The Express Tribune Magazine - December 12

december 12-18 2010

Flash Forward A new breed of photographers makes their mark on the wedding circuit

20

Reality Bites 28

Atiya Khan on inspiration 18

ADVICE

REVIEWS

COMMENT

PEOPLE

HOROSCOPES

june 13-19 2010

june 13-19 2010

december 12-18 2010

Cover Story 20 Flash Forward Who will take the most important photograph of your life?

Comment 28 Reality Bites Veena Malik takes on the world

Comment 30 Fair-weather Fans Have the Asian Games made hockey fans of us all?

Up North & Personal

28

36 This land is our land Zahrah Nasir’s take on space and territory

Review 32 What’s new in film and books

30

Regulars 6 People & Parties: Out and about with beautiful people 18 Tribune Questionnaire: Atiya Khan on duty 40 Horoscope: Shelley von Strunckel on your week ahead 42 Ten Things I Hate About: Skinny people

18

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Sub-Editors: Batool Zehra, Hamna Zubair Creative Team: Amna Iqbal, Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Anam Haleem, Tariq Alvi, S Asif Ali, Sukayna Sadik Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Executive Editor: Muhammad Ziauddin. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi.

For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk

june 13-19 2010

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Tea Time Treat Supporters of The Citizens Foundation (STCF) in Karachi organised a hi-tea and auction to raise funds for education.

6

An event organiser

Amna Zahid with Nilofer Saeed

Anwar Maqsood with members of STCF

Aneesa Naviwala, Co-owner of Candyland

december 12-18 2010

june 13-19 2010

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Azra Mohyeddin

Nadia Hussein with friends

8

Items up for auction december 12-18 2010

Farah Chappra with a friend

ri

d Ansa

Nahee

Designer Shayanne Malik with a friend

june 13-19 2010

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Art frenzy The Sanjan Nagar Charity Art Auction in Lahore attracted the city’s glitterati.

10

Salman Shah, Aneela Shah and Nuscie Jamil

Sophia Kasuri and Khadija Shah

Nadia Jamil and Faisal

Ahmed Rashid, Aneela Shah, Jehanzaib Amin and Khadija Shah

december 12-18 2010

june 13-19 2010

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Eating Out Saad Ali Khan and Urouj Ahmed Khan launched their Italian restaurant, Luciano’s, with much fanfare in Lahore.

vv

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HSY with guests

Shaan and Amna

Huma Amir Shah with guests

Shoaib and Hasan

december 12-18 2010

june 13-19 2010

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Urouj and Saad

Ammar Belal

14

Dianne with family december 12-18 2010

Aaminah Haq and Hamza Tarrar

roy la Con

Carme

Amber

june 13-19 2010

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Across The Border

16

Anil Kapoor promotes his film ‘’No Problem’’ in New Delhi

Mallaika Arora Khan, who will be the third judge for Jhalak Dikhla Jha

Bollywood actor Suneel Shetty at Ambience Mall, in New Delhi

Rani Mukherjee unveils No One Killed Jessica’s new song

december 12-18 2010

Photo credit: IANS

Stars shone at premieres and outings with friends.

june 13-19 2010

“I would like to inspire other people.”

Former model Atiya Khan on duty, inspiration, and her own private fantasy world.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

True, divine, eternal love.

My need to please others.

What is your greatest fear?

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

To have lived a wasted life.

The relationships I have built.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would

My inability to truly trust others.

it be?

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Cruelty.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Freedom!

What is your current state of mind?

I am striving to integrate.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Being dutiful.

On what occasion do you lie?

To save someone.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

Nothing.

Which living person do you most despise?

I dislike certain actions and thoughts, not people.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

I would be me.

Where would you most like to live?

By the beach.

What is your most treasured possession?

My home.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Living in oppression.

If you didn’t do your current job, what would you choose to do?

I choose to do many jobs.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Individuality.

Who is your hero of fiction?

I’m still searching for a truly empowered female hero!

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Bibi Fatima.

Confidence.

Who are your heroes in real life?

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

ing to make a difference.

Sincerity.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

I’m not much of a talker.

When and where were you happiest?

I am happiest when I live in my own fantasies.

My mum, who got up at the age of sixty and decided she was go-

What is your greatest regret?

I try to remain true to myself so I don’t have any regrets.

What’s your favourite quote?

A hadith: my servant draws ever closer to me till I become his eyes, ears, hands and feet.

Which talent would you most like to have?

How many hours of load shedding did you experience yesterday?

I would like to inspire other people.

One.a

19 December 12-18 2010

COVER STORY

flash

forward

A new breed of photographers makes their mark on the wedding circuit

december 12-18 2010

BY HAMNA ZUBAIR AND MAHA AMIN PHOTOGRAPHS: K BRIDALS, ZEESHAN HAIDER & KOHI MARRI. COVER: AFP

It’s your wedding day. You’re dressed in layers of silks, or if you’re the groom, a thick, dark, sherwani.

The fabric itches as you face the camera for what will become one of your life’s most defining images. You pray that you can just get through this one night without suffering permanent retinal damage from the bright white flash of the photographer’s hulking camera. You dread the moment when the photographer will ask you to pose with your spouse in front of a soaring backdrop of the Taj Mahal, holding an aging bouquet of red roses.

You cringe.

Until recently, this is the reality most couples had to face on

their wedding day if they weren’t willing to dish out enough

cash to hire the best fashion photographers in Pakistan to take

their portraits. Photo studios across Pakistan would sell bridal packages that included videos and photographs of the reception, mehndi and what-not, as well as a more formal bridal photo shoot that took place in a makeshift studio at the bride’s house.

The downside of this arrangement was that the photographs

ended up looking stiff and unnatural. At the actual events, too,

the two or three cameramen on hand would usually manage to get underfoot, annoying both the guests and their hosts by looping endless metres of cable around the venue.

Thankfully, a new breed of photographers are making their

mark on the wedding circuit, giving prospective brides and grooms the option of moving beyond the predictable shaadi shoot.

Armed with handy digital SLR (single lens-reflex) cameras, these young, energetic photo-fanatics are out to take a different kind of picture of the most important day of your life.

december 12-18 2010

COVER STORY

Identifying a gap in the market Zeeshan Haider graduated from the Indus Valley School of Arts and Architecture (IVSAA) in 2008 with a minor in photography

and soon began offering his services to couples who wanted a fresh take on their big day.

“People’s taste is improving, which means bridal photogra-

phy is changing. I have a lot of respect for the people who have

been filling the niche for so many years, but now people want

something different. Now bridal photography is all about telling a story, which is what I do,” says Haider.

One of the first weddings that Haider covered was Mariam

Maqsood’s brother’s wedding in December 2008. “Zeeshan was two years ahead of me at IVSAA and I had seen his work and liked

it. The pictures he took of my brother’s wedding were natural, the colours were lovely and he really captured the mood of each event. If he took a picture of people dancing, you could really get a sense of happiness they were feeling,” says Maqsood.

Kohi Marri is another popular name these days, and like Haid-

er, he started off by building on a passion for photography. “I

became more obsessed with photography over time and surprisingly, people liked what I did. I don’t mind trying anything at

least once, to see if I’m any good at it, so when a friend asked me

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to cover her wedding I jumped in head first and the next thing I knew, my phone wouldn’t stop ringing,” he says. december 12-18 2010

“People are sick of instrusive, loud, and obnoxious photographers who shout at people, telling them what to do and where to stand. I believe everything has to be an organic part of the event,” says Marri.

Explaining why people have started looking for more option

on their wedding days, Marri says: “People are sick of intrusive, loud, and obnoxious photographers who shout at people, telling them what to do and where to stand. I believe everything has to be an organic part of the event and I try to work in harmony with the crowd’s state of mind.”

All of Madiha Imran’s wedding events were covered by Marri

in 2008. “I hadn’t heard about Kohi back then but he was highly

recommended by someone whose daughter’s wedding he had

shot. I liked his work and I liked that he was so relaxed. The pictures turned out nicely, the colours were great and Kohi was very accommodating.”

While Marri and Haider mostly operate alone, Kashif Rashid

has managed to make the transition from lone photographer to

studio owner. A graduate from the Institute of Business Admin-

istration in Karachi, Rashid ventured into photography in Octo-

ber 2008. Rashid initially worked in the corporate sector and soon realised it wasn’t for him. He started event photography last June, and set up his photo studio, K bridals, shortly after.

Initially, K Bridals depended on word of mouth to get exposure.

But even then, Rashid felt there was a gap in the market that he could fill. “I think traditional bridal photography and event coverage bores people now. We offer couples something different.

We got rid of the fake background because we don’t believe in super imposed backgrounds- they just look bad.”

Rashid does concede that not everyone has caught onto the

trend just yet, though: “It’s mostly the younger couples who

want a fresh, new look to their pictures. They have to get a few posed, traditional-looking shots taken to please older family

members who aren’t used to this sort of thing. On the whole, I would say that sixty to seventy per cent of the pictures I take are

23

candid, and the rest are more formal.”

december 12-18 2010

COVER STORY The learning curve: using unique techniques to set them apart All these young photographers display an admirably firm grasp of their craft. “I specifically work with one light source and use

a lot of contrast in my pictures. Monochromatic images are always in, and black and white pictures are really appreciated,”

says Haider. When asked how people have responded to his technique, he says: “The people whose events I have covered have

been amazing. We discuss the concept beforehand and the response has been good.”

His client’s responses have been similarly positive, as Maqsood

acknowledges that she was generally happy with her bridal por-

traits. “I wish he had done more event photography, though,” she concedes. “But his technique was great, he made everyone

feel very comfortable and managed to capture the essence of the

capturing the moment Photographs by Zeeshan Haider (left and above), and K Bridals (opposite page). Previous pages: Photographs by K Bridals and Zeeshan Haider.

event,” says Maqsood.

Rashid at K bridals says he uses innovative sets to add warmth

and humour to his bridal portraits. One of his clients, who asked

not to be named, said she was pleasantly surprised when he played music in the background during her bridal photo shoot to put the couple at ease.

She did have some reservations, however, saying that she

suffered some technical glitches. “Rashid at K Bridals did a great

job with my wedding photographs, but the valima pictures

weren’t as good as they could have been. At the time, though, I suppose K Bridals was still learning the ropes of the business, because there were some issues with the equipment, and with the lighting.”

Rashid himself is quick to point out that new entrants to the

field have to be careful with the technicalities. “You must always have the latest equipment and backups of everything,” he cautions. “It can get pretty stressful.”

24 december 12-18 2010

Meeting challenges head-on Haider usually doesn’t have help at hand when he covers a wed-

ding, though he insists this isn’t a problem. “I just carry a huge bag and that contains everything. My biggest problem is that a

shoot can become like a social event. It’s better when you don’t

know the people you shoot because I like to run around trying to get my shots. I believe you have to camouflage yourself to get the perfect shot.”

According to Haider, dealing with clients can sometimes be

tricky, especially if they ask for more pictures than he can provide. “Another issue is that I don’t really airbrush too much but

some people want to look like models, and I can’t say no directly -so that has to be worked out,” he says.

Marri, on the other hand, says time is his biggest constraint.

“I prefer analysing pictures and putting together a collection that

will tell a story. That takes weeks, and with a heavy schedule I don’t get much time to put a lot of energy into that part of the process.”

On his part, Rashid says he has yet to meet a true ‘Bridezilla’

though he has heard they exist. Barring that, Rashid says he en-

joys the social aspects of the job. “When I started out, people told

me I would be treated like a ‘photographer’- but actually, people have treated me really well, almost like a member of the family,” he says.

“Photography is the second most expensive profession in the world and if you’re not updated constantly it won’t work for you.

Photographers are almost always broke and living hand to mouth,” says Haider. december 12-18 2010

COVER STORY Price Matters The advantage of having younger freelance photographers tak-

ing photographs at a wedding is that they aren’t quite as expensive as more well-known names.

K Bridals offers a variety of different packages to couples: event

coverage can range from Rs 9,000 to Rs 30,000 and portraits and bridal shoots can range from Rs 25,000 to Rs 45,000. One

of Rashid’s clients said she was generally happy with the price

she paid for her bridal shoot: “Obviously, one of the reasons we

chose K Bridals was that they were relatively less expensive than

the natural look Photographs by Kohi Marri (above and right), and K Bridals (opposite page).

Munna Mushtaq or even Kohi Marri. We had to take that into account,” she says.

Haider says that his prices vary, but he could charge around

Rs30,000 to Rs 45,000 a night and Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 portraits.

“Weddings can be very lucrative, with a big margin, but not

every time – my biggest expenses are prints and camera maintenance. Photography is the second most expensive profession in the world, and if you’re not updated constantly it won’t work out

for you. Photographers are almost always broke and living hand to mouth,” says Haider.

Rashid had a similar opinion, warning that photography re-

quired a lot of investment. “But it is fairly lucrative,” he added. “I do this fulltime now.” a

26 december 12-18 2010

So you want to be a photographer?

Advice from the experts: Kashif Rashid:

“Technology has really helped me- if you have a decent SLR camera anyone can take a good picture. But be warned - you’re constantly dealing with the most important day of someone’s life. You can’t screw up, and you have to make sure you have all your bases covered.”

Zeeshan Haider: “Make sure you get a feel of the event and

then shoot accordingly. If the family is not too open to new ideas then your pictures will be kind of standard, they’ll be according to a stencil. You have to make it feel like you were really there. What I do differently is that I capture the small moments of a wedding. Arguments, expressions... some people love it.”

Kohi Marri: “I personally don’t pay attention to trends. I focus on keeping my work contemporary and relevant and whenever someone pegs me into a trend it doesn’t work.”

27 december 12-18 2010

Comment

Despite several efforts by local television networks, reality television shows have never really taken off in Pakistan. Whether it was a look at a singer trying to stage a comeback (MTV Pakistan’s “MTV Komal”) or a hunt for a news anchor (Samaa’s “The Anchor”), the feverish excitement that usually surrounds reality television shows has been largely absent in Pakistan.

Enter “Bigg Boss 4”, the fourth season of the controversial In-

dian spinoff of “Celebrity Big Brother” that has mostly featured

reality

bites

Veena Malik’s appearance in “Big Boss 4” is causing a stir in Pakistan and Indiabut can reality TV ever really take off in the land of the pure?

By Saba Imtiaz

B-list celebrities. The current season became the first show to fea-

ture two Pakistani stars that were only known in India for their

‘scandal’ value — actor and host Veena Malik and cross-dressing talk show host Ali Saleem. News of the show spread by word-of-

mouth, given that Indian channels have been pulled off air in Pakistan, many just didn’t have access to it.

But those who did reported back nuggets that were both rivet-

ing and satisfied everyone’s innate need for gossip: Saleem had

to do his own make-up on the show; Malik shared sordid details of her relationship with cricketer Mohammad Asif and was flirt-

ing with fellow contestant and actor Ashmit Patel. The details, reported both in the Indian and Pakistani press, also fuelled Shiv

Sena protests against the inclusion of the two Pakistani personalities.

Now that ARY TV is broadcasting the show (albeit with a two-

week delay) ¸”Bigg Boss 4” is being streamed into houses across

Pakistan. Aaj TV’s popular “The 4 Man Show” featured a spoof of “Bigg Boss 4” in a recent episode and Malik is the focal point of daily show recaps in the Indian press.

While Saleem was eliminated early on in the season, Veena Ma-

lik, by far, has proved to be a huge draw for audiences in India

and Pakistan. She is already a household name in Pakistan, cour-

tesy the Asif controversy and her work on two popular TV shows — Geo TV’s “Hum Sab Umeed Se Hain” and Dunya TV’s “Miss Du-

nya”. There are hundreds of comments about her on YouTube and other news websites, by people both raving about her and raging

against her, putting her down for being “frustrated”, “disgusting” and doing this as a “cheap publicity stunt”.

In defence of Veena Malik, blogger Kala Kawa wrote on his

blog (kalakawa.wordpress.com), “In a global discourse where the Pakistani woman is seen as a submissive creature with no

independence, I’m delighted to have someone like Veena crush-

28 December 12-18 2010

ing those stereotypes. While always wearing five inch heels [...]

I (somewhat ashamedly) watch far too much reality television. In

many ways, Veena ranks among the most interesting and engaging characters I’ve come across. As far as achieving her goal goes, I’d say she’s done pretty well. You’ve got to be somewhat smart to accomplish that.”

Surprisingly, while stronger contestants such as Sameer Soni

have been eliminated from “Bigg Boss 4”, Malik has managed to stay in the competition.

She walks around the house in high heels, smart ensembles

and full make up while her housemates lounge around in slippers

and nightclothes, their star personas diminished as they try to do

household chores. Malik has built a solid relationship with most

of the housemates, establishing herself as confidante, helper and a relationship prospect — after Patel; she also started a flirtation with another contestant, model Hrishant Goswami.

She has proved to be a smooth operator on a show that is full

of petty fights about food, name-calling and power struggles — a

show that really is about ‘the survival of the fittest’ and getting television ratings. The channel airing “Bigg Boss 4”– Colors TV —

reportedly paid INR25 million to former “Baywatch” star Pamela Anderson to appear on the show for three days (who Malik taught the art of making rotis). It also brought in ‘visitors’ such as Bolly-

wood A-list actors Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Imran Khan and Deepika Padukone to interact with contestants on the set.

The show itself is hosted by Salman Khan; with former hosts

including actors Arshad Warsi, Shilpa Shetty and Amitabh Bachchan.

But does Malik’s success — and the interest in the show in Paki-

stan — mean that this could be a format Pakistani entertainment channels could replicate? Housing a group of mixed genders with-

out raising hackles would be one. Also, production values in both countries differ immensely. The unfortunate death of a contestant in an adventure/reality show which was being shot in Thailand became a huge talking point in Pakistan and underscored the dangers of producing reality television shows.

There are a few success stories though, of productions such as

Hum TV’s “Maachis”, which followed a format similar to “The

in the spotlight — again Malik has proved to be a smooth operator on a show that is full of petty fights about food, name-calling and power struggles — a show that really is about ‘the survival of the fittest’ and getting television ratings.

Jerry Springer Show”, the shift over the past decade to new concepts (in Pakistan) such as soap operas, talent hunts and morning

talk shows may help reality television kick off in a big way. While it may not be soon, the reality television phenomenon is coming and the five-inch-heel clad Malik may be paving the way.a

29 December 12-18 2010

comment I would like to join the rest of the punditocracy in felicitating Pakistan’s marvelous sportspersons for their remarkable performance at the Asian Games.

After all, I’m as much of a fan of our women cricketers and men hockey players as any other hack editorialist out there, which is to say that in some dusty corner of my brain I was vaguely aware that they existed. I’ve never watched a game of women’s cricket before and I gave up on hockey around the time our team gave up contending for titles.

As we galloped to gold at the Asian Games, I was preoccupied by our Test series against South

Africa, the Ashes and Roger Federer’s run at the World Tour Finals (which proudly embraces the hilarious WTF anagram). There was a greater chance I would have gambled on a dog-racing match than caught any of the action at the Asian Games.

fair-weather fans Yet I am expected to join the orgy of self-congratulation. You see, at a time when our country is

rocked by terrorism, such victories lift our national spirit. This is an astonishingly glib argument.

I yield to no one in my passion for sports, but even I wouldn’t have the audacity to argue that the trauma of being in the vicinity of a suicide attack, for example, is cancelled out by the pleasure of watching a bunch of people, all of whom we wouldn’t recognise on the street, win a match. And if this view has any merit, surely the opposite must also hold true. Was there a surge in the demand for Valium as the cricket team lurched from one disaster to the other in England.

This same purposeless patriotism was proudly paraded when Aisam-ul-Haq was putting together

a decent run in the US Open doubles tournament. Immediately, everyone become a tennis tragic,

an instant expert on the Bryan Brothers’ strengths and weaknesses. This from people who wouldn’t know the difference between deuce and ad courts.

That some Pakistani in some corner of the world is doing something good in some sport is enough for

us to become a fan. Forget, for a moment, that this phenomenon is a microcosm of the kind of dangerous patriotism that leads to wars in Kashmir, Palestine and Northern Island. It ultimately cheapens

sport itself. If tribal afilliation becomes something more than the seasoning that makes the dish worthwhile, if it becomes our only cause of interest, then we miss out on the true meaning of sport.

The slow-building tension, the characters involved, the sudden changes of fortune — sport is

meant to be a reflection of life. We give it absurd importance because the minor dramas of our life are being played out on a stage much larger than our relatively meaningless existences. Sure, we

root for one side over the other, and have a good moan for a few days when our team loses. That is easy to do with the men’s cricket team. They are familiar. We have our heroes and villains. There’s

jealously of and anger at Shoaib Malik over getting the hot wife and stabbing every team member

in the back. We cheer every Shahid Afridi moment of insanity because he takes the risks we would back off from in our lives.

Resisting the urge to use Google, I’ve spent the last few minutes trying to name a single player in

our gold-medal winning teams. I give up. There’s no way I can get excited over victories that have no personal meaning for me. I refuse to become a fair-weather fan, someone who can turn on the tap of emotions that sport invariably brings just because my country is involved. I could resolve to follow

30

the fortunes of our hockey and women’s cricket teams but that would be about as successful as any other New Year’s resolutions. I’ll just restrict myself to the pain of being a fan of men’s cricket. a December 12-18 2010

Did you care about hockey or women’s cricket before the Asian Games?

By Nadir Hassan

A victory for every man ­— Pakistani hockey players celebrate their victory at the Asian Games

Gold medals await the women’s cricket team

That some Pakistani in some corner of the world is doing something good in some sport is enough for us to become a fan 31

A winning combination — opening batswomen celebrate December 12-18 2010

REVIEW

featured review of the week

film in for a ride

By Ali Syed

If your pals do manage to drag you to a cinema to watch Unstoppable (because it has Denzel Washington and Captain Kirk in it — so naturally it must be a good movie), make sure you sit next to a chatty friend, because it is going to be one long ride- pun intended.

While Unstoppable features two really good actors — the evergreen Denzel Washington as Frank, a veteran engineer, and new face Chris Pine as Will, Frank’s apprentice, the cast is probably the most the movie has to offer. What the film gains from having great protagonists, it loses in dialogues that mostly consist of cheesy lines aimed to make the railway profession look like the most daring, adventurous job out there. And of course, the ever-so-original plot about a runaway train carrying explosive material heading for a densely populated area really takes you by surprise too. Never seen that before.

In fact, you may just experience déjà vu while watching Unstoppable. It really does not have anything new to offer. In fact, if you decide to not go all the way to a cinema and sit at home watching Filmax instead, there is a good chance you might stumble upon something very similar flashing across your TV screen. Watching Unstoppable is like watching a bad version of Speed- yes, even Speed had a more creative plot.

The movie does have some suspenseful moments, but they are short-lived, lasting around 30 seconds, which more or less nullifies their effect.

Director Tony Scott does a reasonable job of highlighting the backgrounds of the two lead characters, Frank and Will. However, his inability to actually link the plot to their personal lives makes you question if it would really make a difference if Frank were a doting single parent with two daughters or if he were an abusive grandparent supporting a family of five sons, three daughters, and eight grandchildren.

32 Other characters include Connie (played by Rosario Dawson) December 12-18 2010

somebody stop it Like like the train, Unstoppable’s plot moves forward along a mindnumbing single track >>Five cheesy lines from Unstoppable: 1. “This ain’t training. In training they just give you an F. Out here you get killed.”

2. “This is Will Colson, the conductor speaking; just to let you know we’re gonna run this bitch down.”

3. “Frank! We just lost our brakes!”

4. Daughter: “Dad!” Frank: “Tell your sister I love you both.”

5. “Don’t get sentimental on me. Makes me think I’m gonna die.”<<

Although you can sense that the director tried to come up with a creative way to stop a runaway train, it is quite annoying to see him finally resort to a method that could have been used effectively much earlier in the movie.

who plays the token radio contact for those on the train, Inspector Werner (played by Kevin Corrigan), a very smart official who just happens to be at the dispatch that very day and Galvin (Kevin Dunn), the stereotypical big boss of the train company whose ideas all revolve around saving corporate interests.

Although you can sense that the director tried to come up with a creative way to stop an out of control train, it is quite annoying to see him finally resort to a method that could have been used effectively much earlier in the movie. As it stands, the viewer is forced to sit through a one and a half hour flick that really does not have a satisfying climax or anticlimax. Much like the train, the plot moves forward along a mind-numbingly single track.

If you are absolutely dying to see an American blue collar action movie with minimal collateral damage and short-lived action sequences, this is a must for you. Otherwise wait a couple of months and you will be rewarded by a free viewing of Unstoppable on HBO or Star Movies.

33 DEcember 12-18 2010

REVIEW

film better off red

By Hamna Zubair

I’ve never been a Bruce Willis fan, but even I have to say he seems to have ripened with age. In his latest flick, Red, he isn’t as annoyingly brooding as he usually is, and even manages to pull off comedy pretty well.

That said, he has some help in the form of a fairly straight forward plot and a stellar cast. Red centres around a retired CIA agent named Frank, played by Willis, who discovers he is on a CIA-sanctioned hit list because he once had links to a shady black ops mission in Guatemala. Frank hasn’t quite come to terms with his quiet suburban life as a retiree — he keeps a hidden cache of weapons in his basement, which comes in handy when the government tries to hunt him down. After a brief gun battle, Frank travels around the country (with a prospective girlfriend in tow) rounding up his buddies, who also happen to be retired CIA agents, and tries to convince them to take on the CIA with him.

His three buddies Joe, Marvin and Victoria are played by Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, and Helen Mirren. These veteran actors fill out the movie beautifully, and it’s refreshing to watch them breathe new life into potentially stale, conventional characters.

Malkovich and Mirren shine particularly brightly — Malkovich convincingly portrays all the quirks a paranoid former spy ought to display, and Mirren dazzles as a fabulously daring old minx who can’t be tamed.

The only let-downs in the movie are Mary-Louise Parker and Karl Urban, who play Frank’s love interest Sarah and his nemesis, William, respectively. For some unconvincing reason, Sarah must be taken along for the ride when Frank decides to go rogue. Parker spends most of her time onscreen moaning or getting underfoot while the former agents launch various attacks on government installations. Urban, unfortunately, has only one face — his ‘bad guy’ face, which he wears unsuccessfully for the entire movie. Thankfully, the movie doesn’t suffer too much because of these actors since Willis, Freeman, 34 Malkovich and Mirren are the main attractions anyway.

December 12-18 2010

retired, and extremely dangerous Red proves that experience has its benefits Red is, of course, a comedic action movie. Director Robert Schwentke is savvy enough to keep the viewer’s focus on the thrills, with only occasional but extremely funny diversions allowed for character development. This is not to say that the movie lacks a message — Red does stress the importance of friendship, the value of experience, and the inherent wisdom of never letting your guard down. But these feel-good moments of insight don’t overwhelm the movie, allowing the viewer to keep pace with the action and ultimately, the movie is successful because it sticks to the script and doesn’t try to be something its not — the result is a funny, wholesome, good old-fashioned action movie that you don’t want to miss.

book up in the air

By Saba Imtiaz

While veteran journalist Zahid Hussain’s articles are always worth a read, you’re in for a disappointment if you read his second book, The Relentless Rise of Islamic Militants in Pakistan: The Scorpion’s Tail, with high hopes. The book isn’t a patch on his stellar debut, Frontline Pakistan: The Struggle with Militant Islam (2007).

Zahid Hussain paints a harrowing picture of the country as an almost anarchic state as military operations, peace deals and negotiations fail to prevent attacks on civilian, government and military targets. The Scorpion’s Tail also looks at developments in the United States-Pakistan relationship and the “strategic depth” mantra that has been a part of Pakistan’s policy on Afghanistan for years but without any major insights.

The book could have been a more thrilling read if certain moments that are mentioned in passing had been described in greater detail. There are a few exciting incidents one wishes Hussain had expanded on, such as meeting Jalaluddin Haqqani in 1989. The other incident, which Hussain describes as “shocking”, is when he attended a gathering hosted by Malakand division commissioner Syed Mohammad Javed in April 2009, “which was apparently a celebration of Taliban takeover in the region”. Hussain witnesses regional government officials meeting senior Taliban commanders, including Faqir Mohammad, at the event and writes, “The presence of one of the most wanted militant leaders at the official residence of a top regional bureaucrat when thousands of army soldiers were engaged in bloody war against his men in Bajaur was astonishing.”

However, The Scorpion’s Tail seems to have followed the pattern of ‘cram all major events into one book and publish it’ that have been a signature of several books, such as Imtiaz Gul’s The Al Qaeda Connection, that have been published recently about militant groups in Pakistan. They serve as a handy reference for those unacquainted with Google, but provide little depth and analysis.

For a reporter of Hussain’s stature, it is surprising that the details of his reportage and on-the-ground analysis are largely missing

strategic depth For a reporter of Hussain’s stature, it is surprising that the details of his reportage and on-the-ground analysis are largely missing from his book from his book. The Scorpion’s Tail reads like an expanded timeline of major terrorist attacks and military operations in Pakistan in the past few years. Everything from the Swat operation to the Lal Masjid saga to Benazir Bhutto’s assassination and the attack on the Pakistan Army’s headquarters makes an appearance. An in-depth look at any of the attacks Hussain has reported on and mentioned in the book would have sufficed for a reader who is interested in and follows developments in the region, and would have made The Scorpion’s Tail a must-read. a 35 DEcember 12-18 2010

UP NORTH AND PERSONAL

this land is

Olive Oil never sleeps. Irrespective of the time of day or night, and despite variations in temperature, she is either on visible patrol or invisibly lurking around corners with a huge dunda at the ready. The enemy is two-fold: foxes and mongooses which have made off with three of her nine chickens so far but have, quite wisely, elected to leave the vicious rooster alone. The chickens

Mountain-dwellers must contend with developers that dig up scenic vistas, and unruly hens that threaten territorial sovereignty

used to roost in a badly constructed coop mostly consisting of

patched holes on more patched holes, which wouldn’t protect them from anything at all including, I must add, the vagaries of

the weather. This ramshackle blimp has been acting as a meaty magnet for four-footed hunters who now, if they happen to

stroll by as they undoubtedly do the very second Olive Oil nips inside for a thawing cup of tea, would find it completely empty

as, for the sake of safety, the hens and raucous rooster have been upgraded into the relative warmth and comfort of the buffalo

shed attached to Olive Oil’s living quarters. She loves that stinking buffalo almost as much as I loathe the damn thing!

After a very long ten days and nights of marching up and down

and round and round and playing camouflage games in the bushes, Olive Oil is not, understandably, in the best of form. So

when two of her hens, a stringy brown one and its dusty white companion, broke the rules of neighbourliness by venturing into the forbidden territory of my garden where they feasted

on young broccoli plants before the dogs raised the alarm along with a huge cloud of bloodied feathers, it was with some trepidation that I ventured to return one hen intact and the other hen

minus half a wing and all its feathers. The blatantly obvious fact

that the hens had demolished my well-tended, mouthwateringly anticipated broccoli didn’t mean zip to Olive Oil. She completely freaked out at the sight of her partially plucked criminal

and, as anticipated, went completely ballistic, zooming first

around the Moon, then Mars, then Saturn, before coming back to Earth with a bump when I suggested it might have been better if I’d just kept quiet about the incident, finished plucking the

A partially demolished apartment block.

my broccoli. This seemed to do the trick and after flinging the

of her almost-but-not-quite, first kill.

retreated into her house with the traumatised bird tenderly en-

Hell-Bella and myself down: a good long walk. Our walks usu-

almost becoming Hell-Bella’s dinner. Hell-Bella, by the way, is

eat the lead,” “sit still while I pick some rosehips and don’t eat

chicken and cooked it as, after all, it was already stuffed with

unharmed hen in to the dark recesses of the buffalo shed, she folded in her arms. It would recover once it got over the shock of

36

the half-trained puppy who recently joined the menagerie and

who was beaming in self-satisfied pride from the adrenalin rush december 12-18 2010

Hyped up to hell and back, there was only one way to calm

ally incorporate further training, from “walk” to “heel,” “don’t

whatever that gunge happens to be just because it’s lying there.”

Off we went leaving three fully trained adult dogs at home to

our land Text & photographs by Zahrah Nasir

tain world until I strolled around a corner towards what I have also thought of as the ‘Hansel and Gretel’ house, decorated as all its edges are, with beautifully carved and brightly painted wooden ornamentation in the old traditional style.

The house was still there but it was difficult to see it as it was

surrounded by earth moving equipment and a gang of workers wielding shovels and why, (and this is something I’ve always

wondered), does it take two Pakistanis to use a one-man shovel?

Between the house and the rough track where I was walking,

was, the operative word being ‘was’, a neglected field. The field

was reasonably level, which is extremely unusual up here. I’d always hoped the field would be brought back into cultivation

at some point. I used to harbour a dream of seeing all neglected land in this area being used to produce wonderfully nutritious

crops of grain and vegetables and I had erroneously hoped that

as prices of essential eatables continued to rocket, people would

be forced to resort to growing food for their own homes at least.

This dream is not a tenable one, at least for the foreseeable fu-

ture, as people have other, easier options like becoming high-

waymen or doing what the owner of this particular field has done - sell out to the highest bidder. This green field, in which

birds foraged and, in spring, wild tulips bloomed, has been

bulldozed- the topsoil removed to expose painfully bleeding red earth with plots outlined in chunna. A workman told me the

Over the garden wall.

field was being readied for ‘a holiday development.’ The type of

development we could expect to see sprout up, either bungalows

or apartment blocs, no doubt depended on investment in the

I spied a green field which had been bulldozed- the topsoil removed to expose painfully bleeding red earth with plots outlined in chunna. A workman told me the field was being readied for ‘a holiday development.’

project which boasts a spectacular if bitterly cold view northwards towards Nathia Gali and Mukshpuri. It is yet another nail in the coffin for the Bhurban area where largely illegal constructions mushroom on an almost daily basis. Some of these

monstrosities have been partly demolished by the authorities for contravening local planning laws but it is also true that the ma-

jority of recognised illegal constructions that have fallen prey to the demolition hammer are immediately adjacent to the main road and belong to ‘outsiders’. Constructions off the main road,

classified as ‘out of sight so out of mind’ are generally ignored or, if warnings are issued, cash changes hands and that, unfortunately, is that. The mountainsides, especially those with

drivable access roads or tracks, are disappearing under cement

at a horrifying rate. What with most of the locals following the

trend of selling off yet another piece of land in order to remain guard against further intruders of any kind.

It was yet another glorious early winter day: brilliant blue

skies, yellow, orange and crimson leaves lingering on deciduous

solvent, its won’t be long before they have nothing left to sell, no

regular form of income and nowhere left to grow the food they need and it will damn well serve them right!

Going for a relaxing walk didn’t turn out as planned, although

trees, the resinous aroma of pine cones wafting up from what is

a basket of rosehips was carefully harvested and will be sunned

Tree Pie objecting to me harvesting the wild rosehips it wanted

with handfuls being taken out at intervals and boiled up in wa-

left of the evergreen forest, the google-bop, google-bop of a noisy

to eat, although I never pick them all. All was well in this moun-

daily until the hips are totally dry and ready for airtight storage ter to make a vitamin-rich winter tea. a

december 12-18 2010

37

WORKPLACE Comment MATTERS

Employers everywhere are forever confronted by the need to choose the best possible candidate for a particular position with an eye to the future.

Candidates, on the other hand, will always see themselves as being the ‘best and the brightest’ and eminently suitable for the prospective company. So how do we separate the wheat from the chaff?

degrees of

separation Don’t rely on others for career advancement

BY Leon Menezes

Candidates with higher degrees (usually a Masters or post-

graduate) are in plentiful supply; the ‘right’ candidate, however, is not. The truth is, there is a lot more than just a degree that qualifies someone for a particular position (and a future career).

Let me explain.

Is everybody who graduates from a certain university the same

in every way? No, because there are a multitude of personal attri-

butes that distinguish one from the other. Our personal journeys and life experiences contribute to our total make up just as much as the quality of our educational institution. Just look around

and you will see some of the most successful businessmen and

entrepreneurs have never been to a top school or have a ‘name’ degree. What they do have is street-smarts and the courage to make things happen.

I once asked an eminent professor from a renowned interna-

tional university about what he thought were the differences

amongst various learning establishments. His response was simple and insightful: “The institution is like a carpenter, and

the student a piece of wood. The carpenter may be very skilled, or a novice, and the wood may be of high or low quality. A good carpenter will make something acceptable out of ordinary wood,but

38

can you imagine what he could do with teak?”

December 12-18 2010

So what are these ‘intrinsic qualities’ that will make us desir-

able to prospective employers – internal and external? Let’s start

with Attitude. Amongst some companies, there is a credo: “Hire for attitude, train for skill.” This applies whether you are hiring a fresh graduate or someone with considerable experience. There

is simply no point in inducting someone who will be a pain for everyone with his poor attitude.

Confidence and Assertiveness are essential qualities for most

jobs, and are certainly required to get ahead. A confident person knows how to put his point across, defend an idea and get others to do what is required to get the job done.

Next is the ability to ‘Adapt, Change and Grow.’ Too many

people come into the professional arena with qualifications

in a particular field and then close themselves off from other opportunities that arise. No organisation or environment is

static; everything is changing rapidly and the person who can

keep up (or, preferably ahead) of change will emerge the winner.

You need to be constantly looking for ways to reinvent yourself and ways of working to remain not just relevant but sought after.

‘Problem-solving’ and ‘decision-making’ offer many opportu-

nities to put a number of skills to use. Your ability to analyse a situation from a range of angles and provide optimum solutions

that are creative and cost-efficient will quickly distinguish you

from the rest of the pack. Asking the right questions and seeing things from different perspectives will put you on the road to success.

Lastly, get yourself some role models. Pick the most outstand-

ing attributes from great leaders to make a composite ‘model’ for yourself. The inspiration can come from any number of fields and

from people near and far. What is it that fires your imagination?

“The institution is like a carpenter and the student, a piece of wood.

The carpenter may be very skilled, or a novice, and the wood may be of high or low quality. A good carpenter will make something acceptable out of ordinary wood, but can you imagine what he could do with teak?”

What was it that made this person successful? What attributes

turned failure into success? What personal battles and demons did they have to overcome?

If we were to make a list of all the other things a top-quality

candidate will have, it would be a pretty long one, depending of

course on the task at hand. So why not give ourselves a head start?

Building a positive reputation is certainly a good way to go. a

Leon Menezes is the HR General Manager of a multinational company and has over 35 years of experience in sales, marketing, operations and human resources.

39 December 12-18 2010

HOROSCOPE

BY SHELLEY VON STRUNCKEL

Aries March 20 – April 19 While your initial reaction to Mercury being retrograde, from last Friday, won’t be enthusiastic, the resulting slowdown is actually in your best interests. This forces you to investigate the source of the range of problems you’re fac-

ing, mostly minor. Begin digging and you realise serious changes are in order. Happily, you needn’t lift a finger, as the coming weeks’ eclipses will do the job for you.

Taurus April 20 – May 20 Usually you’re the one who’s adept at

smoothing over the difficult situations caused by tactless words Shelley von Strunckel is an internationally acclaimed astrologer who created the first horoscope column for the London Sunday Times in 1992.

A frequent lecturer, she writes daily,

or unwise actions. But now you seem to be causing them. It’s this or hide facts that really must come out. If there’s any problem, it’s that with Mercury retrograde from last Friday, misun-

derstandings are likely. Knowing that, ensure you’re scrupulously accurate, say no more than necessary, then withdraw swiftly.

weekly and monthly horoscopes in publications around the world including South China Morning Post, The Gulf News, Tatler, French and Chinese Vogue and now The Express Tribune Magazine.

Gemini May 21 – June 20 Telling others you’ve spotted their mis-

takes is no fun. Worse, however, is the realisation those errors were deliberate. Obviously this won’t occur in every situation, but with your ruler Mercury retrograde from last Friday until De-

cember 30, accenting partnerships and meeting truthful Pluto, surprises are inevitable. Mostly about others. Sometimes what you learn will be a shock, but more often it will be an unanticipated delight.

Cancer June 21 – July 21 The events triggered by Mercury, retro-

grade from last Friday until December 30, and eclipses, later this month and in early January, are bound to be chaotic. Severe as the resulting disarray may be, because this is a period of change

for everybody, confusion is inevitable. The process of sorting things out could be hugely informative. Take it slowly and although solutions make take longer, they’ll be inspired.

Leo July 22 – August 22 The last thing you want is dramas involv-

ing who or what you care about most. Equally, worrying are situ-

ations involving various obligations or, perhaps, work. In every case, however, these problems – which are triggered by Mercury’s

retrograde cycle, which began last Friday and lasts until December 30 – are the result of previous misunderstandings or errors. So annoying as they are, the sooner you put them right, the better.

Virgo August 23 – September 22 There is no simple solution for

the issues you’re facing. Acknowledge that and you’ll stop wor-

rying and do whatever you can now, and leave the rest for when

you can achieve something. This isn’t easy. But with your ruler Mercury retrograde from last Friday until December 30, mistakes are ongoing, inevitable and, often, informative. Had you hurried

to sort things out, you’d miss numerous hugely illuminating in-

40

sights.

December 12-18 2010

Libra September 23 – October 22 Few things are more difficult

than watching others turn difficult situations into out and out battles. Tempting as it is to intervene, with Mercury retrograde from last Friday, your intentions would be misunderstood. As

important, the issues involved – and there are several such situ-

ations – are complex, so will require several rather heated battles to resolve. Meanwhile, devote your time to untangling several less complex, but still pressing, issues.

Scorpio October 23 – November 21 It isn’t what you say that could

cause problems this week, it’s what you don’t say. With Mercury retrograde from last Friday, and meeting your ruler Pluto three times over the coming weeks, the kind of facts you’re ordinarily regard as unimportant, or as something best kept to yourself,

could come out. And embarrassingly. Discuss them openly, and fully, the moment they arise. You’ll be glad you did.

Sagittarius November 22 – December 20 A mix of obstacles and errors, mostly minor, may not sound like a formula for a good week. Much of this is due to Mercury being retrograde from last

Friday until the 30th. But if you take action on these as they arise, you’ll turn these potential problems to your advantage.

You’ll also eliminate confusion, which is handy now, but will be essential in the new year.

Capricorn December 21 – January 19 Because early January’s Capri-

corn eclipsed New Moon will alter both your priorities and the circumstances you’re dealing with, this is no time to make any but

the simplest of arrangements. Besides, with Mercury retrograde, from last Friday until December 30, you’ll be facing an array of

past errors and confusion. Unsettling as this will be, what you learn – mostly about yourself - will make the effort worthwhile.

Aquarius January 20 – February 17 Uncomfortable as the situ-

ations this week’s revelations may be, they’re not your fault.

Which means you need only do what you can to deal with situations, then back off and leave them to those who’re responsible.

However, with Mercury retrograde from last Friday until Decem-

ber 30, you’ll have errors of your own to contend with. But it will be your job to sort these out.

Pisces February 18 – March 19 Yes, you could undoubtedly smooth over others’ problems. But you shouldn’t. They’re struggling

with the same dilemmas you are, that is, the confusion triggered

by the retrograde Mercury, from last Friday. So allow them to deal with theirs. Meanwhile, take advantage of these unsettling but informative situations to review which elements of your life

For more information, to order personal charts and to download & listen to detailed audiocasts, visit www.shelleyvonstrunckel.com

work and which don’t, as preparation for January’s remarkable

41

offers or opportunities.

December 12-18 2010

THE HATER

10 things I hate about ...skinny people

1 2 3 4 5

By Narmeen Tariq

They never gain weight. No matter how much they stuff their faces with food, they will always be stick thin.

Clothes can be loose on them, but never tight. They can wear anything and get away with it because they never look obscene.

Their ability to snack endlessly. They can snack any-

time of the day or night without being catapulted into a guilt trip. Emotional eating? They’ve never heard of it.

Their euphemism-free social interactions. They will

never have to hear seemingly well-meaning aunties call them “healthy” or “full.”

The whining. Skinny people insist they have hard lives

too. Either they argue endlessly about gaining weight when they actually haven’t, or they moan about being too skinny to fill out their clothes properly. You’re thin. Get over it.

42 December 12-18 2010

6 7 8 9 10

They don’t feel compelled to finish all the food on their

plate. When they’re full, they’re full. They don’t eat

a single bite after they make this announcement. In return, we end up eating their leftovers.

The dedication. They exercise as though they need to shed 100lbs, and they go on a diet if they gain 2lbs. Keep in

mind, these people could gain 25 lbs and still wouldn’t be considered fat.

If you’re travelling by car with a lot of people, skinny people are never left behind because they can fit in absolutely anywhere! Space is never an issue with them.

They are never blamed or teased if the boat tilts to a certain side (literally).

The pity. People feel sorry for them even though they

shouldn’t- they call them kamzor and force-feed them

all the yummy treats fat people have been studiously avoiding for decades.

june 13-19 2010

june 13-19 2010