Moin Bhai Dilliwala, a tribute to Moin Akhter

As if the year passed in a stroke. It is hard to come to terms that one year has passed since Moin Akhter left us. A stand up comedian who took the art to a level whose altitude is hard for any other actor  to surmount. As a family friend there are countless small and [...]

Sitar, Sarod and Santoor

If  “Music is wine” the following three intoxicationg  instrumental pieces do live up to these remarks by Beethoven.   Sitar by Pandit Ravi Shanker     Sarod by Ustad Amjad Ali Khan :    Santoor by Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma:  “How does one put the spiritual significance of music on paper?  Music transcends all languages [...]

Traditional Chinese Wedding vs Desi

Befriending a Chinese colleague closely has busted a lot of myths with which I grew, primarily them being reserved or unfriendly. Going though her wedding pictures ( which took place 27 years ago in Shanghai), I could not with hold my surprise, of the similarity between their wedding and our desi one , in terms [...]

Smart Art

With smoking zones shrinking more and more in public spaces, poor puffers barely get the ground to stand on,  in this smoking alley in a Hotel. They can’t even raise their heads to blow off the smoke, all for the roving eyes ‘looking down’ upon them,  from the roof top. Wouldn’t be wrong to say, [...]

When hate or peace become a business

In my last trip to India, I was strolling for window shopping, in one of my favourite spots in New Delhi, when I heard some loud speaker announcements nearby. I saw a Yogi on a big screen, speaking with utmost tranquility. Some of the words I could recall are: “Want is always hanging on to [...]

Lawn ki kahani, meri zubani ( The story of Lawn in my words)

Published in TheNews Blog : http://blogs.thenews.com.pk/blogs/2012/03/21/story-of-a-lawn-hater/ Designer lawn, designer lawn, designer lawn! Every Sana, Nida and Hina is coming out with designer lawns. Thankfully never a fan of lawn as a material, it does not awaken the woman in me. However I remember my mother, who lives in Delhi, where summers are really biting, once came [...]

Celebrate the woman inside you !

Published in TheNewsBlog:  http://blogs.thenews.com.pk/blogs/2012/03/08/celebrate-the-woman-inside-you/ While discussing how one should celebrate International Women’s Day this year, a friend said: “It is not just the abuse outside that we women need to fight, but we have to fight an inside war too.” I did not quite understand what she really meant, but before I could ask she went [...]

Gimme all your worries

Published in TheNews Blog : http://blogs.thenews.com.pk/blogs/2012/02/13/%E2%80%9Cgimme-all-your-worries%E2%80%9D/ “What if my boss doesn’t like my work?” What if I get cancer? What if I don’t pass the exam? What if my friends don’t like my dress? What if Mommy doesn’t come back from work? Worries! Age, gender and ethnicity, is no bar. From babies to youth to middle [...]

Horse ‘art’

Horse and man has been friends and companions since time immemorial. It is said that their association dates back to almost 5,500 years ago. Initially used to carry loads, was later used as the main means of transportation, for wars and then for recreation. The horse when used in wars needed protected gear like the [...]

Beautifully meaningful

These are colourful bits with each of a unique shape, size, yet so purposeless, resembling a pile of multicoloured rubble, until…. ..magic happens. And they all   find their right roles in the right places. Which piece fits best next to the other isn’t necessarily of the same shade or same shape. What is worth [...]