Veena Malik celebrates Holi

Holi has always remained one of the most enjoyable and fun filled festivals among the people of India.

Enjoying a splash of colours, lazing in the intoxication of bhang (a special drink), feasting on traditional sweets and delicacies and all this with friends makes Holi a truly exciting time for celebrities too.

While the whole country is gearing up to revel in the spirit of festivities of Holi, the bombshell Veena Malik was seen playing with eco friendly colours on the sets of her upcoming movie 'Nagna Satyam' with the cast and crew. She will be soon seen in Bollywood movie 'The City That Never Sleeps', which is produced by Satish Reddy and directed by Haroon Rashid.

"I always try to play Holi with natural colours, which are eco friendly and good for the face and body. My crew got the gulaal made by natural herbs. I am really happy to celebrate Holi this year as well. I can say that I love India and this festival of India, which spreads love and joy," Veena said.

Ali Zafar attends 'Chashme Baddoor' press conference in London

Actor Ali Zafar attended a press conference for Viacom 18 Motion Pictures & Tip Top Entertainment's presentation 'Chashme Baddoor' recently in Central London.

The film, which is due for release on April 5, is the remake of Sai Paranjpe's 1981 classic, 'Chashme Buddoor', in which Ali Zafar plays Farooque Shaikh's character. In true Ali Zafar fashion, he was quick to charm the international press present in Central London.

Well versed in English and as eloquent as always, Ali looked the picture of composure and professionalism. However, never to shy away from being mischievous, Ali didn't hesitate throwing a few fast balls at the press either.
Thoroughly at ease, he charmed the audience with his quick wit and intelligent answers, making sure that the press felt included and appreciated. Ali who is famous for not only being a generous and talented artist, but also an advocate of humanitarian causes, is always the ideal ambassador for Pakistan wherever he goes.
This is Ali Zafar's fourth Bollywood film and that, too, in a lead role. Not only is he the protagonist of the film, but has also contributed a fair bit to the films soundtrack.

Yasir & Jawad all set to unveil their song ‘Niqab’

KARACHI: “Uth Records” is a reality television show launched by Ufone that provides talented young musicians a professional music platform where their original work can be seen and heard across Pakistan.
Amongst all the artists that were featured in the first and second season of “Uth Records”, a band that made a lasting impression with original music was Yasir and Jawad, a rock band from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The band comprises Wali Orakzai on vocals, Jawad Iqbal on the guitar and Yasir Rehman on the rabab. Their rendition of famous Pashto poet Ghani Khan’s “Reidi Gul” gave Pashto music mainstream spotlight and managed to become popular amongst people who do not even understand the language.

Unfortunately, Yasir and Jawad did not capitalise on the launch given to them by “Uth Records” as they were busy releasing their first music video, “Niqab” after a break of a year and a half. “We had recorded the songs, but couldn’t find the right team to make the video the way we wanted. Most of the directors we approached wanted to make a commercial video while we wanted to go experimental on this,” Iqbal tells Pakistan News Reported:
“Niqab” is a piece of poetry by Ghani Khan that talks about the darker side of life; it is based on the concept of existentialism. “We wanted to stay away from clichéd themes like romanticism in Pashto poetry and that is why we chose a piece in which Ghani is looking for answers to different complicated questions in life,” Jawad says, explaining his choice of lyrics. On the other hand, the key was to translate the existentialist dilemma of Ghani’s word into visuals and that resulted in an experimental video, something that most of their fans would find difficult to comprehend.
“It is very experimental and at places you might find it to be pointless,” Iqbal laughs. “But all of the absurdity is intentional; for all the videos after ‘Niqab’ we will not feature band performance; we will play around with visuals surrounding a single theme instead.”
The audio of the song has been produced by none other than the saviour of most Pashto bands Zeeshan Pervaiz and the video is directed by the Peshawar-based Mash productions. Since Pervaiz is producing their music this time around, the fans will get to hear a completely new sound. “The fans should expect similar instruments like the rabab, but with a more studio-based electronic feel. It might sound like lounge music and maybe even dub step but in a nutshell you can call it Pashto electronic pop with folk melodies,” explains Iqbal. The music video of “Niqab” is scheduled to release November 29.
Where did all the talent go?
There are a number of singing competitions taking place in Pakistan on a regular basis. But unlike the talent shows in India and the rest of the world, none of the talent has really been promoted. This could be blamed on the overall declining state of the music industry in Pakistan, but that is a poor excuse when Pakistan has its own YouTube sensations who have made careers out of viral videos. Shows like “Pakistan Sangeet Icon” (Indus TV), “LG Banaye Star” (Geo TV) and “Azm-e-Aalishan” (TV One) are a mere replication of Indian musical shows with seasoned musicians such as Nizar Lalani, Meekal Hassan and Ali Haider, judging the shows. Sadly, the turnout has been unimpressive; according to an article published earlier in The Express Tribune, Syed Muqaddas Ali, winner of the “LG Banaye Star” competition in 2010, received a ‘star prize’ that included cash, an album production and recording, one music video production, exposure in the media and the opportunity to gain stardom. However, not a single song has been produced by him since; neither have we seen the participants or winners of any other talent shows gaining stardom.
While one can’t really pin the blame on any artist or organisation, the singers’ disappearing acts are certainly not good for the music industry.

Huma Qureshi doesn’t feel like an outsider in filmdom

NEW DELHI: 
Pakistan News Reported:
Actor Huma Qureshi’s first two films were appreciated and she is reportedly getting good offers now as well. Content with her career, the actor doesn’t see herself as an outsider in the film industry.
“I don’t feel like an outsider. I was already shooting for other films even before the release of my first film Gangs of Wasseypur [GOW]. While shooting for GOW, I was simultaneously shooting for Vishal Bhardwaj’s Ek Thi Daayan, and while shooting for Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana, I was shooting for Nikhil Advani’s D Day,” Huma, who is from Delhi, told IANS.
She started as a model and featured in TV commercials like Vita Marie, Saffola Oil, Mederma Cream, Pears Soap and Nerolac.
Talking about movies, she said: “It’s an exciting new phase. Both parts of my first film received critical acclaim; Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana was also appreciated by many. I hope it continues to be like this.”

Ek Thi Daayan and D Day haven’t come out yet. However, she considers herself lucky to have bagged films with established film-makers.
“I am blessed to have gotten a chance to work with directors like Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Bhardwaj and Nikhil Advani at such an early age. Moreover, good scripts have been coming my way so I am really excited about that too,” said the 26-year-old, who doesn’t want to restrict her acting to a certain genre.
“I have tried to be different in each of my films be it Gangs of Wasseypur or Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana. My roles in the other two films are also different. I can’t put myself in a box and be an actor,” she said.
When it comes to looks, Huma is different from the typical Bollywood actor and she says she isn’t trying to fit into anyone’s shoes.
“I agree that I am different. I am not trying to fit into someone else shoes. I am being honest to myself. The audience loves me the way I am and that’s important to me,” she added.

Second International Children’s Film Festival calls out to Karachi

KARACHI: 
To entertain, inspire, and educate is the purpose of the second Karachi International Children’s Film Festival, which has been organised by festival director Shoaib Iqbal in collaboration with The Little Art and Teacher’s Resource Centre (TRC).
The idea behind the festival is to celebrate and encourage some of the best films made for and by children. It is geared towards specific age groups from four to 16 years old. Children have a vivid imagination with toys and make-believe characters, and can love unconditionally; these themes stood out at the screening showcased at the Rangoonwala Community Centre in Dhoraji Colony on Wednesday.

Films
The first film to be screened was Disassembled, which came from the Netherlands. While it was packed with creative graphics and animated creatures, the film failed to attract much attention because there was no concrete plot.
However, another film titled Picture This gained positive feedback and touched the hearts of the audience. The story is about Giles, a young girl from South Africa, who left her elderly grandmother at her home town Gogo to be with her father in another town of South Africa. Like her father, Giles also shares his passion for painting and she paints the town in a myriad of colours. But when her father finds out, he becomes angry because she uses all his paints. The people, however, appreciate her for painting it red and making the town a livelier place to live in.
The Pakistani film Bhaoo was also an entertaining watch. It was the story of a little boy named Bilal who is scared of demons he thinks he sees at midnight. He has nightmares about them and screams out for his mother, but his mother doesn’t take his fears seriously. For young Bilal, many questions remain unanswered because his mother is always too busy on the telephone. The deeper theme of the play is that Bilal’s imaginary demons are a result of his mother’s neglect.
Another animated movie from the United Kingdom titled Lost and Found was interesting. The plot revolves around a little penguin from the shores of the South Pole who comes to an anonymous town in the UK and knocks on the door of a little boy. The boy then goes from place to place, trying to find a home for the animal.
Appreciation from the young
At the Zuleikhabai Audi-torium, about 50 students from the Foundation School in Bahadurababd were present. One of the 10-year-olds, Mohib Anwar, said he loved watching Lost and Found because the movie described how friends are made and then lost and regained.
“Children thoroughly enjoyed the festival,” said school administrator Ghulam Akbar. “However, a guide should be here to help the children understand morals behind any given story, so that they can understand it better.”
“Films are a mode of entertainment and inspiration for young minds,” said Ali Hameed, the program director for The Little Art. “We select films from across the world and bring it here to the local audience. This also makes them well aware of other cultures in the world.”
More films will be screened during the day time for young viewers on November 8 and then through November 12 to 14 at the Zuleikhabai Auditorium of the Rangoonwala Centre.

Jab Tak Hai Jaan all set to release in Pakistan

KARACHI: 
The release of the greatly anticipated Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma and Shahrukh Khan starrer Jab Tak Hai Jaan may well turn out to be one of the most mysterious foreign releases in the history of Pakistani cinema.
Earlier, it was reported that the film will not be released here as it shows Shahrukh playing an army officer in Kashmir, and it was believed that the plot may portray Pakistan in a negative light. The recent ban on Bollywood films Agent Vinod and Ek Tha Tiger for being “against national institutions” lead many to believe that Jab Tak Hai Jaan’s chances in Pakistan are bleak. But here’s the good news: thanks to some leg work by the local distributor of the film, IMGC Global Entertainment and assurance from Yash Raj Films (YRF) that the plot will not hurt sentiments, Yash Chopra’s final project will be screened in Pakistan.

“The film is coming to Pakistan and is in the process of being imported,” Chairman of IMGC Global Entertainment Amjad Rasheed told The Express Tribune.


“The film has received one NOC [No Objection Certificate] from the ministry of regulations and services and is now awaiting another from the ministry of commerce,” said Rasheed. “After this it will be all set to arrive in Pakistan. Upon its arrival, which would be sometime next week, the film will be submitted to the censor board for reviewing,” he added excitedly.
After all the rumours and hullabaloo surrounding its release, it was Rasheed’s trip to Yash Chopra’s funeral that really worked in Pakistan’s favour, as he claims that Aditya Chopra himself guaranteed that the film is not going to offend Pakistanis.
“I met Aditya Chopra on his father’s funeral and he assured me that the film is not against Pakistan or its security agencies and it does not have any negative religious connotations. It has a positive vibe overall and I am glad that one of the most awaited films of the year is finally releasing in Pakistan,” said Rasheed.
Vice President of International Operations at YRF Avtar Panesar confirmed this, when he told The Express Tribune, “I can confirm that the film has nothing that may be construed as anti-Pakistan; [it] is a simple love story,” he said. He added, “The film will be submitted to the censor board and only once they clear [it] will we release it. We have always respected the law in any of the countries we release our films in and Pakistan is no exception. We will respect the law of Pakistan and the release will take place once the formalities are completed.”
Apart from being Yash Chopra’s final project, it is also the only Shahrukh Khan film to come out this year and his first film with Katrina Kaif, which makes celebrities and audiences alike excited about its release.
“Like me, Pakistanis are anxiously waiting for Jab Tak Hai Jaan,” actor Humaima Malik told The Express Tribune. “This is Yash Chopra’s last contribution to cinema, so it should be honoured as he honoured people on this side of the border with so many great films,” she added.
It seems that the confusion regarding the release of the biggest Bollywood flick of 2012 is finally heading for a more favourable solution for Pakistan. If the film clears the Central Board of Film Censors review, which seems likely, it would be a treat for exhibitors and audiences. Get your popcorn ready: Jab Tak Hai Jaan is expected to release in major cinemas in Pakistan on November 15!

Xulfi announces Junaid Khan’s exit from Call

LAHORE:

Call has managed to gather a large fan base over the years with its edgy pop-rock sound. After rocking in Pakistan, it made its way across the subcontinent to India where it gave the crowd songs such as “Laree Chooti” and “Yeh Pal” and left them spellbound.

In an exclusive interview regarding his latest project Nescafe Basement, guitarist Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan, more popularly known as Xulfi, disclosed some shocking news: Junaid Khan, the lead singer and guitarist of Call, will no longer be a part of the band. As a replacement, Mustafa Zahid from Roxen, has been playing with the band instead.

“He [Junaid Khan] is very busy with his acting and personal commitments,” said Xulfi, expressing disappointment about Junaid’s solo career on the rise. He also said that Junaid is recording his own album. “This was news to us. He is busy doing his solo stuff.” Expanding on the rift, he added: “We have lost our common ground. When that happens, the band cannot survive. I have done other projects too, but they have always been under the name of Call. You have to pick one identity.”

When asked how different things would be after losing an integral member, Xulfi said that as long as he was a part of it, the essence of the band will remain intact. He added that unlike other countries, bands in Pakistan face the dilemma of making a living solely from their music career. According to him, bands such as Entity Paradigm (EP), Overload and Jal also lost members and had to reform their line-ups and they ultimately did survive.


He further revealed, “Junaid was recording his album and we didn’t know — it was the way he wanted to go and we didn’t want to stop him just so we could continue to perform as a band.” He did not wish to share further details.

Junaid’s manager Hadi Imran confirmed this development, saying “This [Junaid’s departure from Call] had been decided a while back; it is being released to the media only now.” However, when The Express Tribune contacted Junaid for a comment, he said he would prefer not to make a statement.

Nescafe Basement

Speaking about current projects, the introverted yet talented Xulfi express confidence that Call would continue to perform and remain alive as long as he was a part of the band. He talked about a project called Nescafe Basement, which aims to bring together skilled musicians from lesser known backgrounds on to one stage to perform together. “For me, promoting young blood is not about pleasure but about intent — if we don’t promote music amongst the youth, we won’t be able to create a positive future for the Pakistani music scene,” said Xulfi.

“I have this belief that the best music comes out of a jam. When I say ‘best music’, I am not talking about the audience or myself; I’m talking about the feel music creates,” he continued. “I was not a mentor that was forcing them — I was a mentor that was guiding them.” The project has brought together 15 ambitious artists who have recorded a total of 24 tracks.

Support from the industry

Xulfi explained that the biggest challenge for the music industry is to ensure that every entertainment medium provides unconditional support in promoting Pakistani music, whether it’s the TV/drama industry or cafes across the country. Appreciating TV shows such as “Humsafar”, he said: “I am so happy that our dramas have soundtracks which contain pure Pakistani music and lyrics. Everyone has the right to play anything they want in cafes or even on TV but industries are made when every other medium [sector] lends out its support allowing the industry to develop and prosper.”

Meanwhile, Xulfi remains excited about the future of his band Call, despite having lost Junaid. He hints at an upcoming video, which will be a surprise for his fans, along with the possible production of music for an Indian movie which releases next year. “It’s not about the number of songs you are doing there, it’s about what you are doing,” he said, referring to his contribution to Bollywood. “If you’re just lending your voice to their [Bollywood’s] music, they are using you. But if you’re giving your own music, then that’s another thing.”

Young lovers Saira and Shahroz tie the knot

KARACHI:
She’s the youngest of four sisters; he’s the only child of Mr and Mrs Behroze Sabzwari. She’s composed, with a charming, girl-next-door appeal; he’s the talkative and hopelessly romantic ladla. Meet TV actors Saira Yousuf and Shahroz Sabzwari, who got hitched last month after years of on and off romance.

Welcoming The Express Tribune into his home on Saturday evening, 25-year-old Shahroz and his better half were ecstatic about sharing their romantic journey and their intimate nikaah ceremony.


“We met at a mutual friend, Ali Tariq’s wedding,” Shahroz begins, talking about the first time he saw Saira before she joins us. “That was six years ago! I was 19 and she was 18. During events like the mehendi, dholkis, dance practices, I started to like her,” he says. Abandoning all notions of bashfulness, he adds: “Before that, I had seen her in a couple of ads and had thought to myself — who is this cute girl in town?”

Wearing a casual red shirt with jeans, Shahroz gets comfortable on a sofa and talks about his induction into showbiz. “I am a parchee,” he says, admitting that he had help from his father Behroze, who is a senior actor in our entertainment industry. He also says that his father saw the talent in him. “Dad would initially make phone calls [within the industry] to cast me as an actor in upcoming plays,” he adds. He then smiles and reiterates his initial view: “That makes me a parchee.”

As the conversation progresses, Saira walks into the room, radiant and adorable in jeans and a white top, bearing her contagious trademark smile. As he glances at his pretty 24-year-old wife with Afghani features, his eyes light up. Clearly, he is head over heels in love.

But while the young couple started dating in 2006, their relationship saw its shares of ups and downs. Both, however, refuse to acknowledge that they had ever completely broken things off.  “We were together on and off,” Sabzwari says disappointed. “Other things mattered more at the time and we grew apart.”

Shahroz adopts a sincere and open stance as he explains the shortcomings he had when he was younger. “For a 19-year-old, I was really immature and Saira was way more mature than any girl at 18!” He adds, “I was very insecure and over-possessive about her then.”

He fondly recalls memories of their teens. “She literally grew up in this house! We used to hang out so often. Our families knew each other and her parents often visited our place,” he says.

At this point, Saira speaks up. She says that even during their break-ups, she knew they were made for each other. “He started dating again and went out with a couple of other girls,” she says, in a playful tone. But Shahroz is quick to interrupt her as he interjects with “just a few!”.

With a chuckle, Yousuf continues. She explains that in her heart, she knew that there was a strong connection between them. “I somehow knew he will come back to me!” she shares.

Shahroz continues, saying that the couple has scores of mutual friends who always pictured them together, despite them being apart. “It was always ‘Saira-Shahroz’ for them even when we weren’t together,” he says with a smile. Even when they were not dating, they say they were always civil towards each other and accepted TV play offers, when they were cast in the same production.

It was the new drama, “Tanhaiyaan: Naye Silsilay” that brought them back together. “In this play, there were love scenes between us; either she was wooing me or I her,” Shahroz says with excitement. “Although we were always civil with each other, the passion was there and I fell in love with her again.”

But Saira felt differently. “I was cordial and the attraction was there, but at the end I knew it [being formal] was going nowhere!” She continues, “I told him we should stop fighting. For him, whenever we were civil, we ended up talking about marriage.”

He took the plunge and popped the question, asking for her hand in marriage and — like the romantic that he is — wanting to elope. “Let’s go to the mosque and do it,” Shahroz had said to her at the time. “We will let the families know later.”

Saira was more composed, and decided that involving the families is a better idea. “Let’s go the right way,” she had told him. That’s when Shahroz told his father. From being a ‘baat pakki’ event, upon the parents’ insistence, it transpired into an intimate nikaah ceremony. Shahroz’s mother designed an ivory-coloured chicken-kari outfit with kaamdani work for Saira. Thus, on October 21 — the date when they were supposed to exchange rings — they became husband and wife.

Saira shares how their friends’ reacted to the development. “When we were hanging out, it was acceptable to everyone because dating and party ‘scene on hai’,” she says. “But when we announced our marriage, they felt it was too early for us to settle down.”

“They forget that we grew up together,” Saira adds. “We experienced each other as friends first; then we grew apart and came back to one another. I believe we are good together.”

Since then, some friends have bombarded Shahroz with questions like: “When is the doomsday, yaar?”  Other people in the media industry, have said: “Your career is over, dude!” Shahroz doesn’t appreciate such remarks, “Bakwas! We believe in fate, we will be together,” he says with pride. “With this development, we have gained immense popularity and respect from our fans.”

Agreeing that the feeling of being married has not sunk in yet, both of them say that they will support each other in their professions. “We don’t like to control each other. We give each other the space that’s needed. I don’t like to interfere in her work or her life and neither does she in mine,” says Shahroz.

With a rukhsati ceremony scheduled to be held in December this year, the honeymoon is likely to be in either Australia or Europe. “We like old heritage buildings,” says a beaming Shahroz. “We’re fine with a cup of tea at a roadside café,” he smiles.

As our meeting came to an end, Shahroz lovingly put his arm around his wife. The couple laughed as Shahroz said he is happy to spend money on their honeymoon, cheekily adding that she is a shopaholic. We wish them a happily married life!

Ishq-e-Mamnoo soundtrack becomes KJ’s big break

KARACHI:

Little did we know that the Urdu dubbing of popular Turkish soaps will gain so much popularity in Pakistan. After the national obsession with “Humsafar”, Pakistan’s latest addiction is the widely popular Turkish soap “Ishq-e-Mamnoo” (Forbidden Love).

While its lead characters Bihter and Behlul have become household names, the singer of the namesake original soundtrack has become something of an overnight celebrity.

Khurram Jamshed, also known as KJ, shares success similar to that of Quratulain Baloch, who is now enchanting people around the world with “Woh Humsafar Tha”. KJ is being advertised for ghazal nights as the singer of the hit title song “Ishq-e-Mamnoo”.

Little do people know that KJ has been behind the scenes in the music industry for almost 20 years, providing services for different record labels and music companies. It was only recently when KJ was supervising the dubbing of Turkish soaps “Isabel” and “Ishq-e-Mamnoo” with his partner and project head Emu, that he was chosen to sing.



“I was a little hesitant to sing after so long, but Emu [also the composer of the song] pushed me into it,” KJ told The Express Tribune. “Now I realise that it was a risk worth taking.”

In the mid ‘90s, KJ entered the music industry to become a singer but the rejection from PTV and other record labels forced him to go behind the scenes and focus more on artist selection and promotion for record labels.

“It is more like a dream come true for me,” explains KJ. “For years I have been promoting other people and for the first time I am getting to do something solo and live.”

Keeping the popularity of the song in mind and the increasing demand by the promoters for a legally downloadable version of the song, KJ decided to make a solo video which will be released soon.

“We thought that the ban on YouTube might affect our gauge of the song’s success,” says KJ. “But the back-to-back demand on different radio stations is very encouraging. It’s also very interesting that people have come out with their own remix versions of the song.”

Music for “Ishq-e-Mamnoo”

The whole project was experimental, but Emu, who is also a Fuzon band member, followed his gut feeling about the composition. He asked one of his colleagues, singer and lyricist Sherry, who was also supervising the dubbing project, to come up with the words.

“It had to be a romantic song with a very mellow feel to it,” says Emu. “But it was about forbidden love so I added a bit of a qawwali to it which really worked out in our favour.”

Being a rockstar and the face of a prominent band, Emu wasn’t comfortable with the whole concept of composing an OST. “Changing shoes wasn’t that much of a treat,” says Emu with a laugh. “However, I wanted to tell people that Emu is more than Fuzon.  If someone wants me to compose an OST for them, I will. But I won’t go beg people for an OST, because that’s not what I am known for.”

Ironically, the channel had more hopes for the play “Isabel”, which was the reason they aggressively advertised the soundtrack for that serial, but surprisingly, “Ishq-e-Mamnoo” has captivated a larger audience.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7th, 2012.

Like Life & Style on Facebook and follow at @ETLifeandStyle for the latest in fashion, gossip, entertainment

In Pakistan, ‘Sufi’ is used for anything: Arieb Azhar

LAHORE: 
After spending a substantial part of his life in Croatia, singer-songwriter Arieb Azhar returned to Pakistan in 2004 in order to reconnect with his roots.
He was exposed to folk and classical music in his early years and ultimately developed a passion and love for traditional, soulful music. He came into the limelight of the Pakistani music scene following his globetrotting musical antics and contributions to season two and three of “Coke Studio”. He is also currently planning a trip to England, sponsored by the British Council, to collaborate with Martin Simpson — a celebrated English folk musician.

“Our music is going to be an interesting mix of Celtic and South Asian folk and classical music, which I feel goes together naturally,” said Azhar, who is working with Simpson on a number of tracks that will be performed live at festivals and recorded as well. “Martin and I are trying to come up with music together in a very natural and organic way where we are playing off each other’s music ‘feel’. We are trying to create fusion on a ‘soul’ level.” He added that Simpson is known for his unique finger picking style and is the best he has heard to date.
Azhar’s interactive live performances connect well with the audience due to the references he makes to poetry in his music. As a result, he has postponed his much-awaited personal album and is planning on releasing an album which contains live performances instead — those performed in US recently as part of a project called Center Stage.“Over the last couple of years, several recordings have piled up and the plan was to release them. We are now planning on releasing it as a whole live-concert album,” Azhar said. The album includes Akmal Qadri on flutes, Zeeshan Mansoor on lead guitar, Kashif Ali Dani on tabla and Azhar himself on rhythm guitar and vocals. His band has also added Zain Ali on bass and Ibrahim Akram on drums.
Azhar has simultaneously been working on another project with his friend Dus based in Croatia, who is a DJ as well as a composer. “Every time I made a trip to Croatia, I would record a few songs over a click track [series of audio cues used to synchronise sound recordings] and Dus would compose and arrange the music around it,” he said, adding that the album will be something new and different from his original style. “It has more of an electronic drum-and-bass sound and I’m still not sure how I feel about it since it isn’t exactly my style of music — the sound has not developed organically around live performances either.” He added, “I sometimes enjoy the sound and sometimes it just confuses me.” The album will be released some time during this year.
Commenting on the ‘Sufi artist’ label Azhar has been given, he said: “Perhaps we’re creating some form of urban folk music and this is why the label has been given. Sufi is a very abstract term which is used almost for anything in Pakistan.” He believes that music in general is something of a ‘journey’ and cannot be quantified or confined by labels. “On one hand it flatters me when people call me a Sufi singer as some of my inspirations have been drawn from that genre, but on the other hand, I feel it also limits the scope of our music,” he said. “It has become an overly clichéd term.”
The music environment in Pakistan remains rather unstable. However, Azhar remains optimistic, saying: “Only under intense pressure can coal turn into diamond.” He further added that he feels his music is evolving. “It’s a strange fact that most of the best and most inspiring music has come out of the most adverse of conditions — the strange thing is that I see conditions for this art deteriorating around me but at the same time, I see myself and our own music developing and evolving.”

Destinations Hollywood and Bollywood for Meesha

LAHORE: 
Pakistan’s rocker chick Meesha Shafi is an all¬-rounder when it comes to entertaining the audience.
The multi-talented musician and actor set the bar high for herself after starring in Mira Nair’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist and is now simultaneously working on two new projects — a Bollywood film, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and a Hollywood flick, Tournament of Shadows. While Shafi was reluctant to do a typical Bollywood movie in the past, she said this film is not your average movie.
“When the director approached me for this project, saying ‘yes’ was an easy choice,” says Shafi. “The quality of work and the team including Farhan Akhtar, are some of the best of their kind in the industry and have proven so time and time again.”
Reel talk

“Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is not your average Bollywood masala mix at all. It’s a biopic, strictly non-fiction period movie,” she says. The film features Farhan Akhtar, who plays the role of Milkha Singh, an Indian Olympic runner who is also known as the “flying Singh”. The film chronicles the life of the Olympian over three decades, the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s and is being directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra — a director Shafi adores. He is also known for his inspirational film Rang De Basanti.
Meanwhile, Shafi has also been busy with her upcoming Hollywood project Tournament of Shadows. “I had not realised until recently, the magnitude and reach of ‘Alif Allah’ or ‘Jugni’. I was approached for this film, my second Hollywood production, after producers discovered me on YouTube,” she said about Tournament of Shadows which is being directed by Jamil Dehlavi — known for directing Jinnah as well.
“Both the music and story revolve around a very strong theme of spirituality and Sufism.” The film will include two of Shafi’s songs with one showcasing her vocal versatility as she will sing in Persian for the first time. The date of the film’s release is still unknown.
Speaking of her contribution to Mira Nair’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist, which has been circling the festival circuit lately — to be screened at a special Dare Gala at the British Film Institute (BFI) London Film Festival this month and later at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival — she said: “I am so honoured to count this historical movie in my credits. It’s been great food for thought for the audiences it has catered to so far,” she said. “It is doing festival rounds at the moment and is challenging people to gain some perspective — to question and rethink sensitive issues.”
When asked how she adapted to different film industries such as Bollywood and Hollywood, she admitted she was able to adjust quickly and perform the varying roles she signed up for easily because she was tri-lingual. “Being tri-lingual is definitely one of my strengths and as far as working in different film cultures is concerned, it’s always a pleasure and a great learning experience as you get to work with professionals from all round the world,” she said.
“The only challenging aspect for me has been time management. All of a sudden this year, I was somehow shooting for four movies simultaneously — all in different countries. I had never even imagined being in these shoes. It’s a roller coaster ride and by the grace of God, I didn’t even have to stand in a queue.”
Regarding music, Shafi said that she has been working on some original tracks and producing them at her husband Mahmood Rahman’s production house Pocketwatch. “There is a lot of music I am sitting on right now. I am reviewing the best time to follow a release plan and that time is not right now,” she said. “I would like to be able to accompany my album release with a sizeable tour which many fans and record labels are inquiring about.” She plans on producing music videos as well.

Abbottabad raid: First Bin Laden film to premiere tomorrow

WASHINGTON:
Days before the first movie about the commando raid that killed Osama bin Laden airs for the first time on Television, director John Stockwell admitted that he had no official cooperation, adding that one may “never know the entire story”.
“SEAL Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden”, which was shot in Khopoli, India and Santa Fe, New Mexico, documents the May 2, 2011 raid on the former al Qaeda leader’s compound in Abbottabad.
“The fascinating thing for me… was how much internal conflict there was within the intelligence community, within the White House and the Department of Defence, and all the ways it could have turned out badly,” he said.

The 90-minute film will be screened on the National Geographic channel on Sunday.
Much of “SEAL Team Six “ was filmed before the publication in August of “No Easy Day,” written under a pseudonym by a member of the real-life SEAL team who claimed that Bin Laden was unarmed when he was killed.
“We know the ending [of the operation to kill Bin Laden], but even to this day I don’t have certainty on the beginning and the middle,” Stockwell said.
Stockwell spoke to current and former SEALs, intelligence personnel and White House officials as part of his research, but only off the record, with no way to double-check their information. “I certainly had no official cooperation and I had no official access to anything,” said Stockwell.
“The truth is, 10 years from now, we may not know the entire story of this mission… Who’s to say what the real, completely factual version is?”
Cam Gigandet stars as the leader of the tight-knit SEAL team that also includes rapper Xzibit. Kathleen Robertson portrays an intense CIA analyst. Bollywood stars Maninder Singh and Rajesh Shringarpore play local CIA operatives who risk their lives staking out Osama’s compound in Abbottabad.
Cast as Bin Laden is Yon Kempton, who speaks no lines before he is shot twice and killed in a dark room with a Kalashnikov in his hand.
Just in time for US vote?
“SEAL Team Six” raised eyebrows when it was announced last month that it would screen for the first time on the National Geographic cable channel just two days before America votes. But, in an interview on Friday, Stockwell shrugged off suggestions that his film is some kind of prime-time Obama propaganda tool to sway voters less than 48 hours before polls open.
“It was never written or shot to do that,” he told AFP.
“Are there people out there who don’t know that it was on this president’s watch that Osama bin Laden was killed, and that this movie informs them of that? I would be surprised.”
The May 2011 dead-of-night operation by US Navy SEALs against the al Qaeda leader was a defining moment of Obama’s first term.
The president turns up often in the film but only in the form of archive footage – much of it pulled from the White House website.
Stockwell said it was the National Geographic Channel that picked Sunday as the premiere date.
“It has only one goal, and that is for as many people as possible to watch this,” added Robertson, speaking by telephone from New York. “They want ratings.”
The film goes on to cinemas from Thursday, in a 180-degree reversal of the way a movie usually goes out into the world.
“SEAL Team Six” also precedes another film about the hunt for Bin Laden: “Zero Dark Thirty” by director Kathryn Bigelow, who collected the best-film Academy Award in 2009 for the Iraq war movie “The Hurt Locker

Zeb and Haniya rock across the US

LAHORE: 

After their memorable “Coke Studio” performances, Zeb and Haniya garnered a huge audience in Pakistan as well as abroad.

The duo recently returned from their month-long US tour, which was  part of the US State Department’s initiative Center Stage organised by the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA). It included 13 large concerts, a number of radio performances and other outreach activities. The pop-folk duo sheds some light on their tour experience and upcoming projects.

“Something I really, really like that has come out of this tour are the things people have been saying during our performances: ‘What is this sound? I have never heard anything like this before but I love it’,” says Haniya Aslam, vocalist and guitarist, referring to the audience’s response to the sound and music they created.

US tour

The US State Department’s new Cultural Diplomacy Programme has served the role of providing a proper platform and arena in the US to international artists. Instead of sending American artists abroad, they have invested in bringing artists such as Arieb Azhar, Noori and now Zeb and Haniya to the American public — something which private entities have failed to do.

“We expect Americans to have misconceptions about us and we have misconceptions about them as well but it’s actually quite a varied country,” says Haniya. “Now that we have travelled so much, we realised that the country’s pretty big. There are all kinds of people there and a lot of Americans have actually come from various parts of the world and have faced difficult situations. Thus people actually understood what we were talking about and where we were coming from.”

Speaking about the musical experience they had, vocalist Zebunnisa Bangash, known more popularly as Zeb, believes there is a level of receptivity when cultures reach out to each other and mesh together. “It didn’t matter where we were from, but it really felt like people were very receptive towards us, whether it was a freshman from college or a diplomat from Washington DC,” says Zeb. “There was also a lot of prior knowledge of South Asian classical music as well, just like we know a lot about American music.”

“For us it was a steep learning curve as most Pakistani bands only get to perform in desi settings for more desi crowds,” she continues, appreciating the opportunity they received. “But we had the chance of doing so many shows in front of new audiences and the sound was fantastic everywhere.” On the tour, the duo performed with a live band, including Amir Azhar, Hamza Jafri, Muhammad Ahsan Pappu, and Kami Paul.

Other projects

Apart from their US tour, Zeb and Haniya have been busy with other projects as well, which includes their second album whose videos are close to completion. A tour in India is also on their current itinerary, which is being hosted by an Indian newspaper in November. During their stay there, they also intend on completing their project in collaboration with Shantanu Moitra and Swanand Kirkire on a show called “The Dewarists” — something the audience should look forward to.

“We sat down in the studio day after day and came up with tunes together — It’s been really interesting for us to go through this kind of a songwriting process with such great musicians and composers,” says Zeb, adding that Moitra and Kirkire took time off from their busy schedule and came to record tracks with the duo. “We all contributed something to most of the songs. The album is almost done. It’s a very musical conversation in that regard, so I am interested to see how it will turn out after we fuse our varying styles.”

Ahmed Siddiq’s ‘Sher Khan’ thrives without YouTube

Lahore: In the aftermath of the government ban on YouTube in light of the anti-Islam film, Innocence of Muslims, the local music industry — which gauges its success from video virality on the video-sharing website — was affected adversely.
Projects were put on hold, and many feared the end of the ‘viral age’ which was signified by the likes of Ali Gul Pir, Beyghairat Brigade and many others who relied on the website to upload their content. But a few weeks ago, the release of the single “Sher Khan” by Lahore-based musician Ahmed Siddiq defied the notion that the viral age has reached a standstill.

“YouTube is banned in Pakistan but there are other options, like Vimeo,” says Siddiq. “Facebook is a major platform for content sharing as well. ‘Sher Khan’ was released via Vimeo on Facebook,” he explains. “The response has been amazing! I believe it [the video] is still in the process of reaching out to the masses.”
Talking about the popularity of the song, which Siddiq says is based on his experiences in Karachi, he says: “I am from Karachi and almost every street of Karachi has Quetta walay ‘hotels’ [tea stalls] and since I love the tea they offer, I used to visit them whenever I wanted, so they have partially influenced my song.”
He describes the number as a love song about a simple guy who falls in love with a beautiful girl, and says that the idea stemmed from personal influences. Siddiq’s Urdu track with a Pashto tinge has accumulated around 40,000 views on Vimeo since its release. The song showcases Siddiq as a rough, alternative rocker but also includes fast tempo portions that are sung in a Pashto accent. The song’s varying tempos with exciting lyrics generate an extremely catchy track, which has been played regularly on the radio.
“Songs are not written; they land onto a composer and that’s what happened with ‘Sher Khan’ — it just sort of landed on me,” he says. “The song has been sung in mostly a Pashto accent, while the slow parts are sung in an Urdu accent. The various tempo shifts make the composition interesting,” Siddiq adds.
Talking about the video of the song, Siddiq says that the video has no stereotypes. “It’s a simple love song written with love and simplicity,” he says, referring to claims that the video had stereotyped Pashto speakers.
Siddiq’s success for the song did not come without the help of one of the best lyricists. He explained that he had written most of the songs on his own and requested some contribution by Sabir Zafar.
“I have written approximately 90% of ‘Sher Khans’ lyrics. I had to repeat the melody but could not come up with lyrics for a verse, so I approached Sabir Zafar sahib and he wrote the remaining [song],” says Siddiq. The video production has been done by Fayyaz Ahmed and audio production by Mubashir Amdani.
Siddiq says that the success of “Sher Khan” will also pave the way for his album To Untalees, which is ready for release. The album has eight tracks and includes seven original tracks with one remixed rock track. But for now, Siddiq says he is focusing on promoting his latest track instead of contemplating the release of his album.

Have you seen?: Veena wears a burqa in Mumbai

Ironically, the bold Veena Malik has been spotted on the streets of Mumbai wearing a black burqa.

According to a press release, she wants to avoid the mobbing crowd while she searches for the ‘perfect face’ for her upcoming movie, The City that Never Sleeps.

"It’s a big movie for me and I don’t want to take any chances, so I have decided to personally search for the perfect face," Veena’s press release quoted her as saying.

"In Mumbai, everyone is an actor but we need to find the hidden actors," she adds.

The movie is produced by Satish Reddy and directed by Haroon Rashid, and the cast will include Indian, American, and Canadian actors.

Talking to The Express Tribune, she said, "If Shahrukh Khan and Amir Khan can search for a character on the streets of Mumbai, why can’t I?" While Veena has been busy with various Bollywood projects, she says this one is really important for her.

"The city that never sleeps" is a well-known tag-line for cities like Dubai, Mumbai, Barcelona and New York — which is currently undergoing a natural calamity (hurricane Sandy). The cast members of the movie came together and prayed for New York in this terrible time. "It’s very bad — several parts of New York have been affected by the storm," Veena said. "I am praying for all the people and my appeal is to refrain from going outside until the storm ends."

Fashion fraternity shows support for Fayezah Ansari

KARACHI:

"Fayezah — you have excellent willpower. Now go for it. It’s now a very small way to clear, don’t lose your will. You are indeed a daring one."

This is just one of the numerous responses that Fayezah Ansari has received after she opened up about her heroin addiction. In an interview published in The Express Tribune earlier this week, the model took the plunge by talking about her fight against a dangerous year-long habit and the consequent reluctance of others to maintain personal or professional ties with her. In the interview, she admitted to having a constant fear of losing friends and being shunned in the fashion world; about being labelled a "goner" and a "drug addict" by people in the fashion fraternity who were reluctant to work with the model as a result of her addiction.

 

Surprisingly, while there were some whispers that the industry will avoid giving her work in light of her public acknowledgment about her problem, the fraternity has welcomed Fayezah’s resolve to stay clean and be better with open arms.

"She cried her heart out," exclaims fashion doyenne Maheen Khan, who is also the CEO of Fashion Pakistan, referring to the model’s interview. "When Fashion Pakistan Week 4 was going to take place, we weren’t taking them [Fayezah and her husband Rizwanullah] on," she admits. "But they needed help and that’s when we said yes. Deepak Perwani was the one who stood up for them and said that we need to help them. They have really been good with their work and Fayezah has done a great job by speaking up. Like her, others must see a ray of hope. I would love to work with them."

In similar spirit, former model and event manager Frieha Altaf, says: "What do they say? Kal ka bhoola shaam ko ghar ajaye to ussay bhoola nahi kehtay [if someone strays away from the right path but returns to it, he is not a lost person]." Frieha adds that while the other models gave her a hard time during Fashion Pakistan Week that was held recently in Karachi, Fayezah was professional. "She was always the first one to arrive — that really impressed me."

Marketing professional Samra Muslim doesn’t see why anyone should be reluctant to work with her. "She has realised the error of her ways and is trying to make amends. We should all give her a chance." Muslim adds, "If somebody is coming clean, we should help them. More than brands themselves, it is this industry that needs to support these girls."

While Fayezah has walked the ramp for many fashion shows and also appeared in print ads for various designers, Maheen Karim is one designer that has used the model as the face of her brand very often. When Karim returned to Pakistan in 2005 after having worked in London, she says she instantly noticed Fayezah’s professionalism. "I realised that Fayezah Ansari was a thoroughly professional and highly experienced model," she says. "We started out in this industry at the same time. I found out earlier on in our working relationship that she was fantastic to work with and had no qualms at all. She would model any outfit I would give her and would smile during the shoot if I requested it. She made herself into a Maheen Karim woman!"

Despite the challenge of battling an addiction coupled with the animosity of some who had said that her career was over, Fayezah showed her determination during Fashion Pakistan Week 4. With a painful toenail injury and subsequent surgery that would have left anyone in unfathomable pain, Fayezah strutted her stuff on all three days on the ramp, and only a few in the front row caught on to the slight quivering of her lower lip as she took each agonising step. We wish her the best in health and happiness!

Humaima wins S Asia Rising Star Film Award

LAHORE: Pakistani film actress Humaima Malick has won the first-ever South Asian Rising Star Film Awards, in the Best Lead Actress category, for her role in the film Bol.

The awards were part of 9th annual South Asian International Film Festival; the largest entertainment gala related to South Asian entertainment industry to be held in the United States, organised in collaboration with HBO. Humaima who was competing with Indian actresses Tanishtha Chatterjee, Parineeta Chopra, Rasika Dugal and Preeti Desai in the Best Lead Actress category was over whelmed with the achievement.
She said, “I had no idea this role would earn so much recognition. It is an amazing honour to receive another award in a foreign land for a movie that is very close to my heart. I owe the entire team of BOL, Shoaib Mansoor and my family for this achievement.”

Bollywood has an immense impact on our lives: Aamina Sheikh

MUMBAI:
Bollywood’s influence on Pakistani lives and on its film industry is undeniable, says model-actor Aamina Sheikh, a well-known face in Pakistan’s fashion and entertainment sector.
“One can’t deny the Bollywood influence in Pakistan,” Aamina told IANS, adding that people in Pakistan are as passionate about Bollywood as Indians.
“So much so, that they want to compete with Bollywood films. We, as actors, always say that we can’t compare the two industries at infrastructural and other levels. But people can’t help but compare.”
“Bollywood has an immense impact on our lives. Who doesn’t want to take a deep dive into it,” added the 29-year-old.
When asked about her favourite actor and who she would want to work with, Aamina answered promptly: “Working with Abhishek Bachchan and Ranbir Kapoor would be nice.”
Aamina, who is the face of L’Oreal Paris, Emirates Airlines, Pantene Shampoo and Clear Shampoo in Pakistan, was in India for the first time for her forthcoming film Josh, which was screened at the 14th Mumbai Film Festival (MFF).
“I am here for the first time and what better way to come for work through work. Josh is a film that has been made with a lot of passion and heart. I am hoping it does well,” Aamina said.

Directed by Iram Parveen Bilal, Josh is the only fiction film from Pakistan screened at MFF in the last five years. It is also the only film from the country to be showcased at the festival this year.
She feels her biggest challenge was to raise funds as the country’s industry is not that developed and lacks “streamlined infrastructure”.
“Fund-raising for the film was hard since I had to do it independently and it took me one and a half year, since it was my first feature and I didn’t  have a track record for people to judge me by. Since the indie industry in Pakistan is fairly young, I literally went knocking on every door possible to raise funds,” she told IANS.
Talking about her character in the film, Aamina said: “I play Fatima, who has a group of friends who are very progressive and represent the urban youth from cities like Karachi and Mumbai. It is through her friends that she explores her nanny’s village. The nanny runs a ‘khaana ghar‘ that Fatima attempts to run after her nanny dies.”
“As she starts the journey, she comes across a lot of complexities and tries to address them head on. So the film is about her journey of exploration of the village, which has mystery and lies.”
An environmental engineer-turned-film-maker, Aamina said that her film is inspired by Parveen Saeed’s concept of “erase hunger to erase crime” by setting up affordable meals in and around Karachi’s slums.
“The script and story are completely original. I started with a general idea and brainstormed on different characters that would suit a scenario or theme. I also wanted it to be a film that showcased sides of Pakistan the international community would not know or expect,” she added.
Josh will break the stereotype of the country, hopes Aamina.
“The plot of the film is like an allegory of what Pakistan is right now. It is a bird’s eye view of what the country is. The story makes you touch the heart of Pakistan and breaks the stereotyped image of the country,” she said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 26th, 2012.

Lollywood's Nargis to leave showbiz, become a religious scholar

LAHORE: After 20 years in Lollywood, Pakistani artist Nargis has decided to bid farewell to showbiz and become a religious scholar, Express News reported.
Returning after two years to Pakistan, Nargis held a press conference at her residence in Lahore where she told the media that she had decided to quit showbiz six years ago but had to continue working to pay off debts and for completing her beauty parlour.

Nargis said that she will now do a scholarly course and hopes that artists who consider her their ideal will also follow the same path.
She rejected accusations of getting Juna Butt killed and swore by the Quran as well.
Nargis also added that she was faced with baseless allegations every time she went on an international trip, adding that this accusation was part of the same.

Arjun Bhasin NY black and Lahore pink

Few costume designers can claim to have styled Amitabh Bachchan and Kiefer Sutherland, Kate Hudson and Katrina Kaif, or worked with Oscar-nominated film-makers and cutting-edge Indian directors. Arjun Bhasin has zigzagged the globe costuming characters in films as diverse as Monsoon Wedding, Dil Chahta Hai, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Life of Pi. Hours before he left for a screening of The Reluctant Fundamentalist in London, Bhasin told us what he learnt from Ang Lee and why Nair is particular about the colour palettes of costumes. Edited excerpts:

How different were the briefs from Ang Lee and Mira Nair for their respective films?


If you read Life of Pi, it’s hard to visualize it because it is more emotional and cerebral. So when it came to costumes, Ang too wasn’t certain what it should look like but he was sure of what it should feel like and what it should mean. Like when it came to Tabu, he would repeatedly say she’s the mother, she’s the mother. I didn’t really understand at first but then I figured that he wanted her to be really tactile, nourishing, warm, soft, nurturing. He wanted to see that in shapes and colours and the way fabric moved. Mira was adamant that the costume and every detailing should look like Pakistan, even though we were shooting in Delhi. Author Mohsin Hamid’s niece worked in my department, keeping a check on the authenticity. Mira is also very colour-sensitive, so every city and scene has its own colour palette.

How challenging was it to recreate 1950s Paris, 1960s Puducherry and post-colonial costumes for ‘Life of Pi’?
It was not just this, it was also the costumes for Pi on the boat and grown-up Pi in modern Canada. It required tonnes of research. For the swimming baths of Paris, we used photo and film research and I had Shivan and Naresh replicate vintage swimwear using furnishing fabrics because I want it to give a dream-like feel. It drove Shivan and Naresh mad because they are used to working with lycra, but there was no lycra in the 1950s, so all the swim-wear had to be constructed. So the garment had a swimsuit shape but it was zipped and buttoned and the colour palette was the Versailles interiors—robin blues, mint, peach and gold.
The hardest working costume was Pi’s costume on the boat. It had to be soothing, period, practical and conducive to a harness and equipment. And he uses it to catch fish, shield himself, etc. Also, it had to deteriorate as the year on the boat passed. We had 200 pieces of that one costume made of matka silk and white khadi. And there were stages and 10-12 garments for each stage. We also tested the effects of sea salt on the fabric and worked with that.
The Pondicherry part was quite a confluence and khichdi (mishmash) of stuff and then there was the Munnar referencing, which I did from boarding-school friends who grew up on tea estates.

What was the biggest challenge with ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’?


Besides Mira’s absolute requirement for authenticity, there was also the challenge of costuming Kate Hudson, who had a baby four weeks before we were beginning shooting. We had to find ways of disguising that. She is petite, but she was self-conscious. Also, we were shooting in Atlanta for New York City and Delhi for Lahore, so we could not easily access the things we might have needed. Every city had its own colour palette. For example, we used many Amrita Sher-Gil images as references for Lahore colours. In New York City, people wear black and dark blue. In Lahore, they wear pink, blue and green.
‘Life of Pi’ is shot in 3D. Did that affect your approach to costuming?
Oh yes. It was like learning a new language. We took all the garments and ran them through studio tests so we could see what the 3D cameras would do to them. Some prints would jump, colours would get saturated.
What would you say you learnt from Ang Lee and Mira Nair?
From Ang, I learnt that design is instinctual. You have to feel it and you have to know how you want it to make others feel. The minutest details make it special. One day I dressed 200 people but he only shot four saying that was all he needed to get the thing that is the meaning. Mira is the opposite. She loves flamboyance, colour, beauty, madness, spirit and energy. It was like the rock star and the zen master.
Is the experience of working with Hollywood stars different from working with Bollywood stars?
Audiences are accustomed to an actor’s image and most actors want to play against that image. In India, it’s more so. Here audiences go to a movie to see Salman Khan as Salman Khan and you have to keep the audience in mind more, whereas abroad the audience is more open to suggestions, which is why actors are more experimental.
After these movies, any projects brewing in India?
Nothing at the moment, but that’s because I have not been here since Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. My sister says I am a huge snob, but I am not. I just don’t want to spend six months working on a movie that I am not going to spend 3 hours watching.