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TOOBA SIDDIQUI : BROWN GIRL IN THE RING : SUPER MODEL'S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

She is Hot..

Sure-shot indicators that our fashion industry is evolving; innovative fashion houses? Check. Eccentric, avant-garde fashion designers? Check. Models literally stun your attention as opposed to be classic beauties? Umm… two out of three isn't bad. Well, no more. Like the overkill of the perfectly-coiffed all-American models of the seventies and eighties brought about a backlash of eccentric faces in the early nineties. It seems Pakistan too is ready to embrace a more unconventional type of mannequin. Enter Tooba. With her doe-like eyes, dusky complexion and a figure in the early bloom of youth, she is a far cry from the voluptuous Barbie dolls that rule the fashion roost, and yet, she has taken the local fashion scene by storm! From the runway, to print, to commercials, Tooba is the first choice for every discerning trendsetter. Let the Barbies play in their perfect dollhouses – this alternative beauty is on a roll!

Let's get to a controversy right off the bat. Tell us about your spat with Yasir Akhtar during the making of his video.
Yasir Akhtar? Who? Ugh! The guy with the squeaky voice? Is he still alive? I thought he had died a long time ago. I did his music video when I was living in Islamabad and it was a disastrous experience. Probably the biggest mistake of my career!

What was the bone of contention?
I had issues with him because he wasn't professional at all and it was a nightmare for me to work with such a person. So we had some conflicts then. But this is the second in last six years that I am actually talking about him and look at him, he is mentioning me in his interviews.

But he said that he officially launched you through his music video, but you refuse to endorse his assertion.
What? That's news to me by the way. I think he is only spreading this to gain some cheap publicity out of it. The only person whom I would like to give credit for bringing me into this field is Tariq Amin.

But there has also been some conflict between the two of you.
This is such a stale piece of news that it has actually started reeking. Ask me something new.

Like your fracas with Iraj during your recent trip to Singapore. That is something new for you to shed some light on.
To be very honest, I love Iraj. I am not getting diplomatic or anything here. I have always admired her and we've been great friends. But when you're traveling together, there are a lot of issues and things that you simply can't deal with and one tends to get frustrated. That's exactly what happened with all of us on the tour. We had spent like 10 days in Singapore and it was crazy because everyone was missing home and nothing was going right and everyone seemed to be off at one thing or the other. During such times even the slightest of provocation can trigger off a volcano in a person. So I guess it was the circumstances more than personal issues that instigated the near tiff between us. If Iraj has to make an issue out of it, that's fine, but I am keeping it under my hat.

What makes Tooba so vulnerable to fights?
I don't know, you ask the people who get into fights with me on petty issues. I am a very friendly and sweet person; I don't know why people have coloured me bad.

In Late Night with Begum Nawazish Ali, you mentioned that you are planning to settle down in the next three/four years. Why are you in such a rush? Such an early announcement can adversely affect your career-graph.
I wouldn't think it would. I am not ready for a commitment at all at this stage although I am in a relationship. Right now my career is very important to me. I really want to make it big in acting now. I will keep working as long as I am in demand. The thing with commitment is that you really have to divide your attention and can't really focus on your work. Also, there is this absurd mentality in Pakistan about girls in fashion that "Nahin ji, ab tou shaadi ho gayi, ab woh baat nahin rahi," – which is totally silly, you know.

How did you get into acting?
I love acting. It's one of my most favorite jobs. I always wanted to be an actor. It gives me an opportunity to bring out my latent talents. I have always been a big fan of movies. Being on a big screen has been my dream all my life. My eventual goal is to be a reigning silver screen queen and that I will be. Wait and watch.

That reminds me of Saqib Malik's upcoming movie, which has you in the lead.
The movie has already created so much hype even before it has gone on the floors and it is amazing to see that Saqib, who has such a strong background in filmmaking, has been able to garner such an amazing cast for his debut venture.

And what's your role in it?
I am playing a crime journalist – a very positive character. It's a thriller mystery set in Karachi. Let's see how it shapes up.

Be it Saqib, Ali Zafar and now you, everyone seems to be tightlipped about the plot.
That's exactly what I have been told to do by Saqib. I am not really supposed to reveal a lot about my character. That will kill the curiosity.

Are you excited about being paired opposite Ali Zafar?
I have worked with Ali before and I think he is a great artist and a very chilled out guy to work with. Yes, definitely, I am excited about working with him as a heroine and we are aiming to set the silver screen afire with our lethal chemistry.

You say that you want to be a silver screen queen, so would you be willing to cross the border to fulfill this long-cherished dream?
Hell No! I have always said this and I am making my point again that I don't want to go to India because India doesn't need us at all. They already have a big industry and they don't want people from Pakistan to come there and work in their movies. People here are so insecure about their identity there. Whenever anyone from India comes here they roll out the red carpets while they never really give a damn about us. I have worked in fashion shows with Indians and literally they treat us like dirt. I am very patriotic and don't give two hoots about India. I will fulfill my dream in my own country. I will be the queen of Pakistani cinema. I'd rather do something in my own country than just opt for Meera-type roles in India.

Meera-type roles?
Meera-type roles are the roles where you are required to put your anatomy on display with an amazing ease. You can't just show off skin and claim to be a big star in India. That's crap. I want to do family films and be popular in them, not such C-grade films aimed at D-grade audiences.

Would you prefer a small or supporting role in a big blockbuster or a tailor-made role in a small budget film?
It really depends. Up till now, I have only done the lead roles. I am all for doing tailor-made roles now. As for the small roles in a big film, I would like to see who is making this big film and whether the project is really worth spending my time on. If I have a significant part to play and have enough opportunities to display my prowess and capabilities as an actor then definitely I would go for it.

You have worked with Zoheb Hassan in his serial, which had him and Iman in the pivotal roles while you played the sidekick. Doesn't this contradict your statement of playing key roles only?
Yes, it's totally Zoheb Hassan's serial: he is singing, acting and producing it; what else do you expect? He is a sweet guy and thankfully I haven't had any major issues with him. In fact it was a swift ride. He was sweet to all of us and it was fun working with him. I was already in Dubai shooting something else and their crew was staying in the same hotel where I was and there was another girl who was playing my role but she somehow couldn't make it to Dubai so I landed in her shoes. See it's all about luck. And well, I don't say it's a you-blink-and-you will-miss-it kind of role because in the upcoming episode I get a lot of screen time and have a lot to do in the serial.

ZQ in her recent interview describes new girls as "cocky and overconfident."
Hahaha! When she gave you this interview she told me when we met that Sunita and I are not in the newer lot so this statement is not for us. Well, as for the new girls, what can I say, she may have come across such girls which is why she made that statement. I have my own attitude and this works for me, you know. I myself am very cocky, and I don't care whether someone likes it or not. Love me or hate me. That's how I am.

If you were on a deserted island all by yourself, who would you ask to accompany you?
Ameer Zeb (male model)! He is so hot!

If you were trapped in an elevator with Yasir Akhtar, you would…
I would probably kill him or myself.

Iman Ali's attitude or ZQ's down to earth demeanor?
A bit of both. I am quite friendly and down to earth and also have some attitude so I am a mix of both.

Tariq Amin or Nabila? And Why?
I don't know how to answer this one. I have worked with Nabila but not that much. I started working with Tariq at the beginning of my career but haven't worked with him for the past six years. We had a tiff. So, if I have to choose, I guess it would be Nabila.

Vinny, Iraj or ZQ?
Vinny. I love her. I love the way she carries herself. I love her attitude. She knows her mind and I love her for that.

Ather Shahzad or Khawar Riaz? And Why?
I have worked with Ather Shahzad before and I haven't really worked with Khawar, so I would go for Ather Shahzad because I simply adore their work but I would love to work with Khawar as well.

Which female models do you truly detest?
Fauzia. I cannot stand her. I cannot stand a sight of her. I think she looks like dirt in her shoots. She is very bitchy in the sense that she would say things here and there. She doesn't even exist for us. She is a wannabe A-list model but everyone knows that she is not even a C-grade model. She is one of those people who would go at any lengths to get somewhere.

And among male models?
I hardly know any male model. Our male models are a very 'bechara' lot so I think I should spare them.

Where do you see yourself in next 5 to 10 years?
As a big movie star.

INTERVIEW BY AZEEM HAIDER ( COURTESY : DIVA )

Abrar takes 'Preeto' to India


Pakistani pop bhangra sensation and a hit among masses, Abrar–ul–Haque is touring India. Following the footsteps of Ali Azmat, Strings, Ali Zafar, Atif Aslam, Rahat Fateh Ali and of late Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan, he finally visited India to promote his new album in an effort of strengthening ties between the two nations. Abrar, who is currently visiting the city of Jaipur to promote a compilation album, claims that music and art are great means of bridging the gap between the two nations in an interview given to Hindu Times. When asked whether the field of sports is a better ground for bridging this gap, Abrar replied smartly, "I think a cricket match between the two countries is almost like a war with a win or lose situation. But in music and art, it is a win–win situation for artistes and listeners of both sides." The album titled 'Preeto', which is a compilation of his ten biggest hits, has tracks in three languages according to the bhangra singer. He admitted that despite being successful in Pakistan and having a good repute in international countries, he wanted to achieve success in India as they listen to the same kind of music. "The Indian music industry is huge and it is a big platform," says the singer adding, "Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi are common languages in both countries and any album with lyrics in these languages does well in both countries." The singer also added that his songs would be received well in India especially by those who like listening to Punjabi bhangra/pop and romantic songs, and isn't Abrar all about this? Though, it remains to be seen if 'Preeto's' magic can work on the Indians the way it did for us. But all we can say is that we are proud of our pop which has worked wonders across the border and Abrar seems to be just another one in that list.

Ali Haider ready to roll

Sohail Javed has hardly failed to break the monotony of his clichd videos. Or it's probably just because he directs too many of them and when one emphasizes on quantity, quality does suffer. Call's 'Bichar Ke' with the typical rain and love birds situation was a average effort, now he has another very predictable video on air. This time, it's Ali Haider's 'Jab Kabhi,' one of his tracks from the Remix album which was recently released. The album had the same old songs running on remixed melodies. Although the video follows a clichd concept, it has its moments. Ali Haider is not willing to reveal himself from the shadows and has held an apparently innocent girl (Annie of 'Sali' fame) in confinement who is being kept alive by what appeared as two tablets of Disprin in water, every day. The video reminds one of Sushmita Sen's role in Dastak. The candle light dinner shot in the video strengthens the doubt that the video is inspired by the Bollywood flick. Even if it is a sad imitation, the video manages to look good. And speaking of imitation, Aftab Shivdisani's latest movie Ankahee's video sadly is another act of blatant imitation of Fuzon's hit video 'Khamaaj.' With the familiar black and white touch, its only Aftab and not Zara Sheikh this time watching flashbacks of a forlorned life being played on the screen. And 'Khamaj' was ultimately homage to Guru Dutt's Kaaghaz Kay Phool. What goes around comes around. Ali Haider, however sports over done make up and that needs to be taken into account. Though, much speculation is going on about his new album, so lets keep our fingers crossed and expect something that reminds us of his 'Qarrar' days.

Late Night with Begum Nawazish Ali

As far as quirky, cutting edge television is concerned, this show's novelty lasted for about three months before it collapsed on its own weight. Today it is looking more and more like a seriously worn out novelty act continuing to bank solely on the once radical (but increasingly flimsy) idea of using a local drag queen as a talk show host.

The novelty and the awkward quirkiness of it all has dried out; and so has the steam behind the begum's naughty innuendos, as she now sounds like a delusional aunty, quite like the desperate Blanche in Tennessee William's A Street Car Named Desire.

But of course, the initial idea sure was exciting, to the point of being meaningfully perverse, especially in a male dominated society like ours. However, as time goes on, this idea has lost that potent meaningfulness and all we're left with now is a vacant, vain drawing room perversity. Begum sahiba, your slip is showing.

Maachis

The cliche that fashion models should keep their mouths shut makes great sense once you see and listen Ms Zainab Qayyum (aka ZQ) struggle to remain articulate even while mouthing the most inane material to be passed off as a script this side of talk shows.

Based on the "noora qushtie" formula popularized by the pathetic likes of Jerry Springer, it is Maachis' host, ZQ, who ends up sounding the silliest instead of the so-called weirdo guests with their strange domestic squabbles. It can be a most painful sight watching a person with zero gift of gab trying to be witty. She just doesn't have it.

What's even worse, she speaks more (a lot more) than her so-called guests, drowning them with a constant bombardment of chaotic, huff-puff gibberish and god awful one liners!

Maachis certainly is one of the worst things to have come out of modern day Pakistani television. And being the worst in this slot should be enough for ZQ to take some speaking lessons before trying to become Ms. Springer of the East.

On the Fringe

Thank heavens for Fasi Zaka, Sunday night television is not always such a waste of time. Directed by Zeeshan Pervaz and hosted/scripted by Zaka, On the Fringe disguises itself as a hip pop show while cleverly planking it with some intelligent ideological talk thick with Socialist allusions and Social Democratic pleas. And it does so with great wit going to the extent of parodying its own rising celebrity status, while punching away at pop stars and designers, video directors and fashion glossies, all of them realizing the true extent of the damage a long time after Zaka had smilingly departed, biding them luck and good health! Brilliant stuff, really.

With a clear nod at dry British humor coupled with an educated, self-conscious sense of Pukhtoon raunchiness, OTF charms and dazzles in equal parts but somehow manages to stay away from committing any serious offense. Maybe it's due to Zaka's insistence on speaking in English or his highly disarming demeanor, but one does wonder when would their bosses finally get the joke and decide to pull the plug?

Aalim Online

I'm not a religious man. And maybe that's why I do not react the way a lot of very religious people react to this Islamic advice show. Most of them end up foaming at the mouth after watching Dr. Liaquat talk about Islam like Waheed Murad would about chocolate! He's hell of an (over)actor, isn't he? But look carefully to certain contents of his show, beyond the scary looking ulema that he invites and the many truly strange questions they get from the callers. Because of and on the man is not scared to walk into pretty thorny issues like child rape and wife burnings, talking to the accused as if psycho analyzing them like an emotionally charged Freud adorning a Waheed Murad toupee!

He goes all the way, making sure his show addresses certain real social issues as well and not get stuck with trivialities like how religiously correct is the common matter of burping or the taking of afternoon naps. Believe me, such are the all-important issues of quite a few people out there.

Make love, not war



Since time immemorial, artistes have used their power and influence to generate awareness about events that have a major impact on people. Wars have been stopped and lives have been saved as a result of those efforts. Strings' 'Beirut' video, although not entirely a piece of art, seems to be inspired by that of Sarah McLachlan's 'World on Fire'. It graphically depicts the impact of war, making it more real
Strings went from being the boys next door to becoming international musicians, getting worldwide acclaim and becoming Unicef Pakistan's National Ambassadors for HIV and Aids in just over a decade.

With each successive album they released, their sound matured and their lyrics became more meaningful. Their songs had a knack for reaching out to a mass audience, and they managed to grow on all of us.
They had people humming their tunes day in and day out, and it wasn't long before the sound of their music became more and more familiar, even becoming easily predictable sometimes. It just might be about time they do something about that.

Their latest offering, Beirut, written by Anwar Maqsood, although primarily based on the recent bombings in Beirut, is about the implications that war has on society and its people. Bilal Maqsood comments on the song: "This song is not just about Beirut. It is about what is happening in the world around us. It's anti-war." He elaborates that Faisal Kapadia and he, being fathers, were concerned about the younger generation growing up in an increasingly hostile world and the need for them to be more socio-politically conscious. "We didn't want to promote ourselves; we wanted to promote the subject," he stresses.

When Anwar Maqsood was questioned about writing the Beirut song, he replied, "Actually Faisal forced me to write that song. He had already composed the music for it and needed the lyrics. I based it on the movies on Beirut that I used to watch when I was younger. Around the same time, I was also doing a project on Lebanon, so that also helped. The entire song took around two days to write."

Having already written several popular Strings songs, he is expected to be the sole lyricist for their upcoming album, leading one to wonder why him? "We are comfortable working with him. He understands our concepts and our music," replies Faisal. "Being an artiste himself, the way he writes songs tends to produce a very graphical picture of the concept we have in mind. Plus, he writes in such a way that the language isn't difficult to understand for anyone."
Strings' upcoming album is due sometime during the February-March stint, right after the first Islamic month of Moharram. The status on the album is that they have already composed all of the music and are currently spending time in the studio recording it. The lyrics for most of the songs still need to be written, but they have already come up with concepts for each of their songs. There is no particular theme that dominates the album; however, they have composed some songs that touch upon socio-political issues, not unlike Beirut. One of the songs Faisal and Bilal are working on is based on terrorism, the insecurity and uncertainty that surround it. It is about a man who leaves his house, not knowing whether he will be able to return home.


Being Unicef's ambassadors for HIV and Aids, it comes as no surprise that there is also a song on Aids currently in the making. Strings hope to launch the song on December 1st, World Aids Day.

They are currently undecided as to which label to sign up with in Pakistan, but will definitely be signing up with Sony BMG in India, and are currently touring between Nepal, the United States and Switzerland.

Since time immemorial, artistes have used their power and influence to generate awareness about events that have a major impact on people. Wars have been stopped and lives have been saved as a result of those efforts. The video of Beirut, although not entirely a piece of art, seems to be inspired by that of Sarah McLachlan's World on Fire. It graphically depicts the impact of war, making it more real. One has to give them credit for taking the initiative to 'talk' about issues that are currently affecting the greater world.

With the world becoming smaller by the day, what affects a certain group of people isn't restricted to them alone. Rather, it spreads around like fire and indirectly affects all those who are aware of what is going on. It is about time that someone from the media used their creativity to snap most of us out of the materialistically driven haze we seem to be perpetually lost in and made us sit up and take notice. We're glad Strings are doing their little bit.

Strings of hope can take you far



Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood, the dynamic duo of the sensational Pakistani band, Strings have rocked the sub-continent's music world since the release of their album, Duur in 2001. One of their major achievements has been their opportunity to be part of the soundtrack of Spiderman II with the song 'Najanay Kyun'. During their recent visit to Dhaka, they spoke to Hussain Amir Ali




Xtra: Tell us about the beginning of Strings.

Strings: Well, Bilal and I were both students of the Commerce College in 1989 doing our Intermediate level studies. The two of us along with two other friends of ours decided to start a band and that's when Strings originated.

How was the public response towards such a young group of musicians?

Till 1988, when Ziaur Rehman was the president, Pakistani music was declining. There was not much entertainment for the people but after the president's death there was a major change. Horizons for entertainment started to broaden and diversify and the people gave us a lot of encouragement. For us, 17 and 18 year old boys, it was overwhelming to receive so much support.

It was the unconditional support from our family, friends and well-wishers that motivated us to release our two albums, Strings (1990) and Strings 2 (1992).

Bilal, was there any advantage for being the son of the famous playwright, Anwar Maqsood?

Yes of course! Initially it helped Strings a lot. His influence enabled us to get a chance to play in concerts and other events. But once the people recognised us and appreciated our music, we entered the grand stage of Pakistani music ourselves.

Strings suddenly vanished after the release of the Strings 2. What exactly happened?

As soon as we recorded our second album, I went to USA to pursue a degree in Business Studies. Bilal joined the arts college and two other members permanently settled in their fields of work.

Why was Strings reformed after such a long break?

We had finished our studies by then and Faisal was back in Pakistan again. Our passion for composing good music took the better of us and we decided to start again in 2000. Eventually, in 2001 we released our album Duur.

Did you ever, in your wildest imagination, dream that one day you would be at this stage?

No, never. I always was into the business sort of thing while Bilal was more into the advertisement sector. It was this passion for music that pulled me back. Our families just wanted us to be successful in any field we chose. I am happy to have taken the decision of coming back to this line and succeeding in it, as it bore us the fruit of my family's unconditional support.

Why did you release your albums Duur (2001) and Dhaani (2004) in India as well?

When Strings 2 was out in the market, our song 'Sar ki yaen' was appreciated in India as well. So when we got back together and planned to release our next album, we were approached by a couple of music labels to release the album in India as well. Thankfully, both our albums fared well with the Indian audience and this helped us to make a stable position in the music industry of the sub-continent.

Apart from that, an exposure to the worldwide media helped spread the music a lot and that is exactly what India had to offer. Though the fans in Pakistan are very enthusiastic, India gave us exposure to a very big market.

During the last Indian cricket team's tour of Pakistan, you along with India's Euphoria sang the theme song for the series. You have also sung one of the theme songs for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003. What is this connection between Strings and cricket?

Basically, we love cricket and these two events were good opportunities for us to merge both, music and cricket, together. The Indian tour was an important series as it relieved the tension between the two nations. Our song aimed to spread the message of friendship and it received great response from everyone.

How has underground music grown in the sub-continent in the past few years?

The present generation are more into the Rock and Roll genre and classical music has now taken a backstage after its long lasting dominance. The present underground scene has grown tremendously and new bands are coming up everyday in Pakistan. The most recent band stepping in the Indian industry is Jaal, which has been a part of the sound track of the Bollywood movie, Zeher.

The industry in Pakistan is booming while the underground music industry in Bangladesh has astonished us. We never expected to see such a large industry here and so much enthusiasm among the people over band music.

How has this trip to Bangladesh been?

Awesome! We were surprised to see that we have such a fan base here. We never expected that people here listen to our music as much as they do in Pakistan. They knew our songs very well and it's always fun to perform in front of a participating crowd.

Your advice to the aspiring musicians in this country.

Bangladesh has some brilliant musicians and it is producing great musicians for the future as well. The industry is huge and the Bengali band culture is growing. All I'll say to those who want to make it big time is that you have to make a place in your country first. Once you are successful in your country then the world will follow.

It's very difficult in the beginning but don't lose hope. You can never compose good music if you don't have the passion or are just there for the album making. And you should always be consistent with your performance.