PROFESSOR Laeeq Ahmed Khan — yes, of the Science Magazine fame — has no particular preference for any type of film. For him “anything that catches my attention” is a good movie, be it romantic, action thriller or science fiction. Going back to his school and college days, he says that since there was no television in Pakistan in those days, going to movies was the only visual entertainment. As such, special arrangements were generally made for watching a movie.
He remembers watching films with his friends, but mostly with his father, who was fond of historical films, particularly the classics such as Brother Karamazov, Prisoner of Zenda, Bhawani Junction, Ten Commandments, Sign of the Cross, Around the World in Eighty Days, Samson and Delilah, Hunchback of Notre Dam etc.
However, personally he preferred watching Western movies and Gary Cooper, Burt Lancaster, John Wayne and Robert Taylor were among the heroes on his list of favourites. As he grew up and entered college, he enjoyed films such as An Affair to Remember, Moment to Moment, Magnificent Obsession, Indiscreet, and Come September.
Compared to films, Professor Laeeq finds music much more entertaining and comes up with an interesting explanation; “because you are using only one faculty, that is hearing. Your eyes and hands are free!”
Classical, both vocal and instrumental music, are his favourites. He believes there is nothing to understand about music. “Anything that appears pleasing to the ear is good music be it classical, light or folk or even Spanish or Mexican.” He listens to music in a relaxed atmosphere in his bedroom, either alone or with his three-year-old grandson “who already has an ear for it.”
Laeeq saheb does not consider himself an ardent reader. “I do read books, but only casually, and there is no fixed time for it. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a book, I love reading newspapers, magazines, journals or anything interesting I can lay my hands on. It can even be a piece of paper torn from a book from a retailer shopkeeper,” he adds.
Reading habits, he believes, change with time and age, as when you are young, the reading material mostly comprises textbooks or material related to your studies.
The choice of books changes with maturity and the profession one follows. “For instance, in my younger days I was fond of reading novels by M. Aslam whose depiction of rural life in Punjab was par excellence, or Tira Thran Ferozpuri, who used to write detective novels, or Naseem Hijazi whose novels such as Dastan-e-Mujahid, Shaheen, Khak Aur Khoon are widely known.”
But as he moved to higher education, his interest shifted to books like Al Farooq by Shibli Naumani, Kashaf Al Majoob by Data Ganj Buksh or Hujjat-ul Balagha by Shah Wali Ullah, or the sixth volume of Biography of Napoleon Bonaparte by Abbot.
Following his entry into the world of television and launching of the series on science, his reading preference changed to medicine, engineering, geology, biology and other science subjects. He mentions having recently finished a book by Burhanuddin Hassan, entitled Uncensored.
“I liked the book because it reveals the deep secrets of some of our government officials and heads of the state,” he explains.
He finds it difficult to recommend any one particular book for reading, because, “reading taste changes with education levels, the vocation you are in, and your professional requirements.”
Affiliated with the field of education all his life in one way or the other, he feels that with the advent of television and video-cassettes, reading books is fast becoming a dying pastime. However, a book, he believes, “can never be replaced by any other means of communication for the pleasure, knowledge and ideas it helps to generate.”
FAVOURITE FILM: Taan Sen
FAVOURITE BOOK: Naseem Hijazi novels.
FAVOURITE MUSIC: Bagh Laga Doon Sajni from the same film, sung by K. L. Saigol
PROFESSOR Laeeq Ahmed Khan — yes, of the Science Magazine fame — has no particular preference for any type of film. For him “anything that catches my attention” is a good movie, be it romantic, action thriller or science fiction. Going back to his school and college days, he says that since there was no television in Pakistan in those days, going to movies was the only visual entertainment. As such, special arrangements were generally made for watching a movie.
