DECEMBER 13-19 2015
Sanjay
DECEMBER 13-19 2015
Portfolio Cover Story
The right side of Sanjay Actor Sanjay Mishra gives his Pakistani fans a reason to laugh
A towering remembrance A tour of Ground Zero and the 9/11 Memorial
27 Feature
Aid in Aegean
22
A group of volunteers on the frontlines of the refugee crisis in Lesbos
30 Regulars
6 People & Parties: Out and about with beautiful people
34 Reviews: Movies and art 38 Positive Pakistani: Veeru Kohli is a brick-solid activist
Magazine Editor: Dilaira Dubash. Subeditors: Komal Anwar & Manahyl Khan Creative Team: Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Mohsin Alam, Talha Ahmed Khan, Hira Fareed, Maryam Rashid, Eesha Azam, Nabeel Khan and Sanober Ahmed Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk 4 Twitter: @ETribuneMag & Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ETribuneMag Printed: uniprint@unigraph.com
PEOPLE & PARTIES Tariq Naeem Chughtai launches Casa Rouge restaurant in Islamabad
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Tariq Naeem Chughtai
PHOTOS COURTESY REZZ PR
Amir and Sara Amir
Komal and Hamael
Zubair and Neena Ahmed
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Baleena, Guria and Raheela Khan
Haris Hussain and Soni Farrukh
Zahra and Shuaima
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Mohsina Khan and Baseera Khan
Maria Khan and Sarah Raza
PHOTOS COURTESY REZZ PR
Maliha and Sadia Malik
Natasha Ahmed and Natasha
Nuzhat and Syed Asif Shah
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Shauzab and Kanwal
Uzma Shujaat and Minah
Natasha Kazmi and Sofia Syed
Sameera and Muhammad Abbass
Amna Niazi
Asia and Noveen
Amina
Rehana Saigol exhibits her private collection of jewellery in Lahore
Hina Butt
Arjumand Amin Maison
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Muneeze and Zehra
Anny
PHOTOS COURTESY BILAL MUKHTAR EVENTS & PR
PEOPLE & PARTIES
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Hina Salman
Ayesha Malik and Fatima
Tahir Saeed and Maria B
Bushra
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Saira, Sara and Mahasin
Saima and Mobila Farukh
PHOTOS COURTESY BILAL MUKHTAR EVENTS & PR
Juggan Kazim, Rehana Saigol and Sabine Saigol
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Gul Zeb and Safa
Henn Asad Khan and Beena Amer Khan
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Gul Zeb of Carnival Fashion House organises an event in Dubai
Huma and Sabeen
Sarah Tariq and Honey Jaffery
Faiza Shaikh and Aleena Shah
PHOTOS COURTESY SAVVY PR
Aanya Aggarwal
PEOPLE & PARTIES
PHOTOS COURTESY SAVVY PR
Eram Nazir
Farhan Bodi and Katy with a friend
Romana and Zoya Khalid with a friend
Saakshi Nath
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Rabiya Nawaz, Shenila and Ayeshah Saleem
Sanjay BY ALI RAJ DESIGN BY EESHA AZAM PHOTOS COURTESY: RED CHILLIES ENTERTAINMENT
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anjay Mishra is a strange man in the mob we call Bollywood. He is no showstopper nor is he an accomplished comic actor; yet, his is one of the most recallable faces in Indian cinema. Sanjay belongs to the cast of actors whose contribution largely remains unnoticed. They are the ones who keep audiences spinning in the invisible orbit around them, while at the same time sparing the spotlight for lead actors who are arguably miles behind in terms of acting prowess. Sanjay is already past his silver jubilee in the industry. Over the last 25 years, he has acted in approximately 110 films and countless television shows and commercials. From donning tacky jackets for comic roles to balancing fake moustaches on his upper lip to play a bandit, and from wearing the accent of Bihari police constables to essaying the hapless father of a rebellious girl, Sanjay accepted whatever the industry threw at him. Turbulence has been the only constant in his career, with a story etched in each wrinkle on his forehead.
Born in Patna, Sanjay grew up playing on the streets of Banaras — the city maestros such as Ustad Bismillah Khan and Pandit Ravi Shankar called home. Hearing these towering musicians play and influenced by acts as diverse as Jim Morrison and The Beatles, the young, impressionable Sanjay thought he might as well try his luck at music. “I tried playing musical instruments but I soon realised I was up to no good.” He was also not a diligent student which meant things were never good in school. Nonetheless, the rather unusual support of his parents brought
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him to the gates of the National School of Drama in New Delhi. “Papa kehte thay tu actor acha hai (My father would say I am a good actor),” he recollects. Sanjay graduated in 1989, around the time actors like Irrfan Khan, Piyush Mishra and Tigmanshu Dhulia were also honing their skills behind the walls of the prestigious institution, and, in his own words, his struggle hasn’t ended yet. For nine straight years, Sanjay was out of work. “I came to Mumbai to become an actor. I did almost everything along the way. I even worked as a journalist and pestered people for interviews,” he says. It is perhaps this very adversity that made Sanjay what he is today. “Admi ko girna nahin chahiye (A man should never give up). That rough patch was part of the process.”
Knowing too well what it is like to struggle, Sanjay is particularly happy to see Pakistani cinema grow. “Hearing good news from Pakistan is very heartening,” he says. “The attack on schoolchildren in Peshawar left me speechless. I have never visited Pakistan but I surely will if I get the chance.” If there is one thing Pakistani that tugs
at Sanjay’s heartstrings it is none other than food. “YouTube pe Pakistani khanay bananay ke tareeqay dekhta hoon (I watch how to cook Pakistani dishes on YouTube). I bring your Shan Masala home wherever I find it. Whatever you make with it, it turns up the flavour,” he says. Despite little difference between the two cuisines, Sanjay prefers Pakistani food. “My grandmother used to say, learn the hows of eating from the English, the hows of preparing food from the Muslims and the hows of keeping the kitchen tidy from the Hindus,” he recalls. Food is clearly Sanjay’s area of expertise. He is known for cooking even on film sets. “I love how you people prepare mutton,” he says, before quickly asking, “Apke ghar aaj kya bana hai khanay mein? (Which dish has been prepared at your home today?) Mere han to khichri bani hai (Khichri has been prepared at my home).”
Sanjay’s appreciation for Pakistan does not end with food. Despite acting in one of Indian television’s most popular sitcoms, Office Office, Sanjay is not a fan of TV programming in his country. “I never liked Indian television. They have nothing new to show,” he says. On the flipside, he is a die-hard fan of Pakistani dramas aired on Zindagi TV in India. “Pakistani dramas hinge on realism in both storylines and acting, and that is what I love.” Office Office featured Sanjay essay the role of a paan-spitting peon (Shukla) at a government office who demands bribes upfront, even if someone wants an answer to a simple query. “I was at Wagah Border once. The Pakistanis on the other side recognised me and asked me to cross over so that they could offer me paan,” he recalls. Sanjay says the show gained
popularity in Pakistan as well because it underscores problems that are shared by the underprivileged on either side of the Line of Control (LoC). LoC reminds Sanjay of the TV serial Life Out of Control wherein he played a Pakistani cook, Chand Malik, who works with an Indian cook, Gurpreet Malik, at an Englishman’s restaurant in London. “In that drama, there was a scene where my character is celebrating August 14. I improvised and climbed a street pole and hoisted the Pakistani flag on it. The locals saw us filming and threw random things at me. At that moment, I thought I am playing a Pakistani and I cannot dishonour the Pakistani flag.” Sanjay feels political friction between the Indian and Pakistani governments is just a gimmick to keep us busy. “A generation will come that will reject these divisions completely.” Sanjay is a strong proponent of interfaith and intercommunal harmony. The title of his directorial debut art film Pranaam Walekum, which is still in its development stage, is an example of this. About the cancellation of ghazal singer Ghulam Ali’s concerts in India, Sanjay says, “Ghulam Ali sings for neither India nor Pakistan. His audiences are adherents of high art that transcends borders.” He backs up his view with the example of ghazal maestro Mehdi Hasan whose singing brings tears to his eyes to this day. “There is not a house in ‘Dilli’ that hasn’t had cassettes of Umar Shareef’s shows.” Sanjay’s pluralistic views perhaps take root in the works of two of his biggest literary inspirations — Saadat Hasan Manto and Munshi Premchand.
With his career on the rise, Sanjay is currently part of Rohit Shetty’s highly anticipated Shah Rukh Khan-starrer
Dilwale. This was not his first time working with the Bollywood superstar. “I worked on a film with Shah Rukh long time ago. There is something about him that makes him what he is. He is very grounded and full of energy.” Shetty and Sanjay have also enjoyed a longtime understanding, with the latter featuring in most of the former’s films. “Rohit Shetty is the boss of Indian cinema. This man’s conviction is unparalleled.” When asked to reveal more about his role in the film, Sanjay concludes, “Dilwale dekh ke log mere dialogue dohratay huey niklenge cinema se (After watching the film, people will
COVER STORY leave the theatre repeating my dialogues). ” With Dilwale done and dusted, Sanjay has turned his attention towards other projects — Indra Kumar’s Great Grand Masti and Sajid Nadiadwala’s Baaghi: A Rebel for Love. His view of films in the Subcontinent is quite riveting. “Actually, our cinema was never ours. We borrowed ideals from the West and draped them in our colonial legacy. They also have people like Francis Ford Coppola but we deliberately chose not to adopt intellectuallysound cinematic traditions.” Sanjay says the concept of beauty and the ideal storyline in our films are the products of this banal synthesis while disorientation with the region’s literature further dumbed the industry down. “We kept regurgitating the same formulae and they worked. Films are earning INR1,000,000,000 to INR2,000,000 these days, but a tipping point is around the corner. How far will this go? Today our audiences have the world on their fingertips. Their tastes and preferences are changing.” To illustrate this, he refers to acclaimed actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, “Tell me why Nawaz has gained popularity? He doesn’t look like your ideal hero, but he does resemble the man standing at the bus stop or your neighbour next door.” On a similar note, Sanjay says love is not the only subject for a film story.“Film-makers have begun to make movies on everyday subjects, stories of human interest. My film Dum Laga Ke Haisha is about an overweight girl being married off to an ambitious boy by force. These are real societal issues that we are touching upon. The film did extremely well.” Sanjay’s claim is justified to a great extent. Three of his recent projects, Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Ankhon Dekhi and Masaan received critical acclaim and brought him in the limelight after decades of struggle. “My struggle has nothing to do with my choices. I took up whatever work was offered to me. The fault lies with the film-makers who never saw that in me,” he says. When asked whether a film like Ankhon Dekhi will ever be able to rake in money the way films like Kick 26 do, he maintains, “A day will come, yes.” DECEMBER 13-19 2015
The actor disagrees with the characteractor label that is associated with him. “They call me a character actor. An actor is nothing without his character.” Sanjay is surprised to hear that his work is taught in Pakistani schools of drama. “We are all actors in our lives. I act in my everyday life and that makes living the life on screen easy,” he says, following up with an abrupt pause. “I think I just repeated a dialogue from one of my roles,” he laughs. Sanjay is aware of the fact that comic actors are not taken seriously and it is only the aforementioned films that helped him cement his identity as an actor who can do more than make people laugh. “They take on-screen crying seriously and think the one making them laugh is a fool.” T
Ali Raj is a subeditor at The Express Tribune Life & Style desk. He tweets @AnaariKiBandooq
The Freedom Tower stands tall at 1,776 feet above the ground.
PHOTO COURTESY: HIRA AMJAD ALI
A TOWERING REMEMBRANCE Ground Zero drowns out memories of fear and loss TEXT AND PHOTOS BY NISMA CHAUHAN
Gound Zero is always bustling with tourists. On this particular winter morning more than 70 people were gathered at the site; yet, a deafening silence prevailed. The noise of water cascading into the pool was the only sound dominating the
DESIGN BY EESHA AZAM
senses, reminiscent of the panic felt by thousands after the attack. The World Trade Centre’s twin towers, which were once the tallest buildings in the world, are now a monument of agony, despair and resentment. I knew I had to visit the
site as soon as I landed in New York. Before heading out, I sensed some nervousness; after all, I had a green passport. The restlessness, however, dissipated when I stepped foot on Ground Zero in front of the plaza that has been built to commemorate the September 11 attacks of 2001, which 27 DECEMBER 13-19 2015
PORTFOLIO killed nearly 3,000 people, and the bombing of 1993, which killed six. The two square-shaped 9/11 Memorials, speak volumes for themselves just as the 3,000 names engraved on them do. As you walk closer, you can see the freshly laid flowers and the flag of America put on many of these names. The love bestowed upon them is a sad reminder of the pain people who lost their loved ones live with everyday. I felt more burdened as these lives, along with the many that were lost in the name of ‘war on terror’, changed my identity as a Pakistani. But standing in the middle of many, watching the water slowly vanish into the black hole just as the people who left us, my identity mattered no more. But Ground Zero does not allow you to wallow in your sorrows for long. As you walk away from the monuments towards the northwest corner of the site you are soon captivated by the tall building adorned with mirror reflectors standing right in front of you. The Freedom Tower or One World Trade Centre, it is the nation’s tallest skyscraper. The Freedom Tower echoes its name and gives hope for a new beginning as it takes you 1,250 feet above the ground in ‘sky pod’ elevators to an observatory. The building that opened last year in November has 104 floors and the observatory occupies floors 100-102, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the city and surrounding areas, letting 28 you see as far as Philadelphia. DECEMBER 13-19 2015
The Freedom Tower observatory offers visitors a view of the entire city.
More than 23 million tourists have visited the monuments ever since its inception in September 2011.
The twin towers, which were once the tallest buildings in the world, are now a monument of agony, despair and resentment
A view of New York from the observation desk.
The Tower is not just another tall building in New York but a ray of hope and triumph, symbolising the long struggle to stand tall against all odds. From such a height, one can see the length and breadth of the city and get a sense of its history and culture. From the Empire State building to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, everything illustrates America’s struggle to reach new heights and conquer its fears.T
Nisma Chauhan is a subeditor at the magazine desk. She tweets @ChauhanNisma
Freedom Tower is not only the tallest skyscraper in the US but it is also said to be one of the strongest buildings in the world.
From 1,250 feet above ground level, the big apple looks like Legos.
Panels surround the pools, hitting the names of the victims. DECEMBER 13-19 2015
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FEATURE
Refugees rest after their long journey.
in Aid Aegean Thousands of refugees have taken shelter at Camp Moria in Lesbos.
A group of volunteers in Lesbos narrate the tragedy that is unfolding on the Greek island
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY FAIZA TAQI HASSAN
DESIGN BY MARYAM RASHID
The first day I came to help,I saw a boat sink before my very eyes A volunteer from the UK Salim without shoes, and throwing themselves on the sand. Most had sold all their belongings to smuggle themselves across borders and into Turkey. From there, those who can pay EUR1,500 (half price if the weather is unfavourable) book themselves a seat on a rubber dinghy or a small rowing boat to transport them to the island. Those who arrive safely at the island consider themselves fortunate. “The first day I came to help, I saw a boat sink before my very eyes,” says Salim, a volunteer from the UK. “But there is nothing you can do. They are too far out in the ocean.”
Once branded as Europe’s getaway, the Greek island of Lesbos has now become the ultimate destination for thousands of vulnerable refugees. The situation on ground is much worse than what you see on television or read in news reports. The blue waters surrounding the island are stained with floating bodies and abandoned life jackets Trying to make a difference as people risk it all to escape the When refugees first arrive in Lesbos horrors of home and get a fresh they are registered at a camp. Once the start in Europe. necessary paperwork is completed, many
As part of a group of 22 volunteers from the UK, US, Canada, Dubai, Africa and Pakistan, we were sent to Lesbos by a UKbased NGO, Zahra Trust, to help out with the escalating refugee crisis. Equipped with shrouds, warm clothes and food we arrived at Mytilene International Airport on Lesbos Island which was crowded with people from Switzerland, Germany, UK and Norway who had all come on a similar humanitarian mission. Although help is aplenty in Lesbos, it is not enough to cater to the hoards of refugees who arrive on the island every day. A day after our arrival we learnt that a boat carrying refugees had just reached shore. What we saw there was overwhelming: People were scrambling out of boats, some
prefer to continue their journey further into Europe while others remain in Greece. One of the largest camps in Lesbos is Camp Moria, home to nearly 8,000 to 9,000 refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, out of which nearly 2,000 to 3,000 are orphaned children. The government-run site, assisted by various charities, such as Oxfam, UNHCR and the Red Cross, is in terrible condition. The registration lines are so long that most people end up soiling themselves. Even the onsite bathrooms here are filthy which has lead to the spread of scabies, a contagious skin disease. “It has taken us a long time to come here. You don’t know what we have been through. We are Ahmadi and we cannot go back,” says a Pakistani man waiting in line. Many arrive in Lesbos for a better life but do not realise that what awaits them here is hunger, cold and even more 31 DECEMBER 13-19 2015
It has taken us a long time to come here.You don’t know what we have been through.We are Ahmadi and we cannot go back A Pakistani refugee
hardship. “We started on our journey as a group of four, but now we are three,” he laments. With the donation money that we had brought along we bought some heaters, generators and battery-operated lights for the refugees at the camp. We even distributed food among single men who are required to set up tents in the forested area outside the camp. “I have not eaten in days,” is the common complaint among people. In order to feed as many people as we could, we bought sandwiches from vendors at the camp along with boxes of juice and lollipops for children. For those preparing for the onwards journey, we handed out bus tickets, hats and gloves. At other smaller camps, such as Camp Skala run by a Christian priest, volunteers distribute food throughout the night. A small play area is also set for children. At the Village of All Together, set up for people with special needs, volunteers directly hand out money. Our next stop was the cemetery in Mytilene, where refugees have been allotted a small section for their dead. Upon arrival we saw a woman laying her husband and oneyear-old child to rest. For most, it is hard to get authorities to release a body from the overflowing morgues in Greece. And those that 32 are released usually haven’t been identified. DECEMBER 13-19 2015
Refugees stand in line for food at Camp Moria.
Trying times After a hiatus of three days, the island is once again flooded with incoming refugees; this time, around 600 of them. Within 24 hours, all the empty beds at Camp Moria are occupied and the road outside the camp is teeming with people preparing to spend the night on cold concrete. On the other hand, refugees from various camps are making their way to the Port of
Since single men are not allowed inside the camp many live in tents outside Camp Moria.
2,000 refugees arrive
each day on Greece's shores SOURCE: INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE
An estimated
450,000 refugees have arrived in Greece in 2015 SOURCE: UNHCR
Mytilene to leave Lesbos and make inroads to central Europe. Some buy a ticket for a boat ride to Athens or take a bus to Macedonia. They are warned by Maria, a Greek woman at the ticket booth, not to go. “You will really get stuck,” she says. “The long route involves travelling from Greece to Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic and then into Germany. Each country requires separate paperwork, and a lot of them are not too welcoming,” she warns. Yet, most of them pay no heed and carry on. “Where do you expect me to go,” an Iranian man says. “I certainly cannot go back.” Aid at the port is sparse and many sleep out in the freezing cold. When offered a warm beverage or a blanket, they thank you profusely. Despite having spent an entire day shopping for groceries, including nuts, granola bars, fruits and water, carts are emptied out in less than an hour. Many want more jackets and caps to brave the cold in the open. A man desperately seeking help says, “I need formula for my twomonth-old baby.” Although our journey has come to an end, returning home is not easy after all the suffering we have witnessed. Flying over the Aegean Sea we reflect on the number of lives it has claimed. And as soon as we arrive at our destination we receive another heart-wrenching message about more bodies washing up on shore. With a vast human tragedy unfolding along the shores of Greece, we cannot stop our efforts just yet and another trip is already being planned at the beginning of the New Year. Faiza Taqi Hassan has graduated from the University of Toronto and was a former senior editor at FYI Magazine. DECEMBER 13-19 2015
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n w o d Shot An American family finds itself being chased by a murderous mob in the midst of a foreign coup in John Erick Dowdle’s action thriller No Escape. After getting a new job with an American engineering firm abroad, Jack (Owen Wilson) and his family — wife Annie (Lake Bell) and their two daughters Lucy (Sterling Jerins) and Beeze (Claire Geare) — relocate to an unspecified Southeast Asian country. Upset about the upheaval but hoping to forge a better future for themselves, they make their way overseas, but soon realise they have landed in the middle of a violent revolution. Armed rebels descend like a tsunami of death and destruction, pulverising everything and everyone in their path. The onslaught is relentless and the tension never lets up. The result is both thrilling and exhausting. Jack and his family are put through all kinds of harrowing ordeals. Even though the story at its core isn’t very inventive, the fast-paced, gripping action makes the movie an intense watch. Solid performances delivered by Wilson and Bell also help make the narrative more effective. Pierce Brosnan — appearing in the role of an English expat who 34 befriends the protagonists — is stuck DECEMBER 13-19 2015
s World chao d ir h T s le k tac No Escape t World perspective from a Firs N BY SAMEE
AMER
portraying a character whose arc is quite predictable, but still plays the part with zeal nonetheless. Despite the suspense and stellar acting, No Escape doesn’t come together quite like it should have. The movie falters in its half-hearted attempt at humanising the locals. Viewers are asked to invest in the fate of one Western family, while the situation of the natives is given only a cursory explanation. Their predicament and revolt against unchecked foreign business interests is never fully fleshed out, nor are they given a chance to appear as anything but sadistic murderers hell-bent on killing all seemingly-innocent people they come across. Overall, No Escape’s promising premise is marred by an uneven execution and a seemingly prejudiced worldview. Still, if you can look past its unconvincing political commentary, you have to admit that the movie is undeniably thrilling. Had this intensity been wrapped in a better story and delivered through stronger characters, the film could have been a lot more interesting and entertaining. Rating: Sameen Amer is a Lahore-based freelance writer and critic. She tweets @Sameen
on films
ils More Owen W
Bottle Rocket (1996) Three friends (Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson and Robert Musgrave) work on an intricate scheme to pull off a heist, but their plan quickly falls apart.
Marley & Me (2008) A couple (Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston) adopt a dog to see if they’re ready to raise a family, but their incorrigible labrador retriever ends up testing everyone’s patience. Midnight in Paris (2011) While vacationing in Paris, a screenwriter (Owen Wilson) finds himself mysteriously travelling back in time to the 1920s every night and is left to confront the shortcomings of his relationship with his fiancée (Rachel McAdams).
‘Portrait of Marten Looten, after Rembrandt van Rijn’ by Irfan Hasan.
‘Zalim Coffee Pila Dey’ by Muhammad Ali.
Contemporary craft Coffee and contemporary art take centre stage at a recent exhibit at Mohatta Palace
Christian Icon painting or in the manner of a renaissance portrait. “The paintings are kitsch and address issues of class and taste,” he explained. His skillfully and aesthetically executed painting ‘Zalim Coffee Pila Dey’ is a take on the prevalent consumerism. Salman Toor’s ‘Housekeeping’ is based on the indifference to news and ideas of victimhood. Inspired by contemporary fiction from the subcontinent, the image is an act of resistance to a monolithic or simplistic reading of all of the above. This particular work was originally part of a group show in February 2015. Muzzamil Ruheel blends calligraphy and digital imagery with his masterful technique to create wonderful illusions. He weaves an intricate web of stories through his intense works. Aamir Habib’s video titled ‘Embezzle Bedazzle’ attracted a lot of visitors. It shows the phenomenal high-rise, seven-star hotel surrounding the holy mosque in Mecca to explain how the greed of commercialism doesn’t stop for anything. Amir Butt is a Karachi-based art collector.
BY AMIR BUTT
Art and coffee make a stellar combination and that’s just what guests were treated to at a recent exhibit of contemporary art curated by Canvas Gallery at the grand Mohatta Palace Museum in Karachi. With two live performances and works from a mix of established and fledgling artists, visitors were gripped by what was on offer. For over a decade, Irfan Hassan’s art practices had been heavily influenced by Realism. In his recent series called ‘After’, the artist paints famous paintings from old European artists in miniature style and puts his own spin on them. His works pay homage to European classical portraiture and the practice of stylisation in Indo-Persian miniature painting. Muhammad Ali’s striking portraiture uses an ironic juxtaposition of celebrities with the formal constraints of historical painting styles. Ali depicts celebrities within the framework of an early
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‘Always Forever Now II’ by Sajjad Ahmed. DECEMBER 13-19 2015
Pressing matters Spotlight shines a light on the Pulitzer-winning investigation by The Boston Globe on child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church BY ALLY ADNAN
In an age, where the popularity of social media, reduced attention spans, a penchant for sensationalism, deteriorating tastes and a disregard for scholarship have all but killed traditional investigative journalism, Spotlight makes a solid case for serious, long-form and work-intensive reporting. Thomas McCarthy’s remarkably accurate, well-paced, lucid, authoritative and moving Spotlight is important not just for highlighting the need for proper investigative journalism but also because it tells the harrowing tale of widespread child abuse by Roman Catholic priests in Massachusetts and its relentless cover-up by the Catholic archdiocese of Boston with grave seriousness, requisite authority and horrifying impact. The film is based on the explosive series of articles, published in 2002, that uncovered the Catholic Church’s longstanding tradition of ignoring, allowing and enabling the abuse of children by its priests. The stories earned the Boston Globe the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service and forced the resignation of Cardinal Bernard F Law. Spotlight details the methodical and disciplined uncovering of the scandal by the Spotlight team. The film benefits from four smart decisions and is, hands down, the best movie of the year thus far. One, it tells the story from the perspective of the investigating journalists. This affords an intimate look into the world of investigative journalism and builds a bond between the audience and the characters in the film. The procedural is fascinating in its depiction of the inner workings of a newspaper. Two, it does not lionise the journalists at the expense of the victims. The focus of the story rests squarely on abuse survivors. There is no glorification of
admittedly great journalists. In a few brief, but emotionally wrenching scenes, McCarthy shows the pain and trauma caused by abuse. Neal Huff and Michael Cyril Creighton’s deeply moving performances as survivors demonstrate the deep and lingering trauma that haunts children long after abuse stops. Three, Spotlight does not give star treatment to any one actor and allows each one full room to perform well. The film stars Brian d’Arcy James, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber and John Slattery as Globe journalists. The actors play their roles with immense realism, without any affectation or desire to outshine others, allowing their characters to meld gracefully into a powerful ensemble. The film does not have a lead actor; the strong performances of each one of the six primary actors, along with those of Billy Crudup and Stanley Tucci, deserve awards. If ever there was a need for the category of Best Ensemble of Actors in the Oscars, this is it. Four, and most importantly, Spotlight chose to be deliberately understated, muted and low-key. It examines the work of a team of dedicated journalists in a realistic, seemingly cold and distant manner. There are no highly dramatic scenes, no intense monologues and certainly no melodrama. The saga of decades of clerical abuse and the church’s history of complicity, deception, secrecy and denial is potent and powerful; the film is smart to recognise its inherent dramatic strength and lets the events create horror and drama. The story of Spotlight was not limited to Massachusetts, it had no boundaries. As the credits roll towards the end, it is painfully obvious that a culture of secrecy, a self-serving belief in forgiveness, power without accountability, solidarity without conscientiousness and a reckless reluctance for self-examination have conspired to create an empire that is completely and solely responsible for ruining the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Rating: Ally Adnan lives in Dallas and writes about culture, history and the art. He tweets @allyadnan
POSITIVE
PAKISTANIS
A brick-solid activist Veeru Kohli’s journey to freedom ended in activism Veeru Kohli is an activist trying to end bonded labour in Pakistan.
N
ot everyone is born free; most have to fight for freedom. Trapped in modern-day slavery, Veeru Kohli fought for hers and in the process became a guardian of freedom for others. Born to a hari (landless peasant farmer) in Allahdino Shah village in the tiny town of Jhudo, Kohli was married off to a family bonded to their landlord at the age of 16. Kohli’s inlaws took a loan from their relatives and freed themselves from enslavement only to start working for another more oppressive landlord in Umerkot. “After working as a bonded labourer for a few years, I decided I couldn’t live my entire life like this and managed a dramatic escape,” recalls Kohli. One day when Kohli was not being supervised, she made a run for it. “I walked barefoot in the scorching heat all the way from Umerkot to a nearby village where my brother lived. By the time I got to his place, my feet were bleeding with thorns in them,” she recalls. The local police soon found Kohli and forced her to go back to the landlord and even beat her up. She was threatened to be raped and killed but being the strong-willed person that she is, Kohli took a stand and told the police she would rather die than go with them. She sat at the police station for three days and demanded freedom. Eventually they gave up and let her go. Being one of the few fortunate ones to escape bonded labour, Kohli realised the basic yet crucial need for freedom. There onwards began her mission to free others like herself. “Nobody deserves to live a life like this. It is so harsh that a normal person cannot even begin to imagine it. Since I have lived and escaped it, I want to free others so they too can experience what I have now,” says Kohli. There were many hurdles in Kohli’s path but her 38 determination fuelled the journey that lay ahead. First, she DECEMBER 13-19 2015
TEXT AND PHOTO BY HAFSAH SARFRAZ
had to overcome the language barrier that stood between her and the people she was desperate to help. Being a native Saraiki speaker, she approached the Green Rural Development Organization (GRDO) to help her learn Urdu. Once she conquered the hurdle of communication, she began preparing formal cases with lawyers and arranging for funds to bear all costs linked to the case, which can range anywhere between Rs5,000 and Rs20,000. The GRDO was also instrumental to Kohli’s mission as they provided financial assistance to fight the cases. Kohli was soon joined by others in her fight, assuring her she was not alone. Despite belonging to a minority religion, she found help from across faiths. She had freed nearly 400 people from bonded labour when the international community took note of her efforts. Connecting via a local NGO, Oxfam invited her to speak in Los Angeles at their Raise her Voice programme. “I was scared [to travel] initially. However, when I went there, they made me feel at home and gave me so much respect that I regained my confidence. It was really surprising for me to see a foreign country so interested in my cause and helping me achieve it further,” says Kohli. While her efforts are lauded worldwide, Kohli faces friction in her own country. “The government here belongs to the landlords with nobody to speak up for minorities. Just this year, my son was locked up in prison so they could stop me from raising my voice, but I have dedicated my life to this cause and it is so close to my heart,” she shares. Taking her crusade to the next level, Kohli aims to become a representative in the provincial assembly someday with one attempt already under her belt. T Hafsah Sarfraz is an Islamabad-based reporter for The Express Tribune.