On the conspiracy by whales & more

Permanent Guest // Sana Jafri’s short film has been selected for TIFF this year. I’ve been following the work of most of the cast and crew behind it since pre-Joyland days, and it’s such a sweet feeling to see them carve their individual journeys to do bigger things.

Also since Nadia Afgan is in it, here's a fun fact: I ran into her at the Karachi airport a few months ago and tried to act all nonchalant. I had entered my carry-liddul-notebook-everywhere era so I pretended to write in it as she walked by AND SHE NOTICED. She was like EXCUSE ME, I looked up and she said I rarely see anyone write in notebooks anymore so just wanted to appreciate that. I said ‘oh. haha. thank you!’ like I was totally not trying to get noticed. Anyway, here’s to Permanent Guest!

Bridegroom by Ali Sethi // I haven't had the time to listen to the full album yet (yes I’ve become one of those), but this song has all the flair of OG Ali Sethi era before he went all jazz and blues or whatever it’s called.

Shilpa Rao covering Mehdi Hasan // MORE MUSIC.

Seeds of the cosmos // Pakistani-origin wheat seeds were sent to the International Space Station earlier this month as the country’s first payload sent to space. The proposal by Mahhad Nayyar was one of the only 4 that were accepted, particularly because of its cultural and dietary significance.

Another attempt to break the siege of Gaza // The Global Samud Flotilla is a coalition of the Freedom Flotilla, the Samud Convoy, and several other organizations. The joint effort means this time it’s dozens of small and mid-sized boats sailing to Gaza with delegations of 44 countries on board, instead of just one boat. They still may or may not reach, but what’s important is that the free world keeps pushing.

Protests erupt in Delhi over Indian court order that violates animal rights // India’s Supreme Court ordered all stray dogs to be taken off the streets in Delhi and confined to shelters, in response to a rabies crisis. The order was met with protests at India Gate, terming the order cruel, dangerous, and impractical. The court has also criminalized any opposition to the verdict.

Documentary screening by AABP // No bigger voice tangibly pushing for dialog on weaponization of blasphemy and its politics than Arafat Mazhar & Alliance Against Blasphemy Politics. The sequel to their last year’s animated documentary ‘Inevitable Misuse of Pakistan's Blasphemy Laws’ is having a screening at Kitab Ghar in Karachi on the 17th.

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Brunch picnics by Maham // Maham is probably the only baker slash chef I follow. There's so much heart and calm in the recipes she shares. And now she’s started these gorgeous brunch picnics to give a communal element to her food.

Blue whales have stopped singing // I think it’s because they don't want the billionaires to know they're coming after them next.

Chayn and Digital Rights Foundation are doing a research on what ‘intimacy’ means to better understand the concept of personal or private for Pakistanis. If you’d like to participate, reach out to them.

Until the next one, shaam bakhair 🌅🤍

If you want to talk about my work, bounce some ideas, or just have a casual chat fangirling over a film, feel free to schedule a jam session with me here.