Its been up since the last week or so, but for those not in the loop, my official site is finally online.
Currently there’s just a coming soon page, but that’ll change by Thursday…I hope.
Bookmark the page, whydontacha?
on second thought I AM swamped with work...really
Well that’s a pretty pertinent question. And for once I have an answer other than “been exceedingly busy” or “swamped with worked” or “24 hours just aint enough”.
Ok, so it’s been otherworldly hectic trying to juggle three somewhat dissimilar duties since I joined Bakhabar Savera, the morning show at ARY News hosted by Sana Tariq, since February, especially since after a month I ended up (on my request) with the extra burden of editing the content that is played during my segment.
Now a panelist / guest editing one’s own content is a relatively unheard of concept over here (or maybe anyplace for that matter), because the norm is that the shows guest normally just pop-out at the studio about 20 minutes before their on-screen time, do their duty (either addressing politics, or matters of the skin, health, very often predicting the anxious audiences future – one things that’s become every morning show’s major draw in the last couple of years), and then get back to whatever they were doing in the first place.
Now, what makes lil’ ol me an exception: well for starters, I’ve been given this ridiculous freedom to do whatever I fancy in my on-screen timeslot – as long as it doesn’t conflict with the big bosses policies or show something that might be injurious to the health of the show’s producer (Kashif Abidi, who also happens to be an old friend of mine).
Since my segment is about films and media, it’s bound to have clips and trailers playing along with whatever I am jabbering about on the telly. So, at first I did what everyone does, I acquired the content, went to the studio to edit the stuff, lay it back to tape for the next day.
This was fine and dandy, until I found out that this is seriously affecting my work at iMAGES (for those not in the know, I have Pakistan’s first, and absolute column on film reviews, that works along the lines of actual film criticism).
To compensate this and my motion picture consultation work, I took it upon myself to edit the content, which brought back those few measly hours that I transferred back to my family. After all, what’s all the money in the world in front of spending a bit of time with the folks, right?
Getting back to the point, now that I’ve got this whole thing streamlined, I’ve found time to capitulate to the idea of that I now refer to as as “The K Initiative” (I like dressing up my projects with serious-sounding names that reek of egoism….so sue me).
If you’re asking: Now, what in hell is this “K Initiative” thingie? - then don’t because I am not answering, suffice to say that the thing, if it turns out as my business blueprint says, then it might be big. To give you a hint, it covers the spectrum of the entire entertainment media, including the internet – a little known creature that everyone knows of, uses, but, doesn’t utilize. There are local motion pictures on the horizon as well.
Details on my upcoming blog. When I cannot say.
I really don’t get it. I really don’t. Especially when people who once sounded sane appear on the idiot box sounding more idiot than cliched storylines from daily Indian soaps. Case in point: Sonu Nigaam (no the extra ‘a’ is not a spelling mistake), someone who I’ve admired since his betime days in Sa Re Ga Ma – a long running musically inclined talent show.
Sonu Nigaam
Mr. Nigam who always talked about promoting talent, whether Indian or international seemed less likely to produce this nasty soundbyte. Yet he did. I guess people change. Although the core idea of his statement may be true, he might have to agree that he did infact sing for us too. Personally speaking, I’m not in the least bit mood for a whapping match, and I personally don’t see the need to go nasty. But then again, that is something both Sana Tariq and I do three days a week on Bakhabar Savera.
Imran Abbas
Like, when we talked about the rumor mill going kooky on Imran Abbas being cast in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s now dead “Heera Mandi” project. SLB’s attitude was free from ambiguity and unprocessed. I must talk with Imran about this when we meet (the guy is pretty elusive these days with his constant shoots).
On another note, I really am looking forward to seeing ‘Gulnar’, the Indo-Pak venture immixing the talents of Gajendra Singh – the director of Sa Re Ga Ma, Voice of India and Antakshari – and Hasina Moin, the multifarious Pakistani writer. It is with unfeigned hope that ‘Gulnar’ does not unfold into a platitudinal upshot.
Then, the people of ARY Network and Jay Roach are making a movie on Mukhtara Mai. Ok. I could very well hammer out a thousand word analysis on this subject alone, and why I think this subject should not be exploited AT ALL! But then again, this project isn’t going to be major player in the revival of Pakistani Cinema. It will be a festival piece, aimed to raise an issue and create awareness. I guess when commercial cinema fails, all we have left are festival films to contend with. Yay Kara.
Ours was a pretty confined – or rather a very “safe” – performance today, when we skimmed over these topics. I had a lot of questions to answer, but our time today was short, so we ended up not asking the right questions. Then again, it is my belief that pertinent questions find a way to manifest themselves.
Spectacular as it may have been on the telly our polar-opposite partiality on Ramchand Pakistani is something peopled looked forward to. Or so I’m told, constantly. Heck, by the look on Kashif Abidi (the senior producer of Bakhabar Savera) today, it might have been the best show we put together.
Ramchand Pakistani
While I don’t condemn the movie – how can I, it was decently made – the movie was too aware of what it was going to be beforehand. And once that happens, then that movie is damned to be become something lesser than what it wanted to be in the first place. Ramchand’s avid technicality – Mehreen choreographed her camera (the filmic cinematography was by Sofian Khan) and the scenes and edited them like a pro. Her production design was spot-on. Every characters came with a pertinent back-story. Her subject about cross-border friction and discrimination maneuvered away from blatant emotional plays and the material is grounded in what can only be described as a ‘realistic portrayal’ of real-life circumstances.
Yet there was very little drama to keep an average viewer glued to their seats. Too little emotional attachment to the characters. And too predictable to be enjoyable. Ramchand has a label of showcasing a filmmaker of potential. Sadly that is the only thing it is good at. That and the score by Debajyoti Mishra. I also have an issue with the budget of the movie. $600,000 is a huge price for a Festival Movie.
Looking Forward to Spider-Man
On another note I really am looking forward to the upcoming Spider-Man musical. I like Julie Taymor and that is reason enough to buy a ticket. I already reviewed Valkyrie for iMAGES, so no need to waste digital ink here.
I don’t like to accept when I’m wrong. But when I’m wrong, I’m wrong.
Rant
Looking back, as fast paced and diverse as today’s segment was, I felt that I needed to elaborate on specifics rather than rant on my subjects. My overview of Julie Taymor’s Spider-Man musical was adequate as best; the topic about Indian television’s theory of repetition was okay up until a few minutes when it started to loop-ad infinitum; Valkyrie – a movie I both loved and hated – was lopsidedly presented (very good was repeated way too often), and Ramchand Pakistani’s analysis could have used a bit tweaking. My presentation skill needs reworking. I’ll get around to it, or maybe mess around with the show’s formatting a little (whichever comes first).
While the invective attitude is attracting audience attention – and who disagrees about watching a guy and a gal duke it out in early morning broadcasts – this is steadily, without my noticing, turning into rant-fest. Hey, but if that’s what people want, that’s what people get.
It is almost uncommon and atypical for a television channel to advocate (or at the least familiarize) the role of women’s accomplishments in cinema on a morning show, yet this is precisely what happened today morning on Bakabar Savera at ARY One World – the show which is in practice to shorten its hosts and guests name down to their first few letters.
For those not in the know, Kamran Jawaid is referred to as MKJ and since the last few days, Sana Tariq the host is now occasionally ST; Well at least in my Khabar Bakhabar subdivision of the show..I kinda think these little things spark the show up a little…but I’m starting to rant…let’s get back to the topic.
Women’s part in cinema is a epic subject to ponder, that as a minimum necessitates a two hour show or a three hour documentary or maybe a quick hop to Wikipedia to uncover (alas, people just don’t read books today, let alone books about films); and instead of making this event a solemn, life and death issue (which disconsolately our – as in the Pakistani – media is quite apt at), we shifted our angle to cover the issue in our own almost-random, slightly quirky fashion and I think it went quite well.
We also discussed a bit about the Tolerance Award at the Women World Award being named after the late political leader, and once Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto.
Just one thing…with all the attention to women-based events, I think we need to propagate men a little too…maybe I’m feeling a bit down with all the attention we men are not getting. I mean, who commends us anyway for anything these days? We need to think about this…seriously.
The show, like the others I have been promising, will be uploaded soon, and this gives me the reason to slide out of writing about it in detail.
The Following Post is an unpublished article, once due to appear in iMAGES. Comments are welcome.
By this time every year, especially the day before the Oscars, the award fever rises to critical highs. Not that anyone cares. For 2009, the most coveted of the award show has little new steam if we take a gander at who’s going to win at what category, but we’ll get to that in a bit. This year the show is designed to draw steadily disappearing watchers back to the glitz of “The Biggest Movie Event of the Year.” During the last few years the American audience turnout has fallen to 32 million viewers, an all time low. Whether Jon Stewart, the previous host was to be blamed, remains a debate (personally we liked the show, ‘nuff said).
This is also the year the show will change the most. Starting with a joint marketing campaign between ABC the America-wide broadcasters of the show and The Academy of Arts and Sciences, the organization which organizes the event. “We decided that we’d get more bang for our buck if we had a fully integrated campaign with a consistent message,” said Janet Weiss, director of marketing for the academy in a New York Times articles. To bring in advertisements, advertising rate has been lowered to $1.4 million per 30 second spot. It was $1.7 million last year. The international ratings and revenue is still strong as American ratings languished.
The other, most prominent hook is host Hugh Jackman. Having the Wolverine star host discards tradition that only spirited talk show hosts and comedians can generate a light hearted aura during the big chunk of the show which is plagued with technical and documentary categories. We think that Mr. Jackman will be trying on his comedic abilities, and at the very least, a healthy viewer ship of female audience is bound to increase.
First time executive producers / producers of the show Bill Condon (director of Chicago) and Laurence Mark, have things wrapped up in cloak and dagger. The duos are promising “surprises and a party atmosphere”. To get there the set design has been changed to reflect the feel of a shimmering Broadway event, eschewing the traditional hues of gold and orange, the color is blue this year. Not the subliminal environment friendly green, brought forward in 2007’s broadcast.
According to the New York Times, “There has been a whisper as well that some celebrity arrivals on Oscar night might not walk the red carpet at all — a twist that would force the curious actually to watch the show itself to see all the celebrities and the gowns, rather than getting their fill from outside news media that cover the arrivals for a host of outlets.” No presenters were announced until the writing of the article.
There will be Bollywood flavor with two songs from “Slumdog” over powering “Wall-E”. With only three nom’s and having no Bruce Springsteen to perform the theme song from ‘The Wrestler’ is a major minus for the event.
Other film Directors are also pitching in to liven up the event. Baz Lurhmann is directing Mr. Jackman a production number. Mr. Jackman will sing. Bennett Miller (of Capote fame) will be stitching together a novel sequence “feature some of the nominated filmmakers swapping thoughts with what the show’s insiders are calling “civilians,” the ordinary moviegoers who have drifted away from the last few broadcasts”.
There might be spots from upcoming movies during or at the end credits of the show.
The awards themselves will be pretty straightforward. There is a heavy pull for “Slumdog Millionaire”, yet there could be upsets. Heath Ledger, is due for his posthumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, that much is given.
For Original Score, A.R. Rahman for “Slumdog”. Small chances for upset could be Defiance or Wall-E, which sound wonderful during the movie. Yet, Rahman’s original-sounding score has a pretty strong ratio. He also has little competition for Best Song with two noms, “Jai Ho and “O Saya”. The only other nom is for Wall-E’s “Down to Earth”. If the academy voters become reserved, and stop the inevitable then Wall-E might win, other wise…
“Slumdog” is again a sure fire win for Best Editing with its recent win at the ACE Eddie Award for Best Drama Editing. The ACE awards are dependable for Best Picture and Best Editing follow-ups. After all they have been right 15 out of 17 years. The film also won The BAFTA (British Academy) Awards. Yet we still think “The Dark Knight” is a strong contender.
While both of us and Roger Ebert would like Wally Pfister to win the Best Cinematography Award for “The Dark Knight”, it could very well go to “Slumdog” which won both the BAFTA and the ASC (The American Society of Cinematographers) awards. “The Dark Knight” was a technical wunderkind, which wasn’t choppy on the senses. That gives it high marks in our books.
In both “Make Up” and “Visual Effects” we see “The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons” taking the lead (again they have BAFTA’s in both nods). “The Dark Knight” is present there too, yet we don’t see it going home with the Oscar in these two nods. It would be a surprise if “Iron Man” or “Hellboy: The Golden Army” won though.
“Documentary” will be “Man on Wire” as it has “Alexander Korda Award for Outstanding British Film of the Year” at the BAFTA’s and the Producers Guild Award for Documentary. Mr. Ebert likes this one too. “Trouble the Water” is a candidate.
For “Foreign Language Film” we go with “Waltz with Bashir”, with due reason. The film is winning in the most interesting nods, like: Best Picture at National Society of Film Critics; Documentary Screenplay at Writers Guild of America (WGA); Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary at the Directors Guild of America (DGA); Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes. The force is strong with the painstakingly done animated film. For “Animated Film’, ”Wall-E”, seriously.
For “Adapted Screenplay”, “Slumdog”, because of the overwhelming BAFTA, WGA, and Globes win. “Benjamin Buttons” looks like a Forrest Gump clone on paper. “Original Screenplay” is a tug of war between “Milk” (won at WGA) and “In Bruges” (won at BAFTA). “Milk” has politics to offer, while “Bruges” has better dialogues and screenplay. We predict the latter.
For us, major chances are for Mickey Rourke to win at “Best Actor”, having won both the Globes and BAFTA’s. Sean Penn’s Harvey Milk has the Screen Actors Guild nod and could be an upset. “Best Actress” will be Kate Winslet, because Meryl Streep has been nominated 15 times and won 2 Oscars. Ms. Winslet has just Oscar nods at this point; and a BAFTA for “The Reader”, a Globe for “The Revolutionary Road” and SAG for Best Supporting Actress. Ms. Streep has SAG for Actress.
As long as we’re talking “Supporting Actress”, Penelope Cruz has a BAFTA; and she is a hot favorite. Viola Davis is a second favorite with Taraji P. Henson as third and Marisa Tomei. The Academy loves to upset this one, so expect the unexpected.
Danny Boyle for “Best Director”. BAFTA, Globes, DGA and six film critics’ awards at the director category: Consider these and tell us why he can’t win?
“Best Picture” No, not Benjamin Buttons. “Slumdog” has the BAFTA, PGA, Globes, and five critic’s association awards. And 52 out of 58 years, the DGA Best Director has won the Oscar as best picture. A distant second can be “Milk” or “The Reader”. If Benjamin Buttons did win, it might be sad day for the Academy voters.
Considering the success of the Grammy broadcast, the Oscars have a lot to look up to. And things ARE certainly looking up. Enjoy the show.
By Mohammad Kamran Jawaid & Farheen Jawaid
Ok, so things have been better, this year, so far. In fact they’re better than last year.There is a feeling of upward spiral in my gut.
Starting this month, I’ve begun to appear regularly (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thrusday) on Bakhabar Savera (BKS for short) as their Media Analyst. Don’t be confused if I’m labeled as MKJ. MKJ is short for Mohammad Kamran Jawaid. Five shows have aired till now.
BKS is a pretty popular morning show hosted by Sana Tariq and produced by Syed Kashif Abidi on ARY One World, and up until now it was pretty serious for an early morning show, a fact which had something to do with past demons – but I won’t go into that right now. Let’s just say that early mornings will be a tad more fun now, especially with mild face-off’s between Sana and me (our rifts come naturally and have little to do with planned programming).
To tell you the truth, I’m pretty scared about being in front of the camera. No, make that used to be. The first three-four shows were pretty lame from my end, but that’s just my opinion.
Sana and Kashif Abidi (and the wacky production team) has been very supportive and I’ve had good feedback so far, so that negates my opinion somewhat. Even if I feel secure at the back of the camera, than in front.
Segments from my shows will be put up officially on YouTube soon.
Starting this week, I’ll update the blog every Sunday, with news from the show and other bits of relevant info.
My Internet identity has a mangled conformity to it. Whenever I search my name, I stumble upon a web page or blog which discusses my existence with the factual accuracy of a chupacabra 
sighting.
While my urban legend has some semblance of fidelity to them – credited mostly to my bygone blog entries and (almost dead) online community listings – I feel a cringed sensation whenever I happen upon any of them.
Although misinformation is something of an Internet trait, there should be a decent source to authenticate this creeping madness, so I’m listing a bare bones re-introduction for anyone to leech from (this can also be read as a FAQ):
Holy crap. I haven’t done anything in the last 6 months. Not that I’m regretful or anything. Just a tad — what’s the word – wistful.
wistful...but just a tad
I assume a majority of everyone who’s reading this entry has known that my mother has been seriously ill since October 2007 (she’s suffering from a relapse of Tuberculosis – which she had ten years back – and acute kidney failure, embedded with other nasty inclement I’d rather not go into now). It’ll take her about 6-8 months to fully recover, so getting her back on her feet is a priority.
Like every noxious malady’s patrimonial gift, my mother’s illness produced its greatest side-effect by blurring away most of my work schedule. Major casualties being my oft contributions for iMAGES, my Karachi based film-making projects and my US based film developments (perhaps the ones greatest affected). Slightly maimed were my web-based shangians (Friendster, Myspace, Filmmaker-Space, Flixster, Orkut, WordPress, Vox, Blogger). But then again, I don’t visit most of them that much to begin with.
Another project plashed with bad-luck is Babar Buccha’s URL – The Underground Racing League, which I’m directing with Zaid-ul-Aziz.
Again, I’m not regretful. Most probably because I believe that there is a time set for everything. And it just wasn’t the right time to move ahead on most of these things. And I did get a chance to reflect on most things, which was a good thing actually, because I found out that I’d been emotionally stuck to several redundant (at least to me) plot-themes for the past year or so. I also believe that once you loose (or decide to let go of) something good, its well-grounded bigger brother finds it’s way to you.
What are these things? More details on a later date. Suffice to say, that I’ll be shooting something come may. Wish me luck.
Edit: May came and went, and I didn’t shoot anything 
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