“Pakistan is my largest fanbase outside of India,” she says, in an exclusive interview in the capital city. “My father’s father died with the dream of visiting Lahore and Karachi. And my mother’s family is from Lahore.” The multi-faceted star is making her first visit to Lahore and Islamabad accompanied by her parents, visiting Nankana Sahib and Punja Sahib, and highlighting children’s causes including Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital (where she taught children mirror therapy techniques). Her trip across the border has highlighted causes including the Pakistan Sweet Home for children orphaned from terrorist attacks and natural disasters as well as SKMCH, where she taught ‘mirror therapy’ technique to a group of young cancer survivors. “Sadly, we link it with religions and countries,” she adds.

“I am honoured to be here and want to use my time completely for visiting schools, orphanages, and cancer hospitals,” states Raageshwari with enthusiasm. In India, she’s an ambassador for AIDS awareness and also leads a vision-impaired choir.

Her stint on “Bigg Boss” earned her the nickname ‘Messenger of Peace.’ “Spiritualism is about great balance,” she says. “I need to pay my bills too. I felt I should go out of my comfort zone to see if I could stick to my beliefs and lead my example on reality TV.”

Raageshwari refers to her holistic side in collective terms. “I feel odd and immodest to use ‘I,’ she explains. “So many wonderful people are doing this, like Jack Canfield (author of Chicken Soup for the Soul) and Louise L Hay (author of Heal Your Body). I’m not part of a cult. Together, we can heal the world. ‘Bigg Boss’ opened avenues for me and I now deliver motivational talks to thousands in corporate circles.”

Raageshwari reveals how her ‘peace, love and harmony’ mantra has formulated her journey from entertainer to healer and how it isn’t necessary to be a yogi in the mountains to heal the world together. She draws reference from her upcoming yoga workout DVD, 5 Ancient Tibetan Rites: The Secret of Eternal Youth.

“Every word has energy,” she says. “Cells react at great speed with endorphins and heal. Disease is a body not at ease. You have more to offer others if you love yourself too.”

Known as ‘Ragz’ to her friends, she has a positive, calming aura that strikes one immediately in her presence, while her eyes sparkle with keen observation. Her speech is peppered with spiritual references such as “Allah ka shukar” and traditional Urdu expressions.

How did you get into the entertainment world?

I was only 15 when I auditioned for Shekhar Kapur for Bobby Deol’s debut film. Bobby said, “Oh my God, she looks like a child!” The screen test was a disaster! I was very embarrassed and you can see that in the few films I’ve done (as a leading lady in Aankhen in ’93, Mein Khilari Tu Anari and Zid in ’94). Today, I know the best thing for an actor is to go with the flow and nosedive into the part.

You’ve had such diverse inspiration for your musical career, from Hindi pop to Sufi and Tibetan albums; how did these come about?

All my music was composed and written by dad (award-winning musician Trilok Singh Loomba). Music company HMV Saregama was making an album on yoga and asked me to be the face of the Tibetan Fountain of Youth. Lorraine More (a Tibetan follower) taught me five postures formulated by the monks about the seven vortexes/chakras. It’s scientifically proven we have energy vortexes in our bodies at a magnetic speed. The exercise plan revolves the chakras. There are whirling dervish moves that centre your body, help with nausea, indigestion and headaches. And then a stomach crunch and so on. You’d find that namaz also has yogic postures because Islam is a religion of peace and science. I have great regard for the Muslim community and made the Sufi album for this community.

You’ve worked on a children’s TV show for ARY; how was your experience with the Pakistani media?

It was fabulous, I love children and I scripted the show with my father. I played a sardar ji boy to teach tricks in math, a Nepali watchman and an aunty from Pakistan to eat healthy and play long forgotten games like kho-kho and encourage outdoor play.

How do you manage to still look 17? You look even better now than in the 90s.

I’m 36. The internet calls me younger but I have great pride in my age! I want women to feel there’s so much more than trying to work at being young. Your biological age doesn’t matter. Physically, I’m 16. Spiritually, I could be 500. We carry problems with us and look outward instead of inward. Hate what a person does but don’t hate the person. Give love to a radical, not hate. Our basic instinct is being loved.

You’ve overcome an incredible challenge in life, Bell’s palsy; how did you stay positive? Did this inspire you to practice yoga?

I woke up one day to brush my teeth and couldn’t hold the water in my mouth. I had a charity show for school that day and was meant to do the opening act for an awards show. It took doctors two days to diagnose it because they couldn’t believe someone in their 20s could get it. One side of my face and chest was numb so when I spoke, my lips reached my ear. I couldn’t recognise myself, I couldn’t talk, I had no voice. My therapy triggered my interest in yoga and I speak openly about it because real stories inspire us. I recovered perfectly and doctors were amazed. I never took steroids; it was all yoga and self affirmations. Yoga pumps more blood into parts of your body and paralysis is a nerve related illness. Bell’s palsy is for people who fail to express anger; I suppose I’d had spiritual arrogance!

Raageshwari’s Picks

Favourite Bollywood star

Govinda. I learned from his great love for his art. He has unbelievable timing in comedy and dancing.

Favourite Pakistani celebrity

Reshma ji, Abida Parveen, and Shafqat ji are my all time favourites. Adnan aka Mr Romantic. Also, Nusrat and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. I’ve performed at the same event with Ghulam Ali in Dubai.

Trickiest dance move you’ve had to master

With Govinda and Chunky Pandey, I had to do a dance move where my hand was between their thighs in Aankhen and they went up and down and back and forth, very jerky moves. At that time I was horrified even though it was considered cool. No wonder they have backaches after those hip thrusts!

Genre of TV you’d like to try next

A cookery show. Something progressive for children. Alternative healing.

The most difficult yoga moves you’ve achieved

A headstand.

Your most memorable music video

“Duniya” — I was a knapsack-wearing young traveller on the beach with children.

Favourite fashion designers

My designer friends dress me up but I’ll never indulge in criminal expenses.

Favourite cuisine

Everyone asks me if I am vegetarian and I am not! I love biryani and Mughlai food.

Recent favourite film

I really liked OMG.

Last mp3 you played?

I listened to Paradise by Coldplay on the motorway between Lahore and Islamabad.

TV viewing addiction

Cooking shows and the TLC channel. Also, “Satyamev Jayate” and “KBC” are great shows that you take something back from instead of watching in semi-coma! My DVD is about beginning and ending your day with positive affirmations instead of with the news and soap operas.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2012.

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Once upon a time, it was unheard of for Arab princess to feature prominently in the public sphere. Today, Saudi female royals have the liberty to wear dresses that show off their shapely calves and are even working with rock stars for poverty alleviation campaigns — making monarchies seem less outdated.

In Pakistan, it’s not always easy to get away with such daring styles in the public eye. Female politicians are obliged to don dupattas on their heads in public.Comparatively, many Middle Eastern women are more inclined to buy into international runway trends. The saying that women ‘dress to impress other women rather than men’ seems especially true at segregated Saudi wedding events, where ladies leave their abayas at the door and emerge in shimmering designer gowns slit to the thigh with plunging necklines, dripping with jewels the size of pigeon’s eggs.

The turban-chic Sheikha — Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned of Qatar

Having studied Sociology at the University of Qatar, she now runs the Qatar Foundation and spearheads the Al Jazeera Children TV channel and the Qatar Luxury Group. The 60-year old, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned of Qatar is the second of the three wives of the Emir Of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. She is widely regarded as one of the world’s best dressed women. An avid follower of couture, the Sheikha’s stylish interpretation of the hijab which is more turban-syle is eminently chic, terribly expensive and extremely glamorous.

Rocking the kaftan — Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco

This IT engineer has founded the Lalla Salma Association against Cancer and is a goodwill ambassador for World Health Organisation (WHO). Married to King Mohammed VI and mother of two, she frequently dresses in vivid silk kaftans belted at the waist at formal occasions, along with tailored suits and dresses during the day. Her elegant sister-in-law, Princess Meryem and her attractive daughter, Princess Sukaina are equally known for their glamorous fashion sensibilities — their kaftans at Monaco’s Royal Wedding were the most striking outfits among the dignitaries present.

Leading the couture clan — Queen Rania

With a bachelor’s degree in business from The American University of Cairo, she has worked at Citibank and Apple before her marriage. As a humanitarian, she has played an active role in Unicef, The World Economic Forum and the International Youth Foundation.

The 43-year-old queen married to King Hussein II whose sense of style has catapulted her to the global A-list as an international fashion icon. The queen favours knee-length dresses and jackets for her daytime appointments and gowns for the red carpet. Critics even found her better dressed than Carla Bruni-Sarkozy during the Jordanian visit to the Elysees Palace.

Pakistani-origin princess — Sarvath El Hassan of Jordan

Princess Sarvath El Hassan of Jordan pairs regal tiaras and tailored dress coats with her traditional saris and counts Rizwan Beyg among her designers of choice. Crown Princess for three decades, this Cambridge-educated, Taekwondo black belt holder has a distinguished Pakistani lineage. Her father, Mohammed Ikramaullah, served as Pakistan’s first Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs and her mother Begum Shaista Suhrawardy was one of Pakistan’s first female parliamentarians.

The couture princess — Ameerah Al Taweel

Ameerah Al Taweel is the head of the executive committee of the Al-Waleed bin Talal Foundation and has travelled to Pakistan for flood relief efforts. The 28-year-old Princess Ameerah Al Taweel is the fourth wife of notable billionaire Prince Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud. Her ensemble at the British royal wedding is among her best couture looks, where she dressed from head-to-toe in stunning, custom-made Zuhair Murad ensemble.

Beauty — not just on the outside 

Badiya: We’re very quick to get upset when Muslims are being treated badly, but I don’t see the same level of protest when Muslims treat non-Muslims badly.

Princess Badiya said in 2011 at an interview published in Emel magazine. 

Ameerah: No matter how many great things Arab women do, we’ll always be judged as a country that suppresses women as we are the only country where women still can’t drive. We are not backwards; we’re just treated like second-class citizens.

Princess Ameerah said at the “The Today Show” in 2011. 

Rania: There are 600 million girls shackled by housework or labour in factories; many fall victim to early marriage, sexual abuse and HIV. So I push for girls’ education so that their wages can go up.

Queen Rania says in a 2011 interview for Glamour magazine 

Lalla Salma: There can be no political or institutional empowerment of women unless their rights are promoted and women become part of the development process.

Princess Lalla Salma says at a 2009 speech at the Higher Council of Arab Women. 

Sheikha Mozah: There is nothing in our religion to prevent women’s political participation.

Sheikha Mozah said in a speech delivered at Rice University in 2007.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2012.

In Hollywood, Paris and Milan, ebony-skinned, dark-eyed Indians are steadily growing in demand: model Ujjwala Raut, a significant success on international runways and designer ads, rising movie star Freida Pinto and Chanel’s latest discovery, Jyothsna Chakravarthy, are considered exotic beauties. Funnily, they are a far cry from mainstream concepts of beauty in Asia, where skin-whitening is a multimillion-dollar industry and where coloured lenses are a routine for actors, models and socialites.

North American Entrepreneurs:

It’s not just major companies that are targeting women with complexions from palest mocha to dark chocolate and sandy beige to tawny bronze. Start up boutique beauty and cosmetic brands have sprung up in recent years by women entrepreneurs of South Asian descent:

Chamak Cosmetics was founded in 2010 by Texan make-up artist Sarah Ali after working at Chanel, YSL, MAC and Calvin Klein. “I noted what colours most women, in addition to medium to dark women, wanted and could never find: rich golds, bronzes, coppers and vivid shades. Women were also looking for natural looking, warm-based foundations which still weren’t formulated perfectly since the traditional cosmetic bases were for pink and peach skin tones,” she stated.  Chamak products include Ada and Meethi Lipsticks, Jaanbaz and Shikari Eyeshadows, as well as apricot-hued Hema Blush.

Orissa Cosmetics launched in the UK in 2008 after founders Bhimal Hira and Mona Parekh “noticed women with darker skin tones were under-represented in the mainstream cosmetics industry”. According to Hira, “The Honey and Tender shades are two of our bestselling foundation. Gold, Bronze and Amethyst are the bestselling eye shadows.”

Thevi Cosmetics was created for the ‘New Ethnic Market’ — for every light-to-dark skinned woman for whom “beauty is a way of empowerment in a world where they must balance their dual traditional and American identities,” according to the founder Thevaki Thambirajah. A New Yorker of Sri Lankan descent, Thambirajah gained work experience at Revlon and Coty prior to launching Thevi (brand liquidated in 2011).

Vasanti Cosmetics, founded by desi-Canadians Pinki, Priti and Monal in 1999, carries 140 products and retails in over 300 stores across Canada. “What makes our selection great for South Asian skin, is that our shades contain yellow and olive undertones that work brilliantly to give a natural look, without giving that white, chalky appearance,” describes company representative Chereiva Pointer. Interesting products to try include Vasanti Lip & Cheek Putty and Wonders of the World Concealer.

Global Goddess is an American brand launched in 2006 by Shalini Vadhera (who resigned in 2010) using exotic and natural ingredients. Products include an Ultimate Bollywood Make-up kit and the Global Goddess Beauty Coconut Amla Lash & Brow Conditioner that also contains grape seed, apple extract, nettle and horse chestnut.

Meanwhile, in Pakistan:

One may regard wearing make-up as part of this country’s ancient heritage; our Indus Valley predecessors were among history’s earliest users of lipstick, after all. In the 80s and 90s, consumers were restricted to brands like Medora and Swiss Miss and the occasionally smuggled international cosmetic brands displayed at shops, with no testers. However, now cosmetic racks of L’Oreal, Rimmel, Maybelline and Color Studio Professional provide consumers with some variety. A new breed of women entrepreneurs, such as  TV personality Atiqa Odho (Atiqa Odho Cosmetics) and Mehrbano Sethi (Luscious Cosmetics), address the needs of a medium income demographic with their homegrown brands created and developed in Pakistan.

Multicultural Palettes:

MAC, Nars, Stila and Make-Up Forever have been longtime favourites among Asians, Hispanics and African Americans for their richly pigmented cosmetics. Estee Lauder brands like Prescriptives (discontinued in 2010), Bobbi Brown, Clinique and Origins have notably included shades of foundation for darker women. In 1994, Somali-born former supermodel and Mrs David Bowie’s Iman Cosmetics was created to specifically cater to “women of all skin colour”. Cover Girl’s All-American brand of “easy, breezy, beautiful” cosmetics have long since featured diverse models, while L’Oreal included Aishwaria Rai-Bachchan in their worldwide ad campaigns.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd,  2012.

Centuries later, the gargantuan cosmetics industry continues to accentuate similar attributes, such as dramatic eyes, jewel toned lips, vivid eyeshadow and the practice of using minerals for ingredients.

Kajal sticks

Authentic kajal sticks that many Pakistani women can’t do without are currently trending on the international red carpet. Chanel’s recent ‘Paris to Bombay’ themed Metiers d’Art show featured models with thick, kohl rimmed eyes that set off their nose rings, teekas and Karl Lagerfeld’s tweed-meets-churidar couture designs. For Angelina Jolie, Kate Middleton and Kristen Stewart, heavy eyeliner sets off their brunette looks, while Elizabeth Hurley has notably been a big fan of Bollywood style smoky eyes since her Indian nuptials.

According to the NYC Dept of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Lead Prevention Program, popular kajal imports from Pakistan contain dangerous levels of lead. However, there are various manufacturers around the world who claim to use herbal or non-harmful ingredients in their ‘magic wands’.

• Guerlain’s Terracotta Khol Kajal Liner comes in packaging beautiful enough to warrant its hefty price tag.

• Cosmetics retailer Sephora’s Smoky Kohl Eyeliner contains antioxidan rice bran.

• Upcoming British brand Sleek MakeUp’s Kajal Kohl Liner is made with ingredients like beeswax.

• Rani Kajal, a popular Saudi brand, is created using black medical vegetable carbon.

• Shahnaz Husain’s Herbal Kohl Kajal contains almond oil and Ayurvedic triphala.

• Saeed Ghani’s Herbal Kajal Tube has natural ingredients like rose water.

Dramatic colour

• Eye liner: MAC fluidline

What’s to love: This gel-based mixture provides intense colour. Applied to the eyes with a thin brush, it comes in several shades.

• Eye colour: MAC Pigments

What’s to love: These loose powder pigments, available in a multitude of shimmery hues, may be applied generously for super strong colour or lightly for a more subtle effect. Best of all, these pots seem to last forever.

• Lips — Sleek make-up Pot Paint

What’s to love: This is not one of those semi-sheer lippies that look richer in ad campaigns than reality. It comes on as strong as paint!

• Nails — Color Studio Professional Pro Nails

What’s to love: These bold nailpolish colours are free of formaldehyde and other harsh elements typically found in nail shades.

Red lippies

Despite contemporary women’s perennial fondness for nude shades and seasonal trends like fuchsia, coral and burgundy, red lipstick remains a classic staple that never really goes out of style. Virtually every cosmetics brand has its popular reds:

Wallet denters:

• MAC Russian Red, Ruby Woo or New York Apple

• Chanel Rouge Allure in Lover

• YSL Rouge Per Opium Red

• NARS Lipstick in Fire Down Below or Red Lizard

• Guerlain Fabulous Rouge or Kiss Kiss

• Kat Von D Painted Love Lipstick in Hellbent

Economical impulse buys:

• Maybelline Colour Sensation in Pleasure Me Red or Red Revival

• Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Alarm

• Bourjois Sweet Kisses Lipstick in Rouge Sur Mesure

• L’Oreal Infallible Le Rouge in Ravishing Red or Colour Riche in True Red

• Revlon Matte Lipstick in Really Red

Mineral make-up

With increasing consumer awareness of damaging ingredients found in popular beauty products, cosmetics manufacturers vie to promote ‘natural’ ingredients like minerals that claim to benefit the skin.

• Bare Escentuals has a complete line of natural mineral makeup, from powder foundation to eyeshadow and lipstick.

• Lancome’s Ageless Minerale Skin-Transforming Mineral Powder Foundation aims to do just that.

• The Body Shop’s True Match line of foundation, blusher and concealer contain 95 per cent minerals.

• Luscious Cosmetics’ High Definition Mineral Liquid Foundation incorporates deep sea water and pearl powder in its mineral mixture.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2012.

On the flip side, many fancy containers or products that claim to be ‘herbal’ do not guarantee safe results either. In other words, study the ingredients — and their safe dosage — before exposing your skin to them.

With imported brands and home-grown products featuring ingredients like licorice, beeswax, caffeine and sheep fat, Pakistan’s growing skincare industry claims to treat everyday skin ailments.

Solutions:

1. Titanium dioxide (L’Oreal’s White Perfect product line; Garnier’s Light product line;) is an ingredient found in sunscreens that acts as a barrier from UV rays.

2. Kojic acid (Derma Clin Forte Cream, Vince Extra Strength Lightening Cream) is derived from fermented rice and lightens the skin. However, its overuse and exposure to sunlight often leads to skin irritation.

3. Licorice (Himalaya Clear Complexion Whitening Day Cream, Luscious Foundation Stick, Fair & Lovely Herbal Natural Fairness Cream, The Body Shop Moisture White Shiso Whitening Night Treatment) is a natural anti-inflammatory agent that also inhibits pigmentation.

4. Sandalwood (Saeed Ghani Sandal Whitening Cream) is a calming, indigenous essential oil considered to be beneficial for the skin.

Solutions:

1. Retinol, or Vitamin A (L’Oreal Revitalift with Stimulift technology contains Pro-Retinol A; Pond’s Age Miracle has Retinol boosters;), is a highly effective complexion enhancer. Overuse and exposure to sunlight may increase a risk of reproductive damage.

2. Q10 (Nivea Anti-Wrinkle Q10 Plus, Eucerin Anti-Wrinkle Sensitive Skin Creme) has co-enzyme properties that firm the skin.

3. Pomegranate (The Body Shop Natrulift Firming Serum contains pomegranate seed oil) is an antoxidant that works to regenerate skin cells.

4. Glycerine (Oriflame Diamond Cellular Anti-Ageing Cream, Olay Regenerist, L’Oreal Skin Expertise RevitaLift Night Lotion) is a natural skin softener found in animal and plant fats.

Solutions:

1. Neem oil (Himalaya Neem Face Pack, Saeed Ghani Neem Oil) is an indigenous Ayurvedic ingredient with healing properties for the skin. It can, however, cause reproductive problems when used in excess.

2. Tea Tree oil (GNC’s pure Tea Tree Oil; The Body Shop’s Tea Tree product line) is a natural antifungal agent that heals dry scalp conditions as well as skin afflicted with acne, insect bites and rash.

Solutions:

1. Beeswax or Cera Alba, is an efficient emulsifier and a component of the highly effective Saeed Ghani’s Heel Krack Cream and The Body Shop’s Afrique Honey & Beeswax Hand and Foot Butter.

2. Lanolin is derived from fatty sheepskin secretions found in wool and an ingredient of basic facial and body moisturisers like Oil of Olay, E45 and Nivea, as well as in the pricey Creme de la Mer. Its concentrated form heals chapped or broken skin.

Solutions:

1. Amla or Indian Gooseberry (Saeed Ghani Tarchup Herbal Tonic combines Amla Oil with Neem leaves and other ingredients), is rich in Vitamin C and thought to stimulate hair follicles.

2. Cactus oil (Dabur Vatika Cactus Enriched Hair Oil also contains Garlic and Garger/Rocket Oil) helps to nourish the scalp and improve brittle hair textures. Solutions:

1. Caffeine (Garnier Caffeine Eye Roll-On, The Body Shop Natrulift Eye Roll-On) claims to improve under-eye circles.

2. Cooling eye gel (Olay Age Defying Revitalising Eye Gel, The Body Shop Elderflower Cooling Eye Gel) works to freshen tired eyes.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2011.

How does a Scottish-born writer immerse himself into the subcontinent’s past and write with such in-depth authenticity?

There’s no secret. It’s the time you spend in a place. After 25 years, South Asia still fascinates me and provides endless inspiration. I’m here because I love it. I’ve spent my adult life travelling between South Asia, Britain, the Middle East and Central Asia, but it’s South Asia that remains my base and my focus.

You have worked on several notable documentaries (including Sufi Soul: The Mystic Music of Islam featuring Rahat Fateh Ali and Abida Parveen); how different was it as a medium to writing?

Books are my main bread and butter and are the real monuments you leave behind you; but it’s lovely to dabble in other things between books. Writing history books is usually a four-year project. TV and radio make a good break between more serious things. With TV documentaries, the director does half the work, so I’m not the boss and as the writer, researcher and presenter, I can take it relatively easy.

Your work has recurring themes, from the British Raj to mysticism. In retrospect, which did you find most challenging to research and write?

My books break down into travel books, where I go on journeys and interview people, and history books, where I spend time most of the times with manuscripts in the library. It’s exciting to research both, but in different ways. With travel books you have the pleasure of the open road. With history books you’re following a trail like a detective.  TV and travel journalism make a lovely change between the big projects, but they are much less substantial than books.

Fans are thrilled that White Mughals will finally be turned into a film. What’s your involvement with the project in terms of screenplay adaptation, casting choices and location settings?

This is the third time that the rights have been sold! The first time the BBC bought and sat on it.  After that, Oscar-winning screenwriter Christopher Hampton got involved (according to Bollywood reports, Shekhar Kapur and Aamir Khan made unsuccessful bids in the past). Now, Ralph Fiennes is attached as its director and probable star. I’ll be acting as an advisor on the project, but I won’t be screenwriting.

Ralph Fiennes would make an ideal James Achilles Kirkpatrick (the protagonist). How would you ideally cast Khairun Nissa (the female lead)?

I’d love Frieda Pinto to do it. The film would have to downplay Khairun Nissa’s youth. She was in reality, 14, which was the usual age of marriage in those days, and wasn’t an issue then (in the 18^th century) but it would be very controversial today. What was controversial then was that she married a white Christian.

Are there any plans to shoot scenes in old Lahore? What things ought to be done to tempt location scouts here to Pakistan?

In general, people regard Pakistan as too dangerous to shoot. Mira Nair is shooting her Pakistan scenes in India for The Reluctant Fundamentalist written by Mohsin Hamid. I have no problems with visiting Pakistan at all. I still come and go. I stayed with Hamid in Lahore while researching my upcoming Afghan book (The Return of a King: Shah Shuja and the First Battle for Afghanistan).

What are your current projects, in addition to writing?

I’ve written one third of the Afghan book. In February, I’ll be co-curating an exhibition of Late Mughal Art, Princes and Painters in Mughal Delhi for the Asia Society in New York and attending the Karachi Literary Festival.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16^th, 2011.

However, the process may resemble winning a lottery (particularly for lesser known writers) as scripts tend to remain in development mode for years, going through rewrites, dissected at executive meetings and couriered over to actors to attract their participation. The lucky few that ‘win’ a production budget eventually get made while the rest remain in the preproduction vault — often for eternity. For instance, Warner Bros acquired Paulo Coelho’s bestselling The Alchemist back in 1994, followed by Laurence Fishburne and Harvey Weinstein, and the project still seems dormant.

While literary titles like Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice continue to inspire relatively faithful remakes year after year, notable deviations from traditional genres have resulted in distinct trends among adapted screenplays:

‘The other’ perspective

The world finally seems interested in what we’re thinking and we’re welcoming the change. The screen adaptation of Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist, starring Pakistani model and singer Meesha Shafi, is the first ever mainstream Hollywood project adapted from a Pakistani novel.

Period horror

Classic literature meets supernatural horror in this growing genre. While Elizabeth Bennet is generally a plum role for A-list actor, the macabre setting of Seth Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has scared off notable female actors, resulting in years of production delays. Smith also scribed Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, whose film version is due for release next year.

Fairytales retold

Traditional fairytales with a dark, chilling twist: Amanda Seyfried plays a medieval Red Riding Hood whose icy village is threatened by a werewolf. A college student is hired to enact old men’s creepy fantasies of sleeping maidens in Sleeping Beauty; and the (currently filming) Snow White and the Huntsman, in which Kristen Stewart’s Ms White is an anti-Disney warrior princess.

OMG! Tween comedies

High school ‘dramedies’ have proved the ongoing significance of teenaged audiences since the eighties, but it’s tweens who seem to be the new teens in terms of consumer buying power. This age group, ‘in between’ childhood and adolescence, has emerged as an integral part of current popular culture, as illustrated by the success of Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and it’s film versions, as well as Megam McDonald’s Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer, with their endearing brand of coming-of-age dork humour.

Less fluffy chick flicks

Hollywood’s search for the next Bridget Jones’ Diary or The Devil Wears Prada has resulted in films like Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella’s The Undomestic Goddess is also development) and Emily Giffin’s Something Borrowed. While the typical Chick-lit heroine is a single, fun-loving, upper middle class city girl, upcoming book-to-film adaptations reflect changing standards, like the unglamorous Yorkshire waitress-teacher Emma in David Nicholls’ One Day (fans of the novel rue Anne Hathaway as an inappropriate choice) and married, mother-of-two hedge fund manager Kate in Allison Pearson’s I Don’t Know How She Does It: The Life of Kate Reddy, Working Mother (to be depicted by Sarah Jessica Parker).

Help yourself

In the tradition of guidebook-turned-movie-with-multiple-storylines-and-ensemble-casts (initiated by He’s Just Not That Into You), Heidi Murkoff’s how-to pregnancy bible, What To Expect When You’re Expecting, is in production, while John Gray’s 1992 relationship bestseller, Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, is currently being developed as a feature film.

Womance

While Hangover-type movies typify the ‘bromance’ genre (bordering-on-raunchy comedies focusing on heterosexual male friendships), Bridesmaids ushered in a new era of a ‘buddy’ films for women featuring coarse humour and a plot centering on platonic female friendships.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 9^th, 2011.

ISLAMABAD: What does cycling around the world have in common with child trafficking awareness? Not very much, except that it’s an innovative way to garner public attention towards a largely neglected cause. At least, that’s the purpose of Ride2Rescue (R2R)’s maiden mission. This group of four young Australian men, consisting of Daniel Seehusen, John Clark, Tim Holman and Aaron Turner, pledged to cycle 28,000 kilometres (km) from London to Melbourne over a 14-month period. With 8,586 km behind them as they reached Islamabad on August 31, R2R is determined to spread awareness and raise funds for the cause.

R2R claim that child trafficking is the world’s “third largest industry” after weapons and prostitution. Stories of violence, kidnapping and dengue fever in Pakistan haven’t deterred the cheery, determined group from cycling through the country. “Pakistan is a place of interest for us, as it is a nation that faces the affects of human and child trafficking,” says Clark. “Children are tricked and forced into a variety of dangerous circumstances, used for cheap labour, sexually exploited or used in more unique ways such as jockeys for camel racing.”

Proceeds raised from funds will go towards child counselling centres in various countries in Asia, Africa and South America through World Vision Australia, their major supporter. Musician Sting and his wife Trudie are among recent celebrities to endorse the cause (Seehusen worked as a caregiver to their boys in London) and in a statement on the R2R website, the couple have stated, “We are proud to be able to support the amazing Ride2Rescue London to Melbourne cycle trip. Child trafficking is a global problem and one of humanity’s most terrible crimes, and one which should be exposed and tackled as a matter of urgency.”

Instead of crossing over to Balochistan (the group was rigorously interrogated at the Iran-Balochistan border and advised not to enter) as was their original intention, the cyclists had to catch a boat from Bandar Abbas in Iran to Dubai, where they caught a flight to Islamabad — a city they smilingly describe as “a different world”. Their three days in the city have included playing sports with underprivileged children, a visit to a school in a slum area and meeting local activists.

Interestingly, the group ran into a group of Dutch cyclists along the Karakorum Highway. R2R then departed on a three-day bike ride to Lahore via the Grand Trunk Road, camping along the way. They plan to remain in the city for a few days, where they are scheduled to visit a child trafficking centre, before entering India via the Wagah border. The cyclists will continue their journey through Nepal, Tibet, China, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia, and then continue by boat from Bali to Australia for the final leg of the cycling tour ending in their native Melbourne. Seehusen, who stopped shaving from the first day of R2R’s journey, plans to get rid of his substantial beard once they reach Melbourne to mark the occasion.

Dressed in navy polo shirts with sponsors’ logos, atop worn-out Turin bicycles (25 punctures since London and counting) laden with trusty camping gear, the cyclists have attracted curious crowds while passing through local villages from Switzerland and Serbia and across the Middle East. Clark describes the unbelievable hospitality they experienced in Turkey and Iran, where civilians “invite you to their homes for food or to sleep.”

Despite this welcome, the majority of their nights have passed cheerfully under a tent, as well as in mosques, and alongside rivers. The cyclists have no idea where they are spending their next night and remain undaunted. “Most people are blown away that we’re riding so far, it’s a bit of a laugh really. They get pretty impressed,” says Clark modestly.

Ride2Rescue receives support from World Vision Australia and welcomes donors to contribute online at ride2rescue.org

Published in The Express Tribune, September 12^th,  2011.