Mehreen Jabbar

Mehreen Jabbar is a filmmaker who, at a young age, has an extensive portfolio. After, directing her first play in 1994 when she was just 23 years old, Mehreen went on to create work which ranges from short independent art films to commercial serials for television. Her success as a director can be assessed by the fact that her work has appeared in many film festivals around the world including The Hong Kong International Film Festival, The San Francisco Asian-American Film Festival, and The Leeds Film Festival in U. K. to name a few. At home, in Pakistan, her unconventional style of story telling has earned her much acclaim and several awards.

Mehreen grew up around Pakistan's show business. Her father, Javed Jabbar, is a filmmaker himself. He has also been running a highly successful advertising agency for about 30 years which is where Mehreen got her first exposure to the television world. After receiving a B.A. from St. Joseph's college in Karachi, Mehreen went abroad to the United States in order to study film and completed a two year program at UCLA. She describes this experience as a crucial part of her training because her teachers were working professionals from the film industry who were able to provide real insights on the art and business of filmmaking.

After completing the program at UCLA, Mehreen Jabbar returned to Pakistan to practice her craft professionally. Her first play, in 1994, was called “Nivala” (Morsel) which was based on a short story by Ismat Chugtai, one of the foremost authors in the Urdu language. It was the first of what was to be a series of plays for television based on stories by South Asian women writers. Unfortunately, the decision- makers at the state-run television of that time declined from airing “Nivala” because it was based on the work of an Indian writer and, subsequently, the idea for the entire series was cancelled. Though this was a setback, it did not deter Mehreen from doing what she loves. She continued to make short films, feature length plays, and drama serials.

Most of Mehreen’s work has been for the television. Unfortunately, the Pakistani commercial film industry has experienced a sharp decline in popularity during the past two to three decades. Due to the low quality of films being produced and the shady atmosphere at cinema houses, going to a theater is not a viable form of entertainment for the mainstream public. Thus, television remains by far the most popular source of family entertainment. So that has been the industry to which vast majority of writers, producers, directors, as well as, actors turn who wish to hone their craft and create work with depth and meaning for the audience.

Much of Mehreen’s work has focused on the everyday lives of average Pakistani women and the conflicts they experience from day to day. “I have focused mainly on women, maybe just because I find that I can relate to [their] stories on a much more personal level,” says Mehreen when describing her work. While other directors have created fine plays which are obvious in their attempts to raise awareness of women's rights, Mehreen enjoys the challenge of applying subtlety to get her message across. Her viewers often find themselves immersed in the minds of her characters in order to fully understand the characters’ motives. Her tele-film, “Putli Ghar”’ (Puppet House), is an example of such work. It is a story of two young couples living in the same building. The film focuses on the friendship that develops between the two wives; one, a naïve newlywed, and the other, who has been married for a while, more set in her ways, and enjoys making puppets. As the friendship between the two women grows, the bizarre relationship between the puppet maker and her husband is slowly revealed to the naïve friend resulting in adverse effects on her own relationship with her husband. Another tele-film “Farar” (Escape) is about three friends, a widow, a working woman, and a third woman who is a student of classical dance. The play shows the struggle of each woman to sort out her life and find a unique identity for herself.

Television and art film actor, Faisal Rehman, who has appeared in many of Mehreen's plays describes her directing style in the following words: "She gives you the floor to play as an actor and becomes a silent spectator and she will only check you when you cross the boundaries of her perceived story in the wrong direction." Faisal feels that, unlike many other directors, Mehreen does not dictate every move of her actors. She allows them to experiment and improvise as they act out a scene. This he believes is a "great way of making an actor feel at home and get the best out of him." As a director Mehreen is not threatened by an actor's ability to contribute to the story. If through improvisation an actor is able to add enhancements to the play keeping it within the boundaries of her preconcieved storyline then, says Faisal, "[Mehreen] will accept your idea with open mind and heart without being egotistic about it. That is a sign of a good director anywhere in the world."

To Mehreen experimenting with a story is one of the most interesting parts of creating a play. It is something which she believes is missing in many recent plays airing on television. She believes that producers are playing it safe and are prone to take on projects which are based on a proven storyline for success. The result is that the same basic plot is repeated over and over again in different plays or films. “For example,” says Mehreen, “[Producers and directors] think ‘Monsoon Wedding’ was a hit so lets make ‘Pakistani Wedding’, let’s make ‘American Wedding’, etc. We really don’t see that many quality television plays anymore like we did back in the Eighties.”

According to Mehreen, she enjoys making films and plays because she loves telling stories and it is what she has always wanted to do. She says of herself that while growing up she was always a "shy and reticent individual". Therefore, taking a written story and giving it life by turning it into a play or film has been her outlet, a way of expressing herself. If shyness is what made Mehreen into a filmmaker than her viewers consider it their good fortune because her contributions have certainly added a new dimension of creativity to Pakistani television plays.

Though commercial Pakistani films remain largely unpopular in the mainstream, several independent filmmakers have emerged in recent years, such as, Shireen Pasha, Farjad Nabi, Hasan Zaidi, and Mehreen Jabbar herself, who seem to be breathing a new life into the Pakistani art film scene.

Reminiscing Nazia

I vaguely remember our family gathering in the summer of 1985. Many of our relatives from the province of Punjab came to visit us in Karachi. It was a family tradition. Every other year either we would go to visit them or they would come to Karachi to spend a few weeks with us. It was one of those summers and I was hanging out with a couple of my older cousins in our balcony which faced the beach. Having survived three previous hot summers in Karachi I knew the value of the cool breeze that would rise from the sea and hit our balcony. We were chatting and listening to Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ on my very first stereo. It was then when one of my cousins mentioned a song called ‘App jaisa koi meri zindagi mei aay’ (‘If someone like you comes into my life’) by a female artist named Nazia Hassan. I had no idea whom he was talking about. Nevertheless they popped in her cassette and hit the play button. I listened to the song and within a few seconds into it, I felt the melodious beat overcoming the hot summer day and the cool breeze that came from the sea. That was my first introduction to the queen of pop!

Nazia Hassan (Image from getPakistan.com)

‘App jaisa koi’ was a hit single featured in the 1980 Bollywood movie, Qurbani. The song took South Asia by storm and Nazia, who was only 15 years old, became a star overnight. This was soon followed by her debut album Disco Dewane which also featured her brother Zoheb Hassan. The album was an instant hit. Pakistani and Indian youth welcomed this new and fresh style of music and singing with open arms. The incredible success of the album signaled one fact clearly: The sibling duo was here to stay and South Asia would be singing their tunes for a long time.

Nazia Hassan was born in 1965 in London to an affluent Pakistani family. As a kid she used to sing around the house with her brother. She was gifted with this incredible nasally voice that was plain yet intriguing. Music was simply a hobby for her and she had never considered singing as a career choice. She didn’t arrive at the crossroads of her musical journey until she met Biddu, a British-Indian composer. He was really impressed by the nasally quality of her voice. After discussing his thoughts with Feroz Khan the director and star of Qurbani, Nazia was asked to sing what would become her history-making song, ‘Aap jaisa koi.’ And that was it, her crossroads, and she chose the path that began her musical adventure.

Released in 1980, the title track from Disco Diwane was a number one hit not only in South Asia but also in a few countries in South America and the Middle East. Both the audio and video albums made record sales in India. However, Pakistani media took some time to accept this non-traditional style of singing and dancing. Pakistan Television (PTV) was reluctant to put these edgy and bold videos on air as the Pakistani television audience at the time was not used to disco/pop genre. It wasn’t long before they were able to see the Pakistani youth going crazy over the audio album and the success of the music videos in India. The videos were aired in 1981 and they were a blast. The “disco deewane mania” took over the country and Nazia and Zoheb Hassan became household names. Jinnah’s land was finally introduced to pop music.

Nazia and Zoheb Hassan (Image from PakistaniMusic.com)

The duo released another album ‘Boom Boom’ the same year. The songs from this album were featured in another Bollywood movie, ‘Star’. The movie didn’t do very well but the songs made history yet again. It was time for young Pakistanis, who only had Alamgir, Sheki and Naheed Akhtar as their listening choices, to get accustomed to the music of Nazia and Zoheb. And they did. Nazia and Zoheb Hassan became superstars in both countries. They were on TV talk shows, on the cover of magazines, on radio and on everyone’s lips. Historically India and Pakistan had a very unstable and dangerous relationship since their independence from the British rule. Both countries have had a really tough time in getting along with each other. Thus it was refreshing to see the youth in both countries singing the same tunes.

The Hassans released two more albums, ‘Young Tarang’ and ‘Hotline’ in 1985 and 1987, respectively. Both were hit albums. The siblings loved what they were doing and the audience simply wanted more. It wasn’t just one particular thing about their songs or their style of music. It was a combination of factors. The lyrics were provocative, energizing, exciting, intriguing and listeners were able to relate to them. Nazia’s nasally voice, MTV style videos and disco/pop music all played into what felt like a cultural revolution.

As far as Pakistanis’ music exposure was concerned, it was the best of times and the worst of times. General Zia-ul-Haq’s 'Islamization' of the country during the 80s became an obstacle for music lovers, whether they were the audience or the performers. Almost all musical shows on TV that involved women were banned. The mullahs had a serious problem with a brother and sister dancing together on screen. Nazia’s first video that aired on TV in the early 80s was shot waist up so the audience couldn’t see her dancing feet.

In 1988, General Zia was killed in a plane crash. Following the shock, the country went quickly into a recovery mode. The new government had the responsibility of lifting the morale of millions of people. Many things changed and many things created opportunities for a change. The music industry lifted itself up as well and made an entry back into people’s houses. The Nazia and Zoheb phenomenon paved the road for new and young talents all over the country.

Nazia and Zoheb Hassan (Image from PakistaniMusic.com)

By the early 1990’s, Pakistan experienced a new wave of young and hip bands. Music Channel Charts became one of the most popular shows in Pakistan’s music history. People would actually schedule their evenings around the show time. It was a great musical era. My sister and I used to sit in front of the TV and watch the weekly song ranking and share our excitement or complaints depending on which songs climbed up the charts. This was around the time when our generation was introduced to bands like Vital Signs, Arid Zone, Collage, Fringe Benefits, Milestones, Strings, Sequencers, Yatagaan and Junoon. This was the result of the revolution that Nazia and Zoheb brought about in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Nazia Hassan, the South Asian queen of pop, was a woman of many talents. She had mentioned a number of times that music was simply her hobby. She was extremely active in social work and that’s what she liked doing best. She received her bachelors in Business Administration and Economics at the Richmond American University in London. In 1991 she became an intern in the Women’s International Leadership program at the United Nations. Later on she went on to work for United Nation’s office of Political and Security Council Affairs. Using her celebrity status in Pakistan, she created an organization called BAN (Battle against Narcotics) in Karachi to help fight the drugs war. She and her brother Zoheb dedicated their album ‘Camera Camera’ to BAN and hoped to create drug abuse awareness among the Pakistani youths.

Nazia also actively participated in organizations such as The Voice of Women, Business and Professional Women, Inner Wheel Club for Disabled Children in India and NYCP (National Youth Council of Pakistan). She created and participated in many child welfare programs in Pakistan and was involved in social issues ranging from women’s issues to illiteracy among the youth. She tried to use her music to stir up people’s emotions against the use of drugs. The song ‘Nasha na karna’ (Don’t do drugs) was an example of the message Nazia and Zoheb were sending out. Nazia Hassan also created a mobile clinic in Lyari, one of the poorest areas in Karachi.

Nazia was married in 1995 and had a baby boy two years later. Unfortunately the queen of pop couldn’t capture the same level of success in her marriage she had in the musical realm. The woman who brought smiles on the faces of millions couldn’t find joy in her love life. The couple started having marital problems very early on in their lives. She continued to try to maintain a balance in her life between her social work and her life at home until another bombshell dropped onto her life. She was diagnosed with lung cancer. Her family started her treatment right away and she fought her battle against cancer as hard as she could. The pop diva, who conquered the hearts of millions, finally lost her battle against cancer.
On August 13th, 2000 Nazia Hassan died of lung cancer in a London hospital. South Asia stood still in disbelief. Millions mourned and cried for her. The person who had touched so many lives with her music laid lifeless on a hospital bed. It was a loss that cannot be described in words. Nazia’s family received millions of notes from fans all over the world. It was a sad ending to a remarkable story of a young woman who stumbled into an unknown adventure and reached the top while leaving her footsteps for others to follow. The year 2000 will be remembered as the year that brought an end to the Nazia Hassan story; that’s when Pakistan lost its favorite daughter.

Nazia’s parents Basir and Muniza created the Nazia Hassan Foundation as a continuation of their daughter’s life long efforts to make this world a better place for everyone. The foundation’s main goal is to recognize and encourage efforts of those who put the lives of others before their own and try to help bring a positive change in this world. Special awards are also given to individuals who exhibit and achieve intellectual and social goals as well as a desire to further these causes. The people of Pakistan will not forget Nazia and her work. She was posthumously awarded the ‘Pride of Performance’ medal by the president of Pakistan General Parvez Musharraf.

It is 2004 and as I write the final words of this article, I picture Nazia once again in her white shirt and blue jeans dancing away to the tune of ‘App jaisa koi meri zindagi mei aai, to baat bun jai’ on the silver screen. The song translates loosely into English as ‘If someone like you comes into my life, it would feel wonderful.’ Well Nazia, you came into our lives and our hearts, and it felt wonderful. We miss you.

Salima Hashmi

Pakistan has been blessed with her fair share of talented artists in many different fields including the art of painting. The works of painters like the legendary A. R. Chugtai and Sadequain are among the most respected and recognized around the world. However, historically, as has been the case in the West, there are few women painters who have acquired high acclaim. In the 1996 edition of his book, Painting in Pakistan, Ijaz-ul-Hassan beautifully presents the history of painting in Pakistan starting from the Mughal era and introduces the works of close to 100 painters from the region. Of the 59 artists whose works are discussed in detail dating pre-1980s, only seven are women. In contrast, among the 38 artists each of whom are introduced briefly in the last chapter as emerging artists of the late 70s-80s, there are 12 women. One of these women is Salima Hashmi whom, in the late 80s, Hassan considered a new-comer to the world of serious art.

Salima Hashmi (Photo from Humsafar)

Today, some fifteen years after Ijaz-ul-Hassan first wrote about her, Salima Hashmi is one of the most well-known artists of Pakistan. Besides being an accomplished painter, she taught at Pakistan's prestigious National College of Arts (NCA) for about thirty years and served as the Principle of NCA for four years. In 1999, Salima Hashmi received Pakistan's Pride of Performance award. Today she is the Dean of School of Visual Arts at the newly established Beaconhouse National University in Lahore and she also runs her own art gallery featuring works of young artists. Salima Hashmi comes from a socially and politically active family. Her father was the legendary Pakistani poet, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, and her mother, the British-born Alys Faiz was a respected journalist and peace activist in Pakistan. One of two daughters, Salima was always active in the arts, performing in plays before taking on painting professionally. Salima was about eight years old when Faiz Ahmed Faiz was imprisoned for his political views. She remembers visiting him in jail. Later, during the repressive years of General Zia-ul-Haq rule, Salima's father had to go into self-exile as a result of the harassment he faced by Zia's government. Therefore, Salima grew up in a politically charged atmosphere. Painting became her outlet.

Zia period is considered one of Pakistan's most repressive era especially for women, implications of which are still prevalent in society today. Salima's work focuses on the suffering of women in a highly patriarchal society especially under Zia-ul-Haq's. Her paintings usually include abstract figures of women depicting their struggles. They are a reflection of Salima's thoughts and feelings regarding the political and social uncertainties under which people of Pakistan have lived.

Salima deplored the nuclear test conducting by India and Pakistan in 1998. In an interview with Humsafar magazine she talked about her series People Wept at Dawn which she says is in response to the nuclear tests. Salima expressed her frustration at the India and Pakistan nuclear test by saying, "It would be so much more fruitful if these energies could be used in producing food to eat, providing shelter, freedom from disease and education for all."

Last year, Salima Hashmi published a book titled Unveiling the Visible: Lives and Works of Women Artists of Pakistan. The book examines the lives and works of about 50 of Pakistan's women painters since independence. As Murataza Rizvi wrote in his review of Salima's book in Dawn, 09/2202, "She took to writing (the book) only because our writers had failed to document the history of Pakistan's women artists." Salima Hashmi spent a number of years doing research for the book and interviewing women artists. Salima Hashmi has also been active in the human rights movement since the early 80s when she was one of the founding members Women's Action Forum, an organization dedicated to promoting women's rights though it has been criticized for being limited to the elite class of Pakistan.

Absent Gods by Salima Hashmi (Photo from Artists of Pakistan)

These days Salima Hashmi is focused on mentoring and promoting the works of younger artists. She has curated art exhibitions showcasing works of Pakistani artists both in Pakistan and abroad. She has also been traveling internationally to promote the new art school Beaconhouse National University which has already attracted students from abroad.