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RESOLUTION
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t is the 31st of December today and as I write my last column of 2011, I am swarmed with corny New Year resolutions on every possible social networking medium. From the usual weight loss vanities to the selfimprovement ones like quitting smoking, I have heard them all. Most of these resolutions will end up coming true only for 1 month in Ramzan instead of the planned 12 months. That is definitely the most powerful month for any kind of resolution to come true especially if it involves some kind of abstinence. I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I too have jotted down a few New Year resolutions of my own but instead of boring you with those, I thought of sharing with my readers the perfect list of resolutions for you to be considered a welldressed personality and a true fashionista. 1) Know and discover what size you really are
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I can’t stress this enough as it is the most essential part of building a good wardrobe. The most common mistake that most people make is that they have a completely warped perception of how tight or how loose their clothing should be. The size you choose to wear depends on your body type and physique. Most of us get influenced by our physical inhibitions and end up wearing clothes that are only trying to conceal insecurities instead of bringing out the best in us. Clothes should inspire confidence and not necessarily disguise or limit what we feel. A good designer will advise you on how you can shop for yourself while picking out the right size. In short, stop wearing your dad’s blazers from the 80s that are too big on the shoulders and are long enough to look like overcoats. 2) Try out at least three colours that you have always stayed away from I come across a lot of people who claim that they can never wear orange, purple, or green because it does not suit them. The truth is that all colours can be worn as long as the right tone of that specific colour is chosen which compliments your complexion. There are just too many people out there stuck in blacks, greys and blues and really need to enjoy wearing colour and be noticed in a crowd. A fairer complexion can get away with pastels, fluorescents, and brights while a darker skin tone looks good with deeper shades. You will be surprised how much a new vibrant colour affects our mood and personality. 3) Pick a theme, trend or an era and stick to it
Stop wearing your dad’s blazers from the 80s that are too big on the shoulders and are long enough to look like overcoats One of the best ways to develop your own distinct sense of style and stand out from the crowd is to make some effort in researching different looks. Fashion is always about reinventing something from the past and bringing it back into our modern day lives with a fresh perspective. Being a trendsetter means that you are the first to bring back something that has been forgotten in our history books. An easy way to approach this is to get acquainted with the different silhouettes and styles from each of the past four decades. You will find that anything retro inspired from the 50s, 60s or even 70s will get you noticed in a positive way. The essential part of applying this technique is to balance the old with the new. Some of the most respected fashion icons and celebrities possess the ability to pair vintage, used clothing along with priceless pieces straight off the fashion runaways. A couple of hits and misses later, you will definitely emerge among your social scene as someone with a distinct sense of style. Remember that fashion is all about taking risks regardless of whatever their outcome may be. I hope that 2012 makes you a betterdressed human being along with all the other corny things that you have wished for.
Interview
Fawad Khan Making the ladies go gaga! By Anam Saad Ghouri
28 I January 8 - 14, 2012
F
awad Khan, an exceptional performer, a heartthrob for many and a man with a charismatic persona has recently clouded the satellite television channels, giving hit serials to his numerous fans. From modeling to singing to acting, Fawad has conquered all fields of performing arts and without doubt has tailored his own recognition in the entertainment industry. Lounge grabbed the chance of conversing with him lately.
Almost every other channel has a hit serial with you as a lead. How does it feel to be in the lime light?
All I can say is that I am pleasantly surprised that people are watching Pakistani television with so much interest. I’m here because of the viewers. I’m honoured to be a representative of them.
You have explored almost all genres of performing arts from singing to acting to modeling. Which one is your favourite?
I’d have to say that I’m not a very serious worker. I still have a long way to go. I can’t decide which one is my favourite line of work. I just do what I enjoy.
How is your married life treating you?
It’s the greatest feeling in the world if you’re married to a person who means everything to you. I know it may sound clichéd but it is fantastic to be able to find such a person. Whatever good I have in me, is because of the influence of my wife, family and my son. I’m having a ball.
Is there any album coming up for your fans out there?
We are a lazy bunch; especially me. There is a lot of material but picking what we want to do out of it is a difficult task. I’ve always tried to do something different. Music may now be what it has never been. It’s something I feel I have total control over while making. But I have the habit of dwelling over it.
The increasing number of viewers is satisfying. If the viewer has had a good time and says something genuinely nice, it’s all the gratification one could ask for Pakistani satellite television channels have revived dramas in Pakistan. What do you have to say about that?
The increasing number of viewers is satisfying. If the viewer has had a good time and says something genuinely nice, it’s all the gratification one could ask for.
Your biggest aspiration?
To be a good human being and to have a good life. To be called educated and responsible.
Your biggest fear?
Not being able to fulfill that aspiration.
Any message to your fans out there?
You can be whatever you want to be. Don’t let discouragement take you down. I could use that advice myself as well. January 8 - 14, 2012 I 29
Interview
Kamran Sheikh In a league of his own By Sikander Ahmad Khan
S
tyle, just like time, moves on. And just like that presenting his work with a distinct
By Ayesha Nasir and adding modernism to his repertoire, he is the veteran of a career sophistication that spans almost three decades. He is Kamran Sheikh. From lifetime achievement awards to fellowship from the Pakistan Institute of Interior Design, he has reached giddy heights that we can only look up to. Lounge caught up with him for a chat where I found him to be excellent company and a great host.
Walk us through your journey, how did it all start?
I have been in this business since the 70s. I have spent twenty years of my life in New York, Miami and New Orleans but Florida was where I started off. I went for architecture but ended up into hospitality. Today, I am into architecture, interiors and hospitality. I got my masters from America, FIU. At that time in Miami, hospitality was a very glamourous career. They had the sort of Al Capone hotels so to speak and that pulled me in. Somehow, I never got involved with hotels but got in the restaurant field instead. I was mentioned in the who’s who catalogue from my company Beefsteak Charlie. I came back to Pakistan in 1983 and my first project here was Menage.
How did you get into interiors?
Back in the US, my company used to acquire old properties and renovate them. Then we would either sell them or run them. When I left we had 66 restaurants all over the South East Coast, from Florida all the way up to New York. That got me started. When I graduated from college I thought this was the field to be in. Since then I always got head hunted and never had to apply for a job. In my first project here I had Wasif as my architect and we looked for Ghazala Rehman as the interior designer. For some reason that did not materialise, so I ended up designing myself. Menage was the first designed restaurant in its time. It pioneered into commercial design where it became something to look at, it was very Art Decor. I mention that because that’s what I enjoy the most.
Interview
Do you have a particular ideology behind your work?
I am a very thematic person, I like working with themes. My personal preference is Art Decor which is a little away from Art Noveau which is very flowery and it’s a cultural thing coming from somewhere between the French and the Renaissance period. Art decor has a great influence today; Frank Lloyd Wright was very much into Art Decor. Veranda Bistro is based on a Mediterranean theme. Gunsmoke has a theme from the Wild West. Cafe Zouk is very eclectic and quite crazy. Design is a puzzle and
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you really can’t tell what your theme is unless you have put all the pieces together. Zouk was definitely different in its design because it’s a bit of this, a bit of that and a very funky theme. All of that added to the spicy food, the Thai, the Continental- it became a rage because all of its puzzle pieces gel together.
What are the key ingredients of a successful restaurant?
One of the key ingredients is originality. When you do a restaurant it must have its own personality, its own cuisine, its own attitude and even its own service, hence Gunsmoke. We were sitting one day and thought that Salt n’ Pepper should have been the Mcdonalds of Pakistan because they moved away from the fast food genre. We needed something like One Potato Two Potato.
How do you define an interior designer?
There is black and then there’s white, the grey between them, that is, between architecture and plan or space or environment is what a designer creates. A designer doesn’t create the space but he creates the environment in which you live or in which you dine. In my view an interior designer is someone who makes your life more meaningful and more relaxed. It doesn’t mean you bring branded furniture and shove them into spaces. You can take a classic Philipe Stark sofa and put it somewhere where it might look dreadful whereas in another environment it might look really gorgeous. In a restaurant or in a hospitality environment you must touch all senses and that is my job.
What do you prefer for yourself?
I am a non classical person. I am very much a theme person and would like harmony around me, therefore, have a very humble and a simple place. How one thinks doesn’t really mean one lives like that too. I have a pleasant place, it’s affordable; I am not brand conscious and prefer a contemporary environment.
How do you relax?
In one word, ‘working’. I am a workaholic. I keep on going for as long as I can.
What would you call your best work yet?
Favourites are usually an association of something or the other, whatever you call it. Your best work is whatever you are most involved in. I have been involved with all my projects and I would not be able to bring out my best if it wasn’t so.
Do you think only formal education can
you are most involved in. I have been involved with all my projects and I would not be able to bring out my best if it wasn’t so make you a successful interior designer?
I think how you are raised becomes an extension of your mind and some of us can understand how it goes. You can perhaps get into this sort of a thing, however, I think it’s about genes and interest and how one is brought up.
Whose work has impressed you?
I am inspired by any kind of good work. I think in Pakistan Habib Fida Ali is doing fabulous work. He is a genius. Of course Nayyar sb has done amazing work. Arshad Shahid Abdullah from Karachi has produced phenomenal work as well.
What message would you give to upcoming interior designers?
I would say that think out of the box and don’t Google other’s work. Feel the energy and create your own. Believe in yourself and hard work will eventually pay off. January 8 - 14, 2012 I 33
Interview
Tasseography
a curious cup of tea By Sahar Iqbal
She predicts your future by tea-cup reading. You are offered a cup of tea and then the remaining tea leaves are examined. When I received a text regarding this fortuneteller, my curiosity was piqued and I immediately set off to pay her a visit
W
e have seen different prediction makers, from horoscope readers to palmists, but Faiza Yasir brings a slightly different flavour to the world of fortune telling- the flavour of tea. She predicts your future by tea-cup reading. You are offered a cup of tea and then the remaining tea leaves are examined. When I received a text regarding this fortune-teller, my curiosity was piqued and I immediately set off to pay her a visit. I went cautiously, half expecting
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some batty woman of the likes of Hogwarts’ Divination Professor, Professor Trelawney- but far from this, she turned out to be a polite and friendly lady. It quite shattered the image of my quintessential eccentric tea-leaf reader. I covered my surprise by bombarding her with questions. I asked her how Tasseography is different from other fields of fortune telling. She smiled and said, ‘Like other fields, it is also the study of signs but in a totally different manner. In Palmistry you read between the lines and predict future, in numerology you study numbers before coming to any conclusion but in Tasseography you pour a cup of tea without using a tea strainer and make the person drink it or just pour it away. The cup should then be shaken well and any remaining liquid drained off
in the saucer. The diviner now looks at the pattern of tea leaves in the cup and allows the imagination to play around the shapes suggested by them. The shapes may take the form of any letter, a heart shape, or a ring. These shapes are then interpreted intuitively or by means of a fairly standard system of symbolism, such as a snake (enmity or falsehood), spade (good fortune through industry), mountain (journey of hindrance), or house (change, success). I then inquired how she got into the field of Tasseography to which she replied, ‘I had a very sharp sixth sense since my childhood, and I could sense things long before they happened. I went to Karachi to a very famous Tassologist and she predicted some true things about me. This fascinated me a lot. I tried the teacup reading on my own, I tried it on my sister for the very first time and inquired if she could see anything in the cup but she was
unable to see, I studied the symbols and made predictions, which came true in the future. Later, largely thanks to my husband’s faith in me and his support, I started teacup reading for my family members and they were astonished to find how my predictions came true. At this time my curiosity had reached its maximum, I asked about any interesting incidents she had made. She told me about an incident of how once a client came to her and asked about his marital life. She told him that she could see two more marriages
The shapes may take the form of any letter, a heart shape, or a ring. These shapes are then interpreted intuitively or by means of a fairly standard system of symbolism,
in the past. That person was numb with shock and denied it. He went away but after a few days he came back and said that whatever I was telling him about his past and present was accurate and he had been married twice. One of my famous predictions was about a woman whom I told would be having a difficult pregnancy
and the symptoms that I told her occurred to her in reality. I brought up the issue of skeptics and how some people usually don’t believe in this stuff and considered it ‘witch-science’. I asked what she had to say about this and whether she had any message for our readers. To this question she simply said as
Tasseography is all about reading symbols and making predictions it doesn’t have to do with hallucination. She also advised our readers not to put their entire belief in this as their cup changes every week. Readers who want to contact Faiza Yasir can make a visit to her clinic at Kin Bridge Center 40 Z Commercial Area, 1st and 2nd floor DHA, Phase 3, Lahore or they can also contact her on 0300 8404050.
January 8 - 14, 2012 I 41
Welcome 2012 in Style By Behjat Tahir
Insam:
Sheep:
For an elegant and colourful look seek out Insam, their Ajrak and naturally dyed fabric.
Make a statement this chilly winter in an A-line dress with panels from Sheep.
Milli Madiha:
Go orange in an orange coat with embellishments to create an impression this New Year’s.
Uzma Hai:
Go traditional with Uzma Hai in brown for an understated elegance.
Ayesha Khurrum:
Go for an outdoor activity this New Year’s in an orange quilted coat paired with skinny jeans by Ayesha Khurrum. January 8 - 14, 2012 I 43
G
Fashionista Fatima
From the catwalks of Paris to the Fashion Houses of Milan, walking the streets of New York to the boutique lanes of London, Fatima Khan, fashion stylist, designer, graduate of NCA and The London School of Fashion is a true Fashionista. Her unique esthetic sense, coupled with her experience as a fashion buyer/merchandiser for various Fashion Houses in London has helped to launch herself as a fashion connoisseur par excellence. Meet her every Sunday and learn what’s hot on the high streets in the global fashion village as well as the season’s must-haves and how to wear them.
Cropped Bell Sleeve Jackets The winter 2012 catwalks were awash with bright cropped bell sleeve jackets. Last autumn the capes were everywhere from catwalks to high street but this year it’s the cropped bell sleeve cape style jackets. It’s no different on the high street, from wax, to military and wool, the variety is endless for winter 2012. They are equally chic over skinny jeans or a Little Black Dress. They’re easy, cosy, comfy yet high fashion. They look dramatic on top of any daywear to eveningwear.
Runway
Ensuing from last year’s cape trend is this winter’s plethora of neon cropped jackets with bell sleeves. From Burberry to Lanvin, the catwalks were crammed with colourful-cropped jackets. Whether your preferred style is military, collarless or cape, the rule is that it must be bright, cropped and bell sleeved. There’s a rainbow of colours, from bubble gum pink, pillar box red to teal green. Proenza Schouler’s covered up jacket to Jil Sanders bracelet length swing jacket, Phillip Lim’s casually hanged cape-like jacket to Stella McCartney, Chanel and Burberry’s tiny biker jackets, are made to be thrown over the sexiest of party dresses.
For my Pakistan
The key to this trend is to keep your bottom half slim and lean with straight leg trousers or jeans. A voluminous cropped jacket will be less than flattering with wide legged trousers. Layer your jackets over a pair of skinny jeans, leggings or with shorts & opaque tights. This year’s cropped jacket has a cape like silhouette. It is fashionable enough to make a style statement but functional enough to keep you warm. It’s up to you, how you experiment with it to make it an essential part of 2012 wardrobe.
Pakistan Fashion Scene
Pakistan Fashion scene is pretty much in line with international standards, as we’ve spotted these on almost all celebs in abundance recently. Let’s see what our celebs and Fashionistas have to say about this trend.
Key inspirational pieces
Here are some key pieces from international market so you can take the inspiration and translate the upcoming trends into your outfit A. Burberry Cape style short jacket B. Burberry Prorsum cropped virgin wool jacket C. Burberry bell sleeves short wool duffle jacket D. Love Moschino Cropped cape jacket E. New Look ‘Melton’ belted cape Jacket
fashionistafatimakhan@gmail.com facebook.com/fashionistafatima 44 I January 8 - 14, 2012
‘Bell sleeved jackets offer vibrant feminine design, with a lady-like vibe, best worn during festive season in Pakistan with skinny jeans and waist length tops paired with Kensington biker boots.’ Omar Mansoor (Fashion Designer)
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Reverse Engineering
R
By Sadyia Babar
everse engineering is the process of taking apart an object to see how it works in order to come up with one’s own version. In this weekly column, Sadiya Babar applies the same concept to food and tries to reproduce some of the most popular dishes of from various restaurants.
Polo Lounge
Cranberry Smoothie
T
ucked away from the hustle and bustle of the city, this is a place for people with astute taste who can appreciate good quality food and an upscale environment. Not unexpectedly, the lounge is a regular haunt for polo players and socialites. Polo lounge has one of the most extensive menus I’ve ever seen. They have a wide variety of soups, appetizers, pastas, sandwiches, burgers and a few authentic Thai dishes. And not to forget, it is owned by our modish foreign minister Ms Khar. 46 I January 8 - 14, 2012
Ingredients ½ cup Berri cranberry juice 1 tablespoon sugar syrup 1 cup nestle strawberry yogurt 2 scoops vanilla ice cream Ice
Method
Pour cranberry juice, sugar syrup, strawberry yogurt and vanilla ice cream in a blender. Blend till the contents are smooth. Add ice and blend again. Serve chilled.
Jammin’ Java’s
Chocolate Fudge Shake
J
ammin’ Java arguably serves the best coffee in Lahore. They have all sorts of coffee flavours and blends one can enjoy. Besides this they also have amazing bakery items, ice creams and a choice of scrumptious sandwiches.
Ingredients 1 cup of milk 2 scoops of chocolate ice cream 1 chocolate fudge brownie
Method
Pour milk, chocolate ice cream and brownie in a blender and blend for at least 15 seconds. Serve chilled.
Pina Colada
M
asoom’s has the yummiest cakes and pastries. Even the savory stuff like the pizza pocket and mini pizza, tastes pretty good.
Ingredients ½ cup Pineapple juice 1 cup coconut ice-cream 1 tablespoon sugar syrup 2 rings of pineapple Ice
Method
Pour pineapple juice, coconut ice- cream, sugar syrup and pineapple in a blender. Blend till the contents are smooth. Add ice and blend again. Serve chilled. January 8 - 14, 2012 I 47
Trends
What’s In What’s out
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By Ayesha Nasir
nsam Couture is one of the newer names to have emerged on the horizon of the fashion industry. Their work is unique and novel because they specialize in the use of traditionally dyed fabrics such as Ajrak. Insam Couture is one out of a handful of brands in Pakistan to invest heavily in the development of indigenous fabrics such as Ajrak.
Insam Couture talks to Pakistan Today Lounge about the current trends of the season. Mood this winter Warm earthy tones and it is all about cuts with some interesting motifs that are placed on the cuts and lots of volume. Colour of the season Royal blue, emerald green, sapphire and red. Colours for the brides The bride always looks beautiful in the traditional red and there are so many shades of red. Soft pastel colours are in as well. Colour for valima Soft blue, shades of grey and beige. Any comeback? Short shirts are back. Colour for mehndi The authentic colours of Ajraak. Must have bag Big bags. Fabrics this winter This winter chiffon and lace are in. Your colour schemes Gem stone colours and earthly tones such as muddy brown, olive green and rusty orange. Embellishments In terms of fashion heavy embellishments are out. But for brides definitely yes! Churidars or tights? Churidars. Striking and recurrent patterns and prints Chevron, retro and geometrical prints. Polka dots or stripes? Both. Sleeves? I am a big fan of sleeveless. 48 I January 8 - 14, 2012
Style Savvy
How to dress for work By Nadia Farooq
T
he jump from being a student to a professional is a big one and there are certain important factors that ensure a smooth transition. The start of a career needs a lot of attention and focus on your looks as well. And I don’t mean just clothes but the whole image that you portray.
• Attitude
It is important to understand that a work place requires a professional attitude. Lose the student attitude. No matter what your age is, you are now required to perform in a certain way. The time to ask questions is over and you need to know the answers, so have confidence as you really don’t want to roam around the office like a lost puppy as you did in the first semester of college.
• Do some homework
As I said it varies from office to office as to what the environment will be like. It’s important to get to know the organization a little before you start there and it also wouldn’t hurt to know about your boss beforehand. Google it all, look at Facebook or follow on Twitter!
• Closet manifesto
As a student you would wear the same jeans the whole week and go bold and colourful with the shirts and jackets. Dressing up for college and dressing up for work require entirely separate closets. Whether your office dress code is business casual or formal every enterprise wants its employees to be ready to portray its image through themselves. The best thing you can do is keep it sleek and simple, no over the top attention grabbing and eye popping colours or silhouettes. Start with the versatile basics, such as a pair of black pants, a dark pant suit, some button-down collared shirts and a classic pair of dark shoes. Once you have the staples, you can continue to build your wardrobe to give you plenty of professional options. Dress slightly better than you would usually. For example, if the dress code is very casual, you should take it up a notch.
• Accessories and hair
The first impression is always the last impression. To dress appropriately gives you an edge in the professional field. Many designers are now focused on the working man/woman attire and can be seen on the ramp very often. Here are a few guidelines: Your accessories should be the bare minimum and hair should be neat whatever style it is. For ladies keep makeup to the minimum and it should just add a little freshness to your face.
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Invest in good shoes! Keep them neat and maintained and refrain from tattered ones. Your hand bag and personal items could have all the leverage you want and it could even be a big red handbag! January 8 - 14, 2012 I 49
M.F Husain:
Naked Eyes, Bare Feet Husain’s unique artistic vision guarantees him a place amongst South Asia’s most influential artists By Nadeem Alam
A
s the tall, bony figure with a pointed nose and snowwhite hair glided down the corridors of the art institution situated at the Mall, Lahore Pakistan, his bare feet drew many curious gazes and caused many young students to mistake him for a poor man who could not afford to buy a pair of shoes,” These were the words of Dr Rahat Naveed Masud, who shared this anecdote with the congregation assembled to honour the memory of Maqbool Fida Hussain
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at the premises of the College of Art and Design, University of the Punjab. Dr Shaukat Mahmood, Dr Anis Siddiqui, Mr. Habib Alam, Mr. Atif Ameer, Ms Sumera Jawad and Ms Naela Amir also shared their thoughts and views about the Indian maestro who was equally loved in across the border, in Pakistan. M.F Hussain was a pure gem of the subcontinent with a unique vision and unparalleled way of expression. When he talked, he talked softly, when he walked, he walked erectly and when he painted he painted with a passion and abandon. Many titled him as Picasso of India, but this adjective might not be an apt indication of his artistic vision, yet it is
telling of the admiration he earned for himself in the subcontinent. Everything he earned, he earned for himself: respect, admiration, fellowship, association and adoration. Many critics accuse him of not being a ‘true artist’, and point to his paintings featuring prominent female actors like Madhuri Dixit and Madhu Bala. Before the popularity of Madhuri Dixit, many of Husain’s fans might not be aware of the stature of Maqbool Fida Husain in the subcontinent as an artist. It was, unfortunately, ignorance and lack of information that lead to many coming to learn of M.F Husain through a star of Bollywood, who while no doubt was a great actress, could not outshine the genius of M.F Hussain. M.F Husain was one of those artists who cater for themselves by themselves only and who loved to keep their distinctive attitude all the way through their life. M.F Husain would always
the heroine of a movie, rather than her acting.
remain an important painter in the omnibus of Indian contemporary artists. Many western painters have also been involved in painting a variety of characters like dancers, clowns, and singers. If Manet’s muse was the singer, Lautrec expressed the persona of singers, clowns and circus girls while Degas’ brush skillfully rendered the twisted elegance of Balled Dancers. Although, these painters were personifying diverse characters, but their main emphasis was on capturing the art form associated with these characters. M.F Hussain was allegedly accused of embodying the artist rather than his art, the dancer rather than her dance or
But the reality is that MF Husain has contributed to contemporary Indian art with a dynamism and heartiness that set him apart from the others – a quality which didn’t diminish through the decades. In 1940s, M.F Hussain and his art was deeply influenced by modern concepts and movements. He applied the techniques of Cezanne and Matisse
to elaborate Mahabharta and Ramayna. Later, Hussain was clearly influenced by the postmodern turn - he was found painting his canvas, spread over the floors,
with a long brush that looked almost like a wand. Actually, this likeness was not far from the truth as his brush was not less than a magic wand with which he produced almost 60,000 frames. Life is very strange, it has its own ways, its own patterns. M.F Hussain, after being accepted, loved and adored for his art, across the Indian soil, was forced into exile due to this very art. He was accused of rendering Mother India (Bharat Mata) on canvas in a controversial manner that ignited the fundamentalists who accused Hussain of blasphemy. In the mid of year 2011, M.F Hussain breathed his last in London and with him, a magnetic chapter of the contemporary South Asian art closed forever.
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Cinema,
as we know it
Movies were considered a lesser art form until ‘The Auteur Theory of Cinema’ emphasized the artistic vision of the director By Zaidan Idrees
I
n 1895, at a fashionable café in Paris, the public screening of the world’s first film took place. This ‘motion picture’, as it was then called, was La Sortie de l’Usine Lumière à Lyon (Exit from the Lumière factory in Lyon). It was made by two brothers, Auguste and Louise Lumiere and consisted of a single scene, 46 seconds long, showing workers exiting a factory after work.
Amidst this atmosphere of the cinema having become an industry in Hollywood and an acquiescent servant to the novel in Europe, a reactionary movement started among the film critics in France
advancements, the audience’s interest in the medium also steadily increased. The process of film making and viewing became a profitable industry and business.
The birth of
Neither the audience nor the Lumiere brothers probably realized the historical importance of the occasion; they were taking part in the birth of the most modern of art forms- the cinema. The next few decades saw many advances in the technical as well as the aesthetic aspects of cinema. The art of editing made it possible to join images to tell a story. Other processes led to the attachment of sound to the images. Another few years and the ability to color these images was available. With these
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Hollywood and its subsequent meteoric rise, led to a new way of making films- the ‘Studio System’. In simple terms, studios were companies that hired artists under contracts, put in the money required for the film projects and owned the distribution rights to market these films. Although a necessary outcome of the growing financial demands required to make films, the studio system led to an atmosphere of creative impotency where new ideas and techniques were deemed financially risky and the established
norms of ‘what sells’ were adhered to strictly. Meanwhile, cinema in Europe found it hard to develop a vision of its own and most of the films created were a shadow of their American and British counterparts. In France, the screen writers were considered the main force behind the creative process. Most films were adaptations of famous novels- an art form which was still considered inherently superior to the immediacy of the visual medium. Amidst this atmosphere of the cinema having become an industry in Hollywood and an acquiescent servant to the novel in Europe, a reactionary movement started among the film critics in France. This movement aimed to set forth a new way of looking at films which would lead cinema to be seen as a unique art form that had all the attributes to make it comparable with the other established art genres such as music and literature. This theory would eventually come to be known as The Auteur Theory of Cinema.
The central precept of this theory was that the main creative force (or the ‘author’) behind the film should be the director. He should not only have the technical knowledge of the various aspects of film making but more importantly his films should envisage a personal artistic experience. One of the earliest essays which Francois Truffaut: Alfred Hitchcock: led to the initial formalization of The Hollywood film maker The French film critic led the this theory was written by the film was considered a true auteur attack on the French cinema’s infatuation with ‘writers’ critic Alexandre Astruc in 1948. for his inimitable cinema In this seminal essay he coined atmosphere of the the term camera-stylo or the camera-pen. studio system of Hollywood, were able to By this term he meant that the director leave a personal mark on their films. This should use the camera like a writer uses could be in the themes or the more formal his pen; to develop a language- visual in aspects of film making but their emphasis this case- through which he would be able on certain aspects led to an indelibly to express even the most abstract thoughts personal product. He also observed that and feelings. Astruc went as far as to say most of these directors either completely that the ideas of the time could only be or partially wrote their own films. For expressed in the language of the cinema Truffaut this was true cinema and he and not in the more popular genre of the advocated that all film makers should novel. aspire for this achievement in their work. In 1951, Austruc’s close friend the film The auteur theory initially developed critic Andre Bazin founded the French in France but gained its final form film magazine Cahiers Du Cinema. Over across the continent in the works of the the next few years the influence of this American film critic Andrew Sarris. In magazine gradually increased in film his 1962 essay, “Notes on the Auteur circles around the world. The magazine set Theory”, Sarris clearly defined and about to redefine the tenets of film theory furthered the theory. He stated that over and criticism bringing it more in line with a group of films a director must exhibit Austruc’s ideas of the cinema-pen. Bazin recurrent characteristics of style which in his influential essay, “The Evolution serve as a personal signature and the way of the Film Language”, traced the history a film “looks” should have a relationship of cinema to its current state and cited with how a director “feels”. In his the need to usher in a new era where the subsequent works Sarris used the theory film would represent a director’s personal to form a canon of great film directors and vision, rooted in his subjectivity and self- classified them from mere technicians to consciousness. true auteurs who are able to express their Among the various critics writing inner lives on the canvas of the screen for the Cahiers was Francois Truffaut using a personalized visual language. who became the fiercest proponent of The auteur theory generated great the auteur theory in France. Written debate over the coming years. Its for Cahiers, Truffaut’s essay “A certain opponents cited film as a collaborative tendency in French cinema”, scathed at effort which needed the input of many the focus of French cinema on the screen trained professionals to attain its final writer and the resulting inability of this shape. They deemed the theory’s cinema to rise to the level of other art elevation of the director above everybody forms. Truffaut noted that many directors, else as disrespectful to the artistic abilities even those working under the constraining of all the other persons involved in the
Andre Bazin: Founder of Cahiers Du Cinema revolutionized film theory and criticism in Europe during the 1950s.
project. However, most would not deny the central role of the director in coordinating the various aspects of film making and hence possibly having the most bearing on what a film ultimately looks and feels like. The proponents of the auteur theory would describe this role of the director as similar to that of the conductor of an orchestra. He may not be able to play all the instruments but he needs to combine the individual parts to create a harmonious arrangement that is able to express a coherent meaning. With the gradual decline of the studio system, a new breed of independent film makers, with unique personal takes on various themes and genres, came to the forefront in Hollywood. In Europe various movements such as Italian Neorealism and the French New wave led to an unprecedented evolution of cinema in terms of its artistic possibilities. The auteur theory gradually assimilated in the mainstream discourse on films and became one of the many valid ways in analyzing a film and discussing its merits and demerits. Even today when people refer to Midnight in Paris as the ‘new Woody Allen film’ or wonder when the next ‘Quentin Tarantino film’ will be released, they are actually using the auteur lexicon. The auteur theory served an important role in the evolution of cinema by releasing it from a period of creative sterility and continues to provide film aficionados with another facet to appreciate and enjoy cinema as an art form.
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Reading in 2011 A review of English language fiction through the year
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or readers of English language fiction, 2011 was the best of times and the worst of time. Why the best of times? Books, so many books. Why the worst of times? Books, so many books. Much like last year, doomsayers kept predicting that a book-on-paper is about to go the same way as the dodo. Maybe it’ll be so in 2012 (maybe the Mayans might have meant that by the end-of-the-world) but till such dark day come, we have our books to cherish. 2011 was a rich year for fiction. One notable thing about the year was that it was quite the debutante’s ball. Many first-timers dazzled with their brilliance (Teju Cole, Tea Obreht, Mirza Waheed, Shehan Karunatilaka, Jamil Ahmed, Eleanor Henderson, Chad Harbach etc etc). But many old-hats also did (Julian Barnes, Michael Ondaatje, Sebastian Barry Hollinghurst, Eco, Don DeLillo, Carol Birch). It was not the highbrow types that got the critics’ attention but more mainstream fare also got its share of critical acclaim that is as much as it can –this included the prolific Stephen King’s new offering, George R R Martin’s (who I still think is the poor man’s Robert Jordan) ‘A Dance with Dragons’, John Grisham’s (who is a somewhat respectable guilty pleasure) ‘The Litigators’ and Michael Crichton’s ‘Micro’. The following is a deficient round-up of this year’s best and most notable fiction. Some books are born great, others have greatness thrust upon them a tad undeservedly (whether because of a big-name author or because of the media machinery’s incessant effort). That is why I have labelled some books overrated (which does not imply they were bad, just that they weren’t as great as touted), the right-rated (the ones that deserve every little drop of adulation sent their way) and the underrated (the ones that were loved but not loved enough). Much like all selections, this list is arbitrary. If a noteworthy book is not mentioned in this write-up, it is due to the simple reason that I – or the few people I asked for feedback – had not read it in the course of the year. There’s a lot to read, ok? And here is some of it.
THE OVERRATED 1Q82 by Haruki Murakami
More massive than the size of this lengthy, lengthy tome was the size of the hype surrounding this novel. Jay Rubin could not have completed this muchawaited translation a day earlier, given how the English-reading public was blue due to holding its breath in anticipation. But, again this book lived on hype. Murakami’s books are part brilliant writing and part pointless meandering. It’s akin to someone looking for spiritual transcendence through a bad acid trip: you have some sort of experience but most of it is vacuous. Plus, he has this habit of leaving about half of his plots unresolved, not for some philosophical open-endedness or some misplaced notion shared reader-writer inter-textual experience. Not to mention the cats. There is no doubt that Murakami is a brilliant craftsman with words who’s got the technicalities down pat -- narrative structure, character development, symbolism -- but his work often lacks an emotional depth. He is an acquired taste and, thus, polarising. For some, his shtick gets old. For others, it gets better with each successive novel. 1Q82 has an intriguing premise but he dealt with an almost identical subject in ‘After Dark’,
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his novel that is much shorter. Life’s too short to lollygag through the same novel again and again and end up scratching your head and saying, “What about that cat?”
The Pale King by David Foster Wallace
The frenzy surrounding this book was immense. It was understandable. It was, after all, a David Foster Wallace that was available to his fans after David Foster Wallace was no more. But to state the obvious, only DFW can pull a DFW. Not to take anything away from Michael Peitsch and his Herculean effort (as navigating DFW’s circuitous notes and more than 150 unarranged chapters would be the literary equivalent of hard labour), he couldn’t do what DFW did himself. ‘Infinite Jest’ was a heartbreaking work of staggering genius, if ever there was one, and ‘Broom of the Universe’ was smart, funny, gorgeously sad (an ideal match, so to speak). ‘The Pale King’, pardon the pun, just paled in comparison. This book might have been as flawed if Wallace had written it himself. But we’ll never know. But I say this without believing it because I know it would have been better (and thus then deserving of the hype it generated). Wallace, the world misses you.
Last Man in Tower by Aravind Adiga
This book was the third offering by Aravind How-did-he-win-aBooker Adiga. Just like his first book cashed in on the fact that India sells, so did this one. Much of ‘The White Tiger’ was poverty porn and it was interesting to see a native exoticise his own culture for his audience. Adiga is not a bad writer. He did capture the many contradictions of ‘India Shining’ in all his novels but that was the be-all and end-all of his novel. A novelist must realise that he is not a journalist. He does not set out to be a window into his home culture and society with ‘authneticity’. He does not have an obligation to social realism. He just has to tell his story right and the rest will follow if it has to. The Masterji, the real estate agent and other characters that populate this book are types, not people. Adiga’s hamfisted instrumentalisation of his own socio-cultural/socio-political landscape is anvilicious.
THE RIGHT-RATED: Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
How could the Booker winner not be on the list? (Well, maybe if it was ‘The White Tiger’) But this bite-sized novel packed an up-sized wallop. Barnes has been known for his short stories, most of which are emotional and evocative yet subtle. This novel is very short, some would argue a long short story. But its short length takes nothing away from its status as a novel because it has gravitas and depth much beyond its slim stature. You’ll be left wondering about the subject matter of the book long after you’ve put it down. A middle-age man’s journey through his past, the book is a nuanced reflection on memory and history and how one’s perception of one’s own past changes January 8 - 14, 2012 I 55
with age. As we visit Tony Webster’s past through his eyes, the character’s and the reader’s perception of the present also changes. The book was infused with a kind of reverse bathos – using the ordinary to document the transcendent.
Open City by Teju Cole
This first book by the Nigerian-American author was perhaps one of the most appreciated books of the year and rightly so. The novel follows the peripatetic protagonist through New York as he meets a diverse cast of characters in the multiracial melting pot of a city. The novel showcases not only the wanderlust but the wonderlust of the main character. The novel’s contemporaneity is one of its stongest points: not only substance-wise is it targeted to the modern-day global citizen but also style-wise. Short in length but long on impact, this book often feels like a monologue. It is reflection on solitude – a theme mishandled by the greatest of writers. Comparisons were made to greats like J M Coetzee and they were not undeserved. He has exhibited a seriousness of purpose that many experienced writers are not able to.
The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obreht
This young author was already featured in the New Yorker’s 20 under 40, even before her debut novel came out. It could’ve been her publicist working overtime but the release of her first novel has shown that she can write and write well. The novel is set in the Balkan region and chronicles the troubled history of Yugoslavia via the lens of the relationship of a granddaughter and grandfather. The storytelling structure uses fables within the novel to present many of the novel’s thematic motifs. The allegorical style of the narrative has led many to brand it as a new wave of magical realist writing. The author self-described it as a ‘family saga’ and that is probably the best way to describe it.
The Collaborator by Mirza Waheed
This is the Kashmir novel. Not just because it’s about Kashmir and the Kashmiri conflict (obviously). But also because the lyrical prose of Waheed and the haunting ambience of the novel capture the ethos of the valley. A story of five boys, four of whom disappear across the LOC into Pakistan, this book traces the contours of the unpredictable protagonists’ life, the Kashmir conflict and changing socio-cultural lay of the vale. It is compelling storytelling which is why it is also the best advocacy of the Kashmir cause –as it so by default and not by design. ‘Issue-based’ books are wont to turn into contrived preach-a-thons, the presence of the author-proselyte looming large and onerously in the narrative. It is not so, even as Waheed takes us into the heart of the combat that has ravaged the beautiful valley.
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Our Lady of Alice Bhatti by Mohammed Hanif
The darling of Pakistan’s literati came out with his sophomore effort this year and saying that expectations were high would be an understatement. ‘A case of exploding mangoes’ had pressed all the right buttons with Pakistan’s Englishreading public. Indeed, it was a breezy read with the right amount of mordant wit and serious reflection. His second slice-of-life-from-Pakistan novel is said to be as entertaining as his first, with the same amount of characteristic dark humour. The subject matter is also no less serious. Muhammad Hanif has a journo’s eye for detail and it enhances his story-telling skill. But his journalist background also may be his handicap. Even though he is a gifted novelist, I still maintain that his writing as a journo is better. But, he is after all Muhammad Hanif. His ‘byline’ is no less hefty when printed on a novel’s spine. His second book had its flaws like the first one, but it did not disappoint.
THE UNDERRATED: The Wandering Falcon by Jamil Ahmed
Jamil Ahmed was a really late bloomer – his debut collection of short stories coming out when he was 78 – but better late than never. This is a beautifully written collection of short stories. Treated with great empathy and sensitivity, Ahmed has none of the heavyhandedness with which urban authors often treat tribal life. The characters are sketched meticulously and jump off the pages as living, breathing people and Tor Baz, the titular ‘falcon’, is the character that ties the stories together. Balochistan is an inaccessible terrain to the rest of Pakistan – both literally and figuratively. But Ahmed has pierced the veil so to speak and written about the region with finesse. But, most of all, he has written human stories that feel human. Jamil Ahmed was given many plaudits for this book but the difficult task that he has achieved, writing about a difficult subject in a difficult format, he surely deserves more.
Chinaman by Shehan Karunatilaka
How did a book by a South Asian (a Sri Lankan) on cricket not generate frenzy? Is it because sports-type and literature-type are considered to be mutually exclusive categories? Because this novel could be appreciated not just for how richly it uses cricketing vocabulary and cricket as context but because it is nonetheless a powerful story which would resonate with even those who prior to this book thought that cricket was an insect. It is about an alcoholic sportswriter who decides to make a documentary about a ‘chinaman’- an ambidextrous bowler of great prowess. The book sounds great on paper and it is. Like it was said earlier, to dismiss it as a novel about cricket is unfair. It uses the game beautifully and for the rare breed who is both a literature lover and a cricketing fan, this book is a god-send. But then again, also for those who are either.
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