The storyteller

interview

Jemima Khan sheds light on the experience of making documentaries and how it compares to working on scripted projects.

Jemima Khan has been in the public eye for much of her adult life, garnering (often unsolicited) attention for everything from her personal exploits to her philanthropic efforts. But what you may not realize about her is that she has also established an impressive career as a documentary producer. Through Instinct Productions – a content company she founded almost a decade ago – Jemima has helped shine a light on interesting real-life stories and fascinating individuals, with her work earning praise along the way.

“I really like producing documentaries,” Jemima tells Instep, “and I normally have a really personal reason for making the stories that I then devote myself to.”

The projects she has backed include the Emmy-nominated docuseries The Clinton Affair, which explored the Bill Clinton–Monica Lewinsky scandal – a subject she revisited in the Golden Globe- and Emmy-nominated Impeachment, the third season of the scripted American Crime Story anthology series, for which she, again, served as a producer – and another Emmy-nominated documentary, The Case Against Adnan Syed, the story of a young man wrongfully convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend.

Comparing the experience of producing documentaries to that of working on a scripted project – like her new film What’s Love Got to Do with It?, her foray into screenwriting – the Brit highlights the difference in control over the projects and how long it takes to complete them. “Producing normally takes a couple of years, and you see it through to the end and you are intricately involved, but it's not the same thing as writing,” she says. “Writing was a completely different experience.”

She also feels there are things you can achieve with a scripted project that you perhaps can't do with a documentary. “I have one project where I did both the documentary version and the scripted drama version. That was the Monica Lewinsky impeachment story,” she elaborates. “I think we could possibly do more to show the turmoil and pain of the central character of Monica Lewinsky with a scripted drama, because you could go behind the scenes, and you could see stuff that isn't on camera; you have to make that stuff up but I think there's a level of emotional engagement that you can get sometimes with scripted that you might not be able to get if the archive is lacking with a documentary.”

It was perhaps this flexibility that inspired her to go the scripted route with What’s Love, a film with which she aimed to present Pakistani in a positive light. “I wanted it to be a very celebratory film about Pakistan. I wanted it to be about colour and music and architecture and the food and really to get a very visceral sense of the country. I felt that a cinematic experience on the big screen would do that more effectively.”

She remains passionate about her documentary work though, and you can see why, given the impact some of her projects appear to have had. 

Coming out this year is the final episode of the docuseries she made about the case of Adnan Syed, the American Muslim who was put away for life when he was 17 for a crime that he did not commit. “We made a documentary about that for American and British TV called The Case Against Adnan Syed. Basically that boy was incarcerated because of Islamophobia straight up because they had a so-called cultural consultant – a white American consultant – who went into the court and said these people do honour killings; basically on that basis, without any DNA evidence, without any motive, he was put away for life. So he's been in jail for the whole of his life.”

Adnan, now in his mid-40s, has just been exonerated, thanks in part to the work by Jemima and her team. The upcoming episode sees Adnan walking free and moved the producer to tears. “I watched the cut last night and it made me sob, because his family really remind me of Imran's family, my ex-husband's family,” she says. “They're a Pathan family and I think his ancestors are from Lahore, and it's so moving, because this family has been destroyed by what happened to them. The father hasn't left his bedroom and became agoraphobic because of the shame and because of the grief of what happened. This A grade student who was wrongly convicted, and you see the moment where he walks in and he hugs his father after 20 plus years and it's very moving, so I’m very privileged to have been part of that [project] because some of the evidence that we collected over the making of the documentary is what got him freed in the final episode.” And that, she explains, is why she remains passionate about exploring real-life stories and documenting reality.

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 26th March, 2023 *

All you need is love

cover story

English writer and producer Jemima Khan talks to Instep about her film, What’s Love Got to Do with It?

Jemima Khan is an absolute pleasure to speak with.

You might expect her to have airs and graces – what with her affluent upbringing, global recognition, successful media career, high-profile relationships, and proximity to royalty – but nothing could be further from the truth.

The Brit is about as delightful as they come. 

Sitting in her London office, dressed in off-white and looking as lovely as always, the writer and producer joins me for a chat over Zoom. She is friendly, candid, and forthcoming, as we delve into the subject of our conversation: her work, primarily her new film, What's Love Got to Do with It?

Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match

The British romcom marks Jemima's debut as a screenwriter, and takes a cross-cultural look at love through the lens of Lily James's Zoe, a documentary filmmaker who follows her childhood friend, Kaz (Shazad Latif), as he opts to let his family arrange his marriage.

It's a sweet, fun drama, driven by Jemima's warm script that weaves Pakistani culture into the British tale. So what sparked the idea for the movie? 

“It kind of started when I came back from Pakistan, having lived there for ten years,” she replies. “My friends were at the age that they were looking to settle down and have children and looking for suitable partners. Because I'd just come out of this ten years where it was completely normal for family to get involved in the choice of suitable partners, I would get overly involved and start saying, 'ok let's look at it like an arranged marriage', and they were like, 'wait, what are you talking about?!',” she laughs.

Jemima's understanding of the whole “arranged marriage” concept had evolved during her stay in Pakistan. When she first arrived here at age 20, she saw the tradition as an outdated idea that really had no place in the modern world. By the time she left a decade later, she could see that it actually worked quite well in some circumstances, particularly when it took the shape of what her former in-laws would call “assisted marriage” where it was essentially an introduction made by the people who love you most and know you best. “I started to see that as just as good an introduction system as a random algorithm on a dating app over here,” she says. “And so I started having this conversation with friends here, and then I started to think what would have happened if I had been in my 30s, hadn't had the backstory that I've had, I hadn't been married with kids – what would happen if someone like me had had an arranged marriage in my early 30s? Who might my parents have chosen, and would it have worked out? And then I thought, well actually maybe that's a premise for a film! Maybe we'll have these neighbours who live together and the non-Pakistani family start off very sceptical but then it gets to the point where the non-British Pakistani character, who's played by Lily James, turns to her mother and says, 'alright, give it a go'. So that's where it started.”

Labour of love

The film has now arrived in cinemas, 14 years after its idea first popped into the writer’s mind. It took her a decade to write the screenplay (not full-time, of course; she was fitting the project into a busy schedule that included running a production company, and also still learning the mechanics of writing a screenplay). She almost gave up several times along the way, thinking the project was never going to happen, but her persistence eventually paid off. 

“When people are asking me what my next project is now, I'm like, well, you know, you'll see it in 2040 probably. I mean it takes such a long time!”

Not only does it take long, but the process of making a movie involves a lot of people – from directors and editors to actors and musicians – each of whom leave their mark on the project. “I've written probably a thousand different drafts of this,” she states, “because every single time a new person is attached to it, they give you notes, and then you rewrite it.” 

That explains why the movie we have ended up with isn’t quite the film Jemima set out to make. “It's a different project from the one that I embarked on,” she says. “There are so many different people involved in the making of a film that from start to finish, it's a completely different thing. How I first imagined it is not how's it's turned out, for better and for worse. … There are definitely things where it achieved more than I hoped and things where it achieved less than I hoped.”

Some of the elements that changed along the way? “I started off with the Lily James character being a boy,” she reveals. And there were a few actors – including Rob Brydon – who never made it into the final cut, mainly because of the length of the movie. “There was another sibling in the film and their husband [as well],” she tells. “We cut them out because it was just too many different stories to follow. And nothing to do with them. They were brilliant. But you know it just sometimes happens.”

Picture perfect

When it came to the cast, Jemima feels that her team were incredibly lucky. Every actor who ended up in the movie – from the leads to Shabana Azmi, Emma Thompson, and Sajal Aly – had actually been the filmmakers’ first choice. 

“I always really wanted Shazad Latif to play the main lead guy in it. I'd seen him in another film and thought he was really good for the part. And then it happened that he is really good friends with Lily James; they're childhood friends, so it suited the backstory of the characters really well.” 

The effortlessly charming Emma Thompson was a very obvious choice to portray Zoe’s mother. “We wanted someone of similar stature and similar talent to play opposite Emma and Lily. Sajal Aly felt like that for Lily and Shabana Azmi felt like that for Emma. They felt very well matched. I really believe that Emma and Shabana were friends and lived next door and adored each other, and I felt that Sajal needed to be a really plausible love rival for Lily James, and I feel like Sajal manages that.”

Even Asim Chaudhry was hand-picked by the writer. “I wrote the part of Mo the matchmaker for him. My children are really big fans of his, and I basically sent him a begging direct message on Instagram, saying ‘please, please, please, my children will love me forever if you agree to be in this film!’”

Her plan to please her kids appears to have worked; the movie has their seal of approval! “I was really nervous showing them [the movie] because they're my biggest critics and they don't like romcoms,” she says. “Actually they were really sweet. They shed a tear, they definitely laughed, and they said they were proud, so that was one of the best moments for me in the whole process. I showed them quite an early cut and we did it in the screening room at work, and I remember having this thought, ‘oh it doesn't matter, whatever else happens, even if no one else likes it, my children have liked it, and I have to try and remember this moment’.”

Who needs a stereotype when a stereotype can be broken?

As luck would have it though, her children aren’t the only ones who have positive things to say about the movie. And while she wants people to be entertained by the romcom, Jemima also hopes to demolish a few stereotypes and misperceptions along the way.

“One of the best things to have come out of it is that loads of my friends who have never been to Pakistan are like ‘oh my god, we wanna go to Pakistan!’ I feel like it should be on the tourist board,” she jokes.

“Maybe if some previously held ideas are somewhat challenged [by watching] the film, then that's a good thing,” she says. “To be honest, one of the other reasons why I made it was because I used to always hear my friends, [especially] in Lahore, where they would say the way we are always projected on screen in all the films that win awards, we are always the baddies. The Muslims are always the baddies in Hollywood films, in things like Homeland or Zero Dark Thirty. Pakistanis and/or Muslims are always seen as the shady ISI operatives, the terrorists, and all the [villains]. And I think it was a challenge. It was my aim to make a film in which that's not the case and actually the Pakistani family are very aspirational and there aren't really any baddies in the film, and it's a celebration.” 

Jemima is touched by the response of British Asians who have remarked on this aspect of the movie. “I feel like my intentions have been fulfilled. I set out with a very clear intention. I actually really wanted Pakistanis to like it. I was really most nervous about that audience. You know the concept of niyat, about intentions – it was one of the nice philosophies that I took away from Pakistan, that actions should be judged by intentions. And that was definitely my intention. Whenever I got scared about the film, I’d think, ‘it's ok, whatever the reaction, you know what your intentions were’, and I think that that has hopefully paid off in the reaction here.”

Real to reel

While What’s Love Got to Do with It? is inspired by some of the things she experienced during her decade in Pakistan, the project is not autobiographical. But if someone were making a movie about her life, who would she want to portray her in the film? “Gosh!” she smiles. “I don't know! I don't think I’d write a film about my life,” she chuckles. “I'd be too worried about breaking confidences and upsetting people, so I don't know. I genuinely have never thought about that.”

And would she consider writing an autobiography? “I think the same answer applies. I think … “ she pauses. “I would consider it; whether I would ever actually do it is another question. I think probably not. The answer is not at the moment.”

She will, however, continue to shine a light on the lives of people who deserve it. Her upcoming work includes the final episode of the documentary The Case Against Adnan Syed. (You can read more about her documentary projects in our next issue.)

And yes, she is also planning to do some more screenwriting. “I think I'm going to write something … I have an idea what it is but I'm not totally sure so I can't talk about it yet. You'll hear about it in 15 years!”

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 19th March, 2023 *

Catching up with Momina Sibtain

interview

The YouTuber talks to Instep about her online show and what its latest season has to offer.

She has taken us inside Ali Zafar's house, had a quickfire chat with Brazilian footballer Kaka, driven along the streets of Islamabad with Momina Mustehsan, and conversed with the likes of Maya Ali, Ali Sethi, Ahmed Ali Butt, Gohar Rasheed, Ayeza Khan, and Faraz Manan, among many others.

Momina Sibtain is now giving us the third season of her YouTube venture – the fashion, lifestyle, entertainment, and travel channel Momina's Mixed Plate – interviewing more celebrities in her chatty, bubbly style.

Instep caught up with Momina to find out more about her experiences with MMP and navigating the world of online content.

Instep: What inspired you to create Momina's Mixed Plate?
Momina Sibtain: I think initially when I was starting and developing the show, I saw the market and there wasn't anything like MMP that existed on YouTube or on television. The idea behind it was to create a light-hearted show that wasn't crass, that was not driven by controversy. Over time it has evolved into something that is a lot more wholesome, I believe, and the conversations have definitely changed, but, again, the initial inspiration was to have something like Jimmy Fallon and Ellen, something along those lines, which is light-hearted and chill and more accessible, especially in English, because I thought that, especially with Pakistani content growing amongst the diaspora, no show in English existed, so this was one way of adding to that.

Instep: What sets MMP apart from other local celebrity/showbiz-focused YouTube channels?
MS: I think what sets it apart is that obviously the language is different; it's not in Urdu, it's more minglish and more English, so it is targeting a different audience altogether. But I think I’m a huge part of the show itself, and my personality is a big part of MMP. And while a lot more show can exist of the same format, my voice and my personality itself adds to the mix; I'm not trying to be conceited or self-absorbed, but I just think that it is what sets it apart – that I'm a part of it as well. Like, I’m an equal part of the show as my guest. And I enjoy having conversations and it is all very conversation driven so it's not very pre-planned. I have a loose structure that I follow and as I'm growing, the show is growing, so let's see where it goes.

Instep: How hard (or easy) is it to carve a niche for yourself online in an era of content overload and endless entertainment options?
MS: I believe with anything sustainable, it has to be very organically grown. I feel like one hit wonders or overnight successes don't really amount to a lot in the long run. So yes, it's not easy; I wouldn't say it's easy. But if you love something, you have to chip at it consistently. There are frustrating days and then there are great days and then there are days where it's completely stagnant and then there are days when you see a decline and then there are days when you see an upward graph. So you have to kind of just be ok with that and also know that your self-worth or what you're putting out there is not just based on the numbers that you're seeing, so they'll come – they will come at some point. Just keep evolving, see what the audience is enjoying, or if you really believe in a vision then believe in the vision and stick to your guns.

Instep: What can you tell us about MMP season 3?
MS: MMP season 3 is a real labour of love. It is the season that I am most proud of. When I looked at my set, I had tears in my eyes. I didn't know how and when I got to this place where I am. It's a season that's very close to my heart. It shows you a lot of my evolution as a host and season 4 will probably be even more evolution of me and how the show evolves with me.
There's a great line-up of guests. The conversations are fantastic. There are some conversations that when I took them to the editing board, I was very excited and proud that I was able to have these conversations very openly and very candidly. I think, also, as I'm maturing and growing older, I'm understanding just how to converse with people in a slightly different manner. 

Instep: Out of all the people/celebrities you have interviewed so far, who has been your favourite? And why does this interview/experience stand out?
MS: There have been so many that I can't really name one. We record back-to-back, so each episode is like, you're in and out, in and out, in and out. My energy is running super high, and I’m in that consistent mode throughout. So I can't really pick one favourite episode or one favourite celebrity, but if I just take season 3, my personal favourite episodes are … Mathira's episodes are really good, Mansha Pasha and I have this wonderful conversation on marriage, Khalid Malik and I spoke about spirituality. I'm enjoying the conversations a lot more which are more heartfelt, which are more honest and authentic to someone's true self, so I guess now that is what I’m enjoying more.

Instep: What about your least favourite interview to date? Was there ever a time when the conversation just didn't go the way you would have hoped?
MS: Well, the least favourite would be … I think when I was starting out initially, there were one or two guests that … it was my shortcoming that I couldn't connect with them. And I normally don't have this issue but one or two guests I didn't connect with, and I think they were also a bit camera shy, so the interviews didn't come out that well. But I would not like to name people because it's not something nice to say. 

Instep: The YouTube comments section: do the negative comments ever get to you? How do you handle the criticism?
MS: Like with anything else in life, I think you have your days and I have my days as well. There are moments where I'll ignore negative comments because there are a lot that come through on YouTube especially. But then there are days … I’m human, there are days where I’ll snap and I might be having a bad day and I just … you know you don't want to hear [bad] things about you being written online, like you look bad or about your appearance or about your laugh. So yeah, it can be tough, but over time I’m growing a thicker skin, but again it's a very human process; I don't think there's any one way of handling it. One is that don't read them, but sometimes you do come across them and sometimes they will irk you and trigger you in different ways. I don't think they'll ever go away. In our country, people are just very miserable in their lives and they're just very unhappy people. There's just so much unhappiness around us. Yeah, there are days when they affect me and there are days when they don't affect me at all. As I'm evolving and growing, the days where I actually snap are far less now; it's like once in a blue moon now.

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 19th March, 2023 *

Crowning glory

cover story

Humayun Saeed talks to Instep about his appearance in the latest season of The Crown and navigating success on both the big screen and the small

It’s the year 1995. Relations between Prince Charles – the heir apparent to the British throne – and his estranged wife, Princess Diana, are becoming increasingly strained. What started with a fairytale wedding is now inching towards a nightmare divorce. The very public airing of dirty laundry is giving the House of Windsor a splitting headache, and Queen Elizabeth has supposedly advised that her eldest son and his bride of nearly a decade and a half officially part ways. 

Amidst all this royal drama, Diana has formed an attachment with a British Pakistani heart surgeon, Dr. Hasnat Khan. Their friendship soon blossoms into a relationship. 

It is one of the most highly-publicized romances of the princess’s life, and now, nearly a quarter century later, it is one of the storylines in the latest season of the massively popular Netflix series The Crown, a show that has taken the endless supply of drama that spills out of the British monarchy, plumped it up with a generous dose of imagination, and turned it into riveting television.

Netflix’s crown jewel

Centered primarily on Queen Elizabeth II, the series has charted the life of the now-late sovereign and her family from the 1940s onwards, with wholesale recasting every two seasons. Now in its fifth and penultimate season, the show has arrived at the ‘90s, a challenging decade for the British royals, when tumult and scandals were frequently rocking the monarchy and gossip mills were in perpetual overdrive.

It’s the latest 10 episode batch – not yet released as I write these words but out by the time you’re reading them – of Peter Morgan’s series, and the entire cast has, once again, been overhauled. But perhaps what is most pertinent this time around, at least from a Pakistani perspective, is the presence of a very familiar face: that of the great Humayun Saeed, one of the most prominent names in our industry. He is portraying the aforementioned Hasnat Khan, the doctor who won the Princess of Wales’ heart and had a two-year relationship with her that ended just weeks prior to her untimely death in 1997.

It’s a relatively short but vital role – Humayun appears in episodes seven and eight of season five – and one that gives the performer an excellent chance to make an international mark, a chance that came about when talent collided with serendipity.

A right royal role

“It all started with a call from Hamid Hussain, who is now my talent agent,” the actor tells Instep. “I knew him from before. He used to manage Bollywood star Nargis Fakhri, and some time ago, before the COVID pandemic, I was planning to work with her on one of my projects.” That project did not pan out, but Humayun and Hamid remained in touch. An altogether different opportunity eventually presented itself. “One evening, out of the blue, I got a call from Hamid, who was in London then, and he told me he wanted me to audition for a role. Before he could tell me about the part, I was required to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement), and then when he shared details, I was pleasantly surprised.”

Then came the audition. “I had not auditioned after my first project, so recording my audition was a unique experience this time,” Humayun reveals. “Soon after this, I had online reading sessions with the director and then Elizabeth Debicki [who portrays Diana]. After this Hamid disappeared for a good ten days and I assumed that maybe the role went to someone else, but then I got a call from him on the tenth day confirming my selection for The Crown!”

And so he landed a role on one of the most critically acclaimed shows in the world, and with the part came the challenge of portraying a real life person on screen. Did he feel any extra pressure or added responsibility, given that the character was based on an actual person? “As an actor, this is the first time I am playing a character based on a real life person and it is challenging to pick up someone’s persona and to portray that person accurately on screen,” he replies. “Dr. Hasnat Khan is known to a lot of people due to his connection with Princess Diana. Everyone has their own feelings about public figures and a sort of attachment to them, so portraying a real life character always builds extra pressure as you are always thinking, what will people think about this, what will the real Dr. Hasnat Khan think about this?”

Humayun describes Hasnat as “an ordinary looking, introvert man who was the total opposite of Princess Diana,” and feels that it was his simplicity that brought the two closer.

To prepare for the part, the actor had to learn more about the man that inspired his character. The show’s creatives shared their research with the performer, and Humayun even had to attend a workshop with a real life surgeon to understand how a surgeon would react and behave in a hospital setup and operating room. He also had to alter his appearances and style to match that of the person he was portraying. “For this role, I look completely different,” he says. “I have a specific hairstyle. The way I talk and act is all based on what I understood from the research material. I even put on some weight for this role.”

It also helped that the actor was performing alongside the very talented Elizabeth Debicki, the Diana to his Hasnat. “She is an amazing co-star,” Humayun gushes. “Most of my scenes in the show are with her and the director had done a joint online reading session with us to see our chemistry before I was confirmed for the role, so we had already interacted with each other before we met on the first day on set. She is so particular about everything, and the effort she puts into her performance and preparing for it totally amazed me. In our conversations, I spoke about Pakistan and she wanted to know more about our culture, our people, and also our entertainment industry.”

King of the hill

Speaking of our industry, how different was the experience of working on a foreign show like The Crown versus working on local projects? “It is never fair to compare a production like The Crown to Pakistani productions as they work on different scales,” the actor answers. “Having said that, there is definitely a lot for us to learn,” he concedes. “I feel that the perfection that I saw on The Crown's production was on the next level. There were so many people on set, but everyone knew what they had to do and they were doing it all effortlessly. We need to learn and bring this level of professionalism to our industry.”

Humayun has unique insight into the workings of our entertainment industry. Not only is he one of the reigning stars of both film and TV in Pakistan – having appeared in movies like Bin Roye (2015), Jawani Phir Nahi Ani (2015), and Punjab Nahi Jaungi (2017), and television dramas including Uraan (2010 – 2011), Dil Lagi (2016), and Meray Paas Tum Ho (2019 – 2020), and winning numerous awards along the way – he also runs the Six Sigma Plus media production house and has witnessed the evolution of our industry firsthand over the last three decades. “From the 1990s to now, the industry has evolved. We have definitely come a long way. But there is still a lot that needs to be done,” he opines. “This year has been a good year for the film industry and I am hopeful this will give producers the courage to make bigger and better films. Our digital OTT (over-the-top) landscape is still in its nascent stage and that will also need to be developed to open more opportunities.”

As for which medium he prefers to work in, the actors says he finds movies and television both challenging and rewarding in their own way. “I have never felt that one is more rewarding than the other,” he explains, “and thus I have always maintained my relationship with both. Also, it is difficult for me to choose as my fans have loved me on both mediums and given me just as much love for my TV series as they have for my films. And at the end of the day this love and appreciation is the biggest reward.” 

That is precisely how he defines success – he thinks it lies in the love, appreciation, and recognition he and his work receive from fans and people in general. “I don’t do work with the intention of how successful that project will be or how successful I will be after that. I do work that I feel strongly about. It’s the same case with The Crown. It is a guest role, but I felt strongly about it and thus I went ahead with it. I didn't want to see how many scenes I will have or how many dialogues I will say; I did it as I felt strongly about it. And fortunately this thought process has always worked for me and people have loved my work.”

What’s next for Humayun? He is looking at some interesting projects at the moment, he tells us, and has also done other international auditions recently as well. “I am not sure what will be next,” he says, “but I know one thing for sure: whatever I do, it will be really good!”

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 13th November, 2022 *

Rider of destiny

interview

Singer and actor Farhan Saeed speaks to Instep about his journey in the entertainment industry, from his time with pop rock band Jal to his upcoming film Tich Button

Buried under a layer of dust in a forgotten corner of a bookshelf, I locate, after a considerable amount of searching, my old university yearbook. Each person in the 2001 batch at the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (FAST-NU) has their own page in this rather hefty volume. It takes me a while to find the entry I am looking for: roll number 1413 – Farhan Saeed Butt.

Several of his friends have shared their comments about him on his page. There is a fair degree of ribbing going on.

“A guy with a beautiful voice and zero coding skills,” one class fellow jests. “I remember the time when I spent a whole night teaching these guys assembly [language] and he got a zero in the final!”

“Jughatain jitne marzi lugwa lo, mazak jitna marzi karwa lo, bus kaam koi nahi kurna,” another japes before warning all his female fans that Farhan “sukht flirt hai and buhat dhokay baaz hai.”

“Ego honi chahiye banday mein, per bila wajha ki nahi,” yet another friend writes, a stuck-out tongue emoticon firmly in tow.

So a lot of glowing testimonials about a promising young man, basically. 

All kidding aside though, there is one thing that nearly all the commentators agree upon: the dude has an amazing voice. It’s this voice that has propelled Farhan to fame.

The story, as he recalls, begins on the grounds of the aforementioned university where a reluctant performance unexpectedly ended up changing his life.

“There was an event at FAST that my friends were arranging,” he reminisces, “and they had a slot of ten minutes which they were not sure what to do with. They asked me if I could perform. I was very dicey at the start, but when they had no other option, I agreed to sing. I did two songs and performed for about 10 to 15 minutes.”

It just so happened that one Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan was in the audience. “I, of course, knew that Xulfi was two years senior to me at FAST. Many members of the band EP studied there, including Fawad who was one year senior to me.” Xulfi heard Farhan sing and subsequently introduced him to Jal guitarist Goher Mumtaz who had, by this time, parted ways with Atif Aslam. They quickly bonded and started recording songs that would end up on the group’s first album, Aadat. The rest, as they say, is history.

“Jal was one of the best time periods of my life,” he states. “It seems like some other life now. It’s been a while. I spent ten years with the band. Some of the best times of my life were with Jal. The band life is, in itself, a great thing to experience. And yes, we had a lot of fun and Alhamdulillah, by the grace of God, we saw the best times any band could see. We toured the world, we saw hardships together, we saw [success] together. I was a teen when I joined Jal, and I left when I was 28, so a decade of my life, my prime youth, was with Jal, and I loved every bit of it! I miss it sometimes, but it’s beautiful and I want it to be like that in my memories forever.”

Did he face any challenges while navigating a solo career after his exit from the band? “It’s a new world altogether when you go solo,” he replies. “You have to do everything yourself. In Jal my role was that of a vocalist. When you go solo, you need to compose, write songs, jam with other people. In a band, when you’re working with one composer, your chemistry and understanding develops. When you go solo, you have to work with a lot of composers and teams. So yeah, it was quite challenging at the start, but by the grace of God, it worked for me. In the early stage of my solo career, Allah really helped me make good songs that people actually liked. That belief and the fans’ trust in my work – that gave me confidence. It was difficult at the start, but then things went smoothly. All that was because of fans accepting my music.”

Looking back at his early solo releases, he is proud of songs like ‘Pi Jaun’, his collaboration with singer Momina Mustehsan; the track ‘Naam-e-Wafa’ which appeared on the soundtrack of a Bollywood movie; and ‘Roiyaan’, a track he wrote with Kumaar when he was in India, and which subsequently won him the Song of the Year trophy at the Lux Style Awards and the Best Solo Single accolade at the Hum Awards.

His next musical release is a collaboration with another popular singer. “Because of COVID and lockdown, I had time on my hands and was able to give time to my music. Very soon you’ll see my new singles coming out. One of them is with Aima Baig. It’s called ‘Akhiyan’ and it will be out in a week or so. It will be followed by two to three other big releases. Fans who love my music … I haven’t done justice to them in the past two to three years, so I’m going to make it up to them. This year and next year will see a lot of music releases. I do hope COVID goes away very soon and we can return to the stage and perform for our fans, because performing on stage will always be my first love.”

Speaking of his serendipitous foray into the music industry, Farhan agrees that fortune played a huge role in the trajectory of his professional life. “I never thought that I was going to be a musician,” he says. “I think it was destiny. Nothing was planned at all.”

Singing, of course, is no longer Farhan’s sole claim to fame. Of late, it’s his acting career that has been keeping the multi-hyphenate entertainer busy.

“Just as music was destiny for me, acting was destiny for me too,” he says. “When I was doing music, both with Jal and as a solo artist, I got quite a few acting offers from India and Pakistan, and I explicitly said no because I never thought I was going to be an actor. I never thought I could act. I hadn’t discovered that side. I wasn’t thinking about that at all, so I said no to quite a few acting projects, one of which was a Bollywood movie.” 

Then the drama De Ijazat Jo Tu came along and enticed Farhan into the world of acting. “When I started doing it, then I wanted to do it perfectly. When I start something, I really want to master the art of doing it. I soon got the [hang] of it. Then came Udaari, which was one of the best projects, one I was lucky to be offered. Then Suno Chanda. Everybody loved these two dramas. So I got the confidence and I really liked being in front of the camera. Working in music and acting complemented each other. It still works for me.”

Farhan sees Suno Chanda as the highlight of his career and the project that made him who he is as an actor. “I never thought it was going to do so well. When you’re doing a project, you do it hoping people will like it but you actually never know if it’s going to be a hit or flop because there is no formula for it.” That said, he sees Udaari as the turning point of his career. “When I worked with such brilliant actors by my side, I learned a lot.”

The latest drama we saw him in was Prem Gali which is another project that is very special to him. “The script was close to me. The family values, the neighbourhood, everything … I really liked the concept. It had social messages that are very important right now. I think it was brilliantly written and above all I had such brilliant actors by my side. Each one of them was a treat to watch. So I learned a lot. Prem Gali was one of the best experiences I had.”

He hopes to keep entertaining his fans with even better performances in the future. Among his upcoming ventures is the webseries Ruswai that is being directed by Wajahat Rauf and also stars Hania Amir. And then there is the film, Tich Button. “Tich Button is a darling project. It’s the first project by our production house Shooting Star Studio. It was tough being a producer for the first time, and then acting in it while also being a producer was a tough job too. But I loved every bit of it and worked really hard. Me, Urwa [Hocane], Qasim [Ali Mureed], we all worked really, really hard. The film stars me alongside Iman Ali, Feroze Khan, and Sonya Hussain. The ensemble cast also includes Sohail Ahmed and Qavi Khan sahib. Faiza Iftiqhar wrote it.” The release of the film has unfortunately been delayed by the ongoing pandemic but Farhan is eager for the movie to be unveiled. “I have a very good feeling about it. InshaAllah people will like it. It was a very good experience and it was also very, very, very challenging. We can’t wait to share it with our audience.”

The aforementioned Urwa is, of course, Farhan’s lovely significant other. Their high profile romance has been keeping gossip columnist busy for the better part of a decade. Lately, however, there has been much speculation about their marriage and rumours have been swirling about a supposed split. That’s a topic Farhan is not inclined to discuss. Speak to him about a lack of privacy though and you quickly realize he has made his peace with it. “The only downside of fame is that there is no private life,” he says. “People can comment on your life, people can comment on whatever you do.” But he understands where that interest is coming from. “At the end of the day that’s what you work for actually. When people love you, they like you so much that they think they have the right to comment on anything you do in your personal life too, because it’s just not about your talent anymore; it’s you as a personality. I think that’s the price you have to pay and honestly I learned this a long time ago, and I live with it. I don’t mind. I know when to close my ears and I usually don’t get affected by that. What I know is that whatever we do is because of the love of the fans and the love we want to get, and all the attention they give us all the time is worth it.”

If he had a do-over, is there anything he would have done or handled differently? “Professionally I don’t know; I don’t think so. Personally, maybe, yeah,” he says before pausing and reconsidering. “Well, I actually don’t believe in regretting something. What you do right is your success. What you do wrong is a success because you learn from it. So I don’t think I would redo anything in my life [altogether], but maybe something here and there.”

Farhan has certainly come a long way from the youngster in our yearbook who was willing to trade his four years at FAST-NU for a Cornetto. He has clearly made the most of the chances luck has given him, and is disarmingly candid about the fact that he still has a ways to go. “I believe I still have to do my best,” he says. “The best is yet to come. I’ll keep improving and I hope that people will like me in the future too.”

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 30th May, 2021 *

Xulfi’s new groove

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In an exclusive interview with Instep, the multi-talented musician and producer discusses everything from his career beginnings to what his future holds

Once upon a time, back in the early aughts, I was a student at the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (FAST-NU), stumbling, rather clumsily, through a computer science degree. On the day in question, the object of my struggles was an assignment that required the coding of logic gates, a task that my group members and I had no idea how to accomplish. Taking pity on our plight, an acquaintance decided to come to our rescue by introducing us to one of his friends: a senior who was taking the same course with our batch and who could potentially give us a few pointers. And so we were schlepped to the aforementioned senior … who then took one look at the sorry state of our project and promptly refused to help, dismissing us instead by saying the assignment needed too much work.

So I guess my first question is, what do you have to say in your defence, Xulfi?

“Computer education was never my forte. I helped you by not helping you,” he deadpans, then laughs and adds “I really don’t remember this.”

Insult to injury. We’re off to a great start!

Past

Just as I was being introduced to Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan as the grumpy dude you shouldn’t even bother asking for coding tips, the rest of the country was getting to know him as the guitarist of the rap rock band Entity Paradigm, which itself had its genesis on the grounds of the university where we first met. Xulfi was the president of the FAST-NU music society, conducting auditions for new members. Among the hopefuls were the then-unknown Fawad Khan and Hassaan Khalid. He heard the former sing and the latter play the guitar and thought, why not make a band? That’s how the dream of Paradigm started.

That dream eventually led him to the stage of Pepsi Battle of the Bands, where, his group – merged, by then, with Ahmad Ali Butt’s band Entity – finished in second place. The creation of an album, Irtiqa, followed, but the union didn’t last and the members eventually parted ways.

Now, some two decades later, looking back at his time with EP, Xulfi is left with a sense of appreciation for the experiences he had with the outfit. “When a band breaks up, it can sometimes seem like it’s the end of the world. Obviously, when EP broke up, it did feel like that, but, parting ways leads to the start of beautiful new journeys for everyone involved. You don’t know where the road will take you and when everyone’s paths will coincide again.”

Their paths did indeed cross in the form of reunions. But where, I ask him, does EP stand now? “We talk. We occasionally meet. We all share a good friendly bond. That’s where it stands,” he answers with a smile. “It’s a chapter that involves a lot of emotions and memories, and I honestly feel blessed to have experienced all those emotions and been through it all.”

While working on EP’s music, Xulfi was also learning the ropes of music production. “We recorded Irtiqa at Mekaal Hasan’s studio when I was still a university student. We used to arrange music, sequence drums, and do the musical parts in my room; then we’d take those tracks to Mekaal’s studio and do the guitars, bass, and vocals. I used to sit there when Mekaal was recording and mixing, learning a lot and giving my suggestions as well.

“In fact there was this thing that Fawad and I used to do. Whenever Mekaal would leave the studio for some time, we used to go in the recording room, and if we thought that, say, the guitar’s distortion gain was too low, we used to increase it so that we’d get the sound that was in our heads. Maza aata tha,” he laughs. “Mekaal probably doesn’t know about that till this point.”

Well he does now. Sorry Mekaal!

Inspired by the experience, Xulfi decided to pursue his dream of making his own studio. After graduating from university, he asked his parents for a year to do what he most wanted: set up a studio, work with different artists, and make a career out of it. And he says he has not looked back ever since.

The first album he produced was Jal’s Aadat, using basic equipment and dilapidated instruments. Fast forward to 2021, and Xth Harmonic is now a fully-equipped, high performance studio that has given Xulfi the chance to work with a wide range of talent, including the likes of Atif Aslam, Meesha Shafi, and even his old pal Fawad Khan.

“After the release of the Jal album, my belief kept growing that everything is possible if I put my heart and mind to it. Subsequently, trying to find new musicians and recording their work became the purpose of my studio. The universe always helped me with that. Artists from all over would somehow find me. While recording their work, I’d notice that a band had a talented guitarist, and another had a talented keyboard player or vocalist or songwriter. So I used to think of combinations, putting the talented people together in my mind, and dream of making music with them,” he recalls.

That idea eventually led to the creation of Nescafe Basement, a television series in which Xulfi mentors and works with young artists. “You need to discover and inspire new people to progress the industry,” he believes. “There is so much talent in Pakistan. There had to be something that empowered this talent.” He is happy about the success of the show’s alumni, like Bayaan, a group that formed during Nescafe Basement, then won Pepsi Battle of the Bands, and now has an album out, as well as the duo Soch, whose song ‘Awari’ found popularity across the border and who have since developed their own studio and become successful songwriters. And it’s this part of his journey that has brought Xulfi a lot of gratification.

But while he has always been dedicated to discovering and polishing new artists, he has also continued his own performing career. Before his time with EP was through, Xulfi had already joined another band, Call, previous members of which had included his brothers, Danish and Khurram. And their partnership – a brief split notwithstanding – is still going strong. “Call has been quite an extensive journey for me,” he says. “I have explored a huge palette of colours with my bandmates – Junaid, Sultan, and also our session players Kenny, Bilawal, and Farhan; I’ve travelled a lot with these people.

“From the heavy side of rock in songs like ‘Jilawatan’ to something like ‘Laree Chotee’, ‘Dhadke Jiya’, and even ‘Sab Bhula Kae’, it has been a very diverse journey. A band’s vocabulary is usually not this extensive. But Call ki hai,” and that is something that makes him immensely proud.

Present

Last month, Xulfi was busy with the production and rollout of the anthems for the sixth season of the Pakistan Super League, his second year associated with the tournament. “PSL is a beautiful blessing for our country through which we get thoroughly entertained,” he opines, and he is absolutely chuffed to be involved with the league. “I am fortunate that I have been given this blessing by God to work with PSL for the last two years and I am so proud of what we have done with them. It’s an honour to work for a platform like this and it gives you coverage and accessibility with such a huge audience.”

Last year, Xulfi was approached by PSL for the anthem for the tournament’s fifth season. That’s how ‘Tayaar Hain’ happened. “PSL was coming to Pakistan completely for the first time, so we thought of the message that we are ready for this, hence ‘Tayaar Hain’.” The track was written by Xulfi and sung by Ali Azmat, Haroon, Asim Azhar, and Arif Lohar. “When you make an anthem, it’s not just a song; it’s a complete narrative,” he declares. “Creating it is a progressive, evolutionary process. You have to connect to that purpose and strike the right big idea, and ‘Tayaar Hain’ was that big idea.”

This year, discussions led to the creation of ‘Groove Mera’, an EDM-inspired pop tune with Naseebo Lal, Aima Baig, and Young Stunners on vocals. He describes the experience of working with these artists as “phenomenal”. “Every one of them is special,” he says. 

“I remember when Naseebo Lal’s name came up. I immediately knew she was the one. Her lines were written specifically for her.” When he eventually heard her sing the track, her performance instantly hit him in the feels. “There was a time when I actually teared up. When she sang the line ‘I am ready tay I am sure oye’, it was so beautifully expressed and delivered that I got emotional, and, touched by my reaction, she teared up as well. When someone convincingly makes a universal line their own, like she did, it’s an amazing moment for me as a producer.”

He has nothing but praise for Young Stunners and Aima Baig as well. “I was working with Naseebo and Young Stunners for the first time, and it was a heart-warming, beautiful experience, full of emotions. Young Stunners are very future forward. They understand the power of good content and create a lot of songs. They are special songwriters. They think about life very deeply. Their lyrics in ‘Groove Mera’ are very impressive. Their confidence, hope, and excitement is contagious. As for Aima, it’s always a pleasure working with her because she works hard to understand what kind of personality she has to depict.”

As much fun as making these PSL songs has been for Xulfi and his team, listeners, however, have been far less enthusiastic about their output. Both these tracks have garnered criticism, especially on social media. How does Xulfi feel about the mixed reception and the negative comments? “I am a positive person, and I don’t see things in positive and negative demarcations. I see everything as a process. I love seeing how the narrative unfolds. I enjoy that. To top that, I have a lot of belief in the work I do with my team on any idea, song, or narrative. If you believe in something, the universe assures that it will resonate in people’s hearts. Your work of heart reaches other people’s hearts. So with this belief, I enjoy my journey.” 

But doesn’t the criticism get to him? “I’m a patient person,” he answers. “Change is not easy. It’s always a battle. But at the same time, change in the form of progress is important. When you are battle hardened, you keep fighting. I am happy the song has resonated with so many people and it’s etched in their memory which is the most important thing. Insha’Allah everyone will always remember ‘Groove Mera’ and that, again, is a blessing.”

Aside from his PSL work, Xulfi has also been involved with other production projects, his most recent being rock band Karakoram’s debut album, Ailaan-e-Jang. “Producing a rock album is always a lot of fun. You have to record all the instruments live. With Karakoram, I wanted to create a benchmark sound that sets a standard and expresses their emotion in the best possible way while creating a new paradigm. I wanted people to hear it and say they haven’t heard such big sounding rock music in Pakistan before. It took us a while to nail everything, but these boys are very talented and expressive and they did a wonderful job. This is going to be a game changer for a lot of artists in Pakistan, Insha’Allah.”

Future

With his various projects and ventures, Xulfi has every intention of keeping himself busy in the coming months. 

Apart from music, his content creation agency, Giraffe, is also churning out ideas for brands. And his passion for sports is ensuring that games – he enjoys playing badminton, table tennis, and cricket with friends – remain a part of his life.

His focus, though, continues to be on music. “This year my journey is more about music than it has ever been,” he states.

Rumours have been swirling about his involvement in the next season of Coke Studio, but no matter how much I prod, he remains tight-lipped. “Let’s see what the future holds” is all he is willing to say on the topic.

He does promise that his mission of discovering and empowering new artists is going to continue. He hopes to help create a thriving community of musicians, and also plans to keep doing his own music and collaborating with other artists as well. As for Call, while the band isn’t working on any new content at the moment, Xulfi has an inkling that something interesting might come along later in the year.

So you can definitely expect a lot more from Xulfi in the coming months. 

If you are a fan waiting for new music, he will deliver. If you are an aspiring artist, he will lend a guiding hand. If you want someone to produce your record, then he’s your man. 

Just don’t ask him how to code logic gates!

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 21st March, 2021 *

The wonderful world of Sameen

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Sameen Amer has been conducting interviews for Us for years, helping us find out more about our favourite celebrities. But now we have finally managed to turn the tables! Together with some of Sameen’s friends, we have asked her a bunch of questions so that we can learn more about our star interviewer. Read on to find out more about our focus of the week…

Us: So, we have a few questions for you. Are you ready?

Sameen: Not really. I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?

Us: Probably, yes.

Sameen: At least you’re honest about it. Go on then…

Anny (friend): What is the first thing you remember writing?

Sameen: The first thing I remember writing is a poem. I was maybe 4 or 5 years old at the time. And yes, I still remember the poem, because I was clearly so proud of it that I decided to commit it not just to any sort of fleeting memory but to long-term, permanent memory. You can hardly blame me though, for it’s an absolute masterpiece:

   I have a pet bunny,

   It is very funny,

   It likes to eat honey,

   But has no money.

See? Told you it was pure genius. I’ll take my Pulitzer now, thanks.

I also remember writing embarrassingly ridiculous letters to my mom’s brother (who lives abroad) when I was a kid. If anyone ever finds them, burn them immediately, then take their ashes and feed them to a llama, and neuralize yourself to erase all memory of what you just saw. Also, take the poor llama to a vet because how could you feed it ashes? So irresponsible!

Us: What inspired you to become a writer?

Sameen: Did you read that bunny poem I wrote? I mean, it was clearly inevitable that I’d spend my life blessing the world with my writings.

More relevant to Us Magazine though, I somehow ended up studying computer science (for reasons that still remain a mystery to me) in my teens, and to escape that torture, I started writing for Us. The rest, as they say, is just pure damn luck.

Xulfi (musician): In a parallel universe, what do you think you would be doing?

Sameen: When I was a child, I really, really wanted to be an astronaut, so I hope some alternative version of me got to live that (ridiculously improbable) dream.

Much more likely though is that my parallel universe self is trying to do comedy (and hopefully having more luck than I am).

Us: How has your writing style changed over time?

Sameen: I’m not sure it has. You can’t really top “bunny, funny, honey, money”, can you, so why even try.

Margaret & Dennis (Aussie parents): What is the most interesting response you have ever received to something you have written? And would you recommend journalism as a career to your best friend?

Sameen: It’s always fascinating when the subjects of an article or the people mentioned therein unexpectedly respond to the piece. Like, when Dave Cullen (author of Columbine) and Robert Glancy (who has written several novels including Terms & Conditions) somehow came across my reviews of their books and posted comments in response, for instance; that was pretty awesome.

Journalism is an exciting field, but I’d recommend freelance journalism/writing to my best friend only if I hate her very much and want her to be broke for the rest of her life. The speed with which certain newspapers and magazines issue payments (if they pay at all!) … let’s just say my great, great, great grandkittens are going to be very rich.

Anny: Why does print media still exist?

Sameen: What else are you going to line your hamster cage with? What will you use to package breakables? And how else are you going to do papier-mâché?

Seriously though, for me personally, digital just can’t compare to print. Be it books or newspapers and magazines, I will always prefer the print versions.

Us: What’s more fun, reviews or interviews?

Sameen: Interview pieces are easier to write, but you’re basically helping relay someone else’s thoughts, so, while it’s interesting journalistically, it’s not as rewarding for you as a writer. Reviews are definitely more fun to write.

Us: You are the first Pakistani critic who has been approved by Rotten Tomatoes. What is it like to have your reviews on RT?

Sameen: Initially, it just seemed unbelievable. I was fairly certain they had made a mistake. Surely there was another film critic also named Sameen Amer (for that is such a common name) they were confusing me with?

I’ve since made peace with the fact that I’m super awesome, so while being Tomatometer-approved still feels incredible, it seems less surreal now.

Anny: Has being on Rotten Tomatoes changed anything for you? Do you eat more or less tomatoes as a result?

Sameen: Heck no @ tomatoes. I refuse to eat tomatoes. Down with healthy foods! Turn the tomatoes into sauce and put it on a pizza with extra cheese and a side of fries, thank you very much.

I actually did ask the folks at RT if being Tomatometer-approved came with any perks, like a lifetime supply of (preferably not rotten) tomatoes; they did not answer that query. They did confirm that I am (and congratulate me for being) the first critic from Pakistan approved by RT, so … yay, I guess? #HumbleBrag

Tooba (sub-editor): If you were writing your autobiography, what title would you give it?

Sameen: Well That Went Terribly Wrong: The Story of My Life by Sameen Amer.

Hazel (friend): What was your last dream about? 

Sameen: The last dream I remember having was … [thinks] oh dear … I … dreamt … that … I … (I can’t believe I’m typing this) … I dreamt that I was trying to interview One Direction (??) but they kept showing up in twos and threes and kept randomly leaving. 

Even in my dreams I’m trying to interview people, and even in my dreams it’s not going well!

I also dreamt a few months ago that I was interviewing Will Smith. (??!!) 

Why, brain, why!

Haroon (singer): What is your biggest dream?

Sameen: At the moment, it would be to never have a dream about One Direction again.

I’m scared to go to sleep. What if they return?

Help me!

Hazel: What is your most embarrassing moment? 

Sameen: Right now ranks fairly high on the list.

Anny: Are there any public figures you have wanted to interview but not been able to pin down?

Sameen: Other than 1D, you mean? Who, according to the deepest, darkest recesses of my mind, I’m desperate to interview? (I really need to have a word with my subconscious!)

We did a special animal rights issue of Us Mag after my lovely friendly stray dog, Rocket, was brutally killed by the animal culling brigade. We reached out to various political parties to inquire their stance on animal rights, but did not hear back from any of them. Two of my friends introduced me to political figures, and even though both politicians were supposedly interested – one actually said their party leader speaking to me about animal rights would be a “very good idea” – delays and evasiveness eventually followed and the interviews never materialized. 

You’d think the government is meant to both represent and be answerable to the people, but sometimes it just doesn’t feel like it.

Haroon: What is the one thing you believe would make you the happiest?

Sameen: If there was a way to help all the animals everywhere, if I knew animals would always get help and not have to suffer – I think that would make me the happiest. Nothing breaks my heart more than watching animals suffer.

Hazel: What is the funniest thing your cats have done?

Sameen: They do several funny things per minute, so it’s hard to pick the funniest.

Haroon: If you could go back and change something about your life, what would it be?

Sameen: That’s a tough one. Everything that has happened in my life has made me who I am. If I were to change anything about my past, then I wouldn’t be me anymore. So I suppose I shouldn’t change anything?

Xulfi: If you had many superpowers and had to give one up, which one would you let go?

Sameen: DC’s Section 8 superhero team has a member called Dogwelder, whose “power” is that he can “weld dead canines to evildoers”. So yeah, totally don’t need that superpower!

Which power I’d give up would ultimately depend on which powers I had though. Like, I could give up web-shooting if I also had, say, superstrength and the ability to fly, for instance.

Nilofar & Amer (parents): If you were the President of the Galaxy, what would you do?

Sameen: Resign. I’m no Zaphod Beeblebrox.

Tooba: If you were stranded alone on a desert island and were only allowed to have three things, what would you take with you?

Sameen: Wait, why on Earth am I even on this island? Who is taking care of Jolly? Have they been giving her her daily inhaler?

I don’t need to take three things with me; just the one will do: a fully-equipped, remotely piloted aircraft with GPS and satellite communication. Get me the hell out of here!

Jolly (furbaby): [walks on keyboard] yhgyhjnkg

Sameen: Now look what you’ve done, Tooba. You’ve upset little Jolly! 

Don’t let Aunty Tooba worry you, my lovely ball of fur; I’ll be back from that imaginary island before you know it!

Xulfi: What will your reaction be if one day it dawns upon the world that COVID-19 was actually a software update for Earth?

Sameen: I’ll be upset at the programmers for causing our avatars so much grief.

Before we chalk this up to a software bug or a glitch in the Matrix though, we must consider a much simpler explanation: we’re just in the darkest timeline. (#SixSeasonsAndAMovie) We really should have realized that a while ago. Like, the Holocaust pretty much gave it away. Also pineapple pizzas. And deep-fried Mars bars. And Taylor Swift. And the Kardashians. (The Kardashians alone make a pretty convincing case, some would argue.)

(Oh and full disclosure: I’ve never actually had a pineapple pizza. Or a deep-fried Mars bar. But in my defence, why would I even want to?)

Us: What advice would you like to give to the sub-editors of Us Magazine?

Sameen: Pay me already! Thanks a bunch.

Us: Any message for the readers?

Sameen: To borrow from Fred Rogers: Be kind. Be kind. Be kind.

Us Magazine, The News International - 19th June, 2020 *

The youth of Abida Parveen

cover story: interview

At the age of three – that is, the age at which many of us were still learning how to spell our own names – Abida Parveen had already found her calling: music. She was intently listening to music when she was a child, performing by the time she was six, and subsequently rose to global fame. Now, nearly six decades into her career, she is not only a voice that every Pakistani is familiar with but also one of the most celebrated Sufi singers in the world.

“I could not even think of any other career apart from music,” she tells Us Magazine. “As Hazrat Ali (r.a.) stated, ‘what’s meant for you will never miss you’. Music was meant for me right from day one; that’s why it struck such a powerful chord with me, for which I am extremely grateful to Almighty Allah.”

The legendary singer credits both divine guidance and familial predilection for inspiring her to delve into Sufi music. “It is God’s blessing and miracle. As I grew up, my attention and interest towards Buzurgaan-e-Deen grew more and more. My walid sahab was my inspiration. Auliya-e-Karaam (Sufi saints) were always a topic of discussion in our household,” she says. “Mein kaheen aur ja hi nahi sakti thi,” she reiterates.

Her first composition was a ghazal called ‘Aandhi Chali To Naqsh-e-Kaf-e-Pa Nahi Mila’ (written by Mustafa Zaidi) and she has, since then, composed hundreds of kalaams.

When she looks at today’s youngsters, she is impressed by their connection to God. “Every person has a spiritual connection with Allah. The new generation has a very strong ability to form a link with God. This connection develops itself, because of the power of Allah and the power of kalaam.”

In an exclusive interview with Us, Abida Parveen looks back at her own childhood and teenage years and reminisces about her youth.

Date of birth and star

20th February 1954. Aquarius.

The best thing about being a teenager was 

The innocence in childhood was the best thing. Even now I am impressed and inspired by the innocence of children.

The worst thing about being a teenager was 

Nobody used to play with me and I used to hate it when they would say we are going back home.

I was always listening to

Music! By the age of 3, I was deeply in love with music. This was the age for playing, but instead I always used to listen to my father singing.

I was glued to the T.V. for 

Little House on the Prairie. I still remember it. I used to wait for it like anything. I still remember the characters and the village that was shown. 

My favourite movie was 

I was around 20 when my father told me to watch Dilip Kumar sahab’s film Aan. We got the VCR on rent and saw it. I was so fascinated by his acting and how deeply he had acted in that character.

My favourite actor was 

Muhammad Ali sahab and Nadeem sahab.

My favourite book was 

I have always loved reading Abyaat of Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai (r.a.) My father, being a singer, always made me sit with him and listen to his conversations with learned people.

My room walls carried the posters of 

I never had any posters in my room.

My closet was full of

Papers and my Eid clothes. I would always wait for Eid and would look at my Eid shopping a hundred times!

My friends were 

Nobody. Yes, that’s a fact. The children never used to play with me at all and I would get so angry at them.

I started cutting papers in my room since nobody used to play with me. The only friend I had in school was Subhan. She used to be with me in class 5.

What hurt me the most was 

When my parents used to go away, they would leave me behind with my phuppi amma. I used to miss them so dearly that I would go back to my place, sit on the doorstep, and cry for hours for my parents. That hurt me a lot.

My dream was to become 

My dream was always to become an artist.

Relations with siblings were 

I was the only child of my parents.

Relationship with parents was

Amazing! I used to have an amazing relationship with my parents. I was more attached to my father. I would sit with him for long hours so often that he used to scold me to go out and play with children outside.

My school was

Really good. There were all male teachers in the school. When my first programme came on air on the radio, all my teachers praised me with flowers at school. They were very proud of me. At the end of the school day, when school time was almost over and we had packed our bags, one of my teachers would tell me to stand up and sing; then I would sing in the class too.

Ragging at college/university was

There was this boy who was quite tall. When school time was over, everybody would run out of the class, and that tall boy would stand by the classroom door with one of his legs stretched outwards. As we would run out, all of us would stumble. 

My favourite food/dish was

My mother used to make delicious food. Karailay gosht, beh qeema, bhindi – I loved to eat them. My mother would cook one dish daily. It was usually too hot in the kitchen. I would ask her to come out of the kitchen, but she would always say “nahi beta, khana nigah say banta hai”.

I learned that 

I have learned that life goes on. My parents taught me humbleness and started the journey of music. We have come in this world to learn. One should be like a faqeer who would keep searching, searching for good things and Allah Himself helps His mankind to find the good.

- Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News International - 21st June, 2019 *

Abida Parveen's son Sarang Latif pays tribute to her legacy in a new web series

interview

Sarang Latif has been blessed with the chance to view the Pakistani music industry from a very unique vantage point. The youngest offspring of legendary Sufi singer Abida Parveen and renowned Radio Pakistan producer Ghulam Hussain Sheikh, Sarang was born into a family with deep ties to the musical realm. It was inevitable then that he’d be drawn into the world of music as well, a journey he started in 2013 as a producer; he has since worked with various artists and multinational companies. Now he is pouring his passion for the craft into a new project, Bazm e Rang, which is all set to premiere on Eid-ul-Fitr this year.

Conceived, directed, and produced by Sarang himself, the venture takes the shape of a series of songs which are being released online and feature his mother as the main artist. The set will find Abida Parveen performing her tracks both as a solo artist and in collaboration with other renowned singers.

The idea for the project was born out of admiration for Abida Parveen’s music. “Ammi has done more than 138 albums, MashaAllah,” Sarang gushes, “and I had always wanted to experiment with her music. I had been planning Bazm e Rang for the last five to six years but just couldn’t put together all the pieces of the puzzle until now. I guess there’s a time for everything!”

The first chapter of Bazm e Rang will begin airing in June, and will comprise of ten songs, one of which will be unveiled at a time. Kicking things off will be the track ‘Parda Dari’ featuring Atif Aslam. Other names that will lend their vocals to upcoming releases include Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Waqar Ehsan, Jabir Abbas, Khurram Waqar, Qasim Azhar, and the band Khamaaj.

“I wanted different renowned music artists to collaborate with Ammi, singing her very own compositions,” says Sarang. “Unfortunately, what most people still don’t know is that 99% of the kalaams that my mother has sung in her entire life were composed by her, and she has set a world record for having composed hundreds of kalaams.”

A quest to revisit those kalams and see them in a new light as well as the chance to create new songs led to the production of the web series. The words of celebrated ancient poets and Sufis will form the basis of the songs. “Ammi has selected poetry by the likes of Hazrat Bedam Shah Warsi r.a, Hazrat Shah Niaz Barelvi r.a, Hazrat Baba Bulleh Shah r.a, Hazrat Baba Zaheen Shah Taji r.a, Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai r.a, Hazrat Amir Khusro r.a, Hazrat Maulana Rumi r.a, Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti r.a, Faiz Ahmad Faiz sahab, Gulzar sahab, Hazrat Ghalib, and Sabir Zafar sahab. Amanat Ali and myself have arranged the music for the whole project.”

The series really was a labour of love for the producer who says he took the initiative all on his own, and made the whole thing without any sponsors whatsoever. Unable to find the appropriate venue for filming the performances, Sarang, along with his wife Shireen Benazir Bijarani, came up with the idea of building the set at his own studio hall. The production was handled by his friends at Placid Films, who “understood the concept really well and worked extremely hard at odd times” to make the series happen.

The songs are being released online not just because of the high expenses that would have been required to release the set on television, but because the producer feels that “people are more into YouTubing and Facebooking rather than watching TV, so it felt more appropriate to release it online so that people can watch it whenever they want.”

Sarang says that working on the project was a remarkable experience, not just for himself but clearly for everyone else who was part of the team as well. “There are many memorable incidents that happened during the project, but the one that touched my heart the most was during a shoot, when Ammi was singing. One of the cameramen, Tayyab, left his camera unintentionally and started listening to her, forgetting his job totally and then all of a sudden everybody noticed him sitting down without his camera, lost in Ammi’s soulful voice.”

The impact of Abida Parveen’s voice is something Sarang has been experiencing first hand since he was a child. “When she used to do rehearsals at home, Ammi’s voice used to give me goosebumps. I always tried to sit beside her to watch her rehearse, as that would give me some sort of satisfaction that can’t be expressed in words.” And what was it like growing up with the legendary singer as his mother? “Ammi was always strict and really busy, but it was always inspiring to see her work so hard,” he recalls. “Her passion and dedication towards her work along with my father used to have a great positive impact on me and I would always think that one day I would also be working like her with passion.”

As the first set of songs awaits its release, Sarang has already started working on the second chapter of Bazm e Rang. He wants the project to “cater to people of all ages – teenagers, middle-aged, and even old people” and “act as therapy for the mind, body, and soul”. And he hopes that the project will help him honour his mother. “With this platform, I would like to express my gratitude to my mother and say to her that I am truly proud of her. She is my source of inspiration, she is the only reason behind Bazm e Rang. I thank Allah for blessing me with such an amazing mother.”

- Sameen Amer

Images, Dawn - 8th June, 2019 *