Over the weekend, the creators of fashioncentral.com.pk launched a new internet venture musicbox360.com — a website that hopes to revolutionise online music portals in the country in order to put Pakistani artists on the map of global online music.

The exclusive event, which was peppered with a performance by Fariha Pervez, gave an insight into the future of online music in Pakistan. Musicbox360 strives to be the single platform through which Pakistani music fans will be able to access all the news and information regarding their favourite artists.

“Everyone has moved on to the internet these days. If you’re a singer and you haven’t put yourself out there, you’ll remain limited to local market,” says Shoaeb Shams, the CEO and owner of Fashion Central Media Group. “For smaller bands and newbies, this site can serve as a launching pad,” he adds.

Shams, who is an IT specialist by profession, has become a serial entrepreneur, launching portals and websites regularly — he has been able to launch 10 websites in a span on two-and-a-half years. His online portals are visited by people from 183 countries, with six million page loads per month.

State of the art site

However, amidst the many local music websites that have been created in past, what makes this latest addition different? “In the past, all music portals have been amateurish, with the owner losing interest after a bit, not following through etc. Most of the sites are not even updated regularly and are generally of a bloggish nature, with limited scope,” states Sham.

Musicbox360.com, on the other hand, is intended to be more professional and serious in nature. Designed with the latest technology and having around the clock staff, the website, which is officially licensed, hopes to create a more commercial way of promoting Pakistani music. “Social media and the Internet have moved to the next level; the old websites had different models but under our platform we have the team and ability to direct traffic towards our artists,” says Shams.

The new website, which has profiles for bands, singers, composers and songwriters, is run by a team of content writers who routinely update it. Also, a section is dedicated to music education, which has in-depth information about music theory, lyrics and instruments related to the subcontinent. The site is also complemented with music news and a section on underground bands.

A profitable venture

Shams’ vision is to make local musicians’ presence felt in the global landscape. He explains that the internet can turn out to be very lucrative for Pakistani artists, who are struggling in the current economic slump. “A lot of musicians and artists are ignorant about the value of the internet. I have seen people considering selling the rights to their music to record companies, who end up exploiting them,” says Shams. “This is definitely a potential profit-churning model for artists. A proper portal can help musicians put their work onto iTunes or Amazon where they can sell it online.” He says that the online sales (with 99 cents per song) can generate a healthy profit, as the artist would be able to keep 70 per cent of the money.

Meanwhile, Shams is also working on holding more and more live gigs locally. “Our hope is that we can create a system in which something or the other is happening regularly.”

It’s an ambitious project with high expectations, but we can only keep our fingers crossed and hope this new venture is a game-changer in the world of online music.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2012.

By Sher Khan

The State of Islam is a seminal study on the cultural war that took place in Pakistan following the country’s independence. In this book Toor attempts to change the narrowly defined popular perceptions regarding nationalism, Islam and the concept of the state.

In modern-day academics, the concept of the ideological state has been widely discussed and debated, and in the information age, media and propaganda have become a central method of control for a state. Thus, the Pakistani state’s control of media and information throughout its history plays an important role in the modern day conception of the Pakistani state and nation.

Saadia Toor’s book discusses how the Pakistani establishment and state apparatus has always been at odds with progressive politics in the country. As a result, the author maintains that the rise of Islam in the political and social structures of Pakistan was “engineered both directly, by inducting them into state institutions as Zia did, and indirectly by ‘cleansing’ the political sphere of their only effective nemesis/counter, the Left.”

Set in the backdrop of the Cold War’s ‘Red Scares’, the book explores the underlying debate in Urdu literature that took place between the Marxist members of the Progressive Writers Association and the liberal anti-Communist writers for the ‘very soul of the new nation-state’. The fallout would culminate during General Ayub Khan’s ‘decade of development’ where a proactive cultural policy was made to curb the ‘hegemony of the socialist vision of the Progressive writers in the literary milieu of the late 1940’s’.

As a result, discourse became state controlled and the concept of the ‘establishment writer’ was born. This system of patronage and perks for journalists and scholars to spread the state views and other interests was created to sustain a ruling elite in the country. It is under this umbrella that state policies leading up to the Zia era, to curb the left, makes way for the Islamic state to be institutionalised in the country.

The State of Islam is an important read to get an alternative view on the ideological conception of Pakistan. The perspective is an enriching one as it tries to connect with the mass and grass-root struggles that never quite make it to mainstream media.

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, January 22^nd, 2012.

By Sher Khan

“People in Pakistan appreciate UK bhangra music; the crowds are highly energised and we always get a great response,” says Harvinder Sahara, the lead vocalist who is also known as Herbie Sahara. “We try to perform at a high tempo and the bounce from the music transcends into the crowd.”

The band is currently composed of Herbie, his brother Gurps (also a vocalist) and Dav(on the dhol). Herbie, Gurps and their other brother, Kully, started playing music at an early age, mostly singing at Sikh temples and later became part of the local band “Nachda Punjab”. Then in 1993, Herbie and Kully formed the band Sahara and released an album Intemptation which exceeded their expectations and shot them to national fame. Then came the albums Let Loose and Blue Print, but it wasn’t until 2001 when Sahara released Access All Areas that they were internationally recognised. The album sales were phenomenal and the song “Soniye Ni Soniye” became the best selling song of the year.

The brothers have played alongside great artists; Kuldeep Manak, Surinder Shinda, RDB, Surjit Bhindrakhia, Hans Raj Hans and Himesh Reshmmiya to name a few.

Fusion music gains popularity

When asked how this relatively new genre became popular, Herbie replies, “The UK has always had a lot of variety when it comes to music, however, it was in the 80s that the concept of fusing Punjabi music with western beats became popular.” He further adds, “This trend has now developed more, and there is now a global taste for this kind of music.”

The band claims that through fusion music, they are able to connect to people belonging to different cultures and regions. “I try to keep it as simple as possible so that people from diverse markets and cultures are able to relate to our songs – even people who don’t know Punjabi can sing along to our songs,” says Herbie, who is also the lyricist of  Sahara’s songs.

Latest venture

Sahara is now working on an upcoming album – which is yet to be titled – through its own record company. The album, set to be released in April this year, will have several collaborations including a track with Pakistani bhangra maestro Abrarul Haq. The album’s sound, Herbie states, will stick to the heavy Punjabi melody but will be contemporised according to latest trends in music.

“In the latest album, we are thinking of doing something out-of-the-box, so it will include a lot of different scales and beats.” Meanwhile, Gurps explains that the album will have a variety of songs including Punjabi fusion, romantic songs and party music. “We won’t just cater to the youth, it will be appealing to the whole family,” says Gurps.

Meanwhile, when asked how much they had to alter their own musical style due to the changing global trends – a shift away from heavy rhythm and beat music to more dance-oriented music – Gurps feels that fusion music is flexible and can adapt to the changing culture. “That’s the beauty of fusion music; It relates to people with different tastes. So we can take traditional bhangra music and combine it with any genre.”

Concluding the tete-a-tete with the bhangra band, we asked if they would ever consider tackling socio-political issues in their songs and Herbie replies with a stern “no”. However, he adds that their aim is to contribute to promoting goodwill by collaborating with various artists around the world.  “We have done concerts to raise funds for the tsunami in Japan and have collaborated with artists from all over the world, including Pakistan. We hope to continue doing that,” concludes Herbie.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 22^nd, 2012.

By Ardeshir Cowasjee

The contents of my two previous columns in this series are
revelations; they are a narrative of facts on record in our Supreme
Court and as reported in our press, dating back to 1994, and for
these past eight years there has been no public refutation of any
accusation levelled against the politicians who accepted the
people's money or were involved in one way or another in the
shenanigans of the ISI.

Now, my friend Roedad Khan, perpetual bureaucrat steeped in the art
of bureaucracy, yet again ready to serve his country, has reacted
in a letter printed in this newspaper on July 26. Apparently, his
innocence has been injured. He denies having had any connection
with those in President Ghulam Ishaq's secretariat who were paid to
'fix' the 1991 elections. He has, however, said that though he does
not wish "to comment on the substance of the matter," he "will do
so at the appropriate time," which, hopefully, will be soon. His
secretariat colleague, General Rafaqat, is listed as having
accepted ISI funds to do the job. So it should seem unlikely that
the other secretariat members such as Roedad Khan, Ijlal Zaidi and
Chaudhry Shaukat would not be in the know. (Oddly enough, when last
month President General Pervez Musharraf met a band of
'intellectuals' with whom to discuss the coming elections, the
strategy to be adopted, and the constitutional amendments, these
four retired members of Ghulam Ishaq's special assignment cell were
amongst those summoned.)

One other to respond, whose letter was printed on August 8, was
Kunwar Khalid Yunus of the MQM, who has spent well over two years
in jail on various occasions during the last decade and who, when
he is out and about, is the press spokesman for his party. He
categorically states that the MQM has never received any illegal
amounts on behalf of its founder and leader, Altaf Hussain. Listed
amongst the recipients of ISI funds was "Yusuf Haroon, Rs 5 million
[he confirms having received this for Altaf Hussain of the MQM]"
which Khalid does not refute. Yusuf, now in Karachi, has
reconfirmed that he handed over the money to Altaf Hussain at Nine-
zero. Obviously Khalid was not privy to the transaction.

Last week, I was reminded by General Naseerullah Babar that I had
ommitted certain names from the list of those 'anti-PPP
politicians' who received payments from the ISI during the run-up
to the 1990 elections rigged in favour of the IJI and Nawaz Sharif.
These were: Jamaat-i-Islami Rs 5 million; Altaf Hussain Qureshi and Mustafa Sadiq Rs 0.5 million; Arbab Ghulam Aftab Rs 0.3 million; Pir Noor Mohammad Shah Rs 0.3 million; Arbab Faiz Mohammad Rs 0.3 million; Arbab Ghulam Habib Rs 0.2 million; Ismail Rahu Rs 0.2 million; Liaquat Baloch Rs 1.5 million; Jam Yusuf Rs 0.75 million; Nadir Magsi Rs 1 million; Ghulam Ali Nizamani Rs 0.3 million; Ali Akbar Nizamani Rs 0.3 million.

Yet more payments: During the Mehrangate investigations of 1993
which led up to the Supreme Court case, Younas Habib of HBL/MBL, as per his statement filed in court (recorded in Karachi under section 161 Cr.P.C), disclosed that the following political and other pay- offs were made between 1991 and 1994: "General Mirza Aslam Beg Rs 140 million; Jam Sadiq Ali (the then chief minister of Sindh) Rs 70 million; Altaf Hussain (MQM) Rs 20 million, Advocate Yousaf Memon ( for disbursement to Javed Hashmi, MNA, and others) Rs.50 million; 1992 - Jam Sadiq Ali Rs 150 million; 1993 - Liaquat Jatoi Rs .01 million; 1993 - chief minister of Sindh, through Imtiaz Sheikh Rs 12 million; Afaq of the MQM Rs 0.5 million; 1993 chief minister of Sindh, through Imtiaz Sheikh, Rs. 01. million; 1993 - Ajmal Khan, a former federal minister, Rs 1.4 million; 1993 - Nawaz Sharif, former prime minister, Rs 3.5 million; 27/9/93 Nawaz Sharif, former prime minister, Rs 2.5 million; 26/9/93 Jam Mashooq Rs 0.5 million; 26/9/93 Dost Mohammad Faizi Rs 1 million; Jam Haider Rs 2 million; Jam Mashooq Rs 3 million; Adnan, son of Sartaj Aziz, Rs 1 million; Nawaz Sharif and Ittefaq Group of Companies Rs 200 million (photocopies of cheques and deposit slips, etc, already attached with affidavit at page nos. 42 to 73); Sardar Farooq Leghari 12/12/93 (payment set/off) Rs 30 million - 6/1/94 Rs 2.0856 million - 19/3/94 Rs 1.92 million."

In 1997, in the Supreme Court, during the hearing of Human Rights
Petitition 19/96 filed by Air Marshal Asghar Khan against the
illegal distribution of the people's money by the ISI for political
purposes, and also seeking the post-retirement court martial of
General Mirza Aslam Beg, accusing him of gross misconduct by
ignoring while he was chief of staff of the Pakistan Army such
illegal distributions, Aslam Beg made the following statement: "I
hereby take oath, and knowing fully well that I am saying this in
the presence of Allah Almighty and this Honourable Court, submit
that:

"ISI is Inter-Services Intelligence organization cretaed by the
government of Pakistan and had been directly answerable/responsible
to the three Services through JCSC till 1975. In 1975 the then
prime minister of Pakistan, through an executive order, created a
political cell within the organization of ISI and by virtue of this
change in the working of ISI it came directly under the control of
the chief executive, particularly on political matters and for all
the security matters concerning the armed forces ISI reported to
the Joint Chief of Staff Committee. This status continues till
today. ISI is virtually divided into two parts, one is [the]
political wing and [the] other concerns matters relating to counter
and strategic intelligence of the armed forces. During the days of
Zia martial law, the ISI was reporting in all matters to the
president, who, by virtue of his office as chief martial law
administrator and president of Pakistan, controlled its office.

"After the general elections of 1988, ISI was free completely from
the influence of the army and since then ISI is virtually under the
control of chief executive while remaining responsible to JCSC. In
1990 when the money was donated by Younas Habib, ISI was acting
under the directions of higher authorities. As chief of the army
staff at that time, when I was informed of this matter my only
concern was that the money received by the ISI was utilized
properly and an account was maintained and beyond that I had no
concern with the money.

"Although the director-general, ISI, is an officer in uniform but
the chief of army staff has no authority to take action against
him. The head of ISI was a person from army of which I was head at
the relevant time."

During the hearing of the Supreme Court case, General Babar filed
an affidavit recording that Rs.140 million was collected by the
political cell of the ISI from Younas Habib at the instance of
General Beg, the then COAS. When the then head of the ISI, Lt
General Asad Durrani, was approached, he provided certain details
in an affidavit, but approached the then prime minister, Benazir
Bhutto, asking her to 'shelve' the case. The affidavit was obtained
by Rahman Malik of the FIA who was sent to Germany, where Durrani
was then the Benazir-appointed ambassador, with stamped papers for
him to sign. In the affidavit, Durrani confirmed that he had
received instructions from COAS General Beg to provide 'logistic
support' for the disbursement of donations made by certain
'businessmen of Karachi' to the IJI election campaign of 1990, and
was told that the operation had the blessings of the government.

The former attorney-general of Pakistan, Iqbal 'Groovy' Haider,
representing General Babar in the Supreme Court, informed the court
that the money was distributed not to political parties but to
political individuals. It was common knowledge, he said, that the
ISI was involved in politics. Lt General Hameed Gul, a former ISI
chief, was on record as having boasted that it was he who created
the IJI, and another ISI chief, Lt General Javed Nasir, had taken
credit for creating the MQM Haqiqi.

Air Marshal Asghar Khan's pending petition involving illegal
payoffs and corruption during the run-up to one of our previous
elections should be heard now by the Supreme Court before the next
round of elections. It will then be up to our honourable election
commission to ensure that if any of the personalities involved in
the ISI payoff and Mehrangate scandals are filing to stand once
again for election to our assemblies they are disqualified from so
doing.

This human rights petition has apparently been consigned to the
Supreme Court morgue (for whatever reason). The air marshal has
consistently written to all our successive chief justices of
Pakistan asking that the case be heard, but nothing has happened.
The last chief justice to show any interest in hearing the case was
Sajjad Ali Shah who prematurely retired in December 1997 after
having lost his battle with prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Since
then, no chief justice has responded to the air marshal's repeated
requests. We must hope that the next request that is being made
this coming week will not be ignored by Chief Justice Sheikh Riaz
Ahmed, who, in 1994 was the federal law secretary and undoubtedly
remembers the SROs he issued in this matter.

Zohaib Amjad, the owner of the studio, took a rather unique path to his ultimate career — he stared the tattooing business after serving in the Pakistan Army for five years. The 26-year-old has been creating various inkings on people since 2007 and has now developed an impressive clientele including many celebrities such as Quratulain Balouch, dancer Nargis, Shahan Khan from Roxen and renowned drummer Kenny Zuric. His genre of work ranges from tribal, Celtic, portraits, shaded and 3D tattoos.

The road less travelled

So how did his journey into becoming a successful tattoo artist begin? Amjad was serving in the Army when he got his first tattoo — a tribal design. After five years in the institution, Amjad decided that tattoos were his passion and resigned with the aim to become a tattoo artist.

However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing and the tattooist had to face his share of problems when trying to get into this business. “There weren’t any proper tattoo parlours in Lahore, so I didn’t have a lot of options where could I learn the art.” However, Amjad found a tattoo artist, Naveed Ahmed who agreed to teach him. Ahmed who owned a tattoo parlour Xrtra, was the only famous tattoo artist in Lahore at that time.

So the learning process took off, however, it was done in a rather unique way. While most practitioners first learn the art through proper training and the practice, Amjad did it the other way round — he first practised on willing subjects and later went for formal training in Bangkok from the Yansiam tattoo studio. To enhance and further his skills, he still goes regularly after every couple of months.

Rules to follow

He says that teenagers have expressed great interest in tattoos while doctors have been some of his most dedicated clients. “The biggest thing is hygiene,” says Amjad, who does not tattoo anyone under the age 18. “I use one needle per client and then dispose of it.”

A tattoo is not cheap though and  according to Amjad, a small tattoo can cost up to Rs2,000 per square inch. The cost is, however, dependent on several other factors like how much work is required and texture of skin. A simple four-by-four inch tattoo can cost anywhere between Rs15,000 to Rs20,000.

People typically choose tribal designs or signs but Amjad maintains there’s no hard and fast rule as getting a tattoo is a very personal thing. “What kind of tattoo you want depends on your own concept of who you are.”

To round it up, Amjad says he is just doing something he loves. As he shows off his own collection of tattoos, he remarks that this is just the beginning. “I am not a good sketcher or an artist but I can do everything in tattoo art,” he says.

History of tattooing

The word tattoo comes from the Tahitian word tattau, which means “to mark”.

Some scientists say that tattoos found on Egyptian and Nubian mummies are the earliest known evidence of the practice and date back to 2000 BC.

Tattooing was then rediscovered by Europeans when explorers brought them into contact with Polynesians and American Indians.

Because tattoos were considered so exotic in European and US societies, tattooed Indians and Polynesians drew crowds at circuses and fairs during the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

(Source: faqs.org, msu.edu)

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st, 2012.

By opting to release the album online and offering free download, the band is getting a chance to connect with its dedicated fan-base across the country and abroad. “We feel liberated now that we have no strings attached to any recording company or third person,” says Ghafoor, who took the decision to release the album online. “If you’re in this for the art, the goal is to get your music out to as many people as you can and that’s exactly what we are doing.”

The band is connected to the masses through four platforms namely Facebook, Myspace, ReverbNation and their own official website www.sajidandzeeshan.com. The idea to release each track twice a week on specific days had come from Sajid’s brother Sarmad. He coined the strategy that just like a drama transmission, the songs should be released every Wednesday and Saturday. Their ninth song “East Off West” was released on January 18.

Sajid believes that The Harvest shows the growth of the duo in coordination and overall sound, and shows the band’s willingness to connect with each and every listener. “It’s an album for all ages,” says Sajid, who is the vocalist, guitarist and lyricist of the album. “Whether you are young or middle-aged, you will find a connection with this album at one point or another.”

With nine songs released so far, the album still has a couple of weeks before completion. According Parwez, the band had always been supportive of releasing their music online but had chosen a record label on the insistence that there should be a physical album as well. “The record company had been delaying the release for quite some time and we felt that we should get the album out there before the sound got stale,” says Parwez, who handles the keyboards, synthesizer, break beats and production.

Even though the band caters to a niche market of English music listeners, the fact that the musicians have been forced to self-finance their album highlights the depreciating state of Pakistani music industry. The duo, despite maintaining optimism, explain that record labels have not been very helpful in aspects of promotion and distribution.

The Harvest itself is a testament to passion and creativity. One interesting aspects of the album is the experimental sound the bandmembers have incorporated in songs such as “Black As White” — which includes Sajid rapping — and also in the mellow single “Start from Scratch”. Zeeshan says that the album is a notch above their debut album One light Year at Snail Speed. “Since we are more experienced now, we have tried to add more depth to this album. You will find this composition lyrically mature,” he adds.

An interesting fact that adds to the hype of the album is that the next music video is being shot on an iPhone. Looking at the initiative that the band has taken to reach out to its fans, the fans themselves are returning the favour by offering their graphic designing and photography skills for Sajid-Zeeshan’s videos and other album related material.

“We are the ‘niche of niche’. English music from desi guys has not traditionally been well received but now we are getting good feedback from a lot of people,” remarks Parwez. “I think it’s essential for instant feedback, we have a selective fan base but dedicated one as well so it is motivating for us.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20^th, 2012.

The play discusses the battle of spirituality versus hypocrisy and greed. PHOTO: IJAZ MAHMOOD/ EXPRESS

The lead character Rayaan (played by Arsalan Nasir) is the son of a powerful public figure, who is killed in a terrorist attack. Rayaan inherits his father’s power and becomes the subject of envy amongst his family and friends who then wrestle for authority and set off a series of murders.

The play is a tragedy, but thanks to Sultan’s penchant for variety, one also saw small servings of humour incorporated smoothly into the overall structure. Though the themes were focused largely on the darker side of the emotion spectrum, the play was livened up through the clever use of props. One could see the set-up and background changing time and again to complement the ongoing activity, with the lighting constantly changing to match and add to the mood of every scene.

The juxtapositions and contrast were not restricted to backgrounds and lighting only. Sultan proved that he is one of the most talented English playwrights in Pakistan by weaving comedic dialogues with romantic prose. While accepting that his script was inspired by the writings of William Shakespeare, Sultan states, “I don’t think modern English theatre has done enough on social themes. I think there is too much of frivolous entertainment in the theatre industry.”

When asked if the play “Rayaan” has a special message for the audience, the writer says, “The purpose of theatre is to show you a landscape, not tell you where to do with your life — that is the job of the preacher.”

The idea of “Rayaan” had come to Sultan back in the winter of 2007; the same year he lost his mother. Knowing, what lack of cathartic space does to you, Sultan says that he wants his production to be like a scratchpole. “The only thing that concerns me as an artist is to somehow be a source of therapeutic catharsis. If I manage to do that, I will feel I have done my job.”

Overall, “Rayaan” is a treat for people who are connected to the everyday workings of Pakistan. The play that is being performed five days a week and will run till January 20, is a must-see for theatre lovers.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2012.

Kapoor, who has worked with some of the best actors in Bollywood, has created his own buzz in the industry by playing antagonistic characters in films such as Josh, Lakshya and Dastak. While on a personal trip to Lahore, the 36 year-old actor told The Express Tribune that he has learnt how to strike a balance between his on and off-screen life.

Differentiating reality from make-believe

The actor has played the quintessential villain in many films such as Josh, a film which earned him the nomination in the Best Villain category at the Filmfare Awards in 2001. Currently, Kapoor is gearing to start shooting for a yet unnamed film directed by Pooja Bhatt. However, despite his negative roles, the actor thinks fame depends on the person you are in reality. “The biggest thing for an actor is to be a great human being. If an aspiring actor is arrogant, he can get by for a couple years but people will have issues with him in the long term,” says Kapoor. “Everyone has the right to enjoy fame, but one should always have a perspective of the work they are doing.”

According to Kapoor, on-screen success doesn’t really translate into public approval. Justifying his belief, he quoted the example of many actors who have tried to earn and retain the title of ‘King Khan’, but the honour keeps circulating amongst a few individuals. Kapoor says that previously, Shahrukh Khan was generally considered the ‘King’, however, in recent times, Salman Khan’s success at the box office has generated rumours that he may be the new King of Bollywood.

“How you relate to the public is heavily dependent on the human being you are,” claims Kapoor. “The media is responsible for making an actor’s image but this can change when the actor starts interacting with the public and the reality is revealed.”

Winds of change

Kapoor explains that the recent growth of Bollywood and the change in storylines has proved profitable for the Indian cinema. He quotes the example of Ra.One, which had 4,000 prints screened in theatres across India. “The budgets are bigger now so changes are taking place,” says Kapoor. “The biggest issue regarding the industry is that we are lacking originality. We are preferring western ideas but I personally believe we should get back to our roots.”

The actor adds that Hollywood producers have developed an interest in Bollywood, so the trend of catering to a more global audience has developed. The film fraternity is also seeing growing diversity in storylines, which have moved away from traditional family-oriented ‘rom-coms’ to modern and trendy romantic themes. The willingness to incorporate political themes in films is also apparent in recent Bollywood projects such as Aarakshan.

“We don’t have a problem with critiquing our politicians in India; we can say whatever is in our heart,” explains Kapoor. “Films are the main entertainment for the general public and I must say they have been very receptive to the changes in movie themes and styles.”

Cross-borders

The actor cancelled a vacation in Cuba to attend a wedding in Pakistan, where he had a chance to meet Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, as well as several other personalities. Aside from that, he took time from his visit to interact with journalists at the Press Club in Lahore, as he is of the view, that cultural exchange and cross-border collaborations are important to improve relations between the two countries.

Kapoor has also maintained close ties with many Pakistani actors including Moammar Rana, who starred in the Bollywood film Dobara opposite Mahima Chaudhary. Like many actors and singers who have taken their work to India, Rana also got a warm response from the audience there.

Kapoor explains that actors are always selfish when it came comes to work; they take their skill wherever they see a market for it.

His views regarding the Pakistani film industry is that there is not enough infrastructural support for the industry. Kapoor believes that lack of technological help and theatres in Pakistan, is why talented actors such as Rana have had to struggle.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2011.

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SHER KHAN

George Orwell in his essay Politics and the English Language quite aptly once wrote,

it is clear that the decline of a language must ultimately have political and economic causes: it is not due simply to the bad influence of this or that individual writer.

Being a younger reporter, I have been routinely asked why I wanted to be reporter over, say, a doctor. My responses are pretty much irrelevant because I feel the whole line of questioning is usually intended to be a form intimidation.

Citing my brief experience, reporting in conflict-ridden countries such as Pakistan presents a challenge because it is a deeply personal endeavour.

Wall Street Journal correspondent Farnaz Fassihi in her essay from the book What Orwell Did Not Know says that issues of ethics and neutrality can only be countered by one general rule, which is honesty.

Most reporters and journalists that I have come across so far seem to be in some sort of a competition. Right or wrong has no bearing.

Imagine watching an interview of one of the world’s leading policy maker only to see the time being sucked away by the reporter – rather, the preacher –, as I recently witnessed in an interview.

The reporter did not jot down one note during the conversation. The news piece was already planned. The reporter had passion but I feel that reporting is not necessarily about passion, it’s about finding the truth.

There are still a select few journalists and reporters who relentlessly strive for principled journalism giving opinions where opinions matter and being objective when objectivity is required.

Despite this, one sees that sensationalists and propagandists always find a way to the top of our media circles. It’s unfortunate that the state of media has reached this point.

Perhaps the reason is, as Orwell put it,

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.

The Author is a reporter based out of Lahore and Blogs at tigerali.wordpress.com