Blog | FunStylers

So, since Atif Aslam had asked us to follow the whole Prince - It’s Showtime thing on YouTube, we did. The official track list for the film has been released and has a whopping 16 songs in its dossier. The film will be released on March 26, and we can hardly wait to see Vivek Oberoi aka Prince prance around in a black pleather bodysuit as he mimes to Atif’s sonorous voice. Because, wait for it, we counted, and Atif has sung 11 songs on the soundtrack! If that is not musical fabulousness, we don’t know what is. And never mind the fact that four of those songs are dance mixes of ones he has already sung on the album, one is a ‘hip hop mix’ and another is a ‘lounge mix’. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s intriguing that every song Imran Khan sings becomes a smash hit. What is even more fascinating is a fact which one has only just discovered recently: Wikipedia describes him as a “Pakistani Punjabi singer from The Hague, Holland”. That somebody with his roots in Pakistan has become a party favourite is actually quite cool.

Imran Khan rose to fame with his super hit single ‘Ni Nachleh’ in 2007, an infectious tune that had everyone dancing and grooving to its ‘Punjabi gansta’ rhythm, and was being played all over the world. Read the rest of this entry »

By Hani Taha Salim

“I am very secure in my place as a designer.” – Sarah Gandapur

There are not many like Sarah Gandapur who is so fearless and honest about herself and her work. A successful designer whose focus is on creating funky garments from ready-made or embellished fabric; who’s been regularly visiting India and Dubai and balancing that with taking out a publication single-handedly, and one who does not feature her clothes or shoots- she is a dynamic woman and indeed a very rare find. Her magazine is distributed in four major cities of India, and recently, she has landed exclusive interviews with Bohemia and Amra Palia, not to mention a highly coveted project in Bollywood.

Sarah is someone who can view the industry from both an outsider’s perspective as an editor and an insider’s, and knows its inner machinations all too well.

“There’s too much politics in the industry,” she speaks in her typical forthright manner. “Just because I’m not gay I don’t get any work from the gay network that operates so widely here,” scorns Sarah in reference to the recent advent of all and sundry into the fashion scene, “so why waste time on a Pakistani network, when I can get work from abroad!” she exclaims.

Sarah had shown at the Arabia Fashion Week in November (around the same time as Fashion Pakistan Week) and is now preparing to show in India in March. Why didn’t she show at FPW?

“I had already committed to Arabia so unfortunately couldn’t show here. It’s the same situation now. I wish I could have shown at the fashion week in Lahore but I have been invited to India as a fashion editor and as a designer for Kolkata Fashion Week.”

As someone who has been showing in Dubai for five years now, what is it that attracts buyers there?

“The desi community likes fusion clothes and the Arab community wants to wear Arab inspired clothes with a desi touch. For Pakistanis I’d take a good mix of clothes while for the Arabs I’d take more of kaftans. They like my work because of the eclectic clothes that I bring,” says Sarah.

“People like Amir Adnan and HSY are huge brand names in Dubai,” Sarah continues, “but they have a classic look that is identifiable and I like to experiment - I end up selling more since my clothes are affordable. Also I am very secure in my place as a designer and have personally given HSY and Umar Sayeed’s numbers to clients who are looking for stunning traditional bridals.”

In a place as versatile as Dubai, Sarah presents Pakistani ethnic and fusion lines, kaftans, hand-embroidered semi-formals. The hand embroidery she says are the biggest hit.

“Everyone was showing gowns so I stood out,” she recalls, “the Indians showed variations of saris. With my creations, it’s all about the use of bright colours and the cut. And I booked the most on the multi-purpose versatile pieces that can be used as separates. I always keep two to three days after the shows to book clothes.”

Ever-prepared for any situation, Sara shares that; “I carry a few extra pieces and sometimes people even buy clothes off the ramp! What I usually do though is get a sim beforehand and a get a few cards printed to distribute to prospective buyers/clients. People abroad don’t complain as much as the clients here and allow room for experimentation, so it’s less hassle, lots of fun and more profitable. But they still need reassurance that the garment delivered to them would be of the quality they expect”.

Considering how often she visits Dubai and India, why hasn’t she yet begun to stock there formally?

“To stock in Dubai, you need to send a certain amount of clothes at certain times to any store or retail outlet that would stock your collection,” Sarah says, “so it’s a little difficult to manage because you need to keep a stringent check on the production lines. I’m trying to expand so I’m looking around for the most viable place for me to stock. So far I’m stocking informally through friends in India and Dubai through regular exhibitions.”

Frills, jalibyas and acumen: Aysha Saim

Just the title of the collection, ‘Around the World in 21 Minutes’, is arresting enough for one to notice Aysha Saim, one of the two designers that represented Pakistan this season at the Dubai Fashion Week. A raw entrant into the fashion industry, Aysha has been dabbling in fabrics since the last two years via her chain of retail embroidered fabric stores, Frilz.

Armed with a fashion and make up diploma from Germany, she ingeniously debuted in Dubai with a demi-couture line of gowns, kimonos and dholak shalwars, all of which were crafted from taffeta, chiffons and silks from her own store. It was a line that was “very well received amongst buyers”, according to a proud Aysha. “The audiences saw my collection as four collections in one actually. They really enjoyed the variety that I had presented starting from a dramatic salsa dress which the model walked in to the salsa beats; to my butterfly themed balloon dress, which created the most hype since coincidentally the theme of the Dubai Fashion Week this time was butterflies but it was kept a secret till we actually got there.”

An astute businesswomen, all of Aysha’s pieces were liberally strewn with frills to reinforce her brand. It served as the most sensible and resourceful way of marketing oneself on an international platform.

“Dubai is where you can truly gauge your potential as a designer,” says Aysha, whose designer pseudonym is ASH - an alias that interestingly arose great curiosity as to the nationality of the brand.

“In Pakistan one can always be successful on the basis of one’s family background, socio-political standing or ‘contacts’. Abroad, especially for someone as fresh as myself, there is no such thing as ‘contacts’. This was my very first fashion show, I have never done one even in Pakistan, but am planning one sometime soon.”

Any interesting incidents to share from Dubai, since she was the only woman representing Pakistan, and it was her first time doing the ramp?

“Well there were a few dresses to which there was a bikini top and two days before the event we were told that we cannot present such revealing clothing in Dubai. So I had to personally stitch corsets to go with them with a needle and thread with my own hands!”

So why did Aysha jump the gun and not show at the Fashion Pakistan Week?

“Previously DFW was clashing with FPW so I didn’t register for Pakistan. Then the dates got changed and I didn’t get the time to register. I wish I had and hope that I can show at our next fashion week. I am going again to Dubai in December though to launch my store there since we found an excellent buyer at the fashion week itself! Then I will also show in Dubai again in March.”

Aysha’s next collection will be aimed strictly towards buyers who she revealed are interested in jalibyas, gowns, abayas and ponchos. She may be fresh on the block, but Aysha Saim knows the tricks of the trade and how to take fashion to the next level- as a serious business venture.
Instep TODAY

وطن عزیز،بلاد اسلامیہ ، اسلام کا قلعہ پاکستان اسوقت جن گوناں گوں مسائل کا شکر ہے انکی فہرست بہت طویل ہے۔ ٹوٹتی بکھرتی معیشت ہو یا دن اور رات کا سکون چھینتا بجلی کا بحران، صوبوں میں جاری بغاوت کی لہر ہو یاسوات میں جاری لا یعنی فوجی آپریشن۔ان بحرانوں نے وطن عزیز کے باسیوں کے ذہن شل کر کے رکھ دیئے ہیں۔ پاکستان کے شہریوں کا ہر نیا دن اس امید کے ساتھ شروع ہوتا ہے کہ شاید آج کوئی معجزہ ہو انکی تقدیر پھر جائے۔ ملک میں امن و سکون ہوجائے، حمکمرانوں کی غیرت جاگ اٹھے، خوش حالی کا دور دوراہ ہو جائے۔ ۔ ۔ لیکن ہر غروب ہونے والا سورج یہی خبر دے کر جاتا ہے کہ ذلت اور مسکینت کے دن ابھی تمام نہیں ہوئے۔
لیکن ان تمام بحرانوں مئں سے سب سے بڑا بحران جس کے خوف سے عام شہری ہر وقت بے چین رہتے ہیں وہ ہے دہشت گردی کا عذاب۔

بلوچستان اور کاراچی میں جاری ٹارگٹ کلنگ کے واقعات ہوں کہ جن میں اب تک جان بحق ہونے والوں کی تعداد سیکڑوں سے بڑھ کر ہزاروں میں داخل ہو چکی ہے یا صوبہ سرحد (پختونخواہ) میں جاری خانہ جنگی۔پنجاب اور سندھ کے علاقوں میں مجرمانہ بد امنی ہو یا تیزی سے بڑھتی صوبائیت کا زہر۔ ۔ ۔ رفتہ رفتہ یہ عذاب مملکت کی روح کو زنگ آلود کرتے جا رہے ہیں۔
آج ملک کے اکثر علاقوں میں ولدین اپنے بچوں کو باہر بھیجتے وقت ، مرد کام پر جاتے وقت اور مارکیٹ جانے والے مارکیٹ جاتے وقت ۔۔۔اس بات کا یقین نہیں رکھتے کہ واپس آ کر وہ اپنے پیاروں کی شکل دوبارہ دیکھ سکیں گے یا نہیں۔ ایک انجانا سا خؤف ہر وقت ذہنوں میں سوار رہتا ہیے۔ یہ ملک میں جاری دہشت گردی کے واقعات کا نتیجہ ہے۔

انہی حالات میں پاک ڈآٹ نیٹ کی جانت سے ایک مقابلہ کا اہتمام کروایا گیا ہے جس میں دہشت گردی کے تدارک پر مضمون لکھنے کو کہا گیا۔میں اس مقابلہ میں تو حصہ نہ لیا تاہم اس مقابلہ سے ہی میرے ذہن میں بات آئی کہ کیا پاکستان دہشت گردی کے اس بحران سے کبھی نکل سکتا ہے؟

تو بد قسمتی سے میں اس نقطہ نظر کا قائل ہو چکا ہوں کہ پاکستان موجودہحالات میں کبھی بھی اس بحران سے باہر نہیں نکل سکتا۔اس بات سے انکار نہیں کہ جب اللہ کسی کا بھلا کرنے پر آتا ہے تو سبھی حالات اس کی موافقت میں چلے جاتے ہیں ۔ ۔ ۔ لیکن میں جس طرف اشارہ کر رہا ہوں وہ یہ ہے کہ پاکستان موجودہ حالات میں اس بحران سے نہیں نمٹ سکتا۔اس سلسلہ میں میری مندرجہ ذیل نگارشات ہیں۔

بیرونی مداخلت:
تسلیم کہ پاکستان میں دہشت گردی کی اصل وجہ بیرونی مداخلت ہے۔اور اس مداخلت کے سرغنہ بھارت اور امریکہ ہیں۔ اور یہ مشورہ بھی تسلیم کہ اگر انکو آنکھٰن دکھا دی جایئں تو بھارت تو آرام سے سیدا ہو سکتاہے۔ مگر یہ بھی تو سوچیے کہ اس مشورے پر عمل کس نے کرنا ہے؟ آف کورس حکمرانوں نے۔ اور حکمران طبقہ کا حال یہ ہے کہ پاکستان توڑنے کے بنیادی ذمہ دار ملک بھارت کو کہتے ہیں کہ بھارت پاکستان کے لیئے کبھی خطرہ نہیں رہا۔وہ حکمران جو کشمیر کا تزکرہ زبان پر لاتے ہوئے ڈرتے ہیں؟ وہ حکمران جو بلوچستان اور فاٹا میں بھارتی مداخلت کا ثبوت رکھنے کے باوجود عالمی محاذ پر کوئی جارحانہ کاروائی نہیں کر سکتے؟ وہی حکمران جو بلوچوں کو(بگٹی) تو میزائل سے مار دیتے ہیں کہ باغی ہیں لیکن ان کے سرپرست (بقول انکے) بھارت کو گلے لگاتے ہیں اور انکے لیے دیدا دل فراش کرتے ہیں؟ وہ حکمران جو بھارت کو اپنے حصے کا پانی چھیننے پر کوئی سخت لہجہ اختیار نہ کر سکے اور اپنے زرخیز میدانوں کو صحرا بنا بیٹھے؟
وہی حکمران جن کی اولادیں امریکہ و برطانیہ میں رہتی ہیں اور یہ ملک محض انکی کمائی کا ذریعہ ہے؟ معاف کیجیے اگر آپ سمجھتے ہیں کہ ان حکمرانوں کو کشورہ دینے سے اگر کوئی اچھائی بر آمد ہو سکتی ہوتی تو یہ مسائل ہی پیدا نہ ہوتے۔
کیا آپ سمجھتے ہیں کہ رحمان ملک کہ جس کا سارا زور عوام کو ذلیل کرنے پر ہے وہ بیرونی مداخلت پر کسی قسم کا کوئی آبرو مندانہ کام کر سکتا ہے؟ جناب وہ لوگ اور تھے جو یہ کام کیا کرتے تھے۔فی زمانہ غیرت رکھنے والے لوگ بعوقوف کہلاتے ہیں۔بے شک ملک ختم ہو جائے لیکن ۔۔۔۔

پاکستان کے عوام:
دوسری وجہ جس کی بنیاد پر مجھے یقین ہے کہ پاکستان کبھی ھی ان بحرانوں سے نہیں نکل سکتا وہ خود پاکستان کے عوام ہیں۔ معذرت کے ساتھ۔لیکن اس عوام میں میں خود بھی شامل ہوں۔
گزشتہ دنوں ایکسپریس ٹی وی کے پروگرام میں بات کرتے ہوئے پیپلز پارٹی کی لیڈر فوزیہ وہاب نے کہا تھا کہ ہمارے ملک کے عوام بیوقوف ہیں۔ بعد میں وہ شرمندہ ہو تو رہی تھیں لیکن سچ ان کے منہ سے نکل ہی گیا تھا ۔ مجھے اس بات پر یقین ہے کہ پاکستان کے عوام بیوقوف ہیں۔
1988 سے 1999 تک دو پارٹیز کو بار بار آزما لینے کے باوجود اس ملک کے عوام نے محض بے نظیر بھٹو کے قتل پر جذباتی ہو کر انہی دو پارٹیوں کو دوبارہ ووٹ دے دیے۔ کوئی اس عوام سے پوچھے کہ مومن ایک سوروخ سے دو بار نہیں ڈسا جاتا ۔۔۔۔آپ کیوں بار بار اسی سوراخ سے ڈسے جا رہے ہو؟ کیا ملک میں ان دو پارٹیز کے علاوہ کوئی شخص زندہ نہیں؟ کیا آپ تک ان پارٹیز کے سربراہوں کی بیرون ملک اربوں ڈالرز دولت کی کوئی خبر نہیں پہنچی؟ِ کیا آپکو ان کے گزشتہ دس سال کے دوران کے بیانات پھر سے بھول گئے کہ جو یہ لوگ دہلی اور واشنگٹن جا جا کر دیتے رہے؟ در حقیقت اس ملک کی لٹیا دبونے میں جتنا ہاتھ کرپٹ لوگوں کا ہے اتنا ہی پاکستان کے عوام کا بھی ہے۔ واقعی جو شخص اچھی تقریر کر لیتا ہے وہ ووٹ بھی لے جاتا ہے۔

ملک کے عوام 2:
اس ملک کے عوام کو میں دوبارہ ذمہ دارٹھہراوں گا ان بحرانوں کا۔اگر آج ہماری عوام کو بجلی پوری کر دی جائے، اور کھانے پینے میں کوئی مسئلہ نہ آئے تو ہماری کوشش پاکستان کے لیے محض نشتند،گفتند،برخاستند تک محدود ہو جائے گی۔بلکہ اکثر تو یہ کہنے لگ پڑتے ہیں کہ جانے دو یار کس ملک میں ایسانہیں ہو رہا۔ چلو فلم دیکھیں۔ہماری عوام کی اکثریت ملک کے لیے محض باتوں کی حد تک مخلص ہے۔ اگر ان سے کہا جائے کہ کوئی عملی کام کر کے دکھا دو تو ادھر ادھر کی باتیں شروع ہو جاتی ہیں۔

بیوروکریسی:
ہمارے ملک میں جس کو کوئی عہدہ مل جاتا ہے وہ فرعون بن جاتا ہے۔اب وہ عہدہ وزارت کا ہو یا واپڈا کے دفتر میں ایس ڈی او کا۔ گزشتہ دنوں مجھے گھر کے میٹر کے لیے بار بار واپڈا کے دفتر چکر لگانا پڑے تومجھے اس بات کا اندازہ ہوا کہ محض ہمارے وزرا ہی اس ملک کے فرعوں نہیں بلکہ سرکاری افسروں کی اکثریت بھی فرعون سے کم نہیں۔ ایک بزرگ جن کی عمر کم از کم بھی 70 سال ہو گی وہ بھی کئی سن سے دکھے کھا رہے تھے۔انکا بل 675 روپ کا تھا لیکن ٹوٹل اسکا 7650روپے بنا دیا گیا۔ اس بیچارے نے کہا کہ ٹھیک کر دو تو میں غریب بندا ہوں ۔ ۔ ۔ میری تو مہنے کی آمدنی اتنی نہیں۔ تو پہلے تو اسکو خوب چکر لگوائے گئے پھر کہا گیا کہ پورا جمع کروانا پڑے گا۔ جب اس نے پھر منت کی تو وہ فرعون صفت شخص جس کو عوام کے لیے اس عہدہ پر بٹھایا گیا تھا اس نے اپنے لائن مین کو بولا کہ اس کو نکالو باہر اور جا کر ابھی اس کا میٹر اتار کر لے آع پھر اس بابے کو عقل آئے گی۔ میں اس کے لہجے میں چھپی فرعونیت دیکھ دیکھ کر حیران ہو رہا تھا کہ محض سترہویں گریڈ کا آفیسر اور لہجہ۔ ۔ ۔اس بزرگ نے صرف یہی کہا کہ “تہانوں ہن طالبان ای ٹھیک کر سکدے نے”” یعنی تم لوگوں کو صرف طالبان ہی ٹھیک کر سکتے ہیں”” ۔ یہ صرف ایک مثال ہے ورنہ سرکاری افسروں کی اکثریت اسی طرح کے فرعوں کی ہے۔نہ جانے وہ کوں نیک دل لوگ ہیں جن کی وجہ سے یہ ملک بچا ہوا ہے۔

خلوص کا فقدان:
پورے ملک میں اس وقت خلوص کا فقدان ہے۔ ہر کوئی ایک دوسرے کی ٹانگ کھینچ رہا ہے۔ پیپلز پارٹی اگر کھل کر عوام کو ذلیل کرنے پر تلی ہوئی ہے تو مسلم لیگ نے بھی کمی نہیں کی ہوئی۔ مسلم لیگ کے ارکان اسمبلی میں حکومت کی تائید کرتے ہیں اور اس کی قرار دادیں اور تیکسز پاس کروا دیتے ہیں اور باہر آ کر اسکی مخالفت کرتے ہیں۔ اس کو جمہوریت کو مضبوط کرنا نہیں ۔ ۔ ۔ بلکہ منافقت کہتے ہیں۔ پیپلز پارٹی کو یہ ملک ٹھیکے پر نہیں دے دیا گیا کہ اسمبلی میں اسکی مخالفت نہ کی جائے۔ دوسری طرف ایم کیو ایم نے الگ طوفان برپا کر رکھا ہے۔ کراچی میں ٹارگٹ کلنگ کے واقعات میں اسی کے کارکنوں کو ملوث بتایا جاتا ہے۔لیکن طالبان کے معاملہ پر شور مچانے والے اس سلسلہ میں پراسرار خاموشی اختیار کیے ہوئے ہیں۔

اسلامی نظام کا نہ ہونا:
مملکت خداداد پاکستان ۔ ۔ ۔ اسلام کے نام پر حاصل کیا گیا تھا۔ آج اگر کوئی اٹھھ کر کہہ دے کہ پاکستان کے قیام کا مقصد محض سیکولر ریاست کا قیام تھا تو پھر بھارت اور پاکستان میں فرق کیا ہوا؟ اسی لیے پاکستان میں اسلامی نظام کے علاوہ کوئی اور نظام چل بھی نہیں سکتا۔اور اگر چلے گا بھی تو ایسا ہی لولا لنگڑا جیسے اب تک پاکستان چلتا آیا ہے۔ پاکستان کبھی بھی فلاحی ریاست نہیں بن پائے گا۔ مسلمان قوم جس کے علحدہ تشخص کی بنیار پر یہ ملک حاصل کیا گیا اسکی ترکیب ہیت ہی کچھ ایسی ہے کہ اسلامی مملکت میں غیر اسلامی قوانین کی موجودگی میں ہمیشہ ٹینشن کا شکار رہے گی۔ اسی بات کو حضرت اقبال نے ان الفاظ میں کہا ہے کہ
”اپنی ملت پر قیاس اقوام مغرب پر نہ کر
خاص ہے ترکیب میں قوم رسولِ ہاشمی”
تو اس ملک میں جب تک اسلامی شریعت نافض نہیں ہو جاتی تب تک اس ملک میں امنو سکون آنا ممکن نہیں۔چنانچہ آج اگر اس ملک میں بھارت و امریکہ مداخلت کرنا بند کر بھی دیں ۔ ۔ ۔ تب بھی ہمارے اندر اس قدر خرابیاں جنم لے چکی ہیں جو اسلام کے بغیر ہم کو سکون سے رہنے نہ دیں گی/
اقبال فرماتے ہیں کہ
”دامن دین ہاتھ سے چھوٹا تو جمعیت کہاں
اور جمعیت ہوئی رخصت تو ملت بھی گئی”
یعنی اگر دین سے کنارہ کشی کی تو اتحاد گیا اور اگر اتحاد گیا تو ملت اسلامیہ کا وجود تار تار ہو جائے گا۔ اور بدقسمتی سے اس ملک کے شہری باوجود حکمرانوں کی کھلی کرپشن کے انکو دوبارہ ووٹ تو دے دیتے ہیں ۔ ۔ ۔ ۔لیکن نظام کی تبدیلی کی کسی کوشش کو کبھی کامیاب نہیں ہونے دیتے۔

چناچہ میں پھر سے کہتا ہوں کہ جب تک یہ وجوہات موجود ہیں تب تک ہم اس ملک میں امن س سکون کو وجود نہیں دیکھ سکیں گے۔میں یہ بھی امید کرتا ہوں کہ اس وقت سے پہلے کہ جب کاتب تقدیر ہمارا فیصلہ لکھ رہا ہو گا ۔ ۔ ۔ ۔ہماری قوم کو ہوش آ جائےگا اور ہم کسی بھی بھیانک فیصلے سے بچ جائیں گے

More on the celeb-Haiti front. John Travolta just got back from the quake-shaken nation where he had taken aid supplies, doctors and ministers and followers of the Church of Scientology. Yes we know, total WTF moment. The enthusiastic Scientologists taught quake victims the ‘Touch Assist’ (TA) technique which they believe can help the nervous system to reconnect.

While Travolta was noticeably absent from the Hope For Haiti Telethon, as he was at a Living Legends of Aviation awards ceremony (where fellow Scientologist Mr Tom Cruise was honoured), he did make a statement revealing his aid plans for Haiti.

“We sent a plane down already,” said Travolta, “and we’re sending another one down Monday, and I’m flying, I’m looking forward to that.”

Let’s pick our favourite bits from the story so far: well, the first would of course be Tom getting some kind of aviation award. We think he needs something to console him as rumour has it that Katie Holmes has managed to formally separate from him as well as gain custody of Suri. Months down the line we might see them playing happy families again, but for now we bask in Katie’s triumph, if this rumour is true.

The other bit we love is the whole Touch Assist thing. According to reports from Haiti, gregarious Scientologists camped out by the airport spent their days teaching Haitian men how to do the whole TA thing and spread the knowledge in exchange for money or food.

One volunteer remarked,

“we fill holes, we’re there where people need us, and if people need a hug, then we give them that too.”

Instep TODAY

Ha-ha moment of the day: Zarine Khan might be replacing Katrina in an upcoming sequel of David Dhawan’s Partner. And by the time cameras start rolling on that one, we are hopeful Zarine will have shed the mounds of biscuits accumulated on her frame. That is not why this is a ha-ha mo, though; that is purely directed towards the lovely Ms Kaif who was seen the past weekend attending a party with SRK.

Yes, she is a woman, and she should not have to restrict her social life because of her crazy beau, but word has it he is not really her beau anymore. Okay, so word has had it about them being together too but right now we are going with the broken up story for our own merriment.

Katrina has reportedly dumped Salman’s behind because Veer did not do so well. So she ventured out to Arjun Rampal’s birthday bash with SRK, looking nervous enough to hurl, according to onlookers.

And as it happens, numbers for Veer have started picking up as of the same weekend too. Ah, poetic justice- how we love you.

We wonder how Katrina feels about Zarine replacing her in Partner - can’t imagine her being too happy about - although we do know Zarine is in complete awe of Katrina and thinks she is beautiful. This is one story we can’t wait for to unfold.

Instep TODAY

Hey guys! Remember Saleem Javed? Actually, how can you not? The man who covered Ahmed Rushdie’s ‘Dil Ko Jalana’, so, um, unforgettably, that, that is the version we actually remember, is now an “aging metrosexual” (Link) and has been joined in his mission to entertain through music by his son, Shezan aka Joji.

This picture is from a very recent show in Dubai organized by the Pakistani community there. Joji really impressed the audience with his vocal talent and Saleem astounded one and all by appearing almost as young as his son! Actually, we have to admit Saleem looks way younger than he did in his ‘Jugni’ days, when he was on the scary side of pudgy.

Joji has recently returned home after obtaining a diploma in Engineering and Music Production from Canada. He says he has been encouraged by the fact that his father believed in him and sent him abroad to pursue higher education.

Joji’s debut album is in the works, and we eagerly look forward to discovering what Saleem Javed’s son will sound like!

Instep TODAY

Taylor Swift cannot seem to avoid awkward encounters with Beyonce. However this time they have the ever eccentric Lady Gaga, the eternally entertaining Dave Matthews Band and the electronic experience of The Black Eyed Peas for company.

Fearless - Taylor Swift

The young country-pop beauty’s rise to fame hasn’t gone unnoticed. At such a young age, to be nominated for a prestigious award, let alone eight, is an honor. To actually triumph over possibly the industry’s biggest star, Beyonce (at the Video Music Awards), is phenomenal. However whether she is set to nab this award is another matter.

Swift’s second studio album has been one of the top country music albums in recent times. The album has had top 50 positions on global music charts, has gone platinum and sold over 5.4 million copies in the United States alone. However her competition could prove to be too much in this category, even if last year’s winner was a collaboration of country-bluegrass singer Allison Krauss and rock legend Robert Plant, which beat all odds.

Therefore the most likely scenario for Swift (and the betting man) will be that she sweeps all her country nominations, but falls short on this one.

Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King - Dave Matthews Band

The band’s first studio album since the death of saxophonist LeRoi Moore is one that was highly anticipated by avid Dave Matthews Band followers. Fans of the outfit wanted to hear the band’s new voice with Jeff Coffin replacing the virtually irreplaceable LeRoi. The other factor that added to the hype was the return of musical virtuoso Tim Reynolds to record with the band for the first time since 1998’s Before These Crowded Streets.

The album peaked at number one on the U.S. billboard charts and is also nominated for Best Rock Album. While the album did well overall, many fans took a while to warm up to the sounds of Coffin on the saxophone. Once again if Matthews and his cohorts take any one of the two awards they are nominated for then surely LeRoi, the GrooGrux King, will be popping champagne wherever he is.

The Fame - Lady Gaga

Although Gaga might sometimes be mistaken for a drag queen, there is no mistake in her rise to stardom with her debut album The Fame. Her unique fashion, glam-rock inspired performances and electronic/dance/pop music sets her apart from her colleagues as it makes headlines and sets records.

The Fame, did exceptionally well across the globe and was received as an overall favorable album worldwide. Her chart positions never went below 20 (her lowest being 18) which is testament to the success of the album. To add to the hype her two singles, ‘Poker Face’ and ‘Just Dance’, were played on the radio till their lyrics were embedded in our minds, whether we liked it or not. As an album in its entirety, Gaga could be poised to nab the statuette for The Fame, but the academy is most likely to award a more experienced artist.

The E.N.D. - The Black Eyed Peas

The quartet that started their career as primarily a hip hop group have evolved from their basic beats by adding an electronic element and forging a dance oriented style. This adaptation seems to

have served them well if recent successes are taken into account.

Off the album two of their tracks, ‘Boom Boom Pow’ and ‘I Gotta Feeling’, have held the top two spots on the Billboard Hot 100, a feat only accomplished by eleven artists.

They also managed to top the charts for an unprecedented 26 consecutive weeks.

Their party anthem ‘I Gotta Feeling’ has been nominated for two awards while ‘Boom Boom Pow’ seems to have been on most DJ’s track lists at clubs and parties. Therefore as singles their album has done well, and Will.I.Am has also gone on record to say the future is about producing singles rather than albums. If they take this award despite that claim then some eyebrows will truly be raised.

I am… Sasha Fierce - Beyonce

Probably the outright favourite in this category, the voluptuous diva known as Beyonce might be celebrating with her husband and his loyal cohorts (Kanye and the likes) by the end of the night.

This is the first time Beyonce has been nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards and judging on her impeccable history in the music field, the multi-talented star is odds on favourite to snag the award.

With six nominations for the songs on the album, two nominations for the album itself and chart positions never dropping below 35, the album has what it takes to beat

out the competition. It

was positively received by

critics and sold over 6 million copies worldwide. Beyonce could very well clean house

at the Grammies this year as the outright leader of the pack.

Instep TODAY

More on the Brangelina front, or shall we say, on just the ‘Br’ front. The man with a beard so annoying and sharp it drives holes through our souls, has gone and bought himself a new crib. Oh okay then, a house, it’s not P. Diddy we’re talking about after all.

Not so shocking if you consider he is a rich man and can afford to maintain several houses at the moment, but a little on the surprising side as the house is being described as a “bachelor pad”. The new place reportedly has cost $ 1.2 million and comes equipped with its own cave. Presumably for all the times after Brad discovers restraining orders only go so far.

A source (we nominate Jennifer Aniston) says: “The house oozes character. Brad has had his eye on it for some time but he decided now was the right time to buy because he wanted a place to call his own. He needs somewhere quiet that doesn’t have memories of Angie and where he can be alone and think about what he does next.”

Perhaps Brad’s brother Doug finally got through to him about what Brad should be doing about his coupled-up life. Another source claims Brangelina have been in a “loveless relationship for about a year.”

“They barely spend time together,” says le source “and when they do it is very fraught. They want different things from life. Brad’s family are being more vocal with their doubts over the relationship. The only thing they still have in common is their kids. That’s keeping them together at the moment.”

Instep TODAY

The turn of the year and the dawn of a new decade brought with it some great news for fans of grunge, rock and smashing tunes. Chris Cornell announced to the world via Twitter (www.twitter.com/chriscornell) that “school is back in session” and that Soundgarden are returning to entertain the millions of fans they left disheartened in 1997 when they split up after releasing their fifth and last album Down On The Upside.

After their amicable divorce, the quartet concentrated on their solo careers, and collaborations with other artists. The most successful of the foursome was Chris Cornell, who launched a successful solo career and had a short-lived stint when he formed Audioslave with the non-singing members of Rage Against The Machine.

He was followed by Matt Cameron who joined Pearl Jam as their permanent drummer in 1998. How this will affect his duties with Pearl Jam is still unclear, but fans of good ol’ grunge can rest assured that with the reemergence of Soundgarden, the grunge era could well be revived.

All of 2009 was spent in limbo as fans heard random rumors of the band reuniting. Lead guitarist Kim Thayil and bassist Ben Shepherd, who kept low profiles as compared to Cameron and Cornell, performed with Matt Cameron in March as a mini reunion, with Tad Doyle taking Cornell’s place.

Later in the year Cornell attended a Pearl Jam gig in Los Angeles where he got inspired to participate in a Temple of the Dog reunion by performing ‘Hunger Strike’. Thayil and Shepherd attended the same show and upon seeing Cornell with Cameron onstage, decided to put the wheels in motion.

The band had previously thought about releasing a box set of unreleased songs and Soundgarden B sides. Cornell had said in an interview to Rolling Stone Magazine, “We all feel it’s time to do that, and we have a lot of fans out there, and we have a lot of new fans discovering our music, and I think the catalog and the legacy of the band has been ignored by the record label and previous management, so we decided to get together, and start working towards putting something like that out.”

The days of Thayil’s detuned riffs, Cameron’s trickery on the drum set supported by Shepherd’s bass lines and the ensemble of tunes propped up by the vocal range of Chris Cornell were missed. The existentialist lyrics and psychedelic incorporation into their famed album Superunknown are tough to replicate after a 12 year hiatus.

However, a band, that was once bestowed the honor of their sound being described as “gnarled neo-Zeppelinisms,” cannot be taken lightly. Fans can finally rejoice and sign up at soundgardenworld.com for updates and news on the band’s much anticipated revival.

“Knight of the Soundtable, rise again!” writes, or tweets, Cornell.

Instep TODAY