Who knew that comedy was really such serious business? Saad Haroon’s recent stand-up comic act was a rollicking, hilarious potpourri of political satire, funny songs and cultural jokes. A few days later Saad shares that the show was the result of eight months of hard, grueling work.

One went to meet Saad Haroon expecting to meet a funny, garrulous young comedian – onstage, he certainly is a barrel of laughs. But in real life, Saad is more introspective than slapstick funny. He certainly is passionate about comedy but he isn’t himself a walking, talking comic act. I guess we expect comedians to be funny in everyday life just like they are when performing. It’s difficult to imagine them as regular individuals with regular ambitions, plans and dilemmas. We expect their every sentence to contain a punch line.

Saad is great at what he does but more than anything else, he comes off as someone who loves his work and is willing to work very hard to achieve his goals. So far, so good. His recent standup show has run to sold-out packed houses and he’s a riot on stage. As he himself says, ÒComedy is just one aspect of my personality. I also want to one day maybe direct a film or write a book. I believe that with hard work, you can accomplish anything you want.Ó

Seated in the spacious drawing room of his house, where he lives with his parents, Saad explains how being a comedian can be emotionally draining. ÒIn an hour-long stand-up act, you have to come up with a punch line every 30 seconds and it has to be really funny. There are days when I am locked in my room for five hours and come up with nothing and then there are mornings when I wake up and immediately think up three great jokes.Ó

His chosen career may be trying but, nevertheless, Saad looks exuberant when he is on stage. He launches into songs at the drop of a hat, accompanied by Amin Arif on the guitar; plays the harmonica with flair; quips about everything ranging from weddings to pollution to politics and picks on squirming members of the audience and bamboozles them with trick questions and wisecracks. His friend and fellow-comedian Danish Ali opens his act for him and though Saad and Danish have both been performing for a while now – Saad for 10 years while Danish for four – they look more like young boys having the time of their lives rather than avant-garde comedians.

Saad is in his early 30’s yet he looks ebulliently young – no stress lines, no signs of disappointment, no caustic comments on life. One credits his youthful looks to the fact that he loves his job. ÒI enjoy making people laugh,Ó he agrees with me. ÒI worked in textiles for six years, moonlighting as a comedian. Then, one day I decided that this was what I really wanted to do. I had a hard-time convincing my parents. Nobody in my family had attempted doing something like this – they’re straightforward, business-oriented people. They took their time accepting my work but now, finally, they are able to acknowledge that I am not too bad as a full-time comedian. It’s great when I can bring that extra happiness to people’s lives,Ó he reasons rather altruistically.

Altruism aside, his jokes are all in English and the songs he sings are parodies of English songs.
When grilled about the trials of pursuing a career in comedy in English when most Pakistanis speak Urdu or at the most, stilted, laboured English, he says: ÒIt’s true that my audience is limited, so far, I’ve performed internationally and in Pakistan, only in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. I do want to perform in other cities eventually, perhaps in Urdu. But when I do attempt comedy in Urdu, I want to do it well. Right now, my target audience, people who are fluent in English, do enjoy my shows and come back to see more.Ó

Saad began his tryst as a comedian 10 years ago when he formed Pakistan’s first ever improvisational comic troupe, Blackfish, along with some friends.

Even though Blackfish steadily rose to fame, the group eventually disbanded. All the members had day jobs or higher studies to pursue. Saad, though, continued on. In his tour, Saad Haroon Very Live, he performed standup comedy acts in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

With The Real News, a TV show he hosted, wrote and produced, he reverted from improvisational comedy to writing comic scripts. The show, in which Saad was accompanied by another young comedian, Danish Ali, focused on ridiculing current news and happenings. ÒDanish and I would scour newspapers daily and come up with jokes related to recent affairs,Ó recalls Saad. ÒSometimes we were told to tone things down – we were admonished, ‘don’t make fun of the army’ or ‘don’t make fun of this or that political party’ – but overall, we were given a free hand with our content.Ó

ÒAs a rule, though, I believe in humor that has some sense to it. What’s so funny about dressing an actor up as a certain politician and making him sing a song? Isn’t it better to make fun of something that particular politician has done? Freedom of speech and media is a great thing but you have to use it carefully. If you use it callously, someone or the other will eventually take it away from you.Ó

Even now, a lot of Saad’s jokes focus on Pakistan’s political circumstances. He reasons that some political antics are just so ridiculous he just has to make fun of them. However, there are certain topics that he considers taboo. Walking the fine line between harmless hilarity and unpleasant impertinence, Saad explains, ÒI think that we are a very religious nation and so, I never joke about religion.

Courtesy: Instep Magzine

He may have made his debut as Pakistan’s answer to Dilip Kumar but Mirza Nazeer Baig Mughal has evolved from a super-hit actor into a superstar during his 43-year career. The journey that began with Chakori in 1967 is still going strong. Not only has Nadeem outlived his contemporaries but also inspired generations with his charismatic personality and professional ethics.

Born on 19th July, 1941, in Madras (now Chennai), India, to a family with no links to showbiz, he made his debut in Chakori when the intended hero of the film, Azeem, quit days before shooting was to commence. He not only impressed the audience with his acting skills and dashing looks but also belied critics who didn’t consider him a threat in the beginning.

With countless hits to back him, Nadeem achieved iconic status in the ’70s and gave a hard time to Waheed Murad, Mohammad Ali and Shahid during the decade that saw him churn out hits with directors Pervez Malik, Nazrul Islam, S. Suleman and many others.

He has so far worked in 200-plus films since Chakori. Although he hasn’t tried his hand at direction but has been active on the scene for the past 43 years, winning fans all over the world and all awards imaginable. And if you think you know it all about this great actor, go through the trivia below and know more about Nadeem the actor, singer, producer and the man behind the numerous cinematic hits.

1. We all know Nadeem sang the duet Kahan ho tumko dhoondh rahi hain… with Firdousi Begum besides many other hits during his film career. But do you know he sang one song on an actor other than himself? Who and what was it?

2. In how many films did superstars Waheed Murad, Mohammad Ali and Nadeem act together?

3. Has he worked in an Indian film?

4. Has Nadeem ever played a negative role in his illustrious career?

5. Not many actors have played triple roles in a film during their careers. Is Nadeem one of the actors who have done so?

6. What was the ‘odd thing’ about the leading ladies in Nadeem’s debut TV serial Bisaat, directed by Ghazanfar Ali in 2000?

7. Playboy, Ishq Ishq, Inteha and Koi Tujh Sa Kahan. What do these films have in common?

8. Nadeem has never directed a film, but has he produced any?

9. There was a vast difference in Nadeem’s hairstyles during the ’70s and then again in the ’80s. Which was the first film in which he attempted his post-80s hairstyle?

10. What is the significance of films such as Sangdil, Anari and Talaash in Nadeem’s career?

Answers:
1. The actor was Mohammad Qavi Khan and the film was Mr Buddho (1973), in which Nadeem sang the song, Kitne Ashq Piye Hain Phir Bhi Zinda Hoon, with the late playback singers Mala and Ahmed Rushdi lending their vocals for Deeba and Rangeela, respectively;

2. Three. Their first film together was Phool Mere Gulshan Ka (1974) followed by Shama (1974) and Jab Jab Phool Khile (1975). Nadeem also has the distinction of working with great artistes including Santosh Kumar, Darpan, Alauddin, Kamal, Shahid, David, Shashi Kapoor and Raj Babbar during his career;

3. Nadeem played the angry young man Tony in Bollywood’s Doordesh in 1983, where he was pitted against Bangladeshi actress Babita and Indian actors Shashi Kapoor, Sharmila Tagore, Parveen Babi, Raj Babbar and David. The film was directed by Ambrish Sangal and was by the Canadian Production house Friends Film International;

4. His role in the multi-starrer Shama (1974) had shades of grey, but in Samaj and Suhaag he played a full-throttle villain. Mohammad Ali was the good guy in Samaj whereas Zia Mohyuddin played the bespectacled hero in Suhaag;

5. Yes, he has. In fact he was the first actor in Pakistan to do so. He played three roles simultaneously in Jaltay Sooraj Kay Neechay which was released in 1971, and was produced by Afzaal Chaudhry in the then East Pakistan;
6. Both the leading ladies — Aaminah Haq and Nosheen Tariq — were born after Nadeem made his big screen debut in Chakori (1967). Yet he seemed at ease against the youngsters, fitting in as the leading man;

7. Nadeem is the only actor in Pakistan to work with four female directors who have also been his co-stars. The directors of the first three films — Shamim Ara, Sangeeta and Samina Peerzada — on numerous occasions played Nadeem’s leading ladies during his career. Shamim Ara in Parai Aag and Suhaag, Sangeeta in countless flicks including Anari and Mutthi Bhar Chawal and Samina Peerzada in Bazaar-i-Husn and Bulandi. The director of the last flick in the list — Reema Khan — has worked with Nadeem in over a dozen films mostly as his daughter or the son’s love interest;

8. Not one but two. Mitti Kay Putlay (1974) was his first movie as a producer whereas the Punjabi film Mukhra (1988) once again saw him in the role of the producer;

9. Many believe that Nazrul Islam’s Bandish was the first film in which Nadeem changed his hairstyle, which is incorrect. Pervez Malik’s Pakeeza (1979) was the first flick in which he experimented with his hair. When his character loses his memory, his hairstyle changes… and when he regains his memory it’s back to the ’70s hairdo;

10. Nadeem has worked in not one but three films with the same name. While the first Anari and Sangdil were black and white flicks, and the others were in colour, the first Talash was released in 1976 and the other one a decade later. Not only were the stories of all these flicks different but also the directors.

Courtesy: Dawn Images

Fahad Mustafa

All things happen for a good reason and when Fahad Mustafa could not become a dentist, he stumbled into acting. After being grilled by veteran producer Iqbal Ansari as a debutant, surviving the hostile attitude of his seniors and his first role with zero lines; in a span of just six years Fahad Mustafa has bagged key roles in two dozen serials, shone in title roles and now at age 26 runs his own production company.

Son of Sindhi character actor Salahuddin Tunio, this second generation actor had a legacy to carry forward and has done so with aplomb. With his looks and talent, Fahad has enough grit to give Bollywood actors Rahul Bose, Kunal Khemu, Sonu Sood and even Abhishek Bachchan a run for their money.

Aashti, Tair-i-Lahoti, Veena, Najiah, Thori Dur Saath Chalo, Thora Saath Chaliye, Malika, Yeh Zindagi Hai, Tum Jo Mile, Lahaasil, Wajood-i-laraib, Karwatein and Andata are some of his memorable serials, but Fahad feels he still has a long way to go. “I won’t say that I have a tremendous amount of work because itna kaam nahin hai. Fortunately, whatever I have done has gotten noticed. When my lot came in that is Mikaal, Imran Abbas and me; we used to think that the more senior ones would fade away in a few years but they didn’t, so at least one thing is clear that they are not dying we are not dying, and that is a good thing.”

Farad’s first break was Sheeshay ka Mahal, a serial written by Nur ul Huda Shah, “The serial was a flop but my work was noticed. Nur Apa wasn’t too happy with me and preferred Mikaal who was conventionally good looking. Since I was studying and travelled in buses and also played cricket all day, I was tanned and didn’t look my best when she met me. But she approved when I auditioned for her. Maya Khan, Samina Peerzada and Maria Wasti were also in the cast and all three auditioned me. Since the role required crying; I cried in front of all of them. That serial didn’t go on air for a whole year due to some problems in the channel.”

For about 17 or 18 episodes in Sheeshay ka Mahal, Fahad had no lines at all. “Nur Apa had no faith in me. I just listened to other characters talk and nodded my head. I would get Rs2,000 per day and fortunately the shoots were slow so I made enough money to buy a car. After doing 20 episodes without uttering a single line, I finally gathered the courage to ask Nur apa for dialogues. She said ‘You don’t need lines because you are doing a lot even without speaking’.” Fahad took it as a compliment then.

“Then when Nur apa decided to write a soap for me, I overheard Samina Peerzada say ‘Yeh kal ka larka ab iss pe soap likha jayega’? Her comment came as a shock but later things changed, we worked together and when I met Samina apa she suggested we should work together. I think nobody has the right to judge anyone without giving them a chance to work.”

Fahad has a message for senior actors. “I cannot be compared to Talat Husain to Sajid Hasan. It would be pointless for someone in their position to be insecure about a junior actor like me. Even people who haven’t seen them work know who they are. I salute the energy of Qazi Wajid Sahib who says that his talent has not been tapped yet and there is a lot more potential in him yet. People are not tired of seeing him because he is not tired of himself yet. He is wonderful person to work with.”

At 25, Fahad became a producer and he talks like a seasoned actor in his 50s, “Maturity has nothing to do with age. In the last five years I have learnt a lot, met all sorts of people and now I seem to understand people a whole lot better.”

Boring scripts ultimately pushed him towards production, “When you see actors appearing with the same kind of look repeatedly and audiences get bored of their faces, it is not the actor’s fault at all as scripts are not written with juicy characters to give any leverage to actors.”

Fahad is producing two serials currently, “My production team has young people with big dreams. I use my own ideas and stories, my wife writes the plays. We wanted to do something for the Hum Tele Film Festival but I don’t agree with the concept of tele films. To me they happen when a frustrated director can’t get a film, is unable to make a play and ends up making a film for the mini screen. It is like mixing two mediums. If you want to make a film, then make a film.”

Fahad feels that people who don’t have opportunities here run to India. “When people go and work in India, they come back as misfits. At the end of the day we have to work with people here. When our actors experience Bollywood, they are not good enough to work there and the system here is no longer good enough for them. Even our worst actors are way better than Indian TV actors who are very professional but totally dependent on the director. We as actors have sharpened to the fact that jo bhi karna hai hum ne khud hi karna hai. I worked with Rati Agnihotri and she has done 700 films. Either they are really smart and pretend in front of us or else they are so robotic that they have everything fed to them by the director.”

Fahad prefers character roles to simple chocolate leads. “When I don’t have money I will look for anything. We can’t always choose but mostly I want something on the edge, something different every time. Veena was Atif Husain’s brainchild with a guest appearance by Fahad Mustafa who developed it into the title role. “In 20 episodes I had only 45 scenes because I thought the lesser I appear the more digestible I will be with the audiences. I also thought that as a main track people won’t like it.”

Veena was shot in interior Sindh at a mazar and to play a eunuch and dance in front of all those people was not easy for me.” Wasn’t playing a eunuch bad for his image? “What is my image? The mini screen is too small to have an image. I still meet women who think that I am a lowlife like Pasha in reality. A lot of people think I am Bhola and they ask me why I left the serial. I ask them what do they like about Bhola but they don’t have an answer.”

For him, Aashti was his filthiest role and also the best experience of his career. “I was so into my role of Shaheedul Islam that even after I went home I would be talking in Bangla undertones. I love being an actor because I’m constantly switching characters.”

Accused of only working with certain type of directors, Fahad believes in working with a good team. “The directors I work with have middle class characters so they are called B-class directors. Why are people so class and appearance conscious? Except for Javeria, most of the girls are so hung on how they look that they don’t focus on the role. People talk about A-class and B-class roles that we do as actors, but this is complete rubbish. Thanks to people like Mehreen and Atif Husain who portray middle class people, we have substance in out TV content. Imran Abbas is very good looking and so is Mikaal. But to be cast in a role not based on your acting abilities but because of your good looks is not fair. As a producer I have learnt that acting or no acting, actors have market value because of the way they look, and there is nothing you can do about that. Faisal Qureshi and I are the only two actors who will happy doing old roles in future.”

People say that the Pakistan film industry will eventually revive but it is not about to happen according to him, “Even if we make a good film, they will release 10 good films. All our films are compared with Bollywood fare, so do our films have a chance? Maybe if they put Bollywood films in Cineplexes and our films on mainstream cinemas at least we will be able to take out revenues.

“Nadeem Mandviwalla lined up three films with Manmohan Shetty and I was to go meet them in Dubai but that same day the blasts at Mumbai Taj took place. That day I realised that India is not meant for us. Like Humayun Saeed says ‘Go and work there if you get a chance but don’t stop working here, these are your roots’.”

Mastana Mahi is an upcoming project that Fahad is excited about these days, “The shoots have not started yet but I am reading the script which is based on Bilawal Zardari’s life.”
Courtesy: Dawn Images

Meera talks in a language better known as scandal. Almost everything she says turns into controversy and it’s one of those controversies that she’s been embroiled in recently that has her emphasising the word Miss. In plain words, she insists she was never married to the man called Ateequr Rahman and the allegations that he slapped upon her were false and baseless. It’s still Miss as far as Meera is concerned though she is quick to exclaim that marriage is not the most important thing in her life and she had rather put this entire fiasco behind her.

“I just spent two months vacationing in Canada, trying to cleanse my system of all this filth,” she says. “Can you please not mention that man in the same sentence as me?”

Meera quickly adds that she is only 27 and she has several ‘good’ proposals in the waiting. She scrolls through her cell phone, showing different pictures as proof. The images show her having a whale of a time at a New Year party in Canada.

Meera’s life is usually as public as it gets but she cuts a lonely figure today as she spends a day in Karachi. She is working on a TV serial – Husn Ara Kaun Thi? – while she waits for her passports which have been confiscated for fraud. “It’s rubbish,” she denies that she has been illegally carrying two different passports. “The only mistake I made was that I didn’t attach my old passport to the new one. Airport officials (in Karachi) were a bit too enthusiastic to hold me up and they had the media ready to pounce even before I landed.”

“Tell me,” she adds with a bit of disgust, “If I had illegal documents then how did I enter America and Canada, where I’ve been these last few months? Surely their systems are fool-proof.”

Meera has an answer for everything and one by one she dispels all the stories that have been doing the rounds. “Ateeq was working with me and I generously helped him get ahead in his career. But he and a producer got greedy and devised a way to rob me. I have to admit that one of my family members – an uncle who has been envious of my wealth and fame – got involved and helped them conspire against me. They touched up all the wedding pictures you saw. I am Meera. Tell me, would I sit in a cheap sari and fake necklace on my own nikah? The world will know when Meera gets married!”

What about video footage of her honeymoon? “Look, I’m no Pakeeza,” Meera replies. “What is my name? Is it Fatima? No, it’s Meera and this is who I am. This is my life. But a video showing me on a beach with a man does not prove I am his wife. It doesn’t prove anything! There are a hundred more pictures and videos of me with other men. I have married so many of them in films. Does this mean I am really married to all of them?”

I ask her about her television interview that had the country scandalised by her brazen behaviour when she seductively tried convincing a reporter to take her side in the story. She was led to believe that the TV cameras, shooting for a local news channel, had been turned off which is when she turned on the act.

“Do you think it was right, what they did to me?” Meera makes a habit of talking in questions. “It was wrong. It was unprofessional. I was told that it was all off the record. And I was friendly with the reporter, so what’s the big deal? The big deal is that I was lied to and that the channel used me to get higher ratings… which they got,” she hastily adds. “They always get ratings with me, which is why they have signed me on to host a show now.”

Is it the same show that features on Youtube, with Meera struggling with her English? “No,” she replies. “I never wanted to host a show in English because I’m not comfortable with the language. My English is weak. I kept telling them that and they kept insisting that I try. That recording was a pilot rehearsal and the show was scrapped after it. But I don’t know why it was publicised on Youtube. Again, someone trying to take advantage of me. Mera record lagaane ke liye shoot kiya tha.”

Meera did become the brunt of the joke – once again – but sitting in for this interview that day, she inspired sympathy rather than ridicule. And that is exactly what makes Meera such a curious creature. She is someone who has acted in hundreds of films but she has made a career out of being who she appears to be off-screen. Her colleague and film actor Shaan has often pointed out that Meera is more intelligent than she seems, she just leads people into believing that she is silly. And that does make her a brilliant actress because she does a pretty convincing job. It must be added that it would be naïve to take anything she says at face value.

That said, it is also contended that maybe a warped system has forced a talented and beautiful actress to stoop to these methods for fame. Scandals follow celebrities world over, but rarely do scandals become bigger news than the films released. They make for tabloid fodder, gossip columns, information that usually serves as publicity for a film. Meera unfortunately is the bi-product of an industry that never really took off beyond scandals of B-grade actresses.

There was never a Silsila made in Pakistan, a film that would immortalise the Rekha-Amitabh Bachchan affair in fantastic story-telling. The Meeras of Pakistan are fated to be wrapped up messily amidst the Gujjar and Jutts of Punjabi films. There has been no one to train, guide or groom the dancing girls of Lollywood.

And for all her idiosyncracies, it’s difficult not to like Meera. One smiles as she tells you she’s 27, which would make her 11 when her first film was released. One genuinely sympathises with her when she tells you that 12 armed men barged into her house in a take-over. She faces trial for occupying a house that she insists is hers to keep.

People who have worked with her call her infuriating, someone with a genetic disorder for self-destruction.
“Meera is the female equivalent of cricketer Shoaib Akhtar,” says stylist Nabila who attempted to give Meera a personality makeover after having successfully reinvented Babra Sharif and Reema. “Meera is incorrigible,” she seals it off.

“I want to leave this place (Pakistan) now,” Meera says conclusively, with a dramatic flair. “I am beautiful and I have a fabulous figure. I may not have Reema’s experience but I am learning. I am an actress and will always act, but I cannot work in this atmosphere anymore. People target me, they deliberately make me self-conscious and pick on my shortcomings. I am seen in the shadow of my surroundings. But I have returned a changed person now. I vow to no longer be the trusting, helpful person I have always been. You will see a new Meera emerge from this mess.”

People who know her may regard her as incorrigible but Meera has promised to change. And while she does (or doesn’t), she remains someone who is talented and harmless, someone who has come a long way and has achieved a lot along the way. If most of it has been scandalous rather than appreciated, then such is the luck of being part of a flawed system. Meera is a modern day Umrao Jaan, cursed by the fate of where she started and what she has covered.

Courtesy: Dawn Images

By Zamard

On every Saturday night, millions across the country are glued to watching Meri Zaat Zara-e-Benishaan (MZZB) a TV drama that is a cross between a Jane Austen/Thomas Hardy novel and Teen Aurteein Teen Kahaniya. However, no one can deny the fact that each episode leaves you wanting for more.

After Lahasil and Doraha, novelist Umera Ahmed’s MZZB is no less than stellar. Directed by Babar Javed and produced by 7th Sky productions, MZZB is about the clash of traditionalists and modernists. The larger than life egos of the elders topped with misogyny, twisted thinking and misunderstandings that end up ruining many lives. The misuse of Quran ki qasam is also highlighted in the serial and shows how fallible beings use the holy text to their advantage without realising the implications and repercussions that come out of it.

The story opens when a young girl, Sara (Sarwat Gillani), shows up unannounced at Arfeen Abbass’s house, informing him of her mother Saba’s death. In flashbacks, we are told as to how Saba is pursued by her cousins Arfeen (Faisal Qureshi) and Adil (Adnan Siddiqi) and it’s the former whom she also adores. However, Saba faces strong opposition from Tai Amma, played by Samina Pirzada and her astute husband, played by a seething Khayam Sarahadi. What follows next is a web of intrigue spun by Tai Amma and her daughters that ultimately results in tarnishing Saba’s character and her divorce from Afreen. The story moves on and focuses on the present where the characters that were pivotal in Saba’s downfall are repentant and willing to make amends.

With Sara and Haider’s (Imran Abbas) romance blossoming, a twist in the tale comes when the former disappears after her Nikah and as a result, some old secrets come into light but not in a pleasant manner. There is a scene in which Saba is beaten mercilessly by her uncle that could have been done more subtly. While the director maybe trying to portray reality, the whole shout fest just solidifies the notion that it is okay for a man to beat a woman to show his dominance.

Over all, there are two stars of the play. Samiya, with her strong theatrical background, had garnered a fan following in an earlier outing when she appeared in PTV’s Zard Dopahar. She comes from a family of illustrious stage artistes, namely Azra Butt and Zohra Sehgul, who rule on both sides of the border. Samiya is a powerhouse of a performer and does not disappoint as the long-suffering Saba.

On the other hand, it is Sarwat Gillani who is a revelation. While the curls are gone for sure, the actress has a new-found confidence and in each frame she shines. From portraying the bewildered look of someone fighting with circumstances to portraying the feelings of a budding romance, Sarwat carries herself with panache, proving that she has come a long way from her non-quintessential role in Jo Baat Ghar Mein Hay and the serials and TV host stints that followed.

Production wise, the play is almost perfect except for the fact that the director could have done better in terms of depicting the time periods. In the flashback scenes that are set some 20 years earlier. The clothes do not confirm to the fashions of the 80s while yet another glaring glitch is the vehicles used. Not a good idea showing a late 1990s model in mid 1980s. Keeping these minor follies aside, Baber Javed has done a good job. Having a huge star cast which includes Khayam Sarahadi, Samina Peerzada, Adnan Siddiqui, Faisal Qureshi, Imran Abbass along with Samiya and Sarwat, it would not be wrong to say that each actor is well suited to the character he or she portrays.

Last but not the least is the haunting score of MZZB that has been superbly sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. The title song pulls at your heart strings and is getting plenty of air time on radio and music channels. The video had quite a large number of hits on YouTube before it was removed due to a copy right claim.

MZZB is one of the most watched dramas at the moment and given the way it is discussed at social occasions and on web forums (something worth checking out) it seems that the MZZB mania is going to stay for a long while. Watch this saga of human emotions if you are in a mood for some quality performances over the weekend but do keep a tissue box handy.

Courtesy: Dawn Images

In a tête-à-tête with the bureaucrat Orya Maqbool Jaan, ZQ had to weigh her words before she uttered them, not to mention her havannaq expressions. And the weight of her words turned out to be pretty light. The unbearable lightness of being!

No one in the fashion industry reinvents as well or as frequently as Nabila. And she’s up for changing again as she will be stepping into television very soon. What will her program be about? Well, from what we’ve heard, she’ll be transforming people (live subjects?) on a reality show much on the lines of Extreme Makeover. The people will be given an image makeover from things as basic as a wardrobe change to procedures as radical as nose jobs.

Who are these people willing to be nip/tucked on the telly in Pakistan? We don’t know yet but we do hope see some familiar faces talking about the magical procedures that help them look the glorious way they do. Nabila, who has always been very vocal about cosmetic procedures – many of which she has admitted to undergoing herself – would undoubtedly be the best person to put this show together. She will be shooting from next month and the show is expected to air by March 2010.

In case you’re wondering, the program will be structured within Pakistan and will give viewers an interesting insight into this body sculpting business, which is all the rage these days. We may not be aware of it but more people in Pakistan are going under the knife for cosmetic reasons than we know!

Meanwhile, Nabila will be putting her own transformation (she recently lost more than 70 pounds) to good use as she has just modeled Sonya Battla’s latest collection for a local fashion magazine.

“I prefer to stay behind the lens,” she confirmed this information to Images on Sunday, “but I liked Sonya’s deconstructed abstract collection and decided to go for it.”

Labels on the ‘brandwagon’ to Lahore… finally

Labels may be one of the first multi-brand boutiques around, but until recently it was also the only one not to have branched out beyond one city; its existence was limited to Karachi. But the multi-brand fashion store will be opening in Lahore by the end of January, confirms fashion retailer Zahir Rahimtoola. It will be jumping on a fashionable smorgasbord that already has Ensemble, The PFDC Boulevard and The Designers amongst numerous other independent fashion stores.

While most boutiques in Lahore pop up on the stretch better known as M M Alam Road and a couple are sprinkling over the new Mall of Lahore, Labels will be opening in DHA’s Y-Block. The commercial ring here already boasts various fashion houses like Karma, Amir Adnan and Maria B. Labels should be a welcome addition for Lahore’s upbeat middle class, most of which resides in this area.

“Labels in Lahore will open as a franchise operation,” Zahir Rahimtoola spoke to Images on Sunday, “and we will be sending out a selection of our best selling brands like Sanam Chaudhri, Chamak, Jannat and Sadaf as well as a couple of new players. We do think the Lahore market is big enough to absorb this plus Labels has a different personality and does not compete with the other multi-retail stores. We’re taking a lot of Karachi prêt into Lahore, which we think is the missing link.”

Nadya Mistry will also be stocking at Labels, Lahore he confirmed.

So all you people who felt that business was going to continue taking a hit under the global economic recession, rest assure that fashion is here to stay. Brand awareness is on the rise and wearing unbranded clothes to a wedding, for instance, is now considered as uncool as putting your hair in a scrunchie or banana clip. So here’s to Zahir Rahimtoola, hoping that he will launch in a big way in Lahore. Because while fashion sells best from trendy stores, the only way it show its full potential is to be seen on a runway!

Courtesy: Dawn Images