“It’s a very angry song — I feel the character [that has been portrayed in the song] had to capture the true essence of a VIP,” says Pir. “The song also shows the hopelessness of us ordinary people.”

The artist, who has been touring for the greater part of the year, explains how the idea of the song came about. Pir noticed the division of society amongst two types of people — the masses and the very important individuals. During his visit to the Wagha border, he saw that ordinary people had to stand far away from the change-of-guards ceremony, while the so-called big players, were seated in the front.

All of Pir’s songs have been character-based so far, which he designs and composes himself. For his live performances, Pir has three guitarists and one drummer.

“I am not a singer. Some people might classify me as a rapper, but my style of music is an extension of my comedy,” he continues. “My music is supposed to be very out there. I don’t do love songs — that’s not my style.”

The video of VIP shows Pir in the shoes of a VIP, who has no empathy for the masses but also looks forward to abusing them. Nicely produced, the concept is in true Ali Gul Pir-style — filled with sarcasm, satire but also an innate introspective feeling that the political and social culture caters to the few and privileged.

“We, the awaam, are not very important people, there is a thin line between security and harassing common people,” explains Pir.

Recently, Pir was in Lahore for a 14-show-tour in Punjab schools and colleges. His live act is one of the most diverse performances taking place currently in Pakistan, due to the fact that it is designed as a combination of stand-up, improv-comedy and music.

“I like doing my performances live because I feel that the audience should always take away something different from each performance,” he adds.

Pir has been working on several projects including Viral Saeein, which is an internet-based reality show which looks to find what could be the next viral sensation.

Speaking of going viral, Pir has been one of the many vocal artists that have called for the government to revoke its ban on YouTube. He says that the ban has created many difficulties for artists and that other platforms are not able to provide the same user accessibility.

“It’s a big loss, but still if the content is good then I think there is that chance for something to go viral,” he says. “I am working very hard, doing radio shows and morning shows, to make sure that I can push my art out to the maximum amount of people.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2013.                      

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Cultural and social icon Salahuddin, popularly known as Mian Salli, is proud to announce that his big budget production Heer Ranjha will be the second Pakistani drama to be dubbed in Chinese, after Waris which was written by Amjad Islam Amjad. Mian Salli feels that the project is an opportunity to promote Pakistani heritage.

“The beauty of Heer Ranjha is that it takes you back in time,” says Salli, about the folklore which has been immensely popular locally and internationally, both.

Giving details about his musical play, Salli says that Heer Ranjha is made for the wider masses and aims to bring Pakistanis back to owning their culture.

“I want to reach out to my people,” says Salli. “I am not here to make money — I have not made any money in all of this.” He also points out that PTV is a government institution and works in the same manner.

While the play was penned down by Aqueel Ruby, Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah was responsible for the narration. Pakistani TV actor Ahsan Khan and model-actor Zaria Butt are in the lead roles of Heer Ranjha, and other cast members include Shafqat Cheema and Rambo. The project started in February last year, and was wrapped up about two weeks ago.

“The whole technique is purely Pakistani,” explains Salli. “The main thing is that the project is close to reality. I used furniture which is 200 years old and tapestries which are over a 100 years old — all of the locations are a 100% real.”

Salli shares that the recently launched original soundtrack is now available in most markets across Pakistan. The music features Rahat Fateh Ali Khan alongside Sahir Ali Bagga, who is also the producer of the album. Salli has written the lyrics for majority of the songs and the soundtrack also includes the voices of Hina Nasrullah, Fariha Parvez, Humera Channa, Sanam Marvi and Malaika Ali.

The success of his drama venture has opened doors for his next large-scale project which is on the life of Emperor Jahangir. This will also be a musical and may have up to 20 episodes. His inspiration for the new musical came from the style in which BBC dramas such as Tudors have been shot. The play’s script is being written now and Salli may start to shoot it by September.

“We may not have that much of a budget but what we do have, are the most amazing places to shoot,” says Salli. “We have the entire fort, Shalimar Bagh and all the other Mughal monuments. I will not go for sets.”

Promoting Culture

Yousuf Salahuddin is one of the biggest cultural advocates of basant (spring season). He says that the banning of basant has played a negative role for the cultural activities in Lahore.

“There were a few meetings that were held [regarding basant], but nothing came out of it,” explains Salahuddin. “I think it’s sad that basant is celebrated all over Punjab but not in Lahore. To take basant out of Lahore is killing the city and its whole culture — these things lead the young generation to look towards India or the West.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2013.                      

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“I don’t want to minimise the impact of 9/11; 99% of the reactions to the tragedy seemed reasonable, but there was a level of prejudice,” says Schreiber, giving some background to the issue the movie is based on. “Witnessing some of the decisions that were taken, I think if anything, this film will shed a different light [on this event] and encourage conversation.”

The actor feels Pakistan has been misrepresented to the world — it’s been shown as a dangerous place that shares a border with a terrorist hub like Afghanistan. “I would have liked to visit Lahore because it was the place we represented in the movie,” he says, adding that he is no expert on the country’s political situation and has never visited the land.

“I grew up in Canada, which has a huge Pakistani population and my hometown itself, was about 90% Pakistani,” he admits. “There are thousands of Pakistanis I knew growing up and with whom I went to school with.” He strongly believes that “people are people” and this is why he chose to do this film. “We have to take time out and understand each other; build better friendships and relationships,” he adds.

The film’s director Mira Nair has brought together actors from different ethnicities onto one screen and that is what makes the project special for Schreiber. “When we were shooting in Delhi, the idea that we as actors have an understanding even though we don’t speak the same language, was somehow reinforced in my mind,” he continues. “We do exactly the same things, as far as our work goes.”

“What I found unbelievably comforting is that for actors, there is a common thread regarding culture and about how we go about our work — it excludes political ideals,” adds the actor.

In his shoes

Schreiber doesn’t really need any introduction — he started off his career as an indie actor but went on to be a part of numerous acclaimed movies such as Hamlet, Twilight and the X-Men Origins: Wolverine, to name a few.

He feels that if you want to make a film that will spark a conversation amidst a group of people on that specific topic, then you need to be able to connect with those people on the same level.  After that, “the internet can take care of it,” he laughs. “And if no one makes them [these kind of movies], then no one will see them.”

“The global nature and direction that this business is going in, the seamlessness in which films can be shown in the US, then in Pakistan and India at the same time, is fantastic,” he says. “For us, it’s an unbelievably exciting journey. Growing up, I remember we would always hear about the amount of films that were coming out of Pakistan and India and that the industry had doubled the output North America was producing.” He admits it seemed “exotic and wondered what they might be doing different.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2013.

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Shah Ji – as he was fondly known in journalistic circles – was diagnosed with lung cancer and was sent to England for treatment last year. Since January, Athar had been in and out of the hospital after he developed pneumonia, according to his older brother Fazal Hussain Shah who was at his side when he passed away.

Athar joined Daily Express as group editor in June 2006. Despite his illness, he remained committed to his work till the very end. He had been conferred with Hilal-i-Shujaat in 2011 in recognition of his services to journalism.

He was known for his poetic flair and play with words that resulted in the kind of headlines that got noticed. When Pakistan National Alliance joined hands with General Ziaul Haq, Tehreek-e-Istiqlal’s Asghar Khan left the alliance and Athar who was then in Daily Awaz gave the headline: Shaheen ka jahan aur, Kargis ka jahan aur.

But he is best remembered for a headline he gave as the news editor of Daily Azad: “Idhar Hum, Udhar Tum ” – a line that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is said to have said to Sheikh Mujeebur Rehman during their last meeting in Dhaka. This is now remembered as one of Pakistani journalism’s most powerful headlines.

Family

Athar leaves behind a wife and five children.  He was a man of humble beginnings, whose father was a government servant who shifted to Lahore from Sargodha. The family took up residence in Tajpura, where Abbas was born on May 5, 1940 and lived till his death.

After completing Grade 7, he appeared in the matriculation exam as a private candidate. Fazal Shah, his brother, told The Express Tribune that Athar was 16 when he graduated from Government College, Jhang. He got married at the age of 17 and soon after moved to Karachi. He started his career from Daily Anjam as a sub-editor.

Journalistic career

When he returned to Lahore from Karachi in the 1960s, he joined Imroze, then run by the National Press Trust. From there he moved to Daily Azad.  By 1971, he had joined the Daily Musawaat, the Pakistan Peoples Party newspaper. He was news editor of the paper till the end of Bhutto era. As Musawaat’s news editor he succeeded where his great predecessor Shafqat Tanvir Mirza –scholarly, rational and circumspect – had struggled. The hawkers loved his headlines which resonated with a new ‘readership’. By the late 1970s, he was back at Daily Azad, brought back to life by Tehreek-i-Istiqlal’s Asghar Khan.

Between 1977 and 1979, Athar – who also used to own a press – published a book ‘If I am Assassinated’ written by ZA Bhutto. After he continued to speak against martial law, he was arrested. Recalls Jang-columnist Mohammad Saeed Azhar, who was with him when he was arrested, “We were in a small room behind the Old Anarkali mosque from where an intelligence officer took him to the Lahore Fort.” He was later shifted to Camp Jail.

When he was released, Abbas Athar left the country. First he went to Dubai and then moved to America “where he worked at different places – from chai khanas (tea house) to bars – to make a living”, says Azhar. Athar returned to the country in the late 1980s.

In 1988, he started a paper, Sadaqat, with Munnu Bhai as editor. Munnu Bhai said that the paper brought together “several like-minded journalists to address progressive issues”. Journalists like IA Rehman and Hussain Naqi were contributors. “He considered himself a center-leftist and always looked to use that in his analyses,” recalled Munnu Bhai. By 1990, Athar left Sadaqat after a falling out with the owner, Munnu Bhai told The Express Tribune.

Afterwards, he worked at the Khabrain Group and Nawai Waqt before joining Daily Pakistan. After a few years at Daily Pakistan, he once again joined Nawai Waqt before joining Daily Express.

His decision to work at Nawai Waqt – a paper known for its anti-socialist stance – was a surprise for many but more astounding perhaps was his success at the newspaper. Majid Nizami, the paper’s editor-in-chief, says of Athar, “He made a place for himself through his professional skills. Whatever his personal beliefs, he followed Nawai Waqt’s policy while working here… [During his two stints] he never tried to impose his ideology on [the paper]. He admitted himself that it was Nawai Waqt which established him as a columnist.”

“In my opinion there have been just two great Urdu newspaper columnists Abbas Athar and Nazir Naji,” says Saeed Azhar, “The rest are just popular columnists.”

“His journalism was of a different class. [Even after he had established himself as a columnist] he did not want to be limited to writing columns. He remained associated with the newsroom,” says Latif Chaudhry, the opinions editor at Daily Express.

For journalist Nusrat Javeed, Athar’s biggest success was how he changed the newspaper industry. During a time when newspapers had failed commercially, he was able to drive the business.

“He changed this industry by bringing creativity into news-making,” he said.

Publisher-editor Mujeebur Rehman Shami said of him, “He was also a poet you could see that in the headlines he gave. He brought in a new style of journalism that accentuated the language and improved the craft.”

“In a country where a lot of people go hungry,” he would say of himself, “my genius is political relevance.”

The poet

A less known aspect of his life was his poetry. Athar did not publish a lot of his work. ‘Din Sharhay, Darya Charhay’ was the only collection he lot of his work. ‘Din Chargay, Darya Charhay’  was the only collection he published. He used to say that journalism had gotten in the way of his ‘real’ vocation: poetry.

Among his most memorable poems were written on the death of ZA Bhutto. He also wrote Bhutto ki beti aye thi, one of the PPP’s 2013 campaign songs.

Poet Zafar Iqbal recently wrote, “Jin logon ki shairee sahafat nay nigal lee, un main Abbas Athar ka naam faramosh nahi kia ja sakta” (Among those people whose poetry was usurped by journalism, Abbas Athar’s name can never be forgotten).

Socially active

This year, again, the group having his backing won the Lahore Press Club elections.

Azhar also remembers him as “a loyal friend”. “He would go out of his way to help friends,” he said. And he took care of his workers. Azhar remembers that once when Asghar Khan was discussing Aazd’s affairs with Athar he complimented an associate editor for his editorials and then added, “But I have heard that he sometimes drinks.” Athar’s reply was, “The editorials are good, right?” to which Khan said yes. “That’s all that matters,” Athar is said to have told Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2013.

“Darlin’ Blues is based on the situation of the country,” says band member Casim Mahmoud. “Whether it is missing persons or suicide attacks, there is this feeling that people are leaving us too soon.”

The Lahore-based band comprises veteran underground rocker Mahmoud and corporate lawyer-vocalist Tariq Yousuf Gujjar (TG King). The band has become a driving force in the new explorative genre of folk blues music. Keen on the expression, the band has experimented with various folk sounds in the past. However, what makes this song different is that TG King gives haunting vocals in English with a hard-core Punjabi accent.

Darlin’ Blues is a follow up of its first two singles, Daru di Botal and Mela, but unlike their videos, this song is a concept video, in which the band does not appear at all. It’s been shot by film-maker Ammar Rasool over a three-day period in several working class areas of Lahore. The film combined with the music tends to touch upon the emotional aspect of day-to-day stressful situations. Mahmoud is certain that in the current music environment of Pakistan, music videos have to be visually strong. They should ensure that the video provides an aesthetic and complementing interpretation of the music.

“We have made sure that the song goes back to the root of blues, which is an emotion,” says Mahmoud. “We did not use anybody in the video, but in the vocals you feel someone searching for someone.” Mahmoud also says that the song is in “Punjabi-style English” and the lyrics are simple, not complicated nor challenging.

TG King explains that blues represents internal feelings like sadness and struggle. He said unlike the previous songs by the band, Darlin’ Blues is a pure blues track which pays tribute to the people who have lost someone.

“It was not a big deal to sing it because when I started out I would sing English country songs,” says King. “Blues is seen as the voice of internal sadness. When passion gets snubbed, this emotion arises, and this sadness is present here [in Pakistan] today. We must dedicate it to those who have lost someone in the current political circumstances.”

Mahmoud says they have not compromised on the quality of the music. They have maintained their identity, and stayed fresh in this track adapting a predominantly English track for the local audience. The video is recorded in one take, and the band claims their inspiration was an old American folk artist Robert Johnson.

Three singles in and countless of radio plays, but surprisingly, the band still has not performed live. But, they are certain that their music is being followed by its online presence. They say through Facebook, they are connecting with a “committed base of listeners”.

“We are ready to perform,” says Mahmoud. “A corporation approached us for a performance but was expecting us to change our sound or make it louder.” He explains why they are yet to perform privately on stage. “Corporations and some of the structures have made it difficult to find local performances, because we are unwilling to compromise on our creativity or style,” adds Mahmoud.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 9^th, 2013.                      

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Correction: An earlier version of the story misstated the name of the music video director as Adnan Rasool. The error is regretted.

KARACHI: Any other year, this time of the year we would have been witnessing hype for mother’s day. This year though with election fever on, we see hype for not our biological mothers but our motherland.

Sophiya Anjum or RJ Sophie of FM 91 also decided that a tribute should be made to the motherland instead.

Radio FM 91’s concert to Save the Motherland which was held at the Ali Auditorium last night represents an attitude in the urban spaces that one must participate and vote.

“I thought this year we have to make sure that we vote and vote for the right person,” Sophie said after helping organize a concert on the last night for election campaign.

To be exact the line-up included Topi drama, SYMT, Quadram, AK the Punjabi Rapper, Jimmy Khan, Faiza Mujahid, Farhad Humayun, Mustafa Zahid, Aag the Band, Hasil Qureshi, Seige and others. Josh the band, which is in Canada, also sent a video message regarding the elections.

The concert basically addressed the young people, asking them to exercise their vote.

Sophie explained that there was something different about the elctions this time around. The change was probably due to the mushrooming of the media but the major factor, she thought, was the people at general who feel that there is something to be excited about.

“Music has to be looked at medium for peace, and the fact that a lot of musicians are coming out for this is really amazing,” Sophie said. “Celebrities have a lot of power in connecting with people.”

Singer Faiza Mujahid, who is rooting for Imran Khan, said she was surprised that for the first time people were taking an interest in voting.

“ It was interesting because there was not one person in the building that was not voting, I think people are sick of things, and our generation does not want to wait thirty years to wake-up,” Mujahid expressed.

Atif Saeed of Quadrum, who has been involved in similar mission for quite some time, said that unlike the dirty 90s, in which stop-gap democratic initiatives would always be dismissed, musicians or people can now express themselves freely.

“You have to give credit to Musharaf, for creating the freedom of press, he gave that platform that allows us to speak,” Saeed said.

Music has always been something that brought people together and there always is a social element, he further said.

Saeed’s band has been participating in Bareeze’s Made of Pakistan campaign in an attempt to improve Pakistan’s image.

“Pakistan has had a bad reputation but my point is that people don’t realise that underneath, a real Pakistan exists and is still there,” says Saeed.

Band at first had been reluctant to do much related to election awareness, expressed Arafat Mahzar of the band Topi Drama.

Seeing the enthusiasm that was generated he said that the band had a change of heart, and decided to be more active and create awareness regarding voting.

“ I really believe that this election is going to be a turning point in our history and will help our middle class to emerge [from the depth of the problems it faces],” remarked Mahzar.

PTI’s liaison cell head Asad Umar said over 800 complaints had been registered with the election commission, the majority of which were about rigging by rival parties.

Sheikh Muhammed Imran, a volunteer at the liaison cell, said, there had been “massive rigging”. The majority of the complaints came from Karachi but there were also complaints from the Punjab, later in the day.

“The ECP assured us that they would take immediate action against this, but we are still waiting,” said Imran, “I expect the number of complaints will exceed 2,000 by the end of the day.”

Yasir Sheikh, head of the PTI analytics and data analysis team, has launched a website where voters can report incidents of rigging or code violations during the electoral process. The website, Jaag Pakistan, relies on crowd-sourcing and citizen journalism. People can report incidents via text messages, email and twitter.

“We’re expecting the election results to be neck to neck. Our goal is to use the platform to close the gaps in the system so no vote falls through,” Sheikh said. The team included 23 people who collected evidence of rigging and code violations, he said. Each report was then categorised according to verified and unverified categories, said Sheikh. “The ECP has the regulations and authority to enforce the code of conduct, but lacks the capacity to oversee the implementation of the rules in many areas,” he added. The reports are sent to the ECP as complaints, which, he said, will be helpful in controlling local shenanigans.

Samad Khurram, campaign manager for Ahsan Iqbal in Narowal, said his party was forwarding all rigging complaints to the election commission. He said the party had received the most reports from Sindh.

He said there had been several incidents of firing the night Hanif Abbasi was attacked in Rawalpindi and they had also received reports of some polling stations being attacked by rival parties in Narowal.

PML-N spokesman Senator Pervez Rasheed said the party was planning on compiling a list of complaints that have been filed with the election commission. He said the PML-N’s policy was to refer each issue to the election commission for review.

“I think there were enough cameras and devices to ensure that rigging was curbed,” said Rasheed.

Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) CEO Mudassir Rizvi said, “Rigging can be classified as that which remains within the existing framework, working through loopholes, and that which takes place outside the electoral framework.”

In the past, various tactics had been deployed to disrupt elections. The balance of power in an area also determines whether such activities will be carried out, he said. “We have been sending reports, and recommended corrective measures, but there is a tendency to kill the messenger,” said Rizvi.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12^th, 2013.

“I have been doing production for the last 10 years,” says Farhad Humayun. He mentions that he has produced two of Atif Aslam’s albums, including Jal Pari and Meri Kahani. Apart from that, Farhad has also produced for SYMT and, not to forget his work with Overload, a collaboration that introduced singer Meesha Shafi and folk talent such as Pappu Saeein to the mainstream.

The Pepsi Smash series can be seen as his vision of how music should really be. The series will have 12 sessions and eight artists, who will be working towards bringing something new to the music scene that seems to be monotonous, otherwise.

The show has been shot at Humayun’s very own Riot Studio; a state of the art studio that has been functioning since 2006. This is also the same space where he launched an online music series by the name Live at the Apartment, in which Humayun and his friends would record and experiment with music. The success of this online series seems to be a precursor for the upcoming show Pepsi Smash that faced several delays before it finally launched its first show on May 1.

When asked about the kind of music that will be showcased on the series, Humayun said, “We have decided that there will be no sufiana kalams and no covers. Rather, all songs will be original; made specifically for the show. We felt that contemporary Pakistan and individual artists should have a chance to play whatever music they feel like.”

Last week Pepsi Smash released Jaag by Jarrar Malik, an electronic club anthem. Humayun says he ensured that the music was an original team effort if nothing else. The compositions that were produced by Sheraz Siddiq and DJ Faisal Baig were a unique blend of fresh beats and contemporary soul that seems to be missing from Pakistani music these days.

Supporting the need to encourage contemporary artists, Humayun stressed, “We are lacking vision and contemporary voices within Pakistan. If we only focus on releasing sufi albums or traditional music, we are in a way restricting young talent from expressing themselves.”

The new venture will include tracks from SYMT, Noori, Strings, Siege, Sajid and Zeeshan, Jarar Malik and Ali Asad, to name a few. Humayun says that they were lucky to receive some quality songs from artists. He emphasized that the point was to give a free platform to artists for singing their heart out while keeping the audio production and quality intact. The songs were played live in a studio environment and were not lip-synced.

Humayun is working collectively with Faisal Baig, an old friend who was also associated with Overload,  to introduce the electronic genre to the Pakistani music industry and has managed to produce great results, in process.

“I think the introduction of that electronic/rock mix genre in Pakistan is very new and hence, the artists have been very welcoming but the overwhelming response is also because we asked them to compose original songs for a certain purpose,” said Humayun.

While an initiative to promote fresh talent, Pepsi Smash is yet another show that has followed the overall trend of major brands getting involved in the music industry. However, Humayun is skeptical about whether it entails any benefits for music itself. The brand, he says, cannot say what is good or bad for music, it can only fund it.

“The brand is not interested in marketing music, it’s not even interested in selling music, it is only concerned about its own product,” says Humayun. He adds that Pepsi Smash is an ambitious project because it is not created for the masses unlike the brand supporting it.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2013.                    

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“Don’t jump the gun. We’re more than half way done with our release [of the new single]. Be sure to look out for it in June and then you can talk about it,” says lead vocalist Basim Usmani, admitting that The Kominas is experimenting with its sound this time. The band’s guitarist Hassan Ali Malik aka Sunny Ali accompanied Usmani to Pakistan but drummer Abdullah Saeed aka The Kid, wasn’t able to tag along.

Usmani feels the energy they felt during their performance in Islamabad shows the music scene in Pakistan has evolved. “Apart from the sheesha ban, Islamabad is a cool place — a city filled with marijuana plants,” he says. “The lights went out when we sang the line ‘Ghup andhera vich [in the pitch dark]’ and then they were back on in time for the chorus. The crowd knew the lyrics — it was pretty crazy.”

In the US, the band has a diverse following of listeners and has even considered altering their sound from its original punk style and tapping to reggae for their fans. “We get a pretty mixed crowd in the States and hearing them sing along to songs which aren’t in English, is very interesting to say the least,” continues Usmani. “In Pakistan, it’s always a shock because well, everyone always knows the words,” he adds sarcastically.

The Kominas has been performing at local gigs in the US, and after visiting Pakistan, they were impressed with the diversity present in the music scene. “It seems pretty diverse to me at least. It’s kind of ironic. The country doesn’t have YouTube access but I’ve heard Pashtu rap, metal from Lahore and shoegaze from Karachi,” he says. Usmani was in Lahore for five days where he attended a Punjabi rap show, Indian classical musicians who performed at a private venue along other music shows/concerts.

“There’s Coke Studio as well, if that’s your thing. But the backing vocalists, Lord have mercy [on us],” he laughs, mocking the musicians. But despite everything, he still feels the music scene has evolved. “This [the music scene] is definitely better than what it was when I lived there [in Pakistan] in 2007,” he adds. “The only music [song] which was promoted nationally was the Khuda Ke Liye soundtrack.”

The Kominas is known for their electrifying live performances. Ali, who was also in Pakistan with Usmani, had an exciting time during his stay, too. “We performed two shows in Islamabad, it went pretty well. A couple of hundred people [turned up],” he says, adding that he was impressed with the evolution of the music scene on several levels. “I didn’t really get a chance to attend any other shows. The drummer we were playing with only had one day to rehearse. He was very talented though.”

“Our trick has always been to change things around, but we don’t compromise on the art although that will also change,” he explains about the band’s upcoming album. “The new stuff we are about to record is pretty different.” He feels a song needs to maintain its own sense of creativity and not be a sell-out. His favourite local bands include Orangenoise and Malang Party.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2013.                    

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On the eve of May 11, not only were many celebrating the completion of a democratically-elected government’s tenure, but there were also whispers and chants of a “Naya Pakistan”. The two words invaded every facet of our lives, from social media and television to radio and the very streets of major cities. More than a slogan, the phrase became part of popular culture, and was used in a song, internet memes and also in debates between political parties. The Express Tribune talks to the man who helped create the slogan for PTI.

“The Naya Pakistan [campaign] created excitement about taking part in elections amongst a class that detested politics,” says Shavaar Ali Khan, head of Farigh Four, the advertising firm which chalked out the Naya Pakistan campaign for the PTI. “It created awareness about political culture.”

Although the party did not score majority seats in the National Assembly, the party’s well-marketed slogan spoke about change, and encouraged citizens to make it to the ballot box.

“We were approached by the PTI’s brand team, and treated the client as a brand. Other examples similar to the PTI are the Barack Obama campaign and the Indian party BJP’s Shining India campaign,” explains Shavaar.

PTI’s brand team, which includes Salman Amjad, Salman Danish Naseer, Faisal Javed and Asad Umar, had approached Farigh Four to devise a marketing strategy that would represent change. Creating the right mix meant defining what exactly that change is. “Change as a buzzword was associated with Obama, so we had to come up with a slogan that defined change. Naya Pakistan was the answer.”

The Farigh Four team started to work with the PTI to design a campaign that would entice a citizen to vote. The campaign became the firm’s flagship project. “The idea was to get new voters who had never voted before and to create a campaign that is not specifically focused on any party because the target audience, which was meant to be reached, was completely apolitical,” narrates Shavaar. It is important to not here that voter turn-out on May 11, 2013 was the highest in Pakistan’s history, at 60%.

With the aim of permeating all segments of society, Farigh Four’s team with Beenish Mir and Shehzad Ahmed on board, started to work on the slogan. “We had to come up with a concept which was not only pan-Pakistan, but also something that would raise the PTI above regular politics,” explains Shavaar. “The different slogans that we came up with were ‘Banega Naya Pakistan’ and ‘Naya Banega Pakistan’.”

PTI chairman Imran had started to chant the Naya Pakistan slogan by the end of 2012. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the PTI was laying the foundation for one of the biggest media campaigns in Pakistan’s history.

“The idea was to not let the slogan get lost amidst aggressive election campaigns by other political parties and since youngsters were the primary target, it had to be something which could stay with them. The campaign resulted in the birth of a new political class — people who were inspired by the dream of Naya Pakistan,” asserts Shavaar.

Working with Imran

Shavaar says that cricketer-turned-politician Imran was open to new initiatives. The man behind the campaign says that the openness was due to the “culture of meritocracy within the party.”

“Whether you agree with him politically or not, he [Imran] has charisma and leadership qualities that he tries to inculcate in the youth. He is very encouraging,” expresses Shavaar. “He [Imran] has a set of advisers, but he is the kind of guy who does what he wants. So, a lot of things that we did spontaneously, like creating the buzzwords such as tabdeeli [change] or Naya Pakistan, he kind of inherently started to use them.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2013.

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“The demand for a Pakistani film in Canada is rock solid,” director Shahzad Rafique tells The Express Tribune from India, where he is currently working. He says that festival organiser Sunny Gill was “very eager to play a quality Pakistani film.”

Adding that the release of Bol is a reflection of this demand, he says, “Bol did better than any Bollywood film which was released around the same time – if we want to make space for our movies in the global market, we need to tackle subjects which have international relevance. Otherwise the vision of our cinema will remain limited [to just Pakistan].”

The film’s cast includes Ahsan Khan, Meera, Shaan and Moroccan actor Wiam Dhamani. Meera and Wiam are currently in Toronto to promote the movie at PIFF – an annual event which aims to bring Punjabi culture into the spotlight.

The film’s director Shahzad Rafique feels the demand for a Pakistani film in Canada is “rock solid”. PHOTO: PUBLICITY

Ishq Khuda experiments with the themes of sufism and spirituality. Rafique explains that the project was an attempt to raise the question of “higher love” in comparison to the pursuit of relatively selfish worldly desires. The soundtrack, which has already received rave reviews since its release last month, has been composed by Wajahat Attray and includes the strong vocals of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Sanam Marvi. It also features the return of renowned playback singer Shazia Manzoor.

“Film is a powerful medium of communication and representation. It’s very important for Pakistani films to have a global market,” continues Rafique. “We need to show the world who we are as a nation and clear all misunderstandings about us.” He feels local producers haven’t been able to take advantage of the growing international market due to the lack of quality output.

The film’s director Shahzad Rafique feels the demand for a Pakistani film in Canada is “rock solid”. PHOTO: PUBLICITY

The director admits that it was the global value he added to Ishq Khuda which helped promote a softer image of the film. He has also produced films such as Salakhain (2004) and Mohabbataan Sachiyaan (2007) which did well internationally despite non-conducive conditions – they were also released in India and were rated 2.5 and 3.5 out of five, respectively, by the Times of India.

Although Rafique is unsure of how the film will be received by the audience, he remains positive that they will appreciate the final product. “I really can’t say anything about how it will do at the box office but I have said everything I wanted to through this film,” he continues. “I am satisfied with the end result and now it’s really just up to the viewers.”

The film’s director Shahzad Rafique feels the demand for a Pakistani film in Canada is “rock solid”. PHOTO: PUBLICITY

At the end, the director says he is screening the film abroad to inspire young film-makers. “I’m trying to form pathways for them which will open up avenues for the exhibition of their work internationally.”

After its first screening in Toronto, the film is expected to be released in Pakistan on Eidul Fitr.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2013.                    

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If you lived near the Lahore airport and had to drive to Mall road regularly, you’d be open to buying a car whose fuel cost you less. Amir Riaz has that 50km commute, and he’s quite frank about his decision to keep a hybrid car. “I have a [regular car] too,” he told The Express Tribune. “But I prefer taking my [hybrid]. It is just sensible. It consumes one-fourth of the fuel.”

The hybrid guzzles less gas because it uses a combination of petrol and electric power (in the form of a battery). Pakwheels CEO Raza Saeed says over 90% of the hybrids sold on their website are the Toyota Prius manufactured in Japan. Other choices include the Insight and Reborn by Honda or the Civic hybrid. Some high-end names recently introduced to Pakistan are the Porsche hybrid and the BMW 7-series.

Porsche Panamera S-E Hybrid

While prices may vary depending on the model of the used car, something like the Toyota Prius will set you back 1.4m rupees. If you’ve got the cash to spare you could consider what Porsche, Mercedes and BMW have to offer at a hefty price tag of Rs13.5m. Porsche Pakistan CEO Abuzar Bukhari brought in the first luxury hybrid, the Cayenne, which gives 13.75 kilometres a litre. Interestingly enough, this is an SUV giving you better road mileage than a much smaller non-hybrid 1300cc or 1000cc car. “Pakistanis should not be limited to […] for hybrids,” he argues while naming two companies. “We Pakistanis deserve better, why buy used cars from other countries?”

Imports are the most obvious option, though, especially since no one is making them locally. These hybrids, many from Japan and the UK, are being brought over the Afghan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. However, the majority of them are arriving at Port Qasim in Karachi. About two out of 10,000 used cars reaching Karachi shores each month are hybrids.

The hybrid is considered more environmentally friendly and economical when it comes to fuel consumption. And as petrol prices rise in Pakistan, some people are thinking this type of car is a better option. But despite these positives, this technology is struggling to become a viable player in Pakistan’s controlled market.

No bang for your buck

The government has put the squeeze on importing used cars. It now says that you can’t get them if they are more than three years old. It used to allow used cars that were up to five years old until the end of 2012.

According to official car import numbers, over 1,140 Toyota Prius were imported from July to October 2012 compared to less than a thousand units before the end of the previous financial year. But then the official policy changed.

Honda Insight Hybrid

“[Newer] used cars mean a higher price,” explains Salman Hameed, a hybrid dealer in Lahore. He was getting up to 70 cars until the government changed the rules. Now it’s just 20 and he thinks demand could sink further. This means that dealers like Hameed who used to be getting the 2007 models are now forced to get the 2010 ones. This means an average price difference of Rs400,000. “But it is also a newer car,” he says.

All of this would change if the government gave local manufacturers incentives. If not, people like Pakwheels CEO Raza Saeed feel that the market for hybrids will remain small because the choices are so limited. If local companies made the car, it would be cheaper and hybrids could possibly become the norm.

Take the example of India where there has been a concerted push by the government. Today, one of India’s leading local manufacturers, Tata, produces the Nano hybrid which is known as the world’s cheapest hybrid at a mere 100,000 Indian rupees.

On the other hand, in Pakistan, the government has deliberately kept a tight fist to protect the existing local car industry. The Federal Board of Revenue, which is the brains behind the import policy on hybrids, openly says it will not be opening the doors on this new technology because local manufacturers will be affected. FBR spokesman Israr Rauf admitted the previous government hadn’t done much to encourage it either. “We have to wait for the next budget first,” he says. “Even then, it is unlikely of the government to take any drastic steps to push local manufacturers to incorporate greener cars.” There is no roadmap on how to factor it into the budget either.

Honda Civic Hybrid

“The real issue today is that mainstream parties we have spoken to have little clarity on the long-term role of hybrid automobiles,” says Syed Umair, the head of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce’s environmental committee. It is certain though, that globally petrol-only cars will go, he adds.

Features and what to look out for

Hybrids are popular because people think they offer better mileage. Honda’s hybrid switches between the battery and fuel at a speed of up to 40km. The Prius operates dually at a speed of up to 120km, says dealer Hameed.

The ordinary hybrid car will likely have automatic windows, steering, a push start button, a remote key and a CD player. Others feature bluetooth, a GPS system, a back-view camera, an auto parking system, a hard-disk drive and a mini-disc player. Some more modified versions have two additional features of cruise control, a keyless entry by touching the car door and a keyless start option.

The deal-breaker is that these used cars don’t come with insurance. For some models the battery needs be changed after 200,000km which is about five years. When you buy one, advises Hameed, make sure you check that the battery is original and the synergy driver has not been tampered with.

Another concern is whether we have enough mechanics versed in this technology to repair them. But as has been proven in the past, when the market grows, eventually the manpower catches up. For now, it seems though that unless the government moves, hybrids will be stuck in the back seat.

Hybrids available in Pakistan

Cars                         Price                     Models

Toyota Prius            Rs1.4m-Rs3.2m          2003-2011

Honda Civic             Rs1.6m-Rs1.8m          2006-2010

Honda Insight         Rs1.7m                         2008-2010

Porsche Cayenne     Rs17m                          2013

All the cars mentioned above are imported

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, May 19^th, 2013.

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After weeks of loss, the caretaker set-up in Sindh notified that the Sindh Board of Film Censors will now be active and announced that Zulfiqar Ramzi will be its honorary chairman. The move comes on the heels of fruitless attempts to push the caretaker government into notifying the censor board at the federal level.

In the absence of a federal censor board, according to Nadeem Mandviwalla, the Sindh censor certificate will apply to all of Pakistan. “This will be a big boost as it will encourage other provinces to follow suit,” Mandviwalla said.

The film distributor pointed out that the Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC) has been in troubled waters ever since the 18th Amendment was passed, leading to the dissolution of the culture ministry.

The mandate, according to law, has been passed to the provincial governments but due to various delays it has not been able to establish the provincial censor board. In its absence, the CBFC has continued to function.

Previously, it has been widely debated whether CBFC should be restored and given the charge of censoring foreign films while the provincial censors should be limited to censoring regional films.

“Since there is no notification in writing, foreign films in my opinion should be allowed to be censored by the provincial censor board,” said Mandviwalla

This development would also mean that there will be a delay in getting movies to the cinemas. Distributors say several major films including The Great Gatsby, Iron Man 3, Star Trek 2, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Yeh Jawani Deewani and Fast and the Furious have all been delayed.

“Everybody is suffering. They should call it a careless government instead of a caretaker government… We are being forced to use the same films over and over,” said Zorraiz Lashari of the Film Distributors Association who added that the real cost incurred by the industry could never be compensated.

The delay within the ministry to assign someone responsible to censor the films has meant a backlog of films that will not be released on time.

“Everyone is losing money, everybody is suffering, the worst part is no one willing to hear our claims,” complained Lashari.  The crisis will have its impact with international dealers who are faced with release deadlines.

“This is obviously going to have a negative impact, we are trying but there is now a backlog, which is never good,” added Lashari.

Despite several attempts, Joint Secretary Khwaja Siddique Akbar could not be reached for comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2013.

After leaving Call at the end of 2012, Khan went solo and released the English track So Close, So Distant. He has now released his second single Keh Do which he says is him “letting his heart out”. With ex-Junoon bassist Brian O’Connell on the bass, the video features model Mehreen Syed.

The singer says the song is a reflection of his frame of mind. He adds that forgiveness is as important as expressing love for someone.

“I believe in forgiving and forgetting,” he says. “One should not hold grudges or hold back love because of misunderstandings,” he continues. “Life is too short and one should express love when there are close ones around.”

Khan says Keh Do, which is a mellow, slow track, has been produced to cater to the wider audience. The singer, who gained fame from his high notes and rock numbers, says Keh Do’s genre is something he had not tried earlier.

The track is very soothing with romantic lyrics such as:

Tootay nahin kaanch ke khwab, aajao ke baaqi hai raat

Saansein thamne nah do, bus mein ab ho nah ho,

Toh keh do, dil mein hai jo; haan keh do, dil mein hai jo,

Ab keh bhi do.

Even with all his acting projects, nothing has kept this singer away from his passion for rock music. Along with releasing Keh Do, Khan has also released the teaser of his upcoming single Koi Rokey Mujhe. The hardcore rock number, Khan explains, is like an anthem — a self-motivating mantra. “The song is all about being indestructible and unstoppable in the pursuit of your goals.” He adds, “After doing a mellow track, I thought it was time for me to do something that I love doing the most — rock music! That’s how Koi Rokey Mujhey was created.”

Khan says that the song is about creating a “push” in yourself; telling yourself you can do it and can achieve what you desire. “Given our country’s depressing situation makes one feel discouraged. The people of Pakistan need to believe that they are indestructible,” says Khan. “Koi Rokey Mujhey is a message from me to myself and to people in the country that we are indestructible, if we believe in ourselves,” he adds.

Khan’s acting schedule has come in the way of his concert tours, but he says that a tour is on the cards. The singer-turned-actor is currently working on his first solo album, which he plans to complete by the end of this year, alongside four television productions, simultaneously. However, he does it with ease and enjoys the challenge. “Managing time is the main challenge; there is so much left [album and TV productions] to be done. But I think challenges like these make you stronger and give you that reason to work harder and harder to achieve your goals,” he adds.

He says there have been talks about a role for him in a Bollywood film, but nothing has been finalised. “It is encouraging that local productions are overriding foreign content which was and is being aired. Local producers are trying to improve the standards of production quality and are trying to make content that can do better than foreign, relatively cheap content.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29^th, 2013.

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“Both of us are big fans of old film music. We have a collection of music from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s,” says Nabi, adding that classics have inspired him and Gaur every step of the way. “There are seven startlingly different songs in the film.” Produced by Mahzar Zaidi, the film boasts seasoned Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah as a cast member and also features several local theatre artists.

The film’s music is primarily local Lahori pop. “Our stories have been told through songs for centuries,” Nabi adds. “We have adopted a specific form of storytelling in Zinda Bhaag, where the songs are central to the film’s narrative and if you remove any of the songs, you will lose a part of the story as well.”

Co-director Farjad Nabi says there are seven startlingly different songs in the film. PHOTO: PUBLICITY

Talking about how the music has been interlaced with the movie’s script, Gaur says, “It masks a class bias which suggests that films laden with [shallow] songs provide mindless entertainment for the wider audience as opposed to more mindful art cinema liked by the educated elite.” He adds, “It was a deliberate decision to use songs in a traditional and filmy way.” He feels South Asian films provide a platform for expressing emotions.

The original soundtrack (OST) of the film, sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, will also be the first original qawwali he has ever performed. Written by poet Hassan Mujtaba, the song is simple yet haunting. Bagga has a dominant footprint in the recording of this track; it features a cellist and several violinists from the Pakistani film industry.

Co-director Farjad Nabi says there are seven startlingly different songs in the film. PHOTO: PUBLICITY

“I have worked the hardest [in my life] to produce the music of Zinda Bhaag,” says Bagga, proud of his achievement. “We have a filmy qawwali; this has been missing from the industry for the past 35 years.” He admits it took him 20 days to compose the OST. “Producing qawwali is difficult because you need to have a grip on classical music and the qawwal [singer] as well,” Bagga adds.

“Zinda Bhaag’s music is quintessentially Pakistani — from the musicians to the singers,” says the music director.

Apart from Rahat, the film’s music also features voices such as Abrarul Haq, Arif Lohar and Saleema Jawwad. Lohar and Jawwad have sung a song on love and death while Bagga has contributed his vocals to two tracks, an upbeat dance-bhangra number and a romantic ballad. Famed novelist Mohammed Hanif has also written a song, which is satirical and aimed at the hypocrisy of the elite class. It’s been sung by Jabbar Ali. Gaur and Nabi have also co-written a duet which is sung by Iqra Ali and Amanat Ali — the song is filmed as a dialogue between a girl and boy in a classic-film style.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2013.                    

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The Lahore-based pop rock band is grateful to the team of Coke Studio. “I think Coke Studio has been phenomenal in terms of exposing SYMT to a larger audience,” says Haroon Shahid, the band’s front man. “The fact is that we are now getting queries from cities we never thought we’d be playing in; we’ve been in the mainstream [scene] for just three years.” The band also features Hassan Omer as the guitarist and Farhan Ali on bass.

“With the [prevailing] security issues in the country, they [Coke Studio and Pepsi Smash] have proven to be the saviours of the music industry,” continues Shahid, about the role these shows have played. “It’s very important that these brands support music. And that role needs to be limited to being a ‘supporter’ and not a content ‘dictator’.” The presence of these brands has allowed bands like SYMT to be able to connect to a larger audience.

Experimenting and taking risks with music is what SYMT is all about. For the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) election campaign, they had composed an upbeat number called Saadi Vaari. “It [Saadi Vaari] did really well. We received an amazing response from the people,” adds Shahid. “We had the opportunity to play at large gatherings in support of the PTI. It made us feel like we had contributed to a cause.”

The band’s guitarist, Omer, sheds some light on how helpful Pepsi Smash has been for SYMT. “We have had more freedom on this platform [than others] to work on our music and we have really enjoyed it,” he says, adding that the series producer and musician, Farhad Humayun, has given a free hand to all bands to compose original songs which contain their essence.

Jeenay Do and Bhula Dena, the end products of the music show, have shown a different side to the band. “The songs have been successful because both have good music and melodies as well as lyrics which anyone can relate to,” adds Omer. “Jeenay Do is the voice of those Pakistani people who are striving for a better future and the country’s prosperity.”

“As far as the sound is concerned, I have emphasised on giving it a unique direction by incorporating synths [synthesisers],” he continues. “It’s particularly those sounds that are generally part of electronic music and are arranged in various chord progressions, which is normally not found in pop/rock music in Pakistan.”

SYMT wants their fans to enjoy their current music and will wait a while before releasing any new singles, says bassist Ali. “I think we will give these two songs some time for our fans to enjoy, before releasing another song,” he laughs, admitting they already have lots of material which is ready to be released. “We will, however, be releasing an acoustic version of Bhula Dena soon along with a new track, which is almost ready, soon after.”

“After Koi Labda, which was our first Punjabi song, we’ve explored a whole new dimension of song writing and are kind of astounded by the beauty of this language,” continues Ali, talking about the new music the band is currently working on. “Amongst them, one is a Punjabi pop rock song and one is somewhat on the lines of Koi Labda.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2013.                                                                                          

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LAHORE: Esteemed songwriter Riazur Rehman Saghar passed away in Lahore on Saturday night at the age of 72, losing battle to cancer.

The iconic songwriter died at a time when the Pakistani music industry is struggling and film industry is on last throes.

Saghar gave words to Pakistani film music for many decades. His prowess as songwriter was so great that anything he wrote was surely to be a hit. His songs featured in over 1,000 movies.

Saghar had written singles for Adnan Sami Khan, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Hadiqa Kiyani and Farieha Pervez.

He had been suffering from cancer for some time, but it did not stop him from continually providing hit singles and working on his poetry. Just last year, his song Koi Dil Mein which was sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and composed by Sahir Ali Bagga had won Best Music Talent award at the London South Asian Film Festival in 2012.

His career was marked with many successes and he had direct hand in making some of Pakistan’s biggest musical stars and hit tracks. For instance, he is generally seen as the person who had made Adnan Sami Khan a success. With over a couple of thousands songs, he had a wide-variety of talents and in Urdu Saghar seemed to be one of the best romantic poets to have come along in a long time.

Aside from that, he had worked with many other artists such as Hadiqa Kiani and Fariha Parvez whose 2002 albums were written by Saghar. He also holds the honour of writing two of the most popular film songs in recent times ‘Main Tenu Samjhawan Ki’ which featured in Punjabi film ‘Virsa’.

Leading music director and singer Sahir Ali Bagga was working on two films with Saghar. He said that cancer had not slowed Saghar down. Only two months ago Saghar was in Karachi working with the lyricists. Film industry has lost a valuable asset with the transition of Saghar, he said.

“It was unlikely that person like Saghar would ever be replaced, he was an institution,” Bagga said.

“He could write all types of songs but he was remembered more for his ability to write beautiful romantic lyrics.”

Saghar also was relatively popular columnist in the Urdu newspaper Nawai-e-Waqt. He also wrote several travelogues regarding his experiences abroad.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2013.

“Mark my words, this is the last songwriter who was able to connect poetry and film,” says film writer Pervaiz Kaleem, about one of the most influential Urdu songwriters in Pakistan. Kaleem sheds some light on how this personality came into existence. “Saghar was a self-made man who lost his father during the India-Pakistan partition [while migrating],” he reveals. Living at an air force camp in his early years, Saghar was forced to make a living “doing ordinary labour work in Multan” to support his mother.

He then moved to Lahore after his schooling, and embarked on a journey as a journalist in the ‘60s. But his passion for poetry and film ultimately steered the wheel in another direction. He quit journalism and got on board with the famed Shabab Studios. He started his career off as a mere assistant and little did anyone know he would go on to become one of the most prominent songwriters in the country.

Saghar’s magic on paper — penning down the lyrics of innumerable songs — defined Urdu films in the late ’70s. He also went on to play an important role in the fame of veteran actors Nadeem and Shabnam trilogies but, in the ‘80s, things changed. Punjabi films came in the forefront and Urdu films took a backseat. As we know it, in 1988, Shahbab Studios was shut down and Saghar returned to journalism.

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“He wrote a few songs in Punjabi, too. He trained to become a songwriter for films so I think he had that understanding of how to adapt to [changing] circumstances,” adds Kaleem. But with the changing state of affairs in Lollywood, Saghar quietly led resurgence through pop music.

Admirers

Journalist Sajid Yazdani, who shadowed Saghar for nearly 10 years, speaks very highly of the humble man. “He had a great sense [of dedication] when it came to writing. He could write a poem in 10 to 15 minutes no matter how noisy it was,” says Yazdani, admitting that Saghar was deeply engrossed in his work. He gradually made his comeback in Lollywood through a series of Urdu films that were made in the ’90s; he penned down the lyrics for Javed Sheikh, Syed Noor and Shehzad Rafique’s projects.

Saghar then went on to introduce several singers to the world including Shiraz Uppal, who was also a music director. “There’s always been a tendency for most people who were part of the ’60s to remain in the ’60s [forever]. But he [Saghar] was one of the best [writers] of all time; he would adapt to changing times,” says Uppal. “You would never feel an age difference while working with him.” He admits that the maestro had written most of his hit numbers.

The late songwriter’s final projects are Ishq Khuda and Tamanna. Shehzad Rafique admits that he has worked with Saghar for all of his films, and feels that the music he provided has played a significant role. “He has written poetry which is timeless and I think that it was the emotion present in his songs which made him so popular,” he says, adding that the soundtrack of Ishq Khuda has been written by Saghar. “I think the biggest thing is that he was able to have an impact on the younger generation as well.”

Saghar has left behind a wife and a daughter.

Veteran musician/actor Arshad Mehmood:

My association with him [Saghar] goes back to the old days of EMI Pakistan because we, as a [record] company, had to make contracts with lyricists and composers, separately. I would meet him very often in the studios and all I remember of our interactions is that he was a very fine gentleman and a kind soul. Professionally, he has offered tremendous contributions to Pakistani music at large, specifically film music and we owe him a lot for that. He was a poet who understood music as much as he understood poetry and that was his strength.

Nigar magazine editor Ilyas Rashidi:

He was a kind man. He worked tirelessly for the industry and as a poet, film-maker, writer and director, he received many Nigar awards. However, he was known for his films and lyrics [primarily]. Despite coming from a good lineage, when his health deteriorated, the Punjab government never paid heed to his financial needs; his poor health evaluation indicated that he needed the help. Our poets require more appreciation in their old age and that is one thing they all deserve. Sadly, he received none.

Actor Zeba Bakhtiar:

For me, he was more than a writer; he was a part of my family and would call me his daughter. The film industry is functional again, but we don’t have many people of his calibre and the [kind of] command [he had] on the craft of film-making and music. It’s a huge loss as he was immensely talented.

The lucky ones

Riazur Rehman Saghar was known for his intense lyrics and beautiful poetry. The following singers received great fame through Riaz’s lyrics:

Mehdi Hassan

Nahid Akhtar

Noor Jehan

Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Rahat Ali Khan

Adnan Sami Khan

Waris Baig

Shiraz Uppal

Fariha Pervez

Hadiqa Kiyani

Humaira Channa

Ghulam Ali

Riazur Rehman Saghar was a poet, journalist, columnist, film writer and songwriter. While the late lyricist contributed to more than 2,000 songs for film, radio and TV, this timeline shows some of the most popular songs he is known for.

December 1, 1941 — Born in Bathinda, India. 

1957 — 1966 Worked as a journalist. 

1959 — 1961 Worked as a sub-editor at Daily Kohistan Rawalpindi. 

1973 — Wrote lyrics for the songs Dholak Baja Kay, Sahelian Bula Kay from the film Mr Budhu. 

1978 — Wrote lyrics for the song Ankhen Ghazal Hayn Aapki Aur Hont Hayn Gulab from Pakistani film Saheli. 

1986 — 1996 Worked as a cultural editor for Daily Nawa-i-Waqt Lahore & editor film and culture for Family Magazine.

Early ‘90s  — Was the instrumental force behind children’s musical show Aangan Aangan Tarey. 

1995 — Wrote all songs for the Pakistani film Sargam starring Zeba Bakhtiar and Adnan Sami Khan. 

1996 — Wrote lyrics for the popular song Dekha Jo Chehra Tera from the Pakistani film Ghungat. 

1997 — Started poetry column “Arz Kia Hai” for Nawa-i-Waqt which ran daily. 

1997 — Wrote lyrics for Adnan Sami’s entire album Badaltay Mausam. 

1998 — Gave lyrics for the superhit song Ho Sakay to Mera Aik Kaam Karo from the film Dupatta Jal Raha Hai. 

2000 — Wrote two songs for Adnan Sami’s album Always Yours (Lift Karadey and Bheegi Bheegi Raaton Mein). 

2000 — Gave lyrics for the hit song Kal Shab Dekha Chaand Main Nay Jhrokay Main from film Mujhe Chand Chahiye. 

2001 — Wrote all songs for Fariha Pervez’s album O Vela Yaad Kar. 

2002 — Wrote lyrics for Dupatta and Yaad Sajan Di for Hadiqa Kiyani’s album titled Rung. 

2003 — Provided Shiraz Uppal with lyrics for all his songs in his popular album Tera Te Mera. 

2007 — Wrote lyrics for hit song Me Jeena Tere Naal from Pakistani Punjabi film Mohabbataan Sachiyaan. 

2009 — Gave lyrics for Hadiqa Kiyani’s songs Tuk Tuk from album Aasman. 

2010 — Provided lyrics for Main Tenu Samjhawan Ki from Virsa, India and Pakistan’s joint venture. 

2012 — Wrote lyrics for the Pakistani film Ishq Khuda.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2013.                                                                                          

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“In other countries you have a whole network in which you can pitch your film, be it a studio-oriented model or an independent model. Unfortunately, we have none of that here, at all,” says producer Sarah Tareen, who is also the founding member of Pakistan New Cinema Movement.

“You really have to be your own sales agent or the middle man and pretty much do your own thing. As a result, we worked within our resources to maximise the quality of our production, the story and the appeal of the film,” she adds.

Regardless of the constraints, Tareen and her director Steve Moore, have been able to work through the delays and gain the support of people, such as music composer Sahir Ali Bagga and renowned singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan for the soundtrack. The interesting part about the film is that it is inspired by Anthony Schaffer’s 1970 stage play, Sleuth.

Although the film draws inspiration from an English play, it has been made keeping in mind the preferences of the local audience, with characters set in modern-day Lahore and a story based on the reluctance of a young man to accept feudal dominance. Tareen explains that the film’s story was chosen for the Pakistani cinema because of the cultural parallels that were distinctively visible in the play that, in turn, took the film into a cynical, thriller genre, making it Pakistan’s first noir film.

Adapting a classic story from the West provides an interesting base for the film. Moore says that the cultural nuances and the base of the story are well-connected to the local culture. He further explains that the project has been a very collaborative venture in which changes and improvements have been made collectively. “The changes that we have made to the original story of Sleuth are very culture- based; I could have never made these in America,” says Moore. He adds that many film-makers talked about the idea of such a movie and how it should have its own feel, which is often the key to such films being so wonderfully unique.

The director emphasises that the delays that occurred in the end, for various reasons, ended up helping the film for the better because it meant that there was more time available to refine it and make the story more suitable for Pakistani viewers. “We didn’t just write the script in two months and make the film; we had quite a lot of serious delays. But these delays meant that we had a long time to work on the script which turned out be a big advantage for us,” he admits.

“The story is good,” he continues, adding that the audiences will not have to worry about the fact that it is based on a classic play.  “I may make mistakes as a film-maker, that is just their [people’s] opinion, but they cannot say that the story itself is weak. It would be like saying Macbeth or King Lear is weak,” he adds.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2013.

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Hailing from a family of qawwals, it is not surprising that classical music is Bashir’s forte. However, his ability to straddle classical and pop and rock music makes the versatile singer a cut above the rest. “I have been one of the busiest artists [in the industry] because I manage many aspects of my music,” Bashir says, in reference to his qawwali as well as his career with sufi rock band Mekaal Hasan Band (MHB).

Having sung four songs for commercial Indian cinema — Tera Naam Japdi Phiran (Cocktail), Piya Tu Kaahe Rootha Re (Kahaani), O Re Khuda (Rush), Murabba (Bombay Talkies) — Bashir is happy that his fifth Bollywood song, Mera Yaar in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, has released this week. He says that Mera Yaar has a spiritual ring to it, something that will connect with the listeners.

While his work in India has become prolific, he is not shy to admit that the music is essentially commercial. But at the same time, he feels that he treats such opportunities as a platform where musicians of Pakistan and India can make music in collaboration.

Having worked with renowned music directors such as Pritam and the trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Bashir still feels that the talent back home is unparalleled. “Pakistan has the best talent when it comes to male singers. But you have to respect the female singers too, such as Lata Mageshkar, that India has produced.”

The singer does not have far-fetched plans to sing in Bollywood movies, despite believing that the medium has produced great singers and musicians. “The rise of Bollywood has opened doors for Pakistani artists,” says Bashir. “While the Pakistani music industry has collapsed due to a number of reasons, Bollywood provides a platform [to the artist] to connect to a wider audience.”

Bashir credits Rahat Fateh Khan’s fame to Bollywood saying, “There was a time when Rahat and I would do tours and do small shows [in Pakistan]. But look at him now … how famous he has become and it is all because of Bollywood.”

Along with bagging playback offers from Bollywood, the singer is back with the front man of MHB, Mekaal Hasan. He rejoined the band in 2012 after briefly parting ways. “Mekaal and I knew that we would have to schedule the band’s [recording and touring] dates according to my schedule,” he says. Bashir confesses that after the release of their second album, Saptak, he felt that his role in the band was being compromised; he couldn’t simultaneously manage his solo career with the band’s commitments. “Things started to pile up after Saptak. I felt I couldn’t do justice to the band.”

Following his departure from MHB in 2010, he started to work on a small project as part of his solo career. However, with some time on his hands, he has compiled three albums which will be released soon. One of the three albums, Dholna, is a tribute to ghazal maestro Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. He did not speak about the other two untitled albums, but said he wants to show the audience different shades of his musical spectrum through his work. The singer is in talks with record labels for the release of his projects.

“The album on Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is very close to me. The audience will see the input that I have put in the album without losing the essence of my vocals,” explains Bashir, adding that this is the first time he has recorded ghazals.

Currently, he is working on MHB’s upcoming album and reveals that the band is expected to release a single in July. “The track will be fresh, but we are going to keep the band’s signature style intact,” concludes Bashir.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2013.                                                                                          

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