Improv-ing up a storm
Aisa Kerogey Tou Kon Ayega are set to make you laugh with mad street smart humour

Amina Baig
Karachi

Aisa Karo Gay Tu Kon Ayega

Remember all the days you spent laughing endlessly at school, because there would always be this bunch of dudes who had a knack for cracking people up with their hilarious take on anything and everything? Sometimes all it would take was a look to set the laughing fits off. Now imagine being able to watch those guys onstage weekend after weekend, doing nothing but make you laugh.

If this sounds to you like a scenario you could get used to, the Aisa Kerogey Tou Kon Ayega (AKTKA) Urdu improv troupe has exactly what you need. Founded by Azfar Ali, who himself had delivered side-splitting commentary on life and weirdness with his cohort Mani on radio for the longest time, AKTKA is a remedy of sorts.

Watch out for Sheep!
The Karachi store opens its doors for the first time for a new take on retail wear in Pakistan

Manal Faheem Khan

Instep

When one hears the word ‘Sheep’, the last thing that would come to mind would be a very large, eye-catching shop on main Zamzama. Also, when trying to deduce from the name itself as to what you might find inside, there aren’t many things one would be able to come up with. Therefore, one feels compelled to step inside and take a look around.

When the car neared the entrance of the shop, the lane was packed with cars and people, with valet parking drivers trying to manage the traffic: clearly, the launch of this new brand had attracted the attention of many people.

Darkly dreaming ‘Mona’
with Sohail Javed and Mauj

By Amar Ayaz

Meesha Shafi

Video: Mona
Artist: Mauj
Album: Now In Technicolor
Director: Sohail Javed

The release of Mauj’s ‘Mona’ video; the vibrant song, with a deeper meaning, was well planned, as it was released just before their debut album Now In Technicolor. Behind the soulful solos and funky riffs, underneath the foundation of bass and drums, certain tracks on the album comprise of an intellect within Mauj. Similarly, ‘Mona’ has the same effect as it is not entirely a song about love, but a darker side of the human psyche, which is clearly evident in the video.

‘Mona’, directed by Sohail Javed, is undoubtedly a fine piece of work by a man who can only be described as a workaholic. Sohail Javed averages about two videos a month, which encompasses the entire production process. Add some quality to the pace and it is easy to see why he is amongst a group of sought after video directors in the music and film industry.

EP to be part of Coke Studio 3, tweets Fawad

EP Fawad

Twitter is now officially a little cooler, as far as Pakistani celebs who tweet go. Fawad Afzal Khan (@Fawadk007), frontman for the band Entity Paradigm (EP) joined Twitter a few months back but seemingly has only just now become more active on it. And the tweets he has been leaving for fans are nothing short of superbly exciting!

“Get ready.. Something big is coming up soon! Until then please keep waiting,” Fawad tweeted a while back, piquing the curiosity of fans. This message was followed up by “Okay… This news is only for my Tweeps. I wont post this on FB until later.. But EP will be featuring in the 3rd season of Coke Studios!”

The band has an official presence on Facebook as well, and the response they have from fans is simply tremendous – and a little surprising.

Strings

Strings duo Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood are currently going through the major cities of Pakistan as part of a concert tour. Having played a Valentine’s Day show for the Isloo crowd, Strings made their way to LUMS in Lahore on February 17, and sent an already keyed-up audience into absolute adrenaline-rushed mode.
While it is always fabulous to hear Strings sing – this particular performance was made even better by the fact that Bilal and Faisal sang a medley of pop songs by various Pakistani artists of yore.
If you love Strings, then just imagine them singing Nazia Hasan’s ‘Disco Dewane’ – and imagine how you would dance! And dance did the audience – one girl in particular, a student at LUMS, who was chosen by the band to come out of the audience and share stage space with them! The exhilarated girl could be seen saying, “Oh my god!” throughout her time on stage and this probably made the concert even more fun for the people there, to see one of their in the spotlight.
The medley had other musical gems as well: Reshma, Alamgir, Vital Signs, Junoon and Ali Azmat songs were part of the repertoire and had the crowd swaying, singing and dancing along.
Strings humbly admitted that these artists were the ones responsible for paving the way for future musical acts such as themselves and to see such humility from people so successful is always awe-inspiring; especially since Strings already paid homage to Pakistani greats in the ‘Titliyan’ video.
The night ended with the Jupiters’ ‘Yaaro Yehi Dosti Hai’ – classic Pakistani friendship anthem – which was the perfect song to play for an audience full of students.

Flaming orange on the border
Between love and hate, there’s fashion.
Will politics learn from it?

Aamna Haider Isani
Outlook India

Fashion & Article

Almost every Indo-Pak cultural relationship walks the thin line between love and hate. Indian films are adored, but all hell breaks loose if one takes an anti-Pakistan slant. Cricket matches between the two  generate huge excitement, but a defeat leads to torn-down billboards and burnt effigies. Cricketing ties turn sour when the ipl decides to keep out Pakistani players-and love for Shahrukh Khan soars to an all-time high here when he defends Pakistani cricketers on TV.

“On a serious front, it should still be one collective fashion week rather than the very many that we are going to have this year.”– Ammar Belal

Fashion Week

Instep Today: What’s your collection for the upcoming PFDC Fashion week about?

Ammar Belal: My inspiration is the King of Pop Michael Jackson and traces his life and legacy. We start from ‘Thriller’ which was very ’80s and ‘Bad’ which is very punk metal. I have picked 11 of his most iconic songs and videos and structured my show chronologically. In every video he wears a very specific look that had made a profound style statement like the white glove and the red jacket. So the first half of the show is punk rock and the second half has pieces with work on them. All pieces are very theatrical and dramatic.