The date for Lollywood Film Star Sana’s marriage with model Fakhar Imam has been finalized at the end of this year on December 13.The Mehndi will be on December 14, Baraat on December 15 and Valima on December 16.
Sources said the marriage is scheduled in December because Fakhar is busy in building a house to present it to Sana as the marriage gift.
She has a commanding presence that fills the screen, a presence that spills out of your television set and dominates your living room. When you meet Naveen Naqvi in person, its even better. The professional presence is very much there, of course, but she also has a friendly look and a relaxed manner that puts you at ease.
We are seated in a glass-fronted cubicle in the middle of DawnNews studios open-floor plan. Young men and women are everywhere. Some are hunched over desktop computer screens while others are scurrying about from one end of the cavernous hall to the other. Despite the bustle, Naveen is as calm as you like, giving unwavering attention and conversing easily.
We have come to associate her with the anchors role on DawnNews, but there is more to Naveen Naqvis talents than meets the eye. As most people are aware, I used to be a model, she says, referring to the first of several things she has tried her hand at and done well. After modelling, I started working on television. I hosted a music show and also acted in a few dramas. My first play was under the direction of Haider Imam Rizvi, and I went on from there.
We first saw the ebullient Ayesha Sana quite a few years back on the national telly. Having started out her career as an actor, she made a transition to being a host and that too a successful one! Soon she was lapped up by PTV World to host their morning women-based-show Mina Bazaar which was a hit with the fairer sex.
In between Ayesha worked, for brief spells, in various drama serials. Currently she is based in Lahore busy anchoring live shows for various organisations¦ while acting continues simultaneously.
Known to be immaculately dressed and a well groomed lady, we check out her style preferences.
What’s your style code?
It™s definitely classic!
What do you wear on off-days?
Probably my night suit “ pajamas and some hopeless (read comfy) shirt.
Who’s your style inspiration?
I admire a lot of people for their sense of style. I am inspired by anyone who wears classic and elegant clothes.
What’s your formal going-out look?
Some elegant outfit in striking shades.
What’s your fave hair style?
Something very classic¦ I like hair with a lot of body and volume¦ something like Shilpa Shetty™s¦
Are you high maintenance?
Yes, I am.
What’s your one beauty/style essential?
It would be my watch and bag.
Do you have a signature scent?
There are quite a few I like¦ I prefer strong fragrances.
How do you keep your body buff?
I really need to workout but I have never followed a health or a beauty regime though I™m always planning to.
Any style blunders you want to reveal?
There must have been a million down the road but now I try to keep them minimum.
What’s the most expensive item in your wardrobe?
A few outfits by our local designers.
Which item from your wardrobe do you love the most?
It would be my black and white ensembles.
Thanks to the recent channel boom many talented youngsters have had a chance to prove their mettle and make a name for themselves. But, perhaps few have made as great an impression in such a short span of time as has Zhalay Sarhadi for she is not only gifted and attractive, she is intelligent and has her head firmly planted on her shoulders. One feels that hers is going to be a name to look out for both in front and behind the camera.
The daughter of Bilal Sarhadi and niece of famous television actor Khayyam Sarhadi, it was inevitable that Zhalay start with TV. After her start with the screen she took a transition to ramp and print. Zhalay’s height is an advantage for her to be on the ramp and she has a full figure to support her tall structure. A classic Pakistani beauty, she has already endorsed many products. Tapal’s new face, Zhalay is a dream come true for designers who love the presence she has on the ramp. This presence has been put down for posterity in Ali Zafar’s ‘Rangeen’ video, where Zhalay grooved on stage with the pop sensation carrying off a big nose ring with elan
Your name is extremely unusual. What does it mean?
It means prosperity in Persian, warrior princess in Arabic and morning dew in Uzbek!
How did you make your debut in the world of showbiz?
I used to act in plays at school and college level, so Sajid Hassan, who is a family friend of ours and knew of my interest, got me a small role in a sit-com, Punterz. After that I performed in Maya, which was followed by a string of hosting assignments. My big break came in the shape of ARYs Gold Quiz, a programme which I co-hosted live with veteran film actor Nadeem, everyday for two months. My next big break was hosting Shaadi Online on GEO TV.
How is it that you landed up hosting shows instead of acting, which is something you have always enjoyed?
Actually, I did all these assignments over a span of four years, during which period I was studying at the University of Karachi and couldnt spare the time for acting. Compering is less time consuming, so was easier to handle. But, now I have graduated and have moved away from hosting shows to acting. The only programme that I am still compering is Gaye gi dunya geet meray.
Are you enjoying doing the show?
Yes, I find it more interesting than ordinary compering because I get to sing. I come from a family which has been into music for a long time, so its great incentive for me. Also, its fun working with an Indian team.
How is it different from working with a Pakistani team?
The circumstances are different. There is limited time in which we have to do the shows with our Indian counterparts and they are a lot more organized. Everyone knows exactly what they have to do and no one meddles in the others affairs. They are very efficient and work like cogs in a machine. Also, their concepts are very clear. Pakistanis on the other hand, tend to be very slack. But, the strange part is that when we work with them, we become more professional. Its like we are just waiting for someone else to start the ball rolling. Most of the time, we are not willing to take the initiative ourselves. Even in the local productions, Ive noticed that my colleagues are initially always unpunctual, but when they realize that I am invariably on time then they begin to adhere to timings.
What was your major at University?
I was in the virgin batch of the recently introduced department of Visual Studies at the University of Karachi and did Fine Arts from there. I majored in painting and drawing but was keener to do film-making which was my minor. I hope one day to be behind the camera.
Have you enjoyed your stint at modeling?
I only started modelling in February this year when I appeared on the ramp for a show choreographed by Imran Qureshi. But I dont enjoy modelling and compering as much as I do acting, because I feel they tend to be restricting. Their only advantages are that they are over with quickly and pay well.
How was your experience acting in soaps?
As far as my experience of Love Marriage goes, it was great. Rana Rizwan is a good director, and Imran who is a friend, was acting with me, so the team was good and it was an enjoyable experience. My role in Jo bath ghar mein hai was quite small, so I didnt feel the strain too much, but Kanch will be my true test, as I am in a large number of episodes and that can be a bit unnerving. It begins to take over your personality after a while.
Soaps are still a relatively new phenomenon for local channels. Do you think we are equipped to handle them?
Ours is not such a soap society, and the culture still has to develop. We have too few actors and directors and there is a lack of consistency. A lot of channels have come up but the creative talent has not increased proportionately. So, unless our base broadens and we get a fresh breed of people, I feel we cant afford to produce too many soaps.
But dont you think our actor base has considerably increased over the years, what with so many models now taking to acting?
I think it is ridiculous that models are becoming actors. Just because producers now want to show glamour and pretty faces in their serials, they are willing to recruit models, whether they can act or not. It is a shame there is no institute to teach pretty faces to act and the not-so-pretty actors to groom themselves.
But there is the Adams Academy of Digital and Media Arts. Why arent newcomers encouraged to avail of the facilities offered there?
It will take time for the institute to establish itself. But there is one consolation. Art institutes have taken off and they are very much in link with the media and the performing arts, and are teaching concepts that come in handy to those entering the world of showbiz.
Have you ever toyed with the idea of working in films?
No, Im not interested in films. They envelope you completely and kill your privacy, so that you die out as a person. TV, on the other hand, still allows you some privacy. And, anyway, I wouldnt do a film for any of the current film directors. If the likes of Jami or Saqib Malik were to make a film, then Id think of acting in it.
What if you were offered a role in an Indian movie?
Indians are constantly on the lookout for Pakistani stars, but I am not interested in acting in Indian movies. Their films are very sex-oriented, and I am not in favour of exposing flesh and becoming a sex symbol.
Youve been in the television industry for four years now. Did you notice any changes in this time?
Yes, certainly. With so many channels coming up, there are far more people involved in the industry in one way or the other whether as sound engineers, cameramen, music directors, or what have you so more respect is being shown it. Also, within the industry there is more professionalism now, and the people involved dont treat their work as a mere pastime, but as a profession.
Fizza Ali, a popular name in fashion, television and TVCs has been working since many years now .Recently this Karachi based model has moved to Lahore and has been working in the cultural capital. She is tall and stylish and also very good on the ramp. She is mostly seen in all the main local and international shows directed by Sohail Malik.
What is on your mind?
There is always one thing in my mind, that I want to live my life happily forever.
if you had to make an apology, what would it be for and to whom?
It would be for my mother, as I was so busy in my work that I could not give her time as much as she required.
Wheres the best place to be?
In Allahs house.
What scares you the most?
Darkness and lonliness.
What keeps you sailing in a crisis?
My namaaz.
Which item from your wardrobe do you love the most?
My kurties.
When was the last time you felt utterly insignificant?
The day when I felt I had become fat and my clothes did not fit me.
Which song truly means something to you?
I m alive (Celion Dion).
Whats your favorite fashion purchase?
My Gucci hand bags.
Which fashion icon would you relate closely to your style?
Shusmita Sen.
What is the best thing about being famous?
You get respect and get invited to a lot of parties.
Which was your most memorable day?
When I met my husband, Fawad Farooque.
The best compliment that youve received?
You look un-resistable.
When did you last laugh till you cried?
When my sister Erum fell in the swimming pool wearing her party clothes.
What is the cutest thing about you?
My smile.
What do you find truly tasteless?
Roti.
Who are the most significant people in your life?
My husband.
If you have to describe yourself in one word what that it would be?
Hot.
Who to you is the best-looking man on earth?
My father-in-law.
The proudest professional moment in your career?
When Im on the modeling ramp.
What is your greatest personal achievement?
When I was nominated best actress on PTV.
What do you wish someone had told you earlier in life?
I wish I knew at an earlier stage that my mother had cancer.
What is your diet fad?
Drink milk and eat vegetables.
When you look in the mirror what do you see?
I see my mother.
Your most prized possession?
My husband Fawad.
What healthy habit you are glad you have?
Drinking water.
What is your idea of a perfect day?
My prayers and yoga.
What is your greatest personal achievement?
When I fell in love.
Friendship to you is?
Forever.
How does your work dictate your lifestyle?
It makes me more professional and punctual.
The video was completed within 48 hours as the team worked diligently from 6 am the first day and ended shooting at 4 am the next day.
The concept of the video is unusual it has a surreal quality to it. The video insinuates symbols and metaphors for life and relationships. The singer moves through time and space, crossing boundaries by means of a special door. After traversing various locations, he ends up right back where he started.
Haroon stated that it is one of his favorite songs because of its heart wrenching ballads and haunting melody.
The wedding season is here once again. Invitations are pouring in, and will probably continue to do so till the Ramazan moon is sighted, at which point there will hopefully be a reprieve for at least a month.
But, meanwhile it’s weddings galore, and there is a frenetic rush at beauty parlours, designers and jewellery stores, as brides-to-be and their families desperately try to line up the key players that will help make this most important day in the life of the bride, a happily memorable one.
However, in most cases, although the brides and their families are armed with information about which designers, jewellers and make-up artists they should patronise, the brides have little or no clue as to what they should actually get — all they know is that they should look great. They don’t have any idea what brief to give the designer, for instance, as they aren’t really sure of what’s in and what’s out, and similarly, are unsure of the kind of make-up they should go for. As such, they tread on unsure ground, and either blindly follow whatever advice is proffered them, or go by their whims and fancies.
As discussed in our last issue the beauty that came naturally to our great-grandmothers is something we cannot even dream of these days. Like the maharanis of yesteryears, they too plundered their kitchens for that unbeatable face pack that promised baby soft skin till the age of 60 and above. In our last issue, we shared with the readers of MAG some useful tips and beauty concoctions that the maharanis would adroitly prepare. Following are some more beauty secrets from the royal zenanas.
Royal families were privy to ‘power’ foods which were cure-oils. One of the oldest Indian proverbs advised eating ‘bitter foods at least once a week and sweets only once a month’ to keep good health. Among these, echoes the proverb. ‘Garlic is as good as 10 mothers.’ Of course, it was cooked in a way that married its flavour with other flavours, so it never polluted the breath. Garlic was considered good for everything—digestion, complexion night blindness, mending broken bones and sharpening the mind. Milk and dairy products were a near-obsession, as clarified butter (ghee) milk, milk with turmeric, saffron, and sweets made from milk were all believed to be rich in nutritional value, and expectant maharanis and new mothers were showered with them.
Those Almond Eyes
Diluted solutions of rose water were used to keep eyes clean and free from infection. Kaajal was also applied around the eyes to soothe, cleanse and protect the eyes, both from infection and proverbial evil eye. An excellent way to make kaajal comes from Kashmir. Take a clean glass vessel and prepare in it a solution of 100ml of rose water and five grams of rasanjan (an extract from the barberry plant. This rasanjan was believed to be used even by the ancient Greeks for eye disorders). Stir the solution for a few days, then strain it. A few drops a day in the eyes, clears up infection. For kaajal, mix this solution with two teaspoons of freshly ground turmeric power, two ground almonds, and two nimbu or lime leaves which have been dried and powdered. Prepare a thick flat roll of cotton wool, like a wick, and soak it in the mixture. Let the wick dry and twist it tightly. Place in a little frame proof cup, preferably silver, filled with mustard oil or ghee. Invert a second little silver or earthenware cup over the wick. Balance it so it rests an inch from the flame which will emerge as you light the wick from the first cup. Remove the upper cup two or three times and scrape out the soot into a container— usually silver boxes, as silver is cooling metal. Keep adding oil to the bottom cup till you gather much Kaajal as you want.
