May 1, 2005

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

Larger than life For over two decades she was the numero uno of the Pakistan film industry. Her name in credits ensured success at the box-office for film-makers. Babra Sharif went on to become...		The last reel It is nearly two decades when a friend in the film industry, a second-generation big wig of Pakistani cinema, had declared that the ‘last reel’ of the Pakistan’s film industry was...
Horror, Lollywood style Horror films are meant to scare viewers or to elevate their sense of fear with the help of terrifying scripts, incredible direction and special effects. They linger in the subconscious of...		Mehdi Hasan: Infirmity and conquest “A milk shop at the corner, turn left, fourth house with a green gate,” the directions given by the ghazal maestro’s son, Arif Hasan, are quite explicit. I feel sure that...
Radio ga-ga Radio broadcasting — an integral part of any nation’s infrastructure — has seen both numerous upsurges and downfalls in the local context. From the glory days of Radio Pakistan when families...		Top of the pops Three popular bands took the world by storm from the mid to the late 1970s, including Pakistan. They were Abba, Bee Gees and Boney M. Such was their popularity that there...
The changing face of Indian cinema Till the end of the last millennium, the elite, intelligentsia and the so-called arts buffs of India delighted in showing off their grey cells by exclaiming: “Oh gosh, I never watch...		Advertising: A critical appreciation Television advertising in Pakistan has improved over the last five years, but still leaves much to be desired. Distinctive image processing, Dolby-surround sound effects, catchy jingles, cutting-edge editing, special effects and...
Sporting millions Being a craze in Pakistan, cricket has contributed richly to elevate ordinary cricketers to the status of celebrities promoting them to earn a decent living through TV advertisements and other activities...		Designer definition The name Rizwan Beyg evokes the image of the quintessential haute couturier; someone blessed with exquisite taste; possessed of a precise and palpable design ethos and an unappeasable desire to raise...
When Ava Gardner visited Karachi It was February 21, 1955 and Ava Gardner was en route to Lahore for the shooting of Bhawani Junction. Her film The Barefoot Contessa was then being shown in a cinema...		Imran Kureishi: A quarter of a century later One wonders how a chemical engineer who worked for 12 years in his father’s factory ends up becoming a successful choreographer/ painter/ designer. Just five minutes in his studio and one...
Anarkali: Fact or fiction? It is now believed that Anarkali was in her forties or older when she was suspected of having an affair with the heir apparent, Prince Salim, who was then in the...		Coming full circle ‘Catch me if you can’ seems to be Sahira Kazmi’s favourite catch-phrase these days. In an attempt to pin her down for an interview one comes across the standard apologetic response...
Calling all regions With the unrestrained onslaught of programmes from all over the world into an average viewer’s living room, cultures are fast converging. Indian soaps show bachelor parties and blind dates while western...		Child’s play Hidden behind a small desk with one hand covered in a white glove and the other with a big puppet, Farooq Qaiser delivers the lines of his ‘claim to fame’ children’s...
Theatre through the decades One hears Karachiites moaning about the scarcity of cultural activities, particularly in the field of theatre. Indeed, when compared to Lahore, Karachi has been relatively less blessed with entertainment through one...		Gujrati natakya Karachiites welcomed street musical drama after Partition and the Gujrati musical drama party was sought for most family functions. With a large dari spread on the roadside or lanes, they would...