Jannat 2: True Bollywood cinema
Thrill and adventure is the concept that embodies the work of the Bhatt camp (Mahesh Bhatt and Vikram Bhatt) and this particular invention they managed to churn out is phenomenal. The Bhatts have produced many movies that have been lauded by viewers, some controversial and some with a message. One thing is for sure, they know the mindset of the audience and how to penetrate it. The story line depicted in the movie lifts the audience out of their comfort zone and helps to view a different aspect of mainstream cinema. Movies like Arth, Saraansh, Naam, Daddy, Awargi, Zakhm, Tamanna, Jism, ...
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10 ways to put on a good TV show
Switching on the television these days is anything but uplifting. For one, you get transported back to an endless cycle of births, shaadis (marriages) and deaths. Is this all that our audience is interested in? Are we really that laid-back about the content being aired? Do we actually take our masses to be that silly? These are the same masses that watched “Ankahi” and “Tanhaiyan” and enabled these shows to get the critical acclaim they deserved. Why are we then so afraid to experiment with new themes and plots? Times are changing and people are evolving rapidly. But what about our dramas? Most are still stuck ...
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Let’s hope your heart keeps going on and on
If you were Jack and I was Rose, you would have sacrificed your life to save mine, said a woman to a man sitting on my right at the cinema. Arif, you would have saved me, right? It’s a Friday and I’m watching Titanic in 3D. I’m slouched in my cinema seat, trying desperately to blend into the surroundings – anything — in order to avoid the romance unfolding on my right. Onscreen Jack is convincing Rose not to commit suicide, but all I could think, “Way to put Arif on the spot, woman.” Picture the same cinema an hour later. ...
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Who trashed my comment?
Earlier this week we asked our readers what they wanted to know about policy, coverage and reporting at The Express Tribune. A lot of you wanted to know why certain reader comments never make it online. On our Facebook page Rabia Kashan wrote: “U publish comments which only support ur argument or not condradictory with themn thats very much TRUE” Ahsan Ullah wrote: “I never saw my comments on any post. Why is that?” Nur Momand asked: “The policy of comments moderation is murky. Sometimes very harsh comments get published but many a time even relatively milder critique gets censored. Is it because of the the person ...
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Open Mic Night in Isloo: Just so-so
Open mic nights have fast been gathering immense popularity amongst performers, whether they are singers, dancers, poets or comedians – these nights provide them with a platform to present their act in front of a proper audience. Origami Entertainment in association with Nandos Islamabad organized one such event. I was one of many amateurs that decided to avail this opportunity to play my six string. Registrations were sent, acceptance calls were received and sound checks were made. Unfortunately, the venue was not very big so the inherent limitations of good sound were pretty visible from the get go. Lahore open mic nights ...
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Falling ill
I came across Hameed Akhtar last week and found him quite out of sorts. He complained that even after he had written a column about his failing health none of his friends had come visiting to inquire after him. I felt so embarrassed and yet, I realised, the only person really responsible for it was himself. His column about himself was followed immediately by one that made me forget his illness. Even when I recalled the previous column, I was convinced that the latter column could not have been written by an ailing man. It was about how mushairas, the ...
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