Topic: Pics

samiyah

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where did u get the pictures from??? and where is the video for it online??
Posted 12 Oct 2005

samiyah

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i want to see it!!!! where do u download it from????
Posted 31 Mar 2005

samiyah

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can you post the site where you got the article and pictures from Thanks!
Posted 21 Dec 2004

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i cant wait to buy the dvd!!!!!
Posted 20 Nov 2004

samiyah

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ScotchTape said:

SO now you are going to tell us that Pakistan didn't respect NFAK or Strings or Junoon?



im not telling you shyt your just hearing stuff.
Posted 20 Nov 2004

samiyah

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what im sayin' is not sinking in samiyah. lol

when our stars are asked to come...they agree. they agree...so they can conquer another market. that is why they dont say 'no.'

as for pakistani stars not standing a chance unless 'someone wnated to explore sufism' - thats a given. unless someone shows interest in your product, you dont stand a chance - especially on an international stage. similarly, unless 'someone wanted to explore bollywood' india's cinema didn't stand a chance. u (indians) didn't do it on your own.

u seem to be under the impression that indians 'use' pakistani talent - for the peace process or for whatever reason. did u ever stop to think that we USE YOU? LOL. strings is a prime example...they promote 'DHANI' in india, and get noticed. they create music for SM2 as a result, collect a healthy paycheck, and come RIGHT BACK HOME TO PAKISTAN!!! outside of adnan sami...all pakistani stars use the platform provided by the indian media to make some green, and come home! theres nothin' wrong with that! we provide u with the TALENT and u provide us with the means to promote it. give and take my friend.

as 4 paap....u proved nothing. as u read urself....despite what was going to happend to the song, it was pooja bhat and/or her dad who asked rahat do donate it to the movie. not the other way around.

now here's an article for u....

if indians didnt do it on their own then how did they do it??? they didnt go to other countries and have to make them see their talent, their talents were discovered cause they worked themselves up and got it on their own, unlike your people who are getting it from india, their talents are being focused on and respected because india is their platform of success, if those people stayed in pakistan they would have stayed in pakistan. indians are not using pakistanis they are appreciating unlike you people who are gaining so much from india are the users! its not only about the greens look at strings if they are getting the paycheck they arent even getting the respect they should demand they be known as pakistani's and not indians, if you go to their site at one time they had india all over it and on their album they are gonna have it say hindi instead of urdu! how come strings will not represent your country if they are so proud of where they come from?? as for just making greens and going back home?? are u serious your stars like reema, momi, zeba, adnan all want fame in india because your country doesnt not only provide decent money to them but you guys dont even support or respect them. all the people do is complain how they dont do this and that and finally when india is accepting them and allowing them some fame you people go and claim them as always being stars and always being your favorite! i agree its about give and take but dont tell me that your actors are not getting more then they ever dreamed of. This just shows that India and Indians are not bad people and they do allow even their rival country people to come and have their dreams and talents recognized without anything in return, do you think your country would give to someone wihtout expecting from them?? i just want you to realize that your people that come to india to give india the pop scene are not doing it only for money they are doing it because they are getting what they always wanted respect and recognition that you people couldnt give them and you should respect india for giving them that and not criticize india because if it was such a bad country your stars wouldnt be their getting respect and help in the first place.
Posted 20 Nov 2004

samiyah

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arialVEERA ZAAR IS THE BEST. IAM SURE VEER ZAARA MADE MORE MONEY $$$$$$$$$ THEN BOTH OF THOSE COMBINED
Posted 20 Nov 2004

samiyah

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so whats the movie about?? never heard of it =/
Posted 19 Nov 2004

samiyah

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the only people i remember who worked in india were zeeba and nusrat who is nadia hussain??
Posted 19 Nov 2004

samiyah

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wow i can see amna haq's cleavage!! is that her boyfriend or did you mean to say her fiancee?
Posted 19 Nov 2004

samiyah

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so they had a concert where people couldnt afford to see them? wat the hell!
Posted 19 Nov 2004

samiyah

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so do you guys want your country to be presented as a islamic country or what?? like if you have movies and music and then want to be islamic what would you call that??
Posted 19 Nov 2004

samiyah

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i wonder if its gonna be a bollywood or a lollywood film?? what is basant?? is it something for punjabi's??
Posted 19 Nov 2004

samiyah

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________________________________________________________
A SONG FOR SPIDER-MAN

The biggest news of the week is that Strings have been roped in to lend their song, Na Jaane Kyun from Dhaani, for the Indian version of Spiderman. Not only will Peter Parker a.k.a Spiderman soon have an Indian avatar as Pavitr Prabhakar, but now the web swinging super hero will sing, like all Indian heroes, a song! "When we were approached by Columbia to do this track for Spider-Man 2, it was unreal," said Strings member Faisal Kapadia. "Spider-Man has been a favourite character of ours for a long time, so to sing a track for the worldwide film is an amazing opportunity," added partner Bilal Maqsood. Strings are in Mumbai currently to shoot a video for the track as well to promote their recently released album Dhaani, which has hit the top spot in India, once again. These two Spider-Man fans can't wait to hear the rest of the OST which also features international acts like Hoobastank, Train and Maroon 5.

"We are very, very excited," says Faisal. Bilal agrees, "To work on a project of this magnitude is a dream." Na Jaane Kyun will be the only Urdu track to feature on the OST. "The track is about finding one's identity," explains Bilal. "At the end of first movie, Peter Parker is not sure about whether he wants to continue being Spider-Man. The song explains the self-conflict." What is confusing is why the media and the bands themselves refer to the song as a Hindi song when it is an Urdu one. Shouldn't they be bringing their own essence of their land to the movie or the country (India) rather than gelling into it? Anyway, good luck to them.
Posted 19 Nov 2004

samiyah

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MR PERFECT said:

ofcourse they 'choose' to go to india. when you're asked...why would you say no? they're not jackasses. lol.

are you telling me that rahat fateh ali khan, ali azmat, maummar rana, ghulam ali, reema, and so on, were not famous BEFORE they came 2 india?! LOL i suppose NFAK was also not famous b4 he came to india right? lol. they were freakin' allstars in pakistan having made a HUGE name for themselves. then when they were ASKED to come 2 india...they did so, in order to conquer another market - which they did. nothing wrong with that. they don't 'owe' india anything.

india doesn't want them for their talent? LOL. oh samiyah...whats wrong with u?! are you aware that pooja bhat and her husband heard the garbage that anu malik made for her movie, and she was disgusted? LOL. then her husband suggested crossing the boarder and asking the former vital sign member to not only RE-DO the music, but also suggest other pakistani singers to help out: enter rahat, and ali azmat! FACT is.....we have ALOT more talent when it comes to music. shortly after paap....some bollywood director made a movie called rakht, and guess what.....he came lookin' 4 the pakistani band AAROH!! ya'll KNOW we kick ass when it comes to music. why can't u admit this? lol




Exactly why would you say No to India?? It just says that you do know India is good and its even better then what your country can offer for your stars. Nusrat and Junoon are the only ones who made themeselves popular outside of pakistan but the other stars didnt stand a chance unless someone wanted to explore sufism again. All them were just invited for peace related issues once all that ends your back to square one wiht our teachings! Those stars only have hope from India because even Strings after coming to India got a contract with Spiderman 2 through sony. As for Pooja Bhatt she did it for the peace process, her family from the beggining including her father always wanted both countries to get along and they both condenmed anti-paki movies and she wanted to only use pakistani music when faisel who had contacts in the indian industry started passing his demo tape around and becausae her husband happened to be friends wiht faisel thought the sufi music would go perfect with the movie and its theme! no one from their was dying and waiting for a pakistani to come and sing a song for them it just so happened it came their way and what better way to improve peace, raise publicity and use it in the movie when it's right in their front of their face! After you read the article you will see that it was them who made an indian listen to the tape and they were about to put away the songs and give up till they got their chance and someone actually appreciated and liked it and they proved themselves. You should be thankful india is giving your people the opportunity to show their talents off because in your country their talents arent even appreciated until now people in your country are beggining to give your people the respect they should have deserved way before we came into the picture!
your film industry could have done better if they had confidence in their own people, even today javed sheikh is making movies wiht lots of confidence because he knows indian's are helping him and he has the right camera's, talents, guidance he needs, he knows now that he makes a movie it will be viewed without having to worry if your people like it!



________________________________________________________
The film in question is Pooja Bhatt's Paap, and former Vital Sign Shehzad 'Shahi' Hasan, cinematographer Faisal Rafi, singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and studio session player and keyboardist Faiz Ali Naqvi, aka Faizi, were the foursome representing the world of Pakistani music in India. Shahi and Faisal were visibly overjoyed with their coup-d'etat, as they revealed the story behind the merger of Indo-Pak talents.

"I did an album with Rahat about five years ago. Nusrat Fateh Ali sahib had just died at the time and naturally, Rahat, his nephew, was depressed. We tried to get him out of it, reminding him that now, carrying forward Nusrat's legacy was his task. He already had a couple of compositions, and we put them to music. It was something I wanted to do as an artist. It was a very experimental record," Shahi started.

Unfortunately, due to their record company folding, the album never saw the light of day, but Faisal, who had been working with Channel [V] and Star TV, had contacts in the Indian entertainment industry and sent the demo tape around.

"For many years, I've been producing music and Shahi and I go way back, as we're childhood friends. I always wanted to do a project with Nusrat Fateh Ali, and I had even talked to him about it. Night Song (with Michael Brook) was pretty big, so we thought we could do it better, being Pakistanis. But as it happened, Nusrat passed away before anything came to fruition. Shahi introduced me to Rahat and we hit it off. Seven or eight months later, we had the skeletons of several songs and realized that most of them were ahead of their time.

Then, about two years ago, Munish 'Munna' Makhija, who was one of my good friends from the Channel [V] days, was in Pakistan and we made him listen to our demo tape, as Shahi had gotten around eight songs done," Faisal explained.


Following that, again, the project seemed destined for the 'Classics that never were' vault, until six months ago, when Faisal received a call from Munna.


"He told me that he had made Mahesh Bhatt listen to the tape, and that he and his daughter Pooja loved it. They were interested in using the music for their films and basically wanted the album. I talked it over with Shahi and Rahat and we agreed to give them the album," Faisal said.

"It so happened that Annu Malik, a big time Bollywood composer, had done a few songs for Pooja's movie, out of which one was selected. Paap is a very arty film as there is no lip-synching and silly dances. Apparently, the music that Malik had provided somehow didn't gel with the rest of the production. When Munna made her listen to our CD, she fell in love with it, particularly a song called Man ki Lagan (no doubt an exquisitely beautiful track with Rahat's high vocals, bass maestro Sameer Ahmad's deep intonations, Assad Ahmad's sparse plucking, Nizar Lalani's drums and poignant verses penned by Amjad Islam Amjad)," Shahi added.

--------------------------------------------------------

“It all began with us looking for some music that had its roots in Sufi kind of music. We wanted the music of the film to be different,” said Bhatt.
You premiered your film in Pakistan. How was the experience?

We were invited for the third Kara Film Festival in Karachi. It got a good response. Paap is actually a collaboration of Indians and Pakistanis. It is the music of my generation. No one appreciated Man ki lagan before and [musician] Ali was about to trash it. I asked him not to.
Eight months ago, when I roped Ali in, he had to travel from Dubai to India because there were no direct flights from Pakistan to India. I am glad that today, the relations between the two countries have improved
________________________________________________________

You premiered your film in Pakistan. How was the experience?

We were invited for the third Kara Film Festival in Karachi. It got a good response. Paap is actually a collaboration of Indians and Pakistanis. It is the music of my generation. No one appreciated Man ki lagan before and [musician] Ali was about to trash it. I asked him not to.
___________________________________________________

The Bhatt family, including Mahesh and Mukesh, has always been vocal about their support to Pakistanis and the need to develop better ties with India. Taking the initiative Pooja Bhatt's next film Paap has incorporated Sufi music by a Pakistani band Junoon. Director Pooja Bhatt says that the song will be converted into a music video, to be used for the promos of the film
Posted 19 Nov 2004

samiyah

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YAS DEVIL said:

samiyah said:

...Anyhow this is a battle that will never end!


then why would u even start...in the first place

i didnt start i stated my point and someone decided to state there's and it went from there....
Posted 18 Nov 2004

samiyah

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MR PERFECT said:

nobody asks our stars to come to india?! LOL.

samiyah, samiyah, samiyah....

last i checked, maummar was asked by that debutant director during a cricket game, to make an appearance in his movie.

last i checked, it was the organizers of that award show, who invited resham, reema, and javaid sheikh to attend.

last i checked, it was some indian producer who asked the late great NFAK to come 2 india and make the music for the film aur pyar ho gaya.

last i checked, it was pooja bhat who literally went out of her way to COME to pakistan and ask ali azmat and rahat fateh ali khan to do the music for paap.

last i checked it was some indian tv show that invited ghulam ali to be a judge for a singing contest.

these are but a few examples. ofcourse india offers a bigger platform to showcase talent (thanks to their media). but nobody's goin' ANYWHERE from pak, unless they're ASKED - with the exception of adnan sami.

and what a difference he made 2 a virtually non-existant indian pop music scene!! he breathed life into that industry (pop music). and now, ur after our kickass bands like strings, fuzon, aaroh and so on!! its aiight samiyah....u indians know ur movies. but pop music...dream on.




i never said they were not asked or invited i said they choose to come to india! it was their choice at the moment to choose whether they wanted to come to india and get fame or stay in pakistan and choose not to and stay in the dark. ofcourse india is gonna, they are always looking for opportunity to improve their sales and their name, especially now to improve peace relations. its your actors who are choosing to make their career better and they know going to india is their only option if they want to get recognized. if your actors believed that your country could do so much for them they would have stuck there and waited to get famous but they choose to come to india where their fame was instantly given to them and they knew their talent would be respected and recognized. india doesnt need them for their talent, india wants them for the money they are gonna make off of them and for the recognition they will get for making the first move towards making relations better, india is benefitting more by making sure that when your actors get here they know they are in india where their dreams will come true and they can always be thankful to india!
Posted 18 Nov 2004

samiyah

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adnan didnt do jack! he came to india for his own reasons and he stated that, no one said oh adnan come here, oh adnan apply for a indian citizenship, he chose to come here just like the other stars in your country who are choosing to come to india, so they can gain success and acknowledgement they should have received from your country but unfortunately your country doesnt provide the platform our country has and they have no choice but india to be successful locally and internationally. you should be happy india allows your people to come there and display their talent if they didnt, even your own people wouldnt recognize their talent. you people only see what your people have to offer through other people's eyes.
Posted 18 Nov 2004

samiyah

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no one said you had to read anything i wrote, you just choose to read what i had to write. i could care less if you didnt want to read what i wrote. Anyhow this is a battle that will never end!
Posted 18 Nov 2004

samiyah

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lucky reema she is getting somewhere in her career that she never imagined. i hope she appreciates who is helps her.
Posted 18 Nov 2004

samiyah

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you guys shouldnt listen or watch adnan sami he betrayed your country!
Posted 18 Nov 2004

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http://in.news.yahoo.com/040320/58/2c47n.html

http://www.telegraphindia.com/10403...ory_3029697.asp

Saas, bahu rule soaps across border
- Ekta Kapoor’s K-serials and local clones top Pakistan charts
CHANDRIMA S. BHATTACHARYA

Mumbai, March 19: They could pass off as “Klones”, only the K-word is missing. And instead of heavily embroidered sarees, it’s salwar kameezes.

The women look as pretty, processed and bogged down by glittering costume jewellery; the sets are stuffed with as much kitschy furniture and every episode is inspired by the same subtle intent on part of the saas, or the doosri aurat, to malign the bahu.

Ekta Kapoor hasn’t actually produced a serial for PTV, but she is the reigning queen of soap in Pakistan, too.

According to one of the leading television software houses in Pakistan, family dramas on the small screen were reinvented following the success of the K-serials.

“All our top-ranking serials are inspired by Ekta Kapoor,” says Mohammad Jerjees Seja, the executive director of Evernew Entertainment, the Pakistani media house that was in Mumbai to attend Frames, the Ficci entertainment convention.

“There’s Mehndi, there’s Kabhi Kabhi Pyar Mein and Chandni Ratein from Evernew alone. Another such serial is in the offing, which will be called Jaise Jaante Nahin,” he adds.

The opening conceit may be slightly different. In Mehndi, the Colour of Emotions, a mega hit on PTV, a father with four daughters marries them off the same day, thinking that he has got rid of his responsibilities. But problems begin from Day 1 after the weddings — and the problems have a generic name: kitchen politics.

Even the stills of the serial look like they have been issued by Balaji Telefilms, with the smiling couples looking like they have just stepped out of a photo-shoot for upmarket wedding finery.

“It’s the same thing as here,” says Seja. “It’s about the same moneyed class, where they don’t have to worry about money or anything really. So they worry about the small problems between family members.”

“Ekta Kapoor knows how influenced we are by her,” says Seja. He adds that Sajjad Gul, CEO of Evernew group, also the oldest and biggest film production house in Pakistan that veered into television software after the film industry nose-dived, has interacted with Kapoor often.

Chandni Ratein was another record-breaking serial from Evernew. It had a man who wanted children but could not have them from his wife, going in for a second marriage. The second wife – you guessed it – turns out to be vile, and everyone suddenly starts pining for the good, first bahu.

“There is one difference between our serials and yours,” says Seja. “All our serials have a 13-episode format.” So at least there is no scope to repeat the reincarnations rampant in the K-serials.

Seja doesn’t need to elaborate the plot of Jaise Jaante Nahin, the forthcoming attraction. “It’s the same,” he says.

The female leads of the soaps are as popular. For a Smriti Irani here, there’s an Amna Haque (who acts in Mehndi); for a Shweta Katra here, there’s Sadia Imam. Their characters are as much of household names, standing for the same set of wifely virtues as a Tulsi or Kkusum here.

The originals are also there. Since Pakistan gets the satellite entertainment channels beamed here, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki and Kkusum are delivered in person into Pakistani homes and rate as the highest viewed programmes on the satellite channels there, too.

Nausheen Sardar Ali, the actress who formerly used to play Kkusum, was booked by a Pakistani serial as soon as she was out of Ekta’s factory: she is now shooting for the serial in Dubai.

Evernew has so far shown its serials on PTV alone. It’s the government-owned terrestrial channel.

The television industry in Pakistan has taken other cues from the industry here. “The GEO news channel is modelled after Aaj Tak,” says Seja. Anu Kapur is as much a popular host for a music programme on a channel there called Gayegi Duniya Geet Mere.

Evernew is here looking for a joint production with an Indian company. “It will be the first joint production between two houses from the two countries,” says Seja.

The television industry in Pakistan, based in Karachi, is more modern and professional than the film industry, which is based in Lahore.

With technology on its side, it has made rapid advances in the last few years. “We used to make four to five family dramas five years back. But this year, about 70 soaps are in the pipeline,” Seja says.

He adds that seven to eight satellite channels will be launched soon. Last year, advertisement revenues went up by 16 per cent for the industry, he says.

Seja doesn’t forget to remind, though, that Pakistani serials are also very popular in India. “There’s a huge viewership of these serials in India. But it is viewed on VCDs as they are not telecast here,” he says.
Posted 18 Nov 2004

samiyah

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The fact remains that the Indian entertainment industry has been flourishing for years and is now a global player. With a home market of over a billion people it can afford to invest heavily in local media and attract foreign interest. Today, our people are responding positively to this new brand of Pakistani entertainment. What remains to be seen is how tomorrow's young adults will show the effects of growing up in a time of computers, Britney Spears and supremacy of Indian media. We may just end up paying a higher price than we bargained for. In the race to "Indianize" our media, are we evolving with the times or burying our own heritage? Will we be successful in carving our own niche eventually, or will the technologically savvy Indian industry usurp our culture and society? After all, there might be something to the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" philosophy.
Posted 18 Nov 2004

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Is it because anything "Indian" sells?

http://www.dawn.com/weekly/review/review3.htm


Rani vs Reema?

By Zainab Mahmood


What remains to be seen is how tomorrow's young adults will show the effects of growing up in a time of computers, Britney Spears and supremacy of Indian media. In the race to "Indianize" our media, are we evolving with the times or burying our own heritage? writes Zainab Mahmood.

Television is the first truly democratic culture, the first culture available to everybody and entirely governed by what the people want. The most terrifying thing is what the people want. -Clive Barnes

The release of the star-studded blockbuster last year inspired the attire and jewellery for countless brides who enthusiastically tried to get their wedding planners to re-enact the "Devdas setting" complete with the gao takias, silk sheets and other adornments.

The Indian culture, among others, has permeated views through the television screen and people are spending oodles of time and money on spicing up wedding rasms. Singing of Pakistani songs is now passé and instead we must have eight elaborately choreographed dances, to the upbeat tempo of Indian tracks, including sets and props! A few years from now the young generation will be amused by the songs we grew up hearing and will ask "what's lathay dee chadar?"

The release of Kal ho na ho enthused a dance craze. We were stunned by the flawless choreography of a 12-year-old at my best friend's wedding last winter. The teenage crowd completely overshadowed us with their enviable knowledge of Indian songs and dance moves. One such enthusiast, 14-year-old Faiza confessed, "I enjoy Indian dramas and films, especially the remixed songs. My friends and I pick up fashion trends from the hip Bollywood actresses too."

These trends are indicative of an interest that has existed for generations. The post-partition Pakistan saw its people enchanted with Indian cinema, as our film industry struggled and eventually dwindled into oblivion. At that point, we were faced with a void and sporadic lacklustre local productions that failed to impress or attract an audience. Even the banning of Indian films in the '60s did not stifle the interest. People continued to tune into radios to listen to Indian film stories and songs. Thousands flew to Lahore from all over Pakistan to watch Pakeezah being shown on Doordarshan (an Indian channel the Lahoris managed to catch on their antennas) back then.

Then came the state-run TV in Pakistan, and its nationalism, low-budget videos and even some noteworthy drama serials failed to capture the audience for long. The VCR phenomenon saved the day and pirated Indian films were rented in thousands. The satellite dish arrived in the early '90s, and we were bedazzled by Zee, Star Plus, Sony, B4U and MTV India. With so many choices, family members gathered around their TV sets, even during meal times and sitting room discussions revolved around the Indian soaps and films.

Unsuspectingly we have begun to emulate the clothes, language and lifestyle they project. You would be amazed at how much Hindi we understand and use today. Whether we like to admit it or not, the length and styles of our kurtas and pants fluctuate with what Kareena, Rani or some soap actress was seen wearing (even our tailors are familiar with Bollywood trends). The promos for Pakistani music awards that are yet to be aired confirm just this. The hostess is not only making a somewhat misguided effort to put on a Joan River-esque red carpet stint, she is also wearing an exact replica of an evening dress worn by a Bollywood leading lady in Dil Chahta Hai.

The concept of family entertainment has undergone a radical change as a result of the Indian electronic media during the last decade. We are no longer easily offended by actresses prancing about in revealing outfits and their suggestive dialogues and dance moves. The popularity of Indian TV channels and cinema has forced Pakistani media to take stock. The new private cable channels with their serials, soaps and song videos and enticing advertisements are trying hard to catch up. Pakistani producers are now churning out a new drama serial almost every week with steamy storylines. Many of our film actresses are seen taking dance lessons and learning to speak English. (Is Reema vying for a break in Bollywood?) Their media portrays a nation of fairly educated musicians, actors and sportsmen, forcing many of our celebrities to undergo image improvement.

Encouraged by the success of Indian celebrities endorsing commercial products, our corporate sector has begun to use film and pop stars to catch the fancy of the audience. We cannot help but wonder if Shaan has been picked up by Indian producers? Or will Inzie and Shoaib be the next faces for corporate products? All in all, we are taking a crack at giving our industry a facelift so it appeals to all sections of society within and outside Pakistan. It has to be said, with improved programming and presentation, our soaps and some shows are now dangerously close to appearing Indian. A change of outfit and a few added words of Hindi would leave you questioning which side of the border the programmes were produced on.

One can argue that the Indian media overwhelmed the audience and now our new TV channels are just trying to give the viewers what they have always wanted. On the flip side, perhaps by emulating the Indian media we convey to the audience that our cultures are identical and that we have to follow the Indian lifestyle and trends to move with the times. Satellite TV tantalized the audience in the '90s and paved the way for the cable network which flooded thousands of homes and fascinated all kinds of people across cities and villages in Pakistan. From the classic films of Amitabh, Rekha and Rafi to the contemporary age of Shahrukh, Kareena and Sonu, Indian cinema and music has something which will appeal to all generations.

Mrs Zia, a housewife from Karachi confesses, "The saas-bahu and family politics storylines of Star Plus plays are so fast paced. I watch them quite often as they offer a good break from the monotony of domestic life." Even the youngsters are not too far behind. Sixteen-year-old Daud from Rawalpindi finds himself hooked to the Indian dramas and films during vacations and Ayesha, a 6-year-old, living in a small town near Lahore, religiously watches Aishwarya Rai films and knows the words of all her famous songs. On the other hand Zakia, a young mother from Faisalabad representing the views of a handful of mothers today, bemoans, "Indian films and dramas are vulgar and send the wrong message. I don't want my children to grow up thinking that this is the norm, and learning to be devious and manipulative from the dramas."

In Pakistan today, popularity of Indian media and music exceeds by far the interest in our local productions. In fact adding anything Indian ensures that your product sells, which is evident from Indian celebrities featured in our music videos, fashion shows and exhibitions. The production of low-budget popular spoofs of hit Indian films and our versions of their popular song and dance sequences drive this point home. Amna, a 25-year-old artist from Karachi insists, "Indian media is basically good value for money. You can tell they make an effort to attract the viewer. Their entire package is better than the run-of-the-mill entertainment we get here. I've noticed they are really nationalistic in their films and serials, which we are not."

Bilal, a Pakistani/British 21-year-old graduate, shares the views of young Pakistanis living abroad. "Indians offer a corny brand of escapism that we can relate to because they look and talk like us. It's a good laugh to watch Indian songs with our white friends who enjoy it too," he says. Many of the affluent young desis living here and abroad depict the subtle influences. The kurta and chapal trend, the hairstyles and to some extent even the language of young people today is influenced by the fashion vibes from Bollywood stars.

Anglo-Indian cinema has recently come into vogue, especially abroad. The likes of Monsoon Wedding and Bend it like Beckham have provided desis everywhere a chance to watch something they can relate to. The popularity of independent Indian ventures such as Leela and Everybody Says I'm Fine and their success at film festivals abroad, proves that even such films can find an audience. Therefore young Pakistani filmmakers have been encouraged to walk the same path as can be seen from the success of Kara and Mateela film festivals across Pakistan.

We cannot credit the entire change in our society or our entertainment industry to Indian influence. Natural evolution, social and political changes have also exerted their power. But as cable TV has percolated into the cities and even small towns, its dominance cannot be denied. The reality is, cable TV does not require a visa nor must it bend to the pressure of conservative and religious lobbies. Such groups are indeed helpless now. Even the Indian celebrities (from Urmila to Arundhati Roy) who have visited us were overwhelmed by the multitude of fans that were eager to meet them.

Now that the Indians have realized that a big market exists here, we will see more collaborative ventures. Indian drama serials on our channels, sharing of playback singers (Strings, Fuzon and Aaroh spearheading the trend), and joint hosting of programmes (the Indian comperes are extremely professional whilst the Pakistani counterparts leave a lot to be desired). Up till now we have passionately idolized and revered Indian celebrities and their world of glamour. Only recently has the healthy exchange of talent and productions begun and now the Indians will have a chance to see what we have to offer (we hope our current stars meet a better fate than Somi Ali and Zeba Bakhtia
Posted 18 Nov 2004

samiyah

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ScotchTape said:

^ I dont even want to argue with you. You have the stupidest comments.

lol I have ztv, sony, and all the other sh*t indian tv channels. The people in the dramas are so ugly lol i dont even wanna watch tv because of them.

Before you say pakistanis try to dress like indians keep in mind that Pakistani national dress is Shalwar Kamiz and indian dress is sari. I see more indians wearing shalwar kamiz on tv then I see pakistanis wearing saris.

Indian movies are so vulgar and they are straight off copies of hollywood movies. lol this movie's coming up called Bas or somesh*t. From the promos you can tell its a blatant copy of Enough which starred Jeniffer Lopez.

WTF do you know how our actresses dressed like in public before? Our actresses are so beautiful they dont need to dress up to look beautiful unlike the ugly indian actresses


hahaha!!!! so you telling me that if the sari is a national dress people should only wear national dress's in there country?? lolz!!!!! how dumb man every country has a national dress to represent their country they dont need to just wear that! shalwar kameez are also in india they have always been in india! they even have skirt outfits, short top outfits, hyderbadi outfits, gujurati outfits its full of different clothing doesnt mean shyt! shalwar kameez is a islamic outfit if it has long enough sleeves, a long enough dupatta to cover the head and loose enough to not show the body figure. Pakistan has its national dress i doubht ever dham person there wears there national dress everyday time of the day!please that was a lame issue!! why do you have zee, sony?? i would cancel and stop wasting your money then!! how lame if you dont watch why have it?? obviously your not fooling anyone =/i know how your actress's dress cause they had a article in the paper on how the interactions are changing the styles of your country so people in your country can present themselves better so they can come to india's level and then become international!! no one said your actress's are ugly im sure they are beautiful everyone in the world has beautiful people, dont need to attack another country on beauty because people are also beautiful within, that's just being shallow!

Only in India would the peace start from who in Pakistan would make a peace film a peace film so dham good! good thing india has a heart and their nature is good because they gave the first hand, pakistan just complains and never appreciates and always bickers like omg they are like this! and that they dont do anything!! we do everything!! In India people are united in giving and taking the first step and not just taking!please!!! as for the movie tere pyar mein being made first taht just shows that you guys made a hate movie first and complain why gader, loc and all those other movies came out!! god accept some bad in urself if you want people to appreciate what you want dont be fake about it!! and yes india does copy hollywood there is not doubht about it and they admit it too!! unlike you people who dotn admit shyt!! As for Shahrukh khan being well known then tom cruise its true! why dont you watch his documentary teh beggining states how true it is and how true it is that india and bollywood are doing so good everyone knows about what they do and represent! Its hard to suck in but India and the actors in India are succeeding even if you dont like the new stuff they are presenting they are doing it becuase they are capable of it!
Posted 18 Nov 2004

samiyah

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BADM4SH LAHORIA said:

TERE PYAR MAIN WAS SUPER HIT NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT
INDIAN COPIES OUR FILM INDIAN ARE THE BIGGEST CHEATERS.
THERE NO ACTOR BETTER THAN SHAN IN ASIA, SHARUKH IS NOT EVEN IN HIS FOOTSTEPS.
TERE PYAAR MAIN WAS BLOCKBUSTER MOVIE,
I THINK INDIAN ARE JUST JEALOUS, AND HATE US
WE SHOULD BOYCOTT INDIA, AND SHOOT THEM DOWN




HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA SHAN??? WHO THE F' IS SHAN??? HAHAHAHHA HE PROBABLY GETS PAID WHAT SHAHRUKH PAYS FOR HIS FOOD TO EAT HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA SHAHRUKH KHAN AND ANY OTHER ACTOR IN BOLLYWOOD GETS PAID MORE THEN WHAT THE MOVIES YOU MAKE IN PAKISTAN. SHAHRUKH KHAN IS CONSIDERED ON THE LEVEL OR ABOVE TOM CRUISE PLEASE!!!! HAHAHAHAHAH THAT WAS THE STUPIDEST MOST IGNORANT COMMENT PASSED HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

VEER ZAARA IS A CLASSIC AND A BIG HIT IF YOU HAVENT SEEN TEH RATINGS!! GADER WAS A DUMB MOVIE!! IT WAS SO ANTI PAKISTANI AND SO MUCH HATE I HATE THOSE MOVIES PLEASE PICK BETTER MOVIES TO CALL CLASSICS OR HITS! VEER ZAARA AND ANY OTHER MOVIES IN INDIA WILL ALWAYS BEAT PAKISTANI LULLYWOOD HAHAHAHAHA!!!!

As for drama's doing better you should know this that your drama's are changing there scenario to compete with india if they didnt feel threathend that your whole country watch's zee, sony, star plus!! they are fasinated with indian style of settings and clothes they try to show glamour now!!your drama's are changing and everyone knows that and complains and says the drama's before where better becuaes they were and now they are gettin better and different cause they are trying to be like indian style!! no more simplicity allowed since its all about glamour!! thats why you have geo and ary that try to copy sony in all the way possible!!people in your country like it more then p tv because its not modest as it should be!! even your models or actors are trying to dress like indians and getting into fashion in public before they could care less how they presented themselves in public!! the bad thing about pakistan is they only recognize good talent and artists from your country when someone else from a different country recognize'z them!! dont give yourselfs so much credit cause your country is just a wannabe version india and needs to improve on its own talent!!! The only reason zee is airing paki dramas is for the peace process once that ends everything ends!! you guys just want credit for everything cause you dont think beyond that and can never accept yourselves at fault ever!!! first learn to accept that you need improvements then point fingers at india!! india has great actors and they have great movies and they know how to display them and they know how to accept criticism something you guys dont know how to do thats why you wont improve in fields without india's help!!! get that pride out of your system and learn to be average humans before you think big about yourselves!! everone one from every country is average until they accomplish beyond the average!!!

Asa Desh Hai Mera!!!!!! woo hoo!!!
Posted 18 Nov 2004

samiyah

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There are many movie's with hindu muslim and even more with indian guy and pakistani girl stuff all directors have to do is put their own touch to the movie. Tere pyar mein is not even close to Veer Zaara. Veer Zaara has a emmotional connection and everything in the movie is detailed and is peace related and tere pyar mein is like watever not comparable! Veer Zaara rocked and Yash Ji made the movie also similar to his DDLJ! Pakistani movies can never compare to Indian movies, Indian movies always are better because they make all types of movies from garbage to award winning, they always make movies with emmotional connection with the plot, people and acting. The dancing, songs, clothes, settings, stage set up, everything is always better and presented better. Indian movies have a charisma and pakistani movies are stupid and just copies of indian movies, they make stupid parodies to make themselves feel better. Even today pakistani drama's suck and trying to copy indian dramas by making actors wear better clothes and better stage setups!! please get over being pakistan this and pakistan that because all pakistan can do is try to be like indian's and claim everything is pakistani! they just change the label to pakistani but it is actually indian!!

Veer Zaara was a great movie and a peace settling movie no pakistani director could make a movie as good as this please!!!!
Posted 17 Nov 2004