april 17, 2016
Hey Weekenders!
CONTENTS 06. Around Town... One party at a time! 42. What’s in Your Bag? Your carry-all essentials featuring Samiya Ansari. 44. Flora, The Serein Collection
Flora presents a collection perfect for Spring.
50. W’s Roving Eye
This week’s hottest looks! Who made the style A- list?
52. 7 Days with QYT
Qasim Yar Tiwana’s unstoppable social calendar.
56. Light, Camera, Bliss!
Minahil Sherazi takes us on an exclusive tour of Sri Lanka!
60. Knitting Needles and Sandwiches
Sana Shah returns with her sage wisdom.
66. The Dressing Room
Take a style tour of Bakhtawar Malik’s wardrobe.
70. Your Ultimate Food Guide
The best food items to try in Karachi.
74. Hot Date
Up close and personal with the boys at Visual Prophecy.
78. Love Struck
Weekend’s editors’ picks!
Chairperson/Publishing Editor: Rameeza Majid Nizami Editor The Nation: Salim Bokhari Editor-at-Large: Amal Khan Managing Editor: Shazay Salahuddin Features Editor: Foha Raza Features Editor: Nur Zehra Qadri Sub Editor: Rana Faizan Hussain Fashion Correspondent: Fatima Ameer Creative Head: Faiz-ur-Rehman Creative Team: Faisal Fazal, Talat Mahfooz, Shoaib Qadir, Zeeshan Arif Photographer: M. Basharat Irshad GM Marketing: Bilal Mahmood For Advertising: Kherzan Zaidi - 0321 8976730, Ata-ur-Rehman - 0332 2427473, Khalid Sheikh - 0345 5130728
We are back from Karachi after experiencing the fabulous Fashion Pakistan Week! We can’t tell you how much we love that city and all the delicious foods that it has to offer. Speaking of which, this week we have Maha Raza from EatingKhi who talks to us about all must-eats in the city. Also in this issue, we met up with the brains behind Visual Prophecy; Sheikh Muhammad Ali and Muhammad Ali. The duo talks to us about their love and passion for videography. Minahil Batool takes us on an exclusive trip to all the coveted places in Sri Lanka- where to stay, what to eat and what to definitely see! QYT makes a whooping comeback with his unstoppable social calendar and Sana Shah breaks all gender stereotypes! Do check out our list of items we are obsessing over this week! Happy Weekending! Sincerely, Team Weekend.
weekend | around town
Mariyam
Spring Pop-Up Minal & Mahnoor
Asna Salahuddin & Moni
Neena, Chino & Mano
Ayesha & Rabia
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Rahila & Mehreen
Aisha Asna showcased their latest Spring/Summer 2016 collection at their exhibition in Lahore.
Rozi & Yasmin
Farhana Khwaja & Warda
Maham & Shazia
weekend | around town
Mobeen, Freeda, Rabia & Zara Ghazala & Chandi
Zara Ahmed
Hana
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Nida Khan
Mahnum
Tooba
Ambreen, Areena & Minal
weekend | around town
Bisma & Muraad
Dance The Night Away Neelam and Javaid celebrated their mehndi night among family and friends.
Ayesha & Farukh
Neelam & Javaid
Sabeen & Ayesha
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Nida & Alina
Zona & Momina
Zara & Jahanzeb
Zeb & Nadia
weekend | around town
Meet & Greet Udaari, produced by Momina Duraid and Kashf Foundation, held a meet and greet with the cast of the drama series. The PR of the event was done by STARLINKS PR and Events.
Qudrat Haideri & Ehtishamuddin
Farhan Saeed & Urwa Hocane
Roshaneh Zafar & Zainab
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Mina Ramzi & Alveena
Wajid, Arsalan, Junaid & Mehmood Ali
Khursheed Haider
Shanaz Ramzi
Bushra Ansari
Ahsan Khan
weekend | around town
Spring Fling House of Zunn and Imperial Textiles hosted an exhibition for the launch of their Spring/Summer 2016 Lawn collection with a fashion show featuring a performance by Sounds of Kolachi.
Angelina,Anwar & Moheeth
Yasmin & Riffat
Asif, Uzma & Salman
Uzma & Nadiya
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Hira & Kamal
Salima Farista
Xenab Ansari
Kayra Chaudhry
Noorie Birdie
weekend | around town
Dawn Of Justice Tahir & Maria B
Sadik Bab端r Girgin & Behsim
Ali Chaudhary, Capt. Usman, Behsim & Hammad Ch
Ahmed Ali Butt & Fatima Butt
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Mahira & Vassay
Turkish Airlines & HKC held the movie premiere for Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice at the Samsung IMAX Cinema, Cinestar, Lahore. The Turkish High Commissioner along with other celebrities attended the event. The event & PR was managed by JBnJaws Productions.
Turkish Airlines Management
Hamza Tarar & Imtisal Zafar
weekend | around town
Celebrating A Good Cause Shahina Parvaiz & Balqis
Nadia Khwaja & Fariha Haque
Laila Nusrat, Huma Zia, Rabiya with friend
Muneeze Khalid & Laila Nusrat
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Atifa & Dilara
Bali Memorial Trust celebrated the first decade of their girls’ shelter in Lahore.
Ayesha Nadeem
Begum Atia SadiqAbdullah
Mehar Toor & Sundas Omer
Farida Toor & Rabiya Usman
weekend | around town
Amna Faisal
In the Limelight Amna and Wahaj of Limelight launched Volume One of the brand’s voile collection at their flagship store located at 10th Avenue Mall, M.M. Alam Road, Gulberg, Lahore. The event and PR was managed by Savvy PR.
Alizeh, Madiha Ibrar & Soniya Humaiyon
Saad Javed & Aymen
Sam Dada & Sakib Chisti
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Mariam Khawaja & Maha
Amber Sajid
Salman Zafar Abdullah
Sana
Rizi Omer Rehan & Shirin
Amna & Wahaj
weekend | around town
Rima & Farhat
Rubab & Dr Shahida
Momina
Dr Farzeen Malik
Uzma Ramzan
Rana Noman
Shanzay Sheikh
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Risham Saqib
Rachel Gill, Sonia & Rabia
weekend | around town
Zaheer Abbas
Lunching In Style Pervez Lala, Olivier Lapidus, Rabiya Javeri & Danish Lala
Aamir Lakhani & Muneera Lakhani
Mohsin Ali
Huma Adnan
Deepak Perwani
Maheen Karim
Wardha Saleem & Nubain Ali
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Obaid Sheikh & Maliha Rao
LALA, headed by Pervez Lala and Danish Lala, hosted an exclusive lunch in association with the Fashion Pakistan Council at CafĂŠ Aylanto in Karachi, to celebrate the start of Fashion Pakistan Week 2016.
Frieha Altaf
weekend | around town
Khalid Hussain & Sumeha Khalid
Sarwat Gilani & Amna Aqeel
Natasia Khalid
Fareshte Aslam
Tara Uzra Dawood
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Andleeb Rana
Ayaz Anis
Tapu Javeri
Rana Asif, Uzma Mazhar & Shehla Mehmood
weekend | around town
A Galaxy Of Stars Kumail, Ali Zafar & Sarfraz
Asad & Ammara Hikmat
Uzair, Ali Azmat & Ali Noor
Saira & Faisal
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Shavaar Ali Khan with wife
Samsung launched the Galaxy S7 at the Samsung IMAX facility in Lahore. Brand Ambassadors Ali Zafar & Sabeeka Imam along with other celebrities unveiled the device. The event also featured an exclusive fashion presentation by Fahad Hussayn. Event & PR was managed by JBnJaws Productions.
Arun, Raechal & Kuki
Muhammad & Amna Babar
Aden & Rehan
weekend | around town
Dr Jahan Ara Saqib
Birthday Celebrations Professor Saqib Sadiq and Dr. Jahanara celebrated the birthday of their grand children Alman Bin Saqib and Mushkat Affan among family and friends in Lahore.
Ahmed Parvez & Ali Moeen
Mishkat Affan
Alman bin Affan
Madiha Affan & Prince Affan bin Saqib
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Adeel Hassan Qureshi & Tehreem Adeel
Bilal Qazi & Dr Ariba Saqib
Dr Amal Saqib & Maliha Ali
Alina Umair & Hassan Qureshi
Prof Saqib Sadiq & Prof Ashraf Sultan
weekend | around town
Arwa
Colour Me Crimson Amna & Mahera
Saima & Sania
Arslan & Hadia
Saad Javed Akram & Aiman Hikmat
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Amna & Mashal
Crimson by Farah Talib Aziz held an exhibition for their debut Spring/Summer 2016 voile collection at Mall One, Lahore. The event was managed by Bilal Mukhtar.
Amna Khwaja
Novera & Aaiza
Zainab & Naveen
weekend | around town
Fashion Meets Colour AkzoNobel launched the ICI Dulux Velvet Touch in a ceremony held in Lahore. The formal launch was followed by an extravagant fashion show by the renowned House of Kamiar Rokni.
Usman, Saad & Zain
Sarah & Zara
Mohsin, Zarah, Rizwan & Abdul Rehman
Shahid Abdullah & Kamran Sheikh
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Mr & Mrs Yousaf Ghouri
Abdullah Rehan Bashir
Kamiar Rokni
Nudrat Mustafa
Rehan & Shirin Omer Jamil
weekend | around town
Summer Essentials Aliya, Asimyar Tiwana. Shazia & Amal Tiwana
Rezz Aly Shah & Amirah Abbassi
Sadia, Naimal Khan & Juju Haider
Dure & Aroosa Najaf
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Emaan & Beenish Zahid
Rani Emaan launched her latest lawn collection in Islamabad. The launch took at the Rani Emaan Store in F7. The PR of the event was done by Rezz PR and event was by QYT Events.
Hira Attique & Hemayal
Sobia Mustapha
Rachel & Farwa
weekend | around town
Saira Rizwan
Daffodil Dreaming Sheema, Saima ZafarTahir & Nazi Nighat Aftab & Amina
Rishmae & Sonia Azhar
Sheema, Saima Zafar & Nazi
Ammara & Sara Omer
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Nishat Mazhar & Dr. Shahida Khawaja
Sonia Azhar launched her Limited Edition Lawn collection titled ‘Daffodil DayDream’ at the PFDC, Mall One, Lahore. The event and PR was managed by Savvy PR.
Akif Mehmood
Sehr Saigol & Maria B
QYT & Nina
weekend | around town
Annie Shoaeb
Fashion First Sobia Malik launched her latest lawn collection in collaboration with House of Zoe in Lahore. The PR and the event was managed by Savvy PR.
Aamir & Rima
QYT & Sana
Aqsa, Natty & Amo B
Asim & Sobia Malik
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Ursala & Geiti Ara
Amina Faisal
Khadija Rehan
Zainab B aMalik iraM & logiaS rheS
Uzma Ramzan
sneak a peek at all that o t an h t on rs pe a of e f i l s rou mo a gl e h t o t n i e ps ch a glim ry wherever you go! car st mu a Is there any bet er way to ycata An are at h t s e pl a st e h t nd eke We es v gi they carry with them? Sami sari
Flora by Ivy is a contemporary collection of sophisticated style, designed exclusively for the modern woman. Our pieces cater to a western aesthetic, that is worldly but at the same time also holds an invariably unique essence. Outfit: Green Castle
Outfit: Summer Rain
Outfit: The Tsaritsa
Outfit: Desert Bloom
Outfit: Verve
Model: Anastasja Rendak Photgrapher: Sandra Vijandi Location: London, United Kingdom Brand: Flora by Ivy
Outfit: Athena
weekend | FASHION
W’s ROVING
Nada Raja
APRIL 17, 2016 | 50
Black and gold. Enough said.
Andleeb Rana Anoushey Nabeel Pretty pinks and the perfect whites!
Andleeb you look super cool and caj! We have got our eyes on that rustic statement neckpiece.
Rushna Malik Brownie points for those bang on-trend tulip pants!
weekend | FASHION
Maheen Ghani Taseer
Maham Rana A lesson in minimal chic by Maham Rana.
Simple and pretty! What’s not to love?
APRIL 17, 2016 | 51
G eye
W
ell, what’s the use of a pair of good eyes that never rove? Weekend’s been going through our fashion files for the week and these are the people who caught our fancy for either their style, their courage or their star power. Well played!
weekend | life fashion style
7 days with QYT!
“Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life. Be positive, have courage and be kind. See you all next week!”
– By Qasim Yar Tiwana –
DAY 2:
February april 21, 17, 2016 | 28 52
DAY 1: I love organising weddings! This week my special client was Mrs. Yasmeen Khan, an amazingly cultured and graceful lady who is also a joy to work with. Her beautiful daughters-in-law are the very talented fashion designer Ammara Khan and the gorgeous Mariam Ali Khan, daughter of designer Nickie Ali of Nickie Nina. The guest list for the event was very high profile and I worked extra hard to make the event at Royal Palm highly exclusive and one-ofa-kind. I’m happy to say that my efforts paid off and were highly appreciated.
I’m very excited about the new travel and lifestyle magazine: Destinations. The Managing Editor happens to be an old and dear friend of mine, Mariam Mushtaq. The magazine looks sensational – I loved rifling through it and seeing my beloved Pakistan presented in such a refreshing and positive light. Kudos to Mariam and her team for this great venture and I wish her all the best for the future.
Day:3 Mr It was a pleasure meeting o Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, wh It is polite and professional! to ce en eri was a good exp work with him and his team.
weekend | life fashion style
Day 4: Day5 After the hectic day of work and to enjoy the success of the event, next day I planned to meet all my childhood friends at all our favourite Kohsar Market. Nadia Sheikh is one of my dearest and oldest friend since grade three when we were in Frobels International school. It’s always a pleasure meeting her along with my other gorgeous friends Ayesha Wakas, Sonia Shehryar, Rezz and my brother Asimyar. What fun!
Day: 6
Usutime I come to Islamabad. I love visiting Muree every , this because of work! However ally, it never comes through ay for friends managed to get aw time around me and some and an cle g hin had washed everyt a day trip. The recent rain ! ay aw untains took my breath the lush greenery on the mo en famous Mall Road had be We saw that the GPO on the y didn’t alter the architecture reconstructed but luckily the nic I discovered a stunning pic too much. On the way back l tifu au led Angori. It has a be spot on the expressway, cal ers Kahu and all you picnic lov waterfall right before Bara t e close by. Go and enjoy bu will love the blue water lak please don’t litter.
February april 21, 17, 2016 | 28 53
Designer Rani Emaan’s foray into the world of lawn was marked by a well-attended launch event in Islamabad organised by yours truly. It’s not easy to organise events outside your city but I think of Islamabad as my second home and I am always looking for an excuse to visit. My childhood friend, Rezz Aly Shah, did the guest list & media PR. The event looked fabulous, everyone had a great time and the lawn was completely sold out!
weekend | travel
Light, camera,
Bliss! Post card from sri lanka
S
ri Lanka crops up on travel lists as a popular travel destination ever so often and while I never paid any attention to the country before, last summer I read up on it as much as I could. I visited the country for a good six weeks, which in any other place would have been a long stretch with me itching to go back home, but not Sri Lanka.
e Whsetray to
Top restaurants: The Sugar Bistro and Wine Bar, The Gallery Cafe at Paradise Road, Colombo Fort Cafe, Mango Tree, Ministry of Crab
Galle
March 17, 2016 | 56
Colombo
Where to stay: Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo Address: 77, Galle Road, Colombo 03, Sri Lanka What to love: Located in Colombo 03 the hotel is central to shops and even has its own mall located on its Crescat Boulevard within close proximity to the beach and some great restaurants!
Where to stay: Tamarind Hill hotel Address: No.288 Dadella, Galle, Sri Lanka What to love: Close to the beach, the hotel provides stellar views of the ocean and an ultimate luxurious and relaxing experience by the infinity pool. The hotel's own restaurant has an excellent fine dining menu! Places to visit: The Galle Fort, Galle Lighthouse, National Maritime Museum
Dambulla:
e Where to stay: Th d an rt so Re se Paradi Spa catWhat to love: Lo of ed in the middle tel ho is th , re nowhe ng provides everythi ! ed ne d ul co t a gues y Just be vary of an l’s snakes. The hote s ha nt ra au st re own ne a continental cuisi ing with a wide rang menu! What to see: The Sigiriya Rock and ustGardens are a m see!
weekend | travel in South Asia. I was too overwhelmed by how beautiful and blue the ocean was but daring locals were happy to leap into the cold water, a welcome respite from the humidity that lingers on you, long after the sun sets even. You will also see a number of locals perched upon the walls of the Fort, parasols in hand, watching a cricket match in the grounds of the Galle International Stadium that sits across the fort. The beautiful city of Galle and the cricket ground were devastated by the tsunami of 2004 but it was rebuilt and cricket resumed play in 2007. Once you enter the grassy walls of the Galle fort, other attractions such as its picturesque ligh-thouse, Meera mosque and All-Saint’s Church are a few minutes’ walk or a short Tuk-Tuk ride away. You will find
the Fort crammed full of little cafes, boutiques and hotels and rarely will you leave empty-handed. At night, Galle’s Unawatuna beach is covered in candle-lit restaurants that serve delicious, reasonably priced food and light entertainment so it’s a relaxing getaway for any-one looking for cheap sun, sand and surf. Soon after the sunny beaches of Galle, I headed off to the cooler hills and bruised pink sunsets of Kandy. There is a centre piece lake in the town centre surrounded by houses, boutique hotels and the famous Temple of the Tooth Relic. If you are lucky enough to be staying at a hotel nestled in the hills then you will be waking up to stunning green views every morning. Kandy’s town centre is busy and swarming with cars, small rickshaws (TukTuk) and three-wheelers zipping around cor-ners. I was visiting during the Kandy Esala Perahera, the grandest and oldest Buddhist festivals in Sri Lanka, held in the last 10 days leading up to the full moon at the end of the month in Ju-ly/August, so it was busier than usual. I saw lavishly decorated elephants that bowed down to pay their respects at the Temple of the Tooth Relic which in itself was a spectacular sight to see. The city was celebrating with loud music blaring in the streets, shops decorated for the festival and dancers dancing in the streets. If ever you find yourself visiting Kandy, I would recommend going during the Esala Perahera festival. I savoured the peace and quiet of Kandy’s hills but I realised I am a city girl at heart, because I was restless to get back to Colombo after my initial stopover on the way to Galle. Staying at a seafront hotel on the busy, often traffic-clogged Galle Road, I was surrounded by restored and
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Home to world-class cricket and Geoffrey Bawa, it’s a country recovering from decades of war. At first glance, you couldn’t imagine that the country was anything but peaceful with the number of tourists that descend every year. But Sri Lanka is emerging from the most violent period in its his-tory. Located off the East coast of Southern India, Sri Lanka is a clean (surprisingly so, for a developing nation), green and a less congested country than its neighbouring India. From the plane, I was welcomed with a bird’s-eye view of the island’s brown-sugar coloured, untrodden beaches, rolling surf and radiant green as far as the eye can see. In short, Sri Lanka was undiscovered paradise for me. I arrived late in the afternoon to Galle, after a three-hour taxi ride from Colombo airport. I dropped my bags off and headed straight to dip my feet in the cold ocean, with a cold minty drink in hand, as I had imagined on the flight over. Along the beach I saw other tourists and stray dogs frolicking in the sun; sunbathing and swimming. You will see stray dogs all over Sri Lanka, they are left alone and free to wander. You will find few places that have as many UNESCO World Heritage Sites as Sri Lanka does, a total of eight. You can taste the salt in the air as you walk along Flag Rock, at Galle Fort. Young boys loitering about, in search of adventure and tourists to impress, told me Flag Rock was a Portuguese bastion during the Dutch period where approaching ships were signaled from. Don’t be surprised if beggars begging for money, Tuk-Tuk drivers or street vendors speak perfectly understandable English—Sri Lanka boasts an impressive 92% literacy rate, the highest
weekend | travel March 17, 2016 | 58
well-maintained colonial architecture. At night if you walk along Galle Face Green, a stretch of lawn that faces the sea, you can smell aromatic local cuisine from where food vendors have set up shop on Galle Face Beach. You’ll see joggers stopping long enough to catch their breath and get sprayed by sea spray, throngs of people, young and old enjoying a night out on the beach. Colombo is a cosmopolitan capital with chic and nifty little eatries that serve some of the most deli-cious food I’ve eaten (the lush food and not knowing when to stop, accounted for the 5 kg excess weight I returned with). There were three restaurants in particular that I enjoyed frequenting; the Sugar Bistro on Crescat Boulevard, the Colombo Fort Cafe at the Dutch Hospital and The Gallery Cafe at Paradise Road which was once the home of Geoffrey Bawa. The Gallery Cafe is an inti-mate setting with a small courtyard, a Koi pond and a homeware shop adjoining the restaurant. Shanth Fernando’s (CEO of Paradise Road) love of art and classics has left a lasting impression on the country’s retail and hospitality industry. There is plenty to see in Colombo with galleries, museums and temples to fill up your days. The Gangaramaya Temple is a Buddhist temple where you will see a large collection of stone Buddha statues, that sit beautifully in the sunlight. However, the Seema Malaka temple was my favourite one and only when you visit it will you realise what a piece of art it is, which is not surprising, since it was designed by Bawa in the 1970s. I felt a strange sense of serenity as I entered the quiet space; it might have been the drop in temperature as you step inside from the heat or maybe being so close to calm waters. But if
there’s one Buddhist temple you should visit, make it the Seema Malaka, just to see more of Bawa’s work, if nothing else. I was told there isn’t much to see and do in Dambulla except climbing Sigiriya rock and seeing the iconic Royal Rock Temple and its caves, so that’s exactly what I did while I was there. What remains of the ancient city of Sigiriya are the ruins of the capital built by King Kashyapa I of Anurad-hapura, a parricidal king from 477-95 CE. He constructed a citadel and city with his palace atop the largest monolith in the world, Sigiriya rock, which is what tourists climb the 1200+ steps to see. If you suffer from vertigo and think the rickety stairs you have to climb to get to the top (all the while trying not to look below) will give away any minute, then I’d sit this one out if I were you. It took all my false bravado and a need to prove myself to keep going. It wasn’t easy and I reached the top looking like I’d just run two marathons (exhausted and panting) and if it
wasn’t for Drake’s ‘Started From The Bottom’ in my ears, I don’t think I would have (thanks Drizzy). But let me warn you, it’s not just the rickety stairs and huge drop you have to fear— near the stairs of the lion gate there are signs that warn you to be quiet so as to not disturb the giant wasp nests. So if you didn’t have sud-den-death-by-falling to fear, there is also the sudden-death-bya-wasp-attack to contend with. The views were worth all that, though. Next on my list was the Royal Rock Temple with its five caves and by now I had got used to the fact that anything worth seeing in Dambulla, involved a terrifying steep climb. Before ascending to the caves at the top, your senses are assaulted by the ginormous eyesore that is the Golden Tem-ple (you have to see it to believe it) where you purchase tickets and then hike up. There are five different caves that you enter barefoot so socks are advisable and along with people you will see a number of monkeys, well, monkeying around. The caves have reclining Buddha statues, statues of Hindu deities, murals and donation boxes. Other than that, there isn’t much else to do in Dambulla and I would recommend going for a couple of days instead of a longer sojourn. If you are planning your next holiday then I cannot recommend Sri Lanka enough. It’s tropically beautiful, steeped in culture and Sri Lankans are some of the friendliest and charming people I have had the pleasure to meet. It’s a short, four hour flight over from Pakistan and a variety of landscapes and climates to suit anyone’s holiday needs. You’ll find that civil wars and natural dis-asters can’t stop Sri Lanka from seducing travellers with its magical beauty, diverse culture and ancient history.
weekend | lifestyle
Knitting Needlesand Sandwiches by Sana Shah sunshineandco.co
April 17, 2016 | 60
L
ast week, two independent events took place that struck a chord with me and got me thinking on a topic that I know I have discussed in the past but would like to reiterate. If you were to ask; what the hardest part about living away from home was for me, my answer would, undoubtedly, be missing out on my nephews growing up. When you leave home for university or for work, you eventually get used to living without your parents and your siblings. With your siblings, you also understand that eventually everybody will go off
living their own lives and charting their own course, so you program yourself to get used to their physical absence in your life. You also have the comfort of knowing that you have had a solid 18 years together and so a few months or years apart now is not going to shake that foundation. But with your nieces and nephews, it’s different. If you miss out on their formative years you can never get that time back and your relationship will likely be affected. I was there for the birth of my first nephew thankfully, and then before getting married and moving, I was able to spend a year with
both my nephews without interruption. We spent that year watching movies (much to the dismay of their father as technically they are not allowed to watch TV) all my favourites from when I was their age and a few of the more recent hits. We would go to the zoo, I would pick them up from school, I would accompany them to birthday parties and suffer through inane conversations with mums I had very little in common with, being single and childless back then. Now when I visit home, spending time with them and making sure our bond remains intact is always a greater part
of my agenda. And so in that vein, last week I found myself in a classroom full of parents and children, watching a play that my nephew’s class had prepared. The kids and the school had done a fantastic job, and I was very impressed with the level of involvement of the children—from coming up with the plot and the dialogue, to creating the set, all the children seemed to have some part to play in the production of the play. The play opened with two kids who were playing the part of a mother and a father. They were both sitting on chairs next to each other, one reading a newspaper and the other, wait for it…knitting. It doesn’t take a genius to guess which one of them was was engaged in which activity. Enter: two precocious little children, a boy and a girl, running towards their mother and begging her to “make them sandwiches” while the father is left to read his newspaper undisturbed. A storm breaks out and the father still on his chair, still reading his newspaper, instructs the mother to check that all the windows and shutters are closed. The play moved on to other things but this initial interaction between the
weekend | lifestyle
with the scene, the setting and the dialogues. In other words, no teacher had instructed them to be sitting there with a pair of knitting needles in their hands to portray the role of a mother, but that is what they thought a mother looks like and is what she should be The author, affectionately referred to doing. This was very surprising to as Sunshine by her loved ones, recently me because the children in this moved to London from New York. She school mostly hailed from very is enjoying settling in while discovering young and somewhat “modern” the city with her 8-month-old daughter well educated families. I am sure in tow. Watch this space for her musa lot of them, if not most, have ings on London, sweet treats (that she mothers who work. Then why is shouldn’t be consuming now that the it that they felt the compulsion baby is no longer an excuse!), parenting, to portray a mother this way? decorating, and anything really that Before I begin to draw any tickles her fancy! conclusions, let me share with you my second story. This one is set in mother and father, for obvious reasons, rural Punjab, and so in some ways the stuck with me. These kids were around complete opposite environment to that 6 or 7 years of age and were already of the urban Lahore school. My father engaging in gender stereotyping. I ended was touring model farms in Southern up bringing up my concerns with the Punjab last week and had some very owners of the school, who to their credit interesting stories to share after. He told were very receptive and completely on us that because the men worked in the fields, the responsibility of rearing the livestock in these villages fell on the shoulders of the women. And so these women who were largely uneducated were trained as health workers on the livestock farms. My father was so impressed with the board with what I was saying, but told me something very interesting: the children women’s’ level of commitment to their had sole responsibility for coming up work. They were fully engaged and had clearly amassed a plethora of knowledge
April 17, 2016 | 61
I am sure a lot of them, if not most, have mothers who work
weekend | lifestyle
regarding their work over time. They were full of ideas and suggestions on how to improve the workings of the farm and increase productivity and were considered more reliable to work with than the men in the village. Currently, most of them were being transported to work by the men in their family, but when asked if they would be open to riding their own motorcycles to work, they responded with enthusiasm and a willingness. This wasn’t just the attitude of the women at one farm in one village, but was something that was prevalent across all the villages my father and his colleagues visited. It was heartening to hear these stories because the impression that one normally gets of Southern Punjab is a place that has become a hot bed of terrorism, where the women are beaten up and subjugated by the men folk and are resigned to a life of making chapattis and producing child after child. Not that I’m saying that the latter scenario does not exist and should not be addressed, but I think that it is equally important that positive stories such as the one I have shared just now also be celebrated and lauded. It should be held up as an example for the rest of the country to follow. In fact, it is imperative that our children are exposed to such stories and scenarios so that the prejudices and false impressions that their minds have already become prey to are challenged and shattered. They
should understand that the women in working, or engaging in non-domestic Pakistan play a very important role in tasks, it’s that they don’t see their this country, a role that is not limited to fathers engaging in matters to do with the home. The mother may be completing a full day of work just like the father, but when at home, it is the mother that the children turn to when hungry, when their clothes tear, when they need help with their homework etc. There is no stigma attached with completing these tasks and I know that as mothers some of us are natural “nurturers”, but that does making sandwiches and knitting. not give the father a carte blanche to So to answer my earlier question check out at home. Parity at home will regarding why the children portrayed be reflected as parity outside in the the mother the way they did, I think it is pertinent to focus on the way they portrayed the father i.e. a very passive presence in the house. This I believe is key. It is not that the children in my nephew’s class don’t see their mothers
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They were full of ideas and suggestions on how to improve the workings of the farm and increase productivity and were considered more reliable to work with than the men in the village.
work place and society in general. And if we want a more just and fair society for our daughters, we have to start by providing such an environment for them at home and then making sure it is propagated at school as well.
weekend | lifestyle
The Dressing Room with
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Bakhtawar Malik Favourite outfit you currently own? My powder pink Topshop blouse with white culottes and my Kate Spade ‘Paint The Town Rose’ clutch.
If you had any fashion designer in the world at your command to create a complete wardrobe for you, who would it be and why? I would choose Elie Saab! He is one of my absolute favourites!
Any person or character whose style inspires you? Olivia Palermo is my all time style crush! She can pull off just about anything!
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Fashion items in your wish-list right now? Linda Farrow sunglasses and white patent “Beloved� Louboutins!
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What are your top three clothing staples? Currently, my black Zara half sleeves knit top, a pair of skinny jeans and white sneakers.
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A city or country that you think has great style and why? London! I simply love how they can kill the winter blues by styling it up from knee high boots, furs and fedoras!
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Your personal style in three words. Chic, versatile and trendy.
In what way do you think your current style should change? I think one should always be willing to try something new in order to make a fashion statement and that’s what I would want to keep up with!
weekend | conversation
In Conversation with Sheikh Muhammad Ali and Muhammad Ali from
Visual Prophecy
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“Visual Prophecy” is a succeeding video production company in Lahore, started by two college friends, Muhammad Ali and Sheikh Muhammad Ali; it is quite a cool coincidence that they both also happen to share the same name. We caught up with these young professionals with a passion for film-making for an engaging afternoon of camera-ready conversation! Nur Zehra Qadri: First things first, what is the philosophy behind the name “Visual Prophecy”? SMA: We were looking for a name and one fine day it just dawned on us like a “prophecy” quite literally. MA: We had already discussed that we are not going to go for a technical run-of-themill name. NZQ: What gave you the idea to start this business? MA: It started in college, we were in the film department together but we met through a literary society we had both joined. The society event videos needed editing, so we started off doing just that. From then onwards we just went ahead through word of mouth, because everyone seemed impressed with the quality of work we were delivering. Eventually we decided to make a business out of it. SMA: We did our first project in July 2012 and earned five thousand rupees to animate a logo. We also edited a video for an NGO
Where: Visual Prophecy Head Quarter What We Ate: Hot Tea and Chocolate Cake
for thirty five thousand rupees. We thought we hit the jackpot! We were so happy about it because we didn’t’t expect to be making even that for something that is so easy and enjoyable for us. It was never our plan to create a company, there was no investment and it was all only based on word of mouth. We were getting work and just kept rolling with it, so the company was literally formed out of nowhere. We always discussed our work, never the idea of a company NZQ: What is the philosophy of your business? MA: The philosophy is simple, we just want to make good videos and that’s how we have been getting more work. We try to keep it simplistic and modern. When we started off, no one was doing what we were. No one believed in minimalism. From wedding/ event videos to the kind of television commercials being made in this country, it is all very over-the-top and typically designed. We hopefully want to help change the norm. SMA: We just want to do better work,
weekend | conversation
We want to be the greatest videographers out there and do whatever it takes to reach our goal. I always say, “Business is but a dream and there are no morals in dreams”.
from a friend, they were looking for someone to edit a video for the metro bus project in Lahore. We were given the challenge to finish this project as soon as possible, which really meant twenty four hours. Later, when it was showed to the Chief Minister, he was really impressed. Another difficult project was to record the Maghrib call to prayer all around Pakistan. There was extensive travel involved and nonstop working hours plus shooting in mosques, while keeping its sanctity in mind was also surprisingly challenging. Also, we were staying in Gilgit for a project where we had to routinely go and document the village areas that were under flood threats. The walls created for protection against floods collapsed while we were there and we narrowly escaped a near death experience. Trekking these terrains was also a huge challenge because the climbs were almost completely vertical. The views were stunning though, so that’s a plus. It was really heaven on earth. NZQ: What is the most memorable thing you have experienced in your journey so far? MA: Probably our work trip to Sri Lanka for Èlan Lawn 2015. Galle was an amazing place, it was seriously like a paid vacation. We had an amazing team. We worked dawn till dusk but it never got tiring, because the place was so stunning. We were staying at a resort that was meant for thirty to forty people, but it was booked solely for us. It was a really expensive place but we managed to lower the charges by promising them a free promotional video. Also this was our first international fashion shoot.
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make videos that have an impact, either socially or aesthetically. We want to be the greatest videographers out there and do whatever it takes to reach our goal. I always say, “Business is but a dream and there are no morals in dreams”. That was obviously a joke. NZQ: That is quite a witty quote. Tell us about your educational background? MA: Our entire team is from BNU, all film graduates. SMA: Uneducated from BNU! NZQ: How did you two meet, I’m assuming BNU? SM: Yes. We were in a literary society together, as I mentioned earlier. I spotted Sheikh hiding in a corner at an event for The Maya Tree (the literary society), we started talking because of our mutual interest in photography and camera technology. Eventually we had to make a promo for the event and were assigned to do it together. SMA: It was a bright sunny day. Our batch mate was entering the college campus and asked me to come with her to The Maya Tree meeting. I thought since I haven’t really done much in college, this could, maybe, be a redeeming venture. Ali was the resident nerd of the society, I thought he could definitely be of some assistance [jokingly]. But yeah, it was a unexpected friendship, this is where it began. NZQ: What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your journey so far? SMA: Spending four years with Ali. MA: There have been many challenging episodes but nothing major. Once I got a call
weekend | conversation Secondly, there was also a trip to Gilgit where we went for a UN project to film glaciers. We trekked the 17th longest glacier in the world. It was pretty cool. SMA: Probably the bee attack in Kasur. The episode went down exactly like it sounds. We were initially wary of taking our female team members but then in the spirit of “girl-power”, eventually we had our team member Neha join us. She was the first to face the attack. It was a-had-to-be-there kind of moment, it was horrible but I couldn’t’t help but laugh uncontrollably. There was a lot of screaming, more from the boys than the girls really and a lot of swearing and hat-hailing (because of course no one travels to Kasur without their hat on) NZQ: That actually does seem like a scene from a comedy. You both seem like you’re polls apart as people. Let’s try to get to know you all individually. How would you define yourself in a sentence? MA: I am a man-child. Not afraid to say it. SMA: Young, wild and feminist! NZQ: Tell us something no one knows about you. MA: I’m an open book [others in the office: and it’s a long frickin book!]
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RapidFire
City: SMA: Florence MA: Lahore
TV Show: MA: That 70s Show SMA: House of Cards
Music: SMA: System of a Down MA: Kings of Leon, Coldplay
Our ultimate dream is to become Pakistan’s Warner Brothers!
SMA: We’ll Dropbox the images! NZQ: What is the craziest thing you have ever done? MA: I am the most boring person in the world. How crazy is that right. SMA: Sky diving! NZQ: What do you like to do in your free time? MA: Watch movies, just regular things SMA: Make travel plans! NZQ: Name one thing on your bucket list. SMA: Do official photography for Formula 1! MA: Write and direct my own feature film! NZQ: What is something you will never compromise on? SMA: My life strategy is to not compromise on absolutely anything! MA: You always have to compromise, depending on any given situation. Even with truth and honesty at times. NZQ: Something you will always take out time for? SMA: Travel, travel, travel! MA: Research and learning about new technologies in my field. NZQ: What is your ultimate dream? MA: Our ultimate dream is to becomePakistan’s Warner Brothers! SMA: Same!
Book: Spirit Animal: SMA: I only read articles SMA: I am an animal MA: The Lord of the Rings (Party animal) MA: Sloth Car: SMA: Maserati Food/Restaurant: MA: My Muddy Black Corolla SMA: Fried Chicken MA: Raj Kachori at Style icon: Bombay Chowpatty SMA: George Clooney MA: David Beckham
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g Novelty Clutch Ba PKR-2799 op High Street - Online Sh
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Framed PRINT PKR 3500 Nest
Kutahya Bowl PKR 1450 Ottoman Jewels
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