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 Interview with Anushay, Faizan, Dino & Mani [Dawn]

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T O P I C    R E V I E W
ghoom Posted - 05 December 2004 : 01:52:42 AM
The young turks

By Omar R. Quraishi

They are young, they are energetic, they are brash, they are blunt and a bit controversial - but perhaps most crucially they have a massive fan following, people who can identify with them, like what they do and keep up with their acts and shows on television. And it's not just students or people in their teens but young working professionals in their 20s, 30s and 40s who watch and follow their programmes quite closely.

For most of their fans, Anushay, Mani, Dino and Faizan have always been associated with the channel that more or less pioneered music on television - Indus Music or IM as it has come to be called by its ardent followers.

However, that relationship that all four had with IM is no longer there. Three - Anushay, Faizan and Dino - have left altogether while the shows of Mani are no longer being aired on the music channel (though he is at pains to say that he has no issue with IM).

Images caught up three of them this week (Dino was supposed to come but couldn't make it) to ask them just what had caused them to leave a channel that they had been associated with for quite some time. Their interviews, taken together at a cafe in Karachi's Zamzama area, touched on various other topics as well, notably the recent closure of Mani and Azfar's radio show on FM 96.

It seems that at least Anushay, Dino and Faizan left IM because they thought they could do better elsewhere and because they felt that it "was time to move on".

Both Faizan and Anushay say: "All of us had been receiving offers from various other channels for over a year before we left Indus in November. It was a difficult decision but one that had to be made. People like Nausheen Masud left and after that there were a series of bosses at IM who took charge and left after short periods. The situation became one where we, who had been around for some time and were relatively experienced, were in an organization run mostly by new people."

As for herself, Anushay says that she actually cried on the last day that she was at IM. Initially in the interview, asked whether her and her colleagues' departure from IM could be characterized as "acrimonious" she seemed to agree. However, later she said that there was no bad blood between them or Ghazanfar Ali who heads the Indus TV network.

Faizan said that the problem stemmed from the fact that the IM management wanted him to sign a contract. He said that he had joined the channel when the management invited him on a verbal request. When asked whether wouldn't a system of contracts be good and bring professionalism to an industry in which artistes often worked on an ad-hoc basis and on the whims of the owners, Faizan said that everyone knew how professional the industry was. Besides, he said and seconded by Anushay, signing a contract would basically cage the creativity of an artist by confining them.

As for Mani (real name Salman Saquib), his reasons, in his own words, were slightly different. "I was always working for them (Indus) as a freelancer. My philosophy is that I want to work on my own terms and wherever I want to and I don't want to be tied down. I never really had or have any issue with Indus. In fact, I think what I am today is only because of Ghazanfar, who made me what I am. I got my confidence because of the confidence he had in me because you know when I joined the channel, I was initially a writer. And he came to me and said that I should do this road show Streets (which ran for fours years and made Mani a sort of household name in urban Pakistan, specially among young people) and I was like I have no experience or idea of how to go about it."

On his massively popular radio show on FM 96 with his friend director Asfar, Mani said that the programme was off air for the time being. "I don't know why it happened. Some people in the senior management have told me that it was closed by PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority) but we have no official confirmation of that from PEMRA itself. We are trying to find out. "

Asked why he thought it was taken off air, Mani says: "It was the one show on FM today where we openly talked about corruption, about how pervasive it is in our society and where we talked about issues that concern people. It seems that in the print media one can criticize the government and talk about issues like corruption but one cannot do it on air. There seems to be some element of control over that, at least on the radio airwaves. For our radio show, every night we were getting between 40,000-50,000 calls (obviously a fraction were taken) and it was a hit with everyone in Karachi, specially young people who would call in and give their views on society. But it seems someone didn't like it. I find it quite odd that an ordinary person cannot call a show and criticize the government or talk about corruption."

He also credits the show with popularizing his version of Karachi's street-talk. His catch phrases, initially beamed via his TV show Sub Set Hai, like 'maza aa raha hai' and now words like 'token' are increasingly being co-opted by Karachi's younger generation.

"We need to have our own street language which is different from Mumbai. But yes, I do watch Indian movies, specially those on Mumbai's underworld and street life. In fact, early next year, I plan to go to India to do an Indian version of my show Streets. It should happen in February 2005, but I can't tell you now on which channel it will be aired."

As for now, both Anushay (whose mother was a model when she was young and living in the former East Pakistan) and Faizan said that they will weigh their offers. "Aag TV sounds good and I am in negotiations with them and let's see how it goes," she said. Faizan said that he was busy doing voice-overs and writing scripts for commercial documentaries and wouldn't mind hosting a radio show as well. Asked about whether he had initially any stage fright in front of the camera, he replied: "No. When I am in front of the camera I look at it as if I'm looking down on it. That way there is no question of me being intimidated by it."

Anushay was also asked about a couple of rumours - one linking her to Ali Noor to which she said: "There is nothing to it and in any case it is a thing of the past" and another to Dino, to which she burst out laughing and said: "Well, I don't know quite how to describe my relationship with him but it's not at all what this rumour might suggest." Faizan said that he was already going out with someone while Mani said "there were many girls" and that he had found one.

Mani's TV show, Sub Set Hai, which used to come on Indus, now comes on Geo. He says that he can see himself going back to IM, since he doesn't have too many issues with them and since he considers Ghazanfar a huge factor behind his success, but in the meantime he is quite busy with many other things. Asked if he ever encountered a problem while filming Streets, which involves a camera following him as he goes about talking to people on the street, he said only recently police posted outside the US Consulate in Karachi detained him for a bit. "They took me to their chowki but then they made me sit and at least gave me tea."

As for his personal demeanour in front of the camera, he attributes it to what he called his being "dheet" (stubborn doesn't quite convey the true meaning) ever since he was young because that way he doesn't get flustered too easily.

Too bad Dino (who is also doing a show on FM 96) wasn't able to make it, because other than to ask him about his plans after IM, one would have liked to know his response to those who say that his recently released song is basically a straight copy of Two Princes by the Spin Doctors.

link : http://www.dawn.com/weekly/images/images3.htm
6   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
Famuk Posted - 09 December 2004 : 2:32:35 PM
These guys couldnae just have been kicked outta IM, you gotta clap with too hands remember..?
gomzee Posted - 09 December 2004 : 06:37:29 AM
thnx ghoom 4 da info
but sum ppl sed dat dey were kicked out frm IM leken yahan toh story hi different hai ^o)
shanal Posted - 07 December 2004 : 10:13:25 PM
Maira u think Anoushey looks nice?
usman_rasheed_18 Posted - 06 December 2004 : 12:30:38 PM
yea i read it too yesterday on dawn's Images.............too bad dino couldnt make it for the interview,baicharay ka song bhi IM walon ne band kardia.
mariyah Posted - 05 December 2004 : 10:44:36 AM
Anushay was also asked about a couple of rumours - one linking her to Ali Noor to which she said: "There is nothing to it and in any case it is a thing of the past"
ahem ahem....."a thing of the past"....that shows there is/was smth....which i think still is..shes obviously not gonna say it 'khulley aam' in the newspaper coz itll effect both their careers

welll lets see...i feel bad fer the indus ppl....'Aag Tv' kii too eid hoo gai....they get expirenced vjs jus fer nuthin!!
mairajunejo Posted - 05 December 2004 : 09:23:42 AM
I read It. Anoushey Ka Photo Set Hai i Must say!
Shez Lookin Soo Gud !

Mani Ka Bhi Lush Hai
Faizan ka Acha nhai hai!

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