It is without a doubt that girls and the city of Paris go hand in hand, but this little frisky trip to the city of light and love was taken by Mustafa Sheikh, a student at University of Buckingham completing his last semester. He narrates his travel tale to Fatima Sheikh.
Why did you choose Paris?
I chose Paris because of its rich history, beautiful architecture and of course the Eiffel Tower, which intrigued me a lot. They say Paris is the city of romance so I was hoping to get lucky.
When is the best time to go?
Honestly the best time is anytime. Just grab a ticket and go if you want to have fun.
Five essentials you cannot live without when travelling?
Money
Black coffee
Homemade parathay
Credit card
I’m still thinking of the fifth one because Paris is essential free so just enjoy while you are there.
How to get around?
Honestly the best way to get around is the tube. Unlike London’s subway it’s not that confusing and all the central locations were just a few minutes away. Driving there was also fun but it took me a while to figure out where I was and where I was going.
What did you get up to during the day?
I got up to the amazing feeling that croissants and coffee are waiting for me downstairs at breakfast along with a beautiful view and the freshness that Paris has to offer in the morning.
What to see?
From the heights of Eiffel Tower watching the whole city with a glass of champagne in hand, to the depths of catacombs with the remains of 6 million people, everything is worth seeing. The cathedrals are beautiful, especially Notre Dame. I almost saw all the prime locations as I had done my research before my trip (having googled top places in Paris).
We are all familiar with the passionate but doomed 2000 year old love story of the Egyptian Queen of the Nile Cleopatra and the Roman General Marcus Antonius who committed tragic double suicide. The story has been passed down by generations of story tellers from Plutarch in Parallel Lives to early Muslim historians, and from Shakespeare in his play Antony and Cleopatra to Hollywood in one of the most expensive epic films of all times Cleopatra (1963) starring Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Rex Harrison. Here is their intensely dramatic true story based on not just a sensual love but cold, hard and pragmatic politics
By Mahlia Lone
Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (Cleopatra the Father-Loving Goddess), born in Egypt in 69 BC, belonged to the Ptolemy dynasty founded by one of Alexander the Great’s Macedonian generals, Ptolemy I Soter, who took over the reign of Egypt after Alexander’s death in 323 BC. The dynasty of Greek-speaking rulers lasted for nearly three centuries and incestuous marriages became the rule to preserve the purity of their Macedonian bloodline. Many of Cleopatra’s ancestors married their cousins or worse, siblings. Her own parents were probably brother and sister. Despite this interbreeding, long before Cleopatra was born, the Ptolemy’s Greek blood had become mixed with Egyptian.
Her father Ptolemy XII Auletes (player of pipes) was an alcoholic music lover whose reign was marred by a great rebellion during which the royal family had to go into exile. The Ptolemy dynasty was in the last days of a long decline when she inherited the throne upon his death in 51 bc with her younger brother/husband/co-regent Ptolemy XIII (reign 51–47 BC). Ten years older than her brother/husband, eighteen year old Cleopatra became the dominant ruler of the two, embraced many of her country’s ancient customs and was the first member of the Ptolemaic rulers to learn Egyptian.
Cleopatra was renowned more for her intellect, charm, conversation and political acumen than her physical appearance. She spoke as many as a dozen languages and was educated in mathematics, philosophy, oratory and astronomy, and was a ruler “who elevated the ranks of scholars and enjoyed their company.†Muslim scholars dating from after the Arab conquest of Egypt in 640 AD recorded that Cleopatra had been a first rate scholar, scientist, chemist and gifted philosopher, in direct contrast to the history penned by her enemies, the Romans who portrayed her as a scheming seductress who used men to further her own ends.
In fact, strong evidence suggests that Cleopatra was not beautiful at all. Ancient Greek biographer Plutarch who lived just a century after her death wrote that Cleopatra’s beauty was “not altogether incomparable,†and that it was instead her mellifluous speaking voice and “irresistible charm†that made her so desirable.
Egyptian coins with her portrait from her era display a lively countenance with a sensitive mouth, firm chin, liquid eyes, broad forehead, and prominent nose. Some historians argue that Cleopatra managed her public image just as celebrities do today changing her image to suit her political need. Her manly features, father’s strong jaw and large, hooked nose on the coins were a display of strength and emphasized her inherited right to rule. At ceremonial events, she would appear dressed as the goddess Isis, showing that she too was semi-divine.
The murder of immediate family members and power plots were rife in the Ptolemaic royal house. In 50 BC, her brother/husband/co-regent Ptolemy’s name preceded Cleopatra’s and soon after he forced his sister/wife who was trying to take sole possession of the throne to flee Egypt for Syria. Not to be daunted by a younger sibling, she raised an army and in 48 BC returned to face her brother in a civil war.
The arrival of Roman Consul and General Julius Caesar brought a temporary peace between the warring siblings. Cleopatra realized that she needed Caesar’s support, if she were to regain her throne. In his turn, Caesar wanted repayment of the massive loan incurred by Cleopatra’s father, Auletes, which he had taken on to fight against rebel forces and regain his throne.
Knowing Ptolemy XIII’s forces would thwart her attempts to meet with the powerful Caesar, Cleopatra had herself famously wrapped in a carpet and smuggled into his personal quarters. Dazzled by her audaciousness and originality, the two soon struck up a bargain that was sealed in love.
The exotic Egyptian female pharaoh with her infamous femme fatale reputation, elaborate hairdo and makeup as well as fabulous pearl studded gold jewellery made the Roman women swoon and scramble to emulate her glamorous style. Cleopatra had the most powerful man in Rome wrapped around her little finger. Who wouldn’t want that? According to the historian Joann Fletcher, “so many Roman women adopted the ‘Cleopatra look’†thereby setting off a fashion trend.
Caesar and Cleopatra spent that winter holed up together in besieged Alexandria till Roman reinforcements arrived the following spring and defeated Ptolemy XIII’s forces. After his defeat, the Egyptian Pharoah drowned in the Nile. Cleopatra married her youngest brother Ptolemy XIV (later also murdered by her order) and regained the throne.
In June 47 BC, Cleopatra gave birth to Ptolemy Caesar (known as Caesarion, or Little Caesar). This was Julius Caesar’s only son, though he had been married three times, including to his current wife the honourable Calpurnia. The most powerful Roman had produced an Egyptian heir named after him. Powerful Romans sat up and took notice.
When Caesar returned to Rome, in 46 bc, he celebrated a four-day triumph, his victory over a foreign enemy, in which Arsinoe, Cleopatra’s younger sister who had sided with her brother Ptolemy was paraded in chains, a fate that she bore with such dignity that she impressed the watching Romans. Cleopatra had her killed too.
Julius came back full of plans to change Rome. He not only made plans to distribute land to about 15,000 war veterans that had aided his campaigns and were loyal to him, but also replaced the traditional Roman calendar regulated by the movement of the moon (like the Muslim calendar) with the Egyptian calendar regulated by the sun with 365.25 days, same as the modern western calendar today.
To add insult to injury, Caesar’s foreign mistress Cleopatra accompanied by their son and her latest co-regent, youngest brother and new husband Ptolemy XIV visited him in Rome in 46 BC and stayed at his private villa beyond the Tiber River. In honour of his royal mistress, Caesar erected a golden statue in Cleopatra’s likeness in the temple of Venus Genetrix, his Julian family ancestress.
Having made himself the most powerful man in Rome with the Army, Senate, Roman citizens and even foreign powers behind him, Julius Caesar had himself proclaimed dictator for a year. Afraid that he would make himself a ruler for life and then pass on his throne to his Egyptian born son, 60 Senators led by Brutus and Cassius successfully plotted and assassinated the great Caesar who thought himself untouchable in 44 BC in the Senate building on the Ides of March.
Cleopatra was in fact in Rome at the time and fearing for her and her son’s lives she disguised her group and escaped in secrecy to the safety of Alexandria. Soon after, Ptolemy XIV died prematurely under mysterious circumstances., perhaps having been killed at the order of his sister. Cleopatra now ruled with her infant son, Ptolemy XV Caesar.
Marcus Antonius was born in 83 BC, nine years after Cleopatra’s birth, to a noble Roman family. Plutarch wrote that Antony gave brilliant promise in his youth until his friendship with the wastrel Curio fell upon him like a pest. Curio himself was aimless and unrestrained in his pleasures, encouraging Antony in drinking bouts, with women, and incurring extravagant expenditures. His carousing involved Antony in a heavy debt before he turned twenty of two hundred and fifty talents (the equivalent of five million dollars today).
Deep in gambling debt and pursued by creditors, Antony fled to Greece in 58 BC and took part as a cavalry officer in military campaigns in Judea (called Syria Palaestina by the Romans), where he performed exceptionally well. He was sent to Gaul and was promoted to the personal staff of Julius Caesar. Antony played a key figure in helping bring the province under Rome’s control. Though a brilliant commander, his appetite for indolence, drink and sexual excesses marred his military discipline much to the dislike of Caesar and the other officers. The common soldiers all naturally rallied to Antony’s side though and followed his lead. As a reward for his military conquests, Antony was appointed tribune back in Rome and represented the interests of the people. His popularity with the common man helped him gain support for Caesar, whose imperiousness was being challenged in the Roman Senate.
Plutarch wrote: “What might seem to some very insupportable, his vaunting, his raillery, his drinking in public, sitting down by the men as they were taking their food, and eating, as he stood, off the common soldiers’ tables, made him the delight and pleasure of the army. In love affairs, also, he was very agreeable: he gained many friends by the assistance he gave them in theirs, and took other people’s raillery upon his own with good-humour. And his generous ways, his open and lavish hand in gifts and favours to his friends and fellow-soldiers, did a great deal for him in his first advance to power.”
With further victories under his belt, his growing popularity and his unquestionable loyalty to Caesar, Antony was appointed his second in command.
“In spite of his (Antony’s) hedonism,†Plutarch added, “After taking Rome without a fight, when Caesar turned his attention to Pompey’s forces in Spain, he left Antony in charge of the city. Though an effective military leader, Antony had little skill as a politician. He was too lazy to pay attention to the complaints of persons who were injured; he listened impatiently to petitions; and he had an ill name for familiarity with other people’s wives.†A not too competent administrator, Antony managed keep the all important supply lines open to Caesar’s forces and to send reinforcements in a timely fashion.
In 45 BC, Antony with his ear to the ground heard rumors of a plot against Caesar but was unable to warn his mentor in time. On the Ides of March (notable for the Romans as a deadline for settling debts) when Julius Caesar was stabbed to death in a very public assassination, Antony fled Rome dressed as a slave. He returned with soldiers and took charge of Caesar’s will, handed over to him by Calpurnia, gave a stirring eulogy for the fallen leader, turning the tide of popular opinion against the conspirators, and drove them from Rome.
In his will, Caesar had bequeathed his wealth and title to his nephew and teenage posthumously adopted son Gaius Octavius Thurinus (Octavian) who promptly appeared to claim his inheritance. But Antony was reluctant to hand over the reins of power to a “boy†as he often referred to him. He felt as Caesar’s second in command he was the natural successor. As Mark Antony pursued Caesar’s killers in Gaul, army legions supporting Octavian’s claim to the leadership scored a series of victories against Antony, forcing him to retreat to southern Gaul. Caesar’s assassins, Brutus and Cassis, were preparing to descend on Rome with their troops when Octavian, Antony and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (a Roman patrician statesman and close ally of Julius) hastily called a truce and formed the Second Triumvirate, jointly defeating the traitors in the battle of Philippi in October 42 BC.
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The three victors divided Rome’s territories between them. Lepidus got Africa to rule, Octavian the west, and Antony the east. In 41 BC, Antony firmly in charge in the east summoned Cleopatra to appear before him on a charge of sedition against Rome. He planned on fining her a substantial sum in gold to help pay his army. She received several letters, both from Antony and from his friends, to summon her, but she took no account of these orders only setting sail when she was good and ready. She set out for Tarsus in Asia Minor loaded with gifts. By this time, Antony was agog with curiosity to see her. She stage managed her entrance, fashionably late of course, in such a way that Antony was instantly spell bound and smitten.
Plutarch described the scene as: “And at last, as if in mockery of them, she came sailing up the river Cydnus, in a barge with gilded stern and outspread sails of purple, while oars of silver beat time to the music of flutes and fifes and harps. She herself lay all along under a canopy of cloth of gold, dressed as Venus in a picture, and beautiful young boys, like painted Cupids, stood on each side to fan her. Her maids were dressed like sea nymphs and graces, some steering at the rudder, some working at the ropes….On her arrival, Antony sent to invite her to supper. She thought it fitter he should come to her; so, willing to show his good-humour and courtesy, he complied, and went. He found the preparations to receive him magnificent beyond expression, but nothing so admirable as the great number of lights; for on a sudden there was let down altogether so great a number of branches with lights in them so ingeniously disposed, some in squares, and some in circles, that the whole thing was a spectacle that has seldom been equaled for beauty.”
Cleopatra had promised Antony the most expensive feast he had ever attended and when Antony took in the entire splendor he said, he had seen never seen anything to equal it, but doubted that it was the world’s most expensive feast. Cleopatra, always one to create dramatic moments, took off one of her earrings with a huge dangling pearl and dropped the pearl in a gold goblet of wine. The pearl rapidly dissolved in the liquid, she downed the glass and said that now it was certainly the most lavish banquet ever. Antony was stunned.
Antony liked to think of himself as an embodiment of Dionysus (the god of wine, festivity and fertility) so when Cleopatra appeared before him dressed as Venus (the goddess of (love, beauty, desire, procreation and prosperity), they seemed to be the ideal fit for each other. Instantly forgetting his faithful wife Fulvia who in Italy was working hard to maintain her husband’s affairs against young Octavian, Antony returned to Alexandria with Cleopatra, treating her not as a “protected†ruler but as an independent sovereign.
Cleopatra needed Antony to help her maintain her crown and Egypt’s sovereignty, while Antony needed to access Egypt’s riches and resources to maintain the precarious balance of power in Rome.
Cleverly, Cleopatra studied the general’s likes and dislikes and participated in all his excesses, not leaving his side for a minute, even when he participated in military exercises she would stand by and watch. They spent a raucous winter together in 41-40 BC steeped in hedonism even by Ancient Egyptian and Roman royal standards. They formed their own bacchanalian drinking society known as the “Inimitable Livers.†The group engaged in nightly feasts and wine-binges, and its members participated in elaborate games and contests, such as wandering the streets of Alexandria in disguise and playing pranks on its residents. The citizens would recognize Cleopatra and Antony but wisely forbore any comment and patiently played along.
Plutarch described: (Antony was) “…carried away by her (Cleopatra) to Alexandria, there to keep holiday, like a boy, in play and diversion, squandering and fooling away in enjoyment that most costly of all valuables, time….She had faith in her own attractions, which, having formerly recommended her to Caesar and the young Pompey, she did not doubt might prove yet more successful with Antony. Their acquaintance was with her when a girl, young, and ignorant of the world, but she was to meet Antony in the time of life when women’s beauty is most splendid, and their intellects are in full maturity. She made great preparations for her journey, of money, gifts, and ornaments of value, such as so wealthy a kingdom might afford, but she brought with her surest hopes in her own magic arts and charms.
…she came sailing up the river Cydnus in a barge with gilded stern and outspread sails of purple, while oars of silver beat time to the music of flutes and fifes and harps. She herself lay all along, under a canopy of cloth of gold, dressed as Venus in a picture, and beautiful young boys, like painted Cupids, stood on each side to fan her. Her maids were dressed like Sea Nymphs and Graces, some steering at the rudder, some working at the ropes.
…perfumes diffused themselves from the vessel to the shore, which was covered with multitudes, part following the galley up the river on either bank, part running out of the city to see the sight. The market place was quite emptied, and Antony at last was left alone sitting upon the tribunal; while the word went .through all the multitude, that Venus was come to feast with Bacchus for the common good of Asia.
On her arrival, Antony sent to invite her to supper. She thought it fitter he should come to her; so, willing to show his good humor and courtesy, he complied, and went. He found the preparations to receive him magnificent beyond expression, but nothing so admirable as the great number of lights; for on a sudden there was let down altogether so great a number of branches with lights in them so ingeniously disposed, some in squares, and some in circles, that the whole thing was a spectacle that has seldom been equaled for beauty.
The next day, Antony invited her to supper, and was very desirous to outdo her as well in magnificence as contrivance; but he found he was altogether beaten in both, and was so well convinced of it, that he was himself the first to jest and mock at his poverty of wit, and his rustic awkwardness. She, perceiving that his raillery was broad and gross, and savored more of the soldier than the courtier, rejoined in the same taste, and fell into it at once, without any sort of reluctance or reserve.
For her actual beauty, it is said, was not in itself so remarkable that none could be compared with her, or that no one could see her without being struck by it, but the contact of her presence, if you lived with her, was irresistible; the attraction of her person, joining with the charm of her conversation, and the character that attended all she said or did, was something bewitching. It was a pleasure merely to hear the sound of her voice, with which, like an instrument of many strings, she could pass from one language to another; so that there were few of the barbarian nations that she answered by an interpreter.
Antony was so captivated by her, that while Fulvia his wife maintained his quarrels in Rome against Caesar by actual force of arms, and the Parthian troops…were assembled in Mesopotamia, and ready to enter Syria, he could yet suffer himself to be carried away by her to Alexandria, there to keep holiday, like a boy, in play and diversion, squandering and fooling away in enjoyment that most costly, as Antiphon says, of all valuables, time.
Were Antony serious or disposed to mirth, she had at any moment some new delight or charm to meet his wishes; at every turn she was upon him, and let him escape her neither by day nor by night. She played at dice with him, drank with him, hunted with him; and when he exercised in arms, she was there to see.
At night she would go rambling with him to disturb and torment people at their doors and windows, dressed like a servant woman for Antony also went in servant’s disguise, and from these expeditions he often came home very scurvily answered, and sometimes even beaten severely, though most people guessed who it was. However, the Alexandrians in general liked it all well enough, and joined good humouredly and kindly in his frolic and play, saying they were much obliged to Antony for acting his tragic parts at Rome, and keeping his comedy for them.â€
In 40 bc, Cleopatra gave birth to twins, Alexander Helios and Cleopatra Selene, fathered by the general. During her pregnancy, Antony had already left Alexandria to return to Rome to conclude a temporary settlement with Octavian. As Fulvia had passed away, he sealed the deal by marrying Octavian’s sister, Octavia. For three years, Antony tried to make his marriage and the settlement work but was finally convinced beyond a doubt that he and Octavian could never come to terms.
Discarding Octavia, he returned to waiting Cleopatra’s arms. Once again, Antony needed Cleopatra’s financial support for his Parthian campaign, while in her turn she requested the return of Egypt’s former eastern empire of Syria, Lebanon and the rich balsam groves of Jericho (Palestine).
Regardless, due to political expediency, the Triumvirate was renewed in 37 BC. Meanwhile, Antony fathered another son with Cleopatra, Ptolemy Philadelphus. The couple became bolder and made their relationship more official, participating in deification ceremonies where they took the roles of the Greco-Egyptian gods Dionysus-Osiris and Venus-Isis. More crucially, their three children along with Caesarion were shown off publicly in Alexandria as legitimate royal heirs. But in Rome laws barred the acknowledgment of marriage with outsiders or foreign heirs.
To make matters worse, the Parthian campaign was a costly failure. In 34 BC, egotistical Antony celebrated a triumphal return to Alexandria despite this. “The Donations of Alexandria†was a public ceremony held in the city’s Gymnasium in which Cleopatra and Antony were seated on grand golden thrones on a silver platform with their children perched on lower thrones beside them. They may have even gotten married in an Egyptian ceremony. Antony proclaimed Caesarion to be Caesar’s son, foolhardily proclaiming Octavian to be the illegitimate heir. Doubtless he was encouraged by the wily Cleopatra in this. She had Caesarion, represented on the temple wall at Dendera alongside her, as sharing her rule. She herself was hailed as queen of kings, Caesarion as king of kings. Alexander Helios was awarded Armenia and modern day Iraq, the infant Ptolemy the lands to the west of the Euphrates. Cleopatra Selene was bequeathed Cyrene (Libya).
Octavian watched from Rome as Antony thumbed his nose at him, parceling off Roman territories. A clever tactician, Octavian tried to turn the common man’s bias away from the more popular Antony by taking his will (or a forgery) from the temple of the Vestal Virgins and revealing to the Romans that not only had Antony bestowed Roman possessions on a foreign woman but intended to be buried beside her in Egypt. A rumour spread like wild fire that Antony had abandoned his own people and intended to transfer the capital from Rome to Alexandria. Antony was seen as a traitor duped by a scheming seductress.
William Shakespeare ‘s play ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ (Act III, Scene 11). ‘Antony: ‘Fall not a tear, I say; one of them rates. All that is won and lost: give me a kiss; Even this repays me.’ Painted by Frank Dicksee, engraved by G. Goldberg. WS:l. English poet and playwright baptised 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616. (Photo by Culture Club/Getty Images)
Antony reacted by divorcing Octavia, a public disgrace for her brother. Meanwhile Octavian strengthened his grip on power in Rome by eliminating Lepidus from the triumvirate on a pretext of rebellion. While Antony and Cleopatra wintered in Greece in 32–31 BC, as a result of Octavian’s intense propaganda campaign, the Roman Senate deprived Antony of his prospective consulate the following year, and declared war against Cleopatra, but not Antony who still had support back home.
Much of the fighting took place in western Greece, where Antony had a large force. However, Octavian’s general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, who later became his brother in law as well as son in law, outmaneuvered Antony’s men in a series of brilliant naval attacks. The conflict reached its climax in the naval battle at Actium on 2nd September, 31 BC. Cleopatra personally led dozens of heavily armed Egyptian warships alongside Antony’s fleet, but they were no match for Octavian’s navy. Cleopatra and Antony’s remaining ships were forced to flee to Egypt, pursued by Agrippa.
Cleopatra retreated to her mausoleum as Antony took a last stand. It was do or die for him. Octavian’s forces had followed them to Alexandria.
While fighting a losing battle, Antony received word that Cleopatra had died. All was lost to him and he threw himself on his sword, piercing himself in the stomach. A mortally wounded Antony had himself carried to Cleopatra’s retreat and there died in her arms, after bidding her to make her peace with Octavian and save herself and her children. But Cleopatra did not want to be paraded in the streets of Rome as her sister before her had been. She knew hers would be an ignominious life of lifelong imprisonment, degradation and humiliation.
After burying Antony, Cleopatra famously committed suicide by means of an asp, a symbol of divine royalty, probably a viper or Egyptian cobra that bit her on her arm. An alternative theory is that she pricked herself with a pin dipped in snake venom that she carried on her person at all times. According to Plutarch, we shall never know for sure as the suicide occurred behind locked doors in her mausoleum. At the time of death, the legendary queen aged only 39 had ruled Egypt for 22 years and had been Antony’s partner for 11. She had her priests bury her besides her lover as per their joint wish.
Egypt was finally annexed by Rome in 30 BC. Octavian had to make do with parading the effigies of Antony and Cleopatra through the streets of Rome instead. All the honours Antony had been rewarded in his lifetime for his bravery and service to Rome were revoked and his statues were destroyed. His rival in the Senate, Cicero went so far as to decree that no one in the dead general’s family would ever bear the name Marcus Antonius again.
There was a seismic shift in the civilized world three years later when Octavian was crowned as the Roman Emperor Augustus, rendering Rome no longer a Republic. In fact, when Augustus was given the choice of naming a month in his honour, instead of choosing his birth month September, he chose the eighth month in which Cleopatra and Antony died to create a yearly reminder of their defeat.
To consolidate his position, Augustus lured teenage Caesarion back with promises of power, but had him put to death upon arrival. Augustus expertly ruled Rome as Emperor for the next four decades, becoming one of Rome’s more successful emperors. Octavia rescued Antony’s children by Cleopatra, the twins aged 10 and Ptolemy six, and brought them up in her own household in Rome. In time, Cleopatra Selene was married to King Juba of Mauretania (Algeria and Morocco) and had a son, also named Ptolemy, named for his Egyptian heritage. Cleopatra’s only known grandchild, he was killed in adulthood by order of the Roman emperor Caligula.
In Egypt, the dynastic rule ended and hieroglyphic script was slowly lost, buried under Egypt’s shifting sands of time. But, to this day, the legendary love story of Antony and Cleopatra lives on.
Dua Abbas is an award-winning visual artist and writer based in Lahore. She graduated from the National College of Arts in 2009 with a Distinction in Painting, and was awarded the Shakir Ali Award and Sir Percy Brown Prize for excellence in Fine Art and History of Art. Her work has been exhibited across Pakistan and in group shows in Dubai and India. Notable shows include Elegies, Effigies (Taseer Art Gallery, Lahore), Within and Without (Full Circle Gallery, Karachi), Body of Work and Conch Curve Creation (The Drawing Room Gallery, Lahore), Young Blood (Canvas Gallery, Karachi),Art – A New Approach (Ejaz Art Gallery, Lahore) and Vast Narratives (Rohtas Gallery, Islamabad). Some of her paintings are in private collections in France, USA, India and Canada. The young artist’s vision is highly reflective, charged with a beatific melancholia, that leaves one spellbound. Dua speaks to Afshan Shafi about all aspects of her craft.
What was the theme for your latest exhibit?
Briefly it was about restoring feminine agency to stories from familial, cross-cultural, and religious sources.
Which artists, local or international, have influenced or informed your point of view the most?
M. Naeem, Quddus Mirza and Anwar Saeed
What has been a seminal, life changing experience in terms of your art?
That would be my first visual arts residency at Vermont Studio Centre. The conversations I had with the artists and writers, and being mentored by such accomplished artists such as Amy Cutler and David Humphrey helped me develop my processes in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
Which of your creations are you most attached to and why?
This little work from 2013 I made in pastels and coloured pencils for my solo exhibition at theTaseer Art Gallery. It was titled Orpheus was on the Line and remains very special to me because I was able to reinterpret a beautiful Greek myth through it, from a feminist viewpoint. It had, I felt, the quality of children’s storybook illustrations, which made it very intimate.
“The conversations I had with the artists and writers, and being mentored by such accomplished artists as Amy Cutler and David Humphrey at my visual arts residency at the Vermont Studio Centre helped me develop my processes in ways I couldn’t have imaginedâ€
What themes do you find yourself drawn towards most often in your art?
Feminist retellings of stories from various cultures; women and their interaction with spaces; familial lore and memory.
Name something you love, and why?
The thrill of getting a book that I’ve wanted to read. All the new things you get to learn, the countless delightful ways words can be put together, the romance of an idea or a faraway place – it all makes me genuinely happy.
Name something you don’t love, and why?
Not being able to walk around freely in my own city. I love walking, a big part of the charm of travelling to foreign places is feeling fully mobile, but it breaks my heart to see street harassment in Lahore getting worse with time.
If you could travel back in time to an era in art history which period would you choose and why?
I’m torn between the European Renaissance (its Italian chapter, in particular) – the art produced during it will always be my first love, really, and I’d love to see Botticelli and Da Vinci at work – and Art Nouveau. Fin-de-siècle Paris must have been so exciting.
What is your dream project?
Producing as an illustrated book or animated featureof a series of stories I’m writing.
What work of art do you wish you owned?
So many of them! But off the top of my head, a haunting central panel of a triptych by Remedios Varo from 1961. I wouldn’t mind the whole thing, of course, but it’s this central painting – Embroidering the Earth’s Mantle – that resonates so much with me.
Whose portrait would you love to make?
Angela Carter’s. I wish I could have met and painted her.
Which artists living or dead would you have loved to collaborate with?
Paula Rego, Cindy Sherman, Amy Cutler, and Sara Khan.
What memorable responses have you had to your work?
My family always responds very zealously to any new work that I make (my father has a custom of printing images of my works and putting them in little frames all over the house). But just last month, in Karachi, I was so moved by how Marjorie Husain responded to a display of my work at Canvas Gallery – she held my hand and gazed lovingly at two of the big portraits and told me she was completely enraptured by the faces and the wistfulness on them. I was over the moon!
What are you working on as a future project?
A series of mixed media works that will explore the portrayal of women in local, popular culture.
Why? Her neon Valentino Rockstud pointed toe flats take the casual outfit up a notch
Who? Amna
Why? We don’t usually go for matchy matchy, but she’s pretty as a picture in her pink and white outfit topped with a happy smile
Who? Zahra
Why? Her bell sleeves are on trend, updating a classic kameeze
Who? Sara Irfan
Why? This fashinista always accessorises her outfits perfectly. We love her Chanel tweed bag
Who? Fatima
Why? Another simple yet effective outfit that stands out for all the right reasons
Who? Sidra Akram
Why? This stylish ensemble consisting of a fringe kimono jacket worn over jeans and a simple T, and accessorised with embroidered mules is a study in effortless elegance
Junaid Khan has been the lead vocalist of the band Call since 2003, a group known for its hard core, metal and rock music. Junaid has stood out with his strong vocals with songs like Sub Bhula Ke, Shayad and Hojanay De. Junaid has won several awards and to prove his talent even more he is also a successful actor and has worked in promising projects such as Tumhari Maryam, Jalti Rayt Par, Natak, Mujhey Rootney na Denay, Mata e Jaan, Nikkah and many more. Junaid chats with Sana Zehra
What are you doing right now?
I’m shooting with the awesome GT peeps along with the stylist Ethesham Ansari.
Favourite place on earth?
Home
Favourite food?
Paaye and naan
Denim or Pants?
Slim fit pants
Collar or T-shirt?
T-shirt
One thing you can’t live without?
Cell phone
What is love?
Love is heaven.
What’s on your IPod right now?
Ironically, I don’t have an IPod.
Favourite song to play on the guitar?
With Arms Wide Open by Creed.
Your go-to song to sing while getting ready for a night out is…
Summer of 69 by Bryan Adams
Song for a romantic night in?
Wicked by Chris Isaak
While in the shower you sing…
It’s My life by Bon Jovi
While walking down the street I hum…
Any song by Bryan Adams.
If Adele came up to you right now what would you say to her?
There is a lot of controversy surrounding her weight. I’d just tell her you are a great looking woman and you will look even more beautiful after losing a bit but I’m happy to see how proud you are of yourself. Positive body image all the way!
What is the closest you ever came to death?
I was going back from work and I was really tired and just as I was about to doze off at the wheel when all of a sudden for a brief second I closed my eyes and woke up again. Glad to be safe and alive!
Biggest inspiration?
Life in general.There is not one thing and not a single person, there are lot of things in this world like nature, people and events, which inspire me and I just collect the best out of all of them.
Pet peeve?
Diva attitude
If you weren’t a singer you’d be?
I’m an engineer by profession with an MBA. I was doing a 9 to 5 before this, so most probably the same routine.
Favourite perk of your job?
Doing what I love and pursuing my passion I think that’s the best part of what I do.
How did you make your first buck?
I was working at a call centre right after I graduated. Won’t forget that ever!
Last thing you binge watched?
South Park Season 16.
Song you’d listen to back to back?
Sun Yara title track of my play
First album you ever bought?
Junoon first album Talash.
One thing you are really bad at?
I’m bad at saying no at times.
Superhero power you’d want to have?
Flying! I won’t need visas anymore.
Favourite fan moment?
There was this lady who came up to me right after my concert and asked me where I got the surgery done from? I was a bit taken back and asked which surgery? She answered surgery that makes you look so good. (Laughs)
Three Qualities you’d want in your partner?
Patience
Intellect
Beauty
Advice to men with a broken heart?
Move on—-if your heart has just been broken, trust me there is someone else for you somewhere. It is absolutely that true couples are made in heaven. If you are single right now there must be someone somewhere for you for sure.
Relationship advice to a 15 years old Junaid?
Stress less. People come and go, such is life.
Craziest thing you’ve ever done for a woman?
I am not that crazy but yeah took a pirate boat ride and regretted it afterwards.
How many donuts can you eat in one sitting?
I absolutely love sweets! So 3 to 4.
Agree or disagree? Harry Potter was selfish as some people claim?
Thankfully I’ve never seen any of the films.
What do you do when a baby stares at you?
Wassup?!
Favourite kind of cookie?
Chocolate chip
What’s best done slowly?
Talk
Best dressed man in the industry?
Fawad Khan
What do you think when you are alone?
Relax and unwind
Song which would describe your work ethic?
Tough one never thought about that one before. Here I am by Bryan Adams.
“I was going
back from work and I was really tired and just as
I was about to doze off at the wheel when all of a sudden for a brief second I closed my eyes and woke up again. Glad to be safe and alive!â€
If we came to your house for dinner what would you make us?
Any type of eggs
What is at the edge of the universe?
The world is round. Yee haw!
If you leave the galaxy what will you find?
Space
What would be your dj name?
Dj Khan
Would you rather be a giant or a microscopic?
Giant
One word for marriage?
Stability
One word for awards?
Only for the famous
On screen romance?
Of course!
One word on being human?
Experience
One word: Fahad Mustafa?
Very good performer
Advice: Sanam Saeed?
More onscreen presence please
Advice: Mathira?
She can learn a lot more dance moves other than just belly dancing.
Why is your band named Call?
Long story but basically it means a message.
Interview by Sana Zehra
Hair by Clippers for men
Stylist Ehtesham Ansari
Photography by Arsalan Bilgrami of a.bilgrami studio
Location: HSY Mansion
Outfits: Humayun Alamgir, Deepak & Fahad, Splash and Naushemian
October through March is the height of our wedding/social season. Super duper glamorous events are heading our way, all of which we’ll be bringing you in case you missed one or as a recap. Who was wearing what, who was underground, who is schmoozing whom all becomes clear when you look at the pictures. In fact, when you actually turn up at an event, you “spot†all the celebrities lined up posing for the many waiting photographers, while non-celebs are busy taking selfies. So many a times it’s actually easier to just go through the pages of GT for your fortnightly fill than getting rigged out and turning up at the event. We had the armchair radicals already, now we also have the sofa socialites, and their number is growing. It’s those who like to be in the know but only from the comfort of their own homes. They employ a fashionable been there, done that attitude but with entertaining tittle tattle thrown in.
We have two exclusive shoots with candid interviews for you in this issue: controversial star Humaima Malik and rocker Junaid Khan. Additionally, we’ve covered a young gifted artist who you can start collecting as her painting prices will appreciate, a traditional George V infused Parisian trip, exercise moves that target stubborn belly blubber and a 2000 year old much loved Memorable Romance. Thought you knew all there was to know about Antony and Cleopatra’s forbidden love after having read the play and watched the movie? Think again. Because only at GT do we research our stories so well that we reach for ancient literary classics to dig up the details. Intrigued? Continue reading…
A sequel to one of science-fiction’s most acclaimed films, Bladerunner 2049, has high expectations to live up to. But with a stellar cast that includes Harrison Ford returning to his iconic role as Rick Deckard and new addition Ryan Gosling as young blade runner, Officer K, the film is already building momentum.
Officer K is a blade runner in Los Angeles who uncovers a long buried secret with far reaching consequences that prompt him to go on a quest to find former blade runner Rick Deckard. Hitting theatres on 4th October, this will be a spectacle you will not want to miss.
Music:
HOT 100
TOP 5
#
Song Name
Artist
1
Look What You Made Me Do
Taylor Swift
2
Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)
Cardi B
3
1-800-273-8255
Logic Featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid
4
Despacito
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber
5
Too Good At Goodbyes
Sam Smith
Books:
HOME FIRE
—By Kamila Shamsie
The novel is inspired by Sophocles’ Antigone. Weaving a tale of immigrant Pakistani families hailing from varied social strata but being pulled apart by the raging undercurrents of stereotype and dogma. Focusing on a trio of siblings, children of a dead jihadist and a son of a British Minister we see their lives intertwine as they come together to confront their shared history and uncertain future.
Shamsie shines a light on how homegrown terrorism comes to haunt Britain. She captures the struggle and dilemma and at the same time exposes the blind eye of the system.
TV Series:
American Vandal
Netflix’s latest offering is a satirical take on the True Crime documentary genre. It is at times hilarious while also surprisingly thought provoking, the series revolves around a case of obscene vandalism at a small town high school. At the centre of the show is a troublemaker named Dylan (Jimmy Tatro) who is blamed for the vandalism and expelled. Uncovering the story behind the crime is an ambitious filmmaker named Peter Maldonado (Tyler Alvarez) who is out to find the truth wherever it may lead him.
The show delves deep into the lives of everyday teenagers with footage sourced from iPhone’s and social media such as Instagram and Snapchat and the dialogue also stays true to real life which makes this show a definite must watch!
Asad Siddiqui started his acting career while studying for his MBA, but dropped out of uni because he thought it wasn’t for him. Despite being related to the very famous Adnan Siddiqui, Asad, instead of opting for the short cut, took the longer route to success by Appearing in projects like Shaadi Mubarak Ho, Gumrah, Khuda Dekh Raha Hai, Meray Apnay, Shikwa, Dareecha, Mumkin, Baraat series, Joru ka Ghulam, Sanam, Zindaan etc. Asad recently got engaged to Zara Abbas and is head over heels in love. This charming young man sits down with Sana Zehra for a quick rapid fire
A nickname that really annoys you is…
Don’t really remember if I had any that could annoy me
The weirdest habit you have is…
I keep on walking in the room when I enter one.
My favourite toy growing up was…
Cars
The one film you’ve seen more than five times is…
The Godfather
A character you wish you had played?
Nawaz Uddin Siddiqui in the Bollywood film Talaash
You are always likely to be early/late?
On time, according to Karachi standards (pun intended).
The one thing you’d like to change about yourself is…
My impulsiveness
One thing you just won’t eat is…
Spare parts of animals
What’s your favourite place on earth?
Europe
What’s your favourite meal?
Grilled Red Snapper
Stone wash or tie-dye?
Stone wash
Plain or pattern?
Plain
Boxers or briefs?
Boxers
What’s the one thing you can’t live without?
It’s not a thing. She has a name.
I can be anyone and anything
Who do you dream about?
I dream about giving the best of everything to my parents.
What’s the best thing about being an actor?
I can be anyone and anything.
What’s the worst?
Your privacy is gifted to the public.
What does love sound like?
It sounds like L O V E. Laaaavvv 🙂
Who is the best kiss you’ve ever had?
I would like to keep my rights to this one.
Who runs the world?
Not Beyonce
What’s on your iPod right now?
I’ve never had an Ipod. Can you believe that?
What keeps you awake at night?
Flu?!
What makes you go to sleep?
A long tiring day.
What’s your favourite song to play on the guitar?
I play the guitar and I love playing acoustic. In fact, I am composing one of my own songs too.
Many of you remember Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem from their unforgettable movie roles—Penelope for her beauty and Javier for his formidable acting prowess. As we know, love does not always bloom at first sight. Penelope met her current husband Javier on the set of her first movie Jamon, Jamon (1992) when she was just a teenager. Fifteen years later, on the set of Vicky Christina Barcelona (2007) they reconnected and Bardem decided she’s The One for him. By then, each had the maturity to fully comprehend what it was they were looking for in a spouse. This is their story
Bardem Worked As Actor From The Age Of SixJavier Played rugby for The Junior Spanish National Team
Javier spent his childhood at theatres and on film sets, making his film debut at only six years old in Fernando Fernán Gómez’s El PÃcaro (The Scoundrel). Javier told The Guardian about his childhood in Spain, “It was a very troubled time, to the point that to have the surname Bardem in those times was not good; you were pursued and put in jail. I was too little, but I saw things. People being arrested, my mother crying because colleagues of hers and people she loved were imprisoned or disappeared. The streets were violent….My mother is an actress; my grandfather and grandmother were actors. The parents of my grandparents were actors, in a time when actors were not allowed to be buried on sacred land. Terrible. My uncle is an actor, my brother is an actor and a writer, my sister used to be an actress. My cousins are actors. I’ve seen since I was born all that you can imagine in an actor’s life. So I don’t buy anything. I don’t buy success. I don’t buy failure. I only buy commitment.â€
However, the boy was ambitious to become not an actor as you would imagine but a painter. He studied painting for four years at Madrid’s Escuela de Artes y Oficios and took on acting jobs only to pay the bills. Perhaps this was due to the fact that he was well aware of the non glamorous aspect of the showbiz world. In addition, the sporty, well built youth played rugby for the junior Spanish National Team. In time, not having enough talent or skill to make it as an artist, Javier wisely decided to pursue acting seriously. Struggling to make it, he even worked as a stripper for a day to subsidize his income between acting jobs. He nearly threw in the towel though when in 1989 after donning a Superman costume for a comedic sketch for the Spanish comedy show El DÃa Por Delante (The Day Ahead), he questioned this choice of career as well.
Penelope Studied classical Ballet for Nine Years at Spain’s National Conservatory
As it happened, the year they started filming, Javier had already started dating his English teacher Christina Pales, a relationship that was to last nearly fifteen years. He was in love and committed and he didn’t have eyes for his ambitious nubile costar. He said at the time, “I’m in love with my English teacher. We have many of our lessons in bed.â€
With Her First Serious Boyfriend (bf) Musician And Record Producer Nacho Cano
Penelope had a happy childhood and spent long hours at her grandmother’s apartment. She remembers “playing with some friends and being aware that I was acting as I was playing with them. I would think of a character and pretend to be someone else.†But, like Bardem, she initially focused on pursuing a different career and studied classical ballet for nine years at Spain’s National Conservatory. She said that ballet instilled in her discipline that helped in her future acting career.
With Ex Bf Czech Filmmaker Thomas Obermaier
Aged 10, she became interested in movies and her father bought her a Betamax VCR to watch films on, a rare thing to own in her neighborhood. After watching Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar’s film, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990) she wanted try her hand at acting. She started doing casting calls for an agent but was rejected multiple times because the agent felt that she was too young. Cruz said in an interview, “I was very extroverted as a kid….I was studying when I was in high school at night, I was in ballet and I was doing castings. I looked for an agent and she sent me away three times because I was a little girl but I kept coming back. I’m still with her after all these years.†Finally, after she won an audition at a talent agency beating over 300 other girls, she was signed by a talent agent Katrina Bayonas at age 15 and made her acting debut at 16 on TV hosting TV channel Telecinco’s talk show for teenagers.
In The Hi Lo Country With Billy Crudup
Katrina Bayonas recalled her audition, “She was absolutely magic. It was obvious there was something very impressive about this kid…. She was very green, but there was a presence. There was just something coming from within.â€
In an interview given to the Los Angeles Daily News in 1999, Cruz said that “it was a great part, but…I wasn’t really ready for the nudity….But I have no regrets because I wanted to start working and it changed my life.â€
Charlie Rose announced on 60 Minutes that Cruz “became an overnight sensation as much for her nude scenes as for her talent.â€
With the success of this film, the director cast Javier for a third time in his next film Luna as well, while Penelope starred in the Academy-Award-winning period romance drama Belle Epoque playing a very different character that of a virginal young girl.
With Tom Cruise & Cameron Diaz
Scenes From Vanilla Sky
From 1993 to 1996, Cruz appeared in ten Spanish and Italian films. At 20, she went to live in New York to study ballet, theatre at Cristina Rota’s New York school and English between films. She said sheorized the dialogue for casting calls and learnt English “kind of late,†getting by on only saying, “How are you?†and “Thank you.â€
Bardem Collateral
Actor John Malkovich impressed by Bardem’s acting talent offered the 27-year-old Spaniard a role in his English film in 1997, but despite the lessons with his girlfriend Javier felt his English was still poor. Instead he chose to do director Ãlex de la Iglesia’s bilingual (released in Spanish and English) action crime horror film Perdita Durango (Dance with the Devil), in which Bardem and Hispanic American actress Rosie Perez play a psychotic criminal couple.
HOLLYWOOD – FEBRUARY 24: Actor Javier Bardem poses in the press room during the 80th Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre on February 24, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
When he had approximately two dozen Spanish films under his belt, Bardem finally gained widespread international recognition when he portrayed homosexual Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas who was persecuted by Fidel Castro in Julian Schnabel’s Before Night Falls (2000). For his sensitive portrayal, his idol Al Pacino left an appreciative message on his answering machine, something he considers one of the most beautiful gifts he has ever received. Bardem received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, a first for a Spaniard.
2007 Love In The Time Of Cholera 035
Having broken up with her Spanish long distance boyfriend, Cruz started dating Czech filmmaker Tomas Obermaier and appeared in her first American film as Billy Crudup’s down to earth Mexican girlfriend in Stephen Frears’ Western, The Hi-Lo Country (1999). She reported that she still had difficulties understanding people speaking English while filming. The movie which starred Woody Harrelson and Patricia Arquette bombed. Cruz followed this up with Almodóvar’s well received All About My Mother, playing a pregnant nun with AIDS. She went from strength to strength starring in the delightful Hollywood rom-com Woman on Top in the lead female role playing a sexy world class chef. Variety magazine ran a story saying that Penelope “burst off the screenâ€, and had a charming accent. The curvaceous and pretty actress came to be known as the “Spanish enchantress.â€
Saharaa
With Ex Bfco Star McConaughey Both Off & On The Screen
Another review in Box Office magazine stated, “Cruz is stunning in the role—innocent and vulnerable yet possessing a mature grace and determined strength, all while sizzling with unchecked sensuality.â€
In 2000, she was cast as A-lister Matt Damon’s love interest in Billy Bob Thornton’s film adaptation of the Western bestselling novel, All the Pretty Horses. Claiming that her career ambitions were responsible for her breakup with Obermaier, Penelope started seeing Damon. Though they never confirmed their onscreen romance, they both made a promotional appearance on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show together. On the show, Cruz said: “Matt’s a very special man, he’s funny and he’s one of the most generous people I’ve met in my life. He has no defects.â€
On Set Of Vicky Cristina Barcelona With Scarlett Johansson & Woody Allen
Damon blushed and replied: “That’s the most amazing thing to say.â€
When Spanish sci-fi blockbuster film Open Your Eyes (1997) was being remade by Hollywood heavy weight director Cameron Crowe as Vanilla Sky (2001) Cruz was asked to reprise her role opposite mega star Tom Cruise. The movie also starred Cameron Diaz in a supporting role who came across blond, bland and insipid next to Penelope’s more exotic dark looks. This was a huge budget movie that grossed $200 million worldwide and marked the turning point in her career. After the movie premiered, when Tom Cruise was in the midst of divorcing Nicole Kidman due to her infidelity, he took up with Penelope in a high profile relationship that lasted till 2004. We don’t know if it was a publicity stunt/cover up relationship but it managed to generate Cruz countless tabloid headlines that made her a household name Stateside, and gave him a beautiful actress on his arms while his ex-wife engaged in a series of public hookups.
With Ex Bf Orlando BloomShe Had A Summer Fling With Josh Hartnett
The same year, Cruz next starred opposite Johnny Depp in the biographical crime film Blow about the American cocaine smuggler George Jung, adapted from Bruce Porter’s 1993 book Blow: How a Small Town Boy Made $100 million with the MedellÃn Cocaine Cartel and Lost It All. It was her second big hit of the year, grossing $80 million worldwide. Her third film of 2001 was the epic World War II love saga Captain Corelli’s Mandolin starring Nicholas Cage, also an adaptation of a novel of the same name. They sweeping lyrical movie did well with women and made $62 million worldwide. Three huge movies with three huge movie stars—it was a great year for Cruz that made her an A-list star despite her heavily accented English.
Penelope Won An Academy Award For Best Supporting Actress For Vicky Christina BarcelonaMandatory Credit: Photo by GUILLAUME COLLET/SIPA/REX/Shutterstock (9044676d) Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz ‘Loving Pablo’ photocall, 74th Venice Film Festival, Italy – 06 Sep 2017
In an ironic twist, Bardem made his Hollywood debut in a small but significant role as a crime lord who summons Tom Cruise’s (Penelope’s boyfriend at the time) hit man in the action crime thriller Collateral (2004). Then, he starred in Miloš Forman’s film Goya’s Ghosts (2006) opposite Natalie Portman, in which he played a twisted monk during the Spanish Inquisition.
The two mega successful and talented Spanish Stars fell for each other on set of Vicky Christina Barcelona. Bardem later told GQ that he initially Had reservations regarding Penelope’s on set Passion, which both drew him to her and also Made him worried for their future. He said that She shares the same fiery personality as her onscreen Character in the movie, “Oh, boy. She has That feistiness. There are those scenes where we Are arguing, she’s throwing plates and so on. I Had to wonder, ‘Do I really want this?’ She has What I call the loving blood. Passion for everything.†But Javier in the end fell for her after Deciding that Penelope’s passionate personality Is what makes her both beautiful and sexy. ‘That’s what I find attractive. There is beauty And there is being sexy. Penelope has both.’â€
In 2007, Bardem acted in two film adaptations: the violent Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men in which he played a sociopathic assassin and the adaptation of the romantic and soulful Colombian novel Love in the Time of Cholera by Nobel laureate Gabriel GarcÃa Márquez.
VENICE, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 06: (L-R) Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem walk the red carpet ahead of the ‘Loving Pablo’ screening during the 74th Venice Film Festival at Sala Grande on September 6, 2017 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
In No Country for Old Men, his character is a sociopathic assassin. He did such a fantastic job as a cold blooded killer that he was awarded an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, becoming the first Spaniard to win, as well as won a Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award, the Critics’ Choice Award and British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award. This was his star making turn that not only catapulted him to the position of a globally recognizable star but the character he played also went down as one of the most vile villains in cinematic history. Because of his broken nose that was the result of a bar fight in his youth, Bardem had a face that could look very menacing. He didn’t need to shout or overact, rather underplayed his villains, so that they realistically appear like emotionless, cold psychopaths. Though after the horrible bar fight he said he struggles to watch violence play out on screen, “From that moment on, I couldn’t stand violence. I still can’t even watch it. I can’t bear it. So if I hate violence so much why did I do No Country For Old Men, right? I know, I know.â€
Bardem mixed it up by playing a love lorne character that pines all his life for his married childhood crush only to finally attain her at a ripe old age in Love in the Time of Cholera, a move that displayed his range. This too was an unforgettable film.
With so much to thank for, the couple with a conscious signed an open letter during the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict denouncing Israel’s actions as a “genocide.†They didn’t care that their move was criticized by some in Hollywood and could potentially cost them jobs
“Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” Premiere 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival
Francis Ford Coppola named Bardem as an heir to such greats as Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson and Robert De Niro, and lauded him being ambitious, hungry, unwilling to rest on his laurels and always “excited to do something good.â€
At her end, Penelope started seeing yet another costar, this time the sexy Texan at the time wild child Matthew McConaughey during the film of their box office dud Sahara, but the relationship fizzled out within a year. Next she starred in another Western, this time a female bonding summer comedy movie alongside her good friend Salma Hayek in the Bandidas (2006) in which they play “lusty dream team†of bank robbers.
With Daniel Craig In Skyfall
In fall, just in time to be nominated for the Oscars, Cruz gave a serious turn in her mentor Pedro Almodóvar’s Volver (2006). A review in The Los Angeles Times stated, “Cruz, who has remarked that in Hollywood she’s rarely allowed to be anything more than pretty, instills her with an awesome resoluteness and strength of character.†It was quite a gripping performance for which she tapped in to her working class roots. For her uninhibited fearless acting, Cruz shared a Best Actress award at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival with five of her co-stars, as well as receiving a Goya Award and European Film Award, and was nominated for the Golden Globe, SAG, BAFTA, and Academy Award for Best Actress in a leading role. She was the first Spanish actress to ever be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She also briefly dated Orlando Bloom during this year, another feather in her cap.
Penelope stars in an all star ensemble cast of agatha christie’s murder on the orient express directed by kenneth brannagh to be released in november
Woody Allen is actually indirectly responsible for finally bringing the two top Spanish stars together when he cast them in Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), which also starred Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall. Both the Spanish stars were single simultaneously during the filming. Javier played a painter and Penelope his tempestuous ex-wife. Pe (her nickname) arrived on set after a brief summer fling with actor Josh Hartnett with whom she had vacationed win Turks and Caicos. Clearly, her Hollywood relationships were not working out and getting shorter each time. Javier had broken up his long term romance with his serious girlfriend in 2005. He probably had rebounded with hookups, but they didn’t leave a dent.
On The Set Of Everybody Knows
Cruz’s masterful and energetic performance won her a Goya Award and her first Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress. Cruz was the first Spanish actress to ever be awarded an Academy Award in that category and the sixth Hispanic person to ever receive the award.
Keeping their burgeoning relationship under the radar, the couple tied the knot in July 2010 in the Bahamas in a private ceremony. Penelope was three months pregnant at the time. Both had been raised as Roman Catholics by their respective grandmothers, so not finding any reason to wait, they probably wanted to make their relationship official as soon as they discovered the pregnancy. Bardem is an atheist now, but he probably wanted to seal the deal with his hot girlfriend and felt it was time he settled down for good. Their son Leonarodo was born in January in the new year in Los Angeles. That year Bardem was awarded Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival for his performance in Biutiful directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, who had written the film with Bardem in mind, quite an honour.   He became the first all Spanish-language Best Actor nominee at the 2011 Oscars and won his 5th Goya Award, which he touchingly dedicated to his wife and newborn son. However, generally the couple maintains a low public profile, seldom discussing their personal lives.
Completely unlike his onscreen persona, Bardem is a gentle, one-woman man who likes intense, lasting monogamous relationships. A telling example of how different he is in real life to the randy thugs he usually plays, he doesn’t even know how to drive a car in real life whereas in films he is seen racing cars at breakneck speeds in car chase scenes. In his downtime, Bardem unwinds by listening to heavy metal, his favourite band being AC/DC, while Pe devotes her time to philanthropic pursuits and advocates breastfeeding.
The biggest hit of Penelope’s career to date grossing more than a billion dollars she filmed when she was pregnant. This summer blockbuster is Rob Marshall’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth installment in the film series, starring Johnny Depp. Cruz was the only actress considered for the role, as she fit Marshall’s description. He invited her for the role as they wrapped the production of Nine, a musical with an ensemble all female cast, which she dominated with her superbly sensual dancing.
The actress spent two months working out and learning fencing for her role in the pirate flick. During filming, she discovered she was pregnant with her first born. The costume department obligingly redesigned her wardrobe to be more elastic, and the producers got her sister Mónica Cruz to double for her in risky scenes. That year, Penelope got her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, becoming the first Spanish actress to receive the honour.
Bardem also turned in a remarkable villainous portrayal of defaced rogue agent Raoul Silva ranked among the greatest villains in the James Bond series in the Daniel Craig starrer Skyfall (2012). He too received his Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
Both such bankable stars with worldwide fame, Academy and other prestigious industry awards and tens of millions of Euros in their bank accounts, they were soon to be blessed with a baby girl named Luna born in Madrid in 2013, completing their family.
In the next installment of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), it was Bardem’s turn to star as the main antagonist. This year, he also has the recently released Darren Aronofsky horror film Mother! with Jennifer Lawrence, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Ed Harris that is not doing too well either commercially or critically.
Yet another recent release is the Spanish film Loving Pablo in which the two spouses play the corpulent Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar and his journalist mistress Virginia Vallejo. In an interview, Javier revealed they were careful not to bring the dark subject material home with them after a day on set: “One of the joys, and the fun of what we do, is to create. We were very careful (during shooting) to make sure we kept that joy and that we keep being able to create and use our imagination.’
A critic wrote in The Guardian, “the heat really rises when their fiery attitudes mix and threaten to combust; though the script is in (Colombian accented) English for what Bardem has confirmed were wrangling-a-budget reasons, their spats spark with such passion that a viewer can nearly hear the Spanish behind it.â€
The couple is currently busy having a blast creating what is expected to be another film masterpiece by Oscar winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi called Everybody Knows. Bardem commented on Farhadi in a recent interview: “He sees everything. He may not understand a word, but he knows what you’re saying. He only wants honesty to its deepest level so you are really obliged to take the mask off and go there completely naked. I believe in giving it all, but the hands have to be sensitive, caring, nice — that’s why you give it to him. You trust him. And, he’s super funny.â€
Upcoming fashion designer Anam Salman is a graduate from Karachi American School and Asian Institute of Fashion Design. Her work is both a fusion of modern and classic cuts. She focuses on haute couture and luxury pret. She recently launched her high fashion collection Chimera, a wearable mix of eastern and western high fashion; she also launched two Eid Collections this year by the name of Khayal that focused only on traditional designs, proving her to be a bridge between both worlds of fashion
What is the biggest fashion mistake women make?
Women need to start accessorizing more.
What is your design aesthetic?
I like to play with classic cuts and infuse them with trendy silhouettes.
How would you describe your brand?
The brand is for the bold, strong and independent woman.
If Anam Salman could have any celebrity spokesmodel who would it be?
Priyanka Chopra
Favorite place to find budget buys?
Depends on the budget and what you’re looking for.
Favorite place to shop in Karachi and why?
Again, depends on what I need.
If you’d choose to give any celebrity a makeover who would it be and why?
I think everyone has their own individual style and they know how to carry themselves so really no one.
What are the must-haves a woman must have in her closet at all times?
A woman must have a black, white and blue dress, a good handbag and a great pair of heels.
Favourite all time designer?
Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla
If one is really stuck and you don’t know what to wear, what would you suggest?
Go for a dress that has a classic cut. You can never go wrong with a classic design.
Item worth splurging on?
A good handbag.
What helps you get in the zone when you are designing?
Good music and good company. A positive mindset is always productive.
Any suggestions for older ladies?
Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t be evergreen. I feel that women can carry anything no matter what their age. They just need to block out the criticism and be confident. Wear what makes you happy.
How do you come up with your designs?
My designs come from inspiration. Sometimes the smallest thing can inspire me and I begin sketching immediately, which is why I always carry a sketch book with me at all times. You never know when inspiration can hit you.
Who is your favourite makeup artist?
Akif Illyas
Favourite vacation spot?
I love Koh Samui in Thailand. It’s beautiful. I would recommend it to anyone that just wants to sit back and relax.
Any fashion related message?
The most important thing you should have is confidence. No matter what you wear. If you’re not confident wearing it then no matter how great the dress you won’t look nice. Confidence is what makes you stylish everything else comes second.
Any styling advice?
Always accessorize. Invest in good watches, jewellery, bags and shoes. If you have a good collection you can never go wrong.
What are the key trends for bridal and wedding wear for the upcoming season?
A lot of designers are focusing on pastel colours because of the winter season. Dark colours with gold work look more royal. The only trend that is relatively brighter is the collection for mehndis.
What are classic silhouettes that flatter every woman?
Silhouettes depends on the woman’s body type. For example, if you are apple or pear shaped and are heavy in your mid-section you should try to avoid fitted trousers and wear something that compliments your physique rather than focus on the problem areas.
What trends would you like to see die?
Overly exaggerated floral digital prints. I think there is too much going on in those prints and it ruins the beauty of the design. Casually worn gharara and tulip pants are another trend that I am not fond off. Simply because they do not complement every shirt and its very tricky to mix and match.
What trends would you like to see more women experiment with this season?
Definitely with different types of sleeves and maybe match them with different cuts and designs. I would want women to experiment with minimalistic work that makes a big impact.
What do you hope to see more of from designers in bridal and wedding wear this season?
I think the brides should be allowed to customize her own dress. I feel that since it is her wedding, she would also want to give her creative input regarding her wedding dress. Only the bride would know what will complement her.
What does GT mean to you?
GT is my one stop entertainment guide to everything happening in Pakistan.
Photography:
Arsalan Bilgrami of a.bilgrami studio
Hair & makeup:
Eric Sen at JY style studio
Chimera Collection
Anam Salman in her versatile and eclectic Chimera Collection plays with bold colours and modern aesthetics, imparting it a unique and contemporary look
Why? The photographer/event planner si quite the dapper gent in his plaid Humayun Alamgir jacket and pocket square
Who? Sadaf Jalil
Why? The petite bombshell knows how to dress for her frame. He eye catching dress is unusual but not overpowering
Who? Sharmila Farooqui
Why? If only our nation’s male politicians’ took a page out of her sartorial book
Who? Seher Perzada
Why? What’s not to love about the sculptural top, sleek hair and minimal accessories
Who? Riz Ahmed
Why? The cute Pakistani-British actor made history with his Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie win, the first acting Emmy for any Asian and Muslim Male
Who? Mehyr Butt
Why? We love her wide leg trousers and aqua Chanel Boy Bag
First up: Big congratulations to super talented Pakistani-British actor/rapper Riz Ahmed for his historic Emmy win. He became the first Muslim and the first Asian man to win an acting Emmy. Ahmed beat out such heavyweights as Robert De Niro, Geoffrey Rush, Ewan McGregor and Benedict Cumberbatch in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie category for his performance in The Night Of, an HBO criminal justice miniseries. On the occasion, Riz said, “TV is in particular a global medium. People are streaming shows or watching them all around the world, so hopefully we’re going to see a globalization of the stories we’re telling and a globalization of the talent pool.†Well done in breaking down race barriers in Trump’s America!
Nationally, before the advent of Muharram, a whole week long of fashion and festivities took place in Karachi in the guise of Fashion Pakistan Week where designers showcased their latest Luxury Prêt collections. We have you covered regarding this and all the happenings and on dits of the last fortnight.
