Star Trek*****

To boldly go where no man has gone before… okay, many have gone to Starfleet’s USS Enterprise but not as stylishly as director JJ Abrams, the man who took television by storm with Alias and then Lost. He also directed Mission: Impossible 3 which was such a joyride.

But Star Trek remains JJ Abrams’ most ambitious film and easily beats all his predecessors.
To call Star Trek just another film from the franchise would be unfair. It’s the rebooting of one of the most iconic sci-fi franchises. Star Trek has been around for the last four decades with six television shows from 1966 till 2005 and 10 previous films.

This is the eleventh film but for a generation that remains unfazed by the Star Trek phenomenon, this is a must-watch because this film takes us back to beginning, the birth of James T Kirk and his ultimate rise as captain, the Vulcan Spock and his rational brain versus human emotions, and the camaraderie between Dr. McCoy and a young Kirk who hadn’t been captain.

Chris Pine takes on the juiciest role of his career as James T Kirk, Zachary Quinto (famous for his role as villain Sylar on Heroes) becomes Spock and Karl Urban takes on the mantle of Dr McCoy aka Bones.
Eric Bana goes for a full-on makeover in this film as Nero, the Vulcan-hating Romulan evil in space, looking to take down the United Federation of Planets. And the USS Enterprise is the ultimate trophy for him. It’s a ship but one with many stories, and a crew that exceeds 400 people.

It isn’t the story – the battle between Nero and the Enterprise – that is the biggest draw of the film but the subtext to the story, the developing relationships between Kirk, Spock, Bones and the history of Starfleet and USS Enterprise that intrigues and entertains.

The spotlight shines on Zachary Quinto’s Spock who has a human mother and a Vulcan father, the only Vulcan on his planet to have such a unique mix of genes and remains torn between rationale and emotions. He is conflicted between being logical and taking down the man who destroys his home.
Meanwhile James T Kirk has the burden of the past. His father captained the USS Enterprise and he is expected to do the same. But while he remains a bright young guy, he is also a rebel, one who breaks rules and likes living on the edge. His initiation to the Enterprise remains in turmoil and his relationship with Spock is one that remains the film’s highlight. Two stubborn and opposite men whose disdain for each other is palpable.

As the two meet, their dislike for each other is open and in-your-face.
“Kirk: Are you afraid or aren’t you?
Spock: I will not allow you to lecture me about the merits of emotion.
Kirk: Then why don’t you stop me?”

Amidst all this is Nero who hits USS Enterprise with all his might. And does begins the odyssey to
Another coup is the cast itself. Australian actor Eric Bana is nothing like the incredible Hulk. Eric Bana’s Nero is to Star Trek what Ralph Fiennes’s Lord Voldermort is to Harry Potter: pure evil who will stop at nothing. At first, Bana is unrecognizable because he immerses himself into the role completely. He is despicable as Nero and that is where he stands out.

Chris Pine is no William Shatner or Patrick Stewart. But he is young much like the rest of the cast. Mostly he takes on the legacy of Captain James T Kirk without a glitch. His young rebellion and his quick wit, flirtatious ways – Star Trek has never been this much fun before.

Karl Urban’s Bones is a spot-on reminder of DeForest Kelley.

The biggest asset of the film remains its director JJ Abrams. He knows how to shoot spectacular sequences and that fact hasn’t changed since his days of television. The fight-off between USS Enterprise and Nero in infinite space is jaw-dropping. The Vulcan world is another highpoint. The scenes between James T Kirk and Bones, the close shots and impeccable sound, it makes up for the slightly week story. But the subplots within the film are so textured that it makes up for the mistakes.

A special cameo from the original television series (which we won’t disclose) is nostalgic and a major coup for Abrams because this actor has refused many roles from the same franchise time and again. To watch him after years was delightful.

There have been many Star Trek films and movies but the one that still remains the all-time favourite of Star Trek fans or “Trekkies” as they call themselves is the original television series which was made in the 1960s and featured William Shatner (Captain Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Spock) and DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy aka Bones).

Star Trek from JJ Abrams can stand tall right next to it. From the beginning, it becomes clear that JJ Abrams made this film as a prequel to the legend of Star Trek. And as the film closes, the iconic phrase from the franchise:
“Space… the Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its mission: to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before” – its clear that JJ Abrams just might revitalize this franchise for the long haul.
– Star Trek is currently playing in cinemas

– Maheen Sabeeh

*YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME

American television’s biggest season finales

It’s that time of the year when the spate of American TV shows end their season runs. And while hit shows have been dogged by low TV ratings in the US, the finales have helped redeem them. Instep presents the top five finale episodes that have made this a season to remember!

Caution: spoilers ahead

By Maheen Sabeeh
and Saba Imtiaz

Gossip Girl
It may only be a year old, but Gossip Girl has caught on like wildfire in Pakistan, with phrases like ‘Spotted!’ and ‘You know you love me…XOXO’ becoming commonplace with its fans here. The show just finished its second season and until the finale episode it was a complete disappointment. The plotlines seemed to all have been rehashed from the first season. And with the re-appearance of old characters, a potential spin-off that got cancelled, and all of the characters on the show linking up with each other again, one wondered if the teenage-text message drama had lost the plot so soon. Watching the show had become quite a drag – some great episodes like the Bart Bass funeral and Chuck Bass’ subsequent spiral of grief, drugs and denial notwithstanding – but the finale was definitely the show’s redeeming point. It not only attempted to discover who Gossip Girl actually is, but also brought forth a couple of new mysteries (Lily and Rufus’ lost child and the whereabouts of Serena’s father) as well as finally saw a conclusion to the never-ending Chuck-Blair drama. The finale episode also saw the much-hated characters of Carter Baizen and Georgina Sparks coming back into the show, and slated to remain for the next few episodes of the fourth season in a big way, considering they still have their own personal vendettas to avenge.

And while even the finale episode had its shortcomings, it was a very gripping and well-scripted episode on the whole. The best line had to be from a conversation between Lily Bass and Rufus Humphrey, about Lily being in a mood to do something young and reckless.

Lily: “I found this in Chuck’s room” (Holding up a brown paper bag)
Rufus: “Oh, then I bet its good!”
The finale episode also marks the last we’ll see of Gossip Girl bunch at Constance Billard since Serena, Blair, Chuck, Nate, Dane and Vanessa are all heading off to college in the fall and the show will now centre on their lives and scandals at college – where Gossip Girl has vowed to follow them as well. Considering the characters are going to different schools, one will have to wait till September to find out how they manage to keep the camaraderie alive with the characters based in different cities. Till then, XOXO!

Grey’s Anatomy
Grey’s Anatomy has generally been a stellar show. In the US, hospital dramas have always been a hit, whether it was ER (which was George Clooney’s claim to fame) or House MD and Scrubs. But alike Gossip Girl, the fifth season had become fairly painful to watch, particularly because of the re-appearance of the very dead Denny Dukette, a character who had been killed off the show in a heart rending episode a season before. But Denny’s re-appearance was explained via the fact that Izzie was actually hallucinating, a symptom of the cancer she was unaware was ravaging her body. It is only when the cancer story broke that the show became gripping, with each episode invoking buckets of tears as Izzie leaves her job as a resident and is admitted to Seattle Grace as a terminally sick patient. And there was plenty of drama on the Derek aka McDreamy-Grey front, as Derek suffers a complete breakdown.

The finale episode was perhaps one of the best episodes of any television show made yet. The episode contained so many parallel dramas that it was enough to keep one gripped, but it was the episode’s final ten minutes that truly took the cake, and could see two of the show’s most loved characters being killed off. The show’s writers deserve a standing ovation for leaving one so shocked at what had just happened as well as showcasing the emotional development that every character of Grey’s Anatomy had gone through in an episode that clocked in at a little over an hour. This was television at its best and it was worth enduring episode after episode of Denny without being able to understand why the show had seemingly spiralled down into the supernatural. If Izzie (played by Katherine Heigl) doesn’t win an Emmy for her performance in this season, it will be a downright shame.

Brothers and Sisters
The Walkers head to Mexico City and when the Walkers are together, can anything go right? Family secrets are spilled and the mystery behind Tommy Walker’s disappearance finally comes to a draw. Meanwhile Senator Robert and Kitty have their share of marital conflict. Their relationship is in fact fascinating as Kitty draws a line between her, Robert and her park “friend” Alex. Rebecca and Justin take the next step forward and more good news for Justin comes with acceptance to college. Mom Norah Walker learns to let Tommy go. And the way this season has ended, it seems the character of Tommy Walker isn’t coming back at all. But here was a happy season finale amidst the deaths in Grey’s Anatomy, Heroes and House. Ryan’s secret gets out and this time, the unlikely team of Holly and Sarah – who is now back at the good old family company – take him down albeit gently. He is still family.
There are still some questions. But from the way the show ended, it seems Senator Robert is here to stay and Kitty will not make her father’s mistake. A happy ending… for the time being.

Heroes
Is this the beginning of a new volume or an invisible thread to the old chapter? It might be. In a characteristic twisted manner, Heroes went off with a big bang! The Petrelli family finally came together after a nightmare of good versus evil battles throughout the third season.

The biggest loss is Zachary Quinto who takes on the form of Nathan after slashing Nathan to death. This was the big battle. The flying Senator versus the all-powerful and now it seems invincible Sylar. Yes, by the end of the season Sylar becomes invincible and Nathan, who has been in near-death experiences through the last three seasons, finally bleeds away into oblivion. This means two things: (a) the writers will stick to their promise of a final death, in which case there will be little face time for Zachary’s obsessive, psychotic Sylar. Matt Parkman, through his ability of mind control makes Sylar believe he is Nathan. Sylar is alive but as Nathan… or (b) But than again, Sylar remains one of the show’s biggest draws and we might see creator Tim Kring take another swing at the age-old and relevant human issue known as identity crisis and they might even bring him back. For now, Nathan is dead and technically so is Sylar. At least, his former self is.

Meanwhile ‘The Company’ is back and this time, Peter and Claire seem onboard alongside good ol’ company man Noah Bennet. Another cliff-hanger is Hiro Nakamura’s inability to take control of the space-time continuum. He can freeze time but there is now a consequence: his life. Does Hiro have a destiny left without his powers?

If you were hoping for a face-off between Sylar and Peter, it doesn’t happen. And rightly so. We’ve seen it in the previous volumes. The season ends with many questions. The evolution of mankind, the experiments and the coming together of the new generation behind the company… will it change the heroes and villains once and for all?

House
Kal Penn left the show and creator David Shore finally caught a break. After a spectacular finale for season four, one wondered what stunt David would pull next. If House’s season four finale was massive physiologically, this finale is emotionally draining. This is American television on its finest.

Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) is a miserable Vicodin addict who can neither keep people close nor build relationships. Everything and everyone is a mystery, a puzzle that needs to be solved. But with a staff member, Kutner (Kal Penn) committing suicide unexpectedly, House couldn’t decipher the mystery. His only hope for salvation: his brilliant mind. His ability to rationalise and observe. But the king of games is now in a crunch. His own brain is playing tricks on him. House is hallucinating and all causes are checked off the list except severe mental illness (read: schizophrenia). This is the finale where the controlling, brilliant and the puzzle solver gets entangled with ghosts of the past as he hallucinated his best friend’s dead girlfriend. It shatters him and as the show comes to a close, we see House do the one thing he vowed not to do: get professional help by entering a psychiatric hospital.

The falling apart of House is heartbreaking and textured. Reality and delusions are one and the same for him and House can’t rationalise. Drugs don’t help him. Nothing helps him. Will House survive this?

“When it comes to Bollywood, there are some standards that have to be met.” – Ali Haider rejects Bollywood and returns to the limelight with a new video, ‘Hamesha’

Maheen Sabeeh
Karachi

With 12 albums to his credit, Ali Haider simply cannot be dismissed. Hs years of success have followed years of struggle. As Ali continued making music albeit some experiments that never went right, it was the year 2007 when Ali Haider returned with the smashing record Jaanay Do. It was Ali Haider doing what he knew best, making melodic, multi-layered pop music.

Over the years, Ali Haider has given countless hits including ‘Qaraar’, ‘Purani Jeans’, ‘Zalim Nazron Se’ and more recently his comeback hit, ‘Jaanay Do’ off his 2007 record, Jaanay Do.

Ali is back in the spotlight with a brand new video, ‘Hamesha’. It may not be a groundbreaking video but it is one that grabs attention because of the strong tune. Somber, melancholic and soft, ‘Hamesha’ definitely works.

Instep Today catches up with Ali Haider and finds out more about the video and what he’s been up to…

Instep Today: You’ve just released a new video, ‘Hamesha’. Tell us a little about it?

Ali Haider: Its directed by Jameshed Jan Mohammad. It’s his first video and I have to say that he’s very talented. He wanted creative freedom and in the given budget, he did a good job. The video is a story about two people. We shot it in one day.

Instep Today: How has the response been to the song?

Ali Haider: For some reason, I neglected this tune. But since the video has released, I’ve gotten great feedback from people. I do have another video in the pipeline with Sohail Javed but the song is undecided for now. It might be a new song.

Instep Today: You were planning on working in Bollywood…

Ali Haider: Yes, there was a movie College. They wanted my song ‘Purani Jeans’ for it and offered 4000 dollars. ‘Purani Jeans’ is a massive hit here and across the border still. It is an original composition and the sum wasn’t sufficient. How much does Sonu Nigam charge? And he is the playback singer, not the composer.

My manager asked them for 25,000 dollars as remuneration for the song plus a 3-day stay in a five star hotel, business class flights for me and my manager and they didn’t agree so I refused to give the song.

I will not sell my music for short in India. Reema (the Lollywood actress) asked me for ‘Hamesha’. She really liked the song and wants to use it in her film. I told her she could have it for free. As it is, our film industry is struggling and when people are trying to revive it, we should support them. So for Reema, the song is free because the focus should be Pakistan. But when it comes to Bollywood, there are some standards that have to be met.

Instep Today: You’ve also opened your own production house?

Ali Haider: Yes. Instead of making telefilm, I call it musifilm. I get acting offers for serials but acting is not what I do. I can’t reject one but do another because sometimes personal relationships are involved. So the idea is to do one, maybe two musifilms via my own production house.

Instep Today: In the aftermath of Mumbai attacks, are you still planning to pursue a case against MasterCard India?

Ali Haider: Yes I am going to pursue it relentlessly soon.

United for Pop

A deal between Fire Records and music channels is not only the event that transpired within the music industry…

While the MTV Awards were round the corner, Instep held a series of conversations with musicians ranging from Bilal Maqsood (Strings) and Ali Azmat to Atif Aslam and Ali Zafar and found out that musicians are now uniting on a single platform for their rights. Not that they were at loggerheads before, but this time it is simply a more professional direction that will give the music industry a chance to take charge. At least, that’s the plan.

As Bilal Maqsood explained: “We are in initial stages. The name isn’t final yet. But the idea is to be on a singular platform.” Bilal was tight-lipped but promised that details will be released soon.
Atif explained a little more candidly why he sees this union a crucial one for the music industry.
“In Pakistan, foreign content, whether it is Bollywood songs or international songs dominate the airwaves. According to PEMRA, only a certain percentage can be foreign content even if it is obtained legally.
“With foreign content, the local music content gets sidelined. Our artists, music videos and content is overshadowed. We need to build our own stars. It is one thing to run a Bollywood song sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and another to run every other Indian song.

“But this doesn’t mean a deadlock. These are issues that can be negotiated and all of us are in this together, all the artists. We will jump together and we will stand by each other.”
Ali Zafar is also optimistic about the creation of United for Pop (tentative name).
“The industry will finish if we keep this up. Content on channels should be Pakistani. The focus cannot be on India alone or Western artists. We need legitimacy and a balance.”
“Legal notifications don’t do anything. You have to realise that in Pakistan personal relationships also play their part. The content on channels should be predominantly local but it is the other way around. But talks are on and they have been successful,” said Ali Azmat.

It remains unclear what the goal will be of United for Pop, its structure and its immediate cause. But what is striking is that there is a sense of unity that exists and is getting stronger within the industry.
That said, there remains some confusion. A few years ago, the Association of Music Professionals of Pakistan (AMPP) was formed. Now one wonders how United for Pop will be different from AMPP. While Ali Azmat maintains that AMPP is still alive and kicking, it is still a mystery as to what AMPP has achieved in its two year course. Can United for Pop pick up from where AMPP left off?
Even with skepticism, one thing remains clear. For the industry, this is a step in the right direction. The music industry, if aligned, cannot be dictated to by anyone and that is how it should be… if and when United for Pop takes off.

– Maheen Sabeeh

instep interview: Dr Akbar Yazdani

“If we don’t pursue digital licensing or TV licensing how is the label supposed to survive? The problem is for some reason the general public in this country as well as organizations think music is for free. Music is not for free; it costs a lot of money.”

In this interview with Instep, Dr Akbar Yezdani talks about the licensing of music, its importance and why more record labels are essential for the growth of the music industry…

By Maheen Sabeeh

Instep: The issue of licensing of music, how did it come about?

Dr Akbar Yezdani: The issue has been around for some time. We told all the music channels to air music content legally. All the content Fire Records owns is copyrighted. By owning, we mean songs, videos, everything. It applies to every artist with Fire Records except Ali Azmat.

Instep: Why is his case different?

DAY: Ali Azmat opted for a different deal. He didn’t give us his rights for a lump sum like other artists. He didn’t ask for upfront payment. He opted for a royalty-based deal. We distribute his albums but we don’t have copyrights to them.

Instep: What about the rest of the industry?

DAY: Other than Ali Azmat, all other artists with Fire Records have been paid upfront. We purchase their rights and in return, they are paid in lump sum. In some cases, we make the videos and pay the rest. In some cases, the artist makes the video himself. I say we own the content because by paying a lump sum, Fire becomes the outright owner.
In a song there are two main things, the music and the lyrics. Now whether the music is changed but the lyrics are the same, even then the copyright still belongs to us. And if the music remains the same but the lyrics are changed, even then the copyright belongs to us. Neither can you make remixes nor can you change the words.
Basically, it is the transfer of rights from the artist to the label, which in this case is Fire Records.

Instep: Tell us about the licensing issue…

DAY: When Fire Records started two years ago, our major mainstream release at that point was Ali Zafar. Then the number of artistes kept on increasing – Abrar, Atif, Jal, Strings and so many others. But the starting point was two years ago. The content at that time was so limited that affirmative action was not entirely possible. It didn’t make sense to ask people for licensing. But as Fire Records grew so did the investment. We have made videos and released countless records.

What we say to everyone, not just channels, but radio stations and web-zines is that a huge amount is being invested in the industry. Fiscal sales are down. But that same content is running for free everywhere. Now if that content is running and all the parties are involved, we want to share the monetizing of that content. We want to share it because we have been investing in the music industry. Look at the global structure. Music is not for free. Royalties are given to the artistes and to the label.

Instep: This deal is important but what about the music industry and a cut in royalties for them?

DAY: Ali Azmat did not sell us his rights. He will have his options of royalties but if artists sell their rights to us in return for a large sum, then the royalty will be given to the record label because we own the content.

All other artists signed up with Fire were given a good deal with upfront payments for which they gave up their rights. They sold it for a price, which was mutually agreed upon so there’s no reason to crib.
If we don’t pursue this then how will the label make money? If we don’t pursue digital licensing or TV licensing how is the label supposed to survive? The problem is for some reason the general public in this country as well as organizations think music is for free. Music is not for free; it costs a lot of money.
There is no need to see this as a battle. It isn’t one. It is an alliance with channels and they have been very reciprocal. Whether it was Ghazanfar Ali from MTV or anyone else, they understood where I was coming from and have agreed to the deal.

At the end of the day, this will benefit everyone. More content will develop because investment will not stop. Remember a few years ago when piracy crackdowns took place? Record labels disappeared from the horizon. For them to come back, licensing is necessary. One record label cannot possibly release every artist in Pakistan. We need more labels to enter the market. And for that, laws have to be taken into account.
When I say royalty, it is a negligible sum. But when it accumulates, it will make a difference.

Instep: How many channels are currently onboard with Fire Records?

DAY: The deal has been done with Aag, MTV Pakistan, Play and Oxygen. Talks are on with Oye. But it gives me pleasure to say that most of the channels are with us and I’m very happy that MTV is onboard. Ghazanfar Ali has contributed to the industry. It was only a matter of time before we all came on the same page.

Instep: What about radio channels?

DAY: The other day I was reading somewhere that 122 licenses have been issued to radio channels. Who is monitoring their content?

But to answer your question, we are talking to them and very soon we will finalize an agreement with them as well. We are not competitors. We are partners. We are content generators as long as we can afford it. We will continue creating content.

Instep: How are record labels operating in India?

DAY: Some artists separate their rights. Take Strings for instance. Pakistan rights are separate and international rights are separate. But in India, things happen differently from Pakistan. Indian record labels do not sign any artist or release their album until they have all the rights including the audio, video, radio, broadcasting, television licensing as well as a share in concert profits. They don’t do it like us.
We have no share in concerts. On average, an Indian record label has a cut of 50 percent. In a few cases, that percent may be 30-35 percent but nothing less than that.

Instep: One concern within the music industry is the airing of foreign content on local channels…
DAY: It isn’t my domain. That is the domain of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA). Every channel that is given a license in this country specifically mentions how much content of which nature they can air. Now if there are violations happening, that is a cause for concern for PEMRA.
There are three regulatory bodies. One is PEMRA. The second is the Intellectual Property Organisation of Pakistan (IPO) and the third is Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). It saddens me to say that they are not playing their role. Every Internet provider that provides illegal content in Pakistan should be stopped by PTA.

Instep: Digital sales have become a norm. What is your view?

DAY: Digital sales are happening. We’ve just signed a deal with Wateen. Wateen is going to legitimately stream our content on their portal. We are getting into other digital partners with this. So you see once an interest is created, which is mostly economic, but once we have partners it won’t be just us, our partners will also fight piracy. All the channels will become partners in terms of licensing and they won’t allow other channels to show pirated stuff because then they will be paying for it themselves.

Instep: How will Fire Records tackle the issue of Internet piracy?

DAY: If you look at our catalog till June 2010, the forthcoming albums and videos, we’ve invested twice as much in content development that is all on the new artists. How are we going to monetize?
An ordinary person is downloading from the Internet without realizing that they’re hurting the industry. You might love a song by a certain artist. You might really like a song but instead of buying it legally, you download it illegally for free. The consequence is that the artist will not be able to produce another album after three years because he won’t have any money. The label won’t have money either and they wouldn’t be able to invest in the artist. Downloading illegally not only hurts the music industry but it also hinders the sound, which is compressed on the web. Why should one wait for regulators and authorities to force you to do what’s right?

Instep: Do you think Internet piracy can be contained in Pakistan?

DAY: My question is why not? In Dubai, they’ve blocked illegal sites. If you go and type some site which has illegal content, it says this is against UAE rules.
In Pakistan, PTA (Pakistan Telecommunications Authority) provides service to Internet Service Providers (ISP). PTA comes on top of PTCL (Pakistan Telecommunications Company Ltd). If PTA directs PTCL to block all illegal content, they will have to comply.
What is the job of the PTA? Under the law of PTA, it is written that they will protect copyrights. ISPs will not do so until PTA asks them to.
We told PTA to block illegal content. They forwarded us to the IPO (Intellectual Property Organisation). IPO then said to us that they won’t do it until an inter-ministerial committee doesn’t sit down. That committee has the Prime Minister as its chairman.
We were told to make a list of issues we would like to discuss. The PM would see the list and decide if he would like to put it on the table. No one knows the last time the committee had a meeting or if they talked. There is so much bureaucracy that it’s ridiculous.

Instep: Is there a plan to counter the Internet piracy issue?

DAY: There is an international regime being created on the Internet and very soon you will see a massive Internet operation crackdown and it will be so big that people are really going to be taken aback by it.
This is a plan, which is almost done, we are in the operational phase and we will go after everybody who is pirating music. I am responsible for my artists. I’m not the regulatory body for the entire industry. I can only stand for the rights of Fire Records. Fire Records will relentlessly pursue anybody and everybody who tries to pirate our artists and cause a loss to the industry. We will go after them.

The ice is getting thinner

While a music awards show turned out to be a disaster, it proved to be a catalyst in the licensing of music. This is what the music industry needs for a business model to kick into place…

By Maheen Sabeeh

Pure and simple as a shepherd’s song

Music award shows don’t always validate talent but they remain a pop culture phenomenon and a necessary platform where excellence is recognized. Awards shows aren’t just about nominees and winners but also about the public getting an overview of what the music industry has accomplished in a given year. They also bring younger acts into focus along with the hip and in-season pop superstars. They show the mark musicians and entertainers have left on audiences, industry insiders and the media in a given year. Ultimately awards shows celebrate history that has been made.

The recently held MTV Brrr Awards fumbled on almost every count. From a bad case of mismanagement to a dead red carpet, the secret music jury, last minute additions to nominations, some bizarre wins, the lack of a media shebang, awful hosting, shoddy DAT performances, few live but badly sounding performances and an unusually high focus on international ’stars’ (read: has-been British-Asian acts), it was a disappointment of epic proportions.

There was one silver lining to the show, though. The deal that was struck between Pakistan’s giant record label, Fire Records and a bunch of music channels that currently includes Aag, MTV Pakistan, Oxygen and Play. Talks with Oye are ongoing as this article goes into print.

The deal is the licensing of music. In simpler terms, it refers to the royalties that music channels will pay to the biggest record label, Fire Records, in Pakistan for playing its music content. It is an alliance of sorts and a necessary one, which may finally bring some form of legal laws into our slip shod music release mix.

If MTV Brrrr Awards did one thing right, it was the timing. They became the catalyst in an ongoing process – royalties for music – that finally took a leap to the next level.

When the nominations were released, MTV had sent letters (to indemnify them) to various musicians who were nominated and many of whom are tied to Fire Records. Musicians like Ali Zafar, Atif Aslam and Strings who were approached, while speaking with Instep, revealed that they did not sign these letters. Meanwhile Fire Records maintained that MTV needed permission to use their content in the awards show. At the eleventh hour, a deal was finally struck, thereby making the use of all content from Fire Records legal.

The show may be unforgettable for its sheer scale of disastrous mistakes but it propelled the issue of licensing into the forefront. Copyrights remain in shadows while everyone pickpockets. Music videos run on local airwaves for free while musicians and record labels remain in a crunch.

Music videos are content and the bill cannot be footed by (a) the musician alone without remuneration from channels as well as other media outlets such as radio channels (b) record labels who are investing in any artist by producing their video and (c) both. Investment is necessary for the music industry to create some form of a business model.

When did your heart go missing?

Is there skepticism? Absolutely. What about the musicians? The musicians will benefit from this deal too and it will propel the industry towards some semblance of structure. Artists often opt for upfront, lump sum deals with record labels because they are aware that copyright laws are neglected. A free ride is no longer an option. If channels pay, whatever the sum, it will eventually enable artists with more options. It will also give record labels an incentive to continue investing in not just established artists but upcoming talent too.

Ali Azmat is a man who must be mentioned. He remains the only artist with Fire Records who did not sell off his rights to the record label. As a result, he owns his songs. Ali opted for a royalty based deal and only gave distribution rights. He maintains it and so does Fire Records CEO Doctor Akbar Yezdani.
But a chuck of artists have, as Doctor Akbar Yezdani puts it, “We’ve purchased their rights and in exchange paid a lump sum.” Now the sum may vary from artist to artist, their market worth, star power, public demand among other factors but the gist remains the same.

Ergo, the long-term effect of licensing of music is one that is unique and historic in this day and age of piracy, lack of enforcement of copyright laws and the increasing need of a business model.

The music business is changing and artists and record labels around the world are looking at alternative mediums. A song can digitally be bought on i-Tunes for 99 cents. By 2010, the price will increase to 1.99 dollars per digital download. And yet, despite such high-tech digital age mediums, record labels haven’t become obsolete. Global economic recession means lesser investment in music throughout the world. Record labels still have a role to play.

In Pakistan, the level of digital music dependency and demand has not reached a level that is being witnessed in the American and British music markets. For Pakistan, these deals of royalties are even more important. Internet piracy of Pakistani music is rampant and accessible to all and sundry. Not only does it affect physical sales of CDs but it also makes it impossible for a record label to even enter the playing field.

The view remains that Fire Records has a monopoly. And right now, it does. Their artist list is massive which includes Ali Azmat, Ali Zafar, Atif Aslam, Strings, Shehzad Roy, Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Zeb and Haniya and Laal. This is just from the top of my head.

Upcoming artists include Hadiqa Kiyani, Kaavish, Call, Mauj and Maryam Kizalbash among many others.
The bigger question is this: Will a monopoly work in the long run? No. After all, how many albums with full promotion can be released by a lone label in a given year? And that too in a country like Pakistan where political tension are always escalating. The stressful environment will reflect itself not just on the creative aspect of music but also on the economic front.

“We don’t want to be the only label in Pakistan. I hope that after this deal more record labels will enter the market,” says Dr Akbar Yezdani.

Currently there are a few other record labels operating in here, but they remain in the shadows. The clout belongs to Fire Records and the company is using it. When record labels realize that royalties are a possibility in Pakistan, they will invest in artistes and actively seek out new talent.

With channels and record labels forging a willing alliance, musicians can hold on to their rights and opt for royalty-based deals. It will also give room to other record labels to enter the game because the investment will not be one-sided. For the music industry, the licensing of music is very good news. It shows that a fool proof structure can come into place.

One step too far… down:MTV Brrrr Awards make you go “Grrrr!”

Maheen Sabeeh
Karachi

When stars go dull blue

There are moments in time when it’s hard to decide what an event actually stands for. You keep wondering if it really is an award show or one of those variety show-like affairs which by their very nature are directionless, boring and more tack-orama than glamourama. One such moment came to life as we witnessed the first ever MTV Brrrrr Awards which were held in Karachi last week.

There were just too many mishaps for one to chalk it up to rookie mistakes. This was a show where the good parts could be counted on fingertips (of one hand) while the bad overshadowed everything.

The countdown to the award show was amidst some serious controversies. A deal was being put together on the issue of licensing of music with Pakistan’s giant record label, Fire Records. MTV Awards propelled the issue to new heights because the majority of nominations were artists who were signed up with Fire Records. Another story was the rumours that nominations were being changed at the last minute.

Amidst all this, the show finally took off. And it all went downhill from there.

Zoo station

All eyes were on the red carpet. It heralds the arrival of stars, the hype and the hoopla, glamour and the drama. Its part of the show and its part of the fun. Sadly, the red carpet was a dead affair. Big names like Atif Aslam, Ali Zafar, Ali Azmat, Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan among a few others were missing. But Strings, Sajjad Ali and Shehzad Roy showed up as did Noori, Zeb and Haniya, Call, Josh, Jal, Fuzon men Rameez Mukhtar, Shallum Xavier and Emmu, Aunty Disco Project (ADP), Mauj, Mekaal Hasan Band, Sajid Ghafoor of Sajid and Zeeshan fame and Adeel Chaudhry to name a few.

This wasn’t a show where musicians were missing (most of the music industry was there) but the spotlight just didn’t shine on them. There were not enough cameras or enough media to give the “music” stars the spotlight that they deserved. If this was a night where music was being celebrated, where was the celebration? Even as the stars kept pouring in, there was no buzz in the air. It was so boring that the red carpet pushed one to take seats, which is unusual at award shows. The red carpet is where all the stars are seen mingling and are simultaneously being followed around by journalists and cameras. That elevates the mood of the night. It creates a starry night where the industry comes together. It makes it stand out. Here there was no such scene even as the industry showed up.

MTV Pakistan is a part of the MTV International franchise. Look at how they play their stars. The fact that some of the big names such as Atif, Ali Zafar and Ali Azmat were not present should have made the organisers elevate the young guns. That is what they did internationally.

Turn 180 degree and watch the Twilight phenomenon at the other end of the globe as an example. Who was Robert Pattinson? A good-looking, struggling British actor who has now taken on the mantle of new heartthrob to millions around the world after playing an immortal vampire in Twilight. He is slated to be the highlight of the MTV Movie Awards this year. Twilight created enough buzz so the organizers even before the ceremony, have placed Robert and his team of vampires in the top slot. That is how young talent enters the industry. The two big films at the MTV Movie Awards include Slumdog Millionaire (which introduced Dev Patel and Freida Pinto to the world) and Twilight which has taken the world market by storm. No one is thinking about Brad Pitt and George Clooney because Rob and Dev are the new poster boys of the changing cinema and public demand.

The connection between MTV Brrrr Awards and the upcoming MTV Movie Awards is simple. One is consciously using young stars to not only fill the vacuum of star power but also elevating them to star status in the process. The latter missed the whole point. How about putting the spotlight on Kamran 82 Rocker – the guy whose song ‘Judai’ captured the nation by storm or Mauj, ADP or Fuzon?

Instead at the MTV Awards more face time went to “international” stars like Juggy D, Veronica, the girls of Serese and H Dhami. To add more fuel to fire, the show went to the extent of awarding them ridiculous awards like Best Bhangra Act Female, Male and Best Breakthrough International Bhangra Phenomenon!

No wonder the vibe within the show was not positive. When Bilal Maqsood came onstage with Faisal Kapadia to pick up the award for Best Music Album for Koi Aanay Wala Hai, he said, “We all know about the situation in Swat and the need for clothes. But after watching some of the performances, it seems we should send some clothes to the UK.”

Was this a reaction to the kind of performance that Serese and Veronica had put up?

Perhaps. After all, the sound wasn’t live. The Serese girls came onstage and moved in a way that seemed highly inappropriate and perplexing. This wasn’t a Bollywood dance show. On Veronica and Juggy D’s performance, a show reel was provided as they both lip-synced to their songs. These songs can only work at (a) wedding affairs, (b) dance floor and (c) LIVE! Even more disconcerting was the fact that their performances where kept for the very end whereas Noori or Zeb and Haniya should’ve been given that slot. For one thing, they were live and secondly, they were the nominees and they are OUR stars.

Smells like teen spirit

There were some good moments. Noori performing ‘Kedar’, a new single from brothers Ali Noor and Ali Hamza and Zeb and Haniya performing two tunes, ‘Kabhi Na Kabhi’ and ‘Rona Chor Diya’ live. The sound was in shambles. Despite technical flaws, Zeb and Haniya and Noori held their own through their vocals and stage presence and it wasn’t easy.

Another high point was Pappu Saeein with his mighty dhol and that resonating, hypnotic sound. He is an impeccable performer who is as powerful on shrines as he is onstage.

Josh dedicating their tune to the musicians of Pakistan like Strings, Jal as well as Ali Azmat whose absence was visible. It was a gesture of camaraderie.

But these few good moments couldn’t be the saving grace for the show.

Here we come, right back where we started from…

Now for the severe, unforgivable blunders.

First was the secrecy behind the music jury. MTV Head Ali Fareed did not disclose the names of the jurors. The reasons for not disclosing also remain a mystery. Without knowing whom the jurors are, one has a certain level of doubt on the nominees even if most are deserving. Who is nominating them and more importantly, how does a jury agree to adding nominations at the last minute? Juries have to be revealed for the show to hold some credibility.

The second issue came once the nominations were released. While the awards office maintain no changes were made in the nominations list, it was surprising to find Mekaal Hasan Band in Best Live Act category, on the night of the event though they were not listed in the original list. In Best Breakthrough Act, Aunty Disco Project (ADP) and Abbas Premjee were also added days after the original nominations were announced. The hidden away jury and last minute changes don’t add up. How do Abbas Premjee and ADP have a just chance to win when they are added days after the original list was released? The Awards office further deepened concern by stating to Instep that “we had the wrong list” even though this nomination list has been the same and even got printed in a weekly and has spread like wildfire throughout cyberspace.

Furthermore, the category of Best Bhangra included Bombay Rockers. Why? It is a category for Pakistani acts. Josh won and rightly so. They release their albums legally with local record labels and can be found in the music circuit regularly. They consistently visit Pakistan, do live shows and are by and large a part of the growing music industry of Pakistan. But Bombay Rockers are no Josh. What qualifies their nomination? It isn’t even about musicianship. It is about the criteria.

Other nominations that sprang at the show included Best OST. Adeel Chaudhry was the only nominee for his rendition of ‘Freaky Freaky’ on Kismet Konnection soundtrack, and as such the only winner. But if Indian film soundtracks are a consideration, where was a nomination for Atif Aslam? ‘Pehli Nazar’ from Race and ‘Ba Khuda’ from Kismet Konnection were tunes that should’ve been nominated but again one is lost when it comes to the nominations.

Then the category of Best Bhangra Act International came across as an effort to please “international” names like Veronica, Juggy D, Serese and H Dhami. Indeed, they are stars and to visit Pakistan in this environment is appreciated but their long performances, constant presence on stage as presenters put people off. Why not focus on homegrown icons who we admire far more than has-been British Asian acts? Even more importantly, why the need to award them without any other nominations? Awards are not post-its that can be given without thought and reason. It all seems too illogical. And yet, Veronica, Juggy D and H Dhami were given awards.

It seemed as if one was attending a badly put together “function”. While the show was taking place, chairs were still being put in place. And the crowd was as mixed as it gets. It was a shaadi-type affair whereas it should’ve been about music aficionados.

The show must go on but there is absolutely no need to live in a bubble. All out battle is ongoing in Swat and over 1 million people have been rendered homeless. There is dignity in acknowledging these facts even at an award show but that moment of humility and national spirit never came.

When Ali Noor walked up on stage and talked about the testing times that we are living in today, it seemed dignified. Bilal Maqsood did the same when he mentioned that clothes were needed for the IDPs.

But where was the acknowledgement from the show, the hosts… Wiqar Ali Khan and Nadia Hussain? And one has to ask, why were they hosting the show in the first place? Nadia Hussain and Wiqar Ali Khan may be eye-candy but neither of the two can keep the audience engaged. The constant “Brrrrs” from the two of them combined with a bad script (if indeed there was one) was beyond annoying. Why ask every presenter to repeat the word? Yes, it’s a sponsored show but there are some limitations. At one point, Josh were asked to say “Brrrr” and thankfully, they said “No”.

And for that Josh truly deserve every award they get!

8×10 Tasveer**

**ing: Akshay Kumar, Ayesha Takia, Sharmila Tagore,
Javed Jaffrey, Anant Mahadevan and Rushid Rana
Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor

What begins as an interesting outing, though, gets boring in the end and the answers don’t give too much of a clue. Indeed, only the identity of the villain is the highpoint.
It isn’t that the film isn’t engaging but it simply loses points because it drags on; this despite the fact that there is only one song in the actual film.
Shot in Canada and South Africa, 8×10 Tasveer looks gorgeous on celluloid. It’s green, lush and shot extremely well. It’s very stylistic for an Indian film, certainly flashy but it works.

The problem is with the script. It meanders on endlessly in the grand tradition of long Bollywood films, a trap that Kukunoor fell into instantly. And even though Akshay Kumar is gripping (it is a nice change to see Akshay Kumar attempt something other than just comedy, which has become his overdone forte), it doesn’t save the film.
When he enters the picture, Akshay becomes lifeless and he does this sequence in various instances quite convincingly. The idea is to show that he is in the past and vulnerable to the real world and Akshay does a splendid job. His demeanor throughout the film is sober, subdued and slightly peculiar and it’s a relief to see Akshay attempt this challenge. But where he delivers, one wonders why Sharmila Tagore signed the film in the first place.
She plays the mother and her role is neither as explosive as a one-off scene cameo and is inadequate for a performer of her caliber. Sharmila Tagore’s presence may add to the film’s star power but it hardly adds to the film.
The other person, who does add slight charm to the film include Ayesha Takia who plays Jai’s girlfriend Sheela. In the first half, she is plain boring but by the end, Sheela plays so many different shades that one is completely thrown off. 
In the end, the biggest problem is the moral correction in the film. The ending is moralistic and Jai is the goody-goody who continues to battle for good. These preachy undertones make the film unbearable by the end. 
Despite the fact that 8×10 Tasveer is the last film to have hit Indian multiplexes before talks broke down between producers and exhibitors there, one would’ve thought that the film would work since it’s the only one out there. But even Akshay Kumar’s star power and one film in the multiplex couldn’t save this show. In India, the film was beaten by Hollywood’s Fast and the Furious and soon it was declared a flop. 
In a nutshell, 8×10 Tasveer begins as a supernatural thriller and turns into a moralistic family saga and the suspense is too thin to keep one engaged. Watch this film only if you’re a fan of Akshay Kumar and want to see some flashy and beautiful cinematography. Otherwise, skip it.

Maheen Sabeeh
8×10 Tasveer is currently playing in cinemas

*YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME

My Zinc Bed****

*ing: Paddy Considine, Uma Thurman and Jonathan Pryce
Directed by Anthony Page
Tagline: Attraction. Temptation. Addiction

My Zinc Bed sees human compulsions and weaknesses and the inability to not walk away in the strangest of ways. That is one out of the many themes this film delves into without being moralistic. It has nothing to do with morals but the sense of self each individual carries with him. The ability to spot deformities and the unsettling inability and lack of will that ties us down. That in a nutshell is My Zinc Bed.
It is about addictions and walking the thin line between giving in to the temptation and struggling to fight back. The emotions are so raw and naked that they are haunting and truly intimate. Anthony Page has picked a very relevant script for adaptation. It doesn’t make you smile and it doesn’t make you cry either. It just questions. Are we all hooked to something?

Paul Peplow (Paddy Considine), a writer and a flat broke poet is an alcoholic. He knows it and this makes him an outsider in the world around him. His aim “is to get through the day”. No human contact, no job, just freelance projects, enough to get him by and maybe he will survive this life.

As Paul says narrates in the film:
“In my own life, nothing that has happened, nothing that can happen, compares with the strangeness of a single summer.”

One summer turn his live upside down.
Paul’s hopelessness comes into full blast when he lands at a lunch with Victor Quinn (Jonathan Pryce), a shrewd, calculating businessman. But Victor knows more about Paul than most interviewees should. He quotes Paul’s poetry to him, entire verses literally and already knows that Paul is not only an alcoholic but his ability to make it to just another day is via Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) meetings. And herein lays the debate, the tension and the addiction.

Victor’s obsession with meetings and his disdain for its effectiveness stems from more than just mere curiosity. His desperation to understand appears because of his own life. It affects him because of the beautiful, fragile and broken Elsa (Uma Thurman) who is Victor’s wife. He picks her off the floor in a bar when she is whacked out on various intoxicants and hits rock bottom. Her addiction, cocaine and booze. Victor enters as the saviour and the two get hitched.

It has been years since they married but the chewing inside their hearts haunts them both.
With Paul Peplow, those hidden emotions break out and spin out of control.

Paul intrigues Victor. And he plays Paul like a pawn in a chess game. Paul’s demeanour reflects a deeper nature of Elsa. In one scene with Paul, she says: “I’m not a stranger to self-hatred”. This despite being she is supposedly cured.

Victor deals the cards and sees who takes the house. Pure and simple. Victor dances in paradoxes and is often clinical when he speaks of his wife, Elsa, as a “friend”.

In one scene as Victor makes that perfect Margarita, it tortures Paul and it is gut wrenching. In another, the first solo meeting between Elsa and Paul bring out their demons to the forefront and it’s confrontation time. It makes for a heartbreaking scene.

If former junkie of epic proportions that is Elsa no longer relies on meetings and is cured, why is Paul relying on them? What is the difference between the two?

Was she even ever cured to begin with or was she masking it for the man who is her husband and does everything right on most days.

Throughout the film, there are debates in the form of simple conversations. The film doesn’t take any swipes. It strategically poses questions.

Make no mistake. This is no Hollywood glamorous film. It is, however, a film that picks modern day insecurities people live with and slashes them down. Whether it is through the lens of a deadlock marriage, the strange connections men and women form while battling inner demons or the attraction to connect with someone who will understand, not pretend to out of love or lust. Can the disconnected fall back into the fold of living beyond existing and blending in the crowd?

My Zinc Bed works not only because of its script but the way the film has been executed.
The close-up scenes, tight editing and raw emotions make this a powerful drama that will leave a lasting impression.

Director Anthony Page’s biggest coup remains the cast.
Watching Uma Thurman, who we will always remember from Pulp Fiction and the Kill Bill franchise is an eye-opener. She completely gives in to the role and that make her vulnerability so much more painful to watch.

Jonathan Pryce as the obsessive intellectual Victor is fantastic. He plays mind games with his wife and the penniless poet as if it’s an art form, bringing out his own insecurities along the way. His role is so layered that it becomes hard to decipher the man until the end which throws you off in a whole different direction.

The lesser known actor in the film Paddy Considine drenches in guilt, self-loathing and desperation. He pulls this role off with such style and range that one is astonished. In British cinema, he is making headway and this film is another achievement for the actor.

Adapted from a David Hare play of the same name, in the end, this film poses one simple yet complex question. If you lose the addiction, do you lose the desire? And without desire, where does one go?

– Maheen Sabeeh

*YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME

From Sa Re Ga Ma to Kohram

Amanat Ali’s debut is all about his passage through India
Instep lends an ear to the most hotly anticipated debut of 2009. We have great expectations from Amanat and can we be blamed?

By Maheen Sabeeh
Artist: Amanat Ali
Album: Kohram**1/2

You make it too hard

For a boy from Faisalabad, the story of Amanat Ali is fascinating. He first came into our consciousness in 2007 as the boy who made it to Sa Re Ga Ma Middle East Challenge. The long-running musical contest out of India has been around for more than a decade and Amanat Ali made Pakistan proud by winning the challenge. That was his first step.

His next move was an entry into Sa Re Ga Ma World Challenge, which was held in India. Amanat Ali made it to the top three and that is no easy feat. His talent crossed borders.

Amanat is just in his early twenties but his rise to stardom has been spectacular.
Bollywood director and choreographer Farah Khan, singer Jagjit Singh and Bollywood music composers Ismail Darbar and Vishal-Shekhar have come out praising Amanat Ali. You can Youtube him to watch his performances and hear what those icons said about him. You’ll even find a clip of his tete a tete with Shahrukh Khan. It’s a meteoric rise for a boy no one had really heard of on either side of the border. This is why, even before Kohram released, Amanat Ali got picked up by Telenor. It is the same Telecom giant that signed on Ali Zafar and Sonya Jehan, both of whom were already established. Amanat joined those haloed ranks without an original song to his credit. Exposure in India works wonders.

With those Telenor advertisements, billboards with his face plastered right next to pop princess Annie, Amanat Ali’s face became familiar. And so we waited for his album.

Amanat Ali’s Kohram is not what one hoped for from the young singer. The expectations from Amanat are sky high because of his vocals. That voice is incredibly powerful. He can be playful and he can be gloomy; he carries emotions very well. He can pitch the high notes with an innate style that is so effortless that he never sounds contrived. We’ve heard him sing Indian tunes on shows and even sing in Bollywood. This is the boy who sang ‘Khabar Nahin’ for the bestselling Dostana soundtrack.

But on his debut album, Amanat does not deliver. Amanat needed a musical album that would make his star shine further. With Kohram, that just doesn’t happen.

Like many other locally produced albums, Kohram is filled with songs that take cues from classical, techno, pop, rock and everything else in between. Unfortunately, that is never a good thing. With one foot in every genre, the album is neither here nor there. Sure, it has some moments but that isn’t enough for it to qualify as a solid debut.

The lead single, ‘Kohram’ is a telling sign. Meaty drums in full force, electric riffs and Amanat Ali singing, “Teri Ankhon Ka Kohram/Teray Hoton Ka Ye Jam/Ab Jo Bhi Ho Anjaam/” – it just doesn’t work. The song falls short.

Remember Ali Zafar’s ‘Channo’? That was a debut to remember. ‘Channo’ wasn’t trying too hard but it worked because the melody was sharp, the song was suitably flippant and so it still remains a pop delight. ‘Channo’ was a fun song and sure, it had a filmi sound to it but the Arabic ethos employed made it stand out.

‘Kohram’ tries desperately to hit hard and is likely targeted towards the dance-friendly masses. Its video, with Amanat Ali dancing and singing like a cross between a Bollywood superstar and a Pakistani pop prince proves this point. But the video draws on heavy influences from India. At live shows, this might be Amanat Ali’s killer track but on its own, this song is forgettable.

And that is inherently the problem with this album. The songs are forgettable. After a few days of listening, if the songs don’t grow on you, the album falls into oblivion. For music aficionados, that will be the case.

The overlapping of genres is not a science and neither is it very uncommon. But it all boils down to the right execution and the creation of a sound that is lasting. But in Kohram, the overlapping genres give it a cheesy feel.

Pick ‘Berung’ for example. It has an inviting opening. Emptiness, starkness and a sense of distortion swell through effectively. But that mood dies instantly when the music expands towards Spanish guitars; as opposed to giving the song an edge, the melodic guitars take it away. And then the song turns into a partial rock song. It’s too confusing to digest.

In a completely different direction, on ‘Rab Janay’ Amanat Ali goes into techno with full blast. It’s definitely catchy because the melody is pretty strong and the soundboard is not too ambitious. There is no musical chaos but the lack of ambition and one singular beat make the song monotonous.
The same can be said for ‘Wari Wari Jawan’ which sounds like a rundown effort of imitating acts like Josh, Raghav and Jay Sean. It’s frenzied and corny.
And then ‘Roya Teri Yaad Mein’ really sounds like a song out of a Bollywood film and not a good one. It actually comes across as one of those tragic love songs, with a mélange of instruments, which come full swing in an Emraan Hashmi film. The song meanders on endlessly.

Meanwhile, a chipmunk seems to sing English verses on ‘Anymore’ and dholaks, beats and electronic wizardry soon take over the song. It is, without a doubt, a shaadi-friendly song. But this is no ‘Mauja Hi Mauja’ or ‘Maar Charapa’. It doesn’t have that timelessness to it.

There are some good moments, though. ‘Raha Jaye Na’ is easily one of the nicest tunes on this otherwise mixed record. With a mournful air, bluesy flute and a mélange of musical arrangements well spread out and Amanat Ali’s melancholy vocals at their finest, it works rather nicely as a ballad. This song has a very moody feel and that works to its advantage.

However, the point is that while Amaanat Ali’s singing cannot be faulted, he is a brilliant singer, Kohram does not manage to carve out an identity for him. It seems to be a showcase for his versatility. But the question remains, as a singer, where is Amanat Ali going to position himself? Kohram does not answer that question; it just makes the question mark bigger.

The Bollywood factor
The good news is that Amanat Ali can carry notes like a pro. His voice remains his biggest asset and his youthfulness will make him an icon for the young and the restless. Barring Atif Aslam and Ali Zafar, the field is wide open and Amanat Ali can easily capture it, provided he steps out of the Bollywood zone. Kohram’s biggest problem is that it has Bollywood written all over it. It doesn’t experiment. Indeed, risks on the first album can be dangerous but no experiments can make it even worse.

One calls this album incoherent because it attempts too much and as a consequence, it comes across as a desperate record, which is trying to please every kind of listener. Amanat Ali is a youngster who can become the next Ali Zafar but he has to choose if he wants to be Ali Zafar or Abrar ul Haq. He can’t be both. The first album is so much more than an album. It is about identity. And at this point, it is clear that Amanat Ali is identifying more with Bollywood than anything else.

Move towards the lyrics and that’s another problem. There are clichés spread throughout.

On ‘Wari Wari Jawan’, the wordplay goes, “Teray Pyar Mein/Main Wari Wari Jawan/Hai Raat Mastani/Thori Se Deewani/Ab Dil Pey Koi Zor Chalta Nahin”. Even more disappointing is the fact that such wordplay is consistent throughout the record.

It may be because there are too many lyricists on this record. Asim Raza, Mubashar Hassan, Amanat Ali, Saaji Ali, Shahbaz Khan and Faisal Sheikh – that’s six writers so the mood is swinging from one side to another without any real direction. There is no poetry here, just cliches thrown together.

Kohram’s lyrics are staple Bollywood. And to imitate Bollywood is a wrong move. They can do film music and when they do it right, it results in records like the Dostana OST, Slumdog Millionaire and Dil Chahta Hai. That is their strength.

Pakistani musicians also have their strength. It’s the antithesis to Bollywood. If one looks at successful border crossing of Pakistani artists, Junoon, Atif Aslam, Shiraz Uppal and Strings, all charmed their way into Indian films because they were different. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s first single was ‘Mann Ki Lagan’ and it was a purely Pakistani production. It was minimalist in sound, beautifully written and sharply produced. Add all that to Rahat’s hypnotic voice and it was bound to be a success. But can the same be said for every Bollywood tune Rahat has ever done? No and that’s because he was simply lending vocals to other compositions.

Our artists made it in India because their sound was distinct and away from the run of the mill songs that Indian films can churn out at rapid speed. It was the freshness of Pakistani music that captured the Indian imagination.

On Kohram, Amanat Ali just doesn’t grasp this fact. But then he began his career from the Indian side in a way. In India, music composers hold creative control while singers come out and sing and that is the end of it. The ideology behind the songs, the themes and the mood, all of it lies with the music composer.
As Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan once said, “You have to make it big in Pakistan to be able to work in India on your own terms.”

Amanat Ali can cater to India and Pakistan both. But he has to realize that the sound and sensibility is different. Indian music is film-oriented. They have films with moods and the songs are inserted into those moods. On an album, there has to be a cohesive theme. It can be bouncy fun like Ali Zafar’s Huqa Pani or introspective melancholia like Ali Azmat’s Social Circus. But it can’t be Bollywood and Huqa Pani tied together. That is what Kohram sounds like. And in the end, that is the one major downer for this record.

And finally, there is the character. Vocals, lyrics, and music give every album a character.

We fell in love with Ali Azmat all over again (after Junoon’s abysmal Deewar) with Social Circus because he came out with an album that had a clear cut sound and had a distinct character. Abrar ul Haq has a bouncy, playful, loud character to his records while Zeb and Haniya have jazz and blues. Strings have a sonorous character and they upped their game with Koi Aanay Wala Hai. Kohram has little character because it has tries too hard… to be a bit of everything.

In the end, Kohram makes two things clear. Amanat Ali has an incredible voice and that fact will keep him going for now. But for consistency in the long run, he needs to operate differently. An album can be all about love but it has to have an edge, a soul and a sense of originality. If Amanat understands this, he will be unstoppable.

Here’s wishing a very talented singer all the best… at carving a niche that is all his own. He is talented enough for people to listen to what he has to say. With that voice, he doesn’t need to play to the varied gallery. His voice is powerful enough to make people sit up and notice. Amanat Ali should carve out an identity that should blow everyone’s socks off… on both sides of the border.

*Burn the CD NOW!
**One time listen
***Worth your while
****Musically sound
*****Get it right NOW!