Blues Clues

Pakistani documentary film Indus Blues, directed by Jawad Sharif, has bagged two awards at the Jaipur International Film Festival in India. The categories in which it has won are ‘Best Feature Documentary’ and ‘Best Cinematography’.

Indus Blues focuses on Pakistani folk musicians who, for socio-cultural reasons, find it difficult to carry on with their careers. Ironically, the project hasn’t yet had a screening in Pakistan. Indus Blues indeed.

Brave Fatima

Fatima Ali, the talented Pakistani-American girl who shot to fame because of her tremendous culinary skills as a Top Chef contestant, passed away on Jan 25.

She was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years back, but faced the deadly disease with such bravery (by not letting it affect her daily life and appearing on TV talk shows to inspire other people not to be bogged down by difficult situations in life) that her name had become synonymous with courage and tenacity. May she rest in peace.

Working with Kangana

Ever since the super-talented Kangana Ranaut sparked off the nepotism debate on director/producer Karan Johar’s TV talk show, both of them seem to be at daggers drawn. Journalists have often quipped K-Jo about his rapport with the actress, and he has dealt with it in an ambiguous manner. But here’s something new and optimistic on that count.

After the release of Kangana R’s latest film, Manikarnika, a newspaper asked him whether he’d be willing to work with her. To which he responded that he would ‘not mind working with her if a film requires her presence’. Good answer, K-Jo. But have you wondered whether she’s willing to work with you.

End of Thrones

Maisie Williams, why would you say that? It’s a no-brainer. In case you’re wondering what we’re ranting about, well, the actress who plays the role of Arya in Game of Thrones (whose final half-a-dozen episodes begin on April 14) has said in an interview that not all admirers of the TV series will be satisfied with the ending of Game of Thrones. Of course, you can’t make everyone happy or sad at the same time.

If the statement is a publicity gimmick, then it hasn’t worked. Because we are going to watch the bloody, and gory, GOT anyways.

Home Fire

Grammy-winner Ed Sheeran has a country home in Suffolk. (Nothing surprising about it, he’s rich, therefore can afford one.) On Jan 24, someone called the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service Station at 7am, telling its staff that a small fire had broken out in a building. It was the pop star’s property, his country home.

Three fire engines reached the spot in two shakes of a lamb’s tail and put out the fire in a little over an hour. No major damage or what caused the blaze was reported. Our guess is: he will now stop singing his hit song ‘Go away girl’ at concerts. 

5 and 50

On Jan 27, Bollywood actor Bobby Deol (in case you can’t recall him, he is the younger brother of Sunny Deol and son of Dharmendra) turned 50. Yep, half-a-century oldie.

When a friend sought his opinion on going a tad beyond middle age, he replied that he still feels like a five-year-old. True that Bobby D! Watching your films such as Yamla Pagla Deewana does give us that impression.

Published in Dawn, ICON, February 3rd, 2019