1.
Atif Aslam
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Muhammad Atif Aslam is a Pakistani singer-songwriter and actor. His movie debut was the 2011 social drama Bol and he has recorded numerous chart-topping songs and is known for his vocal belting technique. Aslam was born into a Punjabi Muslim family in Wazirabad, Punjab and he began his education in kindergarten at Kimberley Hall School, Lahore. In 1991, he moved to Rawalpindi where he continued his studies in St. Pauls Cambridge School, Satellite Town, in 1995, Aslam returned to Lahore where he continued his studies in Divisional Public School. He attended Punjab Institute of Computer Science to do his Bachelors degree in Computer Science, Aslam played cricket and got interested in music. Even though Aslam always admired Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Abida Parveen, his first love was for cricket and he was a fast bowler and his passion for the sport saw him being selected for the national Under 19 cricket team trials. At one stage Aslam was training to represent his country in the U-19 World Cup, spurred on by his friends, he began to sing in public during his days at PICS, where he met guitarist and talented young composer, Goher Mumtaz. After performing at their college and at restaurants, they eventually formed a band named Jal – an Urdu/Hindi word which means water. Within a matter of weeks, Aadat became popular on a host of promotional Pakistani music websites and went viral online, on the basis of the popularity of this song, Jal began their tour of Pakistan. On 17 July 2004, Aslam released his first album titled Jal Pari which was an instant hit. Several songs from his album, such as, Bheegi Yaadein, Ehsaas, Mahi Ve, Ankhon Sey. He got his first breakthrough in Bollywood when director Mahesh Bhatt called Aslam to seek his consent to include Woh Lamhey in the soundtrack of his new motion picture, following Jal Pari, Aslam released two more successful solo albums, Doorie and Meri Kahani. He also recorded songs for Bollywood, that were successful too. His first international tour, performing in the US and Canada with Rhythm Dhol Bass, Aslam then made his solo debut concert in New Jersey in Summer Beats 2008 at Sovereign Bank Arena, which also featured Kailash Kher, Richa Sharma and Amanat Ali. After a sold out concert in New Jersey, Aslam returned with his band and special guests to Queens Colden Center, two years later, Aslam returned to the US. Collaborating with vocalist Shreya Ghoshal, their March 2010 tour originally had 10 shows announced in US, however, the response inspired the organizers to put shows in six more cities. The following month, Aslam made his debut in South America with a performance at Anthony Nesty Sports Hall and he continued to tour the world with headline performances at the Royal Albert Hall in London, alongside Jay Sean). He followed that with dates, across major concert venues in the UK in 2010, in September 2011, Aslam performed at New York
2.
Karachi
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Karachi is the capital of Sindh, and is the largest and most populous city in Pakistan, as well as the 7th largest in the world and the worlds second most populous city proper. Ranked as a world city, the city is Pakistans premier industrial and financial centre. Karachi is also Pakistans most cosmopolitan city, though the Karachi region has been inhabited for millennia, the city was founded as a village named Kolachi that was established as a fortified settlement in 1729. By the time of the Partition of British India, the city was the largest in Sindh with a population of 400,000. Immediately following the independence of Pakistan, the population increased dramatically with the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Muslim refugees from India. The city experienced economic growth following independence, attracting migrants from throughout Pakistan. Karachi is now Pakistans premier industrial and financial centre, the city has a formal economy estimated to be worth $113 billion as of 2014. Karachi collects over a third of Pakistans tax revenue, and generates approximately 20% of Pakistans GDP, approximately 30% of Pakistani industrial output is from Karachi, while Karachis ports handle approximately 95% of Pakistans foreign trade. Approximately 90% of the corporations operating in Pakistan are headquartered in Karachi. Up to 70% of Karachis workforce is employed in the informal economy, Karachi is one of Pakistans most secular and socially liberal cities. It is also the most linguistically, ethnically, and religiously diverse city in Pakistan, Karachi is considered to be one of the worlds fastest growing cities, and has communities representing almost every ethnic group in Pakistan. Karachi is also home to over 2 million Bangladeshi migrants,1 million Afghans, the citys murder rate in 2015 had decreased by 75% compared to 2013, and kidnappings decreased by 90%, with the improved security environment triggering sharp increases in real-estate prices. Karachi was reputedly founded in 1729 as the settlement of Kolachi, the new settlement is said to have been named in honour of Mai Kolachi, whose son is said to have slayed a man-eating crocodile in the village after his elder brothers had already been killed by it. The citys inhabitants are referred to by the demonym Karachiite in English, the earliest inhabitants of the Karachi region are believed to have been hunter-gatherers, with ancient flint tools discovered at several sites. The Karachi region is believed to have known to the ancient Greeks. The region may be the site of Krokola, where Alexander the Great once camped to prepare a fleet for Babylonia, in 711 C. E. Muhammad bin Qasim conquered the Sindh and Indus Valley. The Karachi region is believed to have known to the Arabs as Debal. Under Mirza Ghazi Beg the Mughal administrator of Sindh, development of coastal Sindh, under his rule, fortifications in the region acted as a bulwark against Portuguese incursions into Sindh
3.
Sindh
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Sindh /sɪnd/ is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, in the southeast of the country. Historically home to the Sindhi people, it is locally known as the Mehran. It was formerly known as Sind until 1956, Sindh is the third largest province of Pakistan by area, and second largest province by population after Punjab. Sindh is bordered by Balochistan province to the west, and Punjab province to the north, Sindh also borders the Indian states of Gujarat and Rajasthan to the east, and Arabian Sea to the south. Sindhs climate is noted for hot summers and mild winters, the provincial capital of Sindh is Pakistans largest city and financial hub, Karachi. Sindh has Pakistans second largest economy with Karachi being its capital hosts the headquarters of several multinational banks. Sindh is home to a portion of Pakistans industrial sector. The remainder of Sindh has an agriculture based economy, and produces fruit, food consumer items, Sindh is also the centre of Pakistans pharmaceutical industry. Sindh is known for its culture which is strongly influenced by Sufism. Several important Sufi shrines are located throughout the province which attract millions of annual devotees, Sindh also has Pakistans highest percentage of Hindu residents. Karachi and other centres of Sindh have seen ethnic tensions between the native Sindhis and the Muhajirs boil over into violence on several occasions. Sindh is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites - the Historical Monuments at Makli, and the Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro, the word Sindh is derived from the Sanskrit language and is adapted from the Sanskrit term Sindhu which literally means river hence a reference to Indus River. Spelling of its name as Sind was discontinued in 1988 by an amendment passed in Sindh Assembly. The Greeks who conquered Sindh in 325 BC under the command of Alexander the Great rendered it as Indós, the ancient Iranians referred to everything east of the river Indus as hind from the word Sindh. When the British arrived in the 17th century in India, then ruled by the Maratha Empire, they applied the Greek version of the name Sindh to all of South Asia, calling it India. The name of Pakistan is actually an acronym in which the letter s is derived from the first letter in Sindh, Sindhs first known village settlements date as far back as 7000 BCE. Permanent settlements at Mehrgarh, currently in Balochistan, to the west expanded into Sindh and this culture blossomed over several millennia and gave rise to the Indus Valley Civilization around 3000 BCE. The primitive village communities in Balochistan were still struggling against a difficult highland environment and this was one of the most developed urban civilizations of the ancient world
4.
Lux (soap)
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LUX is a global brand developed by Unilever. The range of products includes beauty soaps, shower gels, bath additives, hair shampoos, Lux started as “Sunlight Flakes” laundry soap in 1899. In 1925, it became the first mass-market toilet soap in the world and it is noted as a brand that pioneered female celebrity endorsements. As of 2009, Lux revenue was estimated at €1 billion, today, Lux is the market leader in countries like India, Pakistan, Brazil, Thailand and South Africa Developed by Unilever, Lux is now headquartered in Singapore. The brand was founded by the Lever Brothers in 1899 and now known as Unilever. The name changed from “Sunlight Flakes” to “Lux” in 1900, a Latin word for “light” and suggestive of “luxury. ”Lux toilet soap was launched in the United States in 1925 and in the United Kingdom in 1928. Subsequently, Lux soap has been marketed in several forms, including handwash, shower gel, lux’s early advertising campaigns aimed to educate users about its credentials as a laundry product and appeared in magazines such as Ladies Home Journal. By the early 1920s, it was a successful brand and in 1924. Introduced in the United States in 1924, Lux became the world’s first mass market toilet soap with the tagline “made as fine as French Soap”, in the first two years of launch, Lux concentrated on building its beauty soap credentials. Advertisements offered consumers “a beauty soap made in the French method” at an affordable price, made with fine-texture, rich in fragrance, and manufactured using a method created in France, the first Lux toilet soap was sold for 10 cents apiece. This era saw key launches of LUX in the UK, India, Argentina, the brand concentrated on building its association with the increasingly popular movie world, focusing more on movie stars and their roles rather than on the product. In 1929, advertising featured 26 of the biggest female stars of the day and this was followed by Hollywood directors talking about the importance of smooth and youthful skin. This pioneered the trend of celebrity product endorsements, in 1931, Lux launched a campaign with older stars, “I am over 31”. The series of print ads had stars talking about preserving youthful skin, while still retaining the star element, the focus shifted to the consumer and the role of the brand in her life. Advertising commercials showed ordinary looking women with direct references to leading ladies from the movies such as Deanna Durbin, in the 1960s, advertising was shifted to product stories and the romanticizing of brand through its “sensorial & emotional” dimensions. This was the era of film star feeling’ and the ‘Golden Lux’, featuring stars such as Sandra Dee, Diana Rigg. The bathing ritual, the element that has been the imagery of Lux, was created in this era. The brand also moved forward with launching LUX in the Middle East, the executions were more of ‘a day in the life’ of the stars with focus on their ‘natural beauty’
5.
Asim Raza
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Asim Raza is a Pakistani, film and television commercial director and producer. Asim began his career as an architect and worked with an architectural firm Arshad Shahid Abdullah LTD before venturing into film Production and Direction. Marking his debut in the field of making in mid 90s, he has extensively worked in all visual mediums from TV commercials to music videos, long plays. He has worked with renowned multinational as well as local brands, in 2004, Asim won the Lux Style Award for Best Music Video Director for Mahi Ve. In 2013, Asim directed a film, Behadd which earned him critical acclaim. Asim marked his Feature film debut with a coming-of-age drama Ho Mann Jahaan, Asim Raza was born on 21 August 1966 in Karachi. After finishing his education in Karachi, he joined the National College of Arts Lahore. He completed his Bachelors Degree in Architectural Engineering from Dawood College of Engineering and Technology and he received his Masters Degree in Architectural Engineering from the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London. Before his higher education, Raza practiced architecture for a couple of years and then succumbed to his calling of film making. 1994 onwards, Asim worked on commercials and videos as Producer/Director. He also directed a Magazine show for television based on advertising and marketing called The Big Idea. Between 1994 -1996 Asim continued making commercials for big brands like Coca-Cola, Sprite, Lux, Olay, Cadbury, Mobilink, Sunsilk, Pantene, Head and Shoulders, Garnier and many others. He has also worked with renowned musicians from Pakistan such as Junoon, Junaid Jamshed, Najam Sheraz, Abrar-ul-Haq, in 1997, Asim started his production company, The Vision Factory. Under this banner, he made the video of the single Sayonee for the band Junoon. It stayed at no.1 on both Channel V and MTV Asia for over eight weeks, Asim then attended various short courses, workshops and seminars including one at the New York Film Academy. On 4 May 1997, Asim filmed and directed the last concert of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, before his death on 17 August 1997, the concert was televised internationally, marking the first ever Pakistani music production which was broadcast beyond South Asia. The concert was made into live album named, Swan Song-His Final Performance, following that, Asim filmed the concert performed by Junoon at Central Park, known as A Tribute to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan – Junoon Live at Central Park. Asim also directed the 2nd Lux Style Awards ceremony in 2003, in 2008, he became an external board member on the board of studies for the communication design department at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture
6.
Lux Style Awards
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The Lux Style Awards is the largest award ceremony held annually in Pakistan since 2002. The awards celebrate style in the Pakistani entertainment industry, around 30 awards are given annually. The ceremony is the oldest and the most prominent film event dedicated to Pakistani television, fashion, the awards are voted on by both the public and a committee of experts. As one of the premier award show events, the Lux Style Awards have been dubbed Pakistans Oscars. The first awards were presented in 2002 at the Expo Centre in Karachi, since 2002 the event has expanded from a one-night event to a three-day celebration, hosting various events and activities relating to the Pakistan film industry. The following is a listing of all Lux Style Awards ceremonies since 2002
7.
Karachi Expo Center
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Karachi Expo Center is the convention center where Pakistani products are showcased internationally. The center consists of 8 halls, Pakistani military arms and equipment exhibitions are held under the theme IDEAS. My Karachi themed exhibitions are held annually at Expo Center Karachi where companies, another prominent exhibition theme in Expo Center Karachi is Dawn Lifestyle. It is sponsored by Dawn media Group ITCN Asia showcases IT and telecommunication technologies in 3 day exhibitions at Expo Center Karachi
8.
15th Lux Style Awards
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During the ceremony, LUX presented the Lux Style Awards in four segments including Film, Fashion, Television, and Music. The ceremony will be televised in Pakistan by Geo TV and produced by Bonngoe Productions for Lux Unilever Pakistan, for the first time in Lux Style Awards history, Supporting Roles and Singing categories were introduced in Film section. Voting lines were set open in twelve categories on July 4,2016 and were closed on July 26, actor Danish Taimoor, who was second in line behind Butt was replaced with his nominations. Winners are listed first in boldface, 4th Hum Awards Lux Style Awards official website
9.
Ho Mann Jahaan
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Ho Mann Jahaan is a 2016 Pakistani coming-of-age drama film, written and directed by Asim Raza at his directorial debut. The screenplay was written by Rashna Abdi, Imtisal Abbasi and Asim Raza, while dialogues were written by Yasir Hussain and Asim Raza. The film stars Mahira Khan, Sheheryar Munawar, Adeel Hussain and Sonya Jehan along with veterans Bushra Ansari, Kainat Saleem, Arshad Mahmud, Jamal Shah and Munawar Siddiqui. The film was released in the Middle East on 31 December 2015 by ARY Films, the film opened to an exorbitant box office weekend and went on to run for several weeks making it one the highest grossing films of 2016. In Dec 2016 Ho mann Jahaan was showcased at the Pakistani Film Festival in New York, Ho Mann Jahaan is a coming of age urban story set in present-day Karachi. The film revolves around three main characters – Arhan, Manizeh and Nadir, the story is about their friendship born out of shared experiences, passion for music and aspiration for fame. Sonya Jehan plays the role of Sabina, an independent character symbolizing strength. The film is a reflection of the current dichotomy that exists in our society where we talk of free will, parents impose restrictions and dictate terms, because they love their children but at times dont understand them. This is a film of many layers, connecting to both younger as well as the older generation, the film was shot using two Alexa cameras with two camera units. The films first teaser was released on March 25,2015 where the cast and crew got together for an event at the films largest. The soundtrack was released on November 1,2015. It comprises a total of ten songs by various artists, the album contains only three original tracks, written by Asim Raza, the rest of the songs were re-recorded by artists who had previously performed them. The album was produced by Faakhir and Ehtisham Malick at ET studios, the song Khush Piya was dedicated to Malika Pukhraj by Tina Sani. The film was scheduled to be released on Eid al-Azhas holiday on September 25,2015. List of Pakistani films of 2016 List of directorial debuts Ho Mann Jahaan at the Internet Movie Database Ho Mann Jahaan on Facebook
Official Poster
