Diriliş: Ertuğrul is a hard one to top but Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s Raat Akeli Hai managed to do that and has been trending at number one on Netflix Pakistan since the past ten days. Hollywood’s recent teenage rom-com The Kissing Booth 2 has also proven to be popular among the Pakistani audiences and has been trending since it released on July 24. To be honest, The Kissing Booth 2 was a welcome addition to the top 10 list which apart from Diriliş: Ertuğrul usually features dark or erotic (read: 365 Days) movies.
Starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte, Raat Akeli Hai is a murder mystery which revolves around the murder of a rich landlord on the night of his wedding. It appears that post the success of Sacred Games, Bollywood has found a new genre to explore – crime and the corrupt police system of India. Many recent films and series have centred on this theme, for example, Malang, Pataal Lok, The Family Man.
While Radhika plays the dead man’s newlywed wife Radha and the prime suspect, Siddiqui plays the police officer who is investigating the case. The plot and story of the film are unoriginal and something we’ve seen many times before in Hollywood and Bollywood films (Most movie critics and some members of the audience have also compared it to Knives Out). All through the film, I found several references to Amazon Prime’s Pataal Lok and Sonakshi Sinha-Sidharth Malhotra’s Ittefaq.
However, what makes the film worth a watch is the brilliant execution, performances and cinematography. Nawazuddin, as always, delivered a stellar performance as the cop investigating the case. Apte also gave a good performance as did the supporting cast of the film including Shweta Tripathi as Karuna Singh, Nishant Dahiya as Vikram Singh and Aditya Srivastava as Munna Raja. The chemistry between Nawazuddin and Radhika was crackling but it was let down by the weak development of the script and was not explored properly.
Radha
Vikram Singh
Moreso, given that the film can be classified as a whodunnit (a complex, plot-driven variety of the detective story in which the puzzle regarding who committed the crime is the main focus), it makes a fun one-time watch as you keep trying to figure out who the killer is. Be prepared for a slow first-half and a confusing but relatively fast-paced second half – the last 20 minutes of the movie are the most engaging and hold your attention.
Teen rom-com The Kissing Booth 2 is the exact opposite of Raat Akeli Hai. It is a light-hearted film which doesn’t demand much, though I do wish it demanded less time. While the film was a big hit and the makers have already announced that the film has a third part which has already been filmed and is currently in the post-processing stage, the film is nothing out of the ordinary. It is a typical rom-com featuring two teenagers who are trying to figure out a long-distance relationship and the deal with the baggage that comes with it. It can test your patience at a few instances especially when Elle tries to avoid being a clingy girlfriend but mostly it’ll have you rolling your eyes at the cliches. The makers have also weaved in several subplots, creating a bit of a jumble.
The performances were also not something to speak off. Joey King who plays Elle and Jacob Elordi who plays Noah were dull and had limited expressions. Noah, in particular, seemed to have a poker face throughout the film. The only person who truly demonstrated his acting abilities was Taylor Zakhar Perez who plays Marco.
Marco
If you’re a fan of sappy, teenage rom-coms, give this a watch. Else feel free to skip it and leave it for the teens.
This year, August 5 marked the one-year anniversary of occupied Kashmir’s illegal annexation and subsequent lockdown.
Last year, India changed the special status of the troubled valley to union territories. The gross human rights violations that followed and are still taking place is no secret. Pakistan has tried highlighting the issue internationally. Unfortunately, the international community is least bothered because of economic reasons; every country wants a share in the Indian market pie.
The myth of Muslim Ummah was also shattered when except for countries like Turkey and Malaysia, nobody raised voice for the plight of the Kashmiris. The same led to what appeared to be a major foreign policy shift for Pakistan as Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi asked Saudi Arabia-led Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to stop dragging feet on the convening of a meeting of its Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) on the Kashmir issue.
Revoking the special status of held Kashmir was a step towards establishing Modi’s Hindu Rashtra. The first five years of Modi paved the way for an India that shattered all foundations of secularism. Modi regime’s six years have resulted in a wave of palpable fear amongst the Muslim minority in India. Modi’s Gujarat — where Muslims were killed as if it was a sport — is now being replicated in other parts of India; from beef lynchings to riots, the Muslim minority in India is being subjugated endlessly.
Modi chose August 5, 2020, as the day of laying down the foundation of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. As the New York Times put it, “In a moment of triumph that India’s Hindu nationalists had worked toward for years, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on Wednesday set the ceremonial cornerstone for a new Hindu temple at the site of a destroyed mosque in Ayodhya.”
This gesture was a slap in the face of the Muslim minority of India as well as the last nail in the coffin of Indian secularism. Modi’s Hindu nationalism has destroyed the fabric of Nehruvian secularism. It is a reminder that when a fascist ruler is in power, even strong traditions and constitutions cannot guarantee fundamental rights, human rights, freedom of speech and all other traditions of a free society.
The cataclysmic shift of the Indian polity towards the right under Modi’s rule is not a surprise. In fact, what was surprising was the denial of Indian liberals when Modi was first elected in 2014. They were of the view that India’s secular traditions and constitution could never be destroyed but many pointed out how Modi’s victory was an indictment of the majoritarianism in India.
This is happening all over the world. From Trump’s America to Brexit in Britain, the world’s shift to right-wing politics is quite disappointing. We hope that some day, sane voices of India and the world will take a stand against Modi’s fascism.
“Are elected governments regarded as inconvenient guests?”
Thirty years ago, troops rolled into Islamabad and took up positions around ‘key installations’ and buildings in the Capital. Just over an hour later, around 5 pm, the elected government had been dismissed and the National Assembly dissolved. Benazir Bhutto, who had been prime minister for just twenty months, was sent packing.
Two years before that particular dismissal, another prime minister, Mohammad Khan Junejo, had been dismissed in a similarly humiliating manner: while he was addressing a press conference on his return from a foreign tour, the journalists there started leaving and hurrying over to the presidency where they had been told they would hear some big news. There the president, General Ziaul Haq had announced dismissing the government. Junejo was also sent packing without completing his term.
By the time Bhutto was dismissed on August 6, 1990, General Zia was dead but the idea that elected civilian leaders could be unceremoniously dismissed had become something of a conviction in the minds of General Zia’s army leadership. In the eleven years between 1988 and 1999, five governments were toppled in this manner: Junejo, Bhutto, Sharif, Bhutto, Sharif. Of these PMs, Sharif and Bhutto were popularly elected, Junejo was elected in Zia’s non-party based polls but even though he had been handpicked by the general, he refused to be a puppet PM and once in office, began making all sorts of decisions to try to establish civil supremacy. Bhutto would later be assassinated while campaigning in a bid to be elected a third time while Sharif, though later able to be PM yet again, was forced to step down in a haze of allegations regarding his wealth and offshore accounts. He was charged, convicted and incarcerated.
Talking to various people about the 1990 dismissal brought to the fore just how difficult a time this was for civilian politicians to function in government. The main problem was, of course, a hostile establishment — a military and bureaucracy steeped in the Zia era thinking who regarded these elected politicians as troublesome outsiders, to be allowed into government for as long as they could be tolerated — and booted out as soon as they started trying to assert themselves or do anything at all that was not in line with what the forces wanted. The way in which elected leaders were treated as intruders and interlopers — almost as enemies — is instructive. Kamran Shafi, who was Butto’s press secretary at the time, recalls how her speechwriter Farhatullah Babar had to go out and get her speech printed from elsewhere because obstructive bureaucrats refused to sanction ink for a printer. It was such a hostile environment that everything was a struggle and there was a feeling that half of the administration and the staff were actually working against the PM and the government.
Benazir Bhutto came to power after a long period of incarceration and exile following the overthrow and execution of her father by General Zia, and she was always regarded with distrust by the military establishment but what is very interesting is that any PM (of any political hue) who tries to be a PM and implement any policy that challenges defence interests in any way is similarly despised and disposed of.
Here, the example of Nawaz Sharif is very interesting: groomed politically and elevated during the martial law years, Sharif was the generals’ man in Punjab, extremely useful to the ‘powers that be’ as a cunning and aggressive opponent to Bhutto. However, once he came to power and tried to assert his own authority, Sharif suffered the same fate as Bhutto and he was sacked unceremoniously.
His ‘mein dicatation nahin loonga’ (I refuse to take dictation) speech from April 1993 is a classic expression of this tussle between elected and martial forces in Pakistan. Unfortunately, that speech has disappeared from the archives and everywhere else. In his second stint as PM, Sharif actually fired the chief of army staff, one General Musharraf, and he replaced him with General Ziauddin Butt. The footage of the relevant ceremony was shown on only one PTV news bulletin because then Sharif’s government was overthrown and Pakistan Television Centre, taken over. While the video footage of the installation of the new army chief also disappeared, this process of enforced disappearances was actually quite useful in controlling the narrative.
But what is important now is to try to prevent key chapters of the country’s political history from being disappeared from the records and erased from public memory. What happened in the 90s in Pakistan is, to some extent, still happening now.
Because the idea that elected prime ministers are just short term visitors or inconvenient guests still prevails as does the process of constantly destabilising and smearing political governments. To fill in the gaps, we need to speak to people who were witnesses to key events, we need to question official histories and we need to search try to understand — through people’s experiences — how certain systems actually work.
There are many things on Dr Rehman Rasheed’s mind when he walks into his small, unassuming clinic tucked away in the north of Karachi, but the overriding concern of coming across a novel coronavirus patient has taken a backseat.
After drawing comparisons with Brazil, which is now seeing an average of 50,000 new cases daily, Pakistan has dramatically reversed course and brought its number of daily new coronavirus cases from a high of 6,850 on June 13, to less than a thousand reported cases on July 26. This was also the first time in almost three months, since May 2, when Pakistan’s daily new cases were in the three figures.
“When the pandemic started, and when there was a surge in cases, there were a lot of Covid-19 patients,” says the 58-year-old general practitioner who has been working in the sprawling locality of New Karachi for the last three decades.
“But now, since the surge has been curtailed, the number of Covid-19 positive patients has drastically gone down,” says Dr Rehman.
According to the latest census, the primarily low-income area of New Karachi is home to nearly 900,000 of Karachi’s population of around 20 million, with poor levels of education and income.
Dr Rehman says one reason for continuing his clinic was that the people of the area have limited access to healthcare due to the abysmal state of government hospitals and the presence of a large number of quacks in the area. But his greatest motivation stems from the Hippocrates Oath that is historically taken by physicians. “It gives me peace that I am of some use to the people of this area. Secondly, I love being a doctor.”
This is the reason that despite his age, he is at his clinic seven days a week, working at least six hours a day and seeing a patient every five minutes.
“On average, I see 100-150 patients daily,” says Dr Rehman. But he doesn’t let this compromise on his thoroughness when checking the patients, comprising primarily of daily-wage earners.
Because of the (New Karachi) area, he does not charge a lot. “I charge Rs120 per patient,” he says, which is less than a dollar.
“The charges are close to non-existent,” says Mrs Asif, who has been bringing her ten-year-old son to the clinic since he was six months old. “Dr Rehman is basically doing welfare as he charges a token amount.”
COVID CONCERN
With the high number of walk-ins, the threat of a Covid-19 patient infecting him or other patients was always high on his mind. This problem is compounded in neighbourhoods with densely populated residential pockets and informal settlements that have poor ventilation, with residents’ miseries compounded by poor system of hygiene and sanitation as is the case in this area.
The doctor says he takes all the necessary precautions like keeping the air-conditioner off and doors open while ensuring ventilation. “I have placed a pedestal fan in front (to disperse the viral load).”
He took off the N-95 mask on our request but wears it at all other times along with his face shield, gown and gloves. This means that the situation could become sweltering, particularly for the doctor wearing multiple layers.
He also urges all his patients to wear masks at least when coming to the clinic. “Some wear masks, others don’t.”
HAPPENSTANCE
Dr Rehman’s three decade long association with the area started by chance. He took over the already operational clinic in New Karachi a few years after his graduation from the city’s DowMedical College in 1986.
Back then, his family lived nearby. However, he later shifted to the central part of the city, almost 20 kms from the clinic, but continued with it as he had already developed a clientele.
Since then, it has blossomed into a love affair, with the doctor at his clinic come rain or shine. “I am very satisfied working over here, and I make enough from my practice to have a good life.”
His wife Sadia, who works at a children’s school, agrees. “We live comfortably enough and have been able to provide quality education for our three daughters,” she says, with the eldest also a doctor.
“I expose myself to the virus more than Rehman, who covers himself completely when venturing out,” she chides herself. “There is always the nagging concern that if one person gets infected, they will give it to everyone else. That is the scary part but we take all the precautions we can.”
FRONTLINER FEARS
Healthcare professionals are at a higher risk of contracting the virus due to their proximity with potential patients, and at least 60 medical doctors have lost their lives to the virus, says Dr Atif Hafeez Siddiqui of the Pakistan Islamic Medical Association, who also heads the ENT department at the Civil Hospital Karachi.
“Those who lost their lives died of a ‘blind bullet’,” he says, explaining that a doctor sitting in his clinic won’t know which patient is carrying the virus.
He blames the poor healthcare structure and the inadequate response from the government, including unavailability of personal protective equipment. The shortage became acute initially and particularly during the time of a spike in cases, making doctors more vulnerable.
But both doctors agree that the numbers are declining and the curve flattened and on a downward trajectory, which was corroborated by their personal experiences with patients, though Dr Atif noted that the numbers of tests had also decreased.
“Previously, every third patient seemed Covid-19 positive, which isn’t the case anymore,” says Dr Rehman.
But they warned against complacency while calling for strict enforcement of standard operating procedures (SOPs).
“The number of positive cases rose to 60,000 by the end of Ramazan (May). Then, there was a peak in June, with around 135,000 infected in that month only,” says Dr Atif, adding that the burden (on healthcare) isn’t as severe as it was a month or so ago, when ICU beds weren’t available.
“Previously, the positivity rate was 25%, but that has gone down to 5%, as per late July statistics,” he added.
LIVING WITH THE DISEASE
The case incidence might decline in Pakistan and globally but until there is a vaccine, the virus will not be eradicated, says Dr Rehman.
“Most probably, the vaccine won’t be available before February next year,” he says, adding that people must learn to live with the virus and take all the precautions till that time.
Dr Atif is worried about another potential surge, similar to the one in June when there was a spike post Eid. “We have another Eid, the festival of sacrifice, coming up. We had a peak post Eidul Fitr, which has since been curtailed. If we don’t follow necessary precautions, there can be an upsurge in cases.”
This concern about a potential spike was also voiced by Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho. She said congregations during the Islamic months of Muharram and Rabiul Awwal could result in a second wave. “Moreover, the virus impacts lungs, so a peak is possible in winters as well.”
TEPID PERFORMANCE
Calling the government’s response inadequate, he called the pandemic another wake up call for those holding the reins of power.
“If the government did its job, we wouldn’t have had to step in,” he said, saying that his organization distributed personal protective equipment (PPEs) worth Rs125 million across the country.
Dr Rehman, who dealt with the local administration, had a similar story of lip-service. “Once, the district’s deputy commissioner came to my clinic, who offered to provide essentials and get the clinic sanitized. However, I never heard from him again.”
Dr Rehman credited pharmaceutical companies for support while Dr Atif said that philanthropists and organizations stepped in to plug the gaping hole left due to the inadequate healthcare system.
“There have been a lot of announcements regarding additional salary, risk allowance, etc. But all these things are on paper only,” added Dr Atif about the Sindh government, while calling for compensation to be provided for doctors and healthcare professionals who have either died or gotten infected with the virus.
While expressing hope that the government would be ready for the second wave, Dr Rehman urged people to be responsible. “If something happens to us, it will only be a statistic for the government. But for us, it impacts our life and family.”
VIDEO CREDITS
Producer: Muhammad Hussain & Adil Jawad Shoot: Noman Ali Edit: Noman Ali & Manaf Siddique
Of all the films releasing this Eid, Parey Hut Love was probably the most hyped. Everything about the film – cast, set, costumes, locations – was larger than life and the cast of the film promoted it to death. So much so that even if you weren’t interested in the film, you’d still want to see what it is all about.
Naturally, that raises expectations and that’s when things begin to go down. I entered the cinema excited and left the cinema deflated because the film did not match up to my expectations and what I had been promised.
To begin with, there was no story and half an hour into the film, I had figured out the plot. Parey Hut Love is the story of Sheheryar (Munawar), a commitment-phobic struggling actor who meets Saniya (Maya Ali) at a family wedding. The two spend time together and fall in love. Saniya, who lives in Turkey heads back with the promise that the two will keep in touch. However, Sheheryar’s phone is stolen and Saniya thinks that he has ditched her and is heartbroken. The rest of the film follows the duo as they find their way back to each other despite almost getting hitched to other people.
The entire film was just lots of beautiful wedding scenes put together with many of the scenes inspired by Bollywood movies. You will find references from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Hum Tum and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and even from the Hollywood film Dear Rosie. I personally felt the plot was heavily borrowed from Dear Rosie and Hum Tum.
There was no flow of scenes and some of them, like Mahira’s entry, were so abrupt that it took you a while to put things together and figure out what was going on. It’s like the makers forgot that they had a story to tell.
Parey Hut Love belonged to Sheheryar and Sheheryar only. His character was the only one which was given attention and developed properly while the rest of the movie was rushed. Sheheryar and Saniya’s love story was poorly written. Maya barely had any dialogues and she was a little more than a showpiece.
Zara Noor Abbas and Ahmed Ali Butt were wasted in the film and their roles terribly written. Zara is a talented actor and her comic timing is brilliant which is why I honestly felt upset with the way she was presented. I wish she had more screentime and her character had been more developed because she lit up the screen every time she came on. Also, why wasn’t her styling given the same amount of importance as Maya? While Maya breezed through the film in one gorgeous outfit after another, Zara’s outfits and looks were lazily done. The makeup was also a letdown – the lip colours too light and the eyes heavily done. Maya is a stunning actor and she stole the screen in Teefa in Trouble. In Parey Hut Love not so much.
Zara looks out of place in this coral pink outfit
On the flip, the cinematography, especially the ariel shots, locations, costumes, sets were amazing because of which the film was aesthetically very pleasing. The songs were also beautiful. Kudos to Azaan Sami Khan for delivering one stellar track after another and to Nigah Jee for the brilliant choreography. Morey Saiyaan, Ik Pal and Haye Dil Bechara were a treat to watch and frankly the biggest takeaway from the film.
Munawar has grown as an actor and honed his talent. He has also worked on his physique and all his hard work showed in the film. Maya could have done much better. Ahmed, Zara and Hina Dilapazeer gave some of the best moments from the film with their impeccable comedy.
The surface of Parey Hut Love was polished till it sparkled while little to no attention was paid to the core – the inside of the film was hollow.
Note – This article was updated on August 1, 2020. With no new movies hitting cinemas this year due to the COVID-19 lockdown, TV channels are airing their previous releases. Parey Hut Love was 2019’s highest-grossing film.
“The cat is out of the bag and the current government faces another uphill task to make amends within the aviation industry.”
The aviation industry has transformed due to various kinds of security threats that have emerged over time. Starting from 2001 after the 9/11 hijackings, airports around the world tightened their screening of passengers, and pilots began locking their cockpits. Ever since a detonator was caught inside a passenger’s shoes, passengers have been told to take their shoes off at security checkpoints. The increasing threats have led the United States (US) to spend nearly $100 billion on revamping airport security. A few years later, the second threat surfaced in the United Kingdom (UK) when a terror plot to smuggle explosive liquids on to planes was uncovered in 2006, after which the number of liquids allowed on flights was restricted.
The latest security threat that has wreaked havoc is the coronavirus pandemic that emerged in China in late 2019. The industry had been growing over the decade and was estimated to earn more than $800 billion in revenue until 2020 hit, and things took an ugly turn. Approximately seven million flights were canceled between January and July as people stopped booking flights and thousands of planes that needed to be grounded struggled to find parking spots. Many travelers and foreigners were left stranded in various countries around the world and even stuck at airports when countries closed their borders.
A century ago, when the Spanish Flu struck, air travel was in its infancy. As a result, the effect on flights was minimal. Now, air travel is the most popular mode of transport with approximately 40 million flights a year and billions of travelers.
The virus has bogged down the entire flying process and made it more painstaking because masks and social distancing are mandatory. Airlines now need to follow new protocols such as leaving seats between passengers to ensure social distancing — this adds to the losses being faced by many airlines.
“The virus, however, is not the only problem the industry will be facing this year thanks to Pakistan’s Federal Aviation Minister, Ghulam Sarwar.”
The devastating impact of COVID-19 will not dissipate until a few years. The damage has compelled airlines to seek multi-billion-dollar bailouts from their respective governments. Airlines such as Lufthansa and Thai Airways were saved through bailouts.
The virus, however, is not the only problem the industry will be facing this year thanks to Pakistan’s Federal Aviation Minister, Ghulam Sarwar.
On May 22, an Airbus A320, operated by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and en route from Lahore to Karachi, crashed moments before attempting a second landing, which led to the death of 97 passengers. Luckily, two passengers managed to survive the crash. The damage did not end there. When the aviation minister was expected to present the crash report, he went on to bring to light the pilots’ licensing issue that was still under investigation.
The revelation by Pakistan’s aviation minister unveiled a new type of security threat that jolted the entire aviation industry. Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, the minister announced that 262 out of 860 Pakistani licensed pilots, who are working within Pakistan and abroad, had fake licenses and certificates. He repeated the number in a press conference the next day but added that the 262 pilots’ credentials were “suspected” to be fake.
This unprecedented revelation made frontlines, astonished the entire aviation industry, and damaged whatever little credibility the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had, since it is responsible for providing legitimate licences and certifications, hence ensuring travelers’ safety.
“[Aviation minister’s] announcement rang alarm bells and dealt a heavy blow to the faltering national carrier. Now, not only PIA, but the entire CAA, needs to prove that it is capable of ensuring that its pilots are airworthy.”
The announcement rang alarm bells and dealt a heavy blow to the faltering national carrier. Now, not only PIA, but the entire CAA, needs to prove that it is capable of issuing legitimate licences and certificates while ensuring that its pilots are airworthy. It will definitely take a long time to recover, but the fact that such a thing could occur has alerted aviation authorities around the world.
Pakistan has been struggling to improve its image in the international world while being scrutinised by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and monitored by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This incident might lead to the country being closely investigated by other organisations, such as the International Civil Aviation, which will be liable for ensuring that trained and certified pilots are flying planes around the world. With the Pakistani passport already being ranked among the worst in the world, the repercussions of this announcement will only cause its ranking to drop further, wiping out whatever efforts had been made to improve the country’s global image in the past.
It is heartbreaking to see PIA, which helped set up Emirates by leasing its aircraft and training its staff, in such a dilapidated state. Even though the coronavirus had pushed a large number of airlines towards bankruptcy, PIA’s poor global image and tarnished reputation will solely be responsible for its ill fate. The cat is out of the bag and the current government faces another uphill task to make amends within the aviation industry.
There are often times in life when you’re at loss for words. And writing this review is one of those moments because there is so much to say but no words to express my emotions. Sushant Singh Rajput passed away on June 14 due to suicide but the mystery surrounding his sudden death remains, leaving one restless and searching for answers. His unexpected death impacted Bollywood fans across the world in a way no one could have imagined. In midst of all this, Disney Hotstar announced that they would release the actor’s last film digitally on their streaming platform and make it available to everyone with the aim to celebrate his life and legacy. The move was welcomed by his fans as they felt that the film would give them the closure they have been searching for. But unfortunately, the film ends up widening the void instead of closing it because, by the time the credits roll in, you’re emotional, teary-eyed and wishing that the film would never end because you just want to continue watching Sushant weave his magic on screen.
Dil Bechara is the official Hindi adaption of The Fault in Our Stars. It is the story of two cancer patients Kizie and Manny, whose paths cross at a cancer support group. Though Kizie initially finds Manny ‘irritating and annoying’, Manny with his goofy antics soon becomes the centre of Kizie’s universe. He makes her laugh and forget her worries and gives her ‘boring’ life a whole new meaning. The two bond over music and movies and become inseparable. But life throws them another curveball and Manny, whose cancer was believed to have gone, returns leaving him terminally ill.
While Dil Bechara Sushant’s last film, it is debutante Sanjana Sanghani’s first film and also marks the directorial debut of renowned casting director Mukesh Chhabra. Sanjana makes a sound debut and is confident in her role but for me, the film is only Sushant, who steals the shows with his infectious smile and on-screen presence. From the minute he comes on the screen to the minute he says Seri in the last shot, my eyes were glued to him throughout and I wished the film didn’t end. A master performer, Sushant did not let his fans down with his swan song. His expressions and body language were brilliant and he slipped into Manny’s character with finesse.
Given the circumstances surrounding the film’s release, emotions are naturally running high and it is impossible to not relate Sushant’s untimely death with Manny’s. In particular, the last scene, when everyone gathers to watch Manny’s film. At that point, the lines between real and reel were so blurred you forgot you were watching a movie because everything just felt so real.
The last scene
A.R Rahman’s music beautifully blended in with the mood of the film and the setting of the frames, giving the film a magical touch. My personal favourite from the album has to be Main Tumhara.
Some of the film’s dialogues were also amazing and I see them becoming a thing. One of them – “Jeena kab hai aur marna kab hai yeh hum decide nahi kartay, laikin jeena kaisay hain, yeh hum decide kar saktay hain” – has already become iconic and synonymous with Sushant.
As much as I want to only heap praises on the film for having its heart in the right place and being a touching watch, it would be unfair to ignore its shortcomings which mainly lied in the direction and editing. The story and characters are underdeveloped, especially Manny’s. All through the film, I kept waiting for a backstory on Manny – just some basic details would have sufficed. However, apart from the fact that he’s rich and doesn’t need to work, we don’t get much on Manny or his family. Sushant’s portrayal of Manny was the only saving grace of an otherwise poorly written character.
More so, the editing is choppy and appears to have been lazily done. Given that the film was a tribute to Sushant, I wish the makers had put in more effort in post-production. The film currently runs for one hour forty minutes and could have easily been stretched to two hours to tie up loose ends.
Since its release, I’ve watched Dil Bechara twice and will perhaps watch it a couple of times more but only for Sushant. He effortlessly carried the weight of the entire film and pulled it through despite its shortcomings. Sushant lit up the screen every time he made an appearance and I wish the film was longer so he could have stayed with us more.
German poet Heinrich Heine once warned, “Where they burn books, they will in the end also burn people.”
In Pakistan’s case, we may not be burning books, but we are banning them. From banning online apps to games, from media censorship to censoring books, Pakistan is on a downward spiral. According to Geo, the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB) banned a hundred school books in a single day for containing content deemed “anti-national” and “blasphemous”.
“We are currently examining over 10,000 books being taught in private schools,” said PCTB Managing Director Rai Manzoor Hussain Nasir. “So the banned textbooks could be in thousands once we are done.”
Rai is taking these steps under the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board Act, 2015, which was passed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government. It seems that both the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the PML-N do not value critical thinking and fundamental freedom.
This policy is a complete disaster. We saw what happened under the Zia regime back in the 1980s when our curriculum was infused with extremist ideology. It changed our society and led to intolerance. Now we are seeing a repetition of something along the same lines. Rai Manzoor has a problem with a book of mathematics where counting concepts were explained to the young students showing pictures of pigs. He also has a problem with Gandhi’s quotes being taught in another book. Gandhi was India’s founding father but he fought for the rights of Muslims in India and was consequently killed by an RSS extremist for propagating peaceful co-existence with the Muslim minority. Are we demonising someone just because we want to see him from the prism of animosity towards India?
If we want to keep our children isolated in a globalised world by teaching them only about ourselves, and not any non-Pakistanis, the solution was not to ban books with Gandhi’s quotes but probably to add more quotes from Pakistani historical figures. Do we not want to teach our children about the struggles of Nelson Mandela, who is quite often quoted by Prime Minister Imran Khan? Banning books or taking out quotes of non-Pakistanis is ridiculous at best and dangerous in the long term. The path we are taking today will impact our coming generations.
The power of deciding curriculum and books is a grave power. For it to be in the hands of someone who is no Chomsky or any other learned figure, we must raise our voice at this grave injustice that is being inflicted upon our future generations. Our national interests are not so weak that they will be endangered by some quotes from non-Pakistanis. But it seems that we want to ban critical thinking. We want to ban the foundation of learning, i.e. asking questions and being inquisitive. We want to produce robots instead of intelligent human beings. We must resist this type of indoctrination. Closed minds cannot lead this country to progress. Stifling freedom of expression and censoring books will push Pakistan back by decades. Let us not go down this dark path.
While we do miss eating out, home deliveries have their own charm. Especially in these testing times when we all have to abide by our civic duties and stay home to flatten the curve. Ever since the Sindh Government allowed home deliveries, I have been trying different home-based businesses, the most recent being Aur Chaawal – a food startup offering homemade desi food with warmth and love.
Aur Chaawal is the brainchild of Akhlaque Ahmed, a filmmaker who has a palate for good food. Six months ago, when he launched Aur Chaawal, the eatery started off by offering delicious homemade daal chaawal, kurkure bhindi, masala mirchi, shami kebabs and laal chutney as a package. Priced at Rs 350, this was a complete meal at a very reasonable price delivered right at your doorstep. All items in this package were delicious and one meal was enough for two people.
Akhlaque Ahmed
Slowly, yet steadily Ahmed expanded the menu to include dahi baingan, white chicken korma, machli korma and daal rogan. From there onwards was no looking back. Many like me were quickly hooked to his delicious homemade food which undoubtedly is one of Karachi’s best.
Dahi baingan, White chicken korma
Unfortunately, the pandemic lockdown and subsequent suspension of home deliveries took a toll on eatery too. But not one to be defeated, Akhlaque soon bounced right back once home deliveries were allowed. He came back with a new, appetizing weekly menu much to the delight of the Karachiites. Apart from the food, their service is also impeccable which is why Aur Chaawal has become my go-to eatery for home delivery, even though I have a brilliant cook at home.
One of my favourite things from the menu has to be the beef nihari. It is soft, succulent and full of flavour and I can say without a doubt one of the best available in Karachi. Highly recommended!
Beef nihari
Machli korma with fish is another of my favourites, as is the prawn biryani.
Machli Korma
Prawn Biryani
Aur Chaawal is among the best desi food outlets in the city and you have to try it at least once because I guarantee you, after that you’ll be hooked.
Pyar Ke Sadkay has been treating viewers to a myriad of emotions, the most recent being grief. However, in the latest episode, the makers of the drama take the viewers from grief into total shock by making Mahjabeen (Yumna Zaidi) pregnant. While this is a usual trope in most dramas to bring together estranged couples, in this particular drama it creates confusion because most viewers believed that Mahjabeen and Abdullah (Bilal Abbas Khan) did not consummate their marriage. All through the drama, every time Abdullah’s stepfather Sarwar (Omair Rana) would ask him about his marriage, Abdullah would say that there are no marital relations between him and his wife which is why audiences are now questioning how Mahjabeen could have gotten pregnant.
Episode 16 I know , I understood that was obvious , I think I tweeted about it But their behavior towards each other didn’t reflect any new step in their relationship https://t.co/RvkfgZrejz
What’s with the extreme dramatic twist in #PyarKeSadqay ? Their marriage hasn’t been consummated yet. Filmi sa twist de diya dramey mein. To top it all Mahjabeen saying, “Mein Munshi naam rakhun gi uska”.
According to our research and analysis, Mahjabeen and Abdullah consummated their marriage in Episode 16 when they skipped Shanzay’s valima and stayed home instead even though Mahjabeen was all dressed up to attend the wedding. From that moment onwards, Abdullah stopped sleeping on the sofa and moved to the bed.
The next morning when they went down and sat with Abdullah’s parents, the two were all shy and smiley, hinting the new developments in their relationship.
While it has now been established that Mahajabeen getting pregnant is not out of the blue, the next question is: was that really necessary? Was that the only way to bring Mahjabeen and Abdullah together? Couldn’t it have been organic with Abdullah realising his love for Mahjabeen and taking a stand for her? At this point, you half wish that the two don’t end up together because Abdullah doesn’t deserve Mahjabeen anymore. He did not value her enough. And though some may argue that he is being misled by Sarwar, we have to accept that Abdullah is not as stupid as he comes across. He’s sharp and intelligent, the only thing he lacks is confidence.
Apart from that, at some points, it does feel that the drama is being unnecessarily dragged – for instance, the scene at Munshi Sahab’s grave felt extra and out of place. Unless the makers are preparing us for Mahjabeen suddenly becoming rich and powerful. Other than that, I’ve said it before and I’m saying it again, the Shanzay (Yashma Gill) storyline is completely unnecessary. The plot could have moved forward without it. Nonetheless, hoping it wraps up soon so we can focus on the main couple and the evil father-in-law.
Washma (Shra Asghar), as always stole the show. Washma is one character which I feel every Pakistani drama needs to have: she’s strong, sassy and a doer. She doesn’t sit around waiting for things to happen – she makes them happen. The way she defends Mahjabeen or stands up to Sarwar and her mother, one can’t help but root for her.
The next couple of episodes should come with interesting developments. We’ll also find out whether Abdullah has signed the divorce papers or he is just pretending to have signed those. But one thing is for sure, Abdullah and Mahjabeen will have a happy ending, or at least that’s my prediction.
