Desi Girl: The essence of Karachi captured in everyday stories



I'm in Karachi attending a filmmaking workshop organised by the Scottish Documentary Institute (SDI), the British Council in Karachi and the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology in Karachi. The seven-day workshop is the latest in a series organised by the SDI all over the world. After Tripoli Stories, Rabat Stories and Dhaka Stories, Karachi Stories aims to capture the soul of yet another city through a series of short documentaries by local filmmakers and storytellers.

“What person or place do you think best describes the essence of Karachi?” one of our instructors asked us at the start of the workshop. As I prepared to jot down my answer, I was suddenly at a loss for words. How do I distil the essence of this city into a single person, place or event? How do I do it in a three-minute film?

To most outsiders – the eventual audience of these films – Karachi is a hotbed of terror and violence, the centre of a state in constant turmoil. It’s where people get robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight while a corrupt police force stands by, where a shortage of utilities is the norm and where you breathe in more smog than oxygen. Are three minutes enough to paint a different picture?

As our group bounced around ideas, a picture emerged of a city that we were proud of and besotted by.

Due to various constraints, Karachi Stories is limited to four documentaries, so only four ideas were selected to be made into films. Here are the rest:

 A man’s relentless journey to bring a small change via the country’s only Hindu newspaper. His one-man show at times runs out of money, but never out of spirit.

 The “dream-sellers” at Karachi’s weekend spots (beach, zoo, markets) who, for a small sum, will take your picture and, while you wait, transport you (on paper) to your dream destination – anywhere in the world.

 The Muslim family that has, for generations, been taking care of the last Jewish cemetery in Karachi – where there have been no burials since the late 1980s.

 The woman who sells subsidised meals to people who can’t afford to buy food, but are too proud to beg.

 The workers of the ship-breaking yards who risk their lives to earn a livelihood – manually dismantling ships and using the discarded parts to build their homes.

 The elderly caretaker of the ancient burial site of Chawkandi, who has been the site’s sole and last line of defence against vandals for at least 35 years.

 The man who runs a fleet of rickety wooden boats that take holidaymakers out to sea for a leisurely few hours and who the coastal security wants to shut down because his operation is deemed a safety hazard.

 The young creative who works as a graphic designer by day, moonlights as a tattoo artist and whose clientele is mainly young women.

 The group of 30-somethings who are quite possibly the worst cricket team in Karachi but continue to play, not for victory, but for the love of the sport and with unwavering spirit – a metaphor for this crazy city.

If it catches your fancy, visit www.scottishdocinstitute.com to follow the project.

The writer is an honest-to-goodness desi living in Dubai

FIXTURES

All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT)

Tuesday
Mairobr v Liverpool
Spartak Moscow v Sevilla
Feyenoord v Shakhtar Donetsk
Manchester City v Napoli
Monaco v Besiktas
RB Leipzig v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid v Tottenham Hotspur

Wednesday
Benfica v Manchester United
CSKA Moscow v Basel
Bayern Munich v Celtic
Anderlecht v Paris Saint-Germain
Qarabag v Atletico Madrid
Chelsea v Roma
Barcelona v Olympiakos
Juventus v Sporting Lisbon

((Disclaimer))

The Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG (“Bank”) assumes no liability or guarantee for the accuracy, balance, or completeness of the information in this publication. The content may change at any time due to given circumstances, and the Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG is under no obligation to update information once it has been published. This publication is intended for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer, a recommendation or an invitation by, or on behalf of, Liechtensteinische Landesbank (DIFC Branch), Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG, or any of its group affiliates to make any investments or obtain services. This publication has not been reviewed, disapproved or approved by the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) Central Bank, Dubai Financial Services Authority (“DFSA”) or any other relevant licensing authorities in the UAE. It may not be relied upon by or distributed to retail clients. Liechtensteinische Landesbank (DIFC Branch) is regulated by the DFSA and this advertorial is intended for Professional Clients (as defined by the DFSA) who have sufficient financial experience and understanding of financial markets, products or transactions and any associated risks.

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Power: 154bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option 

Price: From Dh79,600

On sale: Now

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

TO A LAND UNKNOWN

Director: Mahdi Fleifel

Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa

Rating: 4.5/5

New Zealand 57-0 South Africa

Tries: Rieko Ioane, Nehe Milner-Skudder (2), Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Ofa Tu'ungfasi, Lima Sopoaga, Codie Taylor. Conversions: Beauden Barrett (7). Penalty: Beauden Barrett

%E2%80%98White%20Elephant%E2%80%99
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jesse%20V%20Johnson%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Michael%20Rooker%2C%20Bruce%20Willis%2C%20John%20Malkovich%2C%20Olga%20Kurylenko%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm

Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Price: from Dh155,000

On sale: now

FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Newcastle United 2 (Willems 25', Shelvey 88')

Manchester City 2 (Sterling 22', De Bruyne 82')

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

Profile of Whizkey

Date founded: 04 November 2017

Founders: Abdulaziz AlBlooshi and Harsh Hirani

Based: Dubai, UAE

Number of employees: 10

Sector: AI, software

Cashflow: Dh2.5 Million  

Funding stage: Series A

The specs

Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors

Transmission: two-speed

Power: 671hp

Torque: 849Nm

Range: 456km

Price: from Dh437,900 

On sale: now

The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

Company profile: buybackbazaar.com

Name: buybackbazaar.com

Started: January 2018

Founder(s): Pishu Ganglani and Ricky Husaini

Based: Dubai

Sector: FinTech, micro finance

Initial investment: $1 million