JANUARY 3-9 2016
Pillage of
Illegal digging and artefact smuggling in KhyberPakhtunkhwa
JANUARY 3-9 2016
Feature Cover Story
Writing retreat
Pillage of prehistory
Aspiring Pakistani novelists participate in the annual NaNoWriMo
Investigating illegal diggings in the archaeologically rich Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province
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30 Social
Fare well Travel hacks to make trips economical and more enjoyable
38
Portfolio
A walk to remember
A visit to Central Park in New York
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Regulars
6 People & Parties: Out and about with beautiful people
36 Reviews: Movies
Magazine Editor: Dilaira Dubash. Subeditors: Komal Anwar & Manahyl Khan Shafi Creative Team: Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Mohsin Alam, Talha Ahmed Khan, Hira Fareed, Maryam Rashid, Sobia Khan, Umar Waqas & 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 Mo Shah and Aleena
Meena Ramchandani and Rabbia Isa Batla
PHOTOS COURTESY SAVVY PR
Safa Khan
The restaurant Haandi launches in Dubai Shefali Munshi, Zoella Alam Galadari and Fauzia Keher
Sonia Kamran, Abeehaa Mamoon and Sadaf Razvi
6 JANUARY 3-9 2016
Rozy Khan
Sadia Butt and Sakshi Nath
PEOPLE & PARTIES Naheed and Naveen Huda
The inauguration of the Eduljee Dinshaw Road Project ceremony in Karachi
Cyra Anklesaria
Mr and Mrs Ahmad Shafqat
Arif Habib
8 JANUARY 3-9 2016
Ava Cowasjee
Dr Ikhtiar Baig
Dr Jamil Ahmad
PHOTOS COURTESY NEW WORLD CONCEPTS PR
Sonia, Yasmin and Misbah
PEOPLE & PARTIES
The Special Children’s Educational Institute holds an exhibition in Karachi
Neera Sheikh and Saima Haq
Neshmia, Mona and Naila
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Leslie, Aban and Meher
Mubariz and Hanan
PHOTOS COURTESY NEW WORLD CONCEPTS PR
Tamara and Cyra Ali
Sheneira with a guest
PEOPLE & PARTIES Amin Gulgee, Pomme Amina Gohar and Yousuf Bashir Qureishi
Manizhe Ali with a friend
PHOTOS COURTESY PHENOMENA PR
KMC’s cultural department hosts an exhibition at Sadequain Gallery in Karachi Mehreen Hashmi, Nahid Raza and Bina Ali
Zeeshan Muhammad
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Anoushe Alam and Angie Marshal with a friend
Kiran Asad
PEOPLE & PARTIES Sobia Nazir and Natasha Ahmed
Laila Khan and Noveera Azad
PHOTOS COURTESY REZZ PR AND SAVVY PR
Amber Javed
Naz Mansha lanches INGLOT in Islamabad
Hira Attique and Hemayal
Kiran Butt
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Sabeen Khan
Lilly, Fatima and Manal
Noor Fatima and Hiba Khan
Sehr Ali
PEOPLE & PARTIES Nadia Inam
PHOTOS COURTESY REZZ PR AND SAVVY PR
Mustafa, Bilal, Arooba and Samya Mir
Nadia Tahir, Abida Nauman and Sania Sameer
Samreen Bhatti
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Raheela Khan and Zareen
Sundas Rasool and Shumaila Rajput
Begum Aliya and Natasha Hussain
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Wana Udobang and Juliet Kego
PHOTO CREDITS FAROOQ USMAN
Priya Asnani
Dawood Global Foundation hosts Educate a Girl Summit in Lagos
Tasneem Farooq and Mehrjabeen Qamar
Afiffa, Mehwish, Faith, Amarachi and Nike
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Kemedy Okeke
Rafique Dawood
Pillage
Investigating illegal diggings in the archaeologically rich Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province
of
Text and photos by Hidayat Khan | Design by Maryam Rashid Pushkalavati, meaning Lotus City in Sanskrit, was the earliest capital of the glorious Gandhara civilisation. Located in and near modern-day Charsadda in the Peshawar valley, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), the site is replete with relics buried beneath high mounds, attracting a number of illegal diggers tempted to make quick money. Unaware of the historical significance and importance of these relics, diggers employ unconventional digging methods, destroying precious information in the process that could lead experts to further explore one of the earliest civilisations.
An illegally excavated damaged Buddha statue.
Destruction of the past Shayaz Khan is one of the many local diggers who try their luck at unearthing some of these priceless relics. Despite owning a small general store in the city, he has turned to digging as a full-time job. “These stone-made statues have made many people millionaires and I want to become one too,” he says, while holding a broken Buddha statue. Illegal excavations have been carried out since the past several years and mounds have been levelled with little to no intervention from authorities. The trade got bigger as local diggers began to lease lands from farmers to carry out their work without raising suspicions of the ongoing illegal activity. “We purchase land from farmers and after the digging process is complete, the land is returned to the owner while the dealers keep the recovered relics,” Khan says. “A few months ago, we found big statues adorned with jewellery and other ornaments that were sold for millions,” says a local digger. The discoveries are always full of surprises, ranging from rare artefacts to popularly-known works from the Gandhara period (from 530 BC to 1021 AD), which include stucco sculptures, lamps, pottery, toys, coins, architectural elements, iron nails, shapes of birds and flowers and bowls. The items are made from different materials such as stone, bronze, brass and gold, which is the ultimate jackpot, diggers say. Locals reveal hundreds of statues have been excavated and transported to unknown places this way. Although the Bala Hisar (Persian word for ‘elevated’ or a ‘high fort’) site is protected to some extent, the mound in Marchakay area in Charsadda has completely been plundered. Although Khan, along with other diggers, refused to be photographed, they were more than willing to let their recovered artefacts be documented with pictures. According to Khan, it would take an entire lifetime to dig these sites and what they have recovered is worthy of being
The biggest market for illegally excavated relics is now shifting to China. It is our civilisation that is being smuggled to other countries Owner of Zaitun art gallery Nasim Javed shown. The process of recovering these items is not something to be proud of, he admits, but desperate times call for drastic measures, he adds. Many locals have turned to looting due to economic hardship. Another digger, who wished to remain anonymous, says, “We know we have caused damage to our history. There were walls and other primitive constructions that came in our way during the excavations, which had to be pulled down. We have destroyed temples, sanitation systems, pipes, bathrooms and even a phansi ghat (gallows). History is important to the people here, but we are very poor and must sell these things.” Unlike archaeologists, who excavate in sequence or layer by layer to determine the time period these items belong to in order to trace the history of the region, local diggers have limited access to specialised tools and rely primarily on shovels, spades, mattocks and other digging instruments on-hand for the task.
Looted in Charsadda and sold in China Locals involved in excavations are only one part of the illegal network; they make a small portion of profit, whereas dealers from Peshawar get a bigger share of the pie. They supervise the excavation since they have vested interests and guide locals on how to protect and preserve big statues until the goods reach their hands. And the quickest way to clean artefacts without causing any damage is by using lemon juice diluted with water, Khan reveals.
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Findings are often mutilated during the recovery process due to a lack of professional tools.
After the artefacts are cleaned and securely packaged, dealers smuggle them through different wet and dry routes and sell them to foreign buyers. The Ander Shehr bazaar in Peshawar is famous for openly dealing in the sale of such relics under the disguise of established companies dealing in antiques. Nasim Javed, the owner of Zaitun art gallery in Peshawar, who deals in the export of different antiques around the world says, “The biggest market for illegally excavated relics is now shifting to China. It is our civilisation that is being smuggled to other countries.” Javed accuses licensed customs agents of have a leading role in collaboration with FIA officers and other customs officials to clear these artefacts for export. With the halt of tourism in Peshawar due to security concerns, artefacts need to be directly sent to foreign buyers. It the increase in demand for such relics in the international market that has made Peshawar the 24 hub for such traders. JANUARY 3-9 2016
Easy loot Until K-P authorities implement the Antiquity Act of 1975 (amended in 1976) — a number of rules framed for the protection and preservation of antiquities — to the take control of the land, diggers will continue to treat these sites as public property. Government officials accept historical sites have been tampered with and laws should be made to stop this illegal activity. “Besides the Marchakay mound, there are 400 other archaeological sites in the district of Charsadda. It is the cradle of civilisation,” says K-P Director of Archaeology and Museums Dr Abdul Samad. “A majority of them are disturbed by looters and professional diggers.” According to Khan digging even takes place in broad daylight but this is refuted by the deputy commissioner in Charsadda, Tahir Abbasi. “We have imposed section 144 and digging is not allowed. We have written to the Directorate of Archaeology to take steps to ensure the safety of archaeological sites in the districts but no attention has been paid,” he says. “Orders have been given
We know we have caused damage to our history. There were walls and other primitive constructions that came in our way during the excavations, which had to be pulled down A local digger
to police departments to protect these sites, but now, there is a duty to implement the orders.” The police could play a key role in the fight against this trade but according to local excavators, they have very little influence in the area. The abundance of relics has proven to be more of a bane than a boon for authorities. Dr Abdul Samad says, “We have nearly 6,000 sites of archaeological importance spread across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, which makes it difficult for us to protect all the sites.” With the help of on-site guards, Dr Samad has been able to protect the mound at Bala Hisar, but Marchakay has been left vulnerable to pillage. Illegal excavation projects spearheaded by untrained locals are rampant in other districts as well. A recent archaeological survey in Buner district revealed that the region has 500 sites, a majority of which are already damaged beyond repair. There is no accurate data, however, to ascertain how many antiques have been smuggled out of K-P so far. “This is going on everywhere, but K-P and Balochistan are the worst affected provinces due to instability,” says the director. “Even high-ranking government officials are involved in this work. Some 80% of the antiques are from Afghanistan, brought in from various routes to Peshawar. From there, they are taken to Islamabad, making a majority of this trade to be linked through dry ports.” Most smuggled antiques are fake, cautions Dr Samad. Javed agrees, adding, “Usually, less than 25% - 30% of historical items being smuggled are genuine.” Dr Samad pins hope on the proposed Antiquities Act 2015 that is now in the K-P cabinet. Under this Act, authorities can directly arrest smugglers, fine them for up to Rs4 million, and/ or sentence them to 10 years imprisonment. For this purpose, an antiquities trade control authority is to be formed.
Recovered artefacts
There are nearly 6,000 sites of archaeological importance spread across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
An official from customs, who chose to remain anonymous, confirms that a major chunk of the trade takes place via dry ports. As a result, customs intelligence officials have been keeping a close watch on exports. According to the official, after the artefacts are seized and taken into custody, they are handed over to officials of the archaeology department. The official provided a list of the most recent items that were handed over to the Directorate of Archaeology under section 25 JANUARY 3-9 2016
The biggestever seizure of artefacts from the Karachi airport
$10 million 35 of the Antiquity Act of 1975, which included several statues of Buddha, a royal plate decorated with figures of Sasanian kings with horses, silver jewellery and 19 coins from different eras, among other things. The official adds they also recovered a large volume of badly-damaged stone Buddha statues as a result of the reckless digging methods used by locals. Despite mounting efforts to stop this flourishing illegal business, many agree that a lot more is still needed to preserve our past. As thirst grows for bigger profit margins, smaller statues become worthless for diggers who continue their search for bigger ones that can attract high bidders, says Sher Muhammad, a local digger in his 50s. “Gandhara will never stop revealing its ancient wonders and mysteries. These very earthen mounds have made people millionaires. Though the mounds are being levelled at an increasing rate, there is more treasure to find,� he adds. T Hidayat Khan is a Peshawar-based reporter for The Express Tribune. He tweets @hidayat_khan26
The discoveries range from rare artefacts to popularly-known works from the Gandhara period.
is the estimated price of pre-historic artefacts seized by customs officials at the Karachi airport on December 17, 2015. Acting on intelligence information, the customs staff intercepted four passengers, carrying 11 packages full of artefacts, including jewellery, statues, metallic axes and stone leaves.
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FEATURE
Writing retreat
NaNoWriMo gives aspiring Pakistani novelists an impetus to pursue creative writing BY ZAID NOORSUMAR PHOTO CREDITS FARHEEN ZEHRA DESIGN BY SANOBER AHMED
“I think it’s still not sunk in that I have won!” exclaims Farheen Zehra, one of the winners, who is also the DWL city representative for Karachi. Her post shows her obvious delight at writing “a full-fledged story with characters who have their own distinct personality and voice”. The most illuminating part of her post was perhaps her statement, “after all these years I finally sat down and wrote”. A common affliction among aspiring writers is that they do not even try, and overcoming that obstacle day after day is understandably a cause for celebration. Other participants chime in about crashing at the end of their endeavours, the rewards they presented themselves and the daunting task of editing that awaits them. Twenty-one writers from Pakistan achieved the target, with the group of 113 active registrants from the country writing 1.6 million words during the month, a significant increase from the year before.
The support system
Participants at the final write-in session at T2F in Karachi.
A sense of jubilation permeated the Desi Writers’ Lounge (DWL) online forum as writers in Pakistan announced their victories during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in November. The euphoria was well-deserved as each participant in the global competition had to write 50,000 words during the course of the month. 30 JANUARY 3-9 2016
In 2015, the official NaNoWrimo Municipal Liaison for Pakistan, who goes by Slay Belle, collaborated with DWL to form a support group for local writers. The group stayed active on multiple online forums, sharing ideas and tips while encouraging each other to achieve the goal. Belle and DWL also organised weekly write-in sessions at T2F in Karachi, giving participants an additional boost. “The aim of the weekly write-in sessions was to provide writers a quiet and suitable place where they could work on their manuscripts undisturbed for two hours. Writing together always helps generate a sense of community, which in this case was crucial for a high-pressure activity like NaNoWriMo,” says Zehra. “Participants who were lagging on their daily word counts would get motivated by seeing their peers working on their novels. Also, the writeins gave our participants the opportunity to interact with the municipal liaison and discuss their stories with her and other participants,” she adds.
FEATURE
The regular writing sessions helped many writers complete the 50,000 word challenge. “I know about seven people who completed the 50,000-word challenge and several others who were in the 40,000 region. It was all made possible because we had an official liaison officer this year, who is an excellent guide, and [because of] the DWL writing sessions,” says Wasio Abassi, a first-time winner, who only managed 5,000 words in 2014. The sentiment is shared by Saulat Qadri, who began to rework a novel that he had shelved after penning down 30,000-40,000 words a long time ago. Through the support of DWL members, he rediscovered the urge to resume working on his narrative.
a sci-fi/mystery thriller set in Karachi. “There is a mysterious chain of murders that put the whole city on edge, resulting in gang warfare the likes of which Karachi had never seen before. The city, by virtue of the multitude of criminal and militaristic outfits, is an ideal setting simply waiting to explode on the slightest spark,” he says, elaborating on the concept of his book. For others, the urge to write comes from a more visceral source. As Ayesha Abdul Razzaq says, “Writing is a way of exploring
myself; I get more in touch with feelings I have about people as most of my characters are based on people I know in real life or have dreamt about.” One of the recurring themes in conversations amongst the aspiring novelists at the T2F write-in sessions was the attachment they feel with their characters, which are not merely the product of words on paper but almost sentient beings who in some cases act of their own volition. “Your characters don’t always evolve as you imagine, one character all of a sudden goes rogue (doing all the things he/she wasn’t supposed to do)
Writing together always helps generate a sense of community, which in this case was crucial for a highpressure activity like NaNoWriMo Participant Farheen Zehra
Of murders in Karachi and rogue characters The impetus to write comes from many sources but for many of the NaNo cohorts who frequented T2F, their inspiration — unsurprisingly — stemmed from Karachi. Qadri says, “Karachi is the biggest motivation” for his story, which is strongly connected to the experience of growing up in the city. “The city, despite uncountable acts of violence, still survives and thrives, and that is what I want to capture in my story,” adds Qadri, who is writing
Participants at the DWL NaNoWriMo kick-off party at T2F.
The impetus to write comes from many sources but for many of the NaNo cohorts who frequented T2F, their inspiration — unsurprisingly — stemmed from Karachi
Participants at the second write-in session.
Winners and participants with their certificates at the NaNoWriMo wrap-up party.
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and that changes the entire storyline. My main character suddenly turned into a Sindhi nationalist and started arguing against Allama Iqbal and I had to let it continue despite completely messing up the entire storyline in the process,” shares Qadri. It’s these frustrating aspects to novel writing — whether it’s the development of a new plotline or the pain of dealing with fictitious humans who frolic to their own beats — that perhaps necessitates the existence of a strong support network. “I think writing in a group, occasionally, makes you realise that you’re not the only crazy one out there who is so passionate JANUARY 3-9 2016
about the written word. Sometimes you need feedback from others about your work. At other times you need words of encouragement and motivation. Sometimes, you just need a person to talk to you who will completely understand how an imaginary person (your novel’s character) is giving you sleepless nights!” says Zehra.
The struggle begins anew Although November was a resounding success for many, the New Year presents a different set of challenges — mainly rewriting and editing. Since the aim of
NaNoWriMo is producing in bulk while silencing one’s inner critic, writers are wary about plucking out the vestiges and fine-tuning their body of work. To help the local community with its post-NaNo journey, Belle and DWL plan to continue organising workshops in Karachi. Meanwhile, the online workshops on the DWL forum continue to function for those seeking help with the various aspects of writing and editing. Zaid Noorsumar is a PR practitioner who is interested in issues related to public good. He tweets @nutellafanatik
PORTFOLIO
A walk to remember
To experience the best of the heterogeneous New York City simply visit its beloved Central Park TEXT AND PHOTOS BY NISMA CHAUHAN DESIGN BY UMAR WAQAS
Many visitors spend their day rowing rented boats at the lake in the park.
Every step one takes inside Central Park brings with itself a reminder of the sheer magnitude of New York City. Although having seen it on paper and in many a romantic comedies before, neither compares to the experience of actually being there, amongst its picturesque strawberry fields, intricate waterways and dreamy architecture. What stands out most about Central Park is how everything about it seems to pay homage to the diversity that makes its mother city so spectacular.
Covering over 840 acres of upper-middle Manhattan, the park is a veritable museum of the different ethnicities, religions and races that comprise the Big Apple. In fact, there is literally so much to see herein that even four whole days are not enough to cover its entire expanse. It has been estimated that nearly 40 million people visit Central Park every year and on this particular afternoon, there had to have been at least a thousand, despite the cold winter breeze. Amongst them were people of all casts and creeds, races and religions, social classes and sexual orientations and the best part was that they were all mingling in 33 JANUARY 3-9 2016
PORTFOLIO
Central Park is New York City’s most breathtaking and celebrated attraction.
It has been estimated that nearly 40 million people visit Central Park every year and on this particular afternoon, there had to have been at least a thousand, despite the cold winter air
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Many skateboarders and bicyclists frequently visit the park.
harmony. Even the vegetation and terrain in Central Park is highly varied, ranging from flat swards, gentle hills and shady glens to rocky ravines and pathways. It’s hardly surprising therefore that the park has been dubbed one of man’s greatest achievements in artificial landscaping. There seems to be something magical encompassing Central Park that can rejuvenate even the most exhausted of tourists. The deeper one walks into the park, the calmer they feel and can begin to understand why so many New Yorkers come here to seek respite from their hectic city lives. The positive energies of so many different people doing so many different things is strangely uplifting; even mundane tasks like walking dogs or munching on a salad for lunch feels exciting. Over here, one can meet everyone under the sun, from skateboarders and Frisbee enthusiasts to cab-drivers, bankers and babysitters. The benches are occupied by texters, talkers, waffle-eaters and the happy or the sad. The park’s canopied pathways, lit by vintage luminaire lamps, have seen many lovers and marriages, and look like
The positive energies of so many different people doing so many different things at the park is strangely uplifting. still-life portraits. Every now and then, one encounters couples appreciating the romance of the setting, perhaps on a first date or the last. This breathtaking site does not only mirror the diversity of New York but captivates everyone with its vivid storytelling, allowing them to briefly escape the city’s fast-paced life. T Nisma Chauhan is a subeditor at the magazine desk. She tweets @ChauhanNisma
The Park hosts a variety of people including those who come looking to make a living.
Some make their living blowing giant bubbles for children in the park.
Sisters fall to the dark side Released on the same day as Star Wars, Sisters does not pack enough punch to win audiences BY ALLY ADNAN
There is a set of filmgoers who will enjoy Sisters; they are the ones who want to watch a television sitcom that is longer, more profane and a little more dramatic than ones seen on broadcast television. Others are likely to find Jason Moore’s film tiresome, tedious and far too long. Sisters is a tremendous waste of the comedic talent of two of the funniest ladies in show business today. Hollywood has been unable to give Tina Fey and Amy Poehler opportunities to shine in films as they have for years on television. During the last decade, the two actors have performed together and individually in a series of consistently forgettable films that have failed to impress viewers and critics. Sisters tries, perhaps a little too hard and occasionally with some success, to give the duo a fair opportunity to display their immense talent but is unable to do justice to their comedic genius. Thanks to uneven direction, poor writing and uninspired cinematography, Sisters squanders away the very talent that it seems doggedly determined to showcase. The titular siblings, Kate (Tina Fey) and Maura Ellis (Amy Poehler), are greatly dismayed to learn that their parents, Deana (Dianne Wiest) and Bucky Ellis (James Brolin), have made the unilateral decision to sell their childhood home in Orlando and move to a condominium in a swanky retirement community. The two sisters are very different people. Maura is kind, compassionate and 36 eager to help people. She is divorced and JANUARY 3-9 2016
has a successful career as a nurse in Atlanta. The irresponsible and mercurial Kate is a beautician who finds it hard to hold down a job and even harder to manage her teenage daughter Haley (Madison Davenport). The two sisters head to Orlando to visit their parents, only to find out that the home has already been sold. They are tasked with clearing out their shared childhood apartment but instead decide to relive their childhood by throwing a wild party in the home, a couple of days before the sale is scheduled to close. Kate decides to allow Maura a chance to enjoy the party in a way she never did in her youth and takes on the role of the responsible party mom. Veteran television writer Paula Pell’s script is predictable, repetitive and awkward. Sisters has all the traditional ingredients of a party-out-of-control movie — crude jokes, drug fueled antics, drunken misbehaviour, nostalgic wistfulness, romantic subplots and the resolution of longstanding hostilities — but is missing proper character development and genuinely funny lines. Fey and Poehler are funny only when they appear to be improvising, but unfortunately they seem so eager to grab for laughs that they forget the thinly etched characters they play. Sisters does not know when, how and where to end. It takes far too much time after the climax to finish and has about two endings too many. The problems of direction and screenwriting notwithstanding, Sisters features truly stellar performances of both
principal and supporting actors. Fey and Poehler have terrific chemistry and are supremely funny when riffing together. They play against type and clearly have fun with the roles they take on. Poehler is intensely funny and likable as the compulsively helpful Maura. Fey is brilliant as the brassy and lustful sister who enjoys flaunting her sexiness. Sisters is clearly centred around the characters of Kate and Maura but generously accommodates supporting actors, several of whom turn in very funny performances. Bobby Moynihan is wonderful as a guy who is desperate to be funny and accidentally ingests a large amount of cocaine. John Cena uses his pumped-up masculine image very effectively to embody the role of a stoic drug dealer who becomes an object of desire for Kate. Maya Rudolph puts in a highly inspired performance as Kate’s long-time nemesis, showing the emotional and psychological make-up of her character with playful tenderness. The many excellent performances in Sisters elevate the film but fail to make it rise above the tired party-out-of-control genre. This is sad because the gifted actors deserved to bring their abundant talents to a better film. And viewers deserved to be entertained by the same actors but in a comedy of significantly higher quality.
Rating: Ally Adnan lives in Dallas and writes about culture, history and art. He tweets @allyadnan
No navigation Director Ron Howard is unclear on where he wants the story to go BY PIREH MOOSA
In the Heart of the Sea oins a lengthy list of movies that pays homage to the great classic Moby Dick, written by Herman Melville in 1851. The film, however, is based on an incredible true story — Nathaniel Philbrick’s eponymous novel — that inspired Melville’s Moby Dick. But despite its interesting excursion and fine visuals, the movie fails to captivate audiences at large. Set in 1820, the story follows a disastrous expedition to reach a quota of 3,000 barrels of whale oil to meet the demands of the booming whale oil industry of Nantucket, an island off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. A whaling ship, The Essex, is assailed by an enormous, enraged bull sperm whale and the few remaining survivors struggle and commit abominations in their battle for survival. Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth) is a bold, veteran whaler who longed to be the captain of the ship. Instead, he is offered to be second-in-command to George Pollard Jr (Benjamin Walker), the inexperienced captain of the ship from an established family who envies Chase’s skill and charisma. The youngest member of the crew, Thomas Nickerson (Tom Holland), accompanies them on their voyage and years later, reluctantly narrates the story to Melville, inspiring his timeless masterpiece. Director Ron Howard uses flashbacks to show this throughout the film. It was essentially Hollywood heartthrob Hemsworth who lured many to watch yet another movie about the timeworn Moby Dick. While he may well justify the choice to watch the film, his character is somewhat a disappointment. Owen Chase may have been brave and true, but the character had no spark, making many wonder if Hemsworth was the right pick for the role. With audiences used to his gallant charm in movies such as Thor and Huntsman, it was hard to place Hemsworth as a sailor and his feeble attempt at mimicking a 19th Century American accent only made matters worse. On the upside, the film managed to create a believable 19th Century atmosphere, as far as the costumes and the design of the ship were concerned. It also featured beautiful cinematography accompanied by a fitting orchestral soundtrack that provided appropriate music for the adventure film. The scenes and music made the film a pleasant watch, but not for the faint hearted. Filled with graphic images of whale carcasses and bloody attacks, including detailed descriptions of unspeakable acts committed by survivors, it was disturbing to watch. Overall, In the Heart of the Sea did not quite capture the epic feel it clearly aspired to achieve. While the original movie, Moby Dick (1956), was short, simple and memorable, this latest offering was saturated with meaningless action and lacked substance. As a result, the film will easily be forgotten unlike its timeless tale. Rating:
More survival stories All Is Lost (2013) After a collision with a shipping container at sea, a resourceful sailor finds himself, despite all efforts to the contrary, staring his mortality in the face.
Pireh Moosa is a Karachi-based student who enjoys writing and reading sci-fi.
Against the Sun (2014) A WWII pilot, bombardier and radioman find themselves adrift on a lifeboat without food or water after being forced to ditch their plane during a scouting mission.
Everest (2015) A climbing expedition on Mt Everest is devastated by a severe snow storm. Challenged by the harshest elements imaginable, climbers face nearly impossible odds as a lifelong obsession becomes a breathtaking struggle for survival.
WELL Travel hacks to make trips economical and more enjoyable
Travel off-season
Summer is often a tempting season to travel to a tropical island, while Christmas and New Year can be celebrated anywhere across the globe. However, these are also the most expensive periods to travel so book flights during off-season months to save money. For those who are interested in a Euro trip, the ideal time to travel without spending a fortune is from October to April, excluding December.
Live central
Staying in city centres may be expensive as compared to the outskirts, but it considerably cuts down on transport costs. This way, one can do more sightseeing and make the most of a short stay by staying closer to tourist attractions.
Airbnb: the secret to cheap accommodation deals
Airbnb is a website which connects potential holiday goers to local hosts in over 190 countries to rent a place to stay. It allows people to 38 find accommodation within their JANUARY 3-9 2016
BY HAFSAH SARFRAZ
DESIGN BY SOBIA KHAN
The new year has arrived and many of us might have exciting travel plans to make 2016 memorable. During the course of planning your vacation, don’t let high costs of travelling discourage you. Here are a few tips to make the most of your trip while spending the least amount of money possible.
budget and gives them the option to select the location.
Use public transport and walk more
Most countries have a welldeveloped public transport system, especially tourist destinations. Using public transport is not only a great way to save money but it also helps you learn how to navigate around the place. Shorter distances are best enjoyed on foot and it’s also a great way to experience the local culture.
Google Flights: cheap flights
the
trick
to
If you love travelling long distances, then Google Flights — a search tool for flights — can be a blessing. It provides a list of options from different airlines according to their price and date. An innovative feature of Google Flights is that it allows open-ended searches based on criteria other than destination. For example, a customer may search for flights with a range of dates and budgets according to which various destination choices can be displayed.
Savour street food
Although one may be drawn towards global fast-food franchises, it is always refreshing to indulge in street food. Not only is it a cheaper option but it is also food that you can have on-the-go and cover more tourist spots in a day. This is one of the reasons why Halal Guys in New York and Wafflemeister in London always have a large queue.
Free entry to museums
Most museums in Europe are free for students and carrying a student card in America can get you amazing discounts. Alternatively, in some cities such as New York, there are certain days when everyone can have free access to museums. Hence, it is always a good idea to check those days online before visiting.
Enjoy the small moments
Your most priceless experiences might not necessarily be the ones that cost you the most. Instead of aiming to explore everything in one trip, enjoy a few places you would like to visit the most. T Hafsah Sarfraz is an Islamabad-based reporter for The Express Tribune.