KARACHI: The 15th Lux Style Awards were held late on Friday night at the Expo Centre to honour excellence in television, music, fashion and films interspersed with song and dance performances, with tributes to those who have departed, especially Amjad Farid Sabri.

The evening started close to 11pm with the host of the ceremony Ali Zafar making a visible entrance on stage in mock disguise before breaking into ‘Kya mein bura, kya tu bura’ with a marching band and troupe of dancers. It then gave way to Unilever chairman Shazia Syed walking all those present through 15 years of the LSAs and reclling the most memorable moments in its history, while terming it “a premier showpiece for emerging talent” and “iconic”, while reiterating the commitment to portray “the real image of Pakistan”.

Stage, television and film personality Yasir Hussain joined Ali Zafar on stage at this point to pull a few punches at celebrities within the audience such as stylist Nabila, designer Deepak Perwani, Mahira Khan, Ayesha Omer, Jawed Sheikh, Amir Adnan and film-maker Nadeem Baig.

Then it was time to hand out the television awards and Vasay Chaudhry and Bushra Ansari were ushered in to do the honours, followed by Fahad Mustafa and Sarwat Gillani, and HSY and Ayesha Khan. The LSA for Best Original Soundtrack went to Diyar-i-Dil by Zeb Bangash; Best TV writer was given to Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar for Sadqay Tumharay; Best Actress to Mahira Khan also for Sadqay Tumharay (she dedicated her win to her father, who was in the audience); Best Actor was awarded to Faisal Qureshi for Rung Laga. He said it was his fourth LSA and dedicated it to the struggle of the people of Kashmir “who have made innumerable sacrifices”; Best TV director was awarded to Anjum Shehzad again for Rung Laga; and Best TV Play was received by Sultana Siddiqui for Diyar-i-Dil on behalf of Momina Duraid.

In the music category, Best Emerging Talent went to Slow Spin; Best Music Video Director to Salman Noorain; Best Album to Noori for Begum Gul Bakaoli Sarfarosh (lead singer Ali Noor said the album took them 10 years to complete owing to the decaying music industry and abundance of commissioned music, and also the fact that earlier musicians would make it a point to say something through their music which is no longer happening. He said their win means that there’s still hope and it goes out to all those who still love music); and Best Song went to Rockstar Romeo by Ali Zafar.

Achievement in Fashion Design (Lawn) was awarded to Faraz Manan; (Pret) to Generation; (Luxury Pret) to Shamaeel Ansari; (Bridal) to Faraz Manan; Best Menswear to Amir Adnan; Best Emerging Talent to Alee Hasan; Best Hair & Make-up to Nabila (on her 10th LSA win, the stylist quite magnanimously announced that she “does not want to compete for another award but mentor fresh and deserving talent”); Best Photographer to Abdullah Haris; Best Model (Male) to Hasnain Lehri and finally Best Model (Female) to Fouzia Aman.

At this point a showreel on couture legend Nilofer Shahid of Meeras was screened before she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement in Fashion by M. Andre de Bousse. She dedicated her award to all the women of Pakistan, especially the underprivileged lot, and also to the late Abdul Sattar Edhi. She also handed out the scholarship award certificates to Asian Institute of Fashion & Design students Roma Ansari and Sidra Siddiq; Samra Farhan and Mehreen Anwar from Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design; Lahore’s National College of Arts’ (Performing Arts category) Nirmal Bano and Iqra Aziz; and National Academy of the Performing Arts’ Aashir Wilson and Phillip Shahid.

In the film category Best Singer (Male) went to Rahat Fateh Ali Khan for Tere Bina Jeena from Bin Roye; Best Singer (Female) to Abida Parveen for Maula from Bin Roye; Best Supporting Actor to Javed Sheikh for Wrong No; Best Supporting Actress to Ayesha for Jawani Phir Nahi Ani; Best Director to Jamshed Mehmood Raza for Moor; Best Actress to Mahira Khan for Bin Roye; Best Actor to Humayun Saeed for Jawani Phir Nahi Aani; and Best Film to Moor.

Interspersed among the awards were song and dance performances by the toast of the film industry Suhaee Ali Abro, Urwa Hocane and Farhan Saeed; co-hosts Ahmed Ali Butt and Fawad Khan’s comic takes, and especially Ali Zafar’s tribute to those who have departed within the industry, especially Amjad Sabri, who was also conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award in Music. Sabri’s son also joined Ali Zafar and others on stage to remember the qawwali icon.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2016