InstepPoll
Bye-bye, Boom Boom

Kiran Jangda and Maheen Sabeeh
Karachi

Ali Azmat (Musician)

“Pakistan mein aur bhi bohat maslay hain (there are several other problems plaguing Pakistan). I haven’t really thought about Shahid Afridi resigning and I don’t want to, so no comment.”

Meekal Hasan (Musician)

“Mujhe tu pata hi nahi tha, mein TV nahi dekhta, lekin mujhe koi fark nahi parta ( I didn’t even know that he left the team, I don’t watch television, and it doesn’t make a difference to me).”

Faisal Rafi
(Music producer)

“The PCB is populated by a bunch of clowns. I completely agree with Shahid Afridi. The board should run the team because they don’t let the captain do it. The PCB is a disgrace. Ijaz Butt is a disgrace. How can a grown man talk the way he does. It’s very sad for Pakistan because Shahid Afridi is an honest cricketer who has never been implicated in match fixing. He’s a great player but he’s treated like sh!t.”

Uns Mufti (Musician/ Director)

“Good riddance to bad rubbish, I am not a big cricket fan to begin with and I don’t think Shahid Afridi was the best player we had.”

Bilal Khan (Musician)

“I hope to see him back soon; it won’t have much of an impact on the team though because the player is never bigger than the team.”

Zoe Viccaji (Musician)

“I don’t really watch cricket so not clued in to the situation at all.”

Feeha Jamshed (Designer)

“ I just think that in the end its was his decision, but the person who should be retiring is Ijaz Butt, retirement comes at the age of 60, not 30. Shahid Afridi was a very honest captain and that’s what we need in a captain, not some super powered person who says a lot and comes back with nothing. Yes, he is impulsive as a player but sometimes his impulsiveness benefited the team and that’s just his nature. Yeah so, I think the people who should be retiring aren’t.”

Mahira Khan Askari (Actor/ VJ)

“It’s sad that we lost a great player but at the same time it’s good because we have space for new, younger and hopefully better players.”

Junaid Khan (Musician)

It’s really sad because Shahid Afridi was the closest the team came to good leadership and his personal clashes with the board are resulting badly for the team. They should work on their issues and Shahid should come back for the sake of the team and the country.

ForeignEditorial
Leonard Cohen’s ‘oeuvre of immutable merit’ wins major Spanish literary prize
Cohen’s Prince of Asturias Award for Letters announced as Bob Dylan nominated for Neustadt International prize

Alison Flood
The Guardian

Fans have long argued that the best rock music has literary merit, but all of a sudden it’s becoming officially recognised. Leonard Cohen has just won a major Spanish literary prize, while Bob Dylan has been nominated for a $50,000 (£30,000) American books award.

The Canadian singer and poet Cohen was named winner of Spain’s Prince of Asturias Award for Letters, worth €50,000 (£45,000), yesterday, for “a body of literary work that has influenced three generations of people worldwide through his creation of emotional imagery in which poetry and music are fused in an oeuvre of immutable merit”.

Cohen beat 31 other contenders from around the world to win the prize, taken in the past by Margaret Atwood, Günter Grass, Amos Oz and Paul Auster. “Considered one of the most influential authors of our time, his poems and songs have beautifully explored the major issues of humanity in great depth,” said the jury in a statement. “The passing of time, sentimental relationships, the mystical traditions of the East and the West and life sung as an unending ballad make up a body of work associated with certain moments of decisive change at the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century.”

As Cohen said that he was “most grateful to be recognised by the countrymen of Machado and Lorca, and my friend Morente, and the incomparable companions of the Spanish guitar”, news emerged that another singer, Bob Dylan, was also in contention for a major literary award. Dylan has been nominated for the $50,000 Neustadt International Prize for Literature, previously won by Swedish poet Tomas Tranströmer, Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez, Algerian novelist Assia Djebar and Polish poet Adam Zagajews.

   





1000WordPhoto
Atif Aslam to appear on
Hi Tea with Sima Ved

If you, like us, have always wanted to watch Atif do simple things like sip on tea and play the piano while he converses about the miracle that is his life, in a suit, tune in to Hi Tea with Sima Ved airing today on Star Plus. Atif will talk to Sima Ved (who is Group Vice Chairperson of Apparel Group, if that rings any bells) about stuff we will only discover once we watch the show.

This episode of Hi Tea with Sima Ved is described as looking at “a success story written by fate, his first solo album Jal Pari was a best seller and his second solo album, Doorie broke all records and was a hit in India. Hi Tea with Sima Ved will feature Atif Aslam, a soulful man whose voice transcended borders.”

Sima Ved describes her show as “an interview-based show with a cooking segment right at the end. We’ve got celebrities from Bollywood and Lollywood coming on for each of the episodes.”

(Atif’s interview on Hi Tea with Sima Ved will air on Star Plus at 8:30 PM June 4, 2011).

StarBytes
Shahid and Priyanka: Professionally aloof

Shahid Kapoor broke up with his girlfriend who is also his costar during the shooting of his new movie. Feels like dejavu! Seems like this lover boy needs to learn not to mix business with pleasure!

Kunal Kohli signed Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapoor for his new venture as he thought that it would be beneficial for the film to cast actors who are already dating in real life as they wouldn’t have to work hard on the on screen chemistry.

This time Shahid Kapoor was professional enough to not let his personal issues affect his work; we guess he has learnt something from his mistakes. However it gets really awkward when the cameras stop rolling. A source reveals, “The relationship is over. And though Kunal Kohli had full faith in Shahid and Priyanka’s professionalism he was wondering what the aftermath of the breakup would be for his film. He needn’t have worried. The pair is absolutely professional on camera. It is off-camera that the aloofness between the two becomes easily discernible.”

The chemistry required in this movie is intense as it’s about two characters going through an emotional rollercoaster together. This passion that was supposed to come naturally has now turned into a task.

In fact, Shahid and Priyanka are not even rehearsing together. “The passion on screen seems to almost mock the lack of feeling between the two off-camera,” remarks the source.

This Just In

Rihanna does not care that the TV police wants her to take a dose of shut the hell up and not shoot rapists in her videos, ‘Man Down’ to be specific. Think of the kids, says The Parents Television Council, adding that Rihanna could have used her video to encourage rape victims to seek help, rather than revenge. Rihanna has tweeted in her defense. “I’m a 23 year old rockstar with NO KIDS! What’s up with everybody wanting me to be a parent? I’m just a girl, I can only be your/our voice!” she says. “The music industry isn’t exactly Parents R Us! We have the freedom to make art, LET US! It’s your job to make sure they don’t turn out like US.” We don’t quite know what that last line meant, but okay.

Oh god, so Rachel and Monica re supposedly on the offs, and according to people who apparently follow Courteney Cox on her daily milk run, she has been seen dining with Brad Pitt and other people and is part of some Angie Jo film. So much for sisterhood. However, a source, otherwise known as Jen Aniston’s rep reports that on May 27, Jennifer threw a small get-together for close pals, including Chelsea Handler and Courteney Cox, to introduce them to Justin Theroux. “They all had a great time and enjoyed Justin’s company,” a source tells People.

In slightly less exciting news, Salman Khan talked about Shah Rukh Khan. Shall we expect a teary reunion at Ready’s premiere? Salman does think SRK might watch the film at some point. “Asin and Bhushan Kumar will show it to him (Shah Rukh),” says Salman. “Asin has worked with me and Aamir. She’s damn good in the film. So I’m sure she would want SRK to see the film and know what he’s missing out on.” What exactly is he missing out on, in Salman’s opinion? Asin’s acting skills or Salman’s brilliant company? Meanwhile Salman is the picture of graciousness. “I wish Shah Rukh all the best for Ra.one and hope it’s a hit.”