Meera
 If there is one star who has made waves throughout this decade, it's been Meera. Be it her sojourn in India to shoot Mahesh Bhatt's Nazar, the subsequent furore over her kiss with actor Ashmit Patel, her hysterical interviews and quotable quotes across the border (we love her for telling an Indian magazine that she herself is sexier than Aishwarya). While everyone is busy laughing at her English and often affected mannerisms, there are those who find her endearing. Okay, everyone makes boo boos but Meera's remain the most searched on Youtube. Her wedding controversy had the nation riveted and while an unforgiving moralizing media tore her apart, she came through it like a trooper. Also she had some of the most sophisticated minds in the country sympathizing with her in editorials. That's the incredible thing about Meera, she's always talked about and she always bounces back.
Atif Aslam and Ali Zafar
 If the nineties were ruled by Vital Signs and Junoon, this decade has been about two guys. Atif Aslam and Ali Zafar. First Ali Zafar's Huqa Pani broke out with the lively video of 'Channo' in 2003. Then in 2004, we got know Atif with his solo release Jalpari. But way before that, we knew him as the boy who sang 'Aadat' the melancholy song that wormed it's way into Pkaistan's consciousness and has been sitting there since. In just a few years, both singers have managed to carve a huge market for themselves with their unique vocals, rising star power and sheer talent. Ali Zafar followed Huqa Paani up with Masty and truly groundbreaking videos like 'Chal Dil Meray', 'Rangeen' and 'Sajania'. Meanwhile, Atif played the India card, and boy, what a card it was. While he was criticised for selling out his brand of soft rock to make remixes in India and came out with truly tacky B grade videos, his voice and energy won hearts on both sides of the border. They have seen ups and downs and both have bounced back each time. Both Atif and Ali Zafar have matured and shown true musical growth, which is so important for the long haul. They truly are the superstars of this decade.
Khuda Kay Liye
 When Khuda Kay Liye was released in cinemas across Pakistan amidst much hype and fervor, few had accurately predicted the effect it would have on our cinema. Few pundits billed it at as the movie which was finally going to revive cinema in Pakistan. Most Lollywoodians were saying that Shoaib Mansoor's debut film on terrorism, with no glamour or dances whatsoever, would flop spectacularly. But when Khuda Kay Liye went into cinemas, the results were groundbreaking. Pakistanis flocked to cinemas around the country. It went house full in places like Gunjranwala, doing far better than any Pakistani film in recent memory. The message was simple. Give the Pakistani audience a good story, a tight screenplay and a topic that hit close to home and they would pay to see it. Even after it's release, no song and dance Lollywood film has come close to the phenomenon that Khuda Kay Liye became.
Coke Studio
 Music has never sounded this good before on Pakistani television. With producer Rohail Hyatt at the helm of this giant musical project, Coke Studio, in just two years, has become the most coveted music platform. From Atif Aslam to Saeein Zahoor to Noori to Ustad Riyaz Ali Khan, Ali Azmat, Zeb and Haniya and so many others have come onboard and shone. It has shed a light on session players, brought Gumby out in all his glory, showed us what a talented guitarist Omran Shafique of Mauj really is, seen Zeeshan Parwez move from sound engineering to TV direction, introduced the keyboardist that is Jaffer Zaidi (also lead singer of Kaavish) and seen Ali Hamza come out of Ali Noor's shadow. Coke Studio is more than music. It's about our heritage, its about our history, it's about bridging musical divides and bringing the collective talent of music forward with a lot of heart and hard work. Currently Coke Studio season three is being planned and we can hardly wait.
The LSAs
 Award shows may not necessarily validate talent but they do serve as a platform. And when it comes to award shows in Pakistan, there is no awards show as massive as the LSAs. The Lux Style Awards started it all, by bringing the film television, music and fashion fraternities under one roof. They merging the gap between the elitist market of fashion and mass appeal of film, television and music. Since 2002, the show has grown, with new categories, changing formats and has created quite a few stars. Whether it is recognizing a film like Ramchand Pakistani or the talent of menswear designer Ismail Farid, the acting prowess of Talat Hussain or the musical growth of Shehzad Roy, the Lux Style Awards do it all. With a clear-cut jury selection process for nomination categories and public voting, the show strives to be as fair as possible. It's a darn shame, the LSAs didn't take place this year or who knows what fireworks would've ensued (pun intended).
T20 Cricket
 We live in fast times. The ball-by-ball long test matches are for die-hard cricket fans. Even one-day international cricket matches only have that inherent pull if the opposite team is India. Hey, we love to go up against India in cricket! But with the advent of Twenty20 cricket since 2005 - the short version of ODI with just twenty overs for each team - the format of cricket is seeing a change like never before. It's about sixes and maximum runs, cheerleaders and heightened emotions. Every run counts, every ball is sensational. Under Shahid 'Boom Boom' Afridi, the T20 team is looking better than ever. And with Indian Premier League taking place across the border, cricket has also become star-studded. Pakistan is not a part of the IPL this season but then the loss is not just ours. The best news of course, is that Pakistan is the champion in this format of the game. The Pakistan Cricket Team are ICC World Twenty20 2009 champions and have been semi finalists three times in the ICC Champions Trophy.
Fashion week
 The dream of fashion week was launched in 2006 with the arrival of IMG in Pakistan via the Jang Group. It was officially launched in 2007 but was later cancelled due to security concerns. Perhaps that was just as well, because on 3 Novenember 2007 then President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf launched a state of emergency in the country. Pakistan Fashion Week would have begun on November 4 that year. However, the seed of fashion week had been planted and designers kept on flying out to Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and Colombo to show at fashion weeks there. Then just this year, came a bright feather in the cap of Pakistani fashion when Deepak Perwani, Maheen and Rizwan Beyg flew out to Milan Fashion Week showing collections that truly raised the bar on what Pakistani fashion has to offer to the world at large. Also, the trip was an eye opener for the three designers who came back with a whole new attitude on the business of fashion. Fashion Pakistan Week was held to great acclaim this year and Pakistan Fashion Week has now been announced by the PFDC in Lahore. Meanwhile Triple E, the organization that fell out with Fashion Pakistan, has announced Karachi Fashion Week and there is talk of Tariq Amin wanting to hold a fashion week in Islamabad. That's a bit too many, but we predict Pakistan will follow the Indian trend and launch many till one of them is recognized globally as 'the fashion week'. Once this filtering out happens, the rest won't matter.
Theatre
Theatre in Pakistan forever veered between two extremes: serious and socially aware or bawdy and boisterous. The stage in the '90s was set with Omar Sharif & Cos histrionics or poignant plays by groups such as Ajoka, Katha and Tehrik-e-Niswaan. And there was Gripps' successful run of dinner theatre under the able director the late Yasmeen Ismail that carries on. Acting stalwarts such as Rahat Kazmi bemoaned the fact that his own theatre group, Theatre Walay could not properly get off the ground for depressing logistical issues and an audience disinterested in theatre for the sake of theatre.
The '00s have seen an explosion of glittery, colourful productions that have swept over Pakistani theatre like a tidal wave. Shah Sharabeel unleashed Moulin Rouge and then Phantom of the Opera on spectators which ignited the glam side of theatre into life.
Nida Butt's Made for Stage Productions did the same for Karachi by putting up Chicago and Mamma Mia. On the other hand Lahore this year saw the massive success of Inspector Khojee, an original play by Vasay Chaudhry. Joining private theatre passionates was NAPA's Repertory Company which has fresh graduates gaining work experience by putting out scheduled plays throughout the year - NAPA though has more of a proclivity for adapting classic plays by the likes of Chekov. But the regularity of their productions is helping develop a taste for theatre in the commercial centre of Karachi.
This year has also seen television actors such as Faisal Qureshi onstage; giving hope that theatre will become less of an exotic exception and more of a norm. Whatever form it may be in though: glitzy musicals, structured repertory plays, big-budget adaptations or smaller, more localized play - theatre in Pakistan is off to a leaping start and the stage has been set for the evolution of a strong industry.
iPod
 We always knew that the best things in life come in small packages but now we know that even the noisiest things come in small packages. And that applies to the iPod that took the tech-world of music by storm, making the boom box (remember?), the walkman and the Discman obsolete. Since its launch in 2001, the iPod has sold over 220,000,000 units worldwide and is considered the most essential purse or pocket tool. Released by Apple, the iPod came and conquered all competition, adding various options like Shuffle, Touch and Nano to make it irresistible. With every new look, the iPod has evolved and today this little gadget is an indispensable part of modern life. They say that technology is fast replacing the value of communication but then again, some things are better left unsaid. Hold that thought while you plug in and pump up the volume on your iPOD as you head out to work!
YouTube
 Forget the idiot box. YouTube is the medium that has come to define the changing face of media. On the surface, it is just a video sharing website where anyone can upload a video or stream one and watch it. But it's so much more. Miss an episode of your favourite series? Do you favour cartoons on Japanese television to the ones on Cartoon Network? Want to see something amusing? Missed a music video from your favourite artist? YouTube has made retrieve and rewind possible at the touch of a button. The topics range is as varied as it gets and YouTube has contributed immensely to the growing Internet culture around the world including Pakistan where we have caught on to the trend. |
