Punjab Nahi Jaungi gross fetishising of the male ego does not make revival of cinema on September 24, 2017Pakistani cinema is said to be experiencing somewhat of a revival. Indeed, it has given us gems such as ‘Ho Mann Jahan’, ‘Na Maloom Afraad’ among others. All of which afford us Pakistanis some light-hearted comedy and a good time. Yet this same industry has also given us ‘Chain Aye Na’, a film that dresses […]
Two thumbs up for Fashion Pakistan Week 17 on September 22, 2017In an article “Fashion Pakistan Week ’17 – is skin show the new norm?” published in Daily Times on September 20, 2017, the author heavily criticised collections showcased in Fashion Pakistan Week earlier this month. Needless to say, the article had a judgemental tone with too many assumptions and hastily drawn conclusions. The author primarily […]
After Nawaz’s Mujhay Kyun Nikala, Imran Khan trolled with #MeraJurmKyaHai on September 20, 2017Remember when Nawaz Sharif made the mistake of asking #MujheKyunNikala? Twitter took to it and Pakistanis had a lot to say. Some wanted the Supreme Court to share their decision with Nawaz Sharif again so he understood.. Some took this iconic line everywhere they went.. Clearly Google didn’t have an answer to […]
Blue Whale on September 19, 2017Curiosity and technology are big weaknesses for anyone in today’s world — and both together can be fatal, which is exactly what the new “suicide game” Blue Whale is basing its hunt on. Developed as a mobile application, this game targets teenagers with low self-esteem, enabling a ‘curator’ to take them through a series of […]
Problems in telling Qandeels life story on September 13, 2017Qandeel Baloch’s biopic Baaghi’s first episode aired on primetime TV on July 15 – her brother murdered her on the same day in 2016. Fouzia Azeem, the name given to Qandeel by her family, has been introduced to the viewers as a free-spirited girl who is not willing to give in to the conservative norms and practices of her village. […]
Khwaja Siras of Pakistan: A Community on September 12, 2017The transgender identity is defined in multiple ways in Pakistan. Some refer to it as those people that identify with a different gender as opposed to the one they are physically born with, while for others, Khwaja Sira is an umbrella term that encompasses all gender-variant identities, often called the ‘third-gender’. Since discussions around sexual […]
Ad highlights history of systemic discrimination suffered by Christian community on September 12, 2017Lahore: A Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) public service advertisement has highlighted systemic discrimination suffered by the Christian community of the country. The ad – that appeared in national dailies over the weekend – requested residents to avoid throwing waste on streets and open spaces on September 9 and 10 ‘as the Christian community is […]
Not Fair, But Lovely: Part 3 on August 31, 2017Many big cosmetic brands like Estee Lauder, LO’real and Lancome base their campaigns featuring white, mostly American girls as brand ambassadors, even in advertisements shown in South Asia, instilling the idea of white supremacy in the minds of young adolescent girls. Their aisles in make-up stores carry a huge variety of shades ranging from the […]
Not Fair, But Lovely: Part 2 on August 30, 2017While the less developed world is trying to compete with the West, they are also trying to gain their respect, which is why the categorization of darker skin tones range between two extremes; exotic and ugly, as some say. Rabia Khan moved to California for college when she was 18 years old. She could have […]
Not Fair, But Lovely on August 29, 2017Aisha* was born to a fair-skinned Kashmiri mother. Since before her birth, there was a buzz amongst her family regarding her anticipated beauty. How was it possible for her to not be beautiful? Despite being born to the fairest couple in the family, her mother had coconut every night, during the pregnancy, to make sure […]