Favourite book: The Prophet Favourite screen pair: Mohammad Ali-Zeba Favourite play: Taal Matool, Such Gup Favourite artist: Van Gogh Favourite song: All hummable tunes that keep on varying with time Favourite actress/actor: Akshay Kumar, Preity Zinta
Imran Qureshi is a fashion choreographer, designer, stain glass artist — basically someone who has experimented with every possible art and craft form. Silk painting, sculpture and even dance have a special place in Imran’s life. Having being honoured with a state award, Imran believes in striving for the top.
They say some people are born with talent, whereas others acquire it. In the case of Imran, both observations are true as he has a natural flair for the artistic side of things and he has also worked hard to perfect what he has practised. Style, talent and taste all come together in Imran’s personality.
Imran Qureshi, lovingly called Immo, was fortunate to be born into a family where talent and creativity were a way of life. His uncles are familiar to us, the late cricket columnist, Omar Qureshi, author Hanif Qureshi and his aunt Bilquis Nasrullah of She magazine — all are people we know well enough. Imran, from a very early age, was brimming with ideas and creative thoughts.
“I have to do something,” was a much-repeated thought in his mind. “All ideas begin with wonder, if one can imagine, one can create, and if one can dream, one can actually become it,” comments Imran. Being highly zealous about books and reading, he feels that it’s chiefly through books that one enjoys interaction with superior minds, and, with a little effort, these valuable means of communication are present within everyone’s reach. With the reading and study of books, one reaps its harvest in all walks of life. As for him, it’s an investment in terms of confidence and exposure to a lot of brilliant ideas and a path towards immense knowledge.
His all-time favourite book is Jibran Khalil’s The Prophet. According to him, this inspirational book influenced his life in many ways and is truly a timeless piece of poetry. For him a book shut and unread is only a waste of paper and occupied space. Recently, yet another book which caught his interest was The Da Vinci Code, a mystery novel that kept this impatient Capricorn glued to it. He recommends this bestseller to all who thrive on adventure and mystery.
Cinema, according to Imran, carries a message to us, from people who are away from us yet close in many ways. “For a man, there is nothing so interesting as cinema with stories that entangle us in their webs, educating us, comforting us, opening their hearts to us,” says Imran.
He adds, “That’s media, its power and its immense grip over the audience. A good movie transports us into another world, the reel world that is so differing from the real world, yet so calming and engrossing that one overlooks one’s miseries and finds oneself lost at least for a short period in its charm. One starts weeping, laughing and associating one’s self with the screen families. Watching movies is a highly soothing and a great de-stressing activity.”
“Indian cinema is pretty advance in comparison to ours, but within a matter of time the Pakistani film industry shall be fast rubbing shoulders with it,” says Imran with confidence.
Heroines and heroes of yore, the soft-spoken Rani in Tehzeeb, the slender Zeba, and the handsome Mohammad Ali are among his favourites from Pakistan. Among the present generation, Ahmed Butt in Salakehin and Meera have impressed him. Imran feels that one should appreciate any step that is taken towards progress, both in cinema and drama production. “Reema’s plunge into direction should be seen as a trend-setting step that should encourage others to make more sensible and well directed films. And in order to experience its full essence, we should watch these movies on the big curtain, by doing this we shall be promoting the waning cinema culture.”
Talking about the Indian cinema, Imran has this to say: “Indian cinema has numerous advantages over ours. Our cinema faces lots of religious and social taboos that restrict their innovative ideas and hamper their progress.”
To this artiste, the divas of Indian screen whose beauty and screen presence are electrifying were the late Madubala, the versatile Dilip Kumar, and in present times the attractive and talented actress like Preity Zinta, actor like Akshay Kumar and many more. Kal Ho Na Ho remained his all time favourite flick, and Mouligue Rouge starring Nicole Kidman is an English movie that he has enjoyed.
Speaking of TV serials and dramas, he did not have much to say, as he hardly has the time or the desire to watch these. However, slapstick comedies like Such Gup, and Taal Matool, the comedy sitcoms from the past really made him go in splits. “For me, comedy is an act that makes one laugh long after the funny anecdotes and hilarious events have become a fragment of ones’ memory,” Imran comments.
For, Imran classical music has always been difficult to comprehend and digest, and Urdu prose and poetry have the same effect. Yes, he does know Allama Iqbal from the school’s curriculum but that’s about all.
“Theatre remains an alien zone,” speaking about our local theatrical productions Imran confesses, and adds, “but as far as theatre is concerned abroad, Phantom of the Opera was the most remarkable piece of inspired work on Broadway that I have ever witnessed.”
For Imran, music is the best company of a lonely soul, and the hip range of music videos these days have further ensured the success of a fine song. Fakhir’s Mahi Veh, Ali Zafar’s Rangeen, Fusion’s Khamja and Junoon’s Sufi rock numbers relax him after a hectic day.
Commenting on art, Imran himself has tried his hand in this field and has been quite successful with oil and brush. Sadeqain has been an all time favourite, and in the new set of artistes Hanif Shehzad, Ather Jamal are really admirable. But the internationally acclaimed Van Gogh is his ultimate choice.
Favourite book: The Prophet
