Born and bred in good ol’ Lahore, this Lahori munda has done us proud in many fields. His claim to fame is painting, singing, dancing and acting. With his adverts zapped nationwide on billboards and television channels, singing and dancing to his own composition, Ali Zafar goes around painting the town yellow and red. Shuffling between the neighbouring Indian film industry, local adverts and composing albums, he is a busy man, yet he was kind enough to take my call whilst driving back home from his dentist appointment. Given the lack of time and opportunities to meet him, I managed a ‘lightning round’ with him over the phone.

Me: If ever given a chance to act for this side of the border, would you like to act in Pakistani dramas or films? If yes, who would you like your drama queen to be? Ali Zafar (AZ): For now films. The queen can be anyone as long as she doesn’t create a drama on the set. (Munda of small words eh?) Me: We have seen the funny bone in you in your last six Indian films. Will we get to see the emotional or evil side of yours? AZ: Well, all these films did have some serious and emotional quotient but yes, by and large they were comedy films. London, Paris, New York was a romantic film. However, Kill Dil is the film where you would get to see me in a completely different avatar. More serious and grey! (Okay never mind, he talks, like all Lahoris) Me: I am personally very fond of your song ‘Jhoom’. What is the inspiration behind it? AZ: I wrote the song as a medium of devotion to ‘life’ itself. It speaks about how life reflects itself in each and everything. It was written during a time I was going through a sort of reflective pensive phase in life. If you see the video of this song, you would see the depiction of drifting away from the glitz and glamour into a simpler side of life and finding happiness there. (Wah, deep!) Me: Success is public, and so is failure. Does that bother you? How do you cope with it? AZ: Failure is your best teacher. If you experience it with an open mind, you can gain a lot from it. (Tart reply, eh!) Me: What is the difference and similarity between Ali Zafar in NCA days and Ali Zafar nowadays? AZ: I was a student of arts during NCA days. I still am a student of arts in life! (Aww sweet, so young at heart) Me: When it comes to women, is IQ (Intelligence Quotient) more important or EQ (Emotional Quotient)? AZ: IQ, EQ, ZQ, YQ, all go hand in hand Me: Hahah… and what would ZQ and YQ be? AZ: The readers should employ their IQ’s to find out. (Funny bone again) Me: On a personal level, what is your daily routine like? AZ: I love spending time with my family, love intense work out sessions and eating a balanced healthy diet.

 “Meiney tujhey dekha subhah key ujalon mein Nadiya mein, naalon mein Lamho mein, saalon mein Pyaar karney waalon mein Junoon mein, jiyaalo mein Ishq key malaalon mein Zinda misalon mein Jitni tu milti jayee, utni lagi thodi thodi” (I saw you in the morning light In lakes, in drains In moments, in years In two lovers In passion, in followers In love’s guilt In life’s examples The more I get you, the less it seems)

A simple white shalwar kameez, a pair of traditional Peshawari shoes and a black jacket. The packed hall of about 900 people exploded into thunderous cheers and a standing ovation. Young boys and girls jumped up with excitement, thumped their tables and filled the air with whistles. The welcome befitted a rock star. The man in white moved to the stage and commenced speaking. He spoke clearly, simply and in elegant Urdu; every member of the audience could understand him. His thoughts were crystal clear; he stood for a multi- cultural and secular framework, believed in a corruption free society, condemned the attacks on minorities and their places of worship, and had faith in the young and rapid economic development. Each proclamation drew acclaim from the audience. Clearly the speaker was the darling of the youth of Pakistan. Seeing the stunned disbelief on my face, a Pakistani manager remarked,

“For us, he is your Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Amitabh Bachchan, all rolled into one!”

“Why should we vote for you next time, when we Hindus are facing problems? Our temples are being attacked in Larkana.”

“The attacks should be condemned.”

“Are you sure you will be safe in Pakistan?”

“Is it true that Muslims in India are persecuted?”

“Madam, I could be the only Hindu and Indian in this ancient, beautiful market of about 15,000 Pakistani Muslims. Yet I shop here, alone without fear. So how can about 177 million Muslims in India be frightened? Remember, we have as many Muslims in India as there are in Pakistan.”

“Look at many of the nationally admired idols in India – actors Dilip Kumar (Yusuf Khan), Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Nargis Dutt, Madhubala (Mumtaz Jehan) and Waheeda Rehman amongst others. We have had three Muslim presidents Zakir Hussain, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and Abdul Kalam, and one of the richest Indians, Azim Premji, is a Muslim.”

“So perhaps the media and politicians exaggerate issues.”

“Enjoy our coins and remember us.”

“So what will happen in the elections in India? Will Modi be your new PM?”

“Well, the Gujarat riots and his RSS background.”

“In my most painful and toughest moments in climbing Mount Everest, I told myself, one step at a time.”

Keeping the taste of Bollywood fans and critics in mind, director Samar Shaikh and producer Dia Mirza came up with a great formula for their new movie, Bobby Jasoos, one which they thought would be a hit movie. To understand it better, the formula is a mix between women-centric movies, like No one killed Jessica, Hate Story, Dirty Picture, Gulaab Gang and English Vinglish, and detective thrillers, like John Day, Samrat & Co., Kahaani, Mr Joe B Carvalho.  [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1x4eiw_bobby-jasoos-hd-hindi-movie-trailer-2014-vidya-balan_shortfilms[/embed] So what is the movie about? Bobby Jasoos is about Bilquis Ahmed (Vidya Balan), also known as Bobby Jasoos, who aspires to be a detective and truly believes she would be a great one. But unfortunately, she doesn’t have what it takes to be a renowned detective; she lacks presentation skills, language proficiency and professional training. Her parents want her to settle down with a nice Hyderabadi boy but Bobby, being a strong-headed woman, is determined to be a spy just like James Bond and starts her own private detective agency.   [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="405"] Photo: Bobby Jasoos Facebook page[/caption] After various uninteresting cases, she is approached by Anees Khan (Kiran Kumar) who hires her for a case and pays her a hefty advance. Bobby puts her services to use and excitedly starts working on the case with the help of her friends Munna (Aakash Dahiya), Tasawur (Ali Fazal) and Shetty (Prasad Barve). Things start off as planned for Bobby but as predicted things turn become interesting when Bobby inquires about other cases she dealt with in the past for Khan. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="587"] Photo: Bobby Jasoos Facebook page[/caption] An array of performances Balan is a volcano of talent and can surprise her viewers in any given character. She did a commendable job with her comic timings and emotional bursts, and her little romantic gestures made her role complete, leaving no room for error. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] Photo: Bobby Jasoos Facebook page[/caption] Fazal is talented and excels like a polished actor in some of the scenes. He looks smart, dances well and acts in a perfectly natural way. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="598"] Photo: Bobby Jasoos Facebook page[/caption] Being a power pack of dramatic scenes and emotional performances, Kumar makes an on-screen appearance after a long time. It truly was a delight to watch him in a very demanding role where he had to be composed, dubious and unpredictable. Only a well-seasoned actor could pull off the designated role and Kumar was the perfect choice. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="598"] Photo: Bobby Jasoos Facebook page[/caption] Dahiya and Barve did equal justice to their characters, providing the audience with a decent watch. On the other hand, Tanvi aazmi, Supriya Pathak and Zarina Wahab along with Rajendra Gupta were a total waste of screen time; they looked like nothing more than fillers for the movie and this did no justice to the talent they encompass. Arjan Bajwa as Lala also gave an extraordinary performance. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Bobby Jasoos Facebook page[/caption] Here comes the disappointment Being a fan of Balan’s acting abilities and always looking forward to watching a nice thriller cum detective themed movie, I had high hopes from the movie. But unfortunately, it failed to make its mark. The plot seemed half-baked and there were too many stories trying to merge into one which only ended up confusing the audience. The movie had a great cast but their talent was not utilised to its full potential. Also, one aspect that seemed to bother me was the fact that although the movie portrayed typical ‘Hyderabadis’ the accents just didn’t match my expectation. If making a hit movie was all about getting into a multiple disguises then Bobby Jasoos could have survived and made an impact. But the filmmakers need to understand that it takes a strong plot and script, and some over the top performances, to make a movie worth watching. By the end of the movie, the audiences were left with many unanswered questions, which evidently showed that the filmmakers and writers did not do justice to their work. Remember that song from the movie? I don’t either! You know how you watch a movie, especially a Bollywood movie, and this one song, or a couple in certain films, just stick to you and you can’t wait to go home to download it so you can listen to it on repeat? Yeah, that wasn’t the case here, or even close to it. I couldn’t remember any song after watching the movie and neither of them made an impact. The music ranged from anywhere between awful to below average. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="393"] Photo: Bobby Jasoos Facebook page[/caption] And the verdict is… Had the script been slightly more gripping, the movie would have been a great success. Although the actors did give it their best shot, in their respective capacities, it is always team effort that can save any enterprise and Bobby Jasoos missed the mark from miles away. In light of its weak script, confused storytelling and lack of precision I give the film a 1.5 out of 5 rating.

“Pyar dosti hai ... agar woh meri sab se achi dost nahin ban sakti, tou main uss se kabhi pyar kar hi nahi sakta ... Kyun ki dosti bina tou pyar hota hi nahin... simple, pyar dosti hai” (Love is friendship. If she can’t become my best friend, then I can’t ever possibly love her. Because love cannot exist without friendship. It’s simple; love is friendship.)

“Yeh keh kar Khan Sahib to chal diye aur siyaapa duniya bhar mein daal diya.”  (After saying this, Khan Sahib went his merry way and left the world in a dilemma)

“Kuch kuch hota hai Anjali, tum nahin samjhogee” (One feels something, Anjali. You won’t understand it)

While conversing with Myra Edwin, she told me a story about a little adventure she went on with her brother. I thought a narration of this story would be very apt for today, August 14. This is what she had to say; My brother, after returning from the UK, wanted to set up his own den where he could continue with his research, explained Edwin, a lecturer in Edwardes College Peshawar. Spending seven years in an alien country has made him a patriot. He is very fond of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal, and many a times narrates their anecdotes and poetry. He wanted to have their pictures and a small desk-flag of our country in his research den. When we asked people around where we could find the things we required, they laughed and all said the same thing:

“It’s not August 14^th! You won’t find these things in the market.”

“Aaj August 14^th nahi hai.” (Today is not August 14^th.)

“Beta aaj August 14^th thori hai jo ab apko yeh saman chahiyay.” (Son, why would you need these things today, it isn’t August 14^th)

“Kya chahiye, bhai?” (What do you want, brother?)

“Bhai ab ye sub koi lenay nahi ata, yahi chund poster hain ap ko pasand hai toh ley jaein”. (Brother no one comes to buy these things anymore; I only have these few posters left, you can take these if you want.)

“Tees rupay.” (30 rupees)

“Puranay badges nikaal key dey doh, tumharay pas toh bohat paray hain.” (Take out some of the old badges you have lying around. You have lots of them, anyway)

“Sub kuch badal gaya hai.”  (Everything has changed.)

“Is our patriotism limited to just one day? Will we be saying the same after a few years, today is not August 14^th?”

The first video I saw of the ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’ was of Anne Hathaway and her contribution to this social media craze. Since I had no idea what it was about, I saw a few other videos of celebrities and came to the conclusion that it’s something along the lines of a ‘wet t-shirt contest’ because that was the only thing I could make out during these short videos. While I enjoyed watching heartthrobs like Zac Efron, the Hemsworth brothers and Siddarth Malhotra drenching themselves in water, I noticed that all of the participants of the videos mentioned the word ALS and something about a donation. So I searched for ALS and what popped up on Google was not what I had expected. Turns out, ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, which is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to the death of motor neurons in which the brain loses its ability to control muscle movement. The more I read about ALS, the more I realised that it is no laughing matter. They say that the Ice Bucket Challenge is creating awareness about ALS and is raising funds for the ALS association. It was started by a former baseball player, Pete Frates – suffering from ALS – who put a bucket full of ice and freezing cold water over his head. And that was all it took to create a storm over social media. I’ll agree that, in a strange and unconventional way, it is spreading awareness of this disease and, like me, many people around the world must have Googled it to find out more. I appreciate the fact that celebrities, sports personalities and even politicians around the world are participating and I don’t believe that ‘all’ of them are doing it for their own publicity but the thing I failed to understand was how exactly people are helping those suffering from this horrible disease? [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x245s5e_pres-george-w-bush-takes-ice-bucket-challenge_news[/embed] Some celebrities have an interesting take to this trend. Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha, for example, posted a comic video where she dumps a bucket over her head but only one ice cube falls out. Then she says that I will donate money but I will not waste water and I challenge all of you watching to do the same. I loved her approach. While the challenge hit Pakistan the same way it hit the rest of the globe, a couple of Pakistani students decided to recreate it into something more productive for our cities. Calling it the ‘Smile Pakistan Challenge’, they took a bucket of paint and painted over the ruined and vandalised walls of government schools. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x24h5tn_sonakshi-sinha-bollywood-actress-als-ice-bucket-challenge_people[/embed] Apparently, when you throw a bucket over your head and waste water, you’re vowing to donate to the foundation and then you challenge others to do it. But are people really donating or are they just doing it for their own amusement? According to the ALS Association they have raised almost $80 million since the beginning of this social media-fuelled campaign. If a recreational activity is helping those who suffer from such diseases then that is commendable. Using the power of social media for good should be appreciated and, besides, a little fun never hurts anyone, right? The campaign was symbolic for a particular disease, and it was addressing likewise. However, people have started using this campaign to highlight other issues, issues that are of a larger magnitude, which is wrong and out of context. If this campaign is for those who are affected by ALS, then what is the point of bringing Gaza or education in Pakistan into all this? Dumping a bucket full of ice and water to raise awareness about a disease is one thing but doing the same for a larger issue is perhaps just not the right way of doing things. The people of Gaza have come up with a ‘Rubble Bucket Challenge’ to raise awareness by pouring buckets of rubble over themselves to symbolise the destruction of Gaza. I’m all for supporting Gaza and condemning violence but in my opinion this is just a tad wrong and insensitive. [embed width="620"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duSBig1-VUA[/embed] Though this was a way for the people of Gaza to be heard and to reach out to the world, I think this Rubble Bucket Challenge is reducing the importance of an issue as big as the killing of so many lives. This rubble does not only signify destroyed buildings, it is a symbol of the condition Gaza is in right now. Issues like the Palestine and Israel conflict do not need awareness. We don’t need people to throw buckets over themselves to know that people are dying day after day. This rubble is not just a mess of broken concrete, each day in Gaza families scour through this very rubble to find their loved ones. Thinking of the bodies of small innocent children buried in this rubble makes me sick to my stomach. These videos are not creating awareness. By making it seem like a fun activity they are desensitising us to the brutal violence the Palestinians are facing. I am not against social media campaigns for charity but I most definitely am against making colossal matters seem small by limiting them to a bucket and by making them look like they’re ‘okay’. It’s like saying,

“Oh, there was a tsunami that killed thousands of people so I’m going to jump in the ocean to collect funds.”

“I got a very nice proposal,” said a friend who was at a stage in life where she wanted to settle down in marriage. “But there is an issue. I am 31. And he is 26. I am five years older. I really like him but my mom says that in another five years mein uski maa lagoon gi (I will look like his mother). I will have to say no,” she said with resigned acceptance.

“Disgusting! How can you even ask me that?” was her response, her face showing she was genuinely disturbed at the idea.

“Marry someone four years older than you beta” is what an aunty was caught saying to a 17-year-old. “That is ideal age difference. He would have already completed his education and would have a job by the time you complete your undergrad. And bachi, you have a tendency to gain weight, so never marry someone your own age.”

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.

When you think of movies under the Sanjay Leela Bhansali banner, you think of epic romances, of the colours blue, grey, and black, of love and passion, and women dancing in the most extravagant of lehngas. But the last thing you would expect from a Bhansali movie is a story about a young girl trying her luck in the patriarchal field of sports. This is why the movie Mary Kom was pleasantly surprising. [embed width="620"]http://vimeo.com/101509532[/embed] But Mary Kom coming from a big production house is not why I liked it. I liked it because of the following reasons: 1) It is a biopic. This kind of cinema is really inspirational and it gives the masses something to watch other than the mainstream Bollywood love stories, family drama and masala. 2) The protagonist is a female and this just goes to show that Indian movies have come a long way and have matured in terms of gender equality and giving a voice to the female population. 3) Despite it being an Indian movie, it’s not completely ‘Indian’. They have not tried to ‘Indianise’ the movie and have done justice to the local language, culture and mannerisms of the people of Manipur. Although Manipur is a part of India, it is very different from mainstream India which we always come across in movies. All the actors seem to be of Manipuri origin, except for Priyanka Chopra of course, and this makes the story seem original and believable. They have also highlighted the discrimination the people of Manipur face at the hands of Central Indians. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Mary Kom official Facebook page[/caption] 4) Priyanka Chopra. I don’t think this movie would’ve created such an impact without Priyanka’s award worthy acting. Though at first I was a bit sceptical because she signifies beauty and glamour, whereas the real Mary Kom is simple and athletic, but the filmmakers did a great job with Priyanka’s costumes and make up. They also made her skin look like that of the people of Manipuri. But apart from her appearance, Priyanka became Mary Kom in a way that nobody probably expected her to be. Her performance was very powerful and any young girl striving to achieve her dreams would be able to relate to her. Perhaps the best thing about Mary Kom is that it narrates not only the story of MC Mary Kom, the boxer, but also gives us an idea of the thousands of girls living in male-dominated societies that are too conservative and too rigid to let them follow their dreams. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Mary Kom. Photo: Mary Kom official Facebook page[/caption] While watching the movie, I thought of Maria Toorpakai from Waziristan, Pakistan, who had to disguise herself as a boy just so that she could play the sport she loved. After winning competitions, she received threats and so had to practice in her room but continued to pursue her ambition without giving up in the face of adversity. There are an innumerable amount of girls who do not get to do what they love just because their family, culture, society and religion say it’s not ‘appropriate’. This makes you think, because of backwardness, of how much talent Pakistan has lost? Our youth has a lot of potential but it is being wasted because we don’t have proper channels to nurture it, groom the talent and allow it to grow. Instead we suffocate it and keep it buried in our backyard and, in the case of girls, in our kitchens. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Mary Kom official Facebook page[/caption] Even though Mary Kom didn’t do so well at the box office, I am glad that Bollywood made this movie and hopefully, one day, Pakistan will also make movies about inspiring people like Maria Toorpakai and others who struggled but made it, with no help from their country or society. Maybe such a movie won’t be allowed to screen in Pakistan, the same way Mary Kom has not been allowed to screen in Manipur, but when has banning something ever stopped people from seeing it? People will watch it, nonetheless, and it might help in fixing certain distorted, unfair perspectives. This film will help people open up their minds a little, and make them understand the importance of coming out of their shell of bigotry and valuing talent irrespective of gender.

Chhapak…chhapak. The oarsman slowly rows his shikara, a wooden taxi houseboat, as I breathe fresh air and put my fingers into the cold water. This is my first visit to Kashmir and I always wanted to visit it - to take a shikara ride alone on the splendiferous, enchanting Dal Lake in paradise, that is Kashmir. A unique experience indeed; every now and then I go into a state of trance, a psychological state induced as if by a magical incantation. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Sapan Kapoor[/caption] There is something intoxicating in this air. It puts me in a daze. In a nearby mosque, a muazzin calls out the Azan (call for prayer), and cool breeze wafts the prayer across the lake. 'Allahu Akbar' (God is Great) he chants four times. The atmosphere is soothing and peaceful. They say the Azan, and not the sun, begins a new day in Kashmir. It is at this point of time the rower, Suhail, chimes in.

 “Can you see over there? Yes, that is Pari Mahal, a terraced garden. A lot of Bollywood movies have been shot there. You must have watched the famous song from Sanjeev Kumar and Suchitra Sen starrer, Aandhi (1975), ‘Tum aa gaye ho (now that you have come)’, it was filmed here,” Suhail asseverates, whilst pointing towards a mountain.

“Prithee, look at your left side. Not right, left side sahib (sir). Yes, here, in this very houseboat, Mission Kashmir was shot,” he informs me, as he greets the houseboat owner in Kashmiri.

“Bhaisahab, akele akele kyun ghoom rahe ho Kashmir? Kamal hai”. (Brother, why are you exploring Kashmir alone? This is extraordinary) “Do not worry. I am sure next year he will not be alone in my shikara,” Suhail butts in, making us all burst into peals of laughter.

“Do Indian politicians also visit this place frequently?” “There was a time when leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi would regularly come here and the people were also very fond of them. But things are not the same. Just a few days ago, that minister from Gujarat had come here. What was his name? I cannot remember.” “Narendra Modi?” I ask. “Yes, Modi. When he came here, the authorities had to impose a curfew for two days. Such is the current state of affairs,” Suhail sighs.

“Do you know Suhail bhai that you're one of the luckiest people in the world?”

“We do know, sahib. Hum sab yahan Musalman hai aur bahut khush hain” (We all are Muslims here and are very happy) “May God bestow more and more happiness upon the beautiful people of Kashmir, Suhail bhai. Mai Allah se yeh dua maangta hun (This is what I pray for). Ameen.”

“Iss duniya me agar kahin jannat hai, toh woh yahin hai, yahin hai, yahin hai.” (If there is paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here) “Ah, not like this,” Suhail interrupts me. “Agar firdous baroye zameen ast, hami asto, hami asto hami ast.” (If there is paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here) “Yes, hami asto, hami asto hami ast,” I repeat.

“Everything is destroyed,” my friend tells me as he breaks down over the phone. “This too shall pass, brother. Have faith in God. Kashmir will once again become a paradise, insha’Allah.” “Insha’Allah,” he echoes.

A seasoned and intellectual filmmaker needs only a few characters, a bit of detailing and some good incidents to share with his audience, to create magic. That’s what Homi Adajania proved with his latest venture Finding Fanny.  The entire movie revolves around five main characters, a grungy old Dodge and a not-so-lucky cat. Adajania’s first movie, Being Cyrus, was all about Parsi families and their intrigues, which turned out to be quite a hit since it was something a lot different than the usual masala flicks, released back in 2005. After almost nine years, he marks another movie based on a typical Goa lifestyle. And guess what? He nailed this one too! [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x214gfm_finding-fanny-hd-movie-trailer-2014_shortfilms[/embed] The movie is based on the journey of an aged and forlorn postmaster, Ferdie (Naseeruddin Shah), along with four other individuals, to find his lost love. One night, Ferdie receives an undelivered letter, which he posted 40 years ago to a girl named Stephanie Fernandes, aka ‘Fanny’, intending to propose to her. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Photo: Finding Fanny Facebook page[/caption] Lost in despair, he shares that with his only friend, a widow, Angie (Deepika Padukone). Angie steps forward and plans to help Ferdie in finding Fanny, the only woman he ever loved. She gets help from her childhood friend Savio (Arjun Kapoor) to let them ride his late father’s old Dodge. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Finding Fanny Facebook page[/caption] Accompanying them on their journey is Angie’s mother-in-law, Rosie (Dimple Kapadia), and Don Pedro (Pankaj Kapur), a painter who wants to paint a portrait of Rosie, being an admirer of buxom figures which Rosie has in abundance. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Photo: Finding Fanny Facebook page[/caption] But the question being, do they find Fanny? Well, that is something for which you’ll have to watch the movie to find out! Adajania displays the entire journey in no rush. However, the movie is hardly one and a half hour long. It’s executed as a ride and that’s the beauty of it. The audience can easily witness different shades in every character. If Don Pedro is at the peak of vulgarity and licentious ideas for Rosie, there is also Ferdie whom you may easily label as a one-woman man. All his life, he has waited for his true love to riposte. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Finding Fanny Facebook page[/caption] On the contrary, there is Angie, who is also in search of exhilaration and love with blends of lust in it. She also has a very strong relationship with Rosie, something that can be defined as courteous and affectionate. Rosie, on the other hand, is a woman with an attitude, secrets and onion peels. And then we have Savio, a heartbroken and lousy fellow, who lost his love as she married his brother. If they are mirthful at one point, they have something to mourn about as well. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="696"] Photo: Finding Fanny Facebook page[/caption] Assembling a cast like Shah and Kapur with Kapadia is definitely not easy. They are the quintessence of unparalleled characters. With the ‘tarka’ (spiciness) of new age heartthrobs Padukone and Kapoor, Finding Fanny has the perfect blend of what one can call performers and stars. Kudos to Adajania for bringing Shah and Kapur on the silver screen together again after a hiatus since these two were the show stealers. Shah as Ferdie is definitely a character which many heartbroken, timid and confused lovers would easily relate to since he makes it so believable. Kapur knows no bounds; he is both disgusting as a shameless artist as well as beguilingly witty. Kapadia gives a perfect enactment of her character; her facial expressions change within seconds, while talking from one character to the other. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Photo: Finding Fanny Facebook page[/caption] Both Padukone and Kapoor give an earnest performance. They are both developing as dependable and serious actors. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Photo: Finding Fanny Facebook page[/caption] If you are fed up with the clichéd, unrealistic romantic tales and the dhishoom dhamaka flicks, and want to discover a movie that offers good content, a few subtle smiles and some great performances, then Finding Fanny is a must-watch for you. I would rate it 3.5 out of 5.

The term “Na maloon afraad”, in recent times, has become almost ubiquitous and synonymous with those unknown/anonymous miscreants that are up to no good at all vis-à-vis to any law and order situation in our major cities. However, this time around, it has a comedic spin surrounding it; enter Na Maloom Afraad, the Pakistani feature movie! [embed width="620"]http://vimeo.com/99359741[/embed] Suffice to say, the consensus will be unanimously positive and endearing when one will head out to the movie theatres to see this particular motion picture; they will be thoroughly entertained and get their money’s worth. It is a pure masala film through and through, which is not a bad thing, seeing how lately there has been a great dearth of unadulterated, solely “paisa wasool” (worth your money) and quality entertainer movies that have been churned out of Lollywood, and Na Maloom Afraad delivers that aspect in abundance. By having Nabeel Qureshi as the director at the helm under the banner of Filmwala pictures, the film benefits greatly as a direct result. He has been acknowledged as one of the few directors that are playing their due and active role to usher in a new wave of contemporary Pakistani cinema. A cinema that is not merely about the “ghundas”, “Maula Jutts” and “Noori Naats” of our world but rather more about substance, quality, well-rounded scripts and overall aesthetics. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Photo: Na Maloom Afraad Facebook page[/caption] Speaking about the premise of the movie, it swivels around the three main protagonists: Shakeel Bhai (Javed Sheikh), Farhan (Fahad Mustafa) and Moon (Mohsin Abbas Haider). For the sake of not spoiling the story of the movie itself, let’s just say that fate intervenes and due to a series of unfortunate events, their paths get aligned and together, they conspire to plan something ‘big’ to earn fast and easy money. And what that ‘big’ thing is, you might ask? Well, you have to go to cinemas to see for yourself. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Photo: Na Maloom Afraad Facebook page[/caption] In the acting department, all actors demonstrate their acting prowess sufficiently, especially Fahad and Mohsin. Fahad has transitioned seamlessly from the smaller screen of the drama industry towards the bigger celluloid screen of the cinema format. Javed is, as usual, on point and Urwa Hocane has perhaps given her best performance yet that will strongly cement her position for future movie acting endeavours. Salman Shahid, in his portrayal as Gogi, requires special praise and kudos for the way he has portrayed this character. Perhaps one can’t help but to draw an outright parallel between his on screen persona of Mushtaq Bhai in Dedh Ishqiya and Gogi, but nonetheless his comedic timing remains impeccable as always. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Photo: Na Maloom Afraad Facebook Page[/caption] Ultimately, it is the trifecta (Javed, Fahad and Mohsin) that carries the movie competently on their shoulders because their chemistry is just amazing and they click and gel in with each other like three peas in a pod. Other cast members include Paras Masroor, Kubra Khan, Ali Rizvi and Nayyar Ejaz; they all hold their own in the limited on-screen time that they are given. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Photo: Na Maloom Afraad Facebook page[/caption] The director has intentionally opted to choose regular local Karachi landmarks and locations for shooting the bulk of the movie, instead of international exotic locales. Same is the case with shooting the songs of the movie. The subject of the story is such that showing outdoor and extravagant foreign location in large proportions will seem out of place and incompatible with the on-going theme of the movie. In particular, it will resonate well with Karachiites and they surely will appreciate the fact that their daily commuting routes, streets, back alleys and roads are shown extensively in the movie. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Photo: Na Maloom Afraad Facebook page[/caption] In terms of the musical score of the movie, it will rival any Bollywood flick, as all the songs are catchy and melodious, especially the item song Billi in which Mehwish Hayat exhibits her dancing talent. She is simply scintillating, drop dead gorgeous and spectacular. Finally Pakistanis have an item song they can call their own, without going into the merits or the demerits of the culture of embedding an item song in a movie; it is a reality whether one likes it or not. Instead of playing the usual Munnis, Jalebi Bais and Chikni Chembalis of Bollywood over and over again in our local functions such as weddings and the likes, Billi will be a better if not equal substitute for them for some time to come. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x25e88y_billi-na-maloom-afraad-movie-song-featuring-fahad-mustafa-urwa-hocane-and-javed-shiekh-audio-song_music[/embed] To sum it all up, Na Maloon Afraad doesn’t exactly transcend its genre led clichés but it does however offer quality entertainment in bucket loads. The songs, the comedic timing, the punchy yet idiosyncratic hard-to-forget one liners coupled with an excellent timing that will not drag the film and the subtle social commentary. To the naysayers, it is a request that instead of trying to find flaws in our locally generated movies such as that it’s inspired from the likes of Hera Pheri or any other Bollywood movie, we ought to applaud the fact that after such a long hiatus, some good, wholesome movies are again coming out in Pakistan which are locally made. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Photo: Na Maloom Afraad Facebook page[/caption] It would be almost criminal (pun intended) to miss this one out. Na Maloon Afraad is a riot, in every sense of the word that would leave its audience short of laughing fits and aneurysms!

William Shakespeare, in one way or another, is an inspiration for every writer. In Bollywood, there is only one director, Vishal Bhardwaj, who has always done justice to Shakespeare’s plots and has done exceptionally well in entertaining the audience. Omkara and Maqbool are good examples of this. This time again, Bhardwaj, along with Basharat Peer (a Kashmiri journalist), has penned down an adaptation of Shakespeare’s most ambitious play, Hamlet. After R… Rajkumar and Phata Poster Nikla Hero (the masala entertainers), Shahid Kapoor was offered perhaps the most complicated role of his acting career; a role that needed thorough understanding of the character, emotions and complexities. [embed width="620"]http://vimeo.com/100203938[/embed] Casting of Tabu and Irrfan Khan (Bhardwaj’s signature actors), along with Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Kay Kay Menon, is something that should never be missed by a Bhardwaj-kind-of-cinema fan. However, with all these ingredients, does Haider manage to impress and create its magic? Let’s explore. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Haider Facebook Page[/caption] Plot and treatment: 4.5/5 Haider Meer (Shahid Kapoor) returns to Kashmir and finds out that his father, Dr Hilal Meer (Naendra Jha) has disappeared in Kashmir and his mother Ghazala (Tabu) is staying with his uncle Khurram Meer (Kay Kay Menon). He is shocked to notice that she is not mourning her husband’s disappearance. Not sure about how to deal with the situation, he leaves his uncle’s place and starts to search his father along with the help of his love interest, Arshia (Shraddha Kapoor), who is a journalist. En route to his father’s search, Haider discovers many unbelievable and shocking facts, especially the one that Roohdaar (Irrfan Khan) tells him. The movie is an amazing adaptation of Hamlet in Bhardwaj’s very own way, weaved in a story that encompasses Kashmir, militants, politics, power, lust, love and the concept of chutzpah. Performances: 4.5/5 Haider is, by far, the most difficult role offered to Shahid and he has proved that he has his father's acting genes (Pankaj Kapoor – the epitome of talent). Watching him express his emotions of pain and sorrow, with a stoic exterior, leaves one in awe – he is just so natural and perfect. This could easily be a career defining role for Shahid. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] Photo: Haider Facebook Page[/caption] Tabu is flawless, as always. This role can make viewers easily understand why we don’t see her in every other movie. She has an eye for the right role. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Haider Facebook Page[/caption] Kay Kay Menon is back in form and delivers a performance that is complex and rich in emotions. It is not a simple role to play but the ease with which he makes Khurram's character come to life is truly astounding. Irrfan Khan never loses an opportunity to impress his viewers. Although as Roohdar his character has very little on-screen time but in every scene that he appears, he leaves his viewers wanting for more. Irrfan knows the art of delivering a complex statement with the utmost ease and conviction. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Irrfan Khan. Photo: AFP[/caption] Narendra Jha is a talent to look out for. His subtle jokes, discomfort and pain could easily be felt in every scene in which he was present. Watching Khulbhushan Kharbanda, after a really long time, is definitely a treat. In a very short lived performance, with just three to four scenes, he excels and leaves a mark. Shraddha seemed fine but she needs to work on her acting skills. However, getting a chance to share screen space with supremely talented names is, in itself, a great achievement for her. Music: 4/5 Haider offers one of the best soundtracks, in terms of vocals, lyrics and music. Khul Kabhi, Jehlum and Gulon Mein Rung (by Arijit Singh) are mesmerising. Aona (by Vishal Dadlani) is undeniably a song that stands out from the lot – haunting, lovely and so meaningful. [embed width="620"]http://vimeo.com/104071500[/embed] Bismil (by Sukhwinder Singh) is a classic. It reminds one of Kishore Kumar’s and Subhash Ghai’s magical deliverance in Ek Haseena Thi (from 1980’s Qarz). [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Haider Facebook Page[/caption] Direction, dialogues and screenplay: 4/5 “Main hoon kay main nahin”, the desi version of “to be or not to be”, is one of the best stealers from Haider. The movie has some awesome dialogues. Direction and screenplay wise, it’s a masterpiece. At the box office: It has been observed in the past that creative and performance-oriented movies don’t do as good as masala flicks in Indian cinema. At the box office, Haider will face a fierce competition by Bang Bang and it might not be amongst the highest grosser films of Bollywood but still, it’s a must watch. I would rate it 4.5 out of 5.

This is not a review of the film ‘Haider’, but an evaluation of the strong political reactions it has generated. This review is unsuitable for adults easily aggrieved by unfavourable judgement of their political views. Vishal Bhardwaj has established himself as an artist who likes to prod controversial subjects, just to see what happens. While the film itself boasts an impressive rendition of Shakespeare’s magnus opus, set to the beat of dazzling musical numbers, and jaw-dropping footage of the embattled valley, what truly stands out is its boldness. [embed width="620"]http://vimeo.com/100203938[/embed] India: 2/5 stars While Haider managed to successfully squeeze its way through tight grasp of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), it did not do so without being permanently disfigured. With content including gruesome torture scenes, violent deaths and some foul language, the original production may well have been the ‘Django Unchained’ of Bollywood. It took no less than 41 cuts to tame this wild beast of a film. Yet a greater nightmare awaited the film: Indian jingoists with internet access. Armed with the ‘BoycottHaider’ hashtag, nationalists marched onto Twitter to express their arrant outrage for a movie that limns the brutality of the Indian armed forces in their attempts to squash the separatist movement. It depicts a crowd of Kashmiris demanding ‘azadi’ (freedom), and features the dreaded ‘P’ word: ‘Plebiscite’. And when you’ve reached the precipice of your patience, it tips you over with Shahid Kapoor’s mockery of the national song, “Saray Jahan Se Acha”. Is it treasonous? No. Is it a grossly inaccurate depiction of events in Kashmir? Yeah… no. The film may be accused of telling half-truths, for instance, by making no mention of the suffering and exodus of the Kashmiri pundits in the late 80s. But then again, this is not a documentary, and is not compelled to inform you of all aspects of the crisis. ‘Haider’ is no reason to safely bunk your history class. To make it worse, the Allahabad High Court issued legal notice to the filmmakers and the censor board after a petition was filed against the film by a group of local lawyers calling themselves, ‘Hindu Front for Justice’ (not to be confused with the fictitious ‘Justice League’ of America). At this point, it’s appropriate to ask India to ‘cool it’. Your film industry has repeatedly churned out patriotic films like ‘Border’, ‘Mission Kashmir’ and ‘Agent Vinod’. Your national integrity will likely withstand the “chutzpah” of one film that isn’t a 180-minutes advertisement for the Indian intelligence and armed forces. Pakistan: 1/5 stars It was almost destined to be well-received in Pakistan, except that the Pakistan censor board deemed it being “against the ideology of Pakistan”, and stated that it will “most likely” not be screened here. It’s important to recognise the implication of the board’s decision. The insinuation is that the “ideology of Pakistan” is so fragile that Anarkali can’t stroke it with a peacock’s feather without causing it to shatter into a million tiny crystals. The ideology must, at all times, wear a titanium breast-plate and a visor without eye holes, so to not be tested by the winds of free information. ‘Haider’ is a film overtly tilted towards the Kashmiri separatists, casting the Indian armed forces in a mostly villainous role. It takes an especially thin skin for a Pakistani to condemn this movie simply for its fleeting mention of Operation Gibraltar (that too by a nefarious Indian officer, in an attempt to justify his heartless approach to the separatist movement), and the occasional dialogue accusing both India and Pakistan (yes, in the same sentence) of neglecting the welfare of the Kashmiri people, amidst their own political games. It’s frightful, yet entirely expected. It is to be noted that the very existence of ‘Haider’ indicates maturity and an increased tolerance among both countries at processing opposing ideas. The reactions, however, prove that this is merely the first of the thousand miles we need to transverse.

It has become quite common for any news headline to become a hot topic of discussion over social media. The same happened in the form of the prevalent tensions between India and Pakistan regarding the Line of Control (LoC) ceasefire violations. Pakistan’s reaction to this was creating a hashtag pushing people to boycott Bollywood. Thus, a debate commenced on social media, with the hashtag #SayNoToBollywood being one of the trending initiatives in Pakistan. https://twitter.com/Scheher_azade/status/519833663505465344 https://twitter.com/omar_quraishi/status/519833508265480192 https://twitter.com/Scheher_azade/status/519832483735797760 https://twitter.com/YRWHM/status/519830826817970176 https://twitter.com/sidhujishan/status/519827982685581313 https://twitter.com/KhanDanish_/status/519831484249542656 https://twitter.com/BoB00o/status/520158363720511489 Though it is natural to have a reaction, considering the hostility from the other side, the hashtag itself actually raises a lot of questions about the influence of Bollywood in our society. As shallow as it seems, it makes one wonder as to what extent Bollywood has penetrated in our country in general and in our society in specific. In that context, there are many relevant questions that need to be addressed before we proceed with the boycott. We all know how fond our people are of watching the latest Bollywood releases. We give them a huge business, don’t we? Boycotting Bollywood would mean stopping ourselves from going to cinemas to watch their successful productions. If that is the solution, then are we ready to ban Bollywood movies in Pakistan? Furthermore, embargoing Bollywood would mean saying no to Bollywood songs as well. That means, we would have to stop buying music CDs, stop downloading their music and stop watching and listening to Bollywood songs that our music channels keep playing. Even our local radio channels play Bollywood songs day and night. Even our wedding ceremonies include Bollywood songs to a certain extent, with our Mehendis revolving around them. Are we really prepared to shun their music altogether and changing our wedding trends? Every few months, we look forward to their award ceremonies which our private and cable TV channels air every now and then. Are we going to stop anticipating watching those as well? And let’s not forget that our TV commercials, mobile ads and lawn billboards etcetera, endorse Bollywood actors as well. So should we stop watching all the TV channels that are running those ads? Or are we just going to boycott all those brands that are promoting their products via Bollywood actors and actresses? Last but not least, boycotting Bollywood would mean holding back our own artists from expanding their horizons across the border. Are we ready to disown our own people for that matter? Because on one hand, we encourage our actors and singers to make a name for themselves in Bollywood, make our nation proud, while on the other, we do not want to have anything to do with their industry? Saying no to Bollywood is similar to another boycott that was seen trending on social media in Pakistan; boycotting Israeli products. No one is questioning the justification of the boycott as the world has undoubtedly seen the sheer brutality of the Israelis on the Palestinians from time to time. But the point is, do these boycotts really have an impact on us? A famous fast-food chain is one of the brands that is Jewish owned and was declared to be one of those things that should be boycotted as part of saying no to Israeli products. But let’s be honest and ask ourselves, did you stop going and eating there after the recent Gaza massacre to show your support? I don’t think so. CocaCola is yet another very popular brand which made it to the boycott list. Wouldn’t boycotting CocaCola then mean boycotting Coke Studio as well, since it is promoting and being sponsored by the same brand? Have we protested against the on-going Coke Studio season because of the recent Gaza carnage? Well, if that was the case, we wouldn’t have had the #CokeStudio7 hashtag trending on social media either. We cannot deny the fact that Bollywood plays a huge part in our society and our lives. We have Bollywood tunes playing at our weddings, in our cars, in our markets, even in our news bulletins! And if you look around you, you will notice that many of our shopkeepers have also named their products after Bollywood movies. I remember coming across a shopkeeper who was selling some “Devdas jewellery” to his customers in a famous market in Lahore. Are we to boycott that too? Or are we going to make the excuse that the actor in the movie is Muslim and hence, it would be okay to watch the film? The singers in Coke Studio are Pakistani so it is okay not to boycott it. There will be dozens of people uprooted from jobs if you act upon something like this. Yet, we use it as a hashtag so carelessly? Do you see the magnitude of it? Can you reasonably reduce this entire issue in to a hashtag? In fact, can you use your liberty on social media so carelessly so as to start something you yourself will not be able to conform to? All I can say is be careful what you wish for. It would be absurd to say something only because of the hatred we have for the country to which Bollywood belongs. The impact of the same industry is so vast that even when #SayNoToBollywood was trending with social media warriors claiming to show their “support”, our people were running to the theatres to watch the latest Bollywood release ‘Bang Bang’. That right there was enough to prove how we make a fool out of ourselves. If we want to boycott anything, we must prove through our actions by practicing what we keep protesting against on social media. A mere discussion for the sake of spewing hate is useless. At the same time, we should not forget that the things that we want to boycott have become a part of our society and our economy. Let’s be honest and talk about things that we can eventually turn into reality because so far, we have not proved anything to be actually happening. So let’s not make a fool of ourselves by boycotting companies, industries and countries only for the sake of having trends and hashtags, which, in reality, have no plans of practical implementation whatsoever. If you are not prepared to handle the results, don’t start something you cannot finish.

Kill Dil was amongst the most anticipated movies of 2014, due to numerous reasons like Ali Zafar’s first hardcore masala entertainment, Govinda’s villainous re-entry and Ranveer Singh’s flamboyant character. So, what does Yash Raj’s banner offer this time to its audience? Let’s explore! [embed width="620"]http://vimeo.com/106483114[/embed] Kill Dil is about two orphans – Dev (Ranveer) and Tutu (Ali), who get noticed by a local hoodlum, Bhaiyya Jee (Govinda) while crossing a ‘kachre ka dabba’. Bhaiyya takes them in and provides the orphans with shelter. As they grow up, he nurtures them to be his special and most trustworthy assassins. Everything is mundane when until one fine day, Disha (Parineeti Chopra) bumps into Dev and they fall in love. Eventually Dev wants to leave his gang life behind but Bhaiyya doesn’t approve and resultantly, doesn’t allow him to do so. What happens next is what Kill Dil is all about. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Photo: Kill Dil Facebook Page[/caption] In terms of performance, the entire movie rests on the shoulders of two actors - Govinda and Ali. The former looks intimidating with his powerful dialogue delivery and adept expressions. Keep a look out for him in “Bol Beliya” and the first scene after the interval; he nails his role with utmost ease and conviction. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x27yrja_bol-beliya-song-kill-dil-govinda-parineeti-chopra-ranveer-singh-ali-zafar_music[/embed] This is one of the most prominent roles Ali has played; his screen presence is very strong. The scene where he carries Ranveer to the hospital is the highlight of his role. As usual, there is nothing extraordinary to Ranveer’s role. We have seen him doing the same roles time and time again. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="435"] Photo: Kill Dil Facebook Page[/caption] Parineeti for me, unfortunately, was an eyesore throughout; she definitely needs to work on herself. Also, her selection of roles has become monotonous and even... boring. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Photo: Kill Dil Facebook Page[/caption] In my opinion, the only saving grace for this was its music. Gulzar penned down some true masterpieces and Shankar-Ehsan-Loy (the trio) proved once again why they are the maestros of lively music. They understood the kind of emotion the music represented and made it shine bright through all their music. Nakhriley, Bol Beliya, Baawra and Sajde are tracks that you would definitely consider listening to more than once. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x290rqd_nakhriley-song-kill-dil-ranveer-singh-ali-zafar-parineeti-chopra-govinda_music[/embed] [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x28fivy_sajde-exclusive-video-song-kill-dil-ft-arijit-singh-ranveer-singh-parineeti-chopra-hd-1080p_music[/embed] On the whole, however, the movie failed to impress its audience and is nothing close to anything that the Yash Raj banner is normally known for. Director Shaad Ali could not live up to the standard and lacked the ability to carry the film through properly. There are quite a few loopholes in the plot and the script was just not gripping enough. In my opinion, the production would have been a lot better had the cast and crew focused on the key elements of a typical Yash Raj movie. Due to its humdrum storyline and the average performance of most of its actors, I couldn’t give this film more than a 2 out of 5.

Thirteen years after the events of September 11, 2001, New York is ready to begin its cathartic process. News of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and al-Qaeda may still dominate the majority of the news, but the feeling of the streets is more of intrigue rather than fear. Most of the food carts in the city are halal, and the number one street cart in the city is called ‘Halal Guys’. To see people have chicken over rice from these carts has never been surprising but now some bars are also exclusively serving halal meat, ‘halal’ food is being embraced by hipsters for being more organic. In the city, subway announcements about stations in Pakistani dominated areas are also published in Urdu. In the capital, a Friday prayer was held at the Washington Cathedral. One of the top rated shows on television, Homeland, started four seasons ago with the premise of a US Marine converting to Islam and the current season is based in Pakistan. Last week, while walking in High Line, I noticed art work engraved with the word ‘Allah’ as part of an art exhibition. There is graffiti with Arabic calligraphy at the corner of my street. On Saturday, I headed to a theatre in East Village to see a play called ‘My Wife in a Chador’. I was very apprehensive about going to watch a play with the tagline, “Can a novelist with an Islamic wife win the mayoralty of New York City?” I assumed the word ‘chador’ referred to a chaddar (headscarf) but the French pronunciation of the word, sounding like ‘Shadoor’ threw me off. Written by Claudio Angelini, a political correspondent of the Italian National Television, the play completely fails to capture anything to do with Islam. But at least he tried, and for that he must be lauded. The play asked the right questions. And even though characters in the play reacted with disgust at the prospect of a candidate with a Muslim wife running to be the mayor of New York City, the audience did not. The story revolves around a novelist, John Mayor, with a wife who is looking to embrace her Islamic roots. She changes her name from ‘Rosa’ to ‘Abeera’ and starts covering her head with a scarf. The costume choice of having the headscarf but maintaining the skirt for the first half even made me question my own sensibilities. I felt a possessiveness about Islam I have not felt before, any misrepresentation had me jumping at my seat. As a playwright, I know the best characters are flawed and a play is not a sermon, but the lack of research on certain issues was jarring. Abeera serves her husband a “traditional Islamic meal”. I was born Muslim and I have never had a “traditional Islamic meal”, my first inclination was to think of iftars and dates but the unveiling of a goat curry was anti-climactic. The idea of the existence of any traditional Islamic meal was as ill-advised as a white blonde haired woman dancing on stage to Arabic music in attempts to be more ‘Islamic’. The lack of a dramaturge on the team could be responsible for many of the mishaps. The play had its faults, the acting was not believable and the plot lingered on unnecessarily. The comedy was forced; the punch lines made you cringe more than laugh. The only thing running riot were the clichés. However, the audience seemed to whole heartedly embrace the Islamic wife and actively cheered for her husband to win the elections. To throw a Bollywood twist, it was also revealed that his opponents had ties to ISIS. Theatrically speaking, I felt the idea of the terrorists not being representative of the religion were forced into the story but maybe it served purpose for a largely American audience. Running down on opinion polls, John’s head of staff asks him to ask his wife to take off her headscarf to increase opinion polls. The refusal of John to force his wife to change religions and agreeing to have a traditional nikkah with her is the moment of recognition and reversal in the play. The acceptance of a mayor with a Muslim wife in a play in a dingy theatre in East Village cannot be said to be a microcosm of a larger trend in society but such plays serve a cathartic purpose by causing a purgation of fear and pithy in the audiences. The ISIS headlines are designed to instil fear in the residents. Many New Yorkers lost loved ones on 9/11, the scars have not yet healed, but a full house of people willing to open themselves up to the possibility of being amused and entertained by a play asking the right questions about Islam can only be a good thing. There is also a bigger Pulitzer Prize winning production by Ayad Akhtar called ‘Disgraced’ starring Josh Radnor (Ted Mosby from How I met your Mother). Same questions on Broadway and the use of Islam in art in the city can potentially lead to more awareness about the religion in the city and should be encouraged. It is going to be a slow process fixing the tainted image of Islam, but this is a drop in the ocean.

It doesn’t come as a surprise for the audience when they get to watch remakes of classic movies of the 70s and 80s. Many filmmakers, directors and actors have started this trend of remaking movies and this time we have The Shaukeens, a remake of the 1982 rib tickling comedy Shaukeen. Just like the original version, The Shaukeens is based on ‘almost’ the same plot and characters. However, there are a few changes in the storyline which will appeal to today’s audiences more. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x26qf00_the-shaukeens-2014-hindi-movie-theatrical-trailer-%E1%B4%B4%E1%B4%B0_shortfilms[/embed] It is a tale of three childhood friends, Lalchand (Anupam Kher), KD (Annu Kapoor) and Pinky (Piyush Mishra), who are in their early 60s and lust after every woman they lay their eyes on. The trio plan a fun-filled vacation to Mauritius, in order to live up their wildest and most lecherous fantasies. They reserve a guest house owned by Ahana (Lisa Haydon), a young flamboyant and ‘earth child’ kind of a girl, who is also head over heels in love with Akshay Kumar, the movie star cum serious alcoholic. She announces that she’d do anything for the person who would make her dream of meeting Akshay come true, and these words play as music to the ears of the young-at-heart oldies. The measures they overtake and endure to make her wish come true is what The Shaukeens is all about. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540"] Photo: The Shaukeens Facebook Page[/caption] The movie rests mainly on the shoulders of its primary leads. Whether it is Akshay, Lisa or the trio of maestros of power packed performances, all of them were fantastic and did complete justice to their characters, roles and diction. The other strongest point is its flawless and witty script. In almost every other scene, there are some dialogues that were applauded and thoroughly enjoyed by viewers. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="538"] Photo: The Shaukeens Facebook Page[/caption] If I were to pick out the best performances, it would have to be the trio’s. Piyush excelled in every scene; his articulation, peculiar way of delivering dialogues and his expressions stole the show. Even his emotional outbursts were a treat to watch. Annu was another ace in the movie. His craziness, style and ‘Mr-know-it-all’ attitude is delightful and he looked at ease in performing his role. As always, Anupam delivers a good performance and does not overact, especially when it came to his expressions. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Photo: The Shaukeens Facebook Page[/caption] Lisa’s performance looks promising and her screen presence is very strong. Similarly, Akshay does exactly what he is the best at doing – entertaining the crowd, from the gallery to the critics. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Photo: The Shaukeens Facebook Page[/caption] In terms of music, some of the numbers were nice, especially Manali Trance and Alcoholic which are great to watch and listen to. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x284h5g_manali-trance-official-dance-video-the-shaukeens-ft-yo-yo-honey-singh-lisa-haydon-hd-1080p_music[/embed] [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x273gqy_alcoholic-hd-video-song-yo-yo-honey-singh-the-shaukeens-2014-akshay-kumar_music[/embed] This is Abhishek Sharma’s second release after Tere Bin Laden, and his production seem very promising in terms of providing entertainment value to his movies. The Shaukeens is a great attempt and does exactly what it’s meant to do – provide entertainment to the viewers, with some fine performances. Compared to the original Shaukeen, the latest version is louder, more dual meaning and suits the likes of today’s society. However, the two productions cannot be compared to one another because it is close to impossible to provide the kind of cinema Basu Chatterji provided. Shaukeen is still a masterpiece even after three decades but The Shaukeens is a rollercoaster ride for sure. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="540"] Shaukeen (1982), The Shaukeens (2014)[/caption] In terms of the acting, script and thorough entertainment, I would rate it 4 out of 5 - an incredible fun watch!

Jeremy Scott and Katy Perry are best friends. So are him and Miley Cyrus. Which is why, when they come out to his shows, people pay attention. Fashionistas and music lovers alike. It is when every pop star wears the colourful creations by these designers that the sales take height. And who doesn’t want to dress up like their idols, or at least have what they have? It’s the emotional branding that goes along with the choices Moschino makes for its brand, and it’s the perfect combo for everyone. All are happy. Jennifer Lawrence for Dior, Eddie Redmayne and Cara Delevingne for Burberry, and a plethora of celebrities and bloggers for Calvin Klein’s #MyCalvins campaign make the common man notice the fashion. Such is the power of film and pop stars that fill up our social media feeds. While Pakistanis might not have the star power to battle for the spotlight and take over the fashion industry, what we do have are budding superstars who are making their name across the border, in South Asia, and hopefully in the South Asian community globally. We have them to turn to, to get the fashion collaborations going. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: That Paki Blog[/caption] One of those superstars is Fawad Khan. Yes, the Humsafar guy who won over the hearts of millions of girls all over the world. He is the perfect person to take a brand name forward with his good looks, boyish figure and a fan following that speaks volumes of our obsession with the show. Oh, and don’t forget he co-starred with Sonam Kapoor. That makes the perfect sartorial couple, no? Recently, Fawad became the Republic’s ambassador. Republic by Omar Farooq is a menswear brand synonymous with quality menswear, a niche lacking the innovation it very much needs. Republic produces the kind of clothes that not only appeal to the modern, metro-sexual man, but also to the kind of guy who likes to keep things classic. Republic, the brain child of Omar Farooq, has kept true to its well refined roots, due to which it was recently nominated for the Woolmark Prize; one of the biggest design prizes in the world! So it only made sense for the A/W’14 collection to be titled The Woolmark Collection. It features the classic patterns plaid, windowpane, and checks exuding a timelessness to the collection. Here are my five reasons as to why Fawad Khan is the perfect ambassador for Republic: 1. Fawad is good looking. He can beat any fashion model in the country any day for his good looks. And he might not have the ramp height, but he is perfect for editorial spreads and print modelling. But if Oliver Cheshire can have the same height and get away with it, then why can’t Fawad? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="299"] Photo: That Paki Blog[/caption] 2. He’s a global phenomenon. Only in the Bollywood loving community, yes, but it is huge. Yes, HUGE! So of course, when fans keep track of him, they run into Republic’s awesome clothes that Fawad dons perfectly. So it’s like when Fawad looks good, so does Republic. 3. They work for each other. Let me tell you how; Republic makes the most dapper clothes in Pakistan. They’re masculine, trendy and totally suit the modern man. And when a modern figure, and an idol such as Fawad, goes for something that embodies the philosophy of the modern man lifestyle, it creates this perfect combination, like hazelnut and chocolate (aka Nutella). [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: That Paki Blog[/caption] 4. Republic is a brand everyone should be aware of. But since everyone is aware of Fawad, it helps the world recognise the talent behind what Fawad wears. Republic gets international exposure through Fawad. So, in a way, Fawad’s being on board is helping Pakistani menswear make a good name across various platforms. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="298"] Photo: That Paki Blog[/caption] 5. Abdullah Haris shot the campaign. Abdullah is a photography genius. And when Abdullah is on board, things just have a way of working out for the best. With a growing fashion industry as ours, it is necessary to keep in mind that we need more participation of all the people involved in helping raise the bar of our fashion industry. Republic, being a brand now making waves across South Asia, was right to have chosen someone with a strong star power as Fawad Khan. When two forces like these come together, our fashion industry will get the recognition it solely deserves. Having hired the best in the game, Republic has done something which was only being done internationally. Where brands are going for international models to cater to our gora-loving nation, Republic chose a face that will be even more beneficial in making a name for a brand. Actors with a brand image, like Ali Zafar, Humayun Saeed, Imraan Abbas, and Hamza Ali Abbasi are the perfect examples of how brand ambassadorship can help take a label’s name to heights even a well known model cannot. It’s because these faces are well known, and having them be ambassadors of a brand will provide even better exposure to our fashion industry. Instead of having Bollywood names represent our national brands, such initiatives should be encouraged. We have immense talent in our nation, and we have all the resources we need. We just need to connect the dots and create something that speaks for the work that our country’s fashion industry is capable of producing, and the nation, and the world, is equally accepting to loving. This post originally appeared here.

2014 was a year of experimentation for Bollywood. Actors rediscovered themselves in terms of performances and directors went the extra mile to showcase movies and tales which provided sheer amusement to audiences. This roundup is about the 10 best Bollywood movies of 2014 and the only movies which, in my opinion, gave us the whole package – great performances, great songs, applaud-worthy scripts, fantastic storylines and capturing dialogues. To clarify, I am not talking about the highest grossers here, just quality entertainers. So here is my take on the top 10 Indian movies of 2014: 10. Finding Fanny –  [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Photo: File[/caption] Finding Fanny is a treat to watch, with out-of-this-world performances delivered by Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah and Dimple Kapadia. Finding Fanny is not an everyday production showcased in cinemas; it has great content, a beautiful message and simple direction. Kudos to director Homy Adajania for a job well done! [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x214gfm_finding-fanny-hd-movie-trailer-2014_shortfilms#from=embediframe[/embed] 9. Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania –  [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Photo: File[/caption] In terms of satiating that craving for a classic Bollywood masti, masala and old school love story film, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania hits the spot perfectly. Apart from being witty, romantic and a DDLJ tribute, all in one, it also features some amazing performances given by Asutosh Rana, Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan. For this film to be a fun ride, leave your head at home and take your heart along! In other words, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania is a complete “paisa vasool” (money’s worth) production. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1wsmcg_humpty-sharma-ki-dulhania-official-trailer-%E1%B4%B4%E1%B4%B0_shortfilms#from=embediframe[/embed] 8. Revolver Rani –  [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="421"] Photo: File[/caption] This was another one of the most complicated roles of the year and Kangana Ranaut performed it with absolute perfection. Revolver Rani is about a female political leader who falls in love with a struggling Bollywood actor. What happens next is a treat to watch. Piyush Mishra is excellent, as always, and Vir Das shows some great improvement in his acting skills too. Filled with dark humour, Sai Kabir did a remarkable job. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1extnt_revolver-rani-official-trailer-kangana-ranaut-vir-das_shortfilms[/embed] 7. Mary Kom –  [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"] Photo: File[/caption] The blood, sweat and tears that must have gone into doing justice to Mary Kom’s character is evident with Priyanka Chopra’s performance throughout the film. It is, by far, her most gripping performance. The movie is based on the life of Mary Kom, an Indian female boxer, who achieves her ultimate goal with sheer tenacity. Omung Kumar deserves a round of applause for the brilliant way in which this film came through. [embed width="620"]http://vimeo.com/101509532[/embed] 6. Highway –  [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Photo: File[/caption] Highway is a beautiful journey through the story of a carefree girl who is mistakenly kidnapped. In this film we travel vicariously through her relationship with her kidnapper and the life lessons they learn together. This is Alia Bhatt’s longest leap of faith as an actress and Randeep Hooda is, as usual, a scene stealer. Imtiaz Ali proved, yet again, that he has the ability to extract the most meaningful storylines from the simplest of tales. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x18iawd_highway-official-trailer-%E1%B4%B4%E1%B4%B0-21st-feb-2014-alia-bhatt-randeep-hooda-imtiyaz-ali_shortfilms[/embed] 5. Dedh Ishqiya –  [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Photo: File[/caption] The second instalment of Babban, Khalu Jan and Mushtaq Bhai had a lot of expectations because this time around, Begum Para was an additional jewel in the crown. Hats off to Vishal Bhardwaj and Abhishek Chaubey for recreating the magic of Ishqiya with Dedh Ishqiya so successfully. A great watch indeed! [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x193b2w_dedh-ishqiya-trailer_shortfilms[/embed] 4. Queen –  [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Photo: File[/caption] Queen is a peek into the life of a woman who embarks upon a journey, her own honeymoon to be precise, in an attempt to find herself when her wedding is cancelled at the last minute. This film played just the right chords emotionally with the audience rooting for her independence towards the end. This was, by far, one of Kangana Ranaut’s truest and finest performances. Vikas Bahl directed the movie with superb class – I don’t think I would change a thing about it. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x193cw2_queen-official-theatrical-trailer-hd_shortfilms#from=embediframe[/embed] 3. Ankhon Dekhi –  [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="437"] Photo: File[/caption] Rajat Kapoor is genius and has all the ingredients required to display a common man’s life on celluloid. Ankhon Dekhi features Sanjay Mishra, Seema Pahwa and Kapoor in pivotal roles. The movie revolves around the male protagonist who decides to only believe in things he sees with his eyes. It’s about family values, love and the journey of a common man. 2. PK –  [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Photo: File[/caption] Being the most anticipated movie of the year, this movie had some very very high expectations to meet. And meet it did. Not only did this masterpiece, by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Raj Kumar Hirani, surpass expectations, it raised the bar for all serious filmmakers in Bollywood. PK is, by far, Amir Khan’s most prominent work. Just his performance, expressions and his eyes in this film could win accolades. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x28jah4_pk-peekay-2014-official-trailer-hd-aamir-khan-anushka-sharma-sanjay-dutt_shortfilms#from=embediframe[/embed] 1. Haider –  [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"] Photo: File[/caption] But the movie to win our hearts and minds in the year 2014 was none other than Vishal Bhardwaj’s masterstroke, Haider. It is by far the best Indian adaptation of Shakespeare’s legendary tale, Hamlet, set on the backdrop of Kashmir and militancy. The quality and excellence with which Shahid Kapoor performed his role has slingshot him into the league of top actors worldwide. Not only did his performance leave us starry-eyed, even Tabu, Irrfan Khan and Kay Kay Menon made some powerful appearances. [embed width="620"]http://vimeo.com/100203938[/embed] With masterpieces like these setting the bar very high, it will be quite interesting to see what 2015 has in store for us. Let’s hope 2015 brings us even better quality cinema and more enticing storylines! Happy New Year! (not the movie)