JUNE 29-JULY 5 2014
Gali
The residents of Karachi’s Qawwal Gali and their heritage
JUNE 29-JULY 5 2014
Travel
Singapura, oh, Singapura
Cover Story Qawwal Gali
The places to visit and things to do in Singapore
A peak into Karachi’s Qawwal Gali
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Feature
Dodging Criticism Professor Fateh Muhammad Malik ‘s biggest contribution
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Regulars 6 People & Parties: Out and about with beautiful people
46 Reviews: Movies and TV 50 Society: Origin of the Anwar Rataul mangoes
Magazine In-charge: Sarah Munir, Subeditors: Dilaira Dubash & Mifrah Haq Creative Team: Amna Iqbal, Essa Malik, Jamal Khurshid, Samra Aamir, Munira Abbas, Omer Asim, Sanober Ahmed & Talha Ahmed Khan Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Executive Editor: Muhammad Ziauddin. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk Twitter: @ETribuneMag & Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ETribuneMag Printed: uniprint@unigraph.com
PEOPLE & PARTIES Mehvish Khan launches her outlet on MM Alam Road, Lahore
PHOTOS COURTESY SAVVY PR & EVENTS
Ayesha and Shazia Din
Usman Jamil And Zahra Hameed
Amina Hasan
Mariam Saqib
Saira Farooq
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Sadaf Zarar
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Hamna Amir
Anoush
Simky
Yasmin Sonia Satti
Natasha
Munize Jehangir
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PHOTOS COURTESY SAVVY PR & EVENTS
Mariam Khakwani and friends
PEOPLE & PARTIES Kayseria unveils its Eid collection in Lahore
Mehek Raza Rizvi and Shireen Rehman
PHOTOS COURTESY LOTUS PR
Mr and Mrs Masood Khalid
Mehak and Mehar
Nadia Hussain
Mr and Mrs Waqar
10 JUNE 29-JULY 5 2014
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Mr and Mrs Bilal Zaman with their son
Nuzhat Butt, Fatima and Shagufta Khizer
PHOTOS COURTESY LOTUS PR
Nadia Ali
Zara Peerzada
Rishm and Hammad
12 JUNE 29-JULY 5 2014
PEOPLE & PARTIES Coca-Cola Beverages Pakistan Limited holds its Savvy & Successful event in Lahore to celebrate women empowerment
PHOTOS COURTESY ASIATIC PUBLIC RELATIONS
Ameena Saiyid, Anwar Rammal and Iram Iqbal
Seema Aziz and Roshaneh Zafar
Rengin Onay, Burak Basarir and Amara Bashir
d Ambreen Shah
nazzah Ghafoor an
Mariam Khan, Mu
Curt Ferguson, Ahmet CBoze and Rizwan Ullah Kahan
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PEOPLE & PARTIES Truimph launches its body makeup collection in Dolmen Mall, Karachi
Maha Faraz, Aaliya Faraz and Misha Faraz
Aaliya Mohammad, Amna Salman and Tehseen Valjee
a Ali
r Ghias and Been
Afrah Jamal, Ambe
Sabeela Mandviwala
Naila Bhimjee, Mahwash Bhimjee and Maliha Bhimjee
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PEOPLE & PARTIES
Mahnoor Allawala and Minhal Dosslani
d Ayesha Hamid an
Zainab and Farah
Arooj Mashood
Samar Syed and Samar Zuberi
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Samina Malee
Saima Hasan, Amna Hasan and Fatima Hasan
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Gali 5 lanes in Karachi, 800 years of history TEXT BY FARAHNAZ ZAHIDI PHOTOS BY FAISAL SAYANI DESIGN BY AMNA IQBAL AND OMER ASIM
COVER STORY
Fareed Ayaz, the Saami brothers, Najmuddin Saifuddin brothers, Abdullah Niyazi, Subhan Nizami are the main names of Qawwal bachcha gharanas
A chai dhaba near Shoe Market in inner Karachi.
In a cup-sized chai dhaba, off a constantly flowing street near Shoe Market in inner Karachi, a deal is taking place. Agents of event organisers are talking to young men who have barely grown facial hair. These are the sons of the Qawwal bachchay, men who shoulder the task of taking forth a centuries’ old tradition. This year the suffocating Karachi summer has coincided with the Islamic calendar months of Rajab and Sha’ban, which are peak season for the Qawwals. Rates and dates are being decided. Diaries are being feverishly filled and numbers are being exchanged on inexpensive worn-out cell phones. Paans pass from hand to hand in the spirit of sharing. So too are lines of spiritual poetry, effortlessly woven into the negotiations, for after all, this is part of creating a maahol or ambiance. The paan-and-poetry infused sweet-talking is a particular form of marketing. The young Qawwals are vying for the prominent programmes and anxiously keeping an eye on who will be signed up the most. Name-dropping ropes in ancestors long dead who were in some way connected to the man who started it all: Hazrat Ameer Khusro. Also making an appearance in the conversation are celebrities and politicians who are the shaagird or students of the great Ustaads. It is also a source of pride that the artists here can say they have performed at Ajmer Shareef in India. This is Karachi’s Qawwal Gali or lane, which actually refers to a neighbourhood of five streets. They are named after five of the most celebrated Qawwals: Munshi Raziuddin Qawwal, Moeen Niyazi Qawwal, Kallan Khan Qawwal, Jaafar Hussain Nizami Qawwal and Bahauddin Qawwal. Its residents are the Qawwals who refuse to let this art form die. “That is what we want to do,” says Toqeer Ahmed, who is in his 20s and belongs to the Khurja Gharana’s Nohar Bani branch of classical singers. “I know of no one in my community who wants to leave this art. This is what I was created for.” Thus, the Qawwal bachchay, as they proudly refer to themselves, fiercely guard their heritage. Indeed, conversation in Qawwal Gali always goes back 800 years. These families have been celebrities for centuries. They may physically live in the present, but live in the grip of a glorious past. Names of their ancestors are medals that they wear every day of their lives. Each family claims to be the gharana and most of them know their family shajra or tree by heart. Most of them moved here in the 1950s and 1960s from India. Every second person in this gali claims to belong to an authentic gharana or household. Research shows that not all of them belong to the original 12 families, but have learnt the art from them. The mishmash of interconnected lineages and where they inherited the musical art form of the Qaul, all seem to lead back to Hazrat Ameer Khusro. The father of Qawwali, as he is often called, was a 13th Century Sufi musician, poet and scholar and a spiritual disciple of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. Qawwali, originating from the word Qaul or the uttered word was a form of expressing religious reverence. “Some 805 years ago, our ancestor Miyan Saamat learnt this musical art from Hazrat Ameer Khusro,” explains Saifuddin Qawwal, who is part of the Najmuddin Saifuddin Qawwal Brothers ensemble. “Twelve young Qawwals were trained by Hazrat Ameer Khusro. The original Qawwal bachchay are descendants of those 12.”
Qawwal Gali
Qawwal Gali is home to many families but according to Saifuddin, those who are the Qawwal bachcha gharanas are about five to six. Fareed Ayaz, the Saami brothers, Najmuddin Saifuddin brothers, Abdullah Niyazi, Subhan Nizami are the main names, he says. When asked how one can differentiate between the gharanas and Qawwals in general, he explains that it all boils down to lineage. “This heritage of all the genuine gharanas connects to our ancestor Tanras Khan; his time was about 134 years ago.” As can be expected with the passage of such time the number of original families has changed as has the type of music performed. The Qawwali you will hear today is a much diluted version of the original shudh Qawwali. The new synthetic versions merely entertain or provide a quick spiritual fix and lack the original reverence and deliberation that was once a pre-requisite. According to Saifuddin, the modern audiences are mainly responsible for this sea change. “We give what they demand,” he says. “I am not satisfied with where Qawwali is going today; this is not what our ancestors introduced,” he adds. “Innovations are taking it to a point where we are losing the original Sama that was sung. Magar such baat hai, pait kee khaatir karna parta hai. The truth is that we have to do this to earn a living. Even those of us who are trained to sing the authentic Qawwali have begun innovating for commercial reasons.” He gives
I know of no one in my community who wants to leave this art. This is what I was created for Qawwal Toqeer Ahmed
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COVER STORY
Housing in Qawwal Gali.
Qawwal bachchay cannot and do not lead solitary lives or perform individually. They need each other, not just to provide the rhythmic background clapping and chorus, but also for moral support
the example of his family’s Hamza Akram to argue that changes are still being seen as acceptable as long as they keep the art within the framework of original teachings. Saifuddin’s assertion that audiences are to blame is generally shared. But qawwals such as Rauf Saami, the eldest son of the living legend Ustad Naseeruddin Saami, react differently to this reality. “We have to bring up the taste of listeners once again, and sensitise them to better listening,” he says as he believes that true Qawwali is an acquired taste. The responsibility of carrying forward and stemming the tide of degeneration of the art form is acutely felt. It is a collective responsibility, as Rauf Saami’s use of the pronoun ‘we’ indicates. The sense of community runs parallel to the pride in heritage. Qawwal bachchay cannot and do not lead solitary lives or perform individually. They need each other, not just to provide the rhythmic background clapping and chorus, but also for moral support. And even if one member of a troupe is the star during a performance, the limelight will be shared. Qawwal bachchay survive in numbers, and they know it. “Our survival is in community existence. We perform in packs,” says Rauf Saami. The Saami Brothers belong to one of the most renowned and authentic Qawwal bachcha gharanas that is recognised for its repertoires, tans and alaaps. Rauf is the grandson of the world renowned Munshi Raziuddin Qawwal after whom a street is named here. Their ancestral house in Qawwal Gali has witnessed many changes. The architecture of the house is reminiscent of styles found in old Peshawar or inner Lahore. Other homes in the neighbourhood are located in a apartment buildings typical of the over-crowded Saddar area in Karachi. The ground floors of each building are generally taken up by shops for paan, chai and groceries. As the Qawwals stand around and talk in the street, the women peek from balconies with shy smiles. Washed
Some of the activities in Qawwal Gali.
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Some 805 years ago, our ancestor Miyan Saamat learnt this musical art from Hazrat Ameer Khusro Qawwal Saifuddin (Above)
clothes hang out to dry on every balcony. “Our women don’t sing. Just like women cannot enter a mosque, they are not allowed to sing Qawwali,” explains Saifuddin. “Our older women sometimes sing within the four walls of our house; but they should only sing tunes that are created by our family or ancestors.” The Qawwal bachchay do not marry outside the community either: “No one else will understand our sensibilities and lifestyle.” The young Toqeer sheepishly nods in agreement. “I will marry only within my community,” he adds. “Otherwise the girl will not be able to adjust to my family.” This sense of protectiveness of a culture is understandable. As the epicenter of a complex art form, Qawwal Gali has become a hub of eager laymen who have a burning desire to learn the art, and enter the coveted space by apprenticing as shaagirds of the Ustaads. The sons who have learnt the techniques passed down for centuries become the teachers of these students across Karachi. They set off each day on their motorcycles to give “tuitions” after a late afternoon meal, which is breakfast for them, owing to a nocturnal lifestyle. But once in a while, a chosen student with potential will get a chance to visit the main Ustaad, usually the father or an uncle of the juniors, at their home in Qawwal Gali. The hierarchies here are well-defined. The Qawwals are territorial; their turf consists of their students and fan base. They are fiercely competitive and will try and outdo the others on stage as well as in claims of authenticity. “Professional jealousy does exist among us,” concurs Saifuddin. “Like in a market if there are shops of many cloth-sellers, each will try and attract the customer.” The neighbourhood’s curiosity over a new visitor to one family is ample proof of this. Ustad Ghulam Khusro Khan of the Nohar Bani family claims that to classify as a true gharana, one must have a grip of the 12 genres of classical singing. This is the criterion: Dhurpat, Saadhra, Hori, Tirwat, Chatran, Tarana, Tappa, Khayal, Chann, Parband, Sargam, Ba Maani Sargam — and one must know them all. “Those who don’t are just those who pretend to be genuine,” he says. Breadth of knowledge of the art form and its trajectory are also important markers of authenticity. He reels off the names of his ancestors, of festivals they have been invited to and of celebrities who are his students. Tough rivalry with other Qawwals and a feeling of being under-appreciated on television has left Ghulam Khusro bitter. The competition here is cut-throat. Yet, as a community, they stand by each other in times of trial. The men travel extensively to perform worldwide, especially with the upsurge in global interest for Qawwali in the last decade or so. In their absence, the other men of the community are there to see that families are well protected. Patrons of this devotional form of music world over reward Qawwal bachchay generously. Hence, most of them can afford to live in better, less crowded and cleaner localities but choose not to. Saifuddin explains it simply: “This is Karachi’s safest area. This part of the city never closes. We sit out here in the street all night. Our people are here. Why would we go anywhere from here?”T
Farahnaz Zahidi heads the Features desk at The Express Tribune. She tweets @FarahnazZahidi
Azeem, son of Ustad Naseeruddin Saami, with a taanpura.
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Suspension bridge to southernmost point of Continental Asia
Singapura,
oh, Singapura The many facets of Singapore’s thriving cityscape all sing in harmony TEXT AND PHOTOS BY FERYA ILYAS DESIGN BY SANOBER AHMED
For someone who was greatly impressed by Singapore’s efforts to conserve nature in the face of a growing concrete invasion, I was baffled as to why it was referred to as merely a ‘fine’ city. It took me a couple of close encounters with law enforcers to eventually realise what the ‘fine’ was all about — a hefty S$500 fine for eating in a no-food zone! Getting into trouble is, however, the last thing one should worry about while in Singapore because knowing that you are a tourist, locals will go the extra mile to guide and alert you. This tiny green, well-planned and safe island country is an unexpected tourist destination for me but I’m glad I went. The colourful neighbourhood, cuisines from around the world and serene beaches make Singapore a must-see for tourists.
Little India This should be your first stop if you are craving desi food or just wish to feel at home. It is also perhaps the only place where you can see people casually violating the pedestrian rules. The smell of curry leaves welcomes you as you get off the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) at the Little India station. As you pass by three-for-$1 shops and mobile phone outlets, you can hear families chatting in Hindi. A short walk into the area and you enter a small market selling vegetables and fruits, including bitter gourd, green chillies and 37 JUNE 29-JULY 5 2014
Little India
TRAVEL mangoes. Foreigners and locals flock to this area to get their hands on authentic Indian dresses, while others gorge themselves on tikkas and biryani. It’s an absolute delight to visit this Tamildominated locality during a religious festival to witness devotees take part in processions. Just like the rest of Singapore, Little India has its own share of mosques and churches. Before you head to the famed multi-storey Mustafa Centre for discounted shopping, make a pit stop at the mustard-coloured Angolia Masjid located on Seragoon Road, the main thoroughfare. For another spiritual experience, walk into the Arabian and Renaissance-styled Abdul Gafoor Mosque constructed in 1097 AD. You can’t help but notice the many minarets that crown the pale yellow and green structure. On a Sunday, the area appears like a South Asian pilgrimage site, teeming with people who gather to meet, greet and eat on their day off.
Little India
Do order a plate of biryani at the Usman Restaurant. Although it looks nothing like its Pakistani counterpart, it tastes heavenly.
Kampong Glam Widely known as Muslim Quarters for its id Malay-Arab history, this neighbourhood is a Sultan Masj cultural precinct with colourful shophouses and vibrant heritage structures. A walk down the area’s famous Arab Street will make you admire the collection of semi-precious stones, batik prints and Persian carpets on display. Right next to it is the famous Haji Lane, where hipsters commonly hang out. High-end fashion boutiques line the road and the walls are adorned with eye-catching graffiti. The city’s biggest mosque, the Sultan Masjid, also stands tall in this cultural enclave. Located at Arab Street the crossroads of Muscat Street and North Bridge Road, the colossal structure with its golden dome welcomes throngs of visitors and worshippers every day. For a trip down history, stop by the Malay Heritage Centre to learn about how the Malays inhabited Singapore through the many cultural artefacts and diorama on display. Originally belonging to the Malay royalty, built by Sultan Hussein Shah of Johor in 1819, it was restored into a cultural hub in 2004.
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Buddha Tooth Relic Temple JUNE 29-JULY 5 2014
Haji Lane
China Town At the Chinatown Street Market, you can see the pastel-coloured shophouses and rows of red Chinese lanterns hanging above the street. Although I was advised that the best time to visit this area is during the Chinese New Year, I was not disappointed. As I walked from one narrow street to another, I passed by stalls loaded with ethnic crafts. The market buzzes with hawkers selling tiny ceramic statues, antiques and T-shirts at slashed prices. You can spot artists who use their Chinese calligraphy skills to draw your name into a painting to take back as a souvenir. If you are lucky, you might witness the famous lion dance. While I was busy counting the dozen keychains I was planning to purchase, I was interrupted by a flurry of drum beats. A marching band came closer and the lone white and purple lion swayed to the tunes as tourists gathered around to record the out-of-season performance.
n
China Tow
Before you exit the area, do stop by the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple to light incense, the Sri Mariamman Temple to take in its sculptures of Hindu deities and the Jamae Mosque.
Sentosa le
man Temp
Sri Mariam
quarium in
The SEA A
From a prisoner-of-war camp during World War II to Asia’s ‘favourite playground’ housing themed attractions, Sentosa has come a long way restoring its reputation as a famous tourist attraction with nature parks, beaches, aquariums and amusement parks. Once known as Pulau Blakang Mati, meaning ‘Behind Death’ for the bloodshed that is believed to have taken place on the island, tales of horror still haunt Sentosa. A local asked me if I had heard the sound of soldiers marching late at night. To my surprise, he said only a lucky few get to listen to the thumping sounds. From Asia’s tallest observation tower, largest tropical oceanarium to the ski lift, there are tonnes of things to enjoy on the island. If you are a beach lover, this is the place to be with its crystal clear waters.
Sentosa
Take the wooden suspension bridge from Palawan Island and walk to the southernmost point of Continental Asia, the unnamed U-shaped artificial sandy islet. T
Ferya Ilyas is a sub-editor for the web desk at The Express Tribune. She tweets @ferya_ilyas JUNE 29-JULY 5 2014
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Professor Fateh Muhammad Malik
Dodging Criticism Literary critic Professor Fateh Muhammad Malik is no stranger to controversy as it comes with the territory TEXT BY TARIQ MASOOD MALIK PHOTO BY TARIQ MALIK
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Upon reading the inscription “Malik Fateh Muhammad, Talagang” on the cover of a manuscript, the staff of a literary magazine tossed it aside as the name and place sounded ‘un-literary’. This was the fate of Professor Fateh Muhammad Malik’s first attempt at literary criticism. But like many great names in the world of literature who initially struggled, Malik went on to become one of the greatest critics the field of Urdu literature has seen. Over the decades, Malik passionately wrote and spoke about the Urdu language, the relevance of Pakistan’s ideology and Iqbal’s rediscovery of Islam for our times. They serve as his reference marks for judging all literature, and Malik is considered an authority on these subjects. A recipient of the highest civilian award, the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, he has written works that have appeared in prominent literary magazines such as Funoon, Naqoosh and Nusrat, and he
has authored famous books such as Ta’asubaat (Prejudices), Tehseen-o-Tardeed (Praise and Denial) and Andaaz-e-Nazar (Perspective). He served for a long time at the National Language Authority (now the National Languages Promotion Department), a primary institute to promote Urdu language, and he has taught at Gordon College, Quaid-i-Azam University, Columbia University, Heidelberg University and has delivered lectures at universities in Russia, the US, the Netherlands and Italy. Most importantly, he stands out from his peers for championing the notion that all literature has to subscribe to an ideology — a moot point for many who oppose his views on literature. “Malik, as opposed to other critics, has a set of ideologies rather than formulas to criticise works of literary giants,” says Mazharul Islam, Urdu short story writer and novelist. His style of critique is rather distinctive: he quotes long passages from the literary piece in question to help the readers understand the work and the writer rather than promoting himself. His foremost consideration while judging a work is whether it contributes to society. A self-confessed progressive, Malik’s staunch views on Pakistan’s ideology may hint otherwise: he asserts that Pakistan’s existence and progress hinges on Iqbal’s thought, which serves as a protective wall for the Subcontinent’s Muslims. Even for the Indian Muslims, he says, the concept of a separate nation enables religious and civilisational survival. But writerpoet Harris Khalique clarifies this paradox in Malik’s views: “Prof Malik stands with the progressive movement when it speaks of pro-people politics and inclusive society, but at the same time, he believes in the sanctity of the Pakistani state and fully understands the reasons due to which the state was
He stands out from his peers for championing the notion that all literature has to subscribe to an ideology — a moot point for many who oppose his views on literature founded.” This could probably explain how the critic easily straddled the two divergent groups that emerged within the Progressive Writers’ Movement on the use of literature after Partition; each headed by the noted poets Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi and Faiz Ahmed Faiz. There are reasons for his unwavering patriotism and support of the twonation theory. When the Socialist bloc collapsed, the Russians called it their own failure and not of the system, says Malik, but we in Pakistan blame the country and its creation for all ills. “We had made a good beginning but derailed it afterward.” Even Manto left a successful and stable career in Bombay, when his actor friend Shyam Sunder said, “For the stories I have heard I could have killed you,” relates Malik. But his own critics in the field of literature abound, Malik has attracted no less flak for his political leanings towards the PPP and his progressive ideas. Malik resigned as rector of the International Islamic University,
Islamabad (IIUI) when he reportedly offended certain Arab countries by inviting the Iranian ambassador to a university event in 2012 and consequently developed differences with the faculty of the Arabic department. His son Tahir Malik recalls how his father read out an essay, ‘Arab Spring and Iqbal’ at a function that annoyed the Saudi Arabian ambassador. He once called novelist Muhammad Hanif for a lecture and people protested against the supposedly ‘obscene language’ the writer had used in his novel A Case of Exploding Mangoes. His suggestion, Tahir says, of starting co-education at MPhil and PhD levels and other reforms also met with resistance. His critics termed his appointment at the IIUI and his son Tariq Malik’s as deputy chairman and later chairman NADRA a reward from the PPP government that came into power in 2008. His association with the party dates to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s time, when the leader personally requested Malik to head their daily Mussawaat before and during the 1970 elections that propagated the ideology of Islamic socialism. For two years he also served as a press secretary to the then Punjab chief minister Muhammad Hanif Ramey. “Bhutto is irreplaceable,” he says. “After Bhutto there was no one who could run the party.” Malik also supports Bhutto’s decision to nationalise educational institutions. “That gave teachers the respect and the salaries they needed and stopped the outside influence on our daily lives.” However controversial the figure of Fateh Muhammad Malik may be, his towering legacy in the field of literary criticism is undeniably his biggest contribution. T Tariq Masood is a subeditor for the Islamabad city desk at The Express Tribune. He tweets @tariqmasudmalik JUNE 29-JULY 5 2014
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Fair(l)y Average Only the striking visuals and Angelina Jolie make Maleficent worth a watch BY SAMEEN AMER
Over the decades, Disney has seen both critical and commercial success of its princess movies, many of which have become timeless hits, leaving a lasting cultural imprint. It is one of these classics that the studio is now revisiting in the form of Maleficent, a revisionist retelling of the 1959 animated film Sleeping Beauty from the viewpoint of the story’s arch-villainess, the Queen stepmother, who has been transformed into a heartbroken anti-heroine. We begin in a land divided by age-old hatred between humans and fairies. Despite the animosity between men and the magical folk, a powerful young fairy with a good heart, named Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) — literally meaning evil — befriends a human boy, Stefan (Sharlto Copley). She falls for him, while he is enticed by power and ambition, eventually betraying her to become king. Hell hath no fury like a fairy scorned, and so Maleficent retaliates by placing a curse on King Stefan’s infant daughter Aurora (Elle Fanning), destining her to eternal slumber that can only be broken by true love’s kiss. The king entrusts the princess to three fairies (Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, and Lesley Manville), who turn out to be inept dimwits, incapable of raising a child. Maleficent lurks in the background with her shape-shifting raven, Diaval, helping the princess when her guardians falter, growing fond of the young girl in the process. In their attempt to tell an old story anew, the filmmakers wander so far from the 1959 animation that they end up losing its essence. The moments of familiarity during Aurora’s christening highlight how entertaining it could have been to revisit some of the original material. Similarly, not using any of the iconic Sleeping Beauty scores feels like a missed opportunity. The changes to some of the characters cast them as extreme. To acquit Maleficent, King Stefan is framed as the outright villain in this retelling, transformed into a one-dimensional opportunist. The three good fairies share almost no characteristics with their animated counterparts and are mostly redundant in the story. Princess Aurora is underwritten and passive to the point of being uninteresting. There is one person, however, who inarguably shines throughout the movie: Angelina Jolie. In her first film appearance in nearly four years, the actor delivers a stunning performance, embodying Maleficent with elegance and poise, despite it lacking the nuances of a well-written character. The film also incorporates beautiful visuals but lacks attention to detail in every other department. You can tell the director — firsttimer Robert Stromberg — comes from a special effects background. But he clearly wasn’t the best choice to lead this picture as he lacks the skill to manage the pacing and tone, or to iron out the inconsistencies in the narratives. On the whole, this visually gorgeous reimagining of a Disney classic is not as fluid or refined as it should be. Its feminist angle isn’t entirely forceful, and the film ends up treading some of the same ground that Frozen did with much more gusto just a few months ago. Still, Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent is a sight to behold and her strong performance is probably the most memorable aspect of this project.
Rating:
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Sameen Amer is a Lahore-based freelance writer and critic. She tweets @Sameen JUNE 29 — JULY 5 2014
TV
Small-town saga Broadchurch does suspense just the right way BY MAHEEN SABEEH
Broadchurch begins like a picturesque nightmare: a man walking down the street to his own rhythm, greeting his neighbours; then a woman discovering the body of her 11-year-old son at the beach. The spot is absolutely gorgeous — steep, rugged cliffs overlook a sandy beach, blue waves crash and make that swishing, thudding sound. But as soon as a boy is found dead, the scenic rush fades away. The breakthrough British series of 2013, Broadchurch is one of the finest detective television series to hit the screens in years. It tells the story of a fictional town called Broadchurch and its inhabitants without unnecessary, over-the-top violence (I’m looking at you, Criminal Minds). The untimely death of Danny Latimer has shaken the foundations of Broadchurch, where everyone knows everyone else. The murder case dominates the entire series, consisting of eight episodes. Every episode lets you dig deeper into the heart of its characters and reveals the darkness that lies underneath and the unimaginable grief that follows the death of a loved one. David Tennant plays Detective Inspector Alec Hardy, a transferred cop with a fair bit of experience but not the cleanest reputation. His brusque 48 behaviour with colleagues is JUNE 29-JULY 5 2014
credible and entertaining. He suspects everyone, including the town chieftain, aka the priest, a newspaper editor and the boy’s father. Tennant is joined by an excellent ensemble cast with Jodie Whittaker starring as Danny Latimer’s mother, Beth, and Andrew Buchan taking on the role of the victim’s father. Accompanying him is Detec-
tive Ellie Miller (Octavia Colman), who is disappointed when Alec takes over the case and she is forced to follow his lead. Ellie walks a tight line as professional and personal loyalties blur. Her intimate knowledge of the townspeople makes her an asset and a liability at the same time because she may have a conflict of interest. It doesn’t get any
better when shocking details emerge and detective Miller is crushed for having overlooked them. Broadchurch is a slow burner but it captures small town paranoia in exquisite fashion. It is gripping because it captures human emotions in all their complexities. Pain subsides but the sorrow within the show remains a major draw. The series is a subtle portrayal at a time when crime shows move from one victim to another in an endless rut. This show is haunting and heartbreaking but it’s also gracious and thoughtful, marked by excellent writing, direction and cinematography. British series Sherlock and American shows like Person of Interest and Rizzoli & Isles may be forging new ground but most television shows tend to grow redundant after a while. Bones, Criminal Minds, NCIS, and CSI spin-offs are just some examples. In Broadchurch, the suspense quotient is exceedingly high because it really is striking how one is unable to predict the ending. Broadchurch is a good example of how crime shows should evolve.
Rating: Maheen Sabeeh is a freelance writer who tweets @maheensbh
A 60- to 70-year-old mango tree growing on Junaid Faridi’s lands.
Rataul’s ripe ambitions A taste of the history of Pakistan’s Anwar Rataul mangoes BY OBED PASHA PHOTO BY TALAT FARIDI
The small green ripe Rataul mangoes have a sweet taste but tangy history. From the eponymous village in northern Uttar Pradesh began the journey of this fruit that has sealed the fate of three families, the Siddiquis, the Faridis and the Syeds, and their future generations. The narrative dates to the midnineteenth century, when in the 1850s Hakim-ud-Din Ahmad Siddiqui, an employee of the British government in colonial India, planted a young mango plant in his orchid. In the 1920s, Muhammad Afaque Faridi noticed the tree and chewed on its leaf which he discovered had an undertaste of carrots, as the field was previously used for carrot cultivation. The leaf’s overwhelming sweetness was attributed to the neighbouring sugarcane fields. He decided to collect some saplings to plant in his nursery. He called it Rataul, after his village. 50 Unfortunately for Faridi, the tree JUNE 29 - JULY 5 2014
was growing on longtime rival, Syed Anwar-ul-Haq’s field. When the latter learnt about Faridi’s activities, he reacted by immediately claiming ownership of the tree and renaming it Anwar Rataul. And this time the name was registered. Although Faridi claims Anwar was his wife’s penname, no substantial evidence exists to prove this. During Partition in 1947, many of the Syeds, Siddiquis and Faridis migrated to Pakistan. Afaque Faridi and one of his sons, Hassan Faridi, however, stayed back to look after their lands. The fame of the mango and its grower soon spread across India and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, upon visiting Faridi in the 1950s, conferred the title ‘Mango King’ on him. The journey of the fruit to Pakistan is another eventful chapter in history. Nawab Kalabagh, a friend of Afaque Faridi since his schooldays, living in Rawalpindi, was the first to receive the mangoes and that’s
how they crossed the border. The original Anwaar Rataul mango tree still stands tall in the village. Since 2000, Junaid Faridi, Hassan Faridi’s only son has taken charge of most his grandfather’s orchards in and around the village. He is also the head of the village council of Rataul and contests the provincial and national elections from time to time. Currently, the villagers of Rataul anxiously await the construction of the Delhi peripheral highway that will pass a kilometre away from Rataul. It is speculated that the construction will increase the prices of land near and along the highway. According to Junaid Faridi, most of the agricultural land and orchards will eventually be swallowed up by Delhi’s rapid urban growth in the next five to ten years, leaving the fate of Rataul and its mangoes undetermined. Obed Pasha is pursuing a PhD in Public Policy from Georgia State University, USA.