1. Flower Frame  Â
Perfect for the summer, this beautiful ensemble from the Sapphire Eid Edition 2018 boasts of heavily embroidered chiffon kameeze paired with digitally printed bottoms and a tissue dupatta. The soft, feminine colour scheme is pleasing to the eye. This is a dressy outfit is perfect for the upcoming Ramzan and Eid season.
2. Dolce Vita Home
The Dortmund Chester combines the modern with the tradtional and is sure to complement most decor themes. Set on four elegant cabriole legs with a sumptuous marble top, this monochromatic chest of drawers with brass hardware stands out in any interior.
Instagram: @dolcevitahome
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3. Reefland–Gold Bloom Sneakers
These cool sneakers are on-point. Whether you’re striking a pose or just relaxing with friends, your footwear will make you stand out from the crowd. Get your hands on a pair for only Rs.1995 available from www.reefland.com.pk.
Architect Salman Jawed is the co-founder of Coalesce Design Studio, Karachi. In addition, he is a visiting professor at the University of Karachi as well as the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, his alma mater. As a curator, Salman has participated in the Dubai Design Week in 2015, London Design Biennale in 2016 and Khat-Alchemy Festival in 2017. Sana Zehra chats with the hottest architect in K-town!
What made you pick architecture as a profession?
I had always been fascinated with built up spaces and buildings and felt that it’s also a medium of expression. I find it fascinating; I feel that I learn something new each day constantly working on different projects and challenges, which is really exciting for me.
Do you think your background and upbringing shaped your design ethos?
I didn’t specifically have an art background but always enjoyed art as a subject in school. I grew up in a joint family system with my grandparents and uncles all around me. My grandfather especially had a lot of influence in my life and I feel I get my creative gene from him and also the travel bug.
Do you feel architecture should change from country to country?
Architecture does vary from country to country and different regions. It needs to be vernacular and able to respond to the context. It is one of the most important aspects of a good design, how it responds to nature and the natural factors.
Do you think most of the architects are now more concerned with imagery than quality?
I feel that it has a lot to do with awareness and what architects are perceived as. I believe architectural services here should be perceived here as a necessity rather than a luxury, which will lead to more impactful designs in Pakistan.
How has your work evolved over the course of years?
I have been working since 2006 and started freelance while I was studying. My work has evolved quite a bit as I got to learn a lot during these years particularly working full time after graduation. I cofounded Coalesce Design Studio in 2008 and along with my partners we have really evolved our design aesthetics and continue to do so.
Your work is complex. How do you get the work done with the local labour force?
We are at times really restricted with the lack of professionals and construction companies but it also allows us to train and develop teams with whom we can work. The overall level of construction is improving and I feel that it will keep on improving with time.
Do you think that there is a globalized trend in architecture that everyone follows?
Yes, there are a lot of trends that people tend to follow but it can be more suitable for interiors and styles. Architecture has to withstand the test of time, like old monuments and buildings that still look timeless.
Which projects have given you immense satisfaction so far?
I honestly cannot really select one as I have had the privilege of working on a lot of interesting projects. But this year we will be participating at the Venice Biennale and there will be a National Pavilion of Pakistan there, a historic moment for our country. It happened because of our company and our hard work.
What projects are you currently working on?
I am currently involved in many commercial and residential projects. As a company, we are also displaying our product designs at international exhibitions. I also like to pass on my design experience to students at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture where I teach.
On the lighter side…
How would you describe the colour red to someone blind?
I would describe heat or lying down facing the sky with your eyes shut.
Funniest thing that has happened to you recently?
Funny things happen to me all the time, I can think of a lot of things but would rather not share it here 😉
Ever experienced love at first sight?
(No comment)
Who has it easier: Men or women?
Men have it easier, especially in my field. I feel that women have to work harder at times but I know a lot of women and a lot of my friends who are setting examples for others to follow.
Most embarrassing comment ever received?
So are you “Architecture?â€
Name one commonly held belief you find offensive?
Tall people are not that smart.
One thing that overwhelms you?
The ocean
Obstacles you are currently trying to overcome?
Trying to create a more professional approach to architecture and construction.
Message for people wanting to follow their dreams?
Dreams don’t work unless you do.
Photography: Ali Khurshid
“This year we will be participating at the Venice Biennale. There will be a National Pavilion of Pakistan there, a historic moment for our countryâ€
Mahlia Lone tries out Ava Salon & SPA’s Turkish style Hammam rituals
There are many day spas in Lahore and more than enough salons, but there is only one Turkish style hammam for women. Recently, Ava Turkish Spa opened its doors for business and I was agog with curiosity to try out the treatments on offer. I went in for the traditional hammam experience. Ava  day spa is centrally located in Mini Market and easy to find. The minute I entered the aromatic fragrance and soothing music lulled my spirit made uneasy by the city’s insane traffic. A cup of flavourful Turkish tea further soothed my ruffled senses.
After undressing and putting on a wrap, I was led to a steam room big enough for two. Since the hammam is a communal experience in Turkey, here it’s been made for two women to ideally share. I would recommend you go with another woman you are close enough to strip in front of and who you are comfortable enough to chat or remain silent with as the mood pleases you. Also, I recommend taking your own bikini as though a washed one is handed to you, the more fastidious ones, like me, would prefer to clothe your modesty in your own undergarments.
An attendant waiting patiently outside the steam room handed me a glass of water to cool me down with a drink and led me to the piece de resistance, the hammam itself. It’s a large immaculately clean room entirely covered with pristine white marble under a blue dome. Massive white marble lotus shaped basins with wall mounted silver taps lined the sides. The white marble glowing under blue light made it appear otherworldly. I lay down on one of the two massive marble slabs and my two masseuses, Merhma and Zeenat, expertly went to work on me. First, they sloughed off the dead cells with exfoliating mits, then used charcoal soap to wash me and finally a pillow cover filled with air to rub sudsy bubble bath all over my body, a divine, indescribable feeling. I felt like I was being kissed by angels.
My hair was gently shampooed also. Impressed with the quality of service, I asked my two attendants how long their training had lasted for. Three months, they replied, while carefully helping me up from the by now slippery marble slab.
By now, I was so squeaky clean. Next came the step to massage my skin with aromatherapy oil. I was kneaded and massaged till there was not a knot left in my muscles and my skin glowed silky with the oil.

Last came the Jacuzzi, big enough for two, filled with rose petals and a rich bubble bath to wash away the excess oil. This room too was lit dimly with candles to optimize relaxation. Aaah, bliss!
I highly recommend all women to make the hammam a part of their busy lives. It’s especially recommended to get ready for an anniversary, for brides the day before their wedding, or even as a monthly ritual. The whole process takes closer to two hours. If, during Ramzan, you don’t want to sweat in the steam, I suggest trying one of their body wraps. The Cleopatra wrap sounds particularly enticing. More on that another day.
“Ayesha and I took a trip to Turkey and Greece last September. When we were in Istanbul we visited a hammam there. After our services we both were talking about how there are so many spas in Lahore but none offer the hammam. That’s when we decided to tap this market gap and open one in Lahore.†—Ana Ali
Rumour has it that Meesha Shafi is permanently moving to Canada with her family because of the threats she has been receiving.
Rumour has it the famous anchor Larry King keeps a fan under his table so people don’t get a whiff of his flatulence. Some of his guests call Larry a gas-bag. Rightly so!
Rumour has it that Pakistani male celebrities are keeping their hands far away from their female colleagues, as Atif Aslam’s picture proves. Even superstar Shaan is being extra careful these days.
As if the fashionable garbage bag wasn’t enough, rumour has it that the Chanel Limited Edition Grocery Basket is now the new hot trend selling for a whopping $16,000!
Rumour has it Saba Qamar has been signed on for a Hollywood movie starring Ben Affleck. While we are happy for her, we hope it’s not a blink-and-you-miss-it role.
Rumour has it that despite her recent trip to Mumbai Priyanka Chopra is to be replaced with Katrina Kaif in Salman Khan’s Bharat. Director Ali Abbas Zafar is keen to recreate the Salman-Kat magic.
Rumour has it that Cameron Diaz only washes her face with Evian mineral water. She was acne prone in her youth, so it’s probably to ward off bacteria in the general water supply.
Rumour has it that Shahid Kapoor and his wife Mira are expecting another baby. But they still haven’t confirmed the news. What are they waiting for?
Rumour has it that the release of Ahad Raza Mir starring war film Parwaaz Hay Junoon has been delayed due to a legal battle with the stylist who the production house reportedly forgot to credit.
Rumour has it that students at NUST (National University of Sciences and Technology) are in hot water for choosing divorce as the theme for their farewell party. Tsk tsk divorce is not something you can celebrate.
Rumour has it that patrons of Lahore’s landmark restaurant Cuckoo’s Den owner artist Iqbal Hussain is asking people to boycott the restaurant as his nephew has illegally gained possession of it.
Rumour has it Mahira Khan is all set to rule the Cannes Film Festival! this year.
Rumour has it that Gigi and Zayn are apparently back together and we couldn’t be happier!
By Afshan shafi
For this week’s style me up, Bushra Mustafa serves as the muse for Hina Shah’s Luxury Lawn. Elegant and traditional, Bushra styles these must have lawn ensembles to perfection Muse Bushra Mustafa
Makeup by Zainab Khalid
Photography by Raza Ali
Coordination by Afshan Shafi
Muse Bushra Mustafa
Makeup by Zainab Khalid
Photography by Raza Ali
Coordination by Afshan Shafi
This mint green ensemble features just the right amount of floral motifs. The white handbag and delicate sandals, finish off the look perfectly!
This mint green ensemble features just the right amount of floral motifs. The white handbag and delicate sandals, finish off the look perfectly!
We love the designer’s unique colour palette here and the subtle use of embroidery. Bushra styles the look to perfection with neutral accessories.
Who? Abeer Rizvi
Why? The model looks like a cool drink of water in her Zainab Chhotani lawn outfit
Who? Aneesha Sharif
Why? A fun and young look
Who? Umair Mirza
Why? He’s well dressed without trying too hard
Who? Ayesha Adnan
Why? The Lajwanti owner is well put together in her olive pants, white shirt and statemement necklace
Who? Ayesha Sana
Why? When Ayesha Sana does it right, we must appreciate. We love the traditional wedding outfit on her
Who? Madiha
Why? She let her gotay wali chaddar take center stage
Once upon a time, when King Arthur reigned in Camelot, there lived a Cornish knight, Sir Tristan, who fell hopelessly in love with his Uncle King Mark’s bride-to-be the Irish Princess Isolde. The beautiful princess too loved her handsome knight who had valiantly slain a dragon and saved her people. Because they had unknowingly ingested a strong love potion, they had a passionate love that could not be denied…
By Mahlia Lone
The popular Celtic legend of Tristan and Isolde was retold by generations of wandering minstrels who sang of the tragic lovers harkening to the 6th century. Celtic mythology scholars believe that the legend originated in Brittany, western France, which had been settled by Britons. The oral legend, known as the “vulgar†version, a representative of story-telling belonging to the Dark Ages, gave the lovers more choice in carrying out their affair. In the refined High Middle Ages, the 12th century oAnwards the legend stressed the lovers’ honour in keeping with the chivalric and courtly Anglo-Norman literature.
The Story
King Mark of Cornwall ruled in the early 6th century with his seat at Castle Dor, near Fowey. He was the son of King Felix who died after an Irish raid on his castle at Tintagel. According to Arthurian legend, King Mark was violent, treacherous and cowardly by nature. His nephew Sir Tristan, on the other hand, stood for all the virtues of chivalry and was noble, brave and honourable. He also had a poetic soul and was a talented harp player.
King Anguish of Ireland, one of King Arthur’s earlier enemies, was defeated by Arthur in battle and the Irish ruler was forced to accept his supremacy. However, in his later battle with King Mark of Cornwall, King Anguish emerged victorious. When King Mark refused to pay King Anguish seven years back pay for his vassalage, the Irish ruler sent his champion knight Sir Morholt to forcibly extract the payment of tribute.
Sir Tristan and Sir Morholt fought in single combat in a fight to the death. Tristan killed Morholt and a broken piece of his sword remained in the latter’s fatal wound for all to see in the body when it was taken back to Ireland. Tristan too was wounded in the desperate fight. When his wound did not heal, he journeyed to Ireland in disguise so he could be healed by the Irish Princess Isolde, famed for her skill in healing. Isolde was the daughter of King Anguish and Queen Iseult the Elder.
Upon arrival, Tristan discovered that Ireland was being terrorized by a fearsome dragon. A brave and skilled knight, Sir Tristan succeeded in killing the ferocious fire-breathing dragon. In gratitude, Princess Isolde nursed him back to health after the fight. But when she found his broken sword, putting two and two together, she realized that he was the warrior who had killed Morholt, her uncle.
At first she wanted to avenge her uncle’s death, but seeing how grateful her people were to Tristan for killing the dragon that was terrorizing them and destroying their property, Isolde forgave him. Enjoying her company, Tristan lingered on at the Irish court. During his convalescence Tristan played his harp for Isolde and gave her lessons in the instrument as a pretext to spend more time with her.
On his return to Cornwall, all he could talk about was the Irish princess. Hearing his nephew’s high praises, King Mark decided to marry Isolde himself. Loyal and obedient as a knight is duty bound to his king, Tristan had no choice but to agree to return to Ireland and seek Isolde’s hand in marriage for his uncle the king. Back in Ireland, the matrimonial proposal was accepted as an offering of alliance and Isolde was sent to Cornwall under Tristan’s care.
Tristan and Isolde had already developed feelings for each other but their well-established sense of honour prevented them from expressing themselves freely. To ensure her daughter’s marital happiness, Queen Iseult gave the princess a drink to share with her future husband Mark. It was a magic eternal love potion. During the sea voyage from Ireland to Cornwall, Isolde and Tristan inadvertently drank the potion, not knowing what it was, and fell deeply in love.
Upon arriving in Cornwall, the royal marriage took place. But the young couple couldn’t help but still love each other. Their passionate love affair continued in secret. Since the noble Arthurian principles didn’t condone adultery, according to the story, the love potion freed Tristan and Iseult from responsibility. Mirroring the dynamics of the Arthur-Guinevere-Lancelot love triangle, Mark-Iseult-Tristan also all loved each other. Tristan honoured, respected, and loved King Mark as his king, mentor and father figure; Isolde owed her husband loyalty, devotion and gratitude (for his kindness to her); and Mark loved his nephew as well as his wife and felt that they were the closest to him.
A series of intrigues, plots and suspense followed. The King’s advisers warned him that Tristan and Isolde were not as innocent as they seemed. But Mark didn’t want to jeopardise the fragile truce between Ireland and Cornwall and endanger his fragile kingdom till he was sure. So King Mark, his advisers and his knights made various attempts to trap the lovers and obtain proof of their guilt.
Every night, each of the three main characters had nightmares about the future. When King Mark finally got his proof positive of the affair, he resolved to punish them as cuckolding a king was grounds for treason. Tristan was sentenced to death by hanging, while Isolde was to be burnt at the stake. Taking pity on his young and beautiful wife, the king reduced her sentence to being sent to live in a leper colony where she could heal patients.
The dashing blade, Sir Tristan made a daring and exciting escape on his way to the gallows. He made a giant leap from the top of a chapel steeple and rescued Isolde. The lovers managed to escape into the forest of Morrois and took shelter there until they were discovered by Mark’s troops. Left with no choice, Tristan gave up Isolde, and went into exile. The King forgave Isolde.
A depressed and despairing, Tristan left Cornwall by ship for Brittany, sailing across the English Channel. There he met and married Iseult of the White Hands because she reminded him of his Isolde. His wife was the daughter of King Hoel of Brittany, a late 5th- and early 6th-century member of the ruling dynasty of Cornouaille in northwest Brittany, and a relative and loyal ally of Arthur, who had helped him conquer Gaul (northern France). Her brother was Kahedin, also mentioned in Arthurian legend. Kahedin was also to have a love affair with Brangaine, the handmaiden of Isolde of Ireland.
Tristan did not consummate his marriage to Iseult despite her beauty as he couldn’t bear the thought of betraying his one true love.
Pining, he recklessly endangered his life riding to the aid of Kahedin his brother in arms, fell into ambush and was wounded by a poisoned lance.
There were alternating versions of how Tristan got wounded. In the Prose Tristan and works derived from it, Tristan was mortally wounded by Mark who treacherously stuck him with a poisoned lance while the latter was playing a harp for Isolde before he left for Brittany.  According to Thomas’s poetic version, Tristan was wounded by a poisoned lance while attempting to rescue a young woman from six knights.
No one could heal Tristan’s festering wound. Much weakened and pale with loss of blood, Tristan sent Kahedin to Cornwall for Isolde as a last resort in hopes that she would be able to cure him. If she agreed to come and was on board, Kahedin would unfurl white sails on his ship, and if she did not agree the sails would be black.
In music
German composer Richard Wagner’s phenomenal opera Tristan und Isolde (1859) by German composer Richard Wagner is considered “a treatise on life rather than a musical experience†and was vastly influential, groundbreaking and revelatory. In 1924, Thomas Hardy collaborated with the British composer Rutland Boughton to adapt Hardy’s play into the opera The Queen of Cornwall (1924).
Upon Kahedin’s voyage back, Iseult, seeing the white sails, got jealous and lied to Tristan, telling him falsely that the sails were black.
Hopeless, Tristan died in misery before Isolde could reach him. Grief stricken, Isolde, swooning over her lover’s corpse, died soon after of a broken heart. Wrenched apart in life, the lovers were reunited in death.
Tristan and Isolde
in Literature
In the second half of the twelfth century, two French speaking Norman poets penned courtly lyrical romances of the popular legend of oral tradition. Thomas of Britain wrote his poem Tristan the earlier part between 11
and 1170 and latter part between 1181 and 1190 in Old French, while the Norman poet wrote his poem also called Tristan, in the Norman French dialect in 1173.
In 1227, Tristan by Thomas was translated by Brother Robert at the request of King Haakon Haakonson of Norway who wanted to promote the dominant Angevin-Norman (French) culture at his court. The Nordic King commissioned the cleric to produce translations of several French Arthurian works into Old Norse, which became very popular.
Another contemporary of Béroul and Thomas, the famous French poetess Marie de France, who lived at the Medieval Norman court of Henry II, wrote a Tristan episode called Chevrefoil in one of her lais (lyrical, narrative poetry) that told the story of Tristan’s clandestine return to Cornwall in which he signaled his presence to his lady love through an inscription on a hazelnut tree branch placed on the road she would travel. The intertwined honeysuckle and hazelnut tree dies when separated, as did the two lovers. Marie’s lais were so widely read that they influenced the subsequent development of the whole romance and heroic literature genre.
Two 12th century poems in the Folies Tristan in Old French related Tristan’s return to Marc’s court disguised as a madman. But the most important development in French Tristaniana was the Prose Tristan of the 13th and 14th century, shortly after the completion of the Vulgate Cycle (Lancelot-Grail Cycle) in the first quarter of the 13th century.
The twelve volumes long Prose Tristan included the episode of Tristan’s participation in the Quest for the Holy Grail. This had a great influence on later medieval literature, and tied the legend of Tristan and Isolde securely into Arthurian legend.
An abridged translation of the French Prose Tristan in English was Sir Thomas Malory’s The Book of Sir Tristram de Lyones, in Le Morte d’Arthur (circa 1469), which became a basis for all subsequent retellings of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table stories.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a renaissance or revival of Arthurian literature, mostly written in narrative verse occurred, which included the following: Lord Alfred Tennyson’s poem The Last Tournament from Idylls of the King. The poem, set in Camelot, presented an the account of a tournament with the characters of King Arthur, his fool Dragonet and Sir Tristan. Matthew Arnold’s narrative poem Tristram and Iseult was based on romantic and tragic themes. Algernon Charles Swinburne’s long epic poem Tristram of Lyonesse retold the story in a grand style. Thomas Hardy’s one-act play The Famous Tragedy of the Queen of Cornwall at Tintagel in Lyonnesse was published posthumously in 1923. Even all the way in America, poet Edward Arlington Robinson based his Pulitzer Prize winning poem Tristram on the legend.
French writer and scholar and historian of medieval France, Joseph Bédier in his edition The Romance of Tristan and Iseult (1900) used several medieval sources to weave seamlessly a retelling of the story eloquently and with dignity. The story of the tragic lovers was also referenced in avant garde Irish writer James Joyce’s literary novel Finnegans Wake (1935).


Best-selling novelist Daphne du Maurier, who is from Fowey in Cornwall, finished Cornish writer Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch’s Castle Dor (1962), set in modern times but based on the original story. Prolific British author Rosalind Miles wrote a trilogy about Tristan and Isolde: The Maid of the White Hands, The Queen of the Western Isle, and The Lady of the Sea. Bengali author Sunil Gangopadhyay also based his novel Sonali Dukkho on the story.
There are many other retellings of the story written by authors in recent times.
In film
Not one, but three French silent films from the early 20th century were based on the story. A controversial Tristan film L’Éternel Retour or The Eternal Return (1943), directed by Jean Delannoy and screenplay written by Jean Cocteau, made in France during the Vichy regime, reflected Nazi ideology. Renowned French director François Truffaut adapted it to modern times in his film La Femme d’à côté or The Woman Next Door (1981). In the Shadow of the Raven (1988) was set in Viking Age Iceland. There is even an animated film version the Tristan et Iseult (2002).
Bollywood director Subhash Ghai set the story in modern India and the United States in his musical big budget movie Pardes (1997), starring Shahrukh Khan, Mahima Chaudhary and Amrish Puri, which had the hit song I Love My India.
The most recent Tristan film was Tony Scott and Ridley Scott’s Tristan & Isolde (2006) starring James Franco and Sophia Myles.

The Tristan Stone
A Cornish granite menhir (long stone) called the The Tristan Stone still stands tall at 2.7 m and proud near the site of Castle Dor, in Fowey, Cornwall. The stone has a mid-6th century two line inscription “Here lies Drustanus, the son of Cunomorus.†A now missing third line was transcribed by the 16th century antiquarian John Leland as reading “with the lady Ousilla.†The menhir marks the story of their eternal love for times to come.
Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination
By Mahlia lone
Chair
Co-Hosts

Far Out Costumes
Queens
Princesses
Vatican Yellow
Scarlet Cardinal
Gothic Halo
Hoods
Papal Gold
Artsy
Crosses
Armour
Coupling
Jesus Christ Superstar
holy orders
Mohsin Abbas’s Coke Studio debut single Uddi Ja made him an overnight sensation. Next, he made his mark on both the small and big screen with his work in projects, like Lashkara, Ishq for Sale, BNN, Na Maalom Afraad, etc. and the on-going talk show Mazaaq Raat. Nominated for his work in Na Maalom Afraad 1 & 2, the actor/singer/TV host has won many hearts with his killer physique and equally killer voice. Sana Zehra sits down for a heart to heart with Mohsin
How many relationships were you in before you got married? How has that affected your marriage?
(Laughs) Luckily my wife knows everything. I was in two relationships before I got married. I’ve learned it’s best to focus on myself and my career. Yes, if you hit it off with someone then that may be destiny at play but otherwise refrain from purposely seeking a relationship out just for the sake of being in one.
You have stated that you are a very dark person in person. What does that mean?
I was brought up in a house with two older sisters but I remember playing alone. My mother always used to tell me that I have an old soul. My darkness comes out in my poetry and the songs I write for various movies.
It’s funny how I always end up doing projects that have a comedic element, for example BNN, Na Maloom Afraad and now Mazaaq Raat. But The theatre actor in me comes out in serious projects like those I’ve recently taken up, such as Lashkaara and Muqaabil.
Actor Nabeel who is a really good friend of mine says that I write sad songs way more than I should. However, for my new movie, I’ve written some really fun songs.
I do have both sides but my dark side is more dominant. When people meet me for the first time they say you are so funny on screen but in reality you seem so quiet. I don’t know how to meet and greet them. Should I be rapping? (Laughs). I guess people expect me to be funny but get disappointed when they meet me.
What’s the worst experience you had while hosting your show?
This lady was supposed to be on the set but she hadn’t arrived. Ayub Khawar who heads our production was extremely upset as we had all been waiting. The show was cancelled and most of the people had left. Finally, Ayub Khawar was told that the lady had shown up and was waiting in the makeup room. She started crying and told us she had been stuck in traffic and the designer hadn’t given her the outfits on time. She then asked for a 3 kg. cooked fish to be ordered, which she took home. (Laughs)
Ok Mohsin, we really need to know now who it was!
I will mimic her, “Rahnaaay day naaa. Puhleeeze atsss vary baaadâ€.
Ok we got it!
Love in three words…
Mahween Abbas Haider. When I held my daughter for the first time that is the only time I felt real love. (Mahween tragically passed away when she was a month old.)
Any social issue you deeply care about?
Yes. I really feel that sexual harassment and rape must end now. Our children should be safe. I feel these men must be hanged and our army and institutions must do something.
If you were to be made Pakistan’s Central Board of Film Censors chairman, what changes will you make?
I abhor crass jokes made at the expense of women. I don’t like the fact that women always are at the center of such cheap jokes. Our wives, sisters and mothers are to be respected at all times regardless of age, body shape and background.
Do you believe in a soulmate?
(Long pause) I feel like we all have different ideas about soulmates. I believe a soulmate is one who understands your gestures, your body language, etc. In all honesty, who can be a better soulmate than your own mother? She understands you better than anyone. In terms of a life partner, there are very rare combos, one who understands your struggles and meets your needs before they even arise. Please do not conclude from this that I am talking about my wife. My wife and I agree on a lot of things and we disagree on a lot of things. And that’s the beauty of our relationship. We are two completely different people, which makes our marriage more interesting. But I won’t call it a soulmate scenario. It’s hard to find someone who is an exact match of exactly what you need.
Which Bollywood and or Hollywood actors you can most relate yourself to?
Jim Carey and Will Smith from Hollywood and Shahrukh Khan from Bollywood. Jim and Will did quite a few comedic roles in the beginning and then they branched out. I used to read a lot about how these actors achieved their success during my own struggling period.
Tell us something we don’t know about you.
I suffered from depression after I lost my mother and daughter.
Which misconception about you do want to correct?
I do not take steroids please! I also don’t hang out, drink, party or smoke.
Crazy fan moment?
Let’s make it psycho fan moment. A lady from Columbia claimed she wanted to work with me on a project. She got a hold of my manager’s number and was adamant that she needed to talk personally with me to explain it better. Then, she started calling at all odd hours.
One day my wife picked up my phone and gave her a piece of her mind. She got all flustered and said, “Mohsin is like my brother.†(Laughs)
I kept blocking her number but she kept calling me from different numbers. Finally, I switched my number. Again she got my number, I don’t know from where, and started calling and harassing me.
My request to everyone is that to please respect others privacy. We have a personal life as well and are not our onscreen persona in real life.
If there was a super hero movie to be shot and made in Pakistan who should star in it?
Anyone can be Batman but I must play the Joker. Fawad Khan should be cast as Superman for sure.
During recording what is one thing that you must have?
My lip balm. I have lots of different kinds of lip balms.
Go-to comfort food?
I’m such a foodie; I love food. Genetically, I’ve always been skinny but have always worked out. Currently, I’m on a diet and have stopped eating any refined carbs. Right now my favourite food has to be daal roti, black chickpea pulao, and our good ole fashioned curry. But my all-time favourite food has to be pizza and okra.
Any messages for upcoming new talent?
Stay focused and work with all your might and dedication. I’ve seen quite a few newcomers nowadays come on set and the first thing they ask is when they can leave. My suggestion is that the parties can wait. Focus on your work and success will follow.
Outfits
Deepak Perwani
Grooming and location courtesy
Clippers Zamzama
Photography
Arsalan Bilgrami of a.bilgrami studio
Mahlia S. Lon
Eid collections hit the market well before Ramzan this year. The reason for this is because women like to dress in festive cotton joras for Iftar parties and because they prefer staying indoors when fasting during the hot months rather than hitting the bazaars. This shows how far our fashion industry has come as designers are noting and responding to women’s every need and mood. Where lawn trends are concerned, Chicken Kari (eyelet embroidery) is back in a big way this Ramzan, but this time it’s on denser fabric with bigger eyelet holes.
We have an action-packed issue for you with lots of international fashion as well to keep you connected with what’s going on overseas and across the border. And if the first couple of fasts hit you hard, while away the time reading of Sir Tristan and Princess Isolde’s romance that harkens back to the days of King Arthur. Ramzan Mubarik!