Clik here to view.
Faiz: Political poetry for the soul
A piece of Faiz’s poetry looks like any other poetry. Black printed script on white parchment. The staid, two-dimensionality of parchment. The mundane blackness of the script. But as the reader’s gaze...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Let us be known for our hospitality
Thanks to the world media, we are known around the globe by our various identifiers - some good, some not so good and some which are just plain wrong. We are cricket fanatics, extremists, terrorists,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lost in translation: 12 signs you’re new to Pakistani culture
Recently moving from Canada, where I’ve lived practically my entire life, to Pakistan, I’ve had to do a lot of learning. Here are few of the things I have learnt since coming to Pakistan: 1) My...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Soufflé, the mango-licious way!
Mangoes, especially the luscious Chaunsa, evoke happy memories of sultry summer evenings with my late father when a mango mania of sorts would prevail over our home. A connoisseur of fine food, he...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ghalib, with angels as his muses
Mirza Asadullah Khan chose possibly the most apt pen name for himself – Ghalib – meaning dominant. He rules the world of poetry of the Indian subcontinent to date. Greats like Faiz have taken pride in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
If Ghalib was alive in 2014…
We curse him while trying to cram verses from Deewan-e-Ghalib into our heads for our Urdu literature exams. We study him because we have been told to but if – by some miraculous, unfortunate...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Would Manto be happy with Ali Sethi’s Aah Ko Chahiye?
Aah Ko Chahiye is the second track in the Manto OST. The video seems more like a trailer with numerous sequences from the awaited movie flashing past in rapid fire, contrary to the bland and tasteless...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Rajinder Singh Bedi: Film-making is not child’s play
September 1st marks the birth centenary of Rajinder Singh Bedi, one of the most gifted and greatest fiction writers of the 20th century, completing the quartet whose membership also extends to Saadat...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Jinnah was not Iqbal’s first choice to lead the Muslims
To say Allama Muhammad Iqbal was an extremely complex individual is an understatement. The poet, philosopher and political thinker that Allama Iqbal was, he constantly evolved, or some might argue,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
I think, pray and speak in English, so why should I speak to my children in...
My twins are almost three-years-old and they can’t speak Urdu, my ‘mother tongue’. They hear it being spoken around the house, and occasionally I may try to converse with them in Urdu but truth be...
View ArticleClik here to view.
‘Tis the season to mango it up, with these sweet, delicious and easy desserts!
It’s that time of the year again when we find ourselves replacing wholesome meals with the indulgent sweetness of mangoes. A delicious variety of Langra, Sindhri, Anwar Ratol, Chaunsa, Desheri,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Beloved Delhi is not just a tribute to the city; it is a tribute to Urdu
Tracing the literary and cultural arc of a city such as Delhi is an arduous task. The amount of revolutions and genocides it has endured are not easy to pen down. Keeping this in mind, Saif Mahmood...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Has contemporary Urdu poetry lost its essence?
In Urdu literature, traditionally two concepts have remained dominant with regards to where creativity emanates from. The first is amad (spontaneity) and second is awrad (contrived). For a long time,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The sad tale of Delhi: As narrated by its bards – Part 1
Bad times have befallen Delhi again. The capital of India has been in the news lately because of the widespread protests by citizens and students across the communal, linguistic, cultural and religious...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Revisiting Manto’s ‘Last Letter to Uncle Sam’ on his 108th birthday
Today is Saadat Hasan Manto’s 108th birthday. In the last years of his life, he achieved notoriety – and also immortality – due to his biting satires and his series of Letters to Uncle Sam. More than...
View ArticleWith Zidane back on the sidelines, will Real Madrid make the most of the...
For much of the 2018-19 season, Real Madrid’s campaign has been driven by pessimism and trepidation. From mediocre performances on the field to a lack of purpose off it, the Los Blancos found...
View ArticleWhy is the US making a mountain out of the Masood Azhar molehill?
The United States has introduced a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution to blacklist Masood Azhar as an international terrorist. Azhar is the leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed (banned in Pakistan...
View ArticleKnock knock! Annabelle is coming home and things are about to get real scary
Following the Marvel path, The Conjuring universe has grown steadily over the last six years through both, the increasing returns that most films in the franchise have delivered and in stature through...
View ArticleIndia’s ‘Operation Isolation’ and the soft power of sports
“Our message is stronger than ever. Please stop the fighting. Please stop the killing. Please drop your guns.” Juan Antonio Samaranch, President International Olympic Committee speaking at the Winter...
View ArticleWhen khudkushi became her only freedom
The sky was a pool of black ink, dusted with stars at midnight. Arsh looked out from the window — she saw many little streets sprawled out below. She had only known these streets from inside the walls...
View Article