pants, single-toned kilts on the men worn with pants. The predominant palette he worked on was red, black, dull gold and blue. It was a collection meant for the metrosexual man who likes to be flamboyant with a certain measure of elegance. His black suit with the coat bordered in white, paired with a black shalwar displayed sophistication, and was definitely one of the better pieces from the collection.
A red outfit by Sonya Battla - the designer opened FPW with her collection
He’s had a presence in the industry as an individual for some time now but Syed Rizwanullah managed to wow quite a few in the audience with his debutante collection. Inspired by the ancient art of henna application, his collection was all white and what at first looked like intricate embroidery was actually henna design which was applied on the fabric itself. His models walked the ramp barefoot and his outfits followed silhouettes that are the current trend nowadays: large A-line shirts paired with straight to billowing pants. He also showed an outfit designed with a headscarf. Mahira Hafeez Khan and Feeha Jamshed (in saris) also walked the ramp for him. What’s refreshing about Rizwanullah’s collection is the painstaking work and the sheer innovativeness of thought.
Yasir Mirza of the M.i.r.z.a.y.a.n.o menswear line showed his prêt wear on the ramp. A designer who thinks anyone and everyone can wear his clothes literally did design for anyone and everyone. His collection comprising colourful printed pants, shirts, shorts and what not wasn’t anything out of the ordinary and his display of it managed to shock quite a few: models walked with a towel draped around their neck, scratched themselves, danced and what not. I give him full points for entertainment, his collection and his own approach towards it can be described in one word: anti-fashion.
Model showing one of Fahad Hussayn's outfits - one of the designers who made their mark in FPW
Ather Hafeez defined day two with his collection (Monk, Malang, Khusrau ke Rang) inspired by the poetry of Amir Khusrau which was written in admiration of Khawaja Nizamuddin Auliya. His collection had big, billowing Rajasthani shalwars, large full-sleeved A-line shirts, knotted backs and even an orange velvet dhoti. His collection was essentially ethnic with bright orange, yellow, purple, bottle green, turquoise, pink and black. The models were beautifully styled with traditional jewellery from jhoomars, large spherical gold earrings and necklaces, a garland of bells, gota armbands, large colourful turbans, etc. His collection, tinged with a hint of romance, brought the essence of Rajastani culture on the ramp.
Just when you thought you know what this designer is all about, Nomi Ansari managed to blow his fabulous bomb on the runway and opened the third day of the fashion week with a black western wear collection. The designer, formerly known for his brightly coloured, fully-embroidered bridal and eastern formal wear, showed a collection of short black dresses, skirts that emphasised the curves around the lower-behind, etc. The men wore shorts over stockings, black crimped coats among others. He closed his collection with fashion model Tooba sporting a short black bridal dress complete with a net veil. The collection was fun, funky and will be a hit with party goers.
Feeha Jamshed showcased her debutant collection titled Teejay’s Roxy dedicated to her mother which was a celebration of women in general as well. She followed the trend of having the models sport “boyfriend shirts” (menswear shirts on women), high-waisted, straight loose pants, large pockets, etc. Iraj walked on the ramp and saluted the audiences while the patriotic number Aae Rah-i-Haq kay Shaheedon by the late Madam Noor Jehan played in the background — possibly Feeha’s salute to the Armed Forces of Pakistan. She had fashion photographer Tapu Javeri open the show for her in a black shalwar kameez and also had fellow designer Syed Rizwanullah walk the ramp for her.
But the most powerful statement made on the ramp during the fashion week was by one of the most understated ones — menswear designer Ismail Farid — on day three. His collection, titled Salute, was a tribute to the Pakistan Army, “especially those who have lost their lives during past operations and continuous terrorist attacks”.
The bells that were styled on this Ather Hafeez creation added the panache that was visible throughout their collection
The monochromatic collection was extremely well made and displayed different aspects of the armed forces: we had the captain, the prisoner of war, the hooded assassin, the fighting soldier, to name a few. They were styled according to the role they played such as the PoW who had chains around his legs. The models walked on the ramp acting out the role they played, some saluted, some stomped, some faltered on the catwalk.
The make-up on the models showed slight bruises, symbolic of the hardships that the characters suffer. One critic commented that the theme was “very last year”, but I think it struck a chord and was very relevant to present times. Not to mention that each outfit was immaculately crafted.
Day four was a surprisingly dull end to the FPW, but despite that the collections that did make an impact overall continued to resonate even after the event had ended.
Other than creating a wave in the local media, FPW has received widespread coverage globally from the international press as well. What was interesting to note was that they preferred to stereotype the week as a “rebellion” against the Taliban — a perspective due to the tight security at the venue and general apprehension about an attack. The other response by the foreign media was on the “skin” that showed in a country that is stereotyped as having most of the female population “shrouded in veils/burqas”.
A model wearing Ather Hafeez's Rajasthani-inspired creation
Where getting the kind of international acclaim that FPW got is an achievement in itself, however, if any of the members of the international press had made an effort to go through the numerous entertainment channels the country has, they’d know that women here enjoy a modest display of “skin” in their everyday lives.
Designers who had shown at FPW
Day 01: Sonya Battla, Ayesha Varsey, Imbias, Samar Mehdi, Fahad Hussayn, Limited Editions, Kash Hussain and Shamael Ansari.
Day 02: Maheen Khan*, Rizwanullah, Datch, Zarmina Khan, Arshad Tareen, Yasir Mirza and Ather Hafeez.
Day 03: Nomi Ansari, Sanam Chaudhry, Abdus Samad, Mahin Hussain, Feeha Jamshed, Sanam Agha, Ismail Farid and Rizwan Beyg*.
Day 04: Faiza Samee, Pashmina, Tayyab Bombal, Asian Institute of Fashion Design, Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design, Adnan Pardesy, Kooki Concepts, Neelo Allahwalla and Deepak Perwani*.
*Designers were showing the collection they had showcased at the Milan Fashion Week
– Photography: Tapu Javeri
Yasir Mirza's "anti-fashion" collection
Mother do you think they’ll drop the bomb?
Mother do you think they’ll like this song?
Mother do you think they’ll try to break my balls?
Mother should I build the wall?
Mother should I run for president?
Mother should I trust the government?
Mother will they put me in the firing line?
Mother am I really dying?
Hush now baby, baby, dont you cry.
Mother’s gonna make all your nightmares come true.
Mother’s gonna put all her fears into you.
Mother’s gonna keep you right here under her wing.
She won’t let you fly, but she might let you sing.
Mama will keep baby cozy and warm.
Ooooh baby ooooh baby oooooh baby,
Of course mama’ll help to build the wall.
Lyrics from the song Mother by Pink Floyd from the album, The Wall.
“You’re from a family that dabbles in politics and you became a fashion designer,” I said to a young designer who showed his work at a fashion week recently. Knowing the odds that were stacked against him for his family approving of what he does, I couldn’t help but ask, “How did that happen?”. “It happens when you run away from school and go to fashion school!” he responded matter-of-factly. As if responding to my shocked expression he added, “I started working when I was on my O-levels to save up for college, so I wouldn’t have to rely on my family supporting me. When the time came, I got admission in a fashion school and I left.” He managed to graduate with honours and launched a successful clothing line, his family came around when they saw how settled he was in his profession and now accept it.
I have a friend, a Ms. B, who was a straight-A student throughout school, applied to a plethora of colleges and gained admission in most of them. The only problem was, her father forbid her from attending any of them. Determined to get a college education no matter what, she started working for various publications and after two years made enough to support her education for the first couple of years. In between she applied for a short filmmaking course abroad and while there, interacted with the education counselors, showed her certificates and managed not only to get a transfer to the same college but also a 50 per cent grant off her total fee. Although initially reluctant to send her off, her dedication towards her goal had managed to convince (and I assume, elicit the respect of her father as well) her parents to let her go. She is currently abroad enjoying studying the degree she worked so hard to get the privilege of attaining.
I think slowly and gradually we’re moving beyond the traditional (read: safe) professions our parents want us to follow, namely: do your MBA become a banker, be a doctor, an engineer etc. that in no way implies that there aren’t those professions your parents might think twice before letting you follow them, or that there aren’t those who end up fighting for their right to pursue their dreams. With the boom in the media industry (which is just about now beginning to fade slowly) resulting in a sudden spurt in the interest surrounding professions that revolve around art and culture, young men and women today have more options when it comes to “pursuable” professions that their parents are more open to supporting. That may include anything from interior design, architecture, art, photography or even in some cases, choreography.
Where some may have to fight to follow the profession they want, there are other ways (although longer) of attaining the same. While conversing with some visiting desi musicians from the UK a couple of months back, I discovered one common ground in all of them: they had all gone out, attained “safe” degrees whether a bachelors degree as a software engineer or in business administration, and once that was true (“what our parents wanted for us,” they responded) they went out and did what they wanted: pursue music. “It’s not that our parents didn’t want us to pursue our dreams,” they explained, “but they wanted something concrete we could fall back on, a plan B. Once we had that, we could do what we wanted.” I think that statement explains the apprehensions felt by most parents.
I had another friend who wanted to pursue a degree in media sciences. Her father initially forbid her daughter from even considering the notion. It was later when considering the fact that with every profession there is a degree of risk involved and that people only excel in fields that they’re most interested in, that he granted her the permission to do so. With fingers crossed off course.
– Photos by Biya Shadab
A grandfather holding his grand daughter during her Aqiqa - Photo by Madeeha Syed
There was a time when grandparents (at least mine) were like the eastern world’s equivalent of Santa: you mostly only went to them yourself to get your Eidhi. At other times, they were the villains in your life who would catch you smack in the middle of a game with your other cousins for a hug or a kiss. My grandparents were like those typical family heads that have a huge brood and their children to rule over – most of their time was spent solving problems, organizing meals and making sure everyone around them was comfortable. They had a strong presence but as children, for us, it remained more in the background; what was more important back then was deciding which cousin won the game at hand.
Fast forward many, many years and I find myself suddenly having an actual ‘interactive’ relationship with them. Their advice on life is now being dished out to me. I find myself talking to them more often, trying to know their personal stories, their perspective on issues, finding out how radically different our worlds are and yet there is a mysterious something that connects the both of us together.
The generation gap between my grandmother, for instance, and myself seems radically big on some issues, one of which was the levels of modesty that need to be observed in everyday garments. My grandmother insisted that religion dictated that women cover themselves from their ankles to their necks. The dilemma that posed for me was that current fashion trends dictated that several outfits be worn with a short, Capri-like pants, leaving the ankles and a bit of the calf in plain view. My solution to that was simple: I wore ankle socks. The moment she raised her eyebrows at my pants, I cheekily pointed out that she couldn’t deny the fact that, at least, my ankles were covered.
I also discovered that grandparents tend to become partners-in-crime especially when it comes to facing opposition from your parents. Be it needing a wing-man to get permission from your parents, condoning an act done that you know you will get in trouble for, right down to sneaking in a midnight snack in the kitchen, grandparents are willing to do it all with you.
When I first saw my own parents and how they behaved with my niece and nephews, I was happy but a little surprised as to how grandparents nowadays bonded with their grandchildren. They literally become babies for the babies they’re babysitting and I can safely say that for their grandchildren, they’re their best friends. The fact that they themselves have a relatively smaller family to look over and therefore more time to give individually to each grandchild is a factor that contributes to the cultivation of their relationship with their grandchildren.
Most people from the older generation equate the downfall of good old family values with the fast extinction of the joint-family system. But when I see little boys and girls instinctively learning how to take care of their grandparents, or great grandparents, by observing how their parents behave with them, I somehow see different generations coming closer to each other than drifting apart. when I see grandparents agreeing to chase their grandchildren in play, along with a bad back and advancing arthritis, I know that the bond is being cultivated both ways.
“I can guarantee that whoever comes to our concerts will leave dancing,” said Overload drummer and band leader, Farhad Humayun once. One doesn’t find that hard to believe. Even when the Lahore-based band is performing in a city like Karachi where audiences in comparison tend to be a tad more inhibited, one has seen people get up and shake their backsides to Overload’s performances.
The band created its big bang when it came on our screens a couple of years ago with a music video for the track Cursed which featured the likes of Pappu Saieen and co. Since then, the largely percussion-based band has been making waves doing the kind of music they do (a fusion of eastern and western percussions supported by almost tranquil piano work by Sheraz) and have managed to amass quite a fan following. Back then Farhad once stated, “The people of this country are more attuned to songs with lyrical content in them, they need to have the song’s meaning spelled out to them. We’re out to change that notion.” And they did precisely that.
In an environment in which the sheer structure of the music industry is undergoing a change because of rapid digital online distribution of media and the world wide web making media not only instantly accessible to users but also providing them with a direct link to the artiste, Overload chose to go the way paved by Radiohead: they released their second album online on their website www.overloadbeats.com for free. The album titled Pichal Pairee has been downloaded by thousands of users not only from Pakistan but also from abroad. They’re perhaps one of the few mainstream artistes who completely own their material as well since they chose the riskier path of not signing up with a record label, relying on them for promotion or release. “Make music and just put it out there,” commented Farhad, “what are you waiting for? We’re already working on new material.”
The band has an additional member in the form of Meesha Shafi, model/actress/artist who has been exercising her vocal talents with the band in their performances both in India and in Pakistan. Hasan Mohyuddin, who used to play the tumkinari in the band, is currently pursuing a degree in the UK and had to make an exit although he contributed creatively to the title track. Meesha adds a whole new dimension to the band and her unique vocal tone at times reminds one of Amy Winehouse (especially in the song Pichal Pairee) and at times of the eccentric, but incredibly talented Icelandic-singer Björk, case in point, the track titled Amjad Khan.
Although some of the tracks still feature the popular dhol, it is not the main focus in the album. The band has fused their signature use of percussions with electronica in a majority of the tracks, and in some, has played around this new element with traditional western instruments, thereby adding a whole new dimension to their music.
After listening to the album several times, one believes that it was meant to be heard in one go, all at once. The mood of the album changes as you progress through it, beginning from being uplifting (Dig Dag, Dhol Bajay Ga – a song that is getting a lot of airplay on local radio channels, Pichal Pairee – which doesn’t even sound ‘desi’ and Amjad Khan). It moves to a more mellow, almost intimately thoughtful tone in Vichar Gaye and a track titled A Thousand Miracles (although when downloaded it displays the title as 50 Years). Mela Kariyay is basically the track Cursed from Overload’s first self-titled album with Meesha’s vocals over it. Kaykra and Saat Mein which close the album bring the pace of the album up again.
How do you articulate an almost abstract sense (in this case sound) accurately into words? That was the dilemma faced when reviewing the album since a most of it is largely focused on the music element of it. The album Pichal Pairee is a reinvention of the band although it does not serve to completely redefine it: we see the band experimenting with their music and are introduced to new facets of their work and abilities. The introduction of Meesha adds a whole new feel to the band as her tone and manner of singing is not only uniquely different from the rest of the female pop vocalists dominating the local music scene but also embodies a certain independence from them. One is looking forward to seeing what facets of her abilities are uncovered as she journeys with the band, but having said that, the rest of the band members embody a strong presence in the album as well.
– Illustration by Osman Hyder
Originally titled “Kiss, kiss, bang, bang”
I still remember the first time I heard about anything like it. I was at my A level tuition centre and was talking to one of the boys from the junior, AS level who was waiting for one of his female friends to arrive. When she arrived, I discovered that she was an extremely skinny person, with perfectly straight, short black hair, kohl-rimmed eyes and an unsmiling mouth. But what actually bothered me was that on one side of her face, barely hidden by her hair, one could see a small bruise. She was 17 years old and I was told that her boyfriend (an A-level drop-out from another school), was responsible for it.
“I don’t know why she’s with him,” said my junior, “I’ve told her several times that he’s bad news but she doesn’t listen.” Needless to say I was shocked at first, but then felt sorry for the girl. I found out that other than hitting her, he would often yell at her, call her names, was extremely controlling and would sometimes make fun of her in front of his guy friends. Despite all of that, she continued to be with him. None of it made sense to me, she wasn’t bound to the boy for any legal reasons or otherwise, so why be with someone who treats you so badly? “What’s wrong with her?!,” I couldn’t help asking. “I don’t know…” replied my junior, somewhat miserably, “she calls me in tears whenever they fight and he’s mean to her. I talk to her and try to calm her down. She promises me she’ll get out of it but the moment the guy begins to behave himself, she forgets everything and goes back to him!”
Just a couple of years later, I encountered an oddly similar situation closer to home. One of my very close friends, Ms Z and I were talking on the phone one day while she was visiting her boyfriend. In the middle of the conversation, the line dropped (or so I thought) and I tried calling her back but she wouldn’t pick up the phone. Several minutes later, I received a text message from her which read “he just hit me”. Something snapped inside me and I immediately took the ‘risk’ of telling my parents and we all went to where they were. I ‘rescued’ my friend and made her sit in the car with me while my parents gave the boy (who was incidentally a visiting foreign-exchange student) a piece of their mind – even threatening to report him to the embassy and have him deported for assaulting a local.
Ms Z would never, in a million years, tell her own parents what had happened. She came from a conservative but incredibly loving family that probably wouldn’t respond well to the notion that their daughter even had a boyfriend, let alone a gora boyfriend. My parents assured her that even if Ms Z’s family initially got upset over the fact that she involved in a relationship, their next instinct would be to protect her against such ‘crazy’ people. But telling them was her decision. She didn’t. In fact, after all this had happened, she went back to him.
“He was incredibly sorry for the way he behaved!,” Ms Z tried to justify her decision, “he was extremely stressed out, he just wasn’t thinking. But he really ‘loves’ me. I ‘love’ him too!” She hit me with the infamous L-word – something I don’t think should be accepted as an excuse. The gora was a strange character. No one would believe that he was capable of hurting a soul because he kept up a very amiable, very polite public appearance. But as it turned out, when it was just Ms Z and him, he was a very different character: he often lost his temper, was extremely controlling of who she talked to, what she did, even what she ate at times… he would even display these two sides simultaneously when at one point he would be laughing at another person’s jokes and at the same time he would turn and tell Ms Z that she wasn’t worth anything and that she was lucky he was even spending time with her. whenever she’d had enough and would threaten to leave, he would become tearful and extremely sorry for his behaviour and she would forgive him. It was almost like a never-ending vicious cycle. A year later when it was finally over, I asked my friend why she chose to stay with him so long? “I was… I’m still afraid no other boy would be attracted to me,” she said, “I thought he was the best I could ever find. Sometimes I still wonder that.”
Out of curiosity and a need to makes sense of the abusive boyfriends mentioned above, I tried to do some research their behaviour and found out that where there are many reasons for it, simply speaking such individuals direly need both anger management and treatment for acute depression. Personally, I also feel they need to be taught how to respect another individual and the knowledge that their behaviour is not without consequence. Women on the other hand need to recognize their self worth and when to firmly say no to accepting such behaviour. The fact that they, despite receiving support from family and friends, continued to let themselves be treated the way they did, makes them just as responsible for it. “It’s not the physical scars that we’re afraid of, they heal with time” my parents had said to Ms Z, “it’s the emotional ones. They inflict more damage and take much longer.”
Note: This is the raw version since I haven’t been able to access the edited version from the website.
School can be a strange, strange place. While in school, parents and faculty members can seem like even stranger people. I don’t remember exactly when it happened, but I do remember experiencing that period of time when our principal decided to implement a rule that all of us students found incredibly amusing. In the middle of the final year of my A levels, our principal announced that she was going to implement a “three-foot rule”. That basically meant that students of different genders could not sit/walk/interact with one another if they weren’t maintaining a distance of at least three feet. Yeah, right.
What had happened was that our A level was right in the middle of the junior and O level block in school. Apparently a couple from the first year of A-levels had been sitting together “somewhat inappropriately” and had offended the sentiments of a parent who had been visiting the junior block. That parent was adamant that she did not want her offspring exposed to such ‘vulgarity’ and complained to the principal. The principal then decided to implement the three-foot rule.
How the rule could be implement effectively was another thing altogether. No one really took it very seriously, even the sports teacher who was responsible for monitoring on-campus behaviour seemed very amused by the idea, but as a part of the faculty member had to support it. Whenever we’d see him approaching us, we’d laugh and extend our arms to indicate the distance. If he caught two opposite gender students interacting at a distance closer than three feet, he’d quietly stand behind them, extend his hands and slowly separate them to the approximate distance. The students would all roll their eyes at this and the sports instructor could be seen chuckling every time he ‘implemented the law’. Eventually though, the school grew out of the rule and life returned to normal.
Recently a huge issue had been created in among the student body of a popular business school in Lahore where a student had raised an objection to the public displays of affection (PDA’s) that other students were engaging in on campus. She had complained that the PDAs were a little too ‘graphic’ and made other students at the campus that had to witness such displays, a little uncomfortable. Eventually, among the student body it turned into a question of freedom of expression vs. censorship of behaviour, personal freedom against a rigid, conservative, ‘mullah-istic’ point-of-view towards behaviour. The administration took notice and, as has been rumoured, decided to see what they could do about it. members of the student body were a little taken aback that the administration should chose to pick such an issue to attempt to fix, whereas there were other issues (pertaining to facilities etc) that the students had been complaining about a very long time that they had chosen to quietly ignore. Even today, no two people have the same perspective on the same issue.
I have come across school teachers who complain that when they chastise students who engage in behaviour that borders on vulgarity, they are accused of being ‘narrow-minded’ and in some cases, even jealous! Students on the other hand complain that faculty members and parents are a little paranoid and that for them, two members of the opposite gender sitting a little close is considered ‘vulger’, and what exaggerated behaviour did the parents/faculty members ‘imagine’ the students might be engaging in when seeing that? They also claim that they have a right to behave as they please with their fellow students and that faculty should limit their attention and focus on what they’re ‘supposed’ to do: teach. Whereas one personally does not feel that another persons’ parent, other students or faculty members have a right to dictate what another student does in their private space; the student should also be sensitive to the sentiments of those around him/her and maintain a certain level of decorum in their behaviour. If they don’t want to be chastised for a ‘personal’ matter, then don’t make it available for public viewership.
Take a chance on me
Mamma mia, here I go again
My my, how can I resist you?
Mamma mia, does it show again?
My my, just how much I’ve missed you….
After wowing us with Chicago, Nida Butt and Made for Stage is back with yet another musical, Mamma Mia. It comes under the genre of being a jukebox musical (one which uses previously released songs in its musical score) and was written by Catherine Johnson.
Both the play and the score of the musical are based on the songs of the hugely popular Swedish pop band Abba (active from 1972-1983), and although the story is fictional the title of the play has been borrowed from one of Abba’s 1975 hit songs. When it comes to the original Mamma Mia the musical, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Anderson (band members and main composers in Abba) were involved in its development. One of the female band members, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, had contributed financially. The last band member, Agnetha Fältskog, did not actively contribute to it but was present at its Swedish premiere and final show. According to statistics, Mamma Mia the musical (at least till 2007) had been seen by over 30 million people worldwide.
The story in itself is simple enough. Sophie Sheradon (played by Rachel Viccaji) is about to get married to Skye (Omar Bilal Akhtar) and wants her father to be present at her wedding. The only catch is that she doesn’t know who her father is since her mother, Donna Sheradon (Kiran Arshad Chaudhry), was intimately involved with three different men around the time Sophie was supposed to have been conceived. She chances upon her mom’s private diary and discovering the identity of the three men [Sam Carmichael (Aly Mustansir), Bill Anderson (Saad Rahim Zubair) and Harry Bright (Akbar Merchant)], she invites them to her wedding.
They arrive at the little Greek island where she lives simultaneously and promise Sophie that they won’t tell her mom that they’re here or why (cue song: Thank You for the Music). Donna discovers them anyway and is visibly shaken by their presence. Also attending the wedding are Donna’s old friends one of which is Tanya (Zoe Viccaji), a vivacious, high-maintenance, rich woman who has been married and divorced three times — and seems proud of it. The other is Rosie (Sanam Saeed), a carefree soul, unmarried and with a somewhat kooky sense of humour.
The play centres around Sophie — who has 24 hours before her wedding —trying to find out who her father is, dodging her mother, confessing what she did to her fiancé and getting ready for the wedding. It also focuses on Donna and the emotions she’s going through seeing her three old lovers back after 20 years all at once (cue song:
Mamma Mia), while trying to let go of Sophie as her only daughter is about to enter into the ‘second phase’ of her life (cue song Slipping through my Fingers). Tanya and Rosie are also focused on as the two friends who’re trying to be just that — good friends to Donna, provide her with support, cheer her up and try and adjust to the single bedroom that they’ve been given. They also have their own set of romantic interests, with one Skye’s friends actively making a move on Tanya (she brushes him off, singing Does your Mother Know?) and Rosie discovering that she’s attracted to Bill Anderson and tries to seduce him (Take a Chance on Me).
At the end of the story, Sophie decides it isn’t important for her to know who her father is after all. All three men are happy being one-third of her father for her. She also decides it isn’t important for her to get married to Skye at that time and Sam Carmichael seizes the opportunity to propose to Donna (cue song: I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do) since both of them are quite not over each other.
The local version of Mamma Mia has its moments. Other than the obvious play on nostalgia by featuring and being entirely focused on Abba’s music, the highlights of the musical are definitely the characters of Tanya and Rosie who invited laughter and applause from the audience for their cleverly delivered antics, and Sanam and Zoe’s chemistry as actors. Kiran Arshad Chaudhry, who has her own band Caramal, debuted in the musical as an actor, was natural in the delivery of her role and seemed to stand out as a vocalist during the singing sections.
Her rendition of the song, The Winner takes it All, was a testament to her powerhouse vocals that were heard loud and clear especially considering that there were numerous technical glitches in the sound on the opening day, with the music often seeming louder than the vocals. Rachel’s role as Sophie was completely different from the femme fatale Velma Kelly she plays in the second installment (and as the Hungarian inmate in the first installment) of Chicago. One can see she’s made a definite effort to try and embody the role of a sweet, innocent 20-year old who realises at times that she’s taken on more than she can handle.
At the end of it, Mamma Mia the musical isn’t the best production that Made for Stage has come out with, especially considering that there isn’t much depth to the story line — not visually as ‘happening’ as their previous showings. The interchangeable set designed by Barry was almost genius but the costumes at times became downright gaudy, perhaps intentionally. Having said that, Mamma Mia still has its moments — though they are few and far between — and will appeal to those who have even a slight interest or knowledge of Abba songs.
Zoe Viccaji (Tanya), Kiran Arshad Chaudhry (Donna Sheradon) & Rosie (Sanam Saeed) bring it in "Mamma Mia"
Mamma mia, here I go again
My my, how can I resist you?
Mamma mia, does it show again?
My my, just how much I’ve missed you…
After wowing us with Chicago, Nida Butt and Made for Stage is back with yet another musical, Mamma Mia. It comes under the genre of being a jukebox musical (one which uses previously released songs in its musical score) and was written by Catherine Johnson.
Both the play and the score of the musical are based on the songs of the hugely popular Swedish pop band Abba (active from 1972-1983), and although the story is fictional the title of the play has been borrowed from one of Abba’s 1975 hit songs. When it comes to the original Mamma Mia the musical, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Anderson (band members and main composers in Abba) were involved in its development. One of the female band members, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, had contributed financially. The last band member, Agnetha Fältskog, did not actively contribute to it but was present at its Swedish premiere and final show. According to statistics, Mamma Mia the musical (at least till 2007) had been seen by over 30 million people worldwide.
The story in itself is simple enough. Sophie Sheradon (played by Rachel Viccaji) is about to get married to Skye (Omar Bilal Akhtar) and wants her father to be present at her wedding. The only catch is that she doesn’t know who her father is since her mother, Donna Sheradon (Kiran Arshad Chaudhry), was intimately involved with three different men around the time Sophie was supposed to have been conceived. She chances upon her mom’s private diary and discovering the identity of the three men [Sam Carmichael (Aly Mustansir), Bill Anderson (Saad Rahim Zubair) and Harry Bright (Akbar Merchant)], she invites them to her wedding.
They arrive at the little Greek island where she lives simultaneously and promise Sophie that they won’t tell her mom that they’re here or why (cue song: Thank You for the Music). Donna discovers them anyway and is visibly shaken by their presence. Also attending the wedding are Donna’s old friends one of which is Tanya (Zoe Viccaji), a vivacious, high-maintenance, rich woman who has been married and divorced three times — and seems proud of it. The other is Rosie (Sanam Saeed), a carefree soul, unmarried and with a somewhat kooky sense of humour.
The play centres around Sophie — who has 24 hours before her wedding —trying to find out who her father is, dodging her mother, confessing what she did to her fiancé and getting ready for the wedding. It also focuses on Donna and the emotions she’s going through seeing her three old lovers back after 20 years all at once (cue song: Mamma Mia), while trying to let go of Sophie as her only daughter is about to enter into the ‘second phase’ of her life (cue song Slipping through my Fingers). Tanya and Rosie are also focused on as the two friends who’re trying to be just that — good friends to Donna, provide her with support, cheer her up and try and adjust to the single bedroom that they’ve been given. They also have their own set of romantic interests, with one Skye’s friends actively making a move on Tanya (she brushes him off, singing Does your Mother Know?) and Rosie discovering that she’s attracted to Bill Anderson and tries to seduce him (Take a Chance on Me).
At the end of the story, Sophie decides it isn’t important for her to know who her father is after all. All three men are happy being one-third of her father for her. She also decides it isn’t important for her to get married to Skye at that time and Sam Carmichael seizes the opportunity to propose to Donna (cue song: I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do) since both of them are quite not over each other.
The local version of Mamma Mia has its moments. Other than the obvious play on nostalgia by featuring and being entirely focused on Abba’s music, the highlights of the musical are definitely the characters of Tanya and Rosie who invited laughter and applause from the audience for their cleverly delivered antics, and Sanam and Zoe’s chemistry as actors. Kiran Arshad Chaudhry, who has her own band Caramal, debuted in the musical as an actor, was natural in the delivery of her role and seemed to stand out as a vocalist during the singing sections.
Her rendition of the song, The Winner takes it All, was a testament to her powerhouse vocals that were heard loud and clear especially considering that there were numerous technical glitches in the sound on the opening day, with the music often seeming louder than the vocals. Rachel’s role as Sophie was completely different from the femme fatale Velma Kelly she plays in the second installment (and as the Hungarian inmate in the first installment) of Chicago. One can see she’s made a definite effort to try and embody the role of a sweet, innocent 20-year old who realises at times that she’s taken on more than she can handle.
At the end of it, Mamma Mia the musical isn’t the best production that Made for Stage has come out with, especially considering that there isn’t much depth to the story line — and it’s not visually as ‘happening’ as their previous showings. The interchangeable set designed by Barry was almost genius but the costumes at times became downright gaudy, perhaps intentionally. Having said that, Mamma Mia still has its moments — though they are few and far between — and will appeal to those who have even a slight interest or knowledge of Abba songs.
Abba songs featured in Mamma Mia, the musical:
I have a dream
Honey, Honey
Money, Money, Money
Thank You for the Music
Chiquitita
Dancing Queen
Lay All Your Love on Me
Super Trouper
Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
The Name of the Game
Voulez-Vous
Under Attack
One of Us
SOS
Does Your Mother Know?
Knowing Me, Knowing You
Our Last Summer
Slipping Through My Fingers
The Winner Takes It All
Take a Chance on Me
I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
— Photo by FurSid
