The event Milano Moda Donna Spring/Summer 2010.

Maheen Khan, Rizwan Beyg and Deepak Perwani showcased Pakistan's culture and traditions infused in western attire in the New Upcoming Designers (N-U-De) Category at Milan. Maheen's Khyber Mail collection depicted elegant embroidery with kotis, pleated shalwars and the traditional Chitrali topi.

Rizwan Beyg's monochrome collection was based on the concept of From the Rural to the Runway. The western silhouettes were made using niwar, a material used to make charpoy and crochet in the Haripur Hazara region.

Deepak Perwani's multi-hued D Philosophy line was reminiscent of Balochistan. Featuring ajrak, dastarkhawan prints and truck motifs, the embroidered jackets, round bags and kheri (leather sandals) indigenous to Punjab were highlighted. — Fathma Amir

M for Miami and Munib

The event Miami Fashion Week 2009.

Munib Nawaz's Ideal collection earned international accolade for creativity, original style and contemporary fashion. The line inspired by Quaid-i-Azam and Imran Khan for their spirit and valour, took the archetypal silhouette of the sherwani and gave it a new facet. The collection was garnered with overwhelming reviews and for his exceptional performance at the MFW, Munib was presented with the Men's Style Award for the Best Menswear Designer. — F.A.

Nilofer Shahid at Paris Fashion Week

The event Paris Fashion Week — Tribute to Balenciaga 2006.

Ensembles from Nilofer Shahid's Khalil Gibran Collection were showcased at the Parisian runway. With intricate threadwork and embroidery, the designs boasted the couturier's poise and élan.

Equated to Dior by Le Figaro, Nilofer Shahid is the first Pakistani designer who was invited by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. She can be credited as the pioneer fashion designer who put Pakistan in the international limelight. — F.A.

Fashion weeks

The event Fashion Pakistan Week.

Although the first-ever fashion week to be held in Pakistan was the Karachi Fashion Week (August 2008) with support from Fashion Pakistan, it set the ball rolling for bigger and better things to come.

Fashion Pakistan Week was held in Karachi in late 2009 and brought together 32 local designers to put on display their collections during the four-day opulent event that was rescheduled twice.

“Nearly 3,500 miles away from Milan, this is perhaps the least expected entry in the global couture calendar. The clothes on parade, the models encased within, the talents that crafted them and the fabric they used are all Pakistani. For four days last week, attentions were briefly diverted from nearly daily terrorist attacks to this bustling port city, where 32 designers were showcased at Pakistan's first genuine Fashion Week, revealing a different side to a country too often in the headlines for bad news,” said Omar Warraich of www.time.com.

The event PFDC-Sunsilk Fashion Week.

The Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC) held Lahore's first fashion week early this year. Some 32 designers from across Pakistan were brought together as representatives of the country's burgeoning fashion industry to celebrate the fashion extravaganza. Amid security alerts and the international buyers and media personnel present at the event, Pakistan Fashion Week was well-received.

“The first Lahore Fashion Week showed the city at its liveliest, belying every Pakistan cliché. The clothes, the collections, the pounding music had a rhythm like no other,” said Hindol Sengupta. — F.A.

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

After Nazia Hasan's breakthrough in the Bollywood film industry with Aap Jaisa Koi (Qurbani) in 1980, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's Munn Ki Lagan for the film Paap in 2004 (produced by Shahi Hasan and Faisal Rafi) is what kick started the trend in more recent times. Rahat went on to release popular numbers such as Jiya Dhadak Dhadak (Kalyug, 2005, produced by Rohail Hyatt), Naina (Omkara, 2006), Jugg Soona Soona Laage (Om Shanti Om, 2007) and O Re Piya (Aaja Nachle, 2007) among others. From 2004 to now, he's done playback singing in a little more than 25 Bollywood films, and of late he's also worked on the soundtrack of My Name is Khan (2010) on a song titled Sajda.

In 2002, Rahat collaborated with an American act known as the Derek Trucks Band on a song called Maki Madni on their album, Joyful Noise. Rahat also collaborated with Sukhshinder Sinha on a song titled Gum Sum for the latter's album, Collaborations Two.

His work on soundtracks for films isn't limited to Bollywood alone. In 2002, Rahat sang for the soundtrack of the Hollywood film, Four Feathers, and in 2006 he worked on the soundtrack of the Mel Gibson film Apocalypto (produced by Rohail Hyatt). — Madeeha Syed

Strings

When it comes to soundtracks, Strings may not have the rather massive portfolio of Rahat, but it isn't far behind. Perhaps the biggest news to hit the music block was the fact that Strings did the soundtrack (a song titled Na Jane Kyun) for Spider-man 2. It went on to release popular singles for Bollywood films such as Zinda Hoon for the film Zinda (2006). The video features Bollywood actors Sanjay Dutt and John Abraham. That soundtrack became the favourite of quite a few Bollwood personalities, earning endorsements from the likes of Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha. Strings also contributed to the soundtrack of Shootout at Lokhandwala with the single Aakhri Alvida in 2007. Both Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood are ambassadors in the fight against HIV/Aids for the United Nations. — M.S.

Atif Aslam

Our boy wonder has finally broken into the Bollywood circuit and is now considered to be very popular there. Back in 2005, two remixes, those of Woh Lamhe and of Aadat from his debut album Jalpari, became soundtracks for Bollywood films Zeher and Kalyug, respectively.

Atif's career then followed a string of hits in Bollywood which included Tere Bin (Buss Aik Pal, 2006), Pehli Nazar Mein (Race, 2008), Bakhuda Tumhi Ho (Race, 2008) among others. He's contributed to a little more than 10 Bollywood films and is currently working on the soundtrack of the upcoming Shoaib Mansoor film Bol, for which he is coming out with two singles, one of which will see a collaboration with Annie Princess. — M.S.

Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan

Who doesn't remember Shafqat's rendition of Mitwa for the Bollywood film Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna in 2006? Shafqat's foray into his solo career has served him well. He sang Yeh Hosla for the film Daur (2006) as well as the background score for Hello (2008), Mumbai Cuttings (2009) and Aashiyaan (2009). He also sang a hit title song Tum Mile for the Bollywood film of the same name in 2009. His first single from his solo album, Kheriyaan De Naal, was very well received in both India and Pakistan. — M.S.

The band, Call

The what-used-to-be rock band Call has also worked extensively in Bollywood. Notable contribution includes the song Laree Chotee for the film Ek Chalees Ki Last Local in 2007. Two of their other singles Dhadkey Jiya and Yeh Pal, both released in 2009, have been picked up for two other Bollywood ventures, one of which includes the film Aasmaan. — M.S.

Ali Zafar

The latest Pakistani singer to hit Bollywood in a big way is Ali Zafar, so far the only musician to have bagged an acting role. The film Tere Bin Laden is due for release in summer this year. In it, Ali Zafar has also sung a duet with Shankar Mahadevan which will run as the background score throughout the film. — M.S.

Pop goes the boom

Our pop stars have been in focus of the international media for several plausible reasons. While Abrarul Haq showed how much he cared by visiting Lahore's Moon Market victims and Karachi's Boulton Market site, Roy has been working in the realm of education for underprivileged children.

In recognition of his services in the field of education, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs awarded the 2009 Patricia Blunt Koldyke Fellowship on Social Entrepreneurship to the singer.— PYT

The news fuse

As they say, the news is where the worst is happening, and what could be a more happening place than Pakistan at the moment. There's political turmoil to keep the present President and the PM constantly in the news; a judiciary that is taking suo-motu notices sparingly; chaos within the ranks of the bureaucracy that cannot decide what kind of administration to follow; and the topping of the cake is the war on terror that rips the population of its resources and self-respect. Perfect ingredients and commotion for any news channel to thrive on.

While the electronic media has succeeded in putting (read forcing) the fear of God among the perpetrators, Pakistan has claimed a good position on the international plane for the most chaotic place. Some feather in the cap to be proud of!

As the bullet of Breaking News flashes on television screens, it unleashes an unnerving sense of impending doom (and gloom). In certain cases, the doer resorts to either accepting or rejecting the truth at the altar of a public jury courtesy the media.
— Sumera S. Naqvi

Mehreen Jabbar's Ramchand Pakistani

A Pakistani venture and one to be proud of, Ramchand Pakistani (2008) was written by Javed Jabbar with screenplay by Mohammad Ahmad and directed by celebrated TV director Mehreen Jabbar.

Among other accolades, Ramchand Pakistani won the Audience Award at the Fribourg International Film Festival, Switzerland, 2009; the Honourable Mention by the Ecumenical Jury, the E-Changer Award at the Fribourg International Film Festival 2009, able mention by the 13th Annual Satyajit Ray Awards at the London Film Festival 2008 and the FIPRESCI Award from the International Federation of Film Critics. Rashid Farooqui as Shankar won the Best Actor Award at the 7th KaraFilm Festival, 2009.

Opting for Nandita Das as opposed to a local actress added the glamour that a Bollywood actress adds along with the quality of acting that Nandita is particularly known for. — Fouzia Nasir Ahmed

Shoaib Mansoor's Khuda Kay Liye

With time, Shoaib Mansoor's highly ambitious project has become one of the most anticipated and most celebrated films in recent Pakistani film history.

The success was not totally unprecedented. What was unprecedented however was that the film triggered off a series of films from Bollywood about the 9/11 aftermath. It was as though the Bollywood directors needed Shoaib Mansoor to kick start the product line. Hence followed New York, Kurbaan and My Name is Khan.

Naseeruddin Shah may have added to the credibility and glamour angle of the film with this brilliant performance, but Rasheed Naz in particular walked away with an excellent performance.

KKL is the second highest grossing film of Pakistan of all time with a gross of over $10 million.

It won the 2008 Lux Style Award for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Soundtrack; Silver Pyramid Award for Best Picture at the 31st Cairo International Film Festival, Roberto Rossellini Award (Italian film industry), Best Film at the Fukuoka Audience Award (Japan); Best Film Award at the Asian Festival of First Films and Swarovski Trophy for Best Cinematography. — FNA

KaraFilm Festival

An event that has consistently worked through thick and thin and put a definitive international spotlight on local and foreign talent is the KaraFilm Festival. It has been around for over eight years (the first festival was held in 2001), shown and premiered a plethora of both local and foreign films.

The event is actively attended by film-makers and actors from the world over which included the likes of Mahesh Bhatt, Jamil Dehlavi, Nandita Das and Ajay Devgan among others. As a festival that seeks to promote the art of storytelling through a visual medium, the festival has come a long way from when it first started and is now considered to be among the world's most prominent film festivals. — M.S.

Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy award-winning documentaries

Sharmeen's career in documentary film-making began when she decided to make films about a staggering variety of issues, primarily in the Muslim world and to explore the lives of Afghan refugees.

Her subjects vary from Muslim immigrants in Malmo and Rosengard in Sweden to families all along Canada's Highway 16 (dubbed as Highway of Tears); desperate Filipina women in the slums of Metro Manila who undergo harrowing illegal abortions, with at least 80,000 ending up seriously ill in hospital.

In the last seven years she has produced and reported on 13 films for major networks in the United States and Britain including CNN, PBS, Channel 4 (UK) and the Discovery Channel. Her work has earned her major awards in broadcast journalism including the Overseas Press Club Award, The American Women and Radio and Television Award, The Cine Golden Eagle Award, The Banff TV Rockie Award, Livingston Award, New York, NY and the South Asian Journalist Award among others.

Her films include The Lost Generation, Lifting the Veil/Afghanistan Unveiled, Birth of a Nation, The New Apartheid, Assimilation No, Integration Yes; Highway of Tears, City of Guilt, Cold Comfort, Pakistan's Double Game, Reinventing the Taliban, Women of the Holy Kingdom, On a Razor's Edge and Terror's Children. — FNA

Farhan Tahir Hollywood actor

Metaphorically speaking, the new kid on the block keeping up the Pakistani flag is Farhan Tahir. This 40-something Pakistani-American actor has become a sensation after bagging the meaty role of Federation Captain Richard Robau in Star Trek The Future Begins.

After many guest spots on popular television series including The Practice, Family Law, The Agency, NYPD Blue, 7th Heaven, The West Wing, JAG, Judging Amy, The D.A., Cold Case, 24, Monk, Justice as well as a Sci-Fi Channel original film; it was just a matter of time that Farhan Tahir with acting in genes would finally get his big break.

He made his film debut as Nathoo in the Disney's 1994 live-action version of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. Since then, there has been no looking back for he appeared in Picture Perfect (1997), Anywhere But Here (1999), with John Carroll Lynch and Stephanie Niznik), and, most recently, Charlie Wilson's War (2007) with Cyia Batten and Star Trek co-star Rachel Nichols. He also played the male lead in the 1999 independent film, ABCD.

Tahir's role as a villain in the Paramount Pictures blockbuster, the Marvel Comics-based Iron Man. Jon Braver was Tahir's stunt double in this film as well.

Earlier Tahir had worked with Star Trek director/producer J.J. Abrams and writers/executive producers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman in the fourth episode of the Abrams-created spy series, Alias. More recently he appeared on hit series, Lost, starring Daniel Dae Kim and Terry O'Quinn and in one episode with Sam Anderson and Alan Dale. — FNA

The veteran brigade

Zia Mohyeddin and Talat Hussain are theatrically-trained actors in Pakistan. Zia Mohyeddin studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and has worked in countless English films including Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Behold a Pale Horse (1964), Khartoum (1966), Deadlier Than the Male (1966), Ashanti (1979) and Immaculate Conception (1992) .

On the other hand, Talat is the only Pakistani to have received a gold medal from London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He not only was part of the award-winning Channel Four TV series Traffik (1989) along with singer-actor Jamal Shah, but was the first recipient of the Best Supporting Actor for the Amanda Award in 2006 for his performance as Allahditta in Khalid Hussain's Import-Eksport.

Waheed Murad may have died in 1983 at the young age of 45, but his versatility still mesmerises fans around the globe. In Agent Cody Banks 2 Destination London (2004), actress Leilah Isaac's character Sabeen says “I'm Waheed Murad, the famous 'Indian' actor” after the protagonist Agent Cody Banks (Frankie Muniz) discloses to his colleagues that he is, in fact, a secret agent.

Nadeem worked in Door Desh, a joint production of Canada-India where his angry young man persona was appreciated. Talat Hussain (Souten Ki Beti), Mohammad Ali (Clerk), Moammer Rana (Dobara), Humayun Saeed (Jashn) and Javed Shiekh have also played an innings in Bollywood, but all eyes are on Momy's upcoming thriller, Aik Second... Jo Zindagi Badal De, which would decide the fate of Pakistani artistes in India.

Popular TV and theatre actor Salman Shahid has also worked in not one but three Bollywood productions during the past six years — Khamosh Pani (2004), Kabul Express (2006) and Ishqiya (2010). — Seema Faruqi

Mohib Mirza actor extraordinaire

Recently the International Filmmaker Festival (IFF) nominated Mohib Mirza as the Best Supporting Actor in 2009 for the film Insha-Allah, making him the first Pakistani actor to receive the award in the history of the UK-based IFF.

It was a role which Mohib worked hard as Faran, instantly realising that the role had a lot of potential. It was shot in Karachi and released in England late last year, bagging a nomination for the Best Foreign Language Film for 2009.

His nomination as the Best Supporting Actor by the IFF puts Mohib in the league of actors like Brian Capron in Ambleton Delight, James Tweedy in Where Seagulls Cry a Song and Michael Worth in Complacent. — FNA

Woman power

Zeba Bakhtiar was discovered by the late Raj Kapoor for his last production, Henna (1991), after Salma Agha had made an earlier impression in Bollywood by acting and playback singing for the film Nikah (1982). Zeba then worked in Mohabbat Ki Aarzoo, Stunt Man and other films, but returned to Pakistan in the mid-90s.

Madam Noor Jehan's granddaughter Sonya has also made it in India with her film roles in Taj Mahal The Eternal Love Story, Khoya Khoya Chand and My Name Is Khan.

Although Meera worked in a couple of forgettable films such as Nazar and Kasak, Sana managed to make an impression through Sunny Deol's Kafla. It has also been reported that local TV actress Mona Lisa is also trying her luck on Indian soil. — S.A.