RAZIA BHATTI (journalist)
Her untimely and sudden death in 1996 ended an almost 30-years long journalistic career and left bereft all those whome she had inspired and trained and groomed on the job and by example. Razia Ronderay, the dimunitive gold medallist in English literature and language from Karachi University joined The Illustrated Weekly of Pakistan in 1967. She was part of the team that converted it into a monthly in 1970 and re-named Herald. Razia's stint as editor, which begab in 1975, coincided with the most repressive period in Pakistan's history. Her independent stance was predictably unpopular with the military authorities; Gen. Zia once got so would not tolerate such journalism. Undeterred by pressure, from either the authorities or the publishers, Razia resigned rather than compromising her editorial independence. Most of the editirial team walked out with her -- and started a bold new venture. Newsline, born in 1989, was the first magazine in Pakistan's history run by a journalists' cooperative with complete
editorial freedom. The motto: "to seek the truth, to spotlight injusyice and to fight for redressal." Its very first year, it won the Asia-Pacific Award for Editorial Excellence. In 1994, Razia was awarded the Courage in Jourlalist award by the Washington-based International Women's Media Foundation. Modest and unassuming, she considered the media attention as too much fuss. Which is what she would have said of all the tributes pouring in after her passing away and of this note.
ROSHAN ARA BEGUM (classical singer)
Roshan Ara Begum was one of the most outstanding disciple of the legendary Abdul Karim Khan of the Kirana Gharana. After singing a few ghazals and geets for the films she devoted her entire life to classical music even when it was not that popular in Pakistan. She too shifted to Pakistan at the height of her career knowing that the conditions were not that conducive for her. Considered to be one of the most accomplished singer of the kheyal at that time, impeccable in her control of the taal and the delineation of the raag. Her taan too was very fast and unerring and in the old tradition relished to perform on stage in competition with the leading singers of her time. Her voice was extremely crafted and the correct intonation of the sur in relation to the raag was the result of great perseverance that she had to endure during her long training. Even when she lived in the far way Lalamusa with very limited opportunities to display her immense talent she was a soure of great inspiration as she refused to
compromise on quality in return for acceptance and popularity. She was a supreme craftsman and was admired by the aficionados of classical music who called her (Mulkai Mauseeqi) the Quin of Music.
ROOHI BANO (TV star)
Television had not found a great actrees till Roohi Bano appeared on the mini screen. Her performances in Darwaza, Zard Gulab and certain other long plays were absolutely outstanding and set her apart from the other performers. Roohi Bano was able to capture the average woman of our society -- repressed with energy that does not find an commensurate outlet, she has to live the vital part of her life under cover. The characters that she excrlled in were of women, very talented and exceptional but inhibited not by external circumstances but by the internalisation of values which have been in operation through centuries. The lost look, the strutting syllables and the unsure step epitomised the great crises that went on, betraying the desire to free from these shackles and flower in a world of her own. This has often been the woman's world sheltered from outstand either within the four walls or within oneself. She could never express herself in films because there the stereotypes cannot capture the sensitivity
and subtlety that she was so capable of representing.
|
