June 27, 2004

With summer, some decide to pack their bags and head for white sandy beaches while others catch up on their shopping. Others still take the lull in the activities in good stride and organize their lives to the fullest. That is exactly what Maheen Khan, one of the country’s senior-most designers, is doing. She is currently busy with the Fashion Design Council of Pakistan project. “It is not a thing that can be done as soon as it has been projected in the media. It will take a long time. It is not ready to come out as yet and it is a long procedure to accomplish,” she stresses.

But for the designer whose creations have graced the catwalk for many a summer, the season isn’t about taxing your brain cells, though organizing a workshop is on the agenda. But tops on the list is finishing a ‘fascinating’ book (we couldn’t get the name out of her mouth). And then there’s the compulsory trip to the beach on the weekends. “I go to the beach to spend some time to relax.”

Things aren’t that cool and calm for acclaimed actress Sania Saeed. This writer caught up with ‘everybody’s favourite gal next door’ as she was offloading her delivery truck in the 40 degree-plus afternoon heat of Karachi. Sania and hubby Shahid have finally moved out of their cozy little apartment and moved into a cozy little bungalow. So, is this Sania’s dream come true?

“It’s a nightmare come true! Compared to acting, this is a tough job.” But one supposes she said it best when she stressed, “Shifting houses is bad for your back” as she struggled to bring order into her new world. When she’s done with the shifting bit, Sania plans to go to Islamabad to finish a couple of theatrical projects. She has recently completed production on two plays. But why not do the theatrical work in Karachi?

“Creative work cannot be done in this town. To get permission for any theatre performance, the NOCs and all the unnecessary paperwork is really demanding. I mean, the energy taken to organize such plays is more than the energy it takes to perform the plays. That is why I have planned theatre arts for the coming year in Islamabad.”

But for the moment, a more tense thought is transfixed in her mind.

“I have been trying to get my existing telephone line transferred into our new house. And that is all within the Gulistan-e-Jauhar telephone exchange. I had to secure a whole bunch of documents, including the lease of the house, an NOC, photocopies of both my husband’s and my CNIC. Then there’s a problem with the lease, as the estate agent has it and has been harassing the landlady with it. Now we have to go to court to have a new lease made, so on and so forth. So, you can imagine other than shifting the household items, I now also have to take care of my communication problems as well.” Best of luck to Sania then!

A beauty from the catwalk who these days is honing her acting talents is Zainab Qayyum, or ZQ. Word has it that the belle from Lahore is performing in a local Haseena Moin TV serial. She has also been approached by our neighbours from the eastern side. Yup, talent hunters from Mumbai have come knocking on the doors of the lanky lass, at least that’s what the buzz is. Though the details of their request are sketchy, one thing’s for sure: ZQ isn’t leaving the catwalk for the soundstage quite yet and has even said that she’s not too sure about joining the world of celluloid anytime soon. But then, the model is in the local fashion industry’s hall of fame. For she was, after all, billed best model at a recently concluded style awards. Other than this, she’s also mugging for a mobile phone company, following in the footsteps of Vaneeza.

Model Iman Ali, known for her glowing smile if nothing else, is also said to be the new face of a major clothing company. But after making a few calls, it was clarified that she declined the offer politely. Why? Because Iman currently represents another cloth manufacturer, and if she inks the deal, things will definitely get a bit rough.

 

There aren’t many worries for the baldie bad boy of Pakistani music, Ali Azmat. The action-packed Junoon star is in India these days where he’s shooting his first Bollywood pic. Ali will be acting as a villain in two Mahesh Bhatt movies. Now that’s what we call getting into the true spirit of things. The cast of these films includes John Abraham and Bipasha Basu. Just wondering though, is it possible that we get Bipasha and give them Ali, for good…?

Ali Azmat will be back in Pakistan in a month’s time to rejoin the band for a fresh round of gigs that will commence by the end of July. Before leaving for India he, Salman and Brian recorded an unplugged session with a local channel, which is due to air shortly. One hears the singer is also very pleased as Junoon recently won top honours at the SAJA awards for the BBC documentary, Rock Star and the Mullahs. But that’s not all that we’ll be seeing of him. Ali has also recorded a commercial for a local mobile phone company. The commercial, based on the Matrix concept, was shot on top of a skyscraper on Karachi’s I. I. Chundrigar Road, and during the filming, bombs went off in front of the PACC. Not the kind of blast anyone looks forward to.

Another hottie who’s been burning up cinema screens with his handsome charms is the Lahore heartthrob Shan. Not only has he made the girls sit up and take notice of his good looks and ravishing smile (courtesy of a recent make-over), he also made an impression with those who hadn’t taken his talents seriously. But do we see the rebirth of the Pakistan movie industry soon? One can only hope.

 

Summers for one of our favourite designers (and apparently also a favourite of world leaders) are more about trying the new swimming pool out. Like Amir Adnan says, “We have just installed a swimming pool at home and thanks to the sizzling weather these days, we are taking a dip in the pool regularly and enjoying it immensely. That’s where we try to beat the heat. I am enjoying the summer with my children.”

However, this is as close to taking a vacation Adnan has come in a long time. Currently, he is trying to meet deadlines and is working to establish Amir Adnan shops in the Middle East and Europe. Sounds like business as usual. But that is not all. Adnan has made himself available for an ambitious undertaking, one that will culminate in the formation of the aforementioned Fashion Design Council of Pakistan. As the MBA from IBA explains, “The council will provide a platform for Pakistani designers. We want to project Pakistan and Pakistani designers throughout the world. Currently, we are trying to come up with a framework with clear objectives.”

Nadia Hussain, one of fashion’s leading lights, this time from the modelling sphere, also has summer all planned out for her. Well, at least for now anyway. She is finalizing the details of her vacation to the Maldives.

“Though it is hot there as well, as in Karachi, I love the sand and the beach and I would like to spend a part of my summer there.” At present, she is spending quality time at home. Other than this, married life’s pretty good.

“I have a great husband who is very supportive of my work.” And as far as wearing spectacles is concerned, “I am very cool with my specs. There’s no problem with wearing them, in fact, I prefer to go to my shoots wearing specs.” However, married life has put some time constraints on her and Nadia is finding it difficult to pull time together for her television work. So that’s taken a backseat for the moment. Other than that, “Life is great, and I am going with the flow. Things are cool and calm these days.”

Ah, Vinnie! What to say? With all the new girls hogging the limelight these days, it’s easy to forget who paved the way for all these lasses. But then Vinnie is in a class of her own. When a multinational cold drink company wanted to film a commercial, a number of Pakistani beauty queens came calling. But the one that really impressed the cola people with her class and style was indeed Vaneeza.

The ad is supposed to be shot abroad, some say India, others speculate the Far East. Well, wherever it is decided, it will have to be after Vinnie returns from her summer vacation. Yup, she’s in the States these days, visiting her sister, Ayesha. Hope she doesn’t indulge in chocolates too much.

So there you have it folks. Come winter, summer, fall or spring, the celebrity brigade will always be busy in planning their next move to extend, just a little bit, their fifteen minutes of fame.

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