The Express Tribune Magazine - July 18

JULY 18-24 2010

Kingdom of Fear Even death has not helped diminish the impact of Rehman Dakait’s reign over a Karachi neighbourhood

JULY 18-24 2010

Cover Story 16 Kingdom of Fear The battle for Lyari’s soul rages on after Rehman Dakait’s death

Feature 22 Taking the Cake Event management finds a new set of willing clients, children Defying Time How ageing gracefully has become the new paradox

Education 26 Rebuilding Lives Bringing education to the children of quake-devastated AJK

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Comment 28 The Fuss Over Football The difference the world’s one global sport can make

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Portfolio 30 Cultural Shifts Myra Iqbal’s inspiring journey to Punja Sahib

Review 36 What’s new in films, books and music

Regulars 6 People & Parties: Out and about with Pakistan’s beautiful people 14 Tribune Questionnaire: Bina Shah on integrity 40 Horoscope: Shelley von Strunckel on your week ahead 42 Ten Things I Hate About: Art Cinema

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Magazine Editor: Muna Khan, Features Editor: Faiza S Khan, Senior Sub-Editor: Nadir Hassan, Sub-Editor: Batool Zehra 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

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Starry Night

Etihad hosted a reception for Pakistani business leaders in the UAE. The event was attended by His Excellency Mr. Khurshed Ahmed Junejo, Pakistan Ambassador to the UAE and famous cricketers.

1. Dean Jones, Amir Khan, Amir Sohail, Andrew Ward and Zahir Rahmtoola 2. Samra Muslim and Zahir Rahmtoola 3. Dean Jones and Amer Sohail 4. Fawzia Naqvi, Zahida Parween and Sara Belhasa 5. Amir Khan, Andrew Ward and Peter Baumgartner 6.

Mr and Mrs Khurram Naseem.

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To have your event featured in this section email magazine@tribune.com.pk

PEOPLE & PARTIES

PEOPLE & PARTIES

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1. Peter Baumgartner, Khurshed Ahmes Junejo, Saif and Sara Belhasa 2. Amir Sohail, Baber Afzal and M Afzal 3. Ayesha Munshi and Samra Muslim 4. Amir Sohail, Maha Raja and Dr Naeem Tareen 5.

Imran Chaudhry, Khurshed Ahmed Jonejo and Hanif Marchand 6. Amir Sohail taking his time on the bat.

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PEOPLE & PARTIES

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1. Autographs for the cricket-lovers 2. Guests 3. Saif and Sara Belhasa 4. Dean Jones and Peter Baumgartner and Amir Sohail 5. Dean Jones, Mark Jan Kar, Andy Staines and Kunal Sharma 6. Amir Khan 7. Andrew Ward, Khurshed Ahmed Junejo and Raymond Korban.

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Glamourama

Hollywood stars were out in full force doing film premieres and fahsion events.

1. Leonardo DiCaprio and Marion Cotillard at the Inception premiere 2. Ellen Page at the premiere of Inception in London 3. Cillian Murphy at the Inception premiere 4.

“Entourage” star Adrian Grenier at a film festival in Czech Republic 5. Actor Jay Baruchel at a screening of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice in California 6. Jessica Alba and Ewan McGregor at Mercedez Benz Fashion Week in Berlin 7. Ashton Kutcher at an event in Hollywood.

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PHOTOS: AFP AND REUTERS

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PEOPLE & PARTIES

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India uncut

Bollywood celebrities made the rounds of the publicity circuit over the last week.

1. Shilpa Shetty, Arshad Warsi and Vaibhavi Merchant at the finale of their dance reality show, “Zara Nachke Dikha�

2. Ali Zafar poses at a promotional event for his film 3. A guest at an art exhibition in Mumbai 4. Perizaad Zorabian at a fashion show in Mumbai 5. Kunal Kapoor at a radio station to promote his film Lamhaa 6. Sonam, Anil and Rhea Kapoor at the soundtrack launch of the film Aisha 7. Tere Bin producer Pooja Shetty Deora.

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“Most despicable people are either misunderstood, misguided or both” Writer Bina Shah on contentment, athletic ability and wanting to be a doctor without having to go through medical school.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

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

Freedom from any kind of want, need, or desire. Contentment.

I’d wish for more athletic ability.

and without.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Coming to a resting point where everything is at peace within

What is your greatest fear?

Writing my books. I’m very proud of that.

Snakes.

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

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

I’d come back as a doctor. I’ve always wanted to be one without

Laziness.

it be? having to go to medical school.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Where would you most like to live?

Gadgetry — specially if made by Apple

Geneva in the summer, Karachi in the winter.

On what occasion do you lie?

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

When someone pressures me to do something I don’t want to do.

Being blessed but unable to realise it.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

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

My hair. It’s uncontrollable!

I’d be a chef. Run a restaurant or a bakery.

Which living person do you most despise?

What is your most marked characteristic?

I don’t despise anyone. Most despicable people are either misun-

My creativity.

derstood, misguided, or both.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Integrity.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Integrity.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

“Oh my god” and a few unprintable phrases.

When and where were you happiest?

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Fatima Jinnah.

Who are your heroes in real life?

Martin Luther King Jr. Anne Frank. My aunt Fahima Qalbani

who ran a breast care clinic in the Midwest for many years and doubtlessly saved many women’s lives.

What is your greatest regret?

I’m too young for regrets just yet.

At my brother’s wedding a few weeks ago. I was surrounded by

What’s your favourite quote?

important step in life.

them.”

friends and family, and was so proud to see him taking such an

Mother Theresa: “If you judge people you have no time to love

Which talent would you most like to have?

How many hours of load shedding did you experience yesterday?

A beautiful singing voice.

Five or six — I’ve lost count.a

15 JULY 18-24 2010

COVER STORY On October 18, 2007, two bombs exploded in Karachi, targeting Benazir Bhutto and millions of her supporters on the eve of her return to Pakistan after a nine-year exile. Minutes after the explosion, Benazir was spirited away in a white car that sped to her residence in Clifton.

According to eyewitnesses, there was another passenger in

that car that night: Rehman Dakait, one of Karachi’s most notorious criminals and Lyari’s most infamous son.

kingdom of

fear

Even death has not helped diminished the impact of Rehman Dakait’s reign.

BY HUMA IMTIAZ

Lyari, running alongside a tide of sewage, is one of Karachi’s

least developed areas and home to over six million people, the vast majority of whom are unemployed and uneducated. Home

to multiple ethnic groups, including the Sheedis, whose lineage can be traced back to African slaves, the locality has been the birthplace of numerous boxers and footballers.

Sardar Abdul Rehman Baloch was born there in 1980, the son

of a resourceful drug-smuggler, and a mother who would learn to rue the day. Baloch’s transgressions began early, when he showed an aptitude for peddling drugs. He is claimed to have stabbed a man at the age of 13.

In 1995, Rehman murdered his mother Khadija Bibi.

Rumours and theories about his motives for matricide abound,

it is most commonly speculated that Khadija Bibi had links to a

rival gang member which led her enraged son to kill her. As the charge sheet against him grew, a new identity was created, Sar-

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dar Abdul Rehman Baloch became Rehman Dakait and a legend of sorts was thus born.

Eventually making the transition from member of Haji Laloo’s

gang to its chief after Laloo’s arrest in 2001, Rehman was involved in extortion, kidnapping, drug smuggling, the sale of illegal arms and more. For nearly a decade, gang war left life paralysed in Lyari as Rehman and his gang battled it out with rival Arshad Pappu and his acolytes.

But the rise and rise of Rehman Dakait’s sphere of influence

cannot be credited to his gumption alone. According to a Pakistan People’s Party insider who did not want to be named, po-

litical patronage of the Rehman Dakait family has been going on since the 1960s, and continues to this day: “During General Ayub Khan’s rule, there was a trend of doing politics with gangsters by your side. A member of a prominent family used to support

Dadal and Sheru, Rehman’s father and uncle.” The family owns a newspaper and various industries in Pakistan.

The answer to why Rehman’s family flourished and became

close allies with politicians lies in the years of bad governance

that followed shortly after Pakistan gained independence. After

the death of founding fathers Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan in the first few years after Pakistan’s birth, the military

and bureaucracy ruled over Pakistan for nearly two decades. Politicians were nowhere to be seen in the public arena. Instead, rul-

ers relied on a workforce of the bureaucracy, army, police and the civil administration to consolidate their power base, with one hidden ace up their sleeves: their support for criminal elements.

But the status quo seemed to change when Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto

emerged as a leader of the people in 1967. When he founded the

Pakistan People’s Party, Lyari, like most of the country, fell under Bhutto’s spell. His agenda of power to the people and promise

of food, clothing and shelter resonated with an impoverished so-

ciety. Since then, Lyari has remained a PPP stronghold, and has almost always elected a PPP leader in the general elections. Bena-

zir Bhutto, who was born in a hospital in Lyari, had her wedding reception there in 1987 and Asif Zardari was elected as a member of parliament from Lyari.

Despite this show of solidarity, the PPP has ignored the area’s

urgent need for employment opportunities and civic infrastructure and also turned a blind eye to crime. According to a PPP in-

sider, criminal elements in Lyari were scared of local political personalities in the area in the 70s. But eventually the criminals became more dominant.

A Baloch himself, Rehman had allegedly been involved in sell-

ing arms to the Balochistan Liberation Army, the rebel group ac-

cused by the government of being involved in terrorist activities

in Balochistan. SP Aslam Khan denies any knowledge of this, as does CCPO Waseem Ahmed. “We have never received any such investigation about Rehman supplying arms to the BLA,” insists

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COVER STORY Ahmed.

In the years that Rehman battled Arshad Pappu for the rule of

Lyari, he was twice arrested by the police, yet managed to escape from custody on both occasions. Following his arrest in 2006, Rehman had confessed to enjoying the support of police officers. Lyari residents had complained that the police was not tak-

ing sufficient action against criminal elements in the area and turned a blind eye to the gang war shootouts. According to Superintendent of Police Chaudhry Aslam Khan, “The reason it took the police so long to capture Rehman is because he kept eluding us, he used to escape after police encounters on motorcycles and

buses. When we received information of his whereabouts, we went there and he died as a result of that encounter.”

Local newspapers have published pictures of Rehman with

Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza and in a crowd surrounding Benazir Bhutto in Karachi. However SP Aslam Khan denies

that Rehman had links with any political party, as does CCPO

Waseem Ahmed. According to Ahmed, “The police was never

influenced by any political personality in Rehman’s favour.” He

also insists that it takes times to catch hardened criminals like Rehman. “If you go by the history of criminals, even in advanced

countries like the USA or UK, it takes time to catch hardened criminals. This is why the government announces offers a boun-

ty for them.” The sum for the capture of Rehman Dakait was five million rupees.

There are many reasons for Rehman’s rise to power, the most

important being that he filled a void created by the absence of political personalities, government infrastructure and law enforcement agencies. In the words of a PPP insider, “Political personalities ignored Lyari. As a result, people like Rehman Dakait filled

that gap. Unemployment was and still is a huge issue in Lyari.

Rehman used to give boys daily wages and hand them a Kalashnikov and tell them to patrol the area, and these boys had no idea who they were firing at.”

But while most criminals continue their life of crime, Rehm-

an actively worked towards legitimising his power in Karachi.

In 2008, after the PPP won general elections and came to pow-

er, Rehman shunned the label of Dakait and presented himself

as a modern day Robin Hood, with a new name: Sardar Abdul Rehman Baloch. The Sardar signalled that he was a leader of his

tribe, and the Baloch a sign of his pride at hailing from Baluchistan. He forged an alliance with his rival gang, and formed the People’s Aman Committee (PAC), which appeared to be affiliated

with the PPP at the time. No rally or public gathering of the PAC

was complete without hundreds of PPP flags fluttering in the air. It seemed like the days of Rehman the dacoit were over. Ru-

mours at the time indicated that Rehman wanted to stand for a seat in the local government. In 2008, prior to his election as

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Pakistan’s president, Benazir’s widower was often seen accompanied by a gang of gun-toting security guards, rumoured to be JULY 18-24 2010

>> Arshad Pappu Haji Laloo’s son Arshad Pappu remained in the background when Rehman Dakait started his criminal career under Haji Laloo’s wing. But as the gangs gained power, tensions rose between Haji Laloo and Rehman Dakait. To assert his supremacy as the King of Lyari, Arshad Pappu tried to extort money from a friend of Rehman Dakait’s and finally murdered him. When Haji Laloo was arrested in 2001, two rival gangs emerged in Lyari, one headed by Rehman Dakait, the other by Arshad Pappu. <<

Whether Rehman Dakait’s death was an extra-judicial killing or not is another Pandora’s box, but following his death, chaos and panic spread in the city. Lyari and its adjacent areas were shut down, and conspiracy theorists went wild. Sources close to the PPP said that the party’s top leaders ordered the hit on Rehman. The reasons are unclear, but range from “Rehman wanted political power” to “he was getting too big for his boots.”

part of Rehman Dakait’s followers. The boys were also entrusted with ensuring security at Zardari’s residence in the capital, Islamabad.

Maulana Abdul Majeed Sarbazi, the new chairman of the Peo-

ple’s Aman Committee says Rehman’s motive behind the PAC was based on the desire for peace and the advancement of Lyari’s residents.

“Some people had created a situation in Lyari in which the

Baloch nation was divided into two groups. Scores of innocents

lost their lives in the gang war. The people who died didn’t even know who killed them and why they’d lost their life. We don’t know who was behind the creation of the groups. Khan bhai (as

Rehman is often referred to by his supporters) felt that the fight-

ing had to stop, he made a huge sacrifice; he went to meet his

rival Ghaffar Baloch to come to a settlement. The idea behind

setting up the People’s Aman Committee was to bring an end to criminal activities. There is now peace in Lyari; once there was a time that people wouldn’t leave their houses after the afternoon prayers, now people are out till 2:00 am.”

Sarbazi says they have at least 80,000 members in the PAC,

with dozens of units in the city. Rehman also did what the PPP

had always promised to do: provide children with education and help support dozens of families. According to Sarbazi, “Rehman

asked his acquaintances to donate money to the madrassas in

Lyari so that children could get an education, he also paid for the teachers’ salaries. Khan bhai built a madrassah and three schools near his house.”

Last August the People’s Aman Committee organised a peace

rally in the city against the burning of a church and indiscriminate killing of Christians in Gojra, Punjab. The rally’s partici-

pants shouted slogans in favour of the PPP and the late leader

Benazir Bhutto, and were accompanied by a member of the local church. If it was ironic that a man who was a notorious crimi-

nal was now carrying out peace marches, it went by unnoticed.

What was evident though was that Rehman was gearing up to become a key player in the public sphere.

A day later, on August 9, 2009, he was shot dead in an encoun-

ter with a police team led by Superintendent of Police Aslam Khan in Karachi’s Steel Town area.

Sarbazi has his doubts about the encounter that led to Rehm-

an’s death. “The autopsy reports say that Rehman was fired at a distance of three feet. That’s not how people die in encounters. It is extremely sad that when for seven years there was a fight go-

ing on between two groups no one interfered, and when things

got better they killed Khan bhai. We don’t understand why this happened or who was behind it.”

Whether Rehman Dakait’s death was an extra-judicial killing

or not is another Pandora’s box, but following his death, chaos and panic spread in the city. Sources close to the PPP said that the JULY 18-24 2010

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COVER STORY party’s top leaders ordered the hit on Rehman. The reasons are unclear, but range from “Rehman wanted political power” to “He

was getting too big for his boots”. However, the PPP insider dis-

misses rumours of the party’s involvement in Rehman’s death. “I am no well-wisher of Zardari, but neither he (Zardari) or Nabeel Gabol were involved, Rehman was too insignificant for them.”

However the PPP insider suspects a deal going sour as the rea-

son behind Rehman’s death, “I think the BLA had a hand in his

death, because of the arms deals that Rehman used to allegedly carry out for them. Rehman did have links with them; a Baloch Student Organisation member was allegedly involved in Rehm-

“If Lyari’s youth who are in the PAC are excluded from the PPP then the party has no members.

People like Rehman Malik and some elements from the MQM have begun to believe that they are the heirs of Karachi. We are part of the PPP and will remain part of it, unless the PPP announces that they are distancing themselves from us”

an’s escape from custody when he was arrested for the second time.”

The People’s Aman Committee and the police are unanimous

in the opinion that Lyari is now a place of peace. According to

Aslam, “Rehman Dakait is dead and his gang is finished. The main members in the rival Arshad Pappu group, Arshad, his

brothers and his father, are in jail. However there are people

from the Ghaffar Zikri gang, including Ghaffar and his associ-

ates who are on the loose and involved in criminal activities in

Lyari.” CCPO Waseem Ahmed says the police are making efforts to catch Ghaffar and company, whereas the PAC is not creating any problems. According to Ahmed, “Karachi has 18 towns, if there ever is a situation in the area, that doesn’t mean we should label Lyari in a bad way, there are good people who live there as well. Lyari is not a no-go area for the police.”

Nearly two years after his death, Rehman Dakait’s shadow

continues to loom large over Lyari. His portraits adorn the area, and residents sing his praises, and mourn his loss. Many of them

seem to have forgotten that Rehman’s gang once brought life to a standstill.

But where the residents feel they’ve lost a saviour, politically

it’s the PPP that has suffered the greater loss — a vital vote bank in a city whose majority supports the ethnic party Muttahida

Qaumi Movement, also an ally in the PPP-led Sindh government.

The residents of Lyari, especially Rehman’s supporters, have lost

their trust in the PPP since Benazir Bhutto’s death, and Lyari’s problems haven’t ended even with the PPP in power.

In late December 2009, political workers from different parties

began killing each other in Karachi after a Baloch boy from Lyari

was murdered. The MQM, now an ally of the PPP, labelled the PAC as a criminal organisation and demanded that criminal ele-

ments be flushed out of the area, something that has not gone

down well with the passionate people of Lyari. To appease their ally, whose support they need in both the provincial and the national assembly, the Interior Minister Rehman Malik, also a close aide of President Zardari, announced that the PAC had no

links with the PPP. The residents of Lyari reacted with extreme anger, and to make the extent of their feelings obvious burned

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the tricoloured PPP flags that had once adorned their houses and

hurled choice curses at Rehman Malik in front of television cam-

eras. But instead of investigating the claims, a public statement from President Zardari soon after that no police operation would

be launched in the area served to end the debate over the PAC’s motives, as well as quell the anger of Rehman’s supporters.

Sarbazi sneers at Rehman Malik’s statement that the PAC has

no links with the PPP. “I’ll be very open about this, these state-

ments are made by people like Rehman Malik who weren’t even in the PPP, who no one in Lyari knows. But our leaders from the

PPP, such as Rafiq Engineer [Sindh Minister for Katchi Abadi

(Shanty Towns)] and Nabeel Gabol, know and openly state that the PAC is part of the PPP. They know that if Lyari’s youth who are in the PAC are excluded from the PPP then the party has no members.

“People like Rehman Malik and some elements from the MQM

have begun to believe that they are the heirs of Karachi. We are

part of the PPP and will remain part of it, unless the PPP an-

nounces that they are distancing themselves from us. I don’t think the PPP, including President Zardari want that, the Presi-

dent has announced that Lyari’s residents are part of the PPP’s supporters.”

So is it too late for the PPP to win back the hearts of estranged

Lyari residents? According to the PPP insider, “Even now, if political parties play a positive role, Lyari can remain a PPP stronghold.”

The question really is, are political parties willing to play such

a role? For over 40 years, development has been ignored in the

area by various governments, with the PPP only venturing to-

wards Lyari come election time and taking for granted that come hell or high water, Lyari’s residents will vote for them. And as maligned as he may be, it was people like Rehman who filled the void created by the absence of both political leaders and development work.

Even with another name being crossed off the roster of crimi-

nals, there are many unanswered questions that loom large. Will

Rehman’s People’s Aman Committee will live up to its name and work for peace in an area that has been ravaged by nearly two decades of gang war and faces multiple problems or will it continue

to act as a front for Rehman’s Robin Hood persona? And is it too late for the PPP, or any other political party, to muster up support on its own, instead of relying on gangsters and criminals?

In death, Rehman has left behind a legacy of intrigue, deceit and political power plays, and no tangible solutions. a

21 JULY 18-24 2010

FEATURE

taking the

cake

Ten years ago, birthday parties were like traditional Pakistani “daawats” with chaat and pakoray for food and plenty of relatives in tow. But with the advent of party planners birthday parties have been given a sudden face lift. Invitations, decorations, foods, entertainment and goody bags are the ingredients of a perfect birthday party. While the concept behind each element remains the same, the final result has changed drastically.

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Sara*, a party planner who has been in the business for three

years, says “We handle everything for the client from making JULY 18-24 2010

BY AMENA JAFRI

With personalised goody bags and private performers at dizzying rates, children’s birthday parties aren’t what they used to be

made-to-order invitations - sometimes by hand with up to a hundred invites — personalised decorations; games and other activities - which are sometimes designed for each party individually; and goody bags.”

Nasir, another planner, provides dancefloors, DJ and sound

systems with compilations of children’s songs. Sometimes, he

also has songs performed and recorded by his personal band for

a particular party. Unlike other party planners whose work predominantly involves birthday parties, Nasir’s makes arrangements for “adult parties”, as he calls them, too.

Every aspect of the birthday party is designed to knock ‘em

dead. The classic card no longer suffices as an invitation. Today’s

per piece while the higher-end ones can easily go up to Rs800.

or mirror. The latest trend in birthday party invites, however,

amount of money spent on these tokens alone.

invites are handmade, framed or even painted on a piece of glass is to dispatch a gift along with the invite. And starting with an

With large-scale parties of 500 guests, simple maths shows the

According to Shireen Halai of Perfect Party, thematic parties

elaborate invitation, it is only natural for expectations regarding

were the first trend when planned parties became a norm. The

birthday party.

the Cartoon Network and have it reflected in every aspect of the

the rest of the party to rise. The first impulse is to top the last The multicoloured streamers and balloons bought from the

supermarket, blown up by dad and hung around the house no

longer suffice. The vogue is now for fancy streamers and helium balloons that adhere to a theme. The party planner makes cen-

trepieces for the tables and customised decorations for clients who can afford the extravagance.

children would pick a theme usually from the Disney studios or party starting with the invites, and the décor, to the crockery and goody bags. However, a child might have a thematic party maybe

twice or three times but will then want variety. Hence lately, par-

ents have preferred to stage birthday parties without a particular theme but with a unique touch, designed to stand out.

Halai has been in this business for the last 10 years and claims

Sara specialises in arts and craft as entertainment in birthday

to be the pioneering entrepreneur in this field in Karachi and

thing that is their own creation. Some parents insist that Sara

and is full of goodies meant to tempt any party-throwing parent.

parties and children work with art material trying to make someand her team create craftwork and portray it as their child’s. But

perhaps even in Pakistan. Her party shop is based in Bath Island It’s interesting to see parents’ varying opinions about birth-

arts are not the only genre of entertainment. The bouncy castle

day parties. Mrs Khan*, a mother of two children aged eight and

ing so routine that they now bore children. Interestingly, games

school which means that they attend the lavish birthday par-

has been popular for quite a while and magic shows are becomlike Passing the Parcel and Pin the Tail on the Donkey haven’t

become extinct, but instead have been modified to reflect the theme of the party. The “parcel” has gone from being a packet wrapped in layers of newspapers to a musical box containing a

11 years says, “Both my children are studying at an upper-end ties of their friends. But they know clearly that their birthdays will not necessarily be similar and will vary depending upon how much we can afford at the time.”

However, Mrs Ali*, a mother of a seven-year-old says that she

surprise gift, while Pin the Tail on the Donkey has transformed

sometimes has to go out of her way to arrange birthday parties

focal point of entertainment at children’s birthday parties con-

up thinking that he’s inferior to the rest of his classmates or that

into Place Cinderella’s Shoe or the Hulk’s Cap. Nevertheless, the tinues to remain the same: to make sure the children go home exhausted after an evening of fun.

that would please her son. She says, “I don’t want my son to grow his parents failed to provide for him adequately.”

Social networking sites have added a new dimension to birth-

Food, though not provided by most planners, has also under-

day parties. Most party planners have their fan pages on Face-

see chaat, haleem, pakoras, samosas at a birthday party Instead

Then there are the ensuing pressures of uploading birthday party

gone an extreme makeover in recent times. No longer does one these dishes have been supplanted by “hipper” substitutes like candy floss, popcorn, chocolate fountains and elaborate finger food.

And the grand finale of any mega-successful birthday bash is

an award-winning goody bag. Because the invites are eventually

book where enthusiastic discussions on their merits take place. pictures on Facebook that determine the success of the party. The

more comments a party’s picture gets and the more references

are made to it on wall posts, the more successful it is considered to be.

Birthdays are an important rite of passage and with time, their

misplaced, the decorations forgotten, the entertainment over,

social significance has increased. But as long as there is big cake

minder of the wonderful time he had at the party and be a source

remain the same, though its manifestation is getting competi-

and the food digested, something must serve as a constant re-

of popularity not just for the birthday child, but for the parents.

According to Sara, the lower-end goody bags are around Rs250

to bite into and birthday presents to tear open, their essence will tively slicker by the day. A

*Names have been changed.

23 JULY 18-24 2010

FEATURE

defying time The decreasing cost and increasing spohistication of cosmetic procedures is fuelling the anti-aging industry

BY POOJA DAWANI

24 JULY 18-24 2010

“There is nothing wrong with growing old, except that it turns you ugly — and kills you,” says Dr Khilji Arif, a practicing dermatologist and surgeon for the last 16 years. Sitting in his well-appointed, private clinic, Dr Khilji claims that vanity is good for a person, “If a woman can shed 10 years off her face with one injection, and transform the way she feels about herself within 10 minutes, cosmetic procedures can’t be all that bad.”

With the availability of a multitude of non-surgical, minimal-

These age-defying procedures, although not affordable for

the masses, are offered in Pakistan at much cheaper costs than abroad. A Botox injection costing approximately $300 — $500 in the US or UK will cost $150 - $175 in Pakistan. A collagen filler costing $300 — $500 in US will cost $200 in Pakistan.

“People who travel abroad will usually be the ones who know

about the latest treatments,” Dr Khilji says. “They will know exactly what I am talking about when they come in for a consultation.”

Dr Khilji discloses that he has had women asking for Angelina

ly-invasive procedures in Pakistan, a woman and her doctor can

Jolie lips, “But not everyone can carry those off. I don’t always

ments like Botox®, Restylane®, laser resurfacing, collagen in-

tient requires what.”

now control how much time she lets show on her face. Treat-

jections, microdermabrasion, dermabrasion, chemical peels —

give patients what they want. A good doctor will know which paWith the media permeating deep into our consciousness and

names one only heard of in Hollywood movies, TV reality shows,

creating lasting images of ideal body and face types, we are con-

Women are the prime target market for these procedures

sures to conform to certain standards. Looking good has become

or read of in celebrity glossies — are now within easy reach.

though they are gaining slow acceptance among men. Usually

a woman aged 40-50 years will ask for Botox. Fillers are popular in the age group 45-50 years and woman from anywhere between 35-65 years will ask for skin rejuvenation and microdermabra-

sion. Peels and lasers for the treatment of open pores, uneven skin tone, and pigmentation are not age specific.

Dr Seema Zia who has been working as a dermatologist since

1990, says she’s noticed a marked decrease in the ‘scare factor’

stantly bombarded with messages that create psychological presparamount; being ultra-slim — or muscular, in the case of men

— young and beautiful translates into success which ensures happiness.

“Sadly, the lofty standard — the perfectly groomed, plastic

look — although seemingly attainable, is not achievable for ev-

eryone,” says Dr Seema. “This can be a hefty blow to people’s selfesteem, especially young girls.”

We are all a bit vain. We care about how we look and feel better

associated with cosmetic procedures. “Laser treatments have

when we know we look good. To a degree, this builds our self-

tients as much as we did before.” But this acceptance has not

pier, healthier individuals. On the other hand being wrapped up

gained widespread acceptance; we don’t need to convince pa-

yet permeated to treatments like Botox and fillers. “Patients will

rarely ask for a filler. But I do get requests for removal of lines, or solutions for a sagging, sallow face.”

The human need of wanting to defy age goes as far back as the

Egyptian civilisation when olive leaves were promoted as an anti-

esteem and people with higher self-esteems are generally hap-

in appearances and obsessively holding onto youth is definitely not healthy. For many, this “new” anti-aging industry feeds on our most deep-seated insecurities. For others, it has opened the doors to new possibilities.

In its truest sense, defying age is not just about cosmetic pro-

aging remedy. But in this I-want-everything-as-quickly-as-possi-

cedures. It includes therapies for skin care, physical fitness, di-

back would require anesthesia, surgical cuts, months of recovery

various alternative treatments and holistic approaches towards

ble age, people prefer quick fixes. A facelift, ten to twenty years time and danger of side effects. Today, cosmetic procedures like

Botox take such little time that a patient can receive a treatment

ets, hormone replacements, vitamins, supplements, herbs and anti-aging.

If one is inclined towards cosmetic surgery, it is important to

during her lunch hour with virtually no side effects. The treat-

find a middle ground. Can the anti-ageing industry become an

to live with it for the next six months.

perfection and eternal youth? Is it possible to come home with

ment is temporary, so if you don’t like the result, you only have It is the decreasing cost and increasing sophistication of these

treatments which, coupled with the human desire to preserve

beauty, is fuelling the cosmetic procedures industry. According to Dr Khilji, “Women have always wanted to look younger and

more beautiful. The difference is that now we have refined, re-

industry of unhealthy vanity that promises flawed images of

a frozen expression because of too much Botox? Can people get fixated on procedures and never be satisfied with results? Yes, of course, all this is a likely outcome of the anti-ageing industry’s popularity.a

searched products, quicker, non-invasive remedies which are also affordable.”

25 JULY 18-24 2010

EDUCATION

rebuilding lives

BY HASSAN CHOUDARY

The loss of lives and of homes was not the only loss that the people of Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) suffered in the October 2005 earthquake. While 1,700 children lost both parents in the earthquake, another 40,000 lost one parent, according to the Population Council New York and United Nation’s report titled ‘Pakistan Earthquake Vulnerability Assessment 2005’. At the same time the dead-

children of AJK is the READ Foundation which is running a co-

dreds of schools, affecting the lives of thousands of students and

of children. Considering the huge number of problems arising as

ly earthquake destroyed valuable infrastructure including hunteachers. Although some schools have been re-established, the

education system in the area has not yet fully recovered. Therefore the need to service these vulnerable parentless children has become more challenging in the face of dwindling resources.

26

One NGO which is striving to provide quality education to the

JULY 18-24 2010

hesive network of 339 schools spread over eight districts of Azad Jammu Kashmir, with branches located in Murree, Gilgit-Baltistan and the outskirts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The foundation has more than 7,000 orphans in its student body of 70,000

children guided by 3,277 teachers. Unfortunately, in AJK the last

five years have been spent restoring resources to the level they were at before the earthquake. This also means that today there are not enough schools in the region for the increasing number

a result of illiteracy and lack of attention towards orphans, the situation in AJK is disturbing to say the least.

READ’s mission is to develop society through “quality-orient-

ed, purposeful and value-based education and capacity building.”

Libraries, science and computer labs are essential parts of READ

Foundation schools. Students who cannot afford to pay full fees

pay half or simply as much as they can. Orphans are given free education and their siblings are also supported. Around 2,000 or-

phans are offered family support by READ. The foundation pays particular attention to female students and 46 per cent of all stu-

dents in READ Foundation schools are girls. Teachers undergo regular training while the foundation also holds talent support programs and gives out student excellence awards regularly.

The foundation is supported by donors who help it construct

the school buildings. “READ Foundation is a great partner to work with,” says P&G Brand PR leader Omeir Dawoodji. “There

is no misappropriation of money.” This is why the company has helped in the construction of READ schools in Gojra, Lamnian

and Bara Kahu. The READ Foundation works under the self-sufficiency model and only requires donations for the initial setup

of schools. The day to day expenses of running the schools and the continual enhancement of facilities after the initial setup are covered through student fees.

Hours away from the nearest town, Lamnian is a village lo-

cated at some 50 kilometres ahead of Muzaffarabad towards the

Indian border. In Lamnian there is one boys’ high school, one

girls’ middle school and three primary schools that are run by the government. Male students in these government schools there-

fore have to go to far-off areas looking for middle schools while girls have to look elsewhere for high schools.

At this remote location the READ Foundation provides educa-

tion to 209 students of which 77 are orphans. The READ Founda-

tion school in Lamnian is surrounded by hills. In June another block was added in order to accommodate more children. The

new academic block at the Lamnian school has been built at an

“The students are all very keen to learn and they are very smart. If provided opportunities, they can compete with students from big schools in the cities”

estimated cost of Rs2.2 million provided by P&G.

“The students are all very keen to learn and they are very smart.

If provided opportunities, they can compete with students from

big schools in the cities,” said Qasim Hasnain, a volunteer who

works with the company and was a part of a group assisting the teaching staff at the inauguration of the new block. The volun-

teers also organised wall-painting, school decoration and teambuilding exercises for the students.

1,613 of 4,222 government primary schools in AJK are single-

teacher schools. The fact that there is just one teacher per school in around 40 per cent of all government primary schools in the region is alarming.

“This is the best time to build more schools here. We are expect-

ing an influx of students as those who were infants at the time of

the earthquake now reach school-going age.” READ Foundation manager outreach and donor relations Sohaib Saleem says.

More schools need to be built in these areas. While READ Foun-

dation school will have enrolment till high school by the end of

this year, it alone cannot cater to the entire school-going popula-

27

tion in Lamnian. a

JULY 18-24 2010

COMMENT

The Fuss Over Football

BY NADIR HASSAN

It is estimated that over a billion people watched last Sunday’s World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands, the largest television audience for any sporting event surpassing the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. As is typical of finals, where the fear of losing trumps the daring required to win, the match was best watched while napping (anyone who thinks you can’t watch football while sleeping has obviously never seen the Italian team play). In two hours of play, there were maybe 15 minutes of genuine quality. And yet, much of the world was transfixed. What explains the dichotomy between a sport that is often dull and yet is the only truly global sport, followed in every country of the world?

Journalist Franklin Foer attempted to explain the importance of football in his book How Soccer Explains Everything (Foer is a Yank so he

can be forgiven the Americanisation) but somehow ended up over-inflating the ability of football to bring about political change. He saw the potential in football to democratise the Muslim world and credited it for the dissolution of Yugoslavia.

Football may not feed the hungry, clothe the naked and give everyone a satisfying sex life but Foer did provide some examples of

how football can at least allow frustrated populations to vent their grievances. During General Franco’s tyrannical reign, Barcelona became the only safe venue for the Catalan population to demonstrate and in Iran women have defied strict dress codes when watching their national team.

While Foer does an excellent job of showing the importance of football - even if using it to explain everything is a stretch - he never

explains why it attained its current importance. For that we must turn to sportswriter Simon Barnes and his invaluable book The Meaning of Sport. Often known as the Haiku Hack for imbibing the most mundane match with a healthy dose of poetry, Barnes sees

sport in general, and football especially, as a dramatised duel. He talks of how it reveals character and exposes destiny. Football is essentially an epic tragedy which provides catharsis.

Essentially, football is just another meaningless game, or a “trivial pursuit” as Barnes calls it. What imbues it with meaning is

the passion its fans have for it, making it a symbol of great significance. So, France’s disintegration in the first round can be seen as a symbol of its shaky multicultural society; the increasing popularity of the sport in the US as a symbol of Obama’s embrace of

the international community, the struggles of England’s moneyed stars a symbol of how capitalism destroys everything. Sure, such

comparisons seems ludicrous, ham handed and pat, but no sport has football’s ability to provide that one striking image that explains our world. a

28 JULY 18-24 2010

PORTFOLIO

cultural shifts PHOTOGRAPHY & TEXT BY MYRA IQBAL

At home, away from home, Punja Sahib

30 JULY 18-24 2010

They say geography is destiny and to live multi-locally, a luxury. It is this luxury that has inspired my work for shuf-

fling between cultures, both American and Pakistani, I have realised the dangers of the implicit horizons that have

moulded our sensitivity or oth-

erwise towards anything that

is unfamiliar to us. It is this misunderstanding

between

cultures that has prompted my

conclusion that without shar-

ing, ego-centrism and hatred can never be curbed.

These images, I hope, are

seen as an education, an arousal of curiosity that will someday inspire people to care, not

only about themselves but for

all the people that make this world. Photography after all,

The texture of home, Punja Sahib

is the antidote to war and you will always find that the most

hopeful man is the one who has lost everything.

a

31 JULY 18-24 2010

PORTFOLIO

Visitors, Punja Sahib

Holy, Punja Sahib

32 JULY 18-24 2010

Faith, Punja Sahib

Patience, Punja Sahib

Waiting, Punja Sahib JULY 18-24 2010

33

PORTFOLIO

Age, Punja Sahib

34 JULY 18-24 2010

Displaced, Punja Sahib

35 JULY 18-24 2010

REVIEW

featured review of the week

book full on

BY SASCHA AKHTAR

Half Life has a lot to recommend itself to a potential reader; most of all, the promise of a fresher, more contemporary desi quotient.

In our minds, for the greater part brimming with American or British fictions from novels, cinema or television, we can wander the halls of images of some wonderful, some tragic, or both wonderfully tragic female characters. However, it is rare and refreshing to be presented with a desi female version of these characters, on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

The protagonist Aruna is a loose cannon who seems to be capable of anything and is totally untrustworthy; for this reason she carries with her a sense of total freedom, where anything is possible, and therefore, exciting. The novel suffers from a fantastic beginning, with excellent pacing, and an astute portrait of a woman very much in distress. I say suffers because that sets the bar for a fantastic end even higher. The beauty of this book, however, is not so much in the plot that is of the surprise-twists-and-turns variety.

It is in the delineation of the psychological states of the characters, in particular the protagonist Aruna and Hari Hassan, a bed-ridden, debilitated once-famous Bengali poet whose connection to Aruna is not immediately clear. We are introduced to him early on, knowing only that he is the author of a volume that she has been reading. It is one line from this volume that takes Aruna off the deep end, prompting her to simply walk out on her husband and her life whilst in the middle of breakfast. Priceless.

Hari Hassan lies in his hospital bed, waiting to die, and it is his delicious sense of humour that makes the horrific wreck of his body and situation bearable for the reader, “He had hopefully signed the Do Not Resuscitate form, hoping that his next choking fit would be enough to finish the job.” The novel is part black comedy, part existential nightmare. The author’s sense of comic timing is impeccable.

Ejaz or Jazz, is a childhood lover who is being tormented by the 36 return of Aruna, “The moment passes, and Jazz is aware that he JULY 18-24 2010

aruna’s angst The protagonist Aruna walks out on her husband and her life in a search for the authentic self

is just a ridiculous, half-naked figure, lying on the floor, obsessing about someone who is walking back into his life as thoughtlessly as she left it.” The deft hand of the novelist never allows her characters to wallow in self-pity for too long, rather she chooses often and mercilessly to point out the essential absurdity of existence.

Besides riding out the Aruna/Jazz connection, we travel the expanse of a friendship of some 40-odd years between Hari Hassan, a Bengali and one Pakistani, Anwar who, “was someone whose presence was more important than his absence. In his absence he left very little impression.” Hari Hassan lies debilitated in his hospital bed recalling his dear friend and the circumstances that brought them together, kept them together and also pried them apart, “They had briefly parted company during the civil war, when East Pakistan broke away from West Pakistan…and for the first time the friends were on opposing sides, idealogically and politically.” The politico-historical dimension of the novel is another layer, lightly cast over the story. At the core of the novel seems to be the exploration of the idea of the authentic self. “Yes, that’s it, exactly.

I’m a fake. It’s like you know me already,” Aruna says in jest, but means every word. The poet Hari Hassan too, describes himself as such. The odyssey of Aruna is to discover if such a thing as the authentic self exists. Both she and the ailing poet suffer their own version of hell to reach the minotaur at the heart of the labyrinth, and slay him.

It is not the obvious plot “shockers”, that are the most compelling in Half Life. At times these plot devices seem to drown in messy explication. It is the subtler connections that are convincing and the manner in which the relationships between all the characters linked by the quote at the very beginning slowly unfurl, eventually to be tied back up into a neat bow for the dénouement. >> Five London-based desi writers 1. Monica Ali 2. Hanif Kureishi 3. Kamila Shamsie 4. Sarfraz Manzoor 5. Meera Syal <<

desi delight Born in Lahore, raised in London, Roopa Farooki was nominated for the 2007 Orange Award for New Writers for her novel Bitter Sweets

37 JULY 18-24 2010

REVIEW

music purple reign

BY OMAR ALI KHAN

Prince’s new album 20TEN explodes into action with a distinct and welcome whiff of déjà vu. The scatty, driving beats of “Compassion”, the frenetic; almost off-pitch keyboards are immediately reminiscent of his pre-90s glory days. The sound is fresh, funky and alive; immaculately produced and impeccably played by a seamless and faultless band. Die hard Purple People might be inclined to chime “ooyee-sha-sha-coo-coo yeah” out of sheer instinct until they are reminded that this isn’t “Let’s Pretend We’re Married” from 1999.

It’s Prince in the new world watching “Polar ice Caps melting and nations rise against nation” while he exhorts “whatever skin you’re in, We all need to be friends.” Treading some of the same turf as the blisteringly funky “Party Up” from his 1980 album Dirty Mind but so much more polished and polite than “We don’t give a damn we just wanna jam …and that army bag, is such a double drag.”

“Party up” contains an expletive or two and sounds rough, edgy, almost poorly produced and the vocals are far less polished than what you hear on “Compassion”. “You’re gonna have to fight your own damn war, cause we don’t wanna fight no more” is spat out with venom and every word sounds like he means it. “Compassion” has sophistication and swish, but “Party Up” has guts and soul.

“Compassion” is a promising first track but there was a time when a song like “Kiss” was the first track released off a new album.

“Kiss” will live forever as a breathtaking slice of pop-funk while “Compassion” will be forgotten in the heap of so-so Prince songs within days. Still it’s a lot more interesting musically than the dull sludge that has been Prince’s body of work over the last 25 years.

The second track “Beginning Endlessly” grabs attention immediately with Prince borrowing elements of the Timbaland Man’s sound and coming up trumps with something that eventually sounds distinctly his own. This is Prince back in the groove and in far better form than he has been for an age. Yet, as a pop song 38 it lacks a catchy hook, something Prince appears to have lost the JULY 18-24 2010

royal comeback According to Rolling Stone 20TEN is “Prince’s best effort since his 1992 Love Symbol album” ability to achieve of late. That said, “Beginning Endlessly” might have the ability to grow on the unsuspecting listener if they give it a chance.

“Future Soul Song” slows the tempo down with a chorus going “sha la la la la this is the future soul song”. This song is maudlin, boring, dull and an example of Prince and his band sounding brilliant if utterly and hideously bland. Prince was once the master of the super slow salacious yet drop dead funky sound with “Do Me Baby” when he squeaked “here we are, looking for a reason, for you to lay me down” you could almost sense smoke rising from the CD player. “Future Soul Song” serves as a jarring reminder as to the bland evolution of Prince’s once edgy sound.

I find myself repeating my thoughts as I trawl through the rest of the album. The recurring one being that Prince, over the years has achieved musical excellence as far as craftsmanship is concerned.

There can be little argument that his band is almost faultless now, his music lush and beautifully produced and in terms of sheer musical craftsmanship, it all sounds terribly immaculate yet there is something missing and maybe it is as simple as the fact that Prince has grown up. Gone is the energy, the edge, the anger, the hurt.

Essentially the rawness of Prince’s early music was evidently more appealing to some listeners like myself than we realised at first and as the music has grown more polished and sophisticated and it has sounded so much more sterile and I find myself alienated from the Prince I knew and worshipped. Also I am willing to wager that this album will produce not a single hit pop song because Prince has long lost the ability to craft a pop song. He could argue that he isn’t interested in writing pop songs any longer. Maybe it’s just that both Prince and this listener are much older than they once were.

film hard day’s knight

BY OMAR JAMIL

While the plot of Knight and Day is essentially irrelevant to the movie as a whole (did I say ‘plot’? I actually meant lack thereof), for those who are interested here’s a really quick recap. Tom Cruise’s Roy is an agent gone (supposedly) rogue. He encounters Cameron Diaz’s June (thus reuniting on-screen for the first time since the contentious Vanilla Sky) on a flight from Wichita to Boston, on which, with the exception of Roy and June, the entire contingent of passengers and crew are agents sent to kill Roy. We subsequently discover that Roy has been double-crossed by his former partner John Fitzgerald (played with deadpan genius by Peter Sarsgaard). Roy and Fitz were protecting a super genius kid who has created the world’s first eternal source of energy “since the Sun” (as Roy so eloquently puts it). Enough power to run a small city or a large submarine (yes, I too slipped up a tad on that rather unconventional comparison) — all housed within the body of a single AA battery.

The film sees Roy and June’s various escapades through Europe.

Yes, Europe… how did they get there and why is anyone’s guess — a plotpoint conveniently covered by Roy’s drugging June (and by extension us the audience as well). We are also thrown the oh-so-unexpected ‘curveball’ where Roy’s innocence is questioned by June (and, I guess we are supposed to assume, the audience as well).

Alright then; I think we’ve established that Knight and Day ain’t winning the Best Screenplay Oscar any time soon. Perhaps the dismal script was saved by the stellar acting skills of the super star cast? Sadly not. In fact (as has been noted by another reviewer), it seems the director realised the script was irredeemable and decided instead to capitalise on star power by focusing on really close close-ups of Cruise’s pearly whites and Diaz’s baby blues (and I mean REALLY close close-ups — if I were to put a number to it, I would guess that easily half of the film is spent with either Cruise or Diaz’s entire face covering two thirds of the screen).

And yet, despite the abysmal script and less-than-par acting,

star power With no plot to speak of, the movie relies heavily on close ups of Diaz and Cruise and manages to be entertaining, precisely because it is so bad Knight and Day is eminently entertaining (one might even venture to say it is entertaining precisely because it is so bad). It’s like a bad Bollywood movie on steroids… I for one found myself in literal fits of laughter for almost the entire duration of the film (notwithstanding the five minutes I slipped out to replenish my popcorn supply — another advantage of the film — you can watch the entire movie without engaging a single brain cell and therefore slip out to the loo or to get food or something without fear of missing something).

To sum up, Knight and Day is utter codswallop but thoroughly entertaining codswallop. I wouldn’t advise watching it on DVD, for without spectacle it is nothing, but as nothing goes, it’s not so bad. a JULY 18-24 2010

39

HOROSCOPE

BY SHELLEY VON STRUNCKEL

Aries Mar 20 – Apr 19 While the tasks you’re facing aren’t exactly interesting, they need to be dealt with. And soon. With both Saturn, which has been accenting such matters for some time, and your ruler Mars, moving to focus on close relationships before the end of the month, you can’t delay. True, this could mean taking action first, and discussing others’ views later. If so, it’s a wise strategy.

Taurus Apr 20 – May 20 Perplexing as recent conversations and

conflicts with others were, forget about trying to figure out what their intentions were. The facts will surface eventually.

Shelley von Strunckel is an internationally acclaimed astrologer who created the first horoscope column for the London Sunday Times

Until then, focus on getting the best from magical moments, especially with those individuals who you care about most. These

should be savoured not only for what they are, but because life’s moving on, and soon they’ll won’t be as frequent.

in 1992. A frequent lecturer, she writes daily, 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 – Jun 20 Certain situations must be discussed ur-

gently. Don’t confuse that with a need to make decisions based on what you learn. While frank conversations help clear the

air, particularly where confusion could easily blossom into mis-

understandings, with Saturn, Mars and your ruler Mercury all moving into new signs within weeks, the actual circumstances

you’re facing are bound to change. Focus on gathering facts, not making plans.

Cancer Jun 21 – Jul 22 You’re undoubtedly still reflecting on both the questions and the unexpected developments triggered by the recent potent Cancer eclipsed New Moon. Although your mind’s dwelling on what’s on its way out, this is far more about a fresh start in many areas of your life. Knowing that, say farewell to what must go with courage, and explore new and promising ideas and offers with optimism.

Leo Jul 23 – Aug 22 Although you probably wouldn’t be happy with a steady diet of the complex developments and unexpected twists you’ve faced recently, they clarified your thinking. Now, yet more surprises arise, giving you a chance to organise things. True, this may involve venturing into unfamiliar territory. If so, do it. Bizarrely, this paves the way for the wonderful, if entirely unanticpated, ideas and offers of the coming weeks.

Virgo Aug 23 – Sep 22 In late 2007, Saturn, the planet of both achievement and challenge, entered Virgo. This Wednesday, it departs for good, ending a cycle of remarkable growth. True, it’s left you exhausted and questioning just how you’ve benefitted from certain experiences. In time, all will become clear. Meanwhile, take a break from organising things. For now, simply step back and

40

allow life to unfold as it must.

JULY 18-24 2010

Libra Sep 23 – Oct 23 The trick to dealing with the dramatic and frequently surprising events that are triggered by the arrival of Saturn, Mars and, in early August, your ruler Venus into Libra is to do the minimum. This cycle is so new that you couldn’t possibly assess events, past or present. So instead focus on enjoying each day for what it is. You can figure everything out later.

Scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 21 By now you’ve undoubtedly noticed that

your own life - and the world around you – are both undergoing

dramatic change. Besides. the past several months’ experiences

have shown that what’s most worrying initially brings thrilling events. This should reassure you when yet more surprises shake

things up. While not be remotely what you’d planned, at the moment, life’s about growth, not keeping things the same.

Sagittarius Nov 22 – Dec 21 Nobody, including you, can control the dramatic events currently reorganising so much of your life. Understand that, and you’ll bow to destiny’s majesty. Once the dust settles, you can organise things your way. But with Saturn, Mars, Uranus and your ruler Jupiter all moving into new signs over the coming eight weeks, you’re better off enjoying the ride than struggling to hang on to the reins.

Capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 19 You don’t mind change. But you prefer to make your own decisions and, as importantly, know what

you’re getting involved in. However, because Wednesday’s move

by your ruler Saturn into a new sign ends one chapter and begins another, there are bound to be some mysteries. Learn what you

can, but take things slowly. You and your world are evolving rapidly, and you’ve lots to discover.

Aquarius Jan 20 – Feb 19 It may not be until you view the events of July’s last half in retrospect that you’ll realise how events simultaneously altered fundamental elements of your life and dislodged certain habits or beliefs you regarded as central to your identity.

These changes peak around the Aquarius Full Moon on the 26th.

Knowing that, take chances. You’ll only regret what you didn’t do, not what you did.

Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20 Waste no time trying to reorganise things

to reassure others or make them happy. This may seem cruel.

But they’re complaining about changes that aren’t just inevi-

table, they constitute progress. Similarly, should sudden twists rearrange elements of your life, make whatever temporary adjustments are necessary, knowing that with inventive Uranus

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

and Jupiter, planet of good fortune, returning to Pisces soon,

41

things will be very different indeed.

JULY 18-24 2010

THE HATER

10 things I hate about ...art cinema

1

BY FAIZA S KHAN

The smug elitism, the assumption of intellectual superiority. You haven’t made a film that is too challenging

for the bulk of the cinema-going public; you’ve simply made one that has failed to engage them. How have

you managed to wring a sense of superiority out of this?

6

Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese, Hrishikesh Mu-

jherji, Orson Welles and Billy Wilder, to name but a few, all managed to make intelligent, nuanced, socially relevant, terribly important cinema that was not

just phenomenally popular but also changed our un-

derstanding of the possibilities of the medium. Name me one art filmmaker who can claim that level of impact. That’s right, outside of your pseudo-intellectual,

2 3 4 5

bohemian, pretentious circles, you don’t matter at all.

Oh that arrogance of crafting a film of interest only

to your thirty closest friends and imagining you’ve changed the world is just so tragic.

“Issues” never will and never should take the place of good filmmaking. Regardless of how well-meaning

the concept behind the movie, if it hasn’t been ex-

ecuted well enough to make me want to watch it, then that’s just not good enough.

7 8 9 10

Nandita Das and/or Shabana Azmi. Shudder.

The social pressure, the eager self-righteousness with which one is mugged by young media types, and their

horrified reaction when informed that you’d sooner

watch a film featuring cheerleaders. The keenness to judge, the inability to just like what you like, the desperation to follow the mentality of your trendy, preten-

tious herd stems from profound intellectual insecurity.

While it’s unfair to blame art cinema for the people who watch it, but oh boy, what a bunch of joyless, ear-

nest, lumpen, stolidly self-conscious geeks you generally are.

If you can’t be bothered to set up artificial lighting, Lars von Trier, I can’t be bothered to watch your movie.

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JULY 18-24 2010

The solution to commercial cinema being increasingly dumb, crass and pointless is not to create an alternative

school of filmmaking. There is space within commercial cinema for brains and a big heart too.

Let’s face it, you’re making a low budget film for a

small audience because you just couldn’t hack it in the real world. End of story. a