theatre
A few good laughs

Expectations from an Anwar Maqsood satire can be too high to match. A case in point:Sawa 14 August, third-time director Dawar Mahmood’s sequel to Pawney 14 August, on show at Alhamra The Mall
By Usman Ghafoor
Sawa 14 August would elicit a different response from a different audience. To those watching the play just to enjoy themselves, with little or no care for any glitches whatsoever, it’s got to mean an hour-and-half full of laughter and some arresting performances by its lead actors. But, if you see Sawa 14 August as a script that is coming from the pen of the mighty Anwar Maqsood, especially on the heels of last year’s mega witty Aangan Terha, you are likely to feel shortchanged — again, for no fault of the brilliant actors in the play or even the barely-third-time director Dawar Mahmood from Karachi. 

mood street
Going to live independently?

By Minahil Tariq
For most High School and A-Level students, October marks the beginning of college admissions. Over the past decade the trend of going abroad for higher education has become more common. Schools set out deadlines and college counsellors are swamped with applications to send in.
Everyone has his or her different reasons for applying abroad. For me it’s more about going to live independently away from my parents and experience college life, and at the same time getting a good education. When I asked a friend of mine who I’m helping fill out her college application on UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admission Service), she had an answer I was beginning to hear quite frequently: “If I stay here, my mother won’t let me finish my studies and will just force me to get married.”

Town Talk
*Solo exhibition by Mahmood Hayat, an artist and designer from National College of Arts (NCA), continues at Nairang Art Gallery. Hayat claims to paint “beauty” as a “remedy” of the “chaos and suffering” there is in human life.

issue
Just desi enough

Authentic Lahori barbeque with the merest hint of post-modernisation
By Fareeha Rafique
Grill and bake. Sounds simple? It is. This is just good food, no fuss, no frills. The best of ingredients put together, not masked by oodles of masala or ladles of oil. That’s what you get at Grill N Bake. Even though it’s been on the map for some months, perhaps not many have heard of this tiny dhaba located in the Model Town Extension area; it’s been a secret well-kept. The patronage has grown slowly and surely. Just the way they want it. Husband and wife duo Afrin Hussain and Saffana who own and manage the place testify that the grapevine has been the go-to way for them. “It was a conscious decision not to advertise. We believe there is no better advertising than word-of-mouth,” says Hussain. (Sure enough, I myself also initially heard of the joint from a friend, who went there with friends.)

Temporary relief
The City District Government Lahore is showing its expertise in
preventing the city from becoming a cattle market
By Haroon Akram Gill
This Eidul Azha, the prices of sheep and goats for qurbani are relatively low and affordable. As remarkable as it sounds, a recent visit to the makeshift cattle market beside the Saggian Bridge showed that a sheep of average weight can be bought for Rs15,000 and a goat between Rs18,000-25,000. The prices of cow and bull are between Rs50,000-70,000 both.
This may have been possible because the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) is trying to facilitate the citizens in different towns by setting up similar temporary cattle markets. The markets have definitely helped the traders of cattle by giving them free space, free electricity and uninterrupted water supply. 

Dilkash Lahore?
The cheap posters atop Alfalah Theatre gate are an anti-thesis to the campaign to beautify the Mall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

theatre
A few good laughs
Expectations from an Anwar Maqsood satire can be too high to match. A case in point:Sawa 14 August, third-time director Dawar Mahmood’s sequel to Pawney 14 August, on show at Alhamra The Mall
By Usman Ghafoor

Sawa 14 August would elicit a different response from a different audience. To those watching the play just to enjoy themselves, with little or no care for any glitches whatsoever, it’s got to mean an hour-and-half full of laughter and some arresting performances by its lead actors. But, if you see Sawa 14 August as a script that is coming from the pen of the mighty Anwar Maqsood, especially on the heels of last year’s mega witty Aangan Terha, you are likely to feel shortchanged — again, for no fault of the brilliant actors in the play or even the barely-third-time director Dawar Mahmood from Karachi.

Sawa 14 August purports to be in the tradition of a political satire but is rather too simple — if not trivial — at that. Maqsood has a tested-and-tried formula in hand where the dead come back to the world either to correct a few wrongs committed to history or they are there as a plot ‘device’ to provide a serious comment on the state of affairs that be — or both.

The play opens in the present-day Pakistan, with its innumerable social, political, economic and religious issues. The choice of a railway platform as the setting for the play comes in handy in that it is one public space where you could have people of different religious, social and political backgrounds converge. But it is a rather hackneyed setting.

The premise of the play is quite simple: “Shaheed” Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and “Shaheed” Gen Ziaul Haq come back to life and face to face with each other in the Pakistan of 2013. A blame game ensues between two of the greatest arch rivals in the region’s political history. Both come at each other’s throats and are not willing to admit their own flaws. A fiery Bhutto, looking all prim and proper in his safari suit, reminds a glum Zia strutting around in sherwani that the (death) sentence in 1979 was “a split mandate.” Zia has his own points to make — “Jahaz na tabah hota toh abb bhi sadar hota,” he announces. At another point in the play, he tells Bhutto how Pakistan has suffered because he made it a nuclear power.

Enter Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in his killer-white suit and hat (the cigar missing?). The Quaid is agitated and hurt to find the situation of the country which is not even a shadow of its self at the time of Partition. “[19]48 main kahin chala gaya tha,” he tells the sweeper at the station; the latter replies, “Bohat achhe time pe chale gaye aap.”

Sadly for Anwar Maqsood fans, the play fails to rise above stereotypes. In the midst of the Bhutto-Zia face-off, you have the ‘burger’ ladies of PTI screaming for “tabdeeli,” a corrupt PML-N minister (his appearance is too tritely propped as a paunchy, shalwar-kameez-waistcoat-sporting, awkwardly walking politician from Punjab), a villainous-but-never-failing-to-smile Zardari clone who has a Sindhi topi as much as a shrewd head balanced on his shoulders and, last but not the least is the eye-batting, finger-twirling, gorgeous “Lucknow ki khatoon” who belongs to the oldest profession. Of course, you also meet the poor, suffering ‘awam’ who carry on with their daily grind, only some of them — such as the Pathan — speaking out their mind.

Maqsood takes the mickey out of Zia’s (sham) pan-Islamism, Bhutto’s ‘roti, kapra aur makaan’ slogan, Zardari’s “Bugti rug” (a pun on ‘dukhti rug’), Nawaz Sharif’s ill-conceived economic daydreaming (“Karachi main Metro chalayen ge? Karachi main paidal chal ke dikhao!” remarks Zardari) and Imran Khan’s slogan of “ek naya Pakistan.”

Jinnah’s character, expectedly enough, is spared from satirizing, albeit when a PTI girl mutters, “A leader should not drink!” The Quaid stops dead in his tracks for a moment, much to the amusement of the crowd.

The play has flashes of brilliant wit and political humour that are hallmarks of a Maqsood script. Indeed, the first thing that tickles your funny bone is the incredibly funny dialogue. Consider the sweeper’s declaration, “Hajiyon ki train chali gaee, unki haajatein chhor gaee!” (the train carrying the pilgrims left, leaving behind the pilgrims’ waste). Only a dab hand could create lines like these.

Perhaps, the most potent thing about the play is its title — Sawa 14 August; it packs some real punch, while trivialising the situation of the post-Partition Pakistan.

Eventually, the Quaid’s character becomes Maqsood’s voice as he shows faith in the children of tomorrow — the future generation of Pakistan which alone carries promise and hope as the moral and social fabric of the country continues to degenerate.

Again, to some, this would seem to be a contrived ending, where the writer took the easy path. Or, perhaps, he didn’t want to end the play on a pessimistic note.

No review of Sawa 14 August can go without a mention of the cast of characters — beginning with TV host turned theatre actor Zahid Ahmed from Islamabad who brings Jinnah to life, literally. Zahid’s rendition is incredibly believable (the actor confesses to have been on a crash diet of “carrots and water” for over a month in order to acquire Jinnah’s thin frame.) His heavy voice adds to the performance, especially in his final speech.

Gohar Rasheed, a BNU graduate and now a budding actor on TV as well as film (remember Kaali Aandhi from Main Hoon Shahid Afridi?), is simply superb as Zia. And, so are Wassam Waheed as Bhutto and Talal Jilani as PML-N minister.

From among the ladies, Zainab Ahmed, another BNU graduate, has a huger task at hand as she gets to play two different characters — a chirpy PTI supporter and the vily prostitute. She acquits herself well in both.

The one actor who never ceases to amaze us is Yasir Hussain — in the two diametrically opposite characters of Sindhi and Pathan. This follows his unforgettable re-enactment of Saleem Nasir’s role in Aangan Terha. The incredibly gifted TV and theatre actor is now a permanent part of Dawar’s KopyKats Production. God knows he reminds you of the great comic Moin Akhtar (Anwar Maqsood should vouch for this).

Finally, praise is due to the 20-something Dawar Mahmood who has another winner on his resume, the oversimplified plot proceedings notwithstanding. One wonders if he named his group as KopyKats because they are practically the only ones doing original scripts these days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 mood street
Going to live independently?
By Minahil Tariq

For most High School and A-Level students, October marks the beginning of college admissions. Over the past decade the trend of going abroad for higher education has become more common. Schools set out deadlines and college counsellors are swamped with applications to send in.

Everyone has his or her different reasons for applying abroad. For me it’s more about going to live independently away from my parents and experience college life, and at the same time getting a good education. When I asked a friend of mine who I’m helping fill out her college application on UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admission Service), she had an answer I was beginning to hear quite frequently: “If I stay here, my mother won’t let me finish my studies and will just force me to get married.”

It seems as if a lot of mothers seem to think that if their children stay here in Pakistan they are just going to waste their time and the only solution they can see is marriage.

I recently visited a UK College Fair held here in Lahore in Pearl-Continental Hotel where various universities from the United Kingdom such as Warwick University, University of Bristol, University of Durham, and Nottingham University had set up their stalls to advise any students who were visiting. After spending a considerable amount of time poring over the prospectuses for Undergraduates that the College Representatives had given me I understood why everyone was so eager to study abroad. It holds a certain fascination, to have a taste of that freedom. Every year all universities slightly increase their entry requirements for various courses. The most popular are of course, Medicine and Engineering but there’s other courses too such as Law and International Relations that interest many international students.

If you ask someone why they don’t want to stay and study in Pakistan it’s either because they want to get away from their parents or because Pakistan only has a few good universities that are hard to get into. If you just want to go to college for the sake of having a degree to show to people then Pakistan offers more than one university for that.

I can’t really defend our country’s education situation as I myself will probably end up going abroad. After working my way through three years of O’levels and now transitioning to A’ levels I feel like the journey has only begun. Most first year A’ level students spend their first year trying to maintain there pristine transcripts and scholarships while trying to balance out extra curricular activities. Extra pressure from school advisors and teachers doesn’t really help the already stressed students who are pretty much clueless about how to balance everything in life and have it all. But, after all, who really does?

 

 

 

 

 

Town Talk

*Solo exhibition by Mahmood Hayat, an artist and designer from National College of Arts (NCA), continues at Nairang Art Gallery. Hayat claims to paint “beauty” as a “remedy” of the “chaos and suffering” there is in human life.

*Weekend Cycle Ride goes to Angoori Bagh Housing Scheme, off the canal, behind Royal Palm Golf & Country Club, for a “cool, quiet and peaceful Sunday morning. Heading back, there may be a chance to stop for the famous Butt samosas.” Meeting point: Zakir Tikka restaurant on Sarwar Rd. Time: 6:30am.

*Adabi Sarae, a programme by Dr Shehnaz Muzammil, to take place on Oct 14 (Monday) from 5pm-7pm. Venue: Faiz Ghar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

issue
Just desi enough
Authentic Lahori barbeque with the merest hint of post-modernisation
By Fareeha Rafique

Grill and bake. Sounds simple? It is. This is just good food, no fuss, no frills. The best of ingredients put together, not masked by oodles of masala or ladles of oil. That’s what you get at Grill N Bake. Even though it’s been on the map for some months, perhaps not many have heard of this tiny dhaba located in the Model Town Extension area; it’s been a secret well-kept. The patronage has grown slowly and surely. Just the way they want it. Husband and wife duo Afrin Hussain and Saffana who own and manage the place testify that the grapevine has been the go-to way for them. “It was a conscious decision not to advertise. We believe there is no better advertising than word-of-mouth,” says Hussain. (Sure enough, I myself also initially heard of the joint from a friend, who went there with friends.)

Dhaba it may be classified as, but this one’s got its act together. Things are pretty organised here. They do prefer you pre-order on the phone, which is a good thing as I discovered. The first time I did so, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a call while still en route to inform me that the order was ready, enquire how much longer it would take us in getting there. This is all in the patron’s favour, since the system ensures your order is timed well — fresh off the skewer is how a good barbeque tastes even better. Plus, since there aren’t any dine-in premises, it makes sense that your time is valued. You can opt to either eat in the car, or on the few tables scattered around, al fresco. Or of course you can pick n go.

The chap who attends to phone orders informs you as you order which naan/paratha is basted with desi ghee, which one with olive oil. And yes, the naans and parathas that accompany are also not mere accompaniments; they are dealt with the same loving attention that makes an ordinary meal rise above.

A whiff is enough to confirm the ghee is indeed, desi enough. It is certainly refreshing to be served up as promised and not been taken for a culinary ride, so to say. Attention to detail is evident enough in the taste of the food. No surprise then, that Saffana is not only the head chef, the recipes have been developed by her too. She prepares the marinades herself, and the dough for the wholewheat naans is made by either her or Hussain.

One can safely say that all items on the menu do not taste the same — if the Malai Chicken Boti has a touch of black pepper (and not much else, to its credit), the Tandoori Chicken Paratha delivers a slight punch of tangy mint and red chilli flakes. The Lamb Chops taste, simply, like chops. Enough said. “The idea is to give people the true taste and flavour of meat,” as Hussain accedes.

The menu can be found to be lacking in variety perhaps, but the food itself cannot be said to be wanting in any way. This is authentic Lahori barbeque with the merest hint of post-modernisation. Wholewheat naans, for example, cannot be faulted for being unhealthy, nor does a seekh kabab or boti float atop an oil slick. The ones at Grill n Bake most certainly do not – they are the diet-conscious olive oil or canola oil grilled cousins of the desi Lahori-style ones.

Saffana agrees, “desi ghee and olive oil are extensively used and we also use canola oil in some of the dishes.” Mind you, if it is a good karahi you are hankering after, there are no curries on the menu yet. That, however, remains to be remedied, among other small hitches such as the fact that desserts are limited, and salads non-existent as yet. There is, however, the Special Meetha Naan about which, the less said the better. You just have to have it to know what this cherry on the pie is all about.

   

 

 

 

 

 

Temporary relief
The City District Government Lahore is showing its expertise in
preventing the city from becoming a cattle market
By Haroon Akram Gill

This Eidul Azha, the prices of sheep and goats for qurbani are relatively low and affordable. As remarkable as it sounds, a recent visit to the makeshift cattle market beside the Saggian Bridge showed that a sheep of average weight can be bought for Rs15,000 and a goat between Rs18,000-25,000. The prices of cow and bull are between Rs50,000-70,000 both.

This may have been possible because the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) is trying to facilitate the citizens in different towns by setting up similar temporary cattle markets. The markets have definitely helped the traders of cattle by giving them free space, free electricity and uninterrupted water supply.

The CDGL has also taken some steps to attract the customers as well as the traders. A ‘Cat Walk’ of the animals is arranged wherein the winner is awarded Rs100,000. Moreover, quality food for both humans and animals is available at subsidised rates.

These temporary cattle markets have been put up at as many as seven different places in and around Lahore — namely, close to Saggian Bridge for the dwellers of Ravi Town and Data Ganj Bakhsh Town, China Scheme for Shalimar Town, Shah Pur Kaanjran for Allama Iqbal Town and Samanabad Town, LDA Avenue for Johar Town, Gajju Matta for Nishter Town, Harbanspura for Aziz Bhatti Town and Bismillah Society near Manawaan for Wahga Town.

District Coordination Officer Nasim Sadiq, while talking to TNS, said the CDGL had “taken every possible step to make these markets a better place both for the customers and the traders. It is an attempt to compensate them for having travelled a considerable distance from their homes to buy the cattle for qurbani.

“We have arranged temporary WCs for those traders who have come from far flung areas,” the DCO added. “We have to spend almost 20 days here in our area. Quality food is being supplied at subsidised rates, animal feed has also been subsidised and uninterrupted supply is ensured as well as the security of the stock” the DCO claimed.

He was hopeful that these steps would lower the price of the cattle by 20-30 per cent.

A number of environment friendly steps have also been taken. These markets have been placed outside the city and this step has stopped citizens from being exposed to Congo virus, which is carried by a parasite on the cattle. This also helps to keep the environment clean as the magnitude of vehicles carrying Cattle increases numerously during these days and pollution caused by the smoke can not longer harm inhabitants of the city. Implementation of Clause 144 of the constitution has been ensured regarding the entry of vehicles carrying animals. No such vehicle can enter the city without permission of the concerned authority.

Town Officer Regulator of Ravi Town, Iftikhar Nabi Noor told TNS that almost 1000 tents have been places and 5 generators of 100KVA and 8 generators of 3.5 KVAs have been arranged for uninterrupted power and water supply to the traders in this market. 5 water ponds for stock and temporary WC’s for traders have been arranged.

There is a camp of Lahore Waste Management Company and medical camp for public has also been arranged in every market. Spraying to prevent the outbreak of Congo virus is also done on regular basis, he further added. Iftikhar said that the concerned TMA’s are funding these markets following the section 54 of the 2001 Local Government Ordinance and a market would cost 2 to 2.5 m. “Itwaar Bazar is also regulated under the same section” he added.

A veterinary dispensary has also been set up in every market. Ameer Ahmad, Veterinary Assistant told TNS that 300-400 cattle are daily treated in one market for fever, Diarrhea, Flu, cough and minor wounds.

People from different areas were happy to purchase the stock on affordable price. Hammad from Sharaqpoor purchased four healthy goats for 70,000. Raheel, 22 years from Iqbal Town got a decent deal as well. He was taking a beautiful cow in just 47k. Mr. Chohan, a retired Govt. officer from Sant Nagar along with his wife was satisfied with the arrangements and prices.

Traders while content with the arrangements were disappointed with the sale of stock. “Prices are lower than the last year and sale is on decrease. I just want to finish my stock so I am selling on break even basis as I have no market overheads due to the arrangements from the government.”

Nadeem a young cattle trader from Kangan pur said looking at his sheep stock lined in front of him. The only complaint he had was the price of cattle feed at higher price i.e. Rs 400 per 40 Kg.

 

 

 

 

 

Dilkash Lahore?

The cheap posters atop Alfalah Theatre gate are an anti-thesis to the campaign to beautify the Mall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

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