The Express Tribune Magazine - May 31

MAY 31-JUNE 6 2015

MAY 31-JUNE 6 2015

FEVERPITCH The exile and comeback of international cricket in Pakistan

MAY 31-JUNE 6 2015

FEVERPITCH The exile and comeback of international cricket in Pakistan

MAY 31-JUNE 6 2015

Portfolio

Cover Story Fever Pitch

Reliving the moments that deprived Pakistan of international cricket for six long years

High and dry WWF-Pakistan helps villagers in Kharo Chan conserve water

34 Feature

Miracle milk Becomes a sought after commodity because of its nutritional value

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4

38 Regulars

6 People & Parties: Out and about with beautiful people

42 Reviews: Movies and TV 46 Society: Asma Javeri’s chocolate-inspired illustrations of the human anatomy

Magazine Incharge: Dilaira Dubash. Senior Subeditors: Sanam Maher and Ali Haider Habib. Subeditor: Komal Anwar Creative Team: Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Mohsin Alam, Talha Ahmed Khan, Hira Fareed, Maryam Rashid, Eesha Azam & Sanober Ahmed Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk Twitter: @ETribuneMag & Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ETribuneMag Printed: uniprint@unigraph.com

Khadija, Ali, Tania and Amna

Aman Ali with Amal and Ayza

6 MAY 31-JUNE 6 2015

Interwood Mobel launches its line of signature kitchens, wardrobes and workstations at its flagship store in Karachi

Mehnaz Nabeel

Saba

Zainab and Ayesha

Erum

PHOTOS COURTESY WALNUT COMMUNICATIONS

PEOPLE & PARTIES

PEOPLE & PARTIES Mahvish and Mariam

Sidra, Zahra, Haider and Naveed

Nazish, Sehar and Hajra

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Zara and Mona

Lalique and Lladro launch their respective stores at AlFatah Mall in Lahore

Hina and Rida

PHOTOS COURTESY LATITUDE PR

Uzma and Naheed

Ayesha and Rabia

PEOPLE & PARTIES Mastercard and Cinepax Cinemas host a screening of Avengers: Age of Ultron in Karachi

Sana Sultan PHOTOS COURTESY WALNUT COMMUNICATIONS

Mustafa, Sobia, Nasit, Hiba, Shabbir and Rabia

Aasia and Fahad

Mr and Mrs Auranzaib

Ahmed and Tanzeel with Kids

10 MAY 31-JUNE 6 2015

Ahsan and Anum

Sundus and Latif Hashmi

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Spanish ambassador Javier Carbajosa hosts Al Andalus Flamenco Gala in Islamabad

Javier Carbajosa

PHOTOS COURTESY FLAIR/RMC

Laaleen Khan, Ayesha Umer and Rishm Najm

Cristina Afridi and Ayla Majid

Istvan and Szabo

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Amna Bashir

Nuna Adnan

Rashmi and Oliver Hayes

Gillo and Laila Afridi

PEOPLE & PARTIES Sehr and Shazia Ammar

Rehana and Shakil Saigol showcase their jewellery label Private Collection in Lahore

PHOTOS COURTESY LOTUS PR

Zara Peerzada

Rabia Moghees

Sanam Taseer and Mehrbano Sethi

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Rehana Saigol and Juggun Kazim

Sabene and Sehyr Saigol

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Armaz and Rabia

16 MAY 31-JUNE 6 2015

Zhalay Sarhadi

Mariam

Wajiha Qurershi PHOTOS COURTESY WALNUT COMMUNICATIONS

Nadia Hussain

Pakistan Advertisers Society organises the 5th PAS Awards at Expo Centre in Karachi

Madiha Ifthikhar

PEOPLE & PARTIES

PHOTOS COURTESY WALNUT COMMUNICATIONS

Tinath and Tabish

Zainab Mohammad

Bissmah

Maha and Ayesha Toor

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Hamida, Farishaty and Sara

Sadaf Malaterre

H R C E T V I E P F

CO S O COVER STORY

Reliving the moments that deprived.

Pakistan of international cricket for six long years

BY TAHA ANIS DESIGN BY MARYAM RASHID

Walking from the National Cricket Academy to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on the morning of March 3, 2009 the gunshots in the distance sounded like firecrackers to then Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) administration director Wasim Bari. Firecrackers that continued for almost 15 minutes. Firecrackers that took the game away from the country.

Firecrackers whose noise echoed in the empty corridors of Pakistan’s crumbling stadiums for six long years before they were finally drowned out by the roar of the crowd in Gaddafi.

Chacha Cricket has long served as the unofficial mascot for Pakistan’s cricket team. PHOTO: AFP

Shattered glass of the bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricket team.

PHOTO: AFP

The former wicketkeeper arrived at the famous stadium that day, but the Sri Lankan team did not. News on the television claimed that the players had been attacked on their way to the stadium. Bari, and several other PCB officials, could have said, “I told you so” but other more important matters were at hand.

Then PCB chairman Ijaz Butt, game development director Aamir Sohail and Bari went to the Services Hospital where the injured Sri Lankans were being tended to. “I must take my hat off to the Sri Lankan players,” says Bari, dressed immaculately and sitting upright on a large armchair in his drawing room. “Despite having just been attacked by armed men, they told us they would be the first ones to return to Pakistan if cricket was suspended in the country. They remained composed throughout and that helped us, as none of us had any prior experience in dealing with such a situation. I doubt players of any other country in the world would have done that.”

Bari and the others knew that the match should not have taken place in Lahore, which was at the heart of Punjab’s political turmoil at the time. The PCB had, as a result, requested that the match be shifted to Karachi. The Sri Lankan team had even agreed to the change in venue but certain ‘relevant authorities’ had not. The match, 28 therefore, went ahead as scheduled. So did the attack.

MAY 31-JUNE 6 2015

A judicial enquiry by the Punjab government into the incident revealed that a lapse in security and external forces were to blame. The judicial commission recommended the formation of a specialised wing within the PCB to deal with security matters. But by then, it was too late; cricket had already left the country along with the wounded Sri Lankan team.

But there are those who look not at what happened, but what could have happened. “It could have been much worse. Fortunately, no cricketer was killed,” says Bari. “As tragic as it was, thankfully everyone from the Sri Lankan team survived. Had that not been the case, cricket would not have returned so quickly to the country.”

The attack and the attackers It was a typical morning in Lahore on March 3, 2009; spring had arrived, the sun was out and the weather was warm but not stifling. The city had just burst into life and a busy day lay ahead. Liberty Chowk, where the incident took place, is a bustling market place. Some of the shops had opened and others would in a little while.

Between 8:00am and 8:30am, the Sri Lankan cricket bus and another bus carrying match officials — travelling

from their accommodation at the Pearl Continental Hotel to the Gaddafi Stadium — were ambushed at Liberty Chowk by several heavily armed men. They opened fire on the two buses. The men had advanced weapons at their disposal, but were clearly not well-trained or had specific instructions to not kill everyone on board. “One of the attackers even had a small rocket launcher with him,” says Robin Nazir, a witness present at the time of the shooting. “The men continued shooting, almost unopposed, for around 15 minutes. Luckily, the man with the rocket launcher missed, or he could have done some serious damage,” he adds, reiterating Bari’s words.

The Chowk hurtled into chaos. The attackers, untrained as they were, got caught up in the commotion. “We could see the attackers running in all directions, looking for a route to escape,” says Nazir. “It was clear that they didn’t have any exit strategy, they ran wherever they could. They were all young men, some clad in traditional clothing.”

As tragic as it was, thankfully everyone from the Sri Lankan team survived. Had that not been the case, cricket would not have returned so quickly to the country Former PCB administration director Wasim Bari

A survivor’s tale Ahsan Raza, the fourth umpire for the match, was inside the bus carrying match officials. “We heard gunshots, but I thought they were coming from far away,” says the official, wearing a blue International Cricket Council (ICC) shirt. “My first impression was that the shooting was taking place somewhere else, but we realised they were shooting at us once the bullets started hitting the bus. We tried to save ourselves, some of us ducked under seats and others tried to lay low on the bus floor.”

Raza’s evasive action came a bit late though. “I was

Police personnel collect weapons left by the attackers.

PHOTO: AFP

hit twice, but luckily I survived.” The umpire, who has over 75 matches under his belt but was then standing in his debut Test series, lifted his blue shirt to reveal a long grisly scar running across his stomach. The other bullet, he indicated with a casual flick of his left forefinger, hit him just below the shoulder blade. “I was conscious throughout the attack despite being hit,” adds the 41-year-old, who would have been unable to celebrate his 41st birthday on May 29 had either of the bullets hit him just a few inches higher or lower. “It was only when I was taken to the hospital and anaesthetics were administered that I fell unconscious.” At the hospital, Dr Shoaib Nabi operated on Raza’s lung while Dr Javved Gardezi went to work on his stomach. Raza eventually recovered to tell the tale, one he is not particularly eager to narrate.

Still fresh in his memory, Raza revealed that the attack continued for almost 20 minutes but he was unwilling to divulge too many details. “It is not because the incident 29 MAY 31-JUNE 6 2015

Shahid Afridi led the team to a jubilant victory in the first T20 match against Zimbabwe.

PHOTO CREDIT: SHAFIQ MALIK

was traumatic; I moved on from it a long time ago, but I would rather concentrate on the future than continue to languish in what occurred so long ago.” But the incident that occurred on March 3, six years ago, did leave their scars — those that run deeper than the ones on his stomach. “I used to jump up in fright whenever I heard gunshots, even if it was celebratory aerial firing at a wedding or on New Year’s Eve,” he says. “That has considerably improved now, but I still feel the effects of that day. One of my lungs was damaged so I have had fitness problems and have gained a lot of weight.”

The past, though, does not hinder Raza enough to stand in the way of him carrying on with his role as an umpire. The Lahore-based official stood in three of the five matches against Zimbabwe, more than any other umpire. “I take immense pride in my work. Not only do I umpire myself, I have also been teaching umpiring courses for the last two years,” he says.

Raza has also found the Sri Lankans to be especially welcoming whenever their paths meet. “Kumar Sangakkara hugged me when we met before a match after the incident,” says Raza. “He took me to the Sri Lankan dressing room and told all the players who weren’t there 30 in 2009 who I was and what had taken place.”

MAY 31-JUNE 6 2015

We prepared the pitch and the ground every year in the hope that this time around, some team would come Gaddafi Stadium curator Haji Bashir

Others who shared the experience have also formed a bond of camaraderie with the umpire. Australian umpire Simon Taufel, who was also present on the bus with Raza, has spoken of his desire to see cricket reinstated in Pakistan. He often calls up Raza on Skype and exchanges pleasantries. “He especially calls me every year on March 3,” reveals Raza. “We often talk in order to catch up and see how the other is doing.”

The stadium stood silent At the Gaddafi stadium, its 68-year-old curator Haji Bashir, who has prepared the stadium for all of its 39 Tests and 58 one-day internationals since its inception in 1958 before the 40th Test was cut short, was busy applying the final touches to the pitch that fateful morning. He had not heard any gunshots while on the ground, but saw someone walk purposefully towards him. “I was told by one of my men that the Sri Lankan team had been attacked,” says Bashir. “My first reaction was to pray for the well-being of our guests. My prayers were answered but the stadium became barren and all life was sucked out of it.”

Now 74, Bashir reveals the frustration he and his men have had to endure for the past six years. “We prepared the pitch and the ground every year in the hope that this time around, some team would come,” he says, his voice heavy with emotion. “The wait is finally over, however, and the ground is once again as beautiful as it once was.”

Cricket’s glorious return While the damage is yet to be fully undone, with estimates of losses ranging anywhere from $100 million to several times that amount, cricket’s six-year hiatus finally ended with Anwar Ali’s opening delivery of the first T20 against Zimbabwe in Gaddafi on May 22, 2015. Judging by the frenzied fervour of the crowd, it was like cricket had never left.

Two days before the first match, PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan claimed that both Sri Lankan and Bangladesh’s cricket teams are willing to tour the country if the Zimbabwe tour concludes without any untoward incident. The Test is the start of hopefully a snowball effect that will see the sport thrive in the cricket-obsessed nation once again.

As things stand, too many people were to blame for cricket’s exile. The country has been starved of its greatest pastime for too long. Too much time has been lost and a lot still needs to be made up for. But for now, cricket is back and the only way from here is forward. May it never leave again. T Sarfaraz Ahmed takes a comfortable catch during the first T20 against Zimbabwe.

PHOTO CREDIT: SHAFIQ MALIK

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Taha Anis is a subeditor on The Express Tribune Sports desk.

MAY 31-JUNE 6 2015

HIGH AND DRY

Limited fresh water resources have forced villagers living in Kharo Chan to value every last drop of water TEXT AND PHOTOS BY KOMAL ANWAR DESIGN BY SANOBER AHMED

The capacity of the fresh water reservoir in Siddique Roonjho village is not enough to meet the needs of the fishing community living.

Locals fill water containers with fresh water from the reservoir. PHOTO COURTESY: WWF PAKISTAN

Climate change has reduced the income of local fishermen. Intense heat and highly unpredictable rainfall has impacted the agriculture and fishing sectors.

Funded by the European Commission, the Building Capacity on Climate Change Adaptation in Coastal Areas of Pakistan project (2011-2015) intends to mitigate climate change risks faced by vulnerable communities in coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan.

WWF-Pakistan has taken two initiatives as part of the project. The first involved building reservoirs and as part of the second initiative, villagers were provided with hand pumps at locations where underground water is drinkable and available throughout the year

One of Pakistan’s biggest challenges is an impending water crisis. By 2025, there will be a 31% increase in the shortage of water in the country. As a result, most towns and cities have come under mounting pressure to conserve water and with help from the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) team, residents of Siddique Roonjho have begun the process a bit earlier than others.

Located in Sanhri creek of Kharo Chan, a tehsil in Sindh province, the town of Siddique Roonjho faces acute water shortages, with sea intrusion further aggravating the problem. To tackle the water crisis in the village, the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) team set up a project called Building Capacity on Climate Change Adaptation in Coastal Areas of Pakistan in 2011, funded by the European Commission, which intends to mitigate climate change risks faced by vulnerable communities in coastal areas of Sindh (Keti Bunder and Kharo Chan of Thatta district) and Balochistan (Jiwani in Gwadar district).

So far, WWF-Pakistan has taken two initiatives as part of the project. The first involved building reservoirs and as part of the second initiative, villagers were provided with hand pumps at locations where underground water is drinkable and available throughout the year. As of now, the teams have provided 12 villages in Keti Bunder and 35 MAY 31-JUNE 6 2015

PORTFOLIO

Residents continue to fight difficult living conditions due to their strong attachment with the village.

Kharo Chan with six community-based water reservoirs, 14 hand pumps and 80 bio-sand filter units.

Efficient management of finite water sources plays a huge role in the lives of villagers in Siddique Roonjho.

From December up till March, they rely on fresh water supply from reservoirs filled with either rainwater or water supplied from River Indus to the creeks, and when that begins to run out, they use their limited income to purchase canned water. “If we run out of fresh water, we buy 30-litre drums of water for Rs25 each from Garho,� says 65-years-old villager Asiya. As a second alternative, villagers also fetch water from the reverse osmosis plant installed at Kharo Chan jetty, which has a capacity of 10,000 gallons and is at a walking distance of about 40 to 45 minutes from the village.

Over the last few years, the construction of dams, barrages and reservoirs has significantly reduced fresh water flow, making life hard for people living in villages.

Despite this, many are reluctant to leave their homes and migrate to cities as their livelihood is dependent on fishing. It is, therefore, crucial that civil and government agencies continue to invest in similar projects to improve the lives of people who have to walk miles to fetch safe drinking water. T

36

Komal Anwar is a subeditor on The Express Tribune magazine desk.

She tweets @Komal1201 MAY 31-JUNE 6 2015

Raising livestock is not easy and becomes even tougher in the months of drought from May to June. Villagers provide shelter to animals in huts made of dry straw, wood and mud.

FEATURE

MIRACLE Milk Pakistan experiences a boost in sale of camel milk, hailed as an elixir of health TEXT AND PHOTOS BY FARAHNAZ ZAHIDI

DESIGN BY EESHA AZAM

A few yards short of the very busy Korangi crossing in Karachi, a series of makeshift settlements set up by nomadic clans is attracting a lot of attention. The family profile of these matriarchal clans is almost identical. Headed by a woman, they comprise of one or two men, children and a few camels with their calves. Their main source of income is the sale of camel milk. People stop their cars, motorbikes and bicycles and form queues to buy this nutritious milk, which has recently gained popularity in Pakistan.

The most sought-after property in camel’s milk is freshness. Cynical buyers, therefore, insist that the camel be milked in front of them. The technique is simple. Calves are brought close to the mother’s udders and when they begin to nudge her to be fed, milk starts flowing into the udders.

At that moment, calves are harshly pulled away and their

38 MAY 31-JUNE 6 2015

share of milk is taken out by skilled hands into stainless steel buckets or in a thermos or utensil provided by the more hygiene-conscious buyers.

But hygiene, in most cases, is less than satisfactory.

These families, living in the open, lack proper facilities of sanitation. While the milk has no impurities, their hands and utensils are often not clean. And with the common belief that one must never boil camel’s milk, the bacteria transferred from unwashed utensils remain alive. “We don’t boil camel’s milk. It should never be boiled. I buy it every week for my wife who complains of lethargy, weakness, aches and pains,” says a regular buyer, who almost walked away empty-handed when he saw a girl adulterate the milk with water.

A matter of preference Within the last few years, camel milk patrons are increasing in number. Despite having a thin consistency, salty taste and slight odour, the milk has created a market for itself in the country due to its potential medicinal benefits. The imported version, bottled with preservatives,

Camel’s milk will be more readily available in the calving and the rainy season when more fodder is available for the animal Field operations manager for Engro Foods Limited Dr Ghulam Ahmed

is commonly available in high-end grocery store chillers.

But street vendors continue to present an appealing option to consumers who want the satisfaction of purchasing organic milk. Nusrat Ahmed, who works at Adeela Camel Milk, however, does not approve of the practice. “These camel herders are unfair to the calves.

They pull the calf away from the mother and they do not

Many rural families have moved to cities to sell camel milk.

FEATURE get enough milk. Also, how do their camels produce so much milk on a daily basis? It is possible that they inject hormones into the animal,” he says. Camel milk is not a food product, it is a medicine, vouches Ahmed, and warns that the milk should not be boiled. “If you boil it, camel milk will still be nutritious, but will no longer be a medicine. It has certain natural ingredients that fight disease and they perish once you boil it.”

From virility in males to obesity control, the benefits of camel milk as a form of treatment are many. Wali Muhammad Akhtar, one of the most senior staff members at Dawakhana Hakeem Ajmal Khan in Saddar, Karachi, confirms that camel milk is beneficial for health. “It is Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh). How can it not be beneficial?” he says. “It has less fat content so we use it in medicines to cure obesity. It is also the main ingredient of a popular herbal product called Labub Kabir Ajmali (an aphrodisiac for men),” says Akhtar, adding that the medicine’s recommended dose is half a teaspoon before breakfast. While assessing the product in light of the Avicennian alternative branch of medicine, commonly known as hikmat, Hakeem Ajmal, named after his great grandfather, confirms that camel’s milk is used in some of the Dawakhana’s 350 plus products. According to him, the ingredient is used in its original form instead of an extract or essence. “Camel milk is hot and dry in temperament,” explains Ajmal, referring to Avicenna’s theory of humours.

There is mass consensus among health practitioners regarding the potential health benefits of camel milk. Nutritionist Tayyaba Khan says that the milk is nutritionally very rich. “It has Vitamin C which helps boost immunity. It is also rich in iron and Vitamin B. It helps with diabetes management and is fortified with minerals.” Diabetics are therefore leaning towards camel milk as a possible course of treatment with no side effects.

According to reports, camel milk has about a quart of insulin in each litre, making it a potential treatment option for diabetics. India’s Bikaner Diabetes Care Research Center conducted a study on the effects of camel milk on type 1 diabetes, determining that consuming camel milk significantly reduces insulin doses required to maintain long-term glycemic or blood sugar levels. Zahida, a 50-year-old diabetic, has just begun using camel milk as a form of alternative therapy. When asked who prescribed it to her, she says, “Suna hai logon se (I have heard about it from people),” and feels that since it has no harm if no benefits, then why not give it a try. But according to Akhtar, to reap 40 those benefits, one should first boil camel milk.

MAY 31-JUNE 6 2015

Ali Raza takes great care of his camel named baby as the animal is his family’s main source of income.

Future demand With proven benefits, it is hard to determine why camel milk is still not a common or popular choice and has a growing, but niche market. One of the reasons could be an inherent social prejudice against the animal which is associated with low economic value and underdevelopment, herded by the Bedouins and nomads.

There seems to be a social hierarchy in animals as well: The camel is a symbol of the working class while a horse represents grandeur and status. Mules and donkeys rank even lower on the social ladder, although donkey’s milk has been used since centuries as a beauty product, especially an anti-aging agent, with tales of Cleopatra bathing in it. “We buy camel milk for Rs40 per kg. We don’t drink camel milk commonly despite its easy availability in Rohi (Cholistan Desert). We just use it to make kheer,” says Nazeeran Bibi, who lives in a village near Bahawalpur.

Despite the milk’s low price, as confirmed by Dr Ghulam Ahmed, a field operations manager for Engro Foods Limited, Bahawalpur, it is not popular. Ghulam is actively involved with the company’s milk collection and animal farming projects, which contributes to the supply of camel milk throughout Pakistan. “After May, supply becomes limited, so, the price is raised slightly, starting at Rs45,” says Ghulam, adding that it will still always be cheaper than cow’s milk. “Camel milk will be more readily available in the calving and the rainy season when more fodder is available for the animal.”

In urban centres, however, prices are expectedly higher, and online sellers have cropped up to meet the increasing demand. “We have camel milk which is very suitable for hepatitis, cancer, sugar and liver disease,” claims a Karachi-based website for camel milk that offers door-to-door delivery service.

With the emergence of a new market for camel milk, further urbanisation of families like that of Goshi, in her late 40s, who has moved to Karachi from Jhang, Punjab, is expected. Unlike others who claim that they have borrowed their camels for a period of four months from camel farmers, Goshi says that she owns the animals. Her nine-year-old son, Ali Raza, plays with a calf and kisses it affectionately. “His name is Baby. He is one month old.” Ali does not go to school and spends his time herding camels, relying on the sale of the animal’s milk for a livelihood till the season comes to a close. T Farahnaz Zahidi works as a senior subeditor at The Express Tribune.

She tweets @FarahnazZahidi MAY 31-JUNE 6 2015

41

Indulge in some animated fun Lilo & Stitch (2002) A Hawaiian girl (Daveigh Chase) adopts a mischievous extraterrestrial (Christopher Michael Sanders) who is the product of genetic experimentation and is being pursued by aliens who want to capture him.

FILM

No heart in Home The animated adventure fails to invade our hearts due to the plot’s predictability and underwhelming performances

BY SAMEEN AMER

There has been no shortage of excitingly creative animated adventures in recent times. Animated movies increasingly rank among the best releases of the year and many of them find ways to simultaneously entertain both children and their parents.

DreamWorks Animation’s latest venture Home, unfortunately, is not one of them.

A loose adaptation of Adam Rex’s 2007 children’s book The True Meaning of Smekday, the buddy comedy tells the story of Oh (voiced

by The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons), a hapless, misfit alien who finds himself on Earth after his race, called the Boov, pick the planet as their new home. On the run from their enemy the Gorg, the aliens, led by Captain Smek (Steve Martin), invade Earth, relocate humans to a region they christen Happy Humanstown and proclaim the rest of the planet for themselves.

But a young Barbadian girl named Tip (Rihanna) gets left behind during the mass exodus of humans. Alone in a world now inhabited by colour-changing extraterrestrials, she sets out on a journey to find her mother (voiced by Jennifer Lopez). Along the way, Tip runs into Oh, who has inadvertently revealed the new location of the Boov to the Gorg, and is now a fugitive from his own race. Together, the two must help each other out of their respective predicaments, while learning lessons about acceptance and courage.

The main problem with Home is that it plays like a rehash of elements borrowed from better films, served as a cheesy, saccharine cocktail drenched in mind-numbing predictability.

The plot itself is underdeveloped and at times nonsensical, and it also doesn’t help that the 42 Boov in general aren’t very likable. The gags MAY 31-JUNE 6 2015

will only please youngsters, and its humour won’t even draw a chuckle from grownups.

The voice acting is also underwhelming.

Steve Martin’s performance is fun, but the same can’t be said for the rest of the cast.

As soon as you hear Oh’s voice, it’s hard not to think of Sheldon Cooper and imagine Jim Parsons standing in a studio, speaking his lines into a microphone. Rihanna’s delivery is mechanical, and both her and Lopez’s inclusion in the film have also resulted in their bland songs being unnecessarily shoehorned into the proceedings for no real reason. The musical filler is neither memorable, nor enjoyable.

It’s disappointing that a film, which supposedly aims to inspire us to take risks and value individuality, forgets to take its own advice. There is no magic in this animated e. Only very young viewers won’t notice fable. the clichés and predictability of this klustre movie, but they definitely lacklustre erve better. The bar has been set deserve h for animated features, and high nkfully, the audience has thankfully, nty of superior options plenty theyy can enjoy instead.

Rating: Sameen Amer is a Lahore-based freelance writer and critic. She tweets @Sameen

Monsters vs. Aliens (2009) A mutant woman (Reese Witherspoon) becomes part of a team of monsters that has to defeat alien mastermind Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson) who hopes to take over Earth.

Megamind (2010) After vanquishing his superhero nemesis Metro Man (Brad Pitt), alien supervillain Megamind (Will Ferrell) realises that his villainy no longer serves a point and he must find a new purpose.

Perfect timing Outlander is an epic show replete with romance, intrigue and violence

BY NUDRAT KAMAL

When convincing people to watch the brilliantly plotted, characterdriven and highly entertaining historical fantasy show Outlander, the biggest hurdle to overcome is its premise: a British World War II nurse gets sent back in time to the 18th Century and in the process becomes torn between her 20th Century sophisticated and scholarly husband and her 18th Century kind-hearted and hunky beau. But Outlander grounds its outlandish time-travel premise firmly in realism, both historical and psychological, and coupled with breath-taking cinematography and high production value, the show joins the ranks of prestigious must-watch shows like Game of Thrones.

Based on the bestselling eponymous historical fantasy series by Diana Gabaldon, Outlander follows the story of Claire Beauchamp (Caitriona Balfe), a World War II nurse in 1945 who is in the midst of rekindling her marriage with her scholarly husband Frank Randal (Tobias Menzies) on a second honeymoon in Scotland when she stumbles upon some witchcraft that takes her back in time to 1743.

Being an Englishwoman in a highly patriarchal and violent Scotland that is on the brink of an uprising against oppressive British rule, Claire’s predicament is serious and highly dangerous — one which the show treats with the necessary gravitas. She finds herself among a Scottish clan where she meets Jamie (Sam Heughan), who turns into an ally with whom Claire shares an immediate connection, and Geillis (Lotte Verbeek), a feisty healer who is rumoured to be a witch. But finding allies doesn’t protect Claire from the many threats she faces.

She has to contend with a ruthless and sadistic British officer Captain Jack Randall, a direct ancestor of her husband who looks eerily like him (played again by Menzies).

Outlander has many things going for it. Among them is its effortless ability to straddle multiple genres at the same time. Where one episode is a rollicking, swash-buckling adventure through the highlands

of Scotland, the next is a tense foray into political manoeuvrings of the Scottish clan system. The fact that the show can veer from one genre to the next without losing its firm grip on storytelling, and all the while maintaining a consistent tone, is a testament to the show’s capable writers. It dwells upon relevant political and moral themes, such as the complicated enmity between nations, the psychological fallout of war and violence and the position of women in a society that is deeply misogynistic, but they emerge organically from the story, without seeming like the show is trying to make a point.

The other great thing Outlander has that makes it a huge win is its dynamic and fiery main character. Given the situation Claire is in, it would have been easy for the show to fall into the clichéd trope of a damsel in distress constantly being rescued by hunky men. Luckily, Claire is spirited and quick-thinking, using her medical prowess and wit to manoeuvre her way out of any situation she finds herself in.

Outlander is Claire’s show, through and through. The show gives her an incredible amount of agency in pushing forward her own narrative, instead of remaining passive while other characters do stuff. The supporting characters all do a great job as well, particularly Menzies, who makes Captain Randall one of the most terrifying villains on television today.

Wrapping up its first season, Outlander has already garnered critical acclaim for its three-dimensional female characters and its thoughtful and nuanced portrayal of violence and intimacy — both of which are always used to drive the story forward and are never gratuitous (like the sex and violence in Game of Thrones). With a dynamic cast, excellent storytelling and impressive production, Outlander is an entertaining and hugely satisfying show.

Rating: Nudrat Kamal is a freelance writer.

She tweets @Nudratkamal

Sweet

INSPIRATION

Sketches depicting human anatomy would not exactly whet your appetite, but when married with chocolate, they may make your mouth water. For the past few weeks, Karachi-based designer

Asma Javeri, 25, is making waves on social media with her illustrations of the human body intertwined with pieces of milk chocolate. ‘Choclatomy’ is an Instagram series that Javeri started when she hurt her back a few months ago and was on bed rest. Confined at home and not being able to go to the digital brand agency where she works, Javeri started the series out of boredom.

The thought that dictated what she was about to do stemmed from the decision she once had to make: to pursue medicine or art? “I chose art, but at the end of the day I’m still into medicine and the anatomy of the human body,” says Javeri, who is a graduate of the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture with a degree in Communication Design. To make the sketches, Javeri first comes up with a basic line drawing on paper, with the chocolate placed on top. “Then I photograph it, and do the rendering and digital illustration detailing on the illustrating software ArtRage,” she explains.

In her write-up for the series, Javeri says she found herself in a bipolar relationship with illustration, coupled with a persistent fascination with life. “Choclatomy is just something that adds a little sugar to your timeline, hoping to sweeten your day, if not literally save lives,” she says.

During the process she rediscovered her fascination with the human anatomy, the intricacies of the human body and the remarkable system that makes us function, such as the nerves, bones and joints, she says. “It’s a complex structure that I think about often — maybe because it reminds me that I’m a miracle when I feel like nothing,” explains Javeri.

Asma Javeri’s illustrations of the human anatomy married with milk chocolate have become the talk of the town

BY ALI SIDIKI DESIGN BY HIRA FAREED PHOTOS COURTESY: ASMA JAVERI

The illustrations are not all about the delectable. There is no mistaking the dark undertones of her work, which belies her cheery side and offers some insight into the human tendency to dwell in shadows. “Every illustration of mine is a way to fill a gaping hole, represent a desire, something missing or an expression of an emotion that I can’t contain,” says Javeri, adding that she feels a sense of temporary fulfillment after finishing each piece. “This feeling is fleeting and when the fulfillment fades, I’m drawn to my illustration cave again.”T Ali Sidiki is a subeditor on the web desk of The Express Tribune.

He tweets @alinajibsidiki MAY 31-JUNE 6 2015