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I 35December 16 -22, 2012

It was more than a decade ago that the lithe Nadia Hussain made her foray into the

fashion world. Blessed with good looks and a disarming personality, she became a darling of the media and her audiences alike. Ten years down the lane, the lady continues to rule the roost and is stronger than ever before!Lounge talks to the diva about life as a trophy wife, super model, super mom and a few supers more. Excerpts:

Q: Super model, super wife and now super mom to three... how do you do it all?A: By managing time as best as possible and making sure that adequate time is given to all though sometimes compromises need to be made.

Q: How do you manage to stay on top of the game?A: I never think I’m on top of the game... I just keep striving for more.

Q: How’s life after three adorable kids, especially a newborn. How does that affect your work?A: Life is Mashallah still great! The

3rd is truly such a breeze for the time being that it’s a pleasure to have her! But yes, work has gotten affected since I got pregnant, then the weight gain then the nursing then the fact I can’t leave for too long and so on and so forth! But I guess all is good!

Q: In Pakistan it’s generally believed that after marriage your career as a celebrity ends. Your take on that!A: Marriage should not be a hindrance for anything... Your relationship should be such that one should be able to manage both work and marriage.

Q: What’s happening on the work front? What’s taking up most of your time these days?A: Work is still going strong. Luckily at the time I had my baby girl it was summers and not much was happening on the fashion front. But I’ve been designing, hosting, acting, judging for Bridal Couture Model Hunt, then participated in BCW Lahore and FPW. So, you can say that I’m back on track!

Q: What are you c o n c e n t r a t i n g on currently - modelling, acting or

entrepreneurship?A: All of the above, but one at a time.

Q: Why do we see you seldom in drams?A: Acting is time consuming;

Nadia HussainRuling the roost

Interview

By Sumeha Khalid

36 I December 16 -22, 2012

however, I am acting in a few projects, although I’m very choosy about the kind of dramas I do.

Q: We have been seeing you in the rushes of a star-studded drama serial. How did that come about?A: The character I am portraying in “Sitamgar” is of a woman called Zoya. Zoya is a business woman who is in love with a business tycoon himself who’s ex-wife has died. He has a daughter who hates the new mum... Basically the story revolves around the girl. It’s not a major role so I found the time to do it.

Q: What are the other projects you are working on at the moment?A: I’ve been doing some plays since last year which will be on air soon

and then more plays this year too! Other than that there are some hosting projects, fashion weeks and shoots that keep on happening all the time.

Q: What in your opinion is the average life of a model?A: Abroad maximum five years… in Pakistan 20 years!

Q: Is there an age limit for doing ramp shows?A: Not in Pakistan.

Q: What do you feel about the latest crop of models? Do we see a Nadia Hussain in the making?A: Not many from the latest lot at all! There isn’t yet a Nadia Hussain that I see!

Q: Who’s your favourite model, both international and local?A: Internationally Naomi Campbell because of her super sexy body and larger-than-life persona. On the

local scene it has to be Iraj because she’s awesome on the ramp, plus she’s a great friend.

Q: Who is that one person you adore working with?A: I love working with Deevees.

Q: Your take on the current fashion scene?A: I think it’s booming in a good way. Lots of fashion weeks are being organized, which is good for us but let’s see how long the bubble lasts!

Q: It’s been more than a decade since you started

out as a model – what do you feel is different today (better or worse) than it was at that time?A: What’s better is that there is more work, more exposure, more opportunities! What’s worse is that the thousand opportunities give way to trash too!

Q: Are you actively participating in fashion weeks?A: Yes, very much so.

I 37December 16 -22, 2012

Q: With three young kids, how do you manage to strike a balance in your personal and professional life?A: I prioritize everything in my life. However, I am blessed by a strong support system in the form of my husband, mother and mother-in-law who are always there to take care of the kids and the house.

Q: Does your hubby ever complain of feeling ignored or neglected because of your work schedule?A: Yes, plenty of times – especially during my acting assignments because that take days on end. However, all men complain in any case, so I just do what I have to and manage my time with him on weekends!

Q: Name that one person without whose support you would not be where you are today?A: Definitely my mom!

Q: We have seen you reinvent yourself from time to time. What next for Nadia Hussain?A: Already there’s my aesthetic clinic called Radiance which I’d like to expand to include dentistry too.

Q: When and why did you come up with the idea of a beauty clinic when there are already so many of them are in operation?A: There may be many setups, but not many people know of them. With my face as a brand, I had thought it would work well in my favour to start something of the sort.

Q: Does your celeb status help in getting you clients at Radiance?A: Yes, it most certainly does!

Q: Are you living a dream life. Is this how you always wanted your life to be?

A: Actually life is strange… When you are living it you don’t realize that this may be somebody else’s dream but when you sit back and think for a moment what all you have achieved then yes, in my case I can say I’m living a dream life… But there’s lots more that I still want to achieve. Q: Where do you see yourself five years from now?A: I live for the moment so five years is way too ahead... I really can’t comment on that!

Q: Words of wisdom for our women...A: Never let anyone tell you “YOU CAN’T”!! Make your own decisions! Stay strong! And lastly, drink milk and eat your multivitamins!

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I 39December 16 -22, 2012

Travel

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Pakistan is a country blessed with rich a r c h i t e c t u r a l h e r i t a g e l o v e l y fertile plains, stark mountain ranges

and ancient cities replete with history and lore. Traveling across Pakistan one gets to see all sorts of architectural wonders that are now known the world over for historical importance. Uch Sharif is one such place of antiquity.Located 75 km out of Bahawalpur, at the southern end of Punjab at Punjnad on the confluence of the Chenab and the Indus rivers, Uch is a small town rich in history. One can get there by first going to Ahmedpur East; from there it is a mere half an hour’s drive. Now in the Thar desert, it is believed to have been the other ‘Alexandria’, the first one of course in Egypt, founded by Alexander the Great during his expeditions here. Some historians believe that Mithankot or Chacharan Sharif was the settlement that Alexander founded, while others contend that it was actually Uch.Historical records though suggest that the town preceded Alexander’s arrival by around 200 years.Some historians believe that Uch was there even before the advent of Bikramjit – when Jains and Buddhists ruled over the area. At the time of the invasion by

Alexander, Uch was under Hindu rule. In 710, Muhammad bin Qasim conquered the city, and during the early Muslim period Uch was a major and important centre of Islamic studies.If you go by the experts, it is beyond contention that the town was in existence even a few hundred years before Christ, though no definite historic record pinpoints the period with any exactitude. Hence myths abound. The old town is located at a height as compared to the surrounding topography. That perhaps describes the name, Uch.The importance of Uch Sharif is mainly due to the beautiful Sufi shrines and domed tombs that were built for renowned Sufi saints. All these tombs are located close to each other – and even several centuries back, devotees used to flock there in big numbers.Most of these tombs follow the same construction and architectural patterns as are found at the shrine of Rukn-e-Alam at Multan, albeit with some local architectural additions. The major features common to all these tombs are ornaments with blue mosaic and other work done on stucco and other materials. Some of them also have been engraved and raised to make calligraphic patterns in the Arabic language.Some of the earlier shrines are in a state of decay but still reveal the remnants of their original splendor and glory.Due to their peculiar design and ancient structure, beautiful

architectural patterns and historical importance, the place is on UNESCO’s World Monument Watch, but there has been a great deal of damage to the various tombs owing to the combination of nature and neglect.The famous shrines existing at Uch include those of Hazrat Bahawal Haleem, Hazrat Jalaluddin Surkh Bukhari, Makhdoom Jahanian Jahangasht, Shaikh Saifuddin Ghazrooni and Bibi Jawandi but besides these there are many less visited sites like the tombs of Musa Pak Shaheed, Sadr-ud-Din Rajan Qital and Salah-ud-Din abu Hanifa. The most important and the most photographed shrine is that of Bibi Jawandi – a Central Asian design, tiled in the blue and white faience.The tombs are either square or domed. The tomb of Bibi Jawandi is the most compelling, octagonal in shape. The later tomb of Jalal Surkh Bukhari is unusual with a superb wooden roof painted in lacquer, predominantly red and blue. The tomb of Baha’al Halim has horizontal stripes of blue and white faience tiles, although little of it remains. The famous shrines of Bibi Jiwandi, Hazrat Bahawal Haleem and Ustad Nuria are the main attraction of the city. All these three tombs are situated close to each other, in a part of Uch known as Uch Bukhari.The other portion of city is called Uch Gilani. Masijd-ul-Ha’jaat and the mosque adjacent to the tomb of Bahawal Haleem are some of

Where sufis sleep…

By Yasir Nisar

Treasures of Thar desert

I 41December 16 -22, 2012

the well known mosques of the city. In fact, these tombs, mosques and graveyards cover a significantly huge area of the city.The famous shrines of Bahawal Haleem and Ustad Nuria were badly damaged by floods centuries back. But it is really amazing that

half of the tomb of Bibi Jawandi remains and gives a full look when viewed from teeast. The sight of all these buildings still grabs the attention of the viewer. The three main shrines are surrounded by hundreds of other unknown graves which are

mostly in a shabby condition.Despite the very fact that this is our national heritage sites but nobody is taking care of the shrines in the real sense. The restoration process of the tombs is being done for the last five years but a lot of work still needs to be done, and that may take a few more years. The other problem which is of utmost importance is to give pointers to guide the devotees and visitors to the shrines for presently finding your way to the site is a big problem.

Pict

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The importance of Uch Sharif is mainly due to the beautiful Sufi shrines and domed tombs that were built for renowned Sufi saints. All these tombs are located close to each other – and even several centuries back, devotees used to flock there in big numbers

42 I December 16 -22, 20120, 2012

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December 16 -22, 2012 I 45

Doyens of Sub-continental MusicRashid Malik (d. 2007) was an eminent intellectual and a true connoisseur of music. Dr. Muhammad Athar Masood, a civil servant with avowed literary leanings, has ventured to compile a collection of the former’s published (in newspapers) and unpublished articles on music and musicology in this book under two different headings viz., Profiles and Comments.

Dileep Karanth, a lecturer in Physics at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, USA, has written the foreword to the book tracing his acquaintance with Rashid Malik around the turn of the century when he succeeded in contacting him by e-mail as a doctoral student with a view to seeking permission to translate into English some of his Urdu books lying

in the University of Texas library but was discouraged by the latter to undertake the assignment so as to let him pursue his onerous academic goal single-mindedly. Yet Dileep Karanth regards Rashid Malik as his mentor in view of his stupendous knowledge of the theory and practice of music in medieval India besides other arts, and sciences too.

It would be of some interest to the reader to know that Rashid Malik was a PSP officer who resigned his job in 1960 to pursue the ‘more gainful’ vocation of reading and writing. Sub-continental music being his abiding passion, he explored it in all its diversity as the present work would abundantly demonstrate.

The first part of the book deals with stalwarts of classical

Doyens of Sub-continental MusicBy Rashid Malik

Compiled by: Dr. Muhammad Athar MasoodPublisher: Fiction House, 39-Mozang Road, Lahore

Pages: 168; Price: Rs.300/-

Of books of music and essaysThis review is intended to cover two engaging books, latterly published, on music and essay writing

By Syed Afsar Sajid

Books

46 I December 16 -22, 2012

music like Ustad Bismillah Khan (Shehnai), Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (Khayal and Thumri), Sufi Inayat Khan Pathan, Khan Sahib Abdul Karim Khan, Fayyaz Khan, Ustad Abdul Waheed Khan, Ustad Amir Khan, Ustad Allauddin Khan, Mushtaq Hussain Khan, Hassu Khan, Haddu Khan, Rehmat Khan, Nisar Hussain Khan, Vishnu Digambar Pluskar, Omkarnath Thakur, Khuda Bukhsh (Ghagge), Ghulam Abbas, Kallan Khan (Ghulam Haider Khan), Vilayat Hussain Khan, Yunus Hussain Khan, Bhasker Rao Bakhle, Khawaja Khurshid Anwar, and Ustad Allah Diya Khan.

The articles in the second part seek to elaborate and discuss subjects like sources of the sub-continental music and the influences shaping it, Sama Veda, Gandharva Veda, the theory of sound, Natyasastra, Qawwali, Khayal; the Music Research Cell, Amir Khusro as a musician, music and plants, Roshan Ara Begum and PTV, folk and classical (art) music, the All Pakistan Music Conference, and raga-ragani classification.

Credit goes to Dr. Muhammad Athar Masood (himself an avid votary of music and allied arts) for a methodical but discreet compilation of the instant work for

the benefit of both the specialist as also the ordinary lover of the Indian classical music.

Essays for O Level Students

Prof. Manzoor Mirza whom Dr. Shahzad Qaiser (an eminent philosopher, writer and poet) calls ‘an original thinker (who) has awakened the younger generation to the beauties and subtleties of essay writing’, is an acclaimed intellectual with a strong academic background. Lately he has adopted essay writing as a means to educate

the reading public, more specifically the student community, on a host of topics bearing on general and specialized knowledge, academics, and philosophy of education etc.

The current publication is in line with his previous two compositions viz., Sundry Reflections (a book of short essays) and Ilmi Selective Long Essays for CSS/PMS and other competitive examinations. It is designed to cater for the O Level students of English medium schools. Mostly topics of reflective nature constitute the substance of the book.

A reading of these essays, to cite Dr. Shahzad Qaiser, was bound to make the reader ‘more knowledgeable about different dimensions of life and the manifold contradictions of our society’. The enormity, as well as variety, of topics in the book tends to reflect the author’s encyclopaedic vision and knowledge of life.

The book contains eighty-eight essays of medium length with titles selected from the past papers of O Level examinations and their content is purported to have been composed ‘in the light of the socio-economic realities obtaining in Pakistan’ --- its ideology and culture being their cardinal ingredients.

Lucidity and conciseness are the hall-mark of the author’s style. The book is sure to evoke a keen response in readers of all shades.

Doyens of Sub-continental MusicBy Rashid Malik

Compiled by: Dr. Muhammad Athar MasoodPublisher: Fiction House, 39-Mozang Road, Lahore

Pages: 168; Price: Rs.300/-

December 16 -22, 2012 I 47

Life of PII

t takes the pedigree of an Academy award winning director like Ang Lee to have the audacity to tackle what looked like a seemingly impossible literary adaption of Yann

Martel’s novel Life of Pi. Martel’s story (adapted by screenwriter Richard Magee) outlines the life but more specifically the life defining event of Pi (Suraj Sharma/Irrfan Khan) who while travelling to Canada from India with his family and their Zoo menagerie has to survive their cargo ship being battered into submission by a horrific storm. Pi is the lone human survivor on a life boat with a Tiger and must dig deep into the recesses of his eclectic faith to stay alive.

Lee’s vision of Pi is magnificent. The colour is electric and the iconic and stunningly sublime shots are littered throughout. Whether it’s magnificent underwater shots of a cargo ship plunging to the depths of the ocean or the infinite glacial look of an ocean, Lee’s stunning composition is omnipresent. However Life of Pi’s technical wizardry for the animal stars of the film (with a combination of mechanics and CGI) is so wonderfully realised that in a moment that when Lee takes you up close and personal with a snarling Tiger you’re not distracted by critiquing the quality of its realism -instead it authentically taps into those primal ‘fight or flight’ impulses and make for chilling viewing.

Suraj Sharma, as the young Pi, does a magnificent job of believably absorbing the harrowing physical torture without his infectious faith

(quirkily: in a plethora of religions simultaneously) and hope being extinguished. And it’s no mean feat to emote sincerely without actors or real animals to play off of. It’s a physically testing transformative performance for the young unknown actor that’s catapulted him into the spotlight.

The minor flaws of the film lie in the economy of the film’s

opening. It feels far too bound with exposition via dialogue that could have been explained with deft direction.

Life of Pi is a beautiful allegory about living with faith in the face on unfathomable tests. Lee has fashioned a vision of Pi’s journey that surpasses the projections that your imagination could possibly conjure reading the novel.

Films

Life of PI

48 I December 16 -22, 2012

December 16 -22, 2012 I 49

Life of PII

t takes the pedigree of an Academy award winning director like Ang Lee to have the audacity to tackle what looked like a seemingly impossible literary adaption of Yann

Martel’s novel Life of Pi. Martel’s story (adapted by screenwriter Richard Magee) outlines the life but more specifically the life defining event of Pi (Suraj Sharma/Irrfan Khan) who while travelling to Canada from India with his family and their Zoo menagerie has to survive their cargo ship being battered into submission by a horrific storm. Pi is the lone human survivor on a life boat with a Tiger and must dig deep into the recesses of his eclectic faith to stay alive.

Lee’s vision of Pi is magnificent. The colour is electric and the iconic and stunningly sublime shots are littered throughout. Whether it’s magnificent underwater shots of a cargo ship plunging to the depths of the ocean or the infinite glacial look of an ocean, Lee’s stunning composition is omnipresent. However Life of Pi’s technical wizardry for the animal stars of the film (with a combination of mechanics and CGI) is so wonderfully realised that in a moment that when Lee takes you up close and personal with a snarling Tiger you’re not distracted by critiquing the quality of its realism -instead it authentically taps into those primal ‘fight or flight’ impulses and make for chilling viewing.

Suraj Sharma, as the young Pi, does a magnificent job of believably absorbing the harrowing physical torture without his infectious faith

(quirkily: in a plethora of religions simultaneously) and hope being extinguished. And it’s no mean feat to emote sincerely without actors or real animals to play off of. It’s a physically testing transformative performance for the young unknown actor that’s catapulted him into the spotlight.

The minor flaws of the film lie in the economy of the film’s

opening. It feels far too bound with exposition via dialogue that could have been explained with deft direction.

Life of Pi is a beautiful allegory about living with faith in the face on unfathomable tests. Lee has fashioned a vision of Pi’s journey that surpasses the projections that your imagination could possibly conjure reading the novel.

Films

Life of PI

50 I December 16 -22, 2012