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consensus-building preview A
new low The
Bulbula man
consensus-building Despite the
naysayers demolishing the thought before it even materialised, the All
Parties Conferences announced by the newly-elected PML-N government had
raised people’s expectations. The atmospherics of the conference itself
were brilliant — the military and the political leadership were not just
on the metaphorical same page, they were sitting in the same room; Imran
Khan, a major victor from last election who never seemed happy with anything
that happened in the last five years, including the APCs called by different
political parties, was sitting alongside everyone else. What more could you ask
for by way of consensus-building. The eight-point joint
resolution has been discussed threadbare ever since it came. The crux of the
conference lies in the government’s decision, and its endorsement by all
political parties, to hold talks with the Taliban. This talks business is
slippery, each time it is raised. This time, the resolution does not use the
word talks or Taliban; instead it calls upon the federal government to
initiate “dialogue” with all “stakeholders”. No wonder the resolution
was judged as a “document of surrender” by its critics. “This whole document is
sketchy,” says I.A. Rehman, secretary general Human Rights Commission of
Pakistan (HRCP). “The unconditionality of the talks is questionable after
thousands of deaths.” He terms the APC
resolution merely a document of rhetoric without any basis. “Yes, there
should be talks and peace should prevail but for the moment the government
has not given any framework and strategy for the talks.” As for the vague
terms, he views that this could be interpreted by the government and
establishment differently when required. He thinks the objectives of the
talks are not clearly defined. “The objective of the
APC, to include all groups in its political agenda, is not bad,” says
security analyst Moeed Yusuf while talking in a television programme. “It
is difficult to say whether and how much the government will succeed.” On the face of it, it has
made the desired impact where intended. If media reports are anything to go
by, the TTP has welcomed this resolution for talks. It has held a
preliminary meeting, attended by 78 different groups, active under the
umbrella of TTP last week and plans to announce its demands at the earliest.
But this is not the first
time that offers have been made and accepted on either side. Previously,
too, there have been efforts to start talks with the TTP and its different
groups with the precondition that they would lay down arms and announce
their allegiance to the Constitution of Pakistan. However, these talks never
kicked off. Journalist and analyst
Zahid Hussain considers the resolution of APC as “document of surrender”
instead of an expression of a nation’s resolve to fight terrorism. He
says, in fact, the death of thousands of people by these militant groups
have virtually been legitimised by making them ‘stakeholders’ in the
peace efforts. He says that along with
talks, the country, separately, needs to come up with a coherent strategy to
tackle terrorism. “The roadmap for talks
is not clear at all,” he says, adding that Pakistan needs to adopt a
comprehensive national security and counter-terrorism policy and talks
should not be the only option. The civil society and
liberal intellectuals consider the option of talks as a defeatist approach;
they fear how the newly-elected government will respond to the demands of
imposing Shariah in the country and introducing Taibanisation in society.
They are afraid the orthodox views will prevail in the face of a weakened
state at the hands of militant groups who have destabilised the country’s
towns and cities in the past 10 years. They believe the state will be
negotiating from a position of weakness and not strength. “I think this perception
of these groups and threat is exaggerated on both sides. Through the talks,
at least we will be able to know the actual volume of threat,” says
Director, Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, Muhammad Amir Rana. “I
can’t say whether the talks will succeed or not but I am sure these talks
will help in clearing the perception about these militant groups and the
level of threat.” Some analysts think the
timing of the APC is important, being interestingly close to the date of
withdrawal of US and NATO troops from Afghanistan in 2014. “Definitely, the new
government’s plans to talk are related to the Afghanistan problem,” says
senior journalist Rahimullah Yusufzai. “We should be mindful of the fact
that the previous attempts of talks with these groups were not done in a
proper way. This time the talks have the backing of both the army and the
political setup.” Yusufzai predicts the
major agenda of the talks would revolve round maintaining distance from the
US, releasing prisoners of these groups, giving the affected groups
compensations and rehabilitation, and development of the affected families
and areas rather than stressing on imposing Shariah. “The demand for
Islamic Shariah is a posturing and foreign intervention is the most
important point raised by them.” He says the withdrawal of
Pakistan Army troops from tribal areas will be a major subject in these
talks. “If the talks succeed in this direction, the situation will be
normal to a great extent but you cannot have complete peace and control. The
option of fighting is the last resort for the government and the army.” What gives hopes regarding
the talks is the likemindedness of the main political components. These
parties including the PML-N, JUI-F and PTI have openly disowned this war for
the past several years and directly linked this terrorism with the American
intervention in the region. Interestingly, this narrative goes down well
with the TTP and like-minded religious and Jihadi groups. In February this
year, the TTP spokesman announced that his group would go ahead with
negotiations if certain politicians including Mian Nawaz Sharif acted as a
guarantor. For now, the holding of
APC seems like a win-win situation for the ruling PML-N. In one go, it has
managed to draw all political opponents including the military to itself. If
the talks do materialise, and the peace dividend is finally achieved, even
if partially, it will be able to stand vindicated. vaqargillani@gmail.com
preview It takes two to
tango, but in a creative field like filmmaking, two writers or two directors
coming together could mean sparks shall fly. Not in the case of
award-winning documentary filmmaker Farjad Nabi (earlier credits include
Nusrat has Left the Building... But When? and No One Believes the Professor)
and his longtime friend Meenu Gaur, a qualified filmmaker herself, both of
whom have now ventured into cinema together famously with Zinda Bhaag. It’s a project that is
very dear to both Farjad and Meenu who have earlier collaborated on a host
of music videos and documentaries, the latest being The Ghost of Maula Jutt,
which is “about the rise and decay of Lollywood” (to quote Farjad) and
currently under production. Due out in theatres in
Pakistan on September 20, Zinda Bhaag is expected to do the needful for the
country’s nascent film industry. The movie has already won four awards —
including Best Actor (Female) and Best Music — at the Mosaic International
South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF) in Mississauga, Canada, where it was
premiered recently. It even beat Mira Nair’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist
in the Best Film category. The jubilant duo of Farjad
and Meenu are now looking to grab numbers at the ticket windows. They say
they wouldn’t be content with mere festival acclaim. The music, composed
by Sahir Ali Bagga, is already making waves on electronic as well as social
media. Add to it acting giant Naseeruddin Shah’s starry presence as the
quirky, Punjabi-speaking pehlwaan and Zinda Bhaag looks like a winner
already. For the Lahoris, it
promises an additional treat — the city is fleshed out, as if a living and
breathing character. In Meenu’s words, the “references to events, the
food, the humour, everything is Lahori.” Close to Zinda Bhaag’s
theatrical release, TNS has an exclusive interview with the two first-time
filmmakers. Excerpts follow... The News on Sunday:
Let’s start from the beginning. What prompted the idea for Zinda Bhaag? Meenu Gaur: It
started with the stories we’d heard from some of our friends and close
relatives about doing the ‘dunky’ (Lahori colloquialism for crossing
borders illegally). This took us into a long research process in some
neighbourhoods of Lahore. Farjad and I then moved on to wanting to tell a
‘Lahori’ story, of its sub-culture, lingo, humour and music. Farjad Nabi: When
we heard stories shared by friends and family members who had risked
everything to do the ‘dunky,’ we were fascinated by these stories;
[however], one question still rankled in us. It was, ‘Why do men risk
their lives to do the dunky?’ Our research had dispelled the notion that
it is a pure economic question. The truth is there is no one answer. Men do
want to change their lives overnight, especially young men who find all
legitimate doors closed for them. At the same time, it is almost a tradition
which has been followed through generations. TNS: How did you
guys come together, in the first place? Meenu: I’ve been
collaborating with both Farjad and Mazhar Zaidi (producer, Zinda Bhaag) for
a very long time. We’ve made documentaries together. Farjad and Mazhar had
a studio in Anarkali, Lahore, where they recorded artists like Sain Zahoor
and Shah Jo Raag Fakir. We developed Zinda Bhaag
together from its inception. Needless to add that I really enjoy working
with both of them! Farjad: Meenu and I
have been collaborating on many projects. We have done documentaries, music
videos and scripts together. Right now we have a couple of documentaries we
want to finish. One is called The Ghost of Maula Jutt, which is about the
rise and decay of Lollywood. TNS: Tell us about
your early cinematic influences. Meenu: There have
been all kinds of influences; sometimes it is something you have seen and at
other times it is something you might have read, or a real life event. Too
many to recount here! Having said that, a
feature film is in essence a collaborative process and you end up
surrounding yourself with a team that helps you think through and put in
place what you have in mind. In this process, a lot of things transform and
become something else. So, your team itself becomes the biggest influence
and inspiration when making a film. TNS: The movie is
being publicised as a Punjabi language film, but from the promos it appears
to be multilingual. Comment. Meenu: Zinda Bhaag
is a Lahori film. The characters speak the languages spoken in Lahore which
means a mix of Urdu and Punjabi. I would say the language of the film is ‘Lahori’. Farjad: So, while
the adults speak to each other in Punjabi, their children talk to them in
Urdu. Similarly, a businessman may speak one language at home but switch to
Urdu while cutting a business deal. TNS: Why
Naseeruddin Shah? Farjad: While
writing the character of Pehlwan, the Lahori badmaash, we knew it had to be
performed by a big actor, someone larger than life. Meenu: We tracked
down Naseer sahib’s address and sent him an early draft of our script. One
day, Mazhar received a phone call and as soon as he heard “Hello,” he
knew it was Naseer sahib who said he had loved the script and his character.
I’m amazed that he was
willing to learn a new language for a role. For an actor of his standing to
want to take up such challenges and push himself into new situations was
very inspiring for all of us. TNS: Apparently,
Naseer sahib conducted an acting workshop for the new actors in the film.
Were these kind of orientation sessions, in which the boys were prepared for
their parts in the film? Meenu: I had heard
from a lot of actor friends that there is no better teacher for acting than
Naseer sahib. Once he agreed to doing the role, we told him about our main
leads in the film who had never acted before. We requested him to conduct a
workshop for them. This would mean he would have to travel twice to Lahore
(once for the workshop and then again for the shoot), but he agreed. He
guided the new actors into how to let go of preconceived notions of acting. Farjad: In a way,
it was an intensive course into how not to act, how to be yourself while
being another person. TNS: How come you
got so many non-actors? Meenu: We believed
that if instead of actors we chose boys from the very mohallahs we were
basing our stories in, with the same personality traits like those of the
characters we had written, the characters would seem closer to life and
therefore we would be able to maintain the intimacy of the film for the
audience. Farjad: We held
auditions in Lahore, about four to five hundred of them. Almost all were
newcomers with no experience in acting. TNS: Is it
important to hire people who may not be actors but who should have gone
through experiences very similar to what their onscreen characters are going
through? Meenu: It depends
on what kind of film you want to make. In the end our three boys Khurrum
Patras, Salman A. Khan and Zohib are very close to the characters they are
playing. The same goes for Amina Ilyas who is quite fearless in real life. TNS: Manzar Sehbai,
who played Hakeem famously in Bol, happens to be your uncle. Now, he is
known to be a very choosy actor. How did you convince him to do the special
appearance in the film? Farjad: Manzar
Sehbai is pure passion. When he read the script he was gripped by the role
of Billa Kashmiri. He came on set only twice but what an actor! He got into
the role like a man possessed. TNS: Do you
consider Zinda Bhaag as part of the process of the ‘revival’ of cinema
in Pakistan or do you fear it would end up catering to a niche audience,
especially of the festivals variety? Meenu: Not at all.
I think Zinda Bhaag would have a very wide appeal. The music of the film is
extremely popular already and the same will follow for the film. Farjad: Zinda Bhaag
is a full-on entertainer. In its citation for Best Film Award at Mosaic
MISAFF festival in Canada, the jury said that this was a film which made
them laugh and cry. We would call it a revival of storytelling.
TNS: One hears that
the post-production of Zinda Bhaag was done in India. Farjad: There was a
lot of collaboration on both ends. We would edit something in Karachi,
compose the music score and send it over and it would return with changes
and so on. Some technical facilities are still unavailable in Pakistan such
as equipment and expertise for sync sound; those were done in India. TNS: Lahore is an
integral part of the movie. Tell us about the experience of shooting in
Lahore. Meenu: If there is
a one way to describe Zinda Bhaag, it would be that it’s a ‘Lahori’
film. The references to events, the food, the humour, everything is Lahori.
This was part of our inspiration from the beginning. We always wanted to
shoot on location which has its own energy which was matched by our amazing
crew. Farjad: We shot on
location, in the very mohallas the story had emerged out of. Even many of
our actors belonged to those mohallas. The shooting had its challenges but
the local residents were so cooperative that we always felt at ease. Our
crew had merged into one big clan through the shoot and it was our
collective passion which carried us through.
A new low It is becoming
clear that the leadership of all hues and colours has not only agreed on the
importance of ending strife at home but has translated it into a single
point national agenda of peace at any cost. Usually when such decisions are
taken with no preconditions attached, the first casualty is the more
vulnerable area of our society like the diversity that characterises us and
the freedom of expression embodied in various artistic forms. The logic behind peace at
all cost is based on the assumption that the strength of a nation lies in
its homogeneity and all orders particularly the more authoritarian ones
extol to no end the virtues of a more simplistic pattern imposed on society.
The diversity or heterogeneity in a nation is considered to be a threat, as
difference of opinion, or the mere daring to think otherwise is seen as
tyrannical. In our society, with its
peculiarities of a thousand year history of syncretic existence, the chord
of uniformity is struck at the expense of cultural, ethnic and above all
religious diversity. Analysts and even thinkers
here have also seen more virtue in striving for a society that is
homogeneous rather than heterogeneous. The bogey of thinking away from the
given lines or norms is perceived to be a threat and that soon transforms
into some kind of a conspiracy. The entire gamut of problems that the nation
faces has one simple answer, being in receipt of foreign conspiracies that
are forever hatched to weaken or even dismember the country. Now the next salvo is to
be fired in the name of peace. Pakistan has been marred by electricity
shortages, poor governance, corruption scandals, sectarian strife and
terrorism, so the artists can pick on any of these themes or topics to
bombast the powers that be and create sensational stuff which should have
all the qualifications of daring, truthful criticism — in other words
speaking the voice of the people at large. It is difficult to keep
ones head above water when the situation is as dismal as it has become
recently. Over the past years, the situation has been bloody and far below
the expectations from a civilised country. It seems that the current phase
of uncertainty and mayhem has reached a new low. Then how is the artist
expected to behave and conduct himself in such bloody and uncertain times.
The cultural happenings seem to be out of synch with the bloody reality and
the crumbling edifice of society that has emasculated the social fabric. The
relevance between the two is becoming more and more tenuous. It is generally
believed or expected that the artist or art is supposed to provide an
alternative and in such circumstances the alternative can only be in the
shape of hope. The general tenor around
is that of hopelessness, very little to be cheerful about so it becomes the
duty of the artist to show some silver lining in the dark ominous clouds
that are about to burst with the loudest clapping of thunder. Examples are
cited of such miraculous resolve in times of wars and disasters — of opera
house in Stalingrad continuing to put up shows in the bleakest of hours and
other theatres struggle as a resolve to keep the flag aloft, of actors
willing to perform on stage even after the death of their nearest ones. For the first maxim of the
performing arts or indeed the arts has always been that the show must go on. Or it could also be that
the art is a direct reflection of the conditions on ground. If the
conditions are dark, art is supposed to be darker and fully representative
of the uncertainty, the crumbling of hope and the disintegration of the
spirit. If the human spirit desires despite all odds optimism, the art is
purged of the macabre of the hopelessness. Either art as the direct
reflection of what is happening on ground or the desire for better times
(which many in the past have designated as an escapist tendency) are both
legitimate and under serious threat of being muzzled in the name of peace,
national integration and uniformity. One has seen the same approach being
taken with most of the better-known poets, artists and musicians being
declared either anti-state, anti-religion or anti-morality. Even the ghosts
of our classical heritage have not been spared and have been exorcised. Much
editing and expurgation has taken place to tailor the past according to the
requirements of the present. The heritage has been split between what is
acceptable and what is not. It is poignant to add that
the state exists on the basis of a certain vision. It is not an abstract
entity but is a living embodiment of the ideals enshrined in the founding
principles and the constitution of the country. The state does not last
forever and if held so it belies history. The state lasts as long as the
people living in it have the hope that it is the best means to achieving
their ideals and the upholding of their values. If peace at any cost is
going to be the ground rule then the geographical expression of the state is
being presented ahead of the state as an embodiment of an ideal. The peace
should be for the preservation of the ideals and the values that the state
represents. It cannot be at all cost. It has to be placed within the context
of the outcome of its existence. The safeguarding of fundamental rights
which includes the freedoms of expression in the arts as well as otherwise
and the diversity that constitutes the social fibre of this society should
not become the first victim of the drive to preserve the geographical shell
of the state. It will then only be reduced to a carcass of hopes and values
of which it was once a living example.
The Bulbula
man Yaqoob Atif
Bulbula, singer, entertainer, now called Bulbula Saheb by all, is most
comfortable with this name. There is not a stage in the country on which he
has not performed — “from Karachi to Kafiristan” — and abroad. In
film and television, he has appeared in roles ranging from peon to king. In
PTV plays he had roles in Waris, Andhera Ujala, Aj di Kahani, in films Pappu
Lahoria and many more. His favourite role is that
of Dhayan Singh in Punjabi Darbar, a programme he does on Radio Pakistan
every Wednesday at 6:00 pm. If you have had a chance to be his audience, you
probably know that Bulbula can perform tirelessly for hours. He can produce
music from a table as he sings. He says, “Be truthful
always because you lose trust and respect otherwise” and “do not visit
anyone too frequently because you lose importance that way” and “don’t
dupe anyone because it affects people’s faith in humanity” during the
course of conversation with TNS. Bulbula is the first ever
Punjabi rap singer. He released his first song ‘Zindagi paani da bulbula’
in October 1979. Now Abrar ul Haq has sung the same song for the film
‘Zinda Bhaag’ to be released on September 20. Yaqub Atif Bulbula is
happy that another singer has sung his song. “They asked me to sing live
at their studio. A smart fellow sat down with me to write down the lyrics
but he got tired in the process, I tell you. The song has five long stanzas
and takes 35 minutes to sing with music”. At that time he did not
know what it was for. Later, he learnt that the music director demanded a
youthful voice. “So what”, he says, “naam tau hamara hi bajta hai”. Showing vocal talent at an
early age, he was asked to take the lead in morning assembly at school by
the headmaster. From ‘Lab pe aati hai dua’ he went on to recite naats.
His first teacher was a sweeper who swept his street. “He would sing while
he worked. I asked him to teach me singing. I bought a harmonium which was
smashed by my elder brother but I didn’t give up. I used to sing Rafi and
Mukesh’s songs in my earlier days when one day a music director asked me
to produce something of my own — something new. That is when I came up
with ‘bulbula.” Since then there has been
no looking back for him. He has sung 275 songs by now, all new. The lyrics,
(tarzain) music and songs — “all mine. I sing on weddings as well by
invitation”. Bulbula is a simple man
who is well aware of the fact that he hasn’t received his due share of
fame or fortune from the industry but despite this is content. “Mughe
reaaeti ticket pae rakha hua hai. Logon nae meri qeemat do aanae muqarrar ki
hai, doosron ki daerh rupay,” (I am kept on discount ticket. People have
fixed my rate at two annas, of others at one and a half rupees). He adds without any
remorse, “But at least I don’t owe anything to anyone.” Just then he takes out a
case of Gold Leaf cigarettes, a lighter and a matchbox from his shirt pocket
and says, “I left smoking five years back but people often ask me for a
cigarette, match or lighter and I don’t want to say I don’t have them. I
always have them. Every time a matchstick or lighter will flick, it will
remind that person of me.” With this he continues
talking about his experience in the industry. “There is this tendency in
the film industry to lie, not keep words, and dupe others. Many singers
cheat their instrumentalists out of their fair share of money. Once somebody
received Rs 15,000 for my performance and pushed me on to the stage. I kept
asking, what will I get and he said, ‘that will be taken care of later’.
He handed me a few hundred rupees after the show, saying, ‘come on,
isn’t that enough for you’.” His favourite song to this
day remains his first “Paani da bulbula” and on invitation he begins to
sing for us — and there is no stopping him… The 62-year-old performer
sings from memory alone — nothing in writing before him. He knows names of
all the actresses of film, TV and stage on both sides of the border — 375
Indian and as much Pakistani. He sings their names in a rap song without
repeating any, questioning, “Will the Guinness consider my name for
inclusion in its record book?” He needs only a word to
build a song upon. In his latest song, yet to be picturised, he has played
on the word ‘fast’ — “Pyar karan mein taenu fast, fast fast fast.”
Bulbula is grateful to the
media, for the love and respect he has got from people. He says, “The more
money people have, the smaller their heart”. He advises people to use
their money well and distribute it among others in their lifetime. He ends the conversation
with his song: “Ae God gift hai Taenu muft shift hai Rab thora daevae ya bohta
daevae Layna oho hi ae jaeri
qismat di list hai.”
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