Casino Royale****

*ing: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen and Dame Judi Dench
Directed by Martin Campbell.

Daniel Craig is perhaps the best thing that has happened to the James Bond franchise in a long time. Based on the first Ian Fleming novel, Casino Royale opens up with a young, untested and raw Bond. A brilliantly shot (in monochrome) black and white opening sequence shows him carrying out his first government-sanctioned kill. Daniel looks the look and talks the talk; it is the opening of a spy in the making.From thereon, one sees Bond chasing a man in Uganda and pulling off a fighting sequence that is so real that it leaves one stunned. Bond is sweating, literally. He is fighting not just in the film but also for approval of audiences, rather than banking on it. The cliches are all gone – the invisible cars, the evil madmen, cool gizmos, Dr No and Q, bikini-clad women and the over confidence that Bond films will always work. That too has been a cliche and ironically, it is also true. .
Set in the modern world, Casino Royale’s plot moves around a European bad man Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), who makes money by financing terrorists and playing around with airline stocks. A hint to the post 9/11 world is seen here but it just touches the subject. Bond has to catch Le Chiffre, but how? That you have to find out for yourself.
Casino Royale says a lot about the new world. Every era has seen its own Bond. Ian Fleming first introduced Bond to the world in 1953. In 1954, James Bond debuted on the small screen and it was later made into the film. But the rights to Casino Royale were never sold to the producers. The Bond films in general and “Dr. No” in particular was criticized by the Vatican for promoting a combination of violence, sex and vulgarity. Consequently, the first flick was a smash hit. The ’60s saw a then-unknown Sean Connery portray the first ever Bond on the big screen. A one-off film was done with George Lazenby. The eighties saw Roger Moore and later Timothy Dalton and finally Pierce Brosnan took on the cool spy role in
1995 with Golden Eye. Other than Brosnan and Connery – all other Bond films are not considered as memorable until Casino Royale hit cinemas worldwide. Both Brosnan and Connery had a sly coolness to them. It worked but again it was another time period.In an age when Hollywood is showing more technological advancement than gripping screenplays (Superman Returns, Mission Impossible 3, The Fast and the Furious trilogy, Matrix 2 and 3) and when television shows are focusing on series that involve some of the best and often believable gadgets and stunts, it is a welcome to see James Bond go back to basics.
You see him play world-class poker; he is ruthless and yet equally emotional. Yes, Bond falls in love. It is for the first time that James Bond is tortured to the T. Usually, Bond may have been beaten up but he has never really taken a good beating. It makes him human again. Bond is no superhero after all. After Brosnan took over, one saw his character torn in half – on one end he is a spy and on the other, a playboy. This one isn’t. But female beauty and intelligence is palpable in Eva Green’s character – the most complex yet simple character in the film.Coming back to Bond, Daniel Craig as Bond has a dry quality to him. He isn’t conventionally good looking. In fact, he is short in height, especially compared to other Bonds. However, his
blond hair, thrilling sex appeal and an old world charm make him a perfect fit for the role. Cold determination and wounded eyes – all the skeptics can relax now. It is a Daniel Craig film and he adds qualities to the Bond franchise that went missing a long time ago.
The big question remains – does his brilliance fit the plot bill? And the answer is yes. Neither does the film take a world tour nor does it show sadistic men derive pleasure from taking down the world or at a minimum a continent. It is about making money and being a power player. This definition in itself makes gives the film a subdued realistic quality. Plus, Hollywood has the superhero films to cover the “world attack” syndrome.Another reason is the way this film has been shot. It’s not beauty you find, it is a science. When Bond is fighting in Uganda on the top of a railing that is above 30 feet ground level, it is fantastic. It is like he’s fighting in mid-air with no ammunition or any support system and yet he is there, trying to get his man. It’s unrealistic how two men could be crazy enough to do that and yet convincing.Masculine to the core, serious as hell, wiser and harder – Casino Royale is a film that deserves a watch. Thankfully, it’s playing across cinemas in Pakistan. Our advice is to see it on the big screen. That is where it truly belongs. –Maheen Sabeeh *YUCK **WHATEVER ***GOOD ****SUPER *****AWESOME

Om indeed! Kara closes with Ajay’s arrival

Karafilm pulled off a major coup by bringing in the film and its star. India remains the main attraction at Pakistan’s international film festival and it seems, the festival’s primary focus

 By Maheen Sabeeh.

The butterfly effectAfter ten rigorous days of hard work and screenings of some 170 films, the 6th Annual Karafilm Festival wrapped up on Sunday night with some wonderful musical performances, well-deserving wins and speeches that were warm, visionary as well as hilarious.Held at the PAF Museum, Karafilm closing shone as television personalities, fashion photographers, socialites came dressed for the occasion to show their support. In form of government support, Federal Minister of Culture, GG Jamal was also present. It seemed a token presence after President Musharraf’s appearance at last year’s Karafilm ceremony.
The stage looked vibrant with Kara’s logo symbol on one end and abstract colourful boxes on the other. The slated time was eight, but the ceremony finally began at ten when Ajay Devgan arrived. As people nibbled on hors d’oeuvres and sipped on juice, excitement permeated the cold air that night. After all, Ajay Devgan was attending. He is by far the most prolific celebrity Karafilm has managed to bring to Pakistan, this convoluted land of the pure where Indian films are banned yet followed religiously. Devgan is one of the bigger names of Indian cinema and has mass public appeal. The intelligentsia also likes him because he is known to do cerebral cinema like Company and Raincoat. Omkara is his most cerebral film yet.Adnan Malik and ZQ were the hosts that evening and they were quite a mismatch. At times, ZQ seemed a little too cheeky, but Adnan more than made up for her. Hasan Zaidi gave his opening speech and he truly spoke from his heart. He mentioned that their was a time when the censorship board wanted to shut Kara down and six years later, members of the censor board were sitting in the audience. Hasan then decided to name every volunteer of Kara to the audience. It was his way of acknowledging their help. He thanked the friends of Kara, foreign delegates and people from within and outside Pakistan who came out to see the festival. It was a reminder that things don’t happen on their own, you have to make them happen. It was a perfect beginning…
Ajay Devgan speaksPeople wanted to hear Ajay Devgan speak; he was the star of the evening but Ajay it seems is a man of few words. He has a calmness to him: the way he speaks – softly, carefully and thoughtfully – the way he looks and that slow smile. That was one night when he kept smiling as people surrounded him constantly. When invited on stage, Ajay waved to everyone in the audience and looked ruggedly dashing and charismatic in a black suit and a crisp collared black shirt.Adnan Malik and ZQ persuaded him to stay back and being
the sport that he is Ajay agreed to answer all their questions. When Adnan asked him how he felt being in Karachi, he thoughtfully said, “The love and affection we’ve been given, it cannot be expressed. It has been great. We were expecting good things but all I can say, it is just not easy to express myself.”
The question that runs in most Hindi film buffs’ mind is that does Ajay prefer intense films? Some of his most prolific work has been in the drama/crime genre. Ajay explained his approach and said, “Whatever script convinces you.” To him, the bottom line is doing different roles, be it comedy or drama, crime or suspense or a thriller. Everyone has a favourite film but for an actor of Ajay’s calibre, it is hard even for a fan to decide which has been his best film to date. Ajay is one of those few actors who have delivered some exceptional performances (Zakhm, Company, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Hum Dil De Chuke
Sanam, Omkara) in the past few years. To this question Ajay responded very casually, “You work as hard in every character. You learn from your mistakes,” and then said, “When I did Zakhm, I told Mr Mahesh Bhatt on the sets that I won’t act, can I just feel what I’m feeling?”Even though he is not the most articulate of actors but the audience loved every minute of Ajay was on stage. He may not say much but there is a sincerity to him that is apparent. For example, unlike the opening ceremony where almost everyone had left when the Mekaal Hasan Band came to perform, it was delightful to see Ajay stay back and see the entire night through. It was a basic courtesy that he extended to the musicians who performed, the nominees who were honoured, the people who had invited him and to Pakistan. Ajay the person, like Ajay the actor is definitely a class act.
Bright momentsThe festival introduced three new categories this year; Accomplishment in Music Video, Best Film Critic and the Karafilm Society Award. Saqib Malik picked up a nod for his video of Ali Azmat’s ‘Na Re Na’ and gave a short but effective speech. He took the award and spoke for all his colleagues and was grateful to Kara for recognizing this medium of art. Best Film Critic Award went to Khusro Mumtaz (he wasn’t present) and the Karafilm Society Award went to Mahesh Bhatt. The award was presented to him for the support he has provided to Kara in the last few years.Mahesh warmly spoke of the time when he received a call from Hasan back in the days when Kara wasn’t as high profile as today. “Who says miracles are not possible. In redemption of Pakistani cinema is the redemption of Bollywood and of the world.” While Mahesh was warm, the last comment seemed a little illogical considering Bollywood has improved tremendously over the past decade and the world will take its own course. Perish forbid the day that the fate of the world is ever linked to Lollywood!
Best Actor in a Feature Film was picked up by Ahmad Razvi for Man Push Cart and Saif Ali Khan for Omkara. Ajay picked it up on his behalf and said, “I’m sure Saif will be thrilled.” Ahmad Razvi who was thankfully present was genuinely surprised and said, “I’m shaking. This is the first time I’ve acted. I began with Venice Film Festival and now I’m here.” He thanked a special someone who pushed him as well as his director. SB John and Talat Hussain – both received Lifetime Achievement Awards and both seemed men genuinely thanked Karafilm for awarding them. Vishal Bhardwaj picked a nod for Best Musical Score (Omkara) and he came prepared with a Gulzar poem for Pakistan. It was a long poem but the last couplet received “Wah Wah” from everyone as Vishal said, “Tum Wahin Key Ho/Main Wahan Sey Hoon.”The speech given by Federal Minster for Culture, GG Jamal was also quite supportive as he said, “There is no dearth of artists. I request private investors to come forward and help these talented artists. The government is here to support you.” Of course, apart from letting Karafilm happen and issuing visas to attending delegates it is still unclear what the government is doing for film in the country at large. There has been no change in government policy that will boost the cinema.
Music steals the showSurprisingly, Karafilm Festival managed to pull off some excellent live musical performances. French band, the Caravan Jazz Quartet played a back-to-back set of four tracks, out of which three were, instrumentals. The guitar playing in particular reminded one of Spanish music. Fresh, catchy and full of energy, it was this performance that charged up the audience that was otherwise, gazing here and there, trying to see what was going on in the front rows.
Sajid and Zeeshan’s performance was unknown to many but once they came on, everyone was simply rocking. They began with ‘Freestyle Dive’, moved onto ‘Free and Underestimated’, ‘Have To Let Go Sometime’ and a fast-paced version of ‘King of Self’ that the duo dedicated “to all those who have made Karafilm Festival possible.” Zeeshan had his laptop on one hand and keyboards on the other and with perfect ease, he juggled between the two while Sajid sang superbly, track after track. Their live rendition of ‘King of Self’ was even better than the original. Here’s hoping they do more gigs in Karachi, playing at invitees only awards shows doesn’t qualify as a gig in this city.The biggest act of the night was Strings, who opened with a slightly upbeat, improvised version of ‘Duur’, went onto ‘Najaane Kyun’, their signature track, ‘Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar’ and finally, ‘Zinda Hoon’. The sound was impeccable, Faisal sang superbly and surprisingly Bilal pulled off the last solo of ‘Zinda Hoon’ with stunning precision. Strings were absolutely brilliant.
Kara’s irony is Pakistan’s ironyAs a nation, we’re used to watching Bollywood more than anything else. Consequently, Indian actors receive more attention than anyone else, through no fault of their own. By default, we tend to ignore others. But when this ignorance comes from your government dignitaries, it is not only not fair, but it is downright laughable. After all, it is the government that continues to stand by the ban on Indian films in the country. So it is ironical that when Minister GG Jamal came to give his speech, he took the names of Ajay Devgan and Mahesh Bhatt and said, “these are the only two names I know.” Yes, it is easy to remember these names
since we (including our esteemed government officials) illegally see Indian films on cable and DVD. Other filmmakers at the ceremony should have been acknowledged at the very least. The spotlight was on Jamil Dehlavi’s work and yet, the Minister did not name him. This blunder was repeated by Begum Nawazish Ali – who thanked the Indian “jaanis” – and actor Faisal Qureshi who again thanked the Indian contingent. Their lapse of memory can perhaps be laughed away as a lack of depth, but the Karafilm organizers who have always claimed that they are putting up ‘an international film festival’ should not be so totally India centric.
Kara’s dilemmaThe purpose of a film festival is to promote films. Eventually, a film festival is where business happens. Yes, Karafilm is groundbreaking for film starved Pakistan but it has to become more than a place where film lovers go to watch cinema. It has to be a place where films find an outlet into a wider market, where talent is picked up for bigger better projects. Granted that in a country where cinema is dying and the government is making no serious effort to revive it, it is impossible to become a vibrant hub. Yes, Karachiites now get to see films like Goodbye Lenin, Dayerah, Ontorjatra andInfinite Justice on the big screen and see stars like Ajay
Devgan in person, but what’s next? Talks of collaboration with Mahesh Bhatt have been going on for sometime but nothing concrete has happened yet apart from Meera’s rather unfortunate foray into Bollywood with Soni Razdan’s cock-eyed Nazar. However, the buzz that generated was a high point as was Mahesh Bhatt picking up Atif Aslam’s songs for India, riding on the coat tails of which Jal also made it big there. It was possibly the strangest way for talent to reach a bigger market. In a nation where official policy is twisted, talent often follows a crooked path.
Don’t lose the remoteWhen Panahi’s The White Balloon was being screened, the subtitles were in French. Later one discovered that the DVD player had the remote missing and as a result subtitles couldn’t be changed. Considering Kara’s sponsorship that has increased with every passing year, these things should not happen. It has to be efficient at the very least. Investing in a couple of remotes might be a good idea.

Dhoom 2***1/2

*ing: Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Bipasha Basu and Uday Chopra
Directed by Sanjay Ghadhavi.

Dhoom 2 is a fantastic entertainer, packed with some brilliant performances, a whole lot of drama, action sequences and it showcases the perfect quotient of suspense. 2006 continues to be an extremely successful year for Bollywood and amidst the rebellious (Rang De Basanti), the patriotic (Lage Raho Munnabhai), the supernatural (Krrish) and the romantic (Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna), Dhoom 2 contributes to the list of box office hits as one of the most gripping action thrillers.
The storyline is simple: An infamous international thief known as Mr. A (Hrithik Roshan) steals precious artifacts from the world. It could be a crown from the Maharajas to the diamond that belonged to Mumtaz, to the first coins ever forged by mankind. Mr. A is known all over the world but no one recognizes him because he is always in disguise. Chasing him is Jai Dixit (Abhishek Bachchan), the no-nonsense grumpy cop from Mumbai who always gets his guy. Joining him is Ali (Uday Chopra) who has now become a cop after helping Jai in the first Dhoom. Another cop in the story is ACP Shonali Bose (Bipasha Basu) whose been chasing A for quite some time and will go to
any length to get him. And finally, there is Aishwarya Rai as Sunheri, a small time sexy thief, who teams up with A to commit the ultimate robbery. Her character is quite unpredictable and until the very end, one canít tell whose side she really is on.
Dhoom 2 is a very fast-paced, action packed film that keeps you engrossed from beginning to end. The scenes between Hrithik and Ash are very powerful and despite an all star cast, the film easily belongs to Hrithik who is the driving force. His character is no super hero as he was in Krrish but the stunts in Dhoom 2 are more convincing and therefore more effective. Most importantly, Hrithik plays his part very well as the slick, stylish thief. But let’s not forget Abhishek, who has his moments in the film too. As the cop, he is a delight to watch. Unfortunately Uday Chopra is a let down as Abhi’s sidekick. The man just doesn’t have it. And in consequence, he puts a dampener on Abhishek’s role, who has to share the frame with him.Ash takes a 360-degree turn from Umrao Jaan and does a very good job as the narcissistic thief. From a historical drama she goes to bombshell glamour and this is one of the rare films in which she goes micro-mini modern. If that doesn’t generate enough steam, the basketball scene between Ash and Hrithik and their infamous lip lock provides the necessary heat to do so. Where Dhoom was macho to its core, Dhoom 2 turns into a love story in the second half. And it works superbly. As the cop, Bipasha Basu is decent. Her role is small and blends well with the overall plot.Now for the big question: is Dhoom 2 as good as the prequel? The answer is no. Every crime committed by John Abraham in Dhoom was well thought out. Even as the sequences are better in Dhoom 2, there are many loopholes in the film. For instance, in the middle of a tightly secured corridor, a big mechanical car is moving freely and manages to replace a diamond and not one guard sees it nor do cameras catch it – how is it possible? One has seen stories of these sorts in the American TV series Alias, but their gadgets make all the difference. And their mission guidelines are believable. Here, you’re wondering how a thief even got there? The last sequence between Hrithik and Abhishek in the film is a frame-by-frame copy of Mission Impossible 2. Then there is the twin of ACP Shonali in Brazil – a bikini clad Monali (also Bipasha Basu) and her character is just unnecessary. Uday Chopra as Ali has always been an annoying character, Monali is his female counterpart and together they both reach new levels of irritating a viewer. The music in Dhoom 2 is also not as catchy as the first flick. The title track is just worthy of a listen. However, despite its glitches it still makes a decent enough film to watch because it has elements that are new to Indian cinema. The cinematography, the etching out of each character and the suspense element is enough to keep you glued to the screen. This is not a film with any message. It is a commercial Indian film and it should be viewed just as that. But beware: the print in the market is pathetic. Our advice is to wait for the master print. This is a film that should be viewed in all its colour and commercial glory! – Maheen Sabeeh *YUCK **WHATEVER ***GOOD ****SUPER *****AWESOME

The sixth step forward and still a long way to go

Between Indian celebrities, the Sindh Government and the who’s who of Pakistan’s media scene, the opening night of the 6th Karafilm Festival gave everyone plenty to talk about.

By Maheen Sabeeh and Rahma Muhammad.

As an event, the opening of the 6th Karafilm Festival was a step up from last year. Set against the backdrop of the beautifully lit Mohatta Palace, the cold moonlit Karachi evening was star-studded. From models to actors to television personalities and directors – the entertainment fraternity had come in large numbers to support the cause of cinema. So had the government representatives – the Governor of Sindh, Ishrat-ul-Ibad was there along with a bevy of officials including Minister of Culture Rauf Siddiqi, City Nazim Mustafa Kamal and the Naib Nazima Nasreen Jalil and Home Advisor Wasim Akhtar. Bent on giving out the “soft image” of Pakistan, the entire top brass of the province was there taking President Musharraf’s vision a step further. This sort of official interest was hardly unexpected as the President himself was present at the closing ceremony last year. Official patronage never hurts – in fact it is working brilliantly for the Festival in particular and promoting arts in general.
As one walked in to the grounds of the beautiful palace, it was hard to miss celebrities huddled together interacting or giving sound bites for television. It seemed like a big get together for the entertainment industry, where Indian movers and shakers mingled with the who’s who of Pakistani entertainment. A number of foreign delegates could also be seen among the crowd but as usual and unfortunately the spotlight was on the Indian delegation. Our unfortunate obsession with everything Indian came into play when from the four Indians present two were asked to address the audience. Mahesh Bhatt spoke of how Karafilm had revived alternative cinema in Pakistan and South Asia and the fact that he saw Karachi as a glamourous city, and that his love for it had only grown with every visit, exactly what he said last year and the year before. Yawn.
Even though both Gulshan Grover and Mahesh Bhatt were engaging one wished to hear Jafar Panahi and Jamil Dehlavi speak instead – considering the spotlight this year is on their work.
Gulshan Grover, the ultimate “bad man” of Bollywood, admitted that he came because Mahesh Bhatt asked him to and he is happy to be here. However, it was quite amusing to hear yet another Indian claim his ancestry to Pakistan when Gulshan Grover told stories of how his mother missed Rawalpindi and how excited he was to be here amidst all the Pakistani love. His presence at the opening was made interesting when Umar Sharif invited him on stage to share a few laughs on Nini’s expense. Nini (who was hosting the show) with all her refined nuances stood no chance against the King of Sleaze, who made one crackling remark after another leaving the audience in fits of laughter. Even Gulshan Grover couldn’t hold his ground against the mighty Sharif. But the best joke of the night was on
Mahesh Bhatt’s expense. What with his regular featuring at Karafilm, Umar joked that “Mahesh Baba” soon will have his own Urs here. Hear, hear!
After lightening up everyone’s mood Umar Sharif actually made some very valid points about the hot issues of the night. A director himself, he understands the issues faced by Pakistani cinema well. With strong Indian connections thanks to his stage plays’ popularity across the border, Umar Sharif insisted on furthering collaborations, especially in technical support from India.As Umar Sharif stepped down, the Governor of Sindh Ishrat-ul-Ibad came on to give his address. He seemed very happy to be amongst a mass of celebrities as he called out by name all the ones who he could recognize. It really does seem that our
leadership is becoming more and more star struck day by day. That being said, the attention given to the media these days is indeed welcome – the Governor also very kindly offered Karafilm Society to be a part of the Media City, that is being planned. However, it must be pointed out here that it was rather
unbecoming of a man in his position to comment that Umar Sharif was a “Mardon ki Meera” in his speech. Since no one laughed it was simply in bad taste. It was a faux pas that doesn’t suit a man in his position. Governors have to maintain a certain decorum, even their humour should be dignified.That was not the only thing that left a sour taste in one’s mouth that night. It was equally disconcerting when the celebrities – who were seated right in the front – started leaving as soon as the addresses were made and Mekaal Hasan Band came on stage to close the night with a live performance. And they just
didn’t leave immediately. They mingled and said their goodbyes right in front of the stage and the mere mortals seated at the back. It was not only disrespectful for other people who couldn’t see but also for the fellow performers who were doing their best amidst the confusion. It is pertinent that one points out that a
similar thing happened last year when people walked out on Farid Ayaz Qawwal’s performance. Mingling is no crime but it should not be done at a performer’s expense. And considering that most of the people in attending were media people, they should know better.In fact mingling is a very important part of media dynamics. Film festivals world over are opportunities for possible collaborations and tangible exchange of talent. Exchange is an important element here. So far at Karafilm, the exchange has been one sided. The Indians have been coming here since the first
festival, showing their movies and taking back cheap talent – whether it’s an actress or musicians for a pittance. In return the Pakistani film industry has not benefited at all, making all the collaboration talk
seem like mere lip service. This point was intelligently raised by Syed Noor, when in his speech he said something very humbling for a top Pakistani film director. He asked Mahesh Bhatt in particular and the Indian film industry in general to take this collaboration a step further and provide and share technical expertise that we lack here. Syed Noor lamented the fact that even though there are enough talented people to come up with brilliant scripts, act to perfection and direct outstanding cinema, our production value is especially poor. The fact that the most successful filmmaker in Pakistan attended the opening ceremony and stood by the festival is a healthy sign. Most of
Pakistan’s filmwallahs have chosen to stay away or worse are vehemently against the Kara effort.
Syed Noor’s point was also raised by Hasan Zaidi in his address, which focused on Karafilm’s vision for the future of reviving cinema in Pakistan. The Karafilm Society hopes to set up a film academy, which will provide budding and established directors with the technical expertise and assistance needed to give a boost to Pakistani cinema. Apart from setting up an academy and a custom built screening auditorium, Hasan Zaidi’s vision for Karafilm and Pakistani cinema’s future goes beyond logistics and is headed towards encouraging a culture of arts. Ultimately one wonders how the Indians are going to help us achieve this. The effort will be Pakistani and any technical expertise will have to be bought.
Karafilm has taken the initiative to build bridges, now it remains to be seen whether it takes as much initiative when it comes to building the industry. Getting Bollywood celebrities here has brought the spotlight onto Kara and now it can stand on its own. One doubts that Kara would ever reach the abysmal point that it did in its second year when Michael Heath, a director from New Zealand was the only person around. The Indian presence has been crucial for Karafilm to establish itself. Now it has. Last year, Indian films like Main Ne Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara and Iqbal showed to a packed house but so did the German masterpiece Goodbye Lenin. Karafilm has become a much looked forward to festival for both aspiring filmmakers and lovers of film. The question the festival needs to ask itself is “Now what?”
Karafilm’s seventh step towards desire must be even bigger.

Shifting sands

Instep takes a brief look at Raeth — the youngest music sensation making waves in Pakistan and across the border By Maheen Sabeeh

Rewind to the past A few months ago, a song aired on television by the name ‘Bhula Do’ by a then unknown band calling themselves Raeth. The video was nothing to write home about. It was another performance-based video that showed a band performing and chilling with friends. The song however, was a different story altogether. It was another pop/rock number coming out of the scene but it worked because of its simplicity. It’s also a melodic number, not groundbreaking by any means but one of those annoyingly addictive tracks that stuck to your head. This was the beginning of Raeth – a boy band that struck gold with just one video.
A little while after ‘Bhula Do’ aired in Pakistan, it was picked up by Indian music channels and was fighting hard against names like Euphoria, Kailash Kher and other Indi pop artists in the countdown. It was an unprecedented hit. And it was all a stroke of luck…
Who are they? Raeth is the brainchild of Wajhi Farouqui, (Vocals), Farabi Hasan, (Lead Guitars) and Mustafa Asad (Bass). This is perhaps one of the youngest bands in Pakistan with Wajhi being 21, Mustafa, 20 and Farabi only 18-years old. All three guys have been interested in music since childhood. If Wajhi was winning singing competitions, Farabi was winning inter-school guitar competitions. Both Wajhi and Farabi were jamming and doing cover songs roughly two years back but it hit them that covers weren’t their style. “We wanted to do original stuff,” says Farabi. Then, they came across Mustafa and decided to form a band. With the help of their session drummer, Alfred D’Mello, Raeth met Kashan Admani (Mizmaar fame). Kashan Admani is the CEO of Dream Station Productions – a production house that produces music and is working towards promoting new talent. Interestingly, not only did Kashan produce their self-titled debut album but he also landed them a record deal in India. “I have tied up with Universal Music. The idea is to promote music all over the world and Universal can help us achieve that. Once these guys came in, I sent three of their songs to India to Universal. They were very impressed and decided to release their album.” Kashan changed a few things around in their songs and provided this young band with the expertise that one requires in producing an album. The rest as they say is history. Raeth’s album has been released in Pakistan and simultaneously saw a release in India, USA and the Middle East through Universal. The next step In order to survive in the music industry, the ability of performing live is a must. Fortunately, Raeth has that quality. At their album launch, these guys performed to a packed house and even though they were playing unplugged, they managed to captivate the audience to such an extent that ‘Bhula Do’ was performed twice. Even as Raeth is doing very well for itself, there is skepticism in people’s minds. Rungg’s debut single, ‘Hum Na’ was an absolute hit but once the hype died down and the album released, it didn’t hit the market hard. The only question remains: with so many new bands doing the same kind of music, will this album work? “We’ve done the best we can and so far, our album is on top in Pakistan and India,” says Farabi. Whether their album has what it takes to be as big as Call or Jal remains to be seen but just for now, Raeth it seems has arrived and what an arrival it has been!

The Josh rush

Instep looks into the band that is Josh. They are out with a funky new video and a new album that is already making way for itself in Pakistan and India…By Maheen Sabeeh

Josh’s latest single ‘Mahi Ve’ has been playing all over music channels for the past few weeks and it’s a hit. The reason is simple: ‘Mahi Ve’ is melodic; it’s neither hardcore Punjabi bhangra nor your average feel-good pop track. It is lyrically almost Sufic while being extremely cosmopolitan in form. Josh is the same band that branched out to Pakistan in 2004 with their second album – Kabhi – (first in Pakistan) and immediately built a connection with listeners. These guys are not just known for their music but also their funky collaborations that range from UK-based Rishi Rich to Sukhbir to Grammy-award winning Nelly Furtado. And now they’re back with a brand new album, Mausam…
Josh is… Q and Rup – short for Qurram Hussain and Rupinder Magon – two chilled out musicians, hailing from Canada who call themselves a “desi” band. At 9 in the morning, they are perfectly dressed and ready to take on the media. In a blue tee and denims and silver chains dangling down his neck, Q is a musician to the max. He walks, talks and lives the life. Born in Muscat, Q moved to Karachi and did his entire high schooling here and later moved to Canada. On the other hand is Rup, the man who initiated Josh in the 2000s. Sikh Indian by birth, Rup was born and bred in Canada. He is the mature side of Josh. If Q is playful and funny, Rup is a little more grounded
but his sense of humour can easily match Q as both of them throw in witty punches in between questions. As these two musicians chat about the differences between music scenes all across the globe, one thing that comes out is their level of optimism about the music scene in Pakistan.
If one were to differentiate between the two, it would be a daunting task. They think alike, say the same things and just have a lot in common with, even though they both hail from very distinct backgrounds. “You’re not a morning person,” says Rup laughingly (to me) when asked how he managed to look so charged up at so early in the morning. Perhaps the only difference really is how they’ve managed to amalgamate two sensibilities of music and have created a style to call their own. When talking, Q is the one who makes most of the movement, he looks around, and speaks animatedly. Rup doesn’t move around too much, he lets his eyes do all the talking. He looks straight at you and speaks directly and openly.The beginning Josh began when Rup and his brother Rik decided to form a band. “We did covers of all kinds of songs back then,” remembers Rup. In Canada, if you’re good, word gets around. Soon, Q was brought in on percussions and as a back-up singer. In 2001, Josh officially came into being as they launched their debut album, Main Hoon Tanha in India. “We were young and we thought that releasing it in India would mean world wide distribution,” reminisces Q to which Rup adds, “We actually had no body here and we had no idea how to go about this.” Even though, Main Hoon Tanha was never formally released in Pakistan, it found an opening here through the internet. 2001 was the year when there was no Atif or Jal or Ali Zafar. There was no new band making a wave. Not enough local stuff was being out on the internet unlike today. Consequently, Josh developed a following of its own. This helped the band realize the market in Pakistan and how it could be tapped into.
Then came 2004 – the year of Josh. They launched their second album, Kabhi and this time managed to release it outside of India too. Josh teamed up with Sukhbir for ‘Ban Farkey’ which became a favourite at local parties as well shaadis. Talk about diversifying…Of course, it was the collaboration with Grammy-award winning Nelly Furtado that made even goras take notice of this mutli-cultured band of desis. “Nelly Furtado is also based in Canada. We approached them but back then, her album was already finished. They gave us a shot and asked us to remix ‘Powerless’. We’re not Djs, we don’t
know how to remix,” exclaims Rup and continues, “We changed the melody, added words and made it a whole new track,” he says mischievously. The risk Josh took with ‘Powerless’ paid off. Nelly liked what they did and now the song is not just on her album but has been made into a video too. This team-up led to another remix as Josh have mixed ‘Promiscuous Girl’ for Nelly Furtado’s new album, Loose.Local scene In our part of the world, musicians tend to take less risks because the market is not receptive to new sounds. But as music is going global, local artists have started experimenting a little bit more. Some do it in form of music structure that is fusion; others do it out and about like Rushk (Sawal), some mix things around EP (Urdu meets rap) and these are just few examples. Josh realizes this better than any band. This realization comes from working under an environment that is on an international level. Working in Canada and making it as a band in their live circuit is just not easy and if you’re singing in a language that is not English, it is more difficult. “Being in a desi band, you create an identity if you’re good. Josh had already developed a reputation when I came in, even though they were doing covers,” insists Q.
To Josh, it is not about globalisation at all. “With Pakistan opening up to new media, different sound is now being accepted. But at the end of the day, we released ‘Kabhi’ as our first official track in Pakistan. It was not a dance number. It’s good that upbeat tracks have also found a market but in the end, it is about melody and knowing how to create your own style. We took our time and it worked,” says Rup thoughtfully. The kind of energy that Josh puts in their songs, Pakistan would love to see them live. Last time around, these guys couldn’t perform much but this time, they have plans to perform in Karachi. “We would love to perform here but if were to do a full-fledged show, we would need to bring 14-15 people! Even at a minimum, we would want 5-6 people. Promoters and organizers usually are not willing to fly out so many people. It’s not Karachi to Lahore but Canada to America or Canada
to Pakistan,” opines Rup. Realising the importance of live music, Josh has planned out a scheme. The solution to this is as Q puts it, “What we’re doing now is trying to setup different musicians within different territories. So when we need to go and do a show anywhere, we will have a local setup. We don’t want to play the record out the same way. But we pick the most versatile instruments out and use them in our shows. With musicians set up everywhere, it’ll be easier to perform more.”

Flying high

He is the pop prince of the decade and he’s back with a bigger bang. Ali Zafar talks to Instep about flying, his new album Masty, growing up and silencing his critics… By Maheen Sabeeh
It’s cool “I always wanted to fly as a kid,” says Ali Zafar with a trademark impish grin. At the age of 26, Ali has realized that he can make his dreams come true. In his new video, he’s suspended in mid air, above 200 screaming girls. It may not be the same as flying, but it is definitely the next best option.After winning hearts with Huqa Pani, Ali is back with a bigger bang and this time, he plans to re-affirm the faith of his fans and the skeptics that come with the territory.It is rush hour for Ali Zafar. He has a promotional plan to go over, shows to record and interviews to give. Sitting in a meeting with the reps of Fire Records, Ali waves a hand and comes out of a conference room to greet me. He is calm personified as cameras flash around him.
On one side are his record label people, etching out a promotional plan, everyone has a thing to say to Ali, then are the photographers who are clicking away, capturing Ali’s every mood. It is a little odd when you’re talking to someone and you’re asked to pose in the middle of the conversation. But Ali handles it like a pro. He understands the concept of marketing himself. He is a person, an artist and a star, but he also realizes that his music is a commodity that has to be pushed out into the market with a mighty shove and a big bang. The big bang is the ‘Masty’ video that paints Ali in all the aura of a star and superhero.As music has become the slogan of youth, every musician has to constantly reinvent himself and give the media something new to spin to make his mark. Ali Zafar, the pop wonder of the decade, realizes this better than any of his contemporaries.But just right now in real life with a media circus all around, Ali throws me an apologetic look and stands against a white board, curls his lips into that mischievous grin and stares deep into the lens before sitting down for the interview.
All grown upAli is out with a new album but it’s not just the album that is new. Ali himself looks different. The boyish charm is still there, but it’s hiding behind the man he has become. He seems somewhat stressed out – it must be scary to come up with a new album that has so many expectations behind it. Handling stress like a pro, Ali smiles constantly, has some wisecracks up his sleeves and is ready to talk away. In the past three years, Ali has progressed tremendously. As a man, he is charming and down to earth. He is friendly enough to shake hands with all those who pass us by, be it the camera crew or the peon. Ali doesn’t throw his star weight around, which a musician of his caliber can easily get away with. He is not one of those brooding musicians. His age gives him an understanding of what the youth wants, while his Kishore Kumar style vocals and melodies make him a hit with the older .
generation. Ali knows this fact and plays with it to the max
The monumental success he gained from ‘Channo’ was unprecedented. Even as Ali enjoys his share of the limelight, he knows that it is extremely difficult to stay on top. But what separates him from the one-hit wonders of the music industry is the hunger to prove himself to the world at large. That crucial driving force makes him an increasingly savvy musician.If ‘Channo’ saw Ali Zafar dancing and jumping, ‘Masty’, his latest video shows him hovering above a crowd, bodily lifted above them. He picks a girl out from the crowd and dances with her. This video is the epitome of what Ali Zafar concerts are like, just pumped to a hyper real extreme. It is almost as if he is consciously building the Ali Zafar brand.It’s a fantastic video (except for the guitar playing – ‘Masty’ is not a rock song) that gels well with the track. Not surprisingly, Ali came up with the video concept himself, edited it and was involved every step of the way. The only thing one wonders is why he opted for an Indian director (Shiraz Bhattacharya) when Jami, Saqib Malik or Asim Reza could’ve pulled off the concept easily.“I went to an Indian guy for various reasons. Our directors are fairly busy – you need 2-3 months at a minimum. Technically, India is superior to us. They have facilities that we lack. Most importantly for a concept like this, we needed girls. Can you imagine how difficult it would be to get 200 girls for a shoot in Pakistan? Even if we did find them, only 60 would arrive on time out of which, 40 would back out at the last minute because ‘meri mummy ney mana kar diya’ and I’d be left with 20. It was simpler to go there and get it done,” Ali defends his move of opting for Shiraz.For ‘Masty’, Ali did the styling himself but Nabila provided him with all the guidance that she possibly could. This was the second time Nabila and Ali teamed up, the first time for the video of the intense ‘Ek Pal’. Considering Tariq Amin’s involvement in Ali Zafar’s first few videos, it is a tad surprising. Ali’s theory is simple and logical: “I believe in working with everyone.” It is an intelligent way of existing in this industry and Ali has learned how to play his cards right.“Masty as an album will be a lot more mature.” He has come of age and he knows it.
Branching outFrom songwriting to music to playing guitars, modeling and acting, Ali has tried his hand at everything. He is doing the soundtrack for Nadeem Mandviwalla’s Pyar Da Pagal Pan. He also has a Saqib Malik film in his bag, though Ali is currently not sure where the project is really headed. “I had given them dates but it never rolled on schedule. Now I’m busy with the album. I’m not sure what’s going on with it.”If one remembers correctly, Ali had also signed on for Shoaib Mansoor’s Khuda Ke Liye with Shaan and Iman Ali. Shaan recently criticized him in print for dropping the project very unprofessionally. Ali is honest enough to come out with the truth. “I have a successful career. I do act and enjoy it tremendously. Shoaib sahib is a wonderful director. But the film was a little controversial with its subject. My mother was worried for me and
dvised me not to be a part of it. I understood where her concern was coming from. I respected her decision and bowed myself out of it but I wish them well.”It was an important project but it came with a risk he wasn’t ready to take. He took a well calculated decision. The buzz wordThe music industry can also be vicious. There are rumours that other than the Lux Style Awards; most award shows give out awards under a rather unethical criterion. It is heard that artists are told to perform and if they agree, they will win at least one award. Of course, with no independent and proper music award shows, these anomalies are bound to exist. Is it also true in Ali’s case?”There are lobbies in every industry. Remember Million Dollar Baby’s win at Oscars?” Ali exclaims and adds, “I have never been told to perform in order to grab an award nor have I ever been through it. One time, ‘Channo’ was nominated in the Best Song category and I thought that it should’ve won. I wasn’t given the award but I had four others to my credit. So yes, these things do happen. It’s the way things operate,” says Ali.He is an essential part of these awards show. After all, Ali Zafar has mass appeal. Yet, he has been accused of using the same tricks time and again. His routine picking of girls from the audience and dancing with them is a known trait amongst his fans and critics alike. The element of surprise is important. Ali confesses to this analysis, “I agree that it’s becoming predictable. There aren’t enough decent venues here. We are not given support from the organizers. I mean, what can you do that stands apart? You have no visual elements to attach to a performance. I try to mix things up to keep the level of entertainment charged up. I have tried doing things differently. I’ve jammed with different musicians but you need a structure of sorts to get through with every performance with a new angle.” The only solution to this problem is if the collective music industry comes together and takes a stand. When Association of Music Professionals of Pakistan (AMPP) came into being, this was one of their many goals, that is, taking hold of the scene by its pulse. The only question is: is the music industry united enough to do so? Ali thinks it is. “We are united. I call up Ali Azmat and he gives me tips. Just recently I met Ali Noor and we launched into this discussion about mastering and these are just few names. Ali Azmat has met the President and a letter has been sent to him. People are still signing onto AMPP,” says Ali hopefully. A hard journeyWith fame and glory comes a level of criticism. One criticism drawn on Ali is his inspiration from R.D. Burman. From the day ‘Channo’ first aired, many feel that Ali copied, some feel that he plays on Burman’s melody. “I’m inspired from R.D. Burman,” says Ali stroking his chin and adds thoughtfully, “I don’t plagiarise. Just because the original song had ‘Dhanno’ in it and my song is ‘Channo’ does not mean that it is the same.”Ali Zafar enjoys immense popularity across the border. His visits to India have taught him how to handle himself there. “Some of our artists jump on the opportunity of going to India. I don’t because it is not necessary to do everything that comes your way. It has to be the right project,” says Ali. It is better to not have a Bolly flick to one’s credit than let an original composition being torn apart. With Fight Club ruining ‘Channo’ with “Gori Gori, Chori Chori,” Ali understands the importance of retaining one’s compositions and how not to sell yourself. “They took the song, changed it and Sohail Khan approached me and told me to sing it. After doing their trick, they asked me to come on board. When I heard it, I was shocked. They got someone else to sing it but gave me composition credit.”Another criticism that Ali, like most musicians these days, is faced with is that of his album release. The time period between Huqa Pani and Masty is three years. It is too long. Two years is enough for a musician to come out with a new album as well as do international tours. Ali admits to the criticism and says, “I know that three years is long. I don’t think I have ever worked this hard on anything in my life. I unlearned everything I ever knew to do this album. I hope that the next time I won’t take this long.” These days, Ali is charged. He has new material to perform and it’s going to be a tough battle. 2007 will mark releases from all the big guns of the music industry. Ali Azmat, Strings, Fuzon, Jal and Atif are coming out with new albums. Fans will have a lot to look forward to and Ali Zafar, being a firm believer in healthy competition, will face the heat like a warrior. It remains to be seen if Masty will surpass the success of Huqa Pani but from the word on the street, Masty is already right up there!

Get set for the rock ride!

Rock bands in Pakistan are a common happening owadays. The past few years have seen rock take centrestage as bands like Noori, EP, Aaroh, Call have found their market in Pakistan. New bands are forming everywhere. With media expanding like never before, music channels opening up and thanks to the plethora of music e-zines, rock music is kicking into the roots of the country. However, even as this genre has found its place in the music scene, it still does not have a mass appeal. Today, Ali Zafar, Faakhir, Jawad Ahmad, Sajjad Ali and pop dynamo Strings have a better hold on the pulse of the nation.
In such a scenario, it is a daunting task for any band to make its presence felt. Out of the new artists coming out, one band that has managed to hold its ground and capture the attention of the rock-friendly youth is Roxen. Their debut album, Rozen-e-Deewar has been doing rounds of local charts and Roxen, after two years of formation and two diverse video has found a place for itself. Instep speaks to lead guitarist, Haider Halim and finds out how it all began…
Instep: Tell us about Roxen… Haider Halim: Roxen is Mustafa Zahid on vocals, Jawad Mohammed on rhythm guitars, Omar Farooq on bass and I’m on lead guitars. We started out two years ago as a band. Our first video was ‘Yaadein’. We released it in 2004 and released ‘Sapnay’ in 2006.Instep: Who does the composition and songwriting? HH: Most of the lyrics are by Mustafa with help from a common friend of ours, Eddie and my mother. Most of the compositions were done by Mustafa and me. Omar was behind ‘Sapnay’. The sound of Roxen is a combined effort. Instep: Your album is a simple rock album. With so many bands dabbling in the same genre, do you think it was feasible for you guys to do so? HH: We wanted to make an album that was guitar oriented. Everything else fell into place as we went along. It was never
a deliberate or a conscious effort that we will only do rock or fall under that genre.
Instep: How has the response been so far to the album? HH: We certainly can’t complain. People have been receptive to it and we’ve gotten some good reviews.Instep: How old are you guys? HH: I’m 19 years old while the rest of the guys are in their early twenties. Instep: What is the next step now that the album has released? HH: We’ve done more than 100 shows in Lahore; we’ve performed in Islamabad as well but not Karachi. Now the plan is to do as many gigs as possible. Instep: Do you have any plans of going to India? HH: Yes. We will release the album in India through HOM Records in January 2007. One of our songs, ‘Tau Phir Aao’ will be featured in Awaarapan, an Indian film. It’s a Mahesh Bhatt venture and features Emraan Hashmi. The film is slated for April 2007 release. Instep: How did you guys land up a song in Awaarapan? HH: Khurram Bhai (of Jilawatan Productions) has been in touch with Mahesh Bhatt. He liked the song and we got ourselves a song in the film. It’ll give us mileage in India since Bollywood is their mainstream market. At this point, we want to establish our name as a band. Instep: Any videos coming out? HH: We’ve got something in the pipeline but it’s too soon to say anything. –Haider Haleem was talking to Maheen Sabeeh