November, 2009

SHAANAKHT FESTIVAL 2009.
By Mishelle Raza

The Festival held from 9th – 11th Nov 2009, was a free, and open to the public event

‘This is not the time for forty million women of Pakistan to sit quietly.’ Women across the country in 1947 sat up and took notice of Begum Raana Liaqat’s words. It was time to roll up their sleeves and get to work – Pakistan was a fledgling nation with no identity, except that of a Muslim state molded painstakingly from the rubble of a hasty British exit from the subcontinent. During the 1940s and 1950s, Pakistani women joined their brave sisters who had struggled for Partition – they participated in jalsas, led demonstrations on the streets, courted arrest, ran clandestine radio stations and shed the veil as a form of protest. Continue

By Sikandar Usman

January 1992, came out the super hit film Deewana starring Rishi Kapoor, Divya Bharti and introducing Shahrukh Khan. Nothing like a Greek god, a long haired, big nosed and skinny youngster charmed millions of people across the globe. With big hits like Raju Bangaya Gentleman (1992), Darr (1993), Baazigar (1993) and Dilwale Dulhainya Lejayenge (1995), Shahrukh Khan became one of the leading heartthrobs of Bollywood. However such success was not achieved overnight. In his initial days Shahrukh did three films at a time which kept him working for a little less than 20 hours a day. Even such stardom comes at a price. For his finest performances till date, he was the last name on the directors’ wish lists, replacing Aamir Khan and Ajay Devgan in Darr, and Akshay Kumar and Arbaaz Khan in Baazigar. At that time, there was little controversy revolving around Shahrukh Khan. Continue

Sex, Power & Money – “Inspire Life” – WHAT MORE !

Covered By Mishelle Raza

Sex, Power & Money – “Inspire Life” – that was the theme of Munib Nawaz’s first solo men’s fashion show.

Held at the Beach Luxury Hotel in metropolitan Karachi, Rado watches sponsored the first men’s solo show in Pakistan in over 25years, showcasing the collection of Munib Nawaz, who recently became the first Pakistani to win a prestigious award at Miami Fashion Week. The event was organized by Imran Kureishi, who put together a flawless show; the hair, make up and grooming was done by Khawar Riaz. Continue

By Usman Saif Cheema

November 9th 2009, 1830 hours. As I sit here with an eye on the television, watching MotoGP which I was waiting for the whole week, I am neither at ease nor at peace. Today someone in Peshawar killed innocent peaceful people again, and all I did for them was to attend a Peace Rally. The day started like every other Sunday; I woke up late enough to miss the morning bomb blast. Then the dilemma of “should I go to this peace rally I have been told about or not” crept in. The bed, the television, the laptop in my lap, and breakfast in bed were like shackles not letting me out of my bedroom. But the news of killing of innocent people made my bed of roses not so appealing anymore.. Continue

Mishelle Raza will be covering this event for Ink, to be featured on the website on 12th November 2009. Stay Tuned!

During the 1940s and 1950s, Pakistani women joined their brave sisters who had struggled for Partition – they participated in jalsas, led demonstrations on the streets, courted arrest, ran clandestine radio stations and shed the veil as a form of protest. The Citizens Archive of Pakistan invites you to come meet these women this November in an exhibition – New Nation, New Freedom, New Responsibility – that is part of the Shanaakht Festival, an entirely free festival that celebrates the lives of extraordinary individuals who struggled to create this nation. Continue

Recently, an exciting BASE jump was attempted from MCB Tower, Karachi – Pakistan, in collaboration with Red Bull – the famous Austrian Energy Drink producer. The jump was testimony to the commitment of both companies to promote peace through sports. The BASE jump took place on Sunday, 1st November, 2009 and was widely covered on local and international TV channels and print media.

It saw Russian extreme sport star Valery Rozov accomplish an incredible stunt. The 44-year-old Red Bull athlete jumped from MCB Tower -the tallest building in Pakistan with a height of 116 meters, with 29 levels and 3 basements. Challenging wind conditions delayed the jump for a couple of hours, before Valery decided to go-ahead with it. He deployed the parachute 3 seconds after the jump. Strong winds caused him to steer himself in the alley next to MCB Tower. Using all his experience, he was able to avoid any injury to himself. Continue

Intel & Dell Partner to Bring New and Innovative Products to the Local Market
Intel & Dell embark on an initiative that will enable a great digital experience in laptops

KARACHI, October 10, 2009: Intel Pakistan & Dell together conducted a series of road shows with notebooks cloaked in Cherry Red, Alpine White, Pretty Pink, Gecko Green and a whole array of other colors, accessorized with crisp widescreen displays to meet user’s specific needs.

The new products and services were showcased at a colorful event at the Forum Karachi, with famous VJ Ayesha Omar and fashion designer Munib Nawaz gracing the event. This event provided the visitors with a great visual experience resulting in holistic product know-how. Experts were also present at the venue to provide clear information on the high performance products that are tailored to the needs of specific consumer groups. Continue

World Famous Musical Hit Mamma Mia Receives a Standing Ovation on Red Carpet Night!
(Covered by Mishelle Raza)

Karachi: 9th October 2009 – The internationally acclaimed musical Mamma Mia received a standing ovation at the Red Carpet Night attended by the who’s who of Karachi including showbiz celebrities, media and socialites.

Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus’ popular and famous musical MAMMA MIA! has been produced by Made for Stage Production, and directed by Nida Butt. The musical was staged in Karachi at the Karachi Arts Council and ran from October 10th – 24th, 2009.

Mamma Mia raised the bar for theatre in Pakistan, incorporating live acting, singing, and dancing accompanied by a live orchestra.

Made for Stage Productions, an innovative company committed to bringing theatre to Pakistan through musicals and stage performances, were responsible for producing the highly successful Broadway hit Chicago, which ran for over 32 nights to packed houses in Karachi & Lahore.

Proceeds from Mamma Mia’s sale of tickets benefited Special Olympics Pakistan- an NGO founded on the belief that people with intellectual disability can, with proper instruction and encouragement, learn, enjoy and benefit from participation in individual and team sports. Continue

Exclusive Interview with Pakistani model / singer Meera Rehman

1. Did you always want to be a model? Did the fact that your mother is an actress have something to do with your desire to be a part of the entertainment industry?
Well if ‘always’ means from a very young age, even younger than when I started (which was 17 and I think quite young for this country), then yes. I wanted to model professionally from when I was about ten years old. There was this one channel that showed the international fashion weeks early Saturday mornings, and I used to wake up early on the weekend just to watch it. It isn’t just about modeling for me though, I think my passion for it springs from my love for fashion and all things creative, because I’m an artist at heart.
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