Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan passes away on June 25, 2019A year or so back, when I met Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan after his contract with Classical Music Research Cell (CMRC) had been discontinued by Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation; I had a hunch that it is not a good omen for either Ustad Sahib or for classical music at large. Many great classical music connoisseurs when […]
The iconic playback singer of yesteryears — Irene Perveen on June 23, 2019I have known singer Irene Perveen for almost five decades. During my PTV Pop Show ‘Sangat’ produced by Rafiq Ahmad Warraich in 1972 – 73 she appeared in one of the episodes. She was bold, confident and tuneful in her performance. Then I kept on following her songs she rendered for films, not many but […]
Remembering the iconic KL Saigal! on June 12, 2019When I was a child, I heard my elders always humming or listening to Kundanlal Saigal’s songs. Not particularly keen to follow this school of thought as I was more relaxed in listening to Talat Mahmud’s soft tones followed by high tonal qualities of Muhammad Rafi. KL Saigol was dead when I was a baby. […]
Remembering classic Eid tracks from iconic Pakistani films on June 9, 2019While searching for songs related to the joy of Eidul Fitr, I recalled some lovely songs, the details of which I would like to share with music lovers. Eid is a joyous religious event celebrated all over the world where Muslims gather together. Naturally, its reflection is present in films produced in the subcontinent. “EID […]
Stars from another Sky is a testimonial of a producer’s journey on June 7, 2019Turning to the first page of the book Stars from another Sky by Khawaja Najamul Hassan looking for dedications, one finds a vintage picture titled Four Decades of Stars that gives names of the artists, some with their nick names, establishing familiarity with them like Nivi for Naveed Shahzad etc. One presumes that the book […]
Remembering the multi-talented Rangeela on June 3, 2019Before writing on Rangeela, I decided to research on the types of comedy there were in the past. The Site Owlcation defines comedy with reference to Oxford Dictionary that comedy means a branch of drama, which deals with everyday life and humorous events. It also means a play of light and amusing type of theatre. […]
Mustansar Hussain Tarar’s newest book is about physical and mental transformations on June 3, 2019Tilla Jogian’s top comprises a sanctuary for jogis (hermits). Located about 20 miles off Jhelum, this top is 3,200 feet above sea level. This was one of the oldest religious centers of northern India. In olden days it was called Tilla Gorakh Naath, Jogi Tilla or just Tilla. Then people also called it Tilla Balnaath. […]
Literary journal Ista’ara’s fifth edition is a treat for literature lovers on May 30, 2019The quarterly literary journal Ista’ara was revived a couple of years ago through the efforts of Dr Amjad Tufail and Riaz Ahmad. Its fifth issue for the period October-December 2018 has just been published for the treat of literature lovers. The editorial claims that the editors received full cooperation of all the Urdu loving people […]
Neelo — the iconic filmstar of yesteryears on May 29, 2019I remember I was a child and studied from KG to Class 4 in Kinnaird High School, Lahore located near Railway Station. It is a girls’ school that used to be run by Christians. My three elder sisters were studying there. Boys were allowed until Class 4. We were four boys and I was in […]
Scarred Hearts highlights how children born to rich parents are often neglected on May 21, 2019Content with the modest credentials that a 17-year-old girl can possess, Armeen Amjad has written a novel Scarred Hearts and that too in English. Born in Bahawalpur, she is currently studying at Sadiq Public School as a boarder. At first glance, it seems an amazing feat. In order to judge her capabilities to become a […]