Adil Najam

In the very early days of ATP we had carried a post by iFaqeer on the Pakistani-American theater scene that mentioned the work of a young Pakistani-American film-maker Saqib Mausoof working on a movie called Kala Pul (Black Bridge). Even as other efforts with Pakistani diaspora inputs have been discussed here – notably the movie Man Push Cart, Zarqa Nawaz’s sitcom Little Mosque on the Pararie, Shirmeen Obaid’s films – work on Kala Pul has continued and should be available for viewing soon.

I was recently sent the following promo:

KALA PUL – THE BLACK BRIDGE, Saqib Mausoof’s debut feature film, is described as a dark journey into the heart of the Karachi underworld and the conflicts inherent in escaping one’s past. It uses the thriller genre as the driving force to provide insight on Karachi set amidst extreme urban deprivation and religious militancy. Preliminary shooting took place in Karachi last December with a Oscar nominated photography team. As an immigrant engineer rather then a trained auteur, Saqib’s film credentials were limited to short documentaries, collaborative software projects and the desire to share experiences of growing up in Karachi during the ‘Kalashnikov culture’ years.

Guest Post by Raza Rumi

Each time one visits Karachi the sprawling metropolis seems more run down. Crumbling infrastructure, notwithstanding the recent improvements, and a sense of neglect are apparent to any visitor.

Nevertheless the big city buzz and the pleasant mix of cultures, languages and dialects make it a fascinating place. The immense intellectual and cultural activity in the city is impressive. This mega-polis nurtures a wide array of people, ideas and movements confirming that Karachi’s future is not all that gloomy.

Adil Najam

Just over a week ago, I had written: “The pictures coming out of Islamabad are not good. Not good at all.” Since then, they have only gotten worse.

The city that I spent so many of my formative years in is under siege from within. But more than that the capital of the country is under assault from self-righteous zealots who not only believe that they and only they can determine who is right and who is not but are bent to enforce their will on others.