Saba Ahmed meets actor Omair Rana
In the world of acting, there are a dwindling number of true enthusiasts who respect the art. When I meet Omair Rana on a sharp winter’s morning, his grin catches me off-guard: he has the air of an irrepressible performer. I’m struck by his wit and his composure. After all, he has recently become father to a beautiful baby girl!
Omair is once again pursuing his lifelong passion for theatre. His most recent tribute to the late Shade Hussain, a beloved music teacher at Lahore Grammar School, was the play It Runs in the Family, a comedy by Ray Cooney. Staged at the Alhamra Arts Council, the play had all the trappings of the plays of yesteryear, in the heyday of theatre in Lahore.
“I have been doing things because I enjoy them rather than because I want to reach somewhere,†says Omair. Whilst doing theatre plays with Shah Sharabeel, Adeel Hashmi noticed Omair and offered him a role in the much beloved comedy drama sitcom, Teen Bata Teen. Having dropped out of the TV circuit some time ago, Omair discovered films and went down that road mainly because the projects were interesting to him. “Film and theatre both require a bit of madness and I enjoy that,” Omair says with a wide grin. He has had the pleasure of working on some critically acclaimed films, notably Dukhtar and Chambaili.
Theatre is more organic for and comes more naturally to Omair
Omair tried hard not to settle for a run-of-the-mill career. According to Mrs. Samina Rehman, his colleague at Lahore Grammar School, he would have been selling oil and salt for the rest of his life had he stayed any longer at the sales and marketing gig before he came to focus on acting. He quit and in 2000 founded Real Entertainment Productions, which has since its inception done over 50 plays.
Omair believes in specialization, and that people should be delegated and trusted to their respective work. Likewise when working on TV, he sees people that are less than capable at directing plays. “I believe that every art deserves its proper respect,” he says. “I might be able to carry a tune but that doesn’t make me a singer.” With Tamanna, Salman Shahid, himself and the rest of the team would repeatedly bounce the script off each other. “We would each edit it, share it and pass it around with everyone,” he says. “On a TV set, everything should be ready for the actors: the lights, the cameras, that’s what a supporting crew is for,” says Omair. “They’re still quite a few steps behind and it’s more about money per hour than anything else.”
“The fool that I am, I would always be on time and once I waited for ten hours before being put in front of the camera!â€
He has teamed up with TV actors and other people from the fraternity including Faisal Rehman and Atiqa Odho to start The Actors’ Collective (ACT), an association of actors, including film, theatre and televisions artists in Pakistan. It aims to standardize and better the industry locally and internationally. Omair recalls an experience he had while on a TV set: “The fool that I am, I was called on set and I would always be on time and I waited for ten hours before being put in front of the camera without a script. I was livid!” Being part of a good team with a good script is what he cares about, and if the money isn’t great, he’s one of the few who doesn’t care.
The TV industry in Pakistan thrives on typecasting actors, yet thankfully Omair has been able to avoid being typecast. The TV industry believes less in character acting than the theatre and film industries, where an actor can completely become someone else. “On TV, I’ve done some crazy stuff, been able to do roles that are quite apart from who I am,” he says, adding that “they are still trying to typecast me!” The moment he dyes his hair or becomes clean shaven, he becomes someone else. At a very base level of understanding, the TV industry recognizes what one looks like and so do the viewers. For Omair’s age and looks, he will typically be cast on TV as the young single father or as the thirties about-to-be married man. He recalls, “Last night I had a nightmare that someone was casting me as a sixteen-year-old college student!” The last serial he was cast in, he played a character that was contemporary friends with Noman Ijaz’s character, who in real life is at least 15, 20 years older than him. According to Omair, there are a few people out there in TV who like to experiment and push boundaries. But the forces of production houses are so strong, they kill the enterprise of those not stereotyping actors according to their unaltered physical appearance.
Theatre is more organic for and comes more naturally to Omair. The last play Omair did prior to It Runs In The Family was showed as part of London’s 2012 Cultural Olympiad, the Urdu adapted version of Shakespeare’s ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ (translated as ‘Ilaj-e-Zid Dasteyaab Hai‘) and was performed in London as part of the ‘Globe to Globe’ program. Along with Nadia Jamil, Salman Shahid and others, the play opened to rave reviews with many in the audience moved to tears.
We asked some of Pakistan’s leading lights about the most regrettable things they have spent their money on:
Adnan Siddiqui, actor:
I once bought a pair of Russell and Bromley shoes in three different colours! Black, brown, and burgundy. There was no need! My father used to joke that I use a different polish on the same shoe everyday.
JuggAn Kazim, actress:
I usually end up buying kitchen utensils and gadgets that I don’t use. I bought an industrial size mixer/blender gizmo that I haven’t used in a year and a half. Also I bought really funky cake moulds and chopping boards that haven’t even been unwrapped. Fashion wise I bought a pair of Roberto Cavalli gold heels because they were on sale at 50% off and a Prada bag at the same discount a year ago. Never wore them and gave them away two days ago. I love sales but I often buy stupid stuff that I will never use because the Lahori in me loves a great bargain. Lesson learnt I hope.
Mehreen Raheal, actress:
I can be an impulsive shopper, and I also hate trying on clothes! I often end up with outfits that hang in my closet forever and are eventually given away. A shiny pink Dolce n Gabbana bag which I love, and my husband hates, makes me wish I’d settled for something else!
Sharmila Farooqi, politician:
Hair bonding was a bad idea!
Ali Xeeshan, designer:
I tried cold liposuction. It didn’t work at all. Money and time totally wasted!
HSY, designer:
When I first shaved my head in 2005 I was very embarrassed. I bought tons and tons of hats and bandennas, koi taaki milti thi baand laita tha. Then after a year I became comfortable with my shaved head, and now I love it, it’s central to my identity!
Frieha Altaf, event manager:
Buying my office was a stupid move on my part! I later learnt that in business it’s better to rent. The property hasn’t gone up in price and now I need to move again. Also, I just went to Phuket over Eid break. Went with family and it rained 4 days in a row — no sunshine, no tan, no scuba diving! Should have checked the weather report!
Mehrunnisa Khan, designer:
This one time I bought two new iPhones because I couldn’t decide which colour I wanted!
Kamiar Rokni, designer:
I once bought super expensive Italian shoes that seemed comfortable when I tried them. When I wore them for over an hour they nearly made me cry. I never wore them again. I could have replenished my entire wardrobe for the amount I spent!
Rezz Aly Shah, event manager:
I guess buying so many clothes in a smaller size and hoping I’ll lose weight, which I haven’t, so my cupboard is full of clothes which I can’t wear as I’m a balloon! Money and hope wasted.
GT talks to Bushra and Zainab of Jawahir Jewellery
What is your idea of style for the modern woman?
Bushra Butt: Being able to carry everything and anything with confidence.
Zainab Yousuf: The modern woman’s style is functional, comfortable, minimal yet stylish. The woman of today is a career woman, a mother, a woman of many facets. She needs a fuss-free sense of style which makes her look beautiful yet is easy to achieve.
Which living person do you most admire for his or her signature style?
Bushra Butt: I don’t admire any one person in particular because I believe each one of us has a unique style representing who we are and what we believe in and I admire that about everyone.
Zainab Yousuf: I admire Queen Rania for her amazing style, her elegance, poise and grace. Despite being a Queen, she gives off a ‘real woman’ vibe, never overdone, never flamboyant, always elegant.
Which living person in Pakistan inspires you?
Bushra Butt: I admire Pakistani women in general for becoming more independent and not only understanding what their rights are but actually making an effort to fight for them.
Zainab Yousuf: I’m inspired by strong women, women who are survivors of difficult or unfortunate circumstances. I look up to Malala, a true survivor, such a young girl who has achieved so much already. Her journey, what she went through, who she has become now, an achiever who hasn’t forgotten where she came from.
What is the trait you most admire in people?
Bushra Butt: Humility.
Zainab Yousuf: I like genuine people, with a strong centre, people who are connected to their emotions, who are comfortable in their skin. They are who they are, immense strength lies in that.
Name a local celebrity whose style you admire?
Bushra Butt: Noor Jehan. I feel her personality was larger than life and that’s what I admire about her the most.
Zainab Yousuf: Aminah Sheikh and Mahira Khan.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Bushra Butt: Vacations. If I have anything more than a week off I must absolutely get far away.
Zainab Yousuf: Like most women, spa beauty treatments and retail therapy of any kind!
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Bushra Butt: I love you but I love me more!
Zainab Yousuf: Let go. Be present in the moment. Positivity. Gratitude. Yoga again!
What is your greatest achievement?
Bushra Butt: Being the youngest MPA in Punjab assembly.
Zainab Yousuf: Being a mother to my four-year-old-son, having my jewelry line, and being a fitness and well-being expert to women are all achievements in my life.
What is your favourite daily wear attire?
Zainab Yousuf: My super comfortable Yoga leggings, a tank-top and a long flowey shirt on top with a scarf and flat pumps.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Bushra Butt: My husband primarily because I admire him for the person he is. I feel there is so much to learn from him that will help me grow as a person.
Zainab Yousuf: My son Ayaan is the love of my life. I gain a lot a lot of strength from him. What I have achieved is because of him.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Bushra Butt: Her ability to multi-task.
Name an essential item every woman should have.
Bushra Butt: No accessory has more style than the scarf. Versatile, inexpensive and practical, the scarf is worth its weight in fashion gold.
Zainab Yousuf: An everyday bag with enough space in it for her daily essentials as well as the child’s! A pair of pearl earrings, and a yoga mat!
What is your collection’s most marked characteristic?
Bushra Butt: Bold and beautiful.
Zainab Yousuf: Jawahir features richness of design, our pieces are eclectic, versatile, they can be worn formally as well as casually or semi formally. You can wear our pieces with a jumpsuit or jeans, western wear or to a wedding with a gharara. Therefore our collection is very multi dimensional.
Where do you see your brand 5 years from now?
Bushra Butt: In the list of a “MUST HAVE”
Zainab Yousuf: Five years from now I see Jawahir having its on retail store locally, slowly branching out its retail nation wide.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Bushra Butt: Tolerance. It’s good to be tolerant but some people take that as a weakness and try to invade your boundaries.
What is your favorite journey?
Zainab Yousuf: Yoga is the best journey I have undertaken in my life. The beauty of its philosophy, the spirituality, the strength, the athletic grace, the positivity, I can go on and on. Trying to apply those principles in my everyday life has been life-changing.
What in future do you consider your greatest achievement?
Zainab Yousuf: Seeing our jewelry brand become a household name in terms of fashion accessories. Having different lines, ranging from a premium line to one that is universally affordable as well. Taking Jawahir on an international level, stocking locally as well as abroad, meeting the immense demand that we are facing for online shopping, within Pakistan and internationally as well, is on the agenda for 2015.
What do you dislike most in your wardrobe?
Bushra Butt: The clothes that I’ve never worn and will not wear!
If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
Bushra Butt: Bushra Butt but a little less sensitive!
Text: Marium Ali Khan
Photography: Gibran Jamshed
Hair & makeup: Mahvish Hasan
Outfits: Tena Durrani
Saba Ahmed meets actor Ali Safina
Actor Ali Safina bends half his body to pass under blinds just high enough for the short people that inhabit my home. He is animated, with great hair, and a larger-than-life ability to make anything funny. His various roles as DJ, TV actor and,soon-to-be film star, do justice to the incredible energies that reside within him. The iconic “Milk Sheikh†— Ali in the garb of an Arab journalist — was enough to demonstrate the actor’s love for novelty and humour. With movie “Jalebi†in the pipeline, Ali is set to carve a niche for himself at the perfect moment when Pakistani cinema is seeing a serious revival.
Director Yasir Jaswal approached Ali to do “Jalebi,†an action film with a comic edge. “My interest was instantly sparked because I could get to do my own stunts which I probably would have had to do anyway because finding a double my height in Pakistan can get very tough!†laughs Ali, who is 6’ 3â€.The sports and taekwondo he played when he was younger finally paid off. In the film, his character Bagga is a car thief, the sort of person who responds to everything with a rapidly blunt response. “We were shooting an action sequence where I am getting beaten up,†relates Ali. “They called a martial artist to the set who looked super fit but he was five feet tall! I felt like a child was trying to beat me up. They had to change to a kantoota, a traditional strongman of Pakistan, the kind of man who could pick all of me up in one hand!â€
When Ali was invited to GEO to pitch his idea, he arrived dressed as the same sheikh that would become the iconic Milk Sheikh
The people on all of Ali’s sets jokingly complain about his height: yaar tu lamba bara hain. With Mira Sethi and Saba Qamar in drama serial Jaanum, Ali was thrilled to finally be paired with tall women. (For shorter co-stars, Ali has to stand with his legs spread apart with the upper half of his body completely straight and serious). He acts out a scene and it is hilarious.
How did this comedy buff get a turn at serious acting? “Takkay Ki Ayegi Baraat†and “Dolly Ki Ayegi Baraat†were his first major acting breaks.â€It happened as a bonus that I got to play with the big boys like Bushra Ansari and Marina Khan,†says Ali. For “Takkay,†Ali was nominated for Best Terrestrial Actor in the 2012 LUX Style Awards, alongside Naumaan Ijaz and Fahad Mustafa. “I don’t think anyone would like their debut to be someone who is being zaleel in the whole show!†laughs Ali. “But I’m okay with not taking myself too seriously.â€
Drama serial “Jaanum†currently on A-Plus, is a project close to Ali’s heart.He signed onto it after one meeting with director Owais Khan. Ali was so impressed with Owais’s personality and humility, he didn’t care what the project was as long as it involved working with good people. As it so happens, he is starring alongside Adnan Siddiqui and Saba Qamar! “I wanted to show someone very calm and relaxed, with a lot of depth of character,†says Ali of his role as a writer. At the same time, he is playing a completely different role in drama serial “Kaneez.†(The character comes from a family of pirs). Ali likes to push himself, but he is adamant that he has really been able to explore his full potential in “Jalebi.â€
For shorter  co-stars, Ali has to stand with his legs spread apart with the upper half of his body completely straight and serious
Ali’s childhood in Oman has served him tremendously well in his creative life. He tells me he could never have anticipated that his ability to imitate Arabs would enable him to run a whole season of shows. When he was invited to GEO to pitch his idea, he arrived to the meeting dressed as the same sheikh that would become the iconic Milk Sheikh. Half the people didn’t recognize him; half fell to the floor laughing. “Milksheikh†became the platform for some of his most famous one-liners, like the one he used on Mustafa Khar: “Don’t forget to sheikh my hand!†On air with film star Sana, the Sheikh asked her what caused the extinction of dinosaurs, to which she replied, “What does mean of that?†When asked about her hobbies, dancer Deedar replied, “My hobby is my professional,†to which the Sheikh said†Mashallah! Good good,†coupled with a definitive air of sarcasm.
 “Our Pakistani sense of humour, I always say is a sense of tumour: someone trips over, someone’s bike falls over, people will laugh,†Ali tells me. Throughout our meeting, the actor has made me laugh with his instinctual grasp of the sublime and the ridiculous. From Arab sheikh to serious writer to upcoming car thief, Ali’s affinity for challenging roles will take him far. Coupled with his irrepressible ability to ease those around him, to make them laugh in spite of themselves, this actor is as talented as he is likable.
4. Deepak PerwaniÂ
‘Everything but the Girl’
Deepak showcased a sharp and trendy menswear collection for FPW A/W 2014. The designs were chic, with edgy silhouettes boasting immaculate tailoring. An infusion of silk, chiffon, digital prints, wool, leather, suede and velvet, using a rich color palette, accentuated the jackets and waistcoats. The slim fit suits and sherwanis with fitted trousers had the makings of a novel and fresh collection. Sikander Rizvi & Adnan Malik made a celebrity appearance for Deepak and both men received a loud cheer from the crowd, as they rocked the ramp with their dashing looks glamorised by Deepak’s ensembles.
3. Maheen KarimÂ
‘Ravissant’
An exquisite luxury pret collection, ‘Ravissant’ is a blend of chic evening wear with a splash of sparkle for the festive winter season. The collection adds elegance to the wardrobe of the confident modern woman. The silhouettes, constructed with plush fabrics and a hint of dazzle, convey sophistication. Maheen used black velvet, infused sheer netting, and the subtle use of gleaming bead-lets enhanced the ensembles. Bold lamés accentuated the lean feminine form. The ‘Ravissant’ experience was further glamorised by Sherezad’s breathtaking jewellery.
2. Shehla ChatoorÂ
‘MISAKI’
Shehla’s creativity always lights up the catwalk. Her play on leather rendered a truly luxurious and stunning collection. Inspired by the autumnal landscapes on both Byobu — the Japanese tradition of artisanal hand-painted folding paper screens and Fusuma panels — Shehla incorporated intricate Japanese basket weaving techniques and the quilting redolent of Samurai warriors.
A wintry palette of black, beige, nude and gold together with leather detailing on luxe cape jackets, peek-a-boo cropped tops and mini-to-midi cocktail dresses, was juxtaposed with trendy voluminous ball skirts and floor skimming gowns. Sheer lace and printed sarees with edgy blouses, accented with leather fur accents added an eastern flair to the collection. Sporty T-shirts and jackets worn with leather track pants which gave a very modern Tokyo vibe. The long skirts have already left a notable mark and are a must-have for this season.
1. Ayesha Farook Hashwani
‘Baroque’
Ayesha Farook Hashwani certainly knows how to raise the bar. Her latest collection at the FPW represented the dream wardrobe for winter. Opulent blacks and maroons, golds and silver, textured fabrics and the interpretation of the kimono took the runway collection to another league. The ‘Baroque’ collection exuded elegance and sophistication. Capes, jackets and boots befitting winter, with waists made slimmer using leather belts, Ayesha gave a refreshing look to the catwalk and stole the show!
