On the fate of our lakes & more

US chains see profits collapse as Israel boycott bites // They’ll never admit it, but the boycotts have had a big role to play in the drop in sales. Similar news was covered by western news outlets, but barely gave one line to BDS as a factor. In any case, boycotts work. Keep at it 🇵🇸

Family By Choice // If Reply 1988 and Twenty-Five Twenty-One had a lovechild, this would be it. Themes of overcoming childhood trauma, adopted families, finding home among friends, and lots of rooftop hangouts that are equally gorgeous and full of feels.

Shrinking // This raw and heartwarming look at a therapy practice is back for its second season. Characters continue to deal with grief and healing through imperfect choices and hilarious, unfiltered honesty. The dialogues in this are just so refreshingly human and unforced. Love itt.

It’s What’s Inside // This is one of those party movies where everyone hates each other and things start to go horribly wrong. The plot veers between fun and straight up mind-bending, but it's the visuals and the way it's shot that does it for me.

AWARDS SEASON by Bon Iver // Bon Iver is back after five years. That’s all you need to know.

Ecosystem collapse awaiting Keenjhar Lake // A floating solar project approved by the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) fails to consider the 42 villages that depend on the lake for livelihood, the disruption of bird migration patterns, and loss of aquatic life. One more in a long list of ongoing and in-the-making ecological disasters. As a cherry on top, it’s packaged as being for the good of the community.

Meta engineer fired for fixing flagging of Gaza images // Meta is out all guns blazing against support for Palestine. Targeting users wasn’t enough, it’s now going after its employees for simply doing their job. The images were being categorized as ‘pornographic’. Their content detection is broken, but they’d rather keep it that way than humanize Palestinians.

Lahore AQI reaches unprecedented levels // I don’t think we’re grasping what ‘over 70 times’ the WHO standard for air quality really means. So I asked AI to draw some parallels, and I believe it 100%. when it says: it’s like smoking roughly 30 cigarettes a day; like standing next to the exhaust pipe of a car running idle for 6-8 hours a day; like working deep in a coal or silica mine without adequate ventilation. On its worst days, Lahore is reaching similar levels of particulate matter and toxic pollutants as that of London’s Great Smog of 1952, which caused 1000s of deaths in five days. The Punjab government has implemented what they’re calling a ‘green lockdown’ like it’s no big deal. When it should actually be called the BLAZING RED lockdown.

Critical Dialogue on Blasphemy Politics @ Kitabghar // Alliance Against Blasphemy Politics is hosting a documentary screening and roundtable discussion to engage, understand, and reflect on a critical social justice crisis.

This week’s picks by Mehar Khursheed.

The Substance // Everyone today needs to watch this movie. The way this movie approaches the concept of beauty, youth & love. It’s horror at an existential level that will not leave you for days to come.

Cafe Clifton // This is because Cafe Clifton saved my life during the pandemic. Their aloo paratha & chai was all I wanted every single day during lockdown.

Hobnob’s Citrus Drop Cookies // You know you want things to taste lemony but they just taste yellow? This tastes proper lemony and buttery. Like a mini tart but with icing instead of filling.

Tirtir Milk Toner // I’ve never believed in toners but this has converted me. It’s made my skin so even & soft. Korean skincare ko kaam aata hai actually mein.

5 Mailay Aur Unkay Thailay // These guys are back with their Safai Drives in Islamabad after a long hiatus. They’re kicking it off on Sunday in F-11 Markaz.

The Table - a project space // Honestly, I’m a little unsure of how exactly to describe what this is. But that’s a good thing! Because it can take many shapes and forms, with a gathering of community at its core. That reminds me a lot of Din Dhalay, and it’s why this is in the list.

This first newsletter was a little rushed. Had a few busy days and just didn’t find time to finish up some of the visual design stuff. But I didn’t want to delay it to another week so thought I’d just send it. I think I’ve ironed things out, but if you see any typos, something that’s broken, something looks odd, please do reply to this and let me know! I’d love feedback to improve this in the coming weeks.

The sections in this edition aren’t static. They’ll keep changing based on what I feel like sharing that week. Like, for example, I didn’t include the Backstage section this time where I’d talk about things I’m working on. Might remove something and replace with it next time.

So until the next one, shab 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.