Impeccable Wisdom by Akhtar Shumar on February 8, 2017A good tradition has been set by Basil Siddique by translating the Punjabi short stories of Dr Akhtar Shumar from his book Wailey Di Akh (The eye of time) in English in the form of a book titled Impeccable Wisdom. I have personally known Akhtar Shumar as an established poet and educationist, being a professor […]
Bandhan by Afzal Abbas on January 23, 2017Nicholas Carr observed in the Daily Telegraph in 2010 that since the last two decades, a growing body of scientific evidence suggests that the Internet, with its constant distractions and interruptions, is turning us into scattered and superficial thinkers. People who read text studded with links, the studies show, comprehend less than those who read […]
Mufakir-o-Iqbal Shanaas by Haroonur Rasheed Tabbasum on December 23, 2016Whenever I come across a book for review in which impressions of one person on the works of another person are offered, a feeling of awkwardness engulfs me. That is why I started searching the reason behind me feeling this way. One answer was provided by Tony Schwartz in his submission in Harvard Business Review. […]
Kaif by Aslam Kolsri on November 18, 2016It was on November 6 that I recalled Aslam Kolsri having gifted me his latest book Kaif at a chance meeting in a tea stall located on Abbot Road adjacent to his local daily’s office where he worked. So the book was taken out of the shelf and I started enjoying reading its contents. After […]
The powerful, versatile and melodious singer who left us on November 15, 2016It was with great sadness and a heavy heart that I took in the news of Arthur Nayyar, popularly known as A Nayyar having passed away on Friday at the age of 66 in Lahore. My mind switched back to the young Christian lad with curly hair and rather tallish but healthy looks when he […]
Aks-e-Daroon by Rehana Ashraf on November 6, 2016The writer of three earlier books titled Partau, Kheyal-o-Khwaab and Wohi Chaya, Rehana Ashraf’s fourth book comprises prose-poetry titled Aks-e-Daroon (Inner Reflections). The book reflects what goes on inside a body and mind. Azra Mirza gives an apt tribute to Rehana on her poetry through a poem, one stanza of which is “Hain Maarfat Ke […]
Anwaar-e-Adab by Haroonur Rasheed Tabbasum on October 28, 2016After the demise of the great literary figure Dr Anwar Sadeed on March 20, many literature lovers vowed to write books and/or dedicate their journals to the services of this figure in the field of literature. This reviewer received a copy of the monthly Takhleeq – June 2016 issue reserved for Dr Anwar Sadeed and […]
Mala a voice that shone in films on October 9, 2016The film is ‘Tum Hi Ho Mehboob Mere’. One catchy but a lesser heard song is “Dil Ke Darwze Pe Dastak Si Koi Hoti Hai”. It is a piano song. The film is ‘Afsana Zindagi Ka’. It was a Pakistani movie starring Zeba, Muhammad Ali, Reshma, Farah Jalal and Zeenat. Since it was a Zafar […]
Mala a voice that shone in films on October 7, 2016This movie was made in 1967. Mala became popular through the film ‘Shareek-e-Hayat’ song “Kise Awaz Du Tere Siwa’ picturised on Shabnam, clad in a princess dress and Kamal running after the lady in a dreamy sequence. It was like Madhubala from the film ‘Mahal’; a moment she is on the swing and the next […]
Mala a voice that shone in films on October 6, 2016Many compare Pakistani singer Mala’s voice with that of Lata Mangeshkar from India. I do not agree, though both had shrill voices initially but their tones were utterly different and got gradually refined. To me it used to be difficult to comprehend some words rendered by Mala in her earlier songs especially sung on higher […]