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YASHMA GILL
June 21, 2022Yashma Gill considers her role in Bebaak to be her most recognizable performance yet. After playing a handful of negative roles, Yashma Gill will be experimenting with more positive characters in the future. With three projects already under her belt, the actress is taking ownership of her craft. Flip through our pages to discover the evolution of Yashma Gill in an exclusive feature. Yashma, how have you grown as an artist over the years? YASHMA GILL: With each role, I think I have learned to be more versatile in my performances. I have definitely experienced growth and become more adaptive to different roles. Which character got you the most recognition, and why? YG: Wafa from Bebaak. I had to bring many nuances in that role, and that impressed people and kept them intrigued. They enjoyed the versatility of that character. What has acting taught you? YG: Acting has taught me to be disciplined. It has also taught me confidence as performing in front of a camera crew requires a lot of confidence. And what gives you confidence? YG: Confidence comes from a lot of self-reflection. For the longest time, it would come from people and what they think of me, but over time, I have learned to own myself; my choices, my decisions and my growth as a person. That is where my confidence comes from. What makes performing scenes challenging in your view? YG: Performing can become a challenge when I am going through a bad day, especially in terms of my mental health. Over the years, I feel that your acting craft has evolved quite a bit. You have become more confident at playing characters in comparison to your older works as an artist. How true is this assessment? YG: It is the same way you mature with age. Your skills develop with time the more you work. The only condition is that you should feel the need to improve. Talk to us about your new projects. YG: These days, antagonists are mostly driving the structure of scripts, but I feel that I have played enough negative roles. I am now ready to explore a different side of my craft. I am going to be working on positive roles in the future, and have three projects in the pipeline so far. Super excited! Are you enjoying the perks of being an actor? YG: I cannot thank Allah enough for the respect, recognition and voice I have been given since working in the industry. What more do you wish would improve in your line of work? YG: There shouldn’t be a class system in acting. We have categorised actors and singers according to the class they fall in. For example, people would say, “He/she is an A-list actor! That is an A-list project!” Actors become categorised because of the smart choices they make, not because of how smartly they have performed. Actors should be recognized for their skills only. Also, if a performer has played a role brilliantly, he/she shouldn’t be cast in that particular role only. Producers should realise that, and explore more diversity in roles for actors. How challenging is it to navigate the world of show business? YG: As a public figure, you have to be very careful with everything you say and do. You have to make sure that you are a positive influence for people who follow you. With social media, you can easily be criticised and bullied, which can affect your mental health. Who has been a pillar of strength for you in the world of media and entertainment? YG: I have a tendency of picking up positive things from people I work with, so there is not a particular person I can give credit to. In fact, I have learned something from every single person I have worked with! Share your views on the evolution of Pakistani television. YG: I am really happy to see that there are very interesting storylines being made that are unique and out of the box. Producers are taking bigger risks now, which is good for our industry’s growth. INTERVIEW: HAIDER RIFAAT COORDINATION: DANISH MAQSOOD PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF YASHMA GILL PR: MINHAS SAGHIR ...Read more...
ZEB BANGASH
June 21, 2022Transcending clichés and in pursuit of her childhood passion for music, Zeb Bangash is one half Pakistan’s first ever female music duo. A mellifluous, authentic voice; over the course of her versatile and diverse career, Zebunnisa has garnered both public recognition and critical acclaim as a vocalist, and has also been recognized for her work as a songwriter and composer. Having recently been formally inducted into the tutelage of the legendary Ustad Naseeruddin Saami, Zeb is now all set to give wings to her craft and take it to the next level. Tell us about yourself – your family, your friends, your childhood, your years at school and college. ZEBUNNISA BANGASH: Our family finds its roots in Kohat, but we have long called Lahore home. As far back as I can remember, music has always been a part of my life. From being lullabied to sleep listening to the beautiful ‘Dheerey Se Aaja Ri Ankhiyan Mein’ in Lata Mangeshkar-ji’s sweet melodious voice to singing ‘Main ne pairon may payal to baandhi naheen’ before the legendary Ghulam Farid Sabri ensconced in the warm comfort of my grandmother Bajo Ami’s drawing room just days before my uncle’s wedding, my long association with music has imbibed and embedded in me the desire to train as a singer, for it would otherwise be impossible for me to sing the songs I loved. I don’t know when a hobby became a passion, and a passion became a profession but there has since been no looking back. Your father served in the army and later as a diplomat which made you spend time in various parts of Pakistan as well as across the globe – tell us about the experience and how it shaped you as a person? ZB: We are a large brood – I have one sister and three brothers. My father served as part of the Pakistan Army’s 20 Punjab Regiment till his retirement at the rank of General. He then went on to serve as Pakistan’s envoy to Turkey and Macedonia. I firmly believe each individual is the sum of his/her experiences. The kind of opportunities and exposure my father’s career, both as an army officer and later as diplomat, has made available to me and my family has shaped each of us into who we are today. We have all absorbed varied nuances of each diverse leg of the journey that we’ve shared. You made your musical debut at a time when women artists in Pakistan were far and few – what made you realise that music is what you wanted to pursue as a passion, one that went on to become a profession? ZB: As long as I can remember, I have always wanted to sing. I made my professional debut at the age of nine with a multi-song recording for PTV Quetta with Jamal Shah as my producer. And a year later, I recorded my first ever album at the EMI Studios in Karachi with music composer Arshad Mahmood. Sadly, my endeavour never saw a release. Music is my expression, what makes me thrive as a person and makes me who I am – a journey that defines my past, moulds my present and shapes my future. What in your view has and continues to shape your musical sensibilities? ZB: The glory of classical music and the technique of Khayal has and continues to shape my musical sensibilities. My now over decade long learning under the tutelage of the legendary Ustad Naseeruddin Saami has made for my evolution as a musician. As has the world around me, which continues to shape my expression and makes for it to keep evolving. What, in your view, powers your musical narrative? ZB: For me as a musician, it is my passion that powers my narrative – my desire to push the bar, to raise it and to keep giving it my all in a bid to excel. Your music draws from a myriad of sources and takes a diversity of form – as a musician, how would you define your style? ZB: At the start of my career I was likened to the great Nazia Hassan, which is such an honour. I am beyond humbled to have been recently selected to be part of a group of artists paying tribute to the legendary Lata ji. However as a musician, I am yet to define my body work as a specific style. I forever consider myself a student of music – one who continues to be overwhelmed not just by emotive and ethereal expression of the great masters but also the unmatched rigour of upcoming young talent. For me, each day is a new learning experience. For you as a musician, is working with different genres similar in terms of sensibilities or is each a different animal with a language of its own? ZB: Like every situation, each genre of music has its own sensibilities and its own rules of engagement. Obviously, you cannot sing a classical piece like a ballad or vice versa – the distinct nature of each genre commands its own respect. As a musician, I enjoy exploring and working with multiple genres to create an eclectic sound of my own. You sing in a number of languages – is that something that comes naturally to you? Are musical nuances different in each vernacular or similar? ZB: Singing in different languages is exactly like speaking in them – the feel, the fabric and the nuances of the vernacular cannot be mimicked. Thus far, I have sung in Urdu, Pushto, Darri, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Seraiki, Turkish and English. To me, each language represents a people and an identity. I feel extremely honoured to be able to lend my voice to their stories and melodies, especially those who don’t find a strong narrative, globally. Since 2008, I’ve been part of multiple seasons of Coke Studio. Each season has seen me perform in a different language – be it the Farsi classic ‘Paimona’ in 2009, the Pushto melody ‘Dilruba na Razi’ in 2016 or the soulful Kashmiri ‘Roshe’ in 2019, each have their own distinct character, feel and appeal to a different cross-section of listeners. Thus far, what has been the greatest high and the biggest challenge of your career? ZB: I first visited India in the fall of 2009 when my cousin Haniya and I landed in Mumbai. Despite no more than a single contact far removed from the industry, no plan and plenty of aspirations, we decided to make a quick trip to the fabled city of dreams. On our first night in Mumbai, we found ourselves in the hip suburban neighbourhood of Bandra. Our crumpled shalwar kameezes, heavy backpacks, and tentative steps made us feel completely out of place. But it wasn’t long before we realised that people recognized us in this exciting foreign land – our first big embrace from a world we knew little about. Hours later, we walked out with our phones filled with numbers of people from the industry and numerous invitations from new found friends. And just like that, everything changed; we had made it in Mumbai overnight – all thanks to the phenomenon called Coke Studio. A year later, we collaborated with Shantanu Moitra and Swanand Kirkire to record an album post the success of our track ‘Kya Khayal Hai.’ And four years later, during the recording of the song ‘Sooha Saaha’ for the Alia Bhatt starrer Highway, with my childhood hero A. R. Rahman. Both these amazing opportunities came our way because these iconic musicians loved my performance of ‘Paimona’. Music transcends boundaries, the very reason why, despite diplomatic differences, melodies from across the region have continued to somehow find a way to entertain listeners and garner audiences across borders As an artist you split time between Pakistan and the US – vis-à-vis your work, does this practice enable you to combine the best of both worlds? ZB: Post the outbreak of Covid, the world as we knew it, has changed forever – everything is virtual. Today, I no longer really need to catch a flight to a different city or a different country to work on a collaboration or perform before an audience – all it takes is the click of a button and a little bit of doing. I recently performed before an audience of South Asia’s artist fraternity at Asia Society’s ‘Asia Arts Game Changer Awards India 2022’ from Lahore – no visa required. Tell us about your recent performance at the Fairbreak Invitational 2022 – how did this project come about and what does it mean for you as an artist and an individual? ZB: It is an absolute honour to be invited to headline a groundbreaking event that celebrates women’s cricket. Aimed at promoting global gender equality, the Fairbreak Invitational is an ICC-approved T20 league that had six teams competing in a fortnight-long tournament with all matches having been given international status. My passion for women’s cricket began pursuing and supporting the journey of our very own girls in green who I chanced upon meeting at a luggage carousel at an airport. Seeing Sana, Bismah, Diana, Aliya and Sana Fatima championing the spirit of the game by joining some of the world’s best to bring to us what is nothing short of a celebration of women’s cricket, and all that it has achieved today and the immeasurable potential it has to grow into something bigger and better with each passing day, made my heart swell with pride. May there never be any looking back – onward and upward. Looking ahead, will we see you doing more public performances? ZB: Certainly – I love performing before an audience, the energy is simply unparalleled. I look forward to soon being back on stage before a large crowd, cultural and linguistic boundaries no bar. OST’s and soundtracks for television and the silver screen have kept you busy over the recent past – anyone in particular your favourite and why? ZB: I hold each of my songs close to my heart and find it very difficult to pick a favourite. Be the soundtrack for ‘Diyar-e-Dil’ or the more recent extremely well-received ‘Sinf-e-Ahaan’ that has been internationally acclaimed as the anthem of women empowerment, each OST has found a resonance of its own. For the moment though, I have ‘Kaash’ from Sarmad Khoosat’s ‘Kamli’ playing on loop. Had you not been a musician, what alternatively might have been your calling? dZB: If my degree in Economics and Art History from Mount Holyoke is anything to go by, possibly a banker on Wall Street which was my calling for a brief stint. However, being the person I am today, had I not found my footing as a musician, I anticipate I may have been a traveller – a wanderer, an explorer, often found sipping coffee at a side-walk cafe in some remote part of the globe, watching the world go by. Or, I may have even pursued my passion for acting, which is something I intend to do looking ahead. Five years from now, where do you see Zeb Bangash the musician? ZB: Crossing over to different parts of the world and creating music that will be remembered not just for commercial success but for the ability to make the listeners feel something. What next for Zeb Bangash? ZB: Lots of exciting new projects in the pipeline, many new collaborations in the works, both at home and abroad. It promises to be an exciting year ahead – stay tuned. INTERVIEW & COORDINATION: YUSRA ASKARI HAIR, MAKEUP & STYLING: AANA KHAN PHOTOGRAPHS: MOEEN AHMED ...Read more...
HAIR FRIZZ RUINING YOUR SUMMER FUN? HERE’S THE PERFECT HAIR ROUTINE WITH PANTENE!
June 19, 2022Summer is the perfect time to let your hair down, experiment with new looks, and be yourself! It is the season of optimism, positivity, and joy! The season where everything reaches its full potential. Then why do we dread it so? One word, FRIZZY HAIR. Pretty sure you experienced the struggles, headaches, and tears because your hair refuses to tame down! The picture-perfect selfies were deleted because your hair cannot behave. All those get-togethers turned into a fretting mess because your hair just DOES NOT want to cooperate, and your perfect summer day turns into a hair nightmare! Well… Its Not Your Hair, Its The FRIZZ. With all the breeze, festivities, and fun activities come dust, heat, and humidity. A girl’s not so best friend! Forcing you to pick ponytails and buns over all the hairstyling fun! Making you turn towards hats and summer caps instead of letting them down. How do you enjoy a frizz-free summer? How to make sure you have what your hair needs? What can be the ultimate solution? The ‘Perfect’ Anti-Frizz Routine For Summers! We know summers in Pakistan are harsh which is why we must understand our hair needs. It’s essential to make a habit of giving it special care and attention. A proper routine! To help it grow healthier, shine better, and get rid of that frizz. But no need to worry besties! Here is the perfect hair routine that will put your frizz worries at ease! Step 01: Your Hair’s Best Friend, Pantene Goodbye Summer Frizz Collection! It seems quite unlikely, but the perfect shampoo can become your hair’s best friend the trick is to find the right one! Pantene’s Goodbye Summer Frizz collection works wonders! If there is a perfect frizz solution that, is it. The 3 step range includes: Shampoo: Cleanses your hair and prepares for moisture absorption Conditioner: Deeply moisturize your hair for frizz control Oil Replacement: Locks in moisture for 72-hr fizz free hair on the go. Step 02: Get That Summer Trim! Nothing makes your hair more refreshed than a good trim! It is important to let the split ends go so your hair can regrow. Trimming makes your hair healthier and more alive. It helps them against damage, sun, and sand. Step 03: Reduce the Heating tools! Your hair is already exposed to the daily heat in the summers and the air dries quickly. Using heating tools frequently dries it further making your hair drier and its texture rougher. So, give your hair and heating tool a break and embrace the natural air! Step 04: Wide-tooth Comb over Brush! While untangling the hair with a brush tends to pull and tear your hair when brushing damaging your hair in the process. Wide-tooth combs are gentler when it comes to untangling hair especially when wet as they are more prone to breaking. Step 05: Ditch the Frizz with serums! Last but not the least, make use of Pantene’s Goodbye Summer Frizz Oil Replacement . Added hair care adds more to your protection against frizz, giving your hair the nourishment, it needs. They keep your hair soft, moisturized, shiny, and frizz-free! Make sure to follow this routine to avoid frizz worries and enjoy your summers fully! ...Read more...
BAD HAIR DAYS BRINGING YOU DOWN THIS SUMMER? 6 SHOCKING THINGS THAT CAUSE YOUR HAIR TO FRIZZ!
June 17, 2022Tired of the nest that rests on your head? Done with untangling the mess you call hair? Ever wished you could ‘Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo!’ your hair into a frizz free masterpiece? If you answered all these questions with a ‘YES’, unfortunately you my friends are going through a ‘Frizz-Hair Crisis’ and you have most likely spent most of your time worrying about how your hair looks right that second than enjoy your time out. You have even avoided taking pictures when you wanted to because… well, your hair decided to do its own thing. You have DEFINITLY tried cover your hair with that silk scarf or even that baseball hat! FRIZZ-HAIR CRISIS: Just when you are preparing for the summer, ready to explore new looks and styles you’re hit with the Frizz-Hair crisis. Your perfect summer look, straight out of your favorite Instagram posts ruined. Your expectations shattered; your summer spirits crushed. All because of the rough texture of your hair. The one that makes it look like you have straightened your hair over a hundred times and then proceeded to walk through a windstorm! And nothing seems to be calming those hair down. So, you wish, oh how you wish there was something you could do about it. Something you could do to take control of that frizz instead of it controlling you! Say No To These 6 Things: Take control of that Frizz by avoiding these 6 things and see how your hair game changes! Number 01: No To Steamy Showers! As relaxing as hot showers can be they are not good for your hair! Hot water opens the cuticles in your hair causing them to frizz! You do not have to skip out on relaxing showers, just lower that temperature a bit before you decide to wash your hair. Number 02: Say No To Wrong Products! Do not go in blind shopping for hair products! Make sure you know what your hair requires for growth, shine and its texture. All products cater to different types of hair. Know what is good for yours! Number 03: No Regular Towels! Throw that towel in the bin! If your hair is special so shall your towel! Regular terry towels remove too much moisture making you hair frizzy! Number 04: Say No To Cotton Pillowcases! Cotton Pillowcases tend to absorb more moisture. It tangles your hair as they tub against the pillow causing them to tangle. So, buy yourself some silk/satin pillowcases and avoid losing moisture! More moisture less frizz! Number 05: No Hair Touching! As tempting as twirling your hair seems, do not give in! Twirling hair breaks up your curls causing them to frizz. So, the next time you find that hand creeping towards that strand… have some self-control! Number 06: Say No To Brushing Curls! Do not, I repeat do not brush your curls when dry! Only do so when you have conditioner or some sort of hair product in your hair to detangle, so you avoid causing the frizz. ...Read more...

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