September 2004
Top of the Charts
by Salman Siddiqui
Salakhainwww.salakhain.com
Cast: Meera, Zara Sheikh, Ahmed, Saud, Shafi Muhammad, Sajid Hasan
Genre: Action/Thriller/Romance
If there’s one movie with the muscle to change the common perception that Pakistani cinema has lost all its charm then it’s the latest Urdu flick Salakhain. With an impressive cast that also consists of seasoned TV artists Shafi and Sajid, the film’s star attraction is LUX Style Award’s male model of the year Ahmed. The storyline is unlike other run of the mill films that portray an ambitious youth Faizan (Ahmed) whose parents have very high expectations of their studious son. Things take a drastic turn when he finds himself the target of political mafias within an examination center. Faizan ends up in jail on (fabricated) charges of cheating that shock his father to death and force his mother to lose her sanity. Seeking vengeance, the enraged youth takes up the inevitable course to the underworld. Of course, in between our hero also falls in love with Savera (Zara) first and then Natasha (Meera) amidst a number of dance numbers to make things more interesting.Apart from commendable cinematic efforts, exhaustive attention has been given to the official movie website which made SPIDER sit up and take note. The site contains (surprise!) error free facts on the film such as the synopsis, briefs on the cast and crew, a careful collection of about 50 pictures from the movie, wallpapers, a screen saver and the option to download seven original tracks. Separate websites for Ahmed and Meera have also been developed that contain even more pictures and screensavers beside detailed biographies. And (wait for it) Meera also has an email address for her many, many fans! Are you typing it out already?!
Laaj
www.laaj.net/
Cast: Resham, Zara, Talat HussainGenre: Action/Romance
If one is to judge a film from its online presence then Laaj sucks big time. A ridiculous site where almost no information regarding the story of the film is available except for the statement “Laaj: It happened in the East.” Even the names of the cast aren’t mentioned; instead only their pictures have been displayed in the Characters section. Less you miss it, the director Rauf Khalid’s name is annoyingly found in almost every other link at the site. Even the screensaver isn’t downloadable and there aren’t any interesting shots from the film either. Maybe the movie is set in partition or perhaps it is shot in England…one is left to speculate since a tiny Union Jack is found at the bottom of every page which leaves you wondering...?
Pyaar Hi Pyaar Meinpyaarhipyaarmein.com.pkCast: All New FacesGenre: Romance
PHPM claims to be “a gust of fresh air that will finally bring Pakistani cinema out of this suffocating callers of mediocrity”; exactly how it achieves that is hard to understand especially since neither is there a strong storyline to support the film nor are they any famous actors in it. The names of the cast again aren’t mentioned anywhere but plenty of pictures of the leading actor can be found squeezing the babes in every possible way imagined. Although low on information, the site is neatly arranged.
M u s i c
Josh
www.planetjosh.com
Josh is the brainchild of Rupinder Magon and Qamar Hussain. Rupinder formed the band while working as an economist for a software company. Storming the mainstream charts with the hit single ‘Kabhi’, this South Asian duo from Montreal are now rubbing shoulders with the likes of Sukhbir and Nelly Furtado. Complete with lyrics, one can find entire track samples from their latest offering along with MP3s you can download from their first album ‘Mein Hoon Tanha’. Six high quality videos catering both to 56K and 300K connections are also available. Besides the active discussion forum in which the band participates, the well-designed site is always updated with the latest news on their tours. Although fans will be delighted to find free ring tones and tons of pictures in the gallery section, a screensaver is surely missed here.
Ali Zafar
www.alizafar.net
Counting Mehdi Hasan, Amanat Ali Khan, and Ghulam Ali amongst many others in his list of inspirations, it’s mind boggling that Ali Zafar chose to sing ‘Channo’ to mark his singing debut instead of some raga. One must commend him on his clever selection since he has the entire nation on their feet—a feat previously achieved by Abrar’s Billo. The multi-talented artist lists modeling, acting and painting as his other creative outlets on his website where an interesting biography of his upbringing, with snaps of his artwork, is colorfully revealed. Apart from Channo-exclusive pictures in the gallery section, fans will be delighted to see some cheesy ‘Ali with General Pervaiz Musharaf and Bollywood star’ snaps. All tracks from his only album ‘Huqa Paani’ can be previewed online, where the Channo remix of the song ‘Every Breath You Take’ mp3 is also available for ‘free’—diehard Sting fans are advised to stay away.
Ali Azma
twww.aliazmat.com
Amidst rumors of Junoon’s split, it is no surprise that Ali Azmat has released his swan song on the Net. His website marks the artist’s upcoming solo gig with the following words: “Ali Azmat branched out from the ‘90s Sufi-power sensation Junoon at the altitude of their fame in order to advance his solo career. His decision to take a new direction, while still being a member of the group, was solely based on him wanting to delve into a completely discrete era of music. His Junoon fans will not be disappointed and he’ll surely motivate some new ones.” All Junoon songs written and composed by Ali can be found neatly arranged in the download section. You will also find a fresh track title ‘Main’ from his upcoming album with an exclusive ‘Garaj Baras’ video. Fans will love the desktop goodies available here that includes a collection of funky wallpapers and Winamp skins (wah!).
Jal
www.jaltheband.com
Jal used to be Gohar as the lead guitarist and Atif as the vocalist of the band. Soon after the huge success of their single ‘Aadat’, the two split up having developed differences over monetary issues. Both Gohar and Atif filed cases against each other in court to grab the ownership of the band name ‘Jal’. Atif has already released his album titled ‘Jal Pari’ and Goher, who claims to be the original brains behind the band, is struggling to do the same. The threads at the site’s discussion forum are almost always centered on the bad blood between these two. There’s also nothing much for fans of the band except for a large blue logo that greets you as soon as you enter the site. Other than that you get to download the ‘Aadat’ video and the songs ‘Dil Haray’ and ‘Rangoon Mein’.
The Call
www.thebandcall.com
“We CALL You All to Perform a Sacred Sin” is a very lame Call by an otherwise talented group of individuals that is headed by EP’s band manager Khurram (he plays drums in the band). Although their album is still in the development phase, some of their tracks such as ‘Nishaan’, ‘Pukaar’ and ‘Kash’ have become quite popular and are also available for free at their site. The artistically done official site also contains a fan forum, wallpapers, and a list of previous tracks by the band. In the profile section, band heavy weight Khurram’s bio is the most detailed where he thanks everyone except his Abdul Noker who fed him when he was five; other members just get to say how they got introduced to ‘Khurram bhai’.
Rungg
www.rungg.com
The emerging pop rock band Rungg started to make waves in the music scene with the release of their debut single ‘Hum Naa’, a romantic ballad. This promising act’s members are Iftikhar Habib, whose voice reminds one of Zohaib Hasan, and the lead guitarist Sarmed Ghafoor, who is heavily influenced by Joe Satriani. One has to compliment the bands professional dedication towards their success that is evident from their impressive press kit and website. For samples of their tracks and videos, log on to their well maintained site.
Karavan
www.karavanonline.com/
Axe man Assad Ahmed’s Karavan has been in the music scene for a while now. With Tanseer Dar taking the front seat, the band seems to be cruising along in the right direction since the success of their superb album Gardish. The multimedia section at the band’s official site will rock every Karavan fan on the planet as it contains all the tracks from their albums for free, alongside a whole collection of video clips. The pictures of the band members need immediate attention as some of the photos, such as those of Alan Smith, are so completely outdated.
Fuzon
www.fuzononline.com/
Fuzon have proved just over a year that they are the best examples of fusion music in the country. Their official site, however, leaves a lot to be desired. It’s so heavily laden with graphics and Flash movies that it takes up eons for the site to load over a normal dial-up connection. An interesting raag of the month, band bios and album details can be found at the site. Some sections such as Fuzon ring tones are still under development.
by Salman Siddiqui
Salakhainwww.salakhain.com
Cast: Meera, Zara Sheikh, Ahmed, Saud, Shafi Muhammad, Sajid Hasan
Genre: Action/Thriller/Romance
If there’s one movie with the muscle to change the common perception that Pakistani cinema has lost all its charm then it’s the latest Urdu flick Salakhain. With an impressive cast that also consists of seasoned TV artists Shafi and Sajid, the film’s star attraction is LUX Style Award’s male model of the year Ahmed. The storyline is unlike other run of the mill films that portray an ambitious youth Faizan (Ahmed) whose parents have very high expectations of their studious son. Things take a drastic turn when he finds himself the target of political mafias within an examination center. Faizan ends up in jail on (fabricated) charges of cheating that shock his father to death and force his mother to lose her sanity. Seeking vengeance, the enraged youth takes up the inevitable course to the underworld. Of course, in between our hero also falls in love with Savera (Zara) first and then Natasha (Meera) amidst a number of dance numbers to make things more interesting.Apart from commendable cinematic efforts, exhaustive attention has been given to the official movie website which made SPIDER sit up and take note. The site contains (surprise!) error free facts on the film such as the synopsis, briefs on the cast and crew, a careful collection of about 50 pictures from the movie, wallpapers, a screen saver and the option to download seven original tracks. Separate websites for Ahmed and Meera have also been developed that contain even more pictures and screensavers beside detailed biographies. And (wait for it) Meera also has an email address for her many, many fans! Are you typing it out already?!
Laaj
www.laaj.net/
Cast: Resham, Zara, Talat HussainGenre: Action/Romance
If one is to judge a film from its online presence then Laaj sucks big time. A ridiculous site where almost no information regarding the story of the film is available except for the statement “Laaj: It happened in the East.” Even the names of the cast aren’t mentioned; instead only their pictures have been displayed in the Characters section. Less you miss it, the director Rauf Khalid’s name is annoyingly found in almost every other link at the site. Even the screensaver isn’t downloadable and there aren’t any interesting shots from the film either. Maybe the movie is set in partition or perhaps it is shot in England…one is left to speculate since a tiny Union Jack is found at the bottom of every page which leaves you wondering...?
Pyaar Hi Pyaar Meinpyaarhipyaarmein.com.pkCast: All New FacesGenre: Romance
PHPM claims to be “a gust of fresh air that will finally bring Pakistani cinema out of this suffocating callers of mediocrity”; exactly how it achieves that is hard to understand especially since neither is there a strong storyline to support the film nor are they any famous actors in it. The names of the cast again aren’t mentioned anywhere but plenty of pictures of the leading actor can be found squeezing the babes in every possible way imagined. Although low on information, the site is neatly arranged.
M u s i c
Josh
www.planetjosh.com
Josh is the brainchild of Rupinder Magon and Qamar Hussain. Rupinder formed the band while working as an economist for a software company. Storming the mainstream charts with the hit single ‘Kabhi’, this South Asian duo from Montreal are now rubbing shoulders with the likes of Sukhbir and Nelly Furtado. Complete with lyrics, one can find entire track samples from their latest offering along with MP3s you can download from their first album ‘Mein Hoon Tanha’. Six high quality videos catering both to 56K and 300K connections are also available. Besides the active discussion forum in which the band participates, the well-designed site is always updated with the latest news on their tours. Although fans will be delighted to find free ring tones and tons of pictures in the gallery section, a screensaver is surely missed here.
Ali Zafar
www.alizafar.net
Counting Mehdi Hasan, Amanat Ali Khan, and Ghulam Ali amongst many others in his list of inspirations, it’s mind boggling that Ali Zafar chose to sing ‘Channo’ to mark his singing debut instead of some raga. One must commend him on his clever selection since he has the entire nation on their feet—a feat previously achieved by Abrar’s Billo. The multi-talented artist lists modeling, acting and painting as his other creative outlets on his website where an interesting biography of his upbringing, with snaps of his artwork, is colorfully revealed. Apart from Channo-exclusive pictures in the gallery section, fans will be delighted to see some cheesy ‘Ali with General Pervaiz Musharaf and Bollywood star’ snaps. All tracks from his only album ‘Huqa Paani’ can be previewed online, where the Channo remix of the song ‘Every Breath You Take’ mp3 is also available for ‘free’—diehard Sting fans are advised to stay away.
Ali Azma
twww.aliazmat.com
Amidst rumors of Junoon’s split, it is no surprise that Ali Azmat has released his swan song on the Net. His website marks the artist’s upcoming solo gig with the following words: “Ali Azmat branched out from the ‘90s Sufi-power sensation Junoon at the altitude of their fame in order to advance his solo career. His decision to take a new direction, while still being a member of the group, was solely based on him wanting to delve into a completely discrete era of music. His Junoon fans will not be disappointed and he’ll surely motivate some new ones.” All Junoon songs written and composed by Ali can be found neatly arranged in the download section. You will also find a fresh track title ‘Main’ from his upcoming album with an exclusive ‘Garaj Baras’ video. Fans will love the desktop goodies available here that includes a collection of funky wallpapers and Winamp skins (wah!).
Jal
www.jaltheband.com
Jal used to be Gohar as the lead guitarist and Atif as the vocalist of the band. Soon after the huge success of their single ‘Aadat’, the two split up having developed differences over monetary issues. Both Gohar and Atif filed cases against each other in court to grab the ownership of the band name ‘Jal’. Atif has already released his album titled ‘Jal Pari’ and Goher, who claims to be the original brains behind the band, is struggling to do the same. The threads at the site’s discussion forum are almost always centered on the bad blood between these two. There’s also nothing much for fans of the band except for a large blue logo that greets you as soon as you enter the site. Other than that you get to download the ‘Aadat’ video and the songs ‘Dil Haray’ and ‘Rangoon Mein’.
The Call
www.thebandcall.com
“We CALL You All to Perform a Sacred Sin” is a very lame Call by an otherwise talented group of individuals that is headed by EP’s band manager Khurram (he plays drums in the band). Although their album is still in the development phase, some of their tracks such as ‘Nishaan’, ‘Pukaar’ and ‘Kash’ have become quite popular and are also available for free at their site. The artistically done official site also contains a fan forum, wallpapers, and a list of previous tracks by the band. In the profile section, band heavy weight Khurram’s bio is the most detailed where he thanks everyone except his Abdul Noker who fed him when he was five; other members just get to say how they got introduced to ‘Khurram bhai’.
Rungg
www.rungg.com
The emerging pop rock band Rungg started to make waves in the music scene with the release of their debut single ‘Hum Naa’, a romantic ballad. This promising act’s members are Iftikhar Habib, whose voice reminds one of Zohaib Hasan, and the lead guitarist Sarmed Ghafoor, who is heavily influenced by Joe Satriani. One has to compliment the bands professional dedication towards their success that is evident from their impressive press kit and website. For samples of their tracks and videos, log on to their well maintained site.
Karavan
www.karavanonline.com/
Axe man Assad Ahmed’s Karavan has been in the music scene for a while now. With Tanseer Dar taking the front seat, the band seems to be cruising along in the right direction since the success of their superb album Gardish. The multimedia section at the band’s official site will rock every Karavan fan on the planet as it contains all the tracks from their albums for free, alongside a whole collection of video clips. The pictures of the band members need immediate attention as some of the photos, such as those of Alan Smith, are so completely outdated.
Fuzon
www.fuzononline.com/
Fuzon have proved just over a year that they are the best examples of fusion music in the country. Their official site, however, leaves a lot to be desired. It’s so heavily laden with graphics and Flash movies that it takes up eons for the site to load over a normal dial-up connection. An interesting raag of the month, band bios and album details can be found at the site. Some sections such as Fuzon ring tones are still under development.
posted by Salman Siddiqui | 9:43 AM
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