Turbulent politics, unprecedented inflation and security concerns have led to cancellation and postponement of a number of showbiz and cultural events. Deemed, as Pakistan’s ‘Oscars’ LUX Style Awards the biggest style and fashion-based event is the latest one to be cancelled.
Telenor’s Masty Express concert featuring pop star Ali Zafar and local artistes was scheduled to be held on Thursday (yesterday) at Alhamra Cultural Complex but was postponed due to security concerns. The local authorities had reportedly advised the organisers to postpone it due to security conditions in the city.
The LUX Style Awards for excellence in cinema, TV, music and fashion being held since 2002 every year aim at honouring outstanding contribution with around 30 awards. The awards have been held at different venues including Dubai. Last year’s awards ceremony was held in Malaysia. There were reports earlier this year that the event would this year be held in Bangkok. It was announced later in briefing at Karachi that the event would be held in Lahore - the country’s cultural capital - this summer.
A Unilever spokesperson said that it was not appropriate to go ahead with the awards this year as millions of Pakistanis were confronted with unprecedented inflation and the country was facing tough economic and security conditions. “The LUX Style Awards are for us a way to contribute to the society in which we operate. Despite the set back of not being able to go ahead with the annual ceremony in the manner that has come to be expected of the LUX Style Awards, we have every intention of honouring the nominees and going ahead with the LSA scholarship scheme that we started this year,” the spokesperson explained.
The LUX Style Awards had announced a scholarship scheme this year to give annual scholarships to students of the National College of Arts (TV and Film Department), National Academy of Performing Arts (Music department) and to the two fashion schools - Pakistan School of Fashion Design in Lahore and Asian Institute of Fashion Design in Karachi.
This year there would be no awards ceremony. The award winners shall be announced and honoured in a modest manner. This year director Shoaib Mansoor’s ‘Khuda Kay Liyae’ scooped up all the film awards nominations. Albums from Jal, Ali Azmat, Atif Aslam, Abrar ul Haq and Rozen were all nominated in the Best Music Album category. Uns Mufti’s Broken Boundaries for Coven, Bilal Lashari’s Dhamaal for Overload, Ahsan Rahim’s Sajania by Ali Zafar, Bilal Lashari’s Sajni for Jal and Soheb Akhtar’s Ujaloan Mein for Mizraab were the top five nominations in the Best Music Video category.
A new category was introduced for the Awards this year and the best single of the year nominees were ‘Aisi Taisi’ by Azal, ‘Bandeya’ by Khawar/Faiza from ‘Khuda Kay Liyae’, ‘Laree Chootee’ by Call, ‘Roya Re’ by Shiraz Uppal and ‘Sajni’ by Jal. The fourth music category of Best Live Act was dominated by Josh, Mauj, Meekal Hassan Band, Overload and Strings.
The Masty Express Concert series was a grand event to be held in 13 cities. The first three concerts were held in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sargodha. About 3,000 music lovers were expected to attend the concert at Alhamra Cultural Complex in Lahore. The next shows are to be held in Faisalabad and Multan. New date for show in Lahore would be announced later. The number of fashion shows and other showbiz events have decreased in the city. The main factor quoted by organisers are security concerns. Also the multinational companies that usually sponsor such events are shying away from publicity associated with them due to price hike and outcry of people against it. The government is oblivious to the situation and has no plan to salvage the entertainment industry.
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