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Piracy: What stands between Pakistani music, and greatness
Pakistani music is recognised around the world for its distinct and creative style. The diversities in Pakistani music are there for everyone to hear, with artists coming up with everything from hip...
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My art is not for you Prime Minister Gilani
My friend stood painting something abstract, holding a cigarette in a manner that complimented her artistic persona. She probably noticed my sarcastic smile and said, ‘Hey Ammar! I know you criticize...
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Video Blog: Singing for peace
French author George Sand wrote in a letter to her friend in 1872: “Art for art’s sake is an empty phrase. Art for the sake of the true, art for the sake of the good and the beautiful, that is the...
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They call her Berlin
Berlin is like that friend, who as soon as you meet, shares her deepest, darkest secrets without any shame. She’s been betrayed more harshly than Jesus, has seen more blood than a haematologist and has...
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I walked in the opposite direction when One Direction won the People’s Choice...
The People’s Choice Awards are undoubtedly, one of the most famous American awards shows to date. These awards exhibit what people think of certain actors, bands, artists and the like. Of course, it...
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A FRESH! prespective at the Amin Gulgee Gallery
This evening I attended the launch of an unusual art exhibition in Karachi at the Amin Gulgee Gallery. It was called ‘Fresh!’ – 64 artists under 30, and showcased the art of yes, you guessed it, 64...
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Coke Studio 7 comes with strings attached
What an opening! The much-awaited Coke Studio season seven begins with the hope of fresh music, sounds, return-to-roots and much more. Strings have teamed up to become the sound producers of a huge...
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Bhand-e-Pather, a fading art in Kashmir
Bhand e Pather, part of Kashmiri folk theatre, is a satirical and realistic drama, one which incorporates mythological legends and contemporary social satire; a traditional mixture of art. Mostly...
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Tim Burton might have missed the mark with Big Eyes
It’s the 1960s and no one wants to buy ‘lady art’, not least from a withering divorcee and single mother, or so starts Tim Burton's latest offering, Big Eyes. [caption id="" align="alignnone"...
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Will Patari.pk be successful in a country like Pakistan?
I like to listen to music, just like anybody else. And like a lot of people out there, I crave a musical atmosphere where I don’t have to listen to Bollywood music blaring out the speakers all the...
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Everything I hate about the Pakistani fashion industry
If you are a young struggling female journalist in Pakistan with big dreams of reporting stories that matter, you will probably spend a few years reporting all the stories that don’t matter! Among all...
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As we bid adieu to American Idol, the legacy lingers on
The American singing competition, American Idol unfortunately meets its finale this year. Created by Simon Fuller based on the British series Pop Idol grasped my attention since its very first season...
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When copying designs becomes a norm in the fashion world
Committing plagiarism under the guise of inspiration seems to be the new norm for fashion designers these days. And Pakistani designer Nida Khurram is no different. Keeping in mind the latest trend of...
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The responsibility of being a famous celebrity in Pakistan
Saif Ali Khan’s Phantom (2015) was a sad excuse for a movie, much like Shaan Shahid’s Musalman (2001). Movies that play on the very jingoistic sentiment, which have led us into various wars and...
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This is how Pakistan fights terrorism everyday
It is a given that life and everything that pertains to it is in a constant state of change. Furthermore, it silently urges all the material and immaterial to be subject to that change. As individuals,...
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Remembering Shakir Ali: One of Asia’s greatest painters
Today marks the hundredth birthday of one of Pakistan’s – and according to the equally legendary Intizar Hussain, Asia’s – greatest painters, Shakir Ali (1916-1975). 2016 is deservedly being celebrated...
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The struggle has paid off – the Pakistani film industry is finally awake
There is certain redemption in resurgence. A feeling of hope and of renewal, of things starting anew, of setting the old wrongs right. Pakistani cinema has come up by leaps and bounds in the last few...
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Why are places like Espresso and Dolmen Mall so averse to live music?
I’m standing at Alexanderplatz in Berlin, hearing music from three different directions coming from street artists who have set up their hats. One plays under a bridge, another next to a shopping...
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The untold story of what made ‘Among the Believers’ an Emmy-worthy documentary
In the summer of 2014, I was living in New York when I met Hemal Trivedi. She told me she was making a film about Pakistan and wanted me to join her and the other director, Mohammed Ali Naqvi, to help...
View ArticleWith Zidane back on the sidelines, will Real Madrid make the most of the...
For much of the 2018-19 season, Real Madrid’s campaign has been driven by pessimism and trepidation. From mediocre performances on the field to a lack of purpose off it, the Los Blancos found...
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