What is it then? Politics DOES play a very major and massive role in the entertainment industry. Contacts, money flowing right left and forward, other acts of kindness (all pun intended) are just a few of the keys that the a person can get hold of to make it big.

The reason for this series of articles is to showcase what Islamabad has to offer when it comes to entertainment. Whether it is models, photographers, musicians, artists, writers etc.

(A scene from a short film called ” My November in Chains” )

One such person that I would like to introduce is Fatima Salim. Fatima is in her last year of a bachelors degree in marketing from the American University in Dubai and is a true “Islamabadi”. (Whatever that word means to all of you). A 22 year old who believes that every individual should work towards their goals. Something she realized when she was away from home in Dubai trying to study and work at the same time. Fatima is an aspiring model/actress who has had a fair bit of experience when it comes to both modeling and acting. She has acted in numerous plays in her school life and has done a few shoots here and there.

She recently got approached by the Makeup mogul Tariq Amin to do a show with him but due to some unforeseen circumstances she had to turn it down. She has had to face the big fist of the “big fish” in the industry because for her it seems impossible to make it through the swampy modeling business in Islamabad. And to be honest, according to me all it takes is “one” break. But that one “break” comes at a point when either the person in question has given up. Fatima has a very solid career waiting for her in the field of Marketing but it is the dream that keeps her wanting to do something.

I think being from Islamabad, Fatima deserves the chance to showcase her talent and be appreciated in this field which is Governed by the heiresses of the Karachi/Lahore union.

Viva la revolucion :)

Image credits: Ifti

In what looks like Time Magazine’s attempt at mimicking reality TV shows like American Idol or those talent shows, they invite readers and users to vote amongst 200 candidates that should make it into the Top 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Pakistan had/has four candidates. Three of them live inside or in the vicinity of Islamabad. They are Pervez Musharraf, PM Gilani, Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani, and Bilawal Bhutto (Bilawal beats Bush?). Motivated by the recent acclaim received by a Lahori born photographer, I thought this too would be a fun way of doing some national international PR. Sadly, the real goings on are much more grim and need taken care of immediately.

The poll results are based on two values. One being the average rating, and the other just being a simple vote count. Both of these combined form the real ranking value of the candidate. A little fudged, as some would say, but our PM sahib Mr. Yusuf Raza Gilani has the second lowest votes but a much higher ranking due to a higher average ranking he received. And obviously, the higher the number of voters, the more converged (stable) the ranking of the candidate will be.

I don’t really know if the polling is still open or closed, but I have this gut feeling that with in a few years we will have candidates doing their gigs on stand and Simon Cowell taking a piss at them. Now that would be entertainment!

BTW, just so know, Stephen Colbert wins (or is winning) the poll, lol.

[Image Courtesy: ShowBizSpy]

I am yet to see the game, but the reviews and trailer suggest it to be a good experience. Earlier versions were based on stories and maps from World War II. COD4 MW, as the name suggests, is about modern warfare. There are new maps including those from Middle East. Somebody was telling that you hear the sounds of Azan coming in the background on Middle East maps.

So if you have recently got the COD4 DVD, and are wondering as to whom to play with, there you go. Thanks to MBL for keeping it free.

[ Image Source ]

Don’t you just love that a movie called Zibahkhana would choose to open on Eid-ul-Azha? It certainly appeals to my sensibilities, as did the film itself when I watched its premiere at the Islamabad Club this summer.

If you are a fan of horror movies, Zibahkhana is one you cannot afford to miss. It’s not scary in the least, but it sure is a lot of fun. I won’t go into details of the plot lest I give anything away, but to put it in a nutshell, the film takes the best of classic ‘traditional’ horror, combines it, and weaves it into a contemporary Pakistani setting to produce one of the most novel works of cinema you’ll see in a long time. The fact that it offers all the brutal madness of any other gore movie, as well as the familiarity of home and of people we can relate to, is enough to guarantee that whether Zibahkhana succeeds in scaring you or not, you can expect a very entertaining night at the movies.

And as a good friend said to me while we shivered in the summer evening outside the Islamabad Club auditorium: ‘Finally, someone’s managed to capture the creepy side of Islamabad and its outskirts.’

The film is directed by Omar Khan, whose love for the horror genre makes itself known to all who have visited his ice-cream parlour, The Hot Spot, in F-7. The cast is comprised of known faces as well as fresh, young ones – including Islamabad’s very own theatre artist, Osman Khalid Butt.

Zibahkhana is playing now at Cinepax. Showtimes are daily at 9 pm and 10:30 pm. Visit the official website for more about the film.

Thanks Hasan.

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I did review Cinepax for you earlier.

This time it’s DHA Cinema Lahore.

I watched the movie “The Bourne Ultimatum” on both the cinemas, so my opinion wouldn’t be totally biased. Although Einstein did say that “Common sense is all the biases collected that a person has by the age of 18″. But still I will try to be fair and square.

As you can see for yourself in the following pictures, no doubt that the quality of cinema, seats, washrooms :D, et al is a lot better in Cinepax Islamabad in comparison to DHA Cinema Lahore. What’s not so evident in these pictures is the fact that the quality of sound is better in DHA Cinema Lahore.

But the fact still remains is that if you have been to Cinepax, DHA Cinema will not be able to impress or entertain you to it’s fullest.

Rest is just your own opinion, go there and form your very own.

You might as well like to share it over here.

Best, cheers!!!

The NUST Institute of Management Sciences is organizing its largest fashion show ever on November 26th, 2007. The show is called Schism, and its theme is the merging of two contrasts to make a whole – the Angel and the Demon within every man. According to the organizers, it will consist of a series of segments taking the audience through various stages of a man’s life: the teenager, the man, the innocent, the dark – an exploration of all his hidden facets, all those sides of him that few ever get to see. The tagline of the show is, ‘Know the secrets of life.’

Fascinating concept, isn’t it? There’s a lot of potential for creativity gone wild with a theme like that, and it would be really interesting to see what they’ve done with it. I think one thing that would really make this event worth going to is that it’s being organized entirely by BBA students – and apparently they’ve been working really hard, as you can see on the official websites.

Interestingly, the show is being staged exclusively for a female audience – though all the models will of course be male.

It will be held on Monday, November 26, 7:00pm – 10:00pm, at the NUST Institute of Management Sciences, Tamiz-ud-Din Road, Rawalpindi. Tickets are Rs. 150 each. And remember, you need to be female to get in. =)

For tickets and further details, join the Facebook community:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6120543371

Or just visit the website:
http://www.nims.edu.pk/fashion/fashion_about.htm

I have watched The Bourne Ultimatum and Harry Potter 5 in the newly built cinema called Cinepax. It’s not exactly in Islamabad but cinemas like this are soon to be built on the Islamabad Club road.

It’s definitely a worth watching experience seeing a movie in this cinema. Not only because it is very aesthetically
built but because of … err… clean washrooms.

I am a very huge fan of good bathrooms and toilets. I have traveled extensively in all provinces of Pakistan(-Balochistan, I have my guilt of not being there). One of the unanimous things that I have observed is that
we need to make new and good washrooms and we need to educate people to use washrooms properly and leanly.

It’s not really a joke. And this, unfortunately holds more in Urban areas than the rural areas( no, I am not talking about Serenas, Marriotts, PCs et al).

Enough of all that, I am attaching some photos from there. Do visit the cinema for movies, there is Mc. Donalds and Papasallis near so you can have a good meal after the movies. For schedule send CPX to 6622 from your cell phone. (SMS charges Rs. 5/- per message)

Never mind the quality.

It’s not bad, in-fact it’s quite a perfect product!

I will write a review once the play is over, but if you want some entertainment, you should go and watch it.

If you have a knack for acting, try out!

I will definitely be among your audience if you get chosen!

And I WILL write about you on Islamabad metblogs. You have my word for it…

Go ahead, give it your best shot!!!
[Click on the image for a better resolution, full-size image]