FUZON JAANE

While it’s praiseworthy to see that established Pakistani pop bands (some like to use the word ‘seasoned’ for them) are releasing new music videos, it has to be said that they seem to be stuck in a time warp not just in terms of their sound but also in terms of the visuals that go along with it.

After Strings’ two back-to-back songs, Fuzon have released a new track titled O ki jaane. Make no mistake, they are a superb band, but the video and even the melody of the song is a throwback to the ’90s. Nothing wrong with that … unless the band just wants to create nostalgia music.

MANTO AT CANNES

Manto, a film based on the life and works of writer Saadat Hasan Manto, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and directed by Nandita Das has been selected for the Un Certain Regard segment of this year’s Cannes Film Festival to be held from May 8 to 19. 

The actor-turned-director was cock-a-hoop about the prestigious selection as she ecstatically tweeted about it on April 12, saying it was an exciting moment for the cast and crew of Manto. Indeed it was. We wish her and the film best of luck, and hope things such as talaffuz will be ignored at the festival.

A BRIEF PHILOSOPHY OF TIME

Believe it or not, Kanye West, the rapper and husband of reality TV star Kim Kardashian, is writing a philosophy book. Yes, folks, philosophy book. It is titled Break the Simulation and contains debates on several concepts of time. Take that Stephen Hawking!

Giving an interview to a showbiz magazine, he said, “I believe that all time is now … The future is here now, the past is here now. There are certain people you meet and say, ‘Oh, you’re from the future.’ You feel this in their spirit … I’m big on connecting with timeless energy.” Wow! Seriously wow! Never knew being close to Kim K can turn people into philosophers. No wonder it’s difficult most of the time to understand what Chloe Kardashian is saying … or is all about.

SUHAEE’S NOBLE CAUSE

This is the kind of work that members of the artist community should engage themselves in on a regular basis. Popular Pakistani actress and dancer of international fame, Suhaee Abro has joined hands with the National Epilepsy Centre as one of its ambassadors. The purpose is simple: to raise and spread awareness about epilepsy.

The artist herself has faced the pangs of the disease and says she’s still working on becoming ‘seizure-free’, although she’s doing much better than she did in the past. Well done, Suhaee A! For sure, your effort will blaze a trail for other artists to use their celebrity for good causes.

RISHI, VOCALIST, BIG B COMPOSER

That’s the spirit old chappies Amitabh Bachhan and Rishi Kapoor! You accept all kinds of challenges that come or are thrown your way by these new-age filmmakers.

In case you’re wondering what that’s about, well, for one of his upcoming films 102 Not Out, director Umesh Shukla came up with the idea at the fag end of the shoot that one of the principal actors in the movie, Rishi K should sing a song for it. Big B, who is a co-actor in the project, liked the idea so much that he decided to compose music for that particular number, and he has. Rishi K too agreed without much humming and hawing, and the song called Badumbaa has been recorded. Cool.

Hope that Rishi K doesn’t become as vocal in the song as he is on Twitter.

22 YEARS LATER

Now that’s what you call a solid relationship. April 11 was Hollywood hunk Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness’s 22nd marriage anniversary. Imagine, both are from tinsel town (his 62-year-old wife, who is 13 years elder to him, is also an actor) and yet their bond, unlike some of their colleagues, seems to be getting stronger and stronger.

Hugh J is such a gentleman that when the day came he posted a message, along with the couple’s picture, on his Instagram page gushing with emotion, “I believe in life we need to see and truly be seen by the most important people in our lives … Deb, from day one, we had that.” Awww … what a cute little lovey-dovey thing to say … not to be seen or read by the likes of Zayn Malik, Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck.

Published in Dawn, ICON, April 22nd, 2018