KARACHI: Dancing and chanting in Swahili at a crocodile shrine outside Karachi, hundreds of Pakistani Sheedis swayed barefoot to the rhythm of a language they no longer speak -- the celebration offering a rare chance to connect with their African roots.
For many Sheedis, the swampy crocodile shrine to Sufi saint Haji Syed Shaikh Sultan -- more popularly known as Mangho Pir -- is the most potent symbol of their shared African past, as they struggle to uncover the trail that led their ancestors to Pakistan.
Many, like 75-year-old Mohammad Akbar, have simply given up the search for their family's origins.
The descendants of Africans who have been arriving on the shores of the subcontinent for centuries, the Sheedis rose to lofty positions as generals and leaders during the Mughal Empire, which ruled swathes of South Asia.
But, actively discriminated against during British rule, their traditions began to fade, and they found themselves wholly shunned when Pakistan was created in 1947, absent from the country's elite political and military circles.
Figures are scant but it is generally accepted that Pakistan holds the highest number of Sheedis on the subcontinent, upwards of around 50,000 people.
But their history has been scantily written, making it difficult if not impossible for Sheedis -- including even those like Akbar whose ancestors arrived in Pakistan relatively recently -- to trace their antecedents.
"I came to know in the 1960s that my grandfather belonged to Zanzibar, and we contacted the Tanzania embassy to find our extended family," Akbar told AFP outside his home in Karachi.
"We were told that we can never reach them until we can identify our tribe, which we don't know," he said. "I never tried again."
His plight is common, with little in the way of documentation or scholarship on the community.
What is available suggests many arrived as part of the African slave trade to the east -- a notion rejected by many Sheedis, most of whom now reside in southern Sindh province.
"We don't subscribe to the theories that someone brought us as slaves to this region because Sheedis as a nation have never been slaves," argues Yaqoob Qanbarani, the chairman of Pakistan Sheedi Ittehad, a community group.
Others say the community's origins can be traced back to the genesis of Islam, claiming a shared lineage with Bilal -- one of Prophet Mohammad's closest companions.
As the knowledge of their origins has faded, so too have many of their traditions, including the vestiges of Swahili once spoken in parts of Karachi.
"Swahili has been an abandoned language for some generations now," says Ghulam Akbar Sheedi, a 75-year-old community leader.
"I remember that my grandmother would extensively use Swahili phrases in our daily conversation," says 50-year-old Atta Mohammad, who now struggles to remember even a few sayings.
With so many traditions lost to the past, the Sheedi mela, or festival, at the Mangho Pir shrine has assumed rich significance and been the epicentre of the community in Sindh for centuries.
They no longer know why it is held there, they are simply following in the steps and repeating the words of their ancestors.
"It attracts the Sheedi community from all over Pakistan," Qanbarani tells AFP.
"We celebrate Mangho Pir mela more than Eid," he adds.
The celebration features a dancing procession known as the Dhamal, with men and women in trance-like states -- a rare sight in conservative, often gender-segregated Pakistan.
"The Dhamal dance... is done with great devotion and much delicacy," says Atta Mohammad, who spoke with AFP at the festival. "Some of us are captured by holy spirits."
Mehrun Nissa, 65, prepares a sacred drink during the mela while translating from what she says is a Swahili dialect.
"Nagajio O Nagajio, Yo aa Yo.... means now we are leaving to have a drink from the bowl," she explains.
Mangho Pir is also home to over 100 lumbering crocodiles that waddle between the devotees near a swampy green pond where they have lived for generations.
Legend holds that lice on the Sufi saint's head transformed into the reptiles who now live at the shrine.
The oldest crocodile -- known as More Sawab, and believed to be anywhere between 70 and 100 years old -- is feted at the festival's climax with garlands and decorative powder while being fed chunks of raw meat.
Even this tenuous link to the community's past is in danger of being severed, however.
The celebrations this March were the first time the festival has been held in nine years, after rising extremism saw Sufi shrines come under threat across Pakistan, with repeated gun and suicide bomb attacks.
"The situation was not suitable for us as children and women also participate in the mela," said Qanbarani, as heavily armed police commandos flanked the crowd.
But with dramatic improvements in security in recent years the community hopes to continue the mela, celebrating traditions that have survived slavery, colonisation, and modernisation.
"It is a Sheedi community belief that by honouring the crocodile our whole year will pass in peace, tranquility and prosperity," explains Mohammad.
"We look forward to celebrating the mela next year too, and forever."
Crocodiles guard secrets of Pakistan's lost African past
Crocodiles guard secrets of Pakistan's lost African past
- "The Dhamal dance... is done with great devotion and much delicacy,".
- "It is a Sheedi community belief that by honouring the crocodile our whole year will pass in peace, tranquility and prosperity,".
Pakistani films attracted ‘biggest’ Eid collections in 5 years, says largest cinema chain
- Pakistani films ‘Love Guru’ and ‘Deemak’ led box office collections surge this Eid Al-Adha, says Cinepax Cinemas sales head
- Love Guru’s team says flick generated $676,500 during first five days, Deemak distributor says movie collected $142,000
KARACHI: Pakistani films that released on the Eid Al-Adha last week attracted the highest Eid box office collections in five years, the sales and marketing head of the country’s largest cinema chain said on Friday.
Pakistani romantic comedy ‘Love Guru,’ starring acting powerhouses Humayun Saeed and Mahira Khan released in cinemas worldwide on Eid-ul-Adha. The other prominent Pakistani movie that released in theaters across the world was “Deemak,” a horror movie with A-list actors Faysal Qureshi, Sonya Hussyn and Samina Peerzada starring in lead roles.
As per official figures released by Love Guru, the Pakistani film collected Rs 12.8 crores [$457,143] in Pakistan during the first three days of Eid Al-Adha, making it the biggest ever Eid weekend opener in the country.
“If we look at Eid [film] business since Covid, we did the biggest business this year [on Eid],” Adnan Ali Khan, the sales and marketing head of Cinepax Cinemas, told Arab News. “Meaning highest in five years.”
He said this does not include The Legend of Maula Jatt film, which enjoyed record-breaking box office business but was not released on Eid.
“Love Guru got 50 percent of the shows and that is why it generated huge numbers,” Khan explained, adding that Deemak was the second-best performing film on Eid while Hollywood flick “From the World of John Wick: Ballerina” secured the third-highest collections.
The film’s official team announced that its international box office collections for the opening weekend surged to Rs15.4 crores [$546,000]. This means the film raked in a total of Rs28.2 crores [$999,186] in the first three days of the release.
After the first five days of their release, Love Guru’s team said it collected Rs19.10 crores [$676,500] locally while Deemak distributor Nadeem Mandviwalla said the horror flick generated around Rs4 crores [$142,000] at the box office.
Mandviwalla said the film is expected to secure over Rs7 crores [$248,000] in box office collections by the end of this week.
“It is a very encouraging figure for Deemak,” Mandviwalla said.
However, there have been speculations around the authenticity of these figures, particularly at the local box office. There hasn’t been an official detailed division of box office collections in cinemas across Pakistan.
Pakistani film critic Kamran Jawaid, however, brushed aside claims that Love Guru’s box office collections were fabricated.
‘ONLY FOR THE DELUDED’
“When the audience comes out of cinemas in droves at seven in the morning— and that too from multiple shows— then countering claims about fabricated figures is only for the deluded,” Jawaid told Arab News.
He said the high footfall in cinemas across the country puts to rest the opinion that attendances at cinemas are too low due to expensive ticket prices or that audiences no longer harbor interest in Pakistani movie.
“One just has to make movies that people are willing to shell money out on, whether it is Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning, which also ran shows till morning two weeks before Eid, or Love Guru,” Jawaid said.
The Pakistani film critic broke down the numbers based on the number of screens and seating capacity of Pakistani cinemas.
“Although not big, counting all 91 screens, Pakistan’s total seating capacity is a little above 21,000, which equates to 21 million in ticket sales per show/slot, with an average ticket price of a thousand,” he said.
“An average of four shows per day leads to 84 million in gross income. Depending on the number of screens a film like Love Guru gets — which is roughly between 30-40 percent of the country — per-day estimates range between 25 to 33 million in gross receipts,” Jawaid explained.
“Given that the tickets are selling hot, one cannot refute the legitimacy of the quoted figures.”
Khan said the movies garnered the highest numbers at its cinemas in Packages Mall in Lahore, followed by Jinnah Park in Rawalpindi.
“We are running late night shows every day,” Khan said, adding that the coming weekend was also expected to feature “packed” theaters as the cinemas have bookings in advance.
“We need four Pakistani movies like Love Guru every year,” he said. “However, Deemak has started gaining momentum now alongside Love Guru.”
Jawaid, however, looked toward the future of Pakistani cinema.
“Pakistan’s cinema needs one Love Guru a month to revive audience’s interest,” he said.
‘Ocean’ — bleak indictment of mankind offers a glimmer of hope
- David Attenborough’s latest documentary is a vital, compelling call to action
JEDDAH: “Ocean with David Attenborough” was released regionally on Disney+ on June 8 — World Ocean Day. It hit cinemas in May, on the 99th birthday of its venerable and venerated presenter, the famed biologist and broadcaster.
Like all Attenborough-fronted nature docs, “Ocean” is gorgeously shot and an immersive viewing experience. But while the vast majority of his output leaves you speechless at the on-screen beauty, “Ocean” also strikes you dumb at the horrifying devastation wrought on the open seas by the 40,000+ super-sized fishing trawlers operating around our planet constantly.
Sweeping the seabed with their giant nets, these ships commit slaughter on an unimaginable scale, leaving little alive in their rapacious search for a few specific species that humans actually eat. In their wake they leave something akin to the dystopian portrayals of a nuclear winter in post-apocalyptic dramas. These grim, heart-breaking shots are interspersed with glorious, vibrant scenes of what a healthy seabed should look like — towering forests of kelp, sea meadows, abundant diverse communities of extraordinary marine life… A reminder of what we are destroying every minute of every day.
Attenborough lays out for us with all of his trademark passion and authority just what is at risk here. The seas, he stresses, are vital for the survival of humankind. And humankind is putting the seas in terrible jeopardy. Marine ecosystems are delicately balanced and linked in complex, subtle ways that we are only now beginning to understand. And industrial fishing is far from subtle. As Attenborough notes, if rainforests were being razed at this rate, the protests would be global and furious. But because this destruction takes place miles below the surface of the water, it goes mainly unnoticed. Incredibly, this mindless, untargeted carnage is not illegal; it is positively encouraged — and heavily subsidized — by many governments.
Thankfully, there is hope. Attenborough reveals that scientists have discovered that — if left alone through the imposition of “no-take zones” — the oceans can recover at an incredible rate, and the most barren of sea floors can once again flourish in just a few years. There is now an international pact to turn one-third of Earth’s seas into no-take zones by 2030. And if this does happen — note the if — then there’s a good chance that man-made damage can be reversed not just in the water, but on land, as sea life is, it turns out, extremely adept at reducing carbon. The sea could save the world.
As nature documentaries go, it’s hard to imagine “Ocean” being bettered (except perhaps for the distracting clichéd mishmash that serves as its soundtrack, which deserves to be classified as a man-made disaster itself). This is a compelling, vital and urgent narrative delivered by an expert scientist and broadcaster accompanied by awe-inspiring, mind-boggling cinematography showing us wonders that most of us will never come close to seeing first-hand. And it lays out a path for survival. Whether we actually take that path...
Streaming successes: What’s coming to your screens later this year
- From stressed-out cooks to foul-mouthed spymasters, the must-see shows still to come in 2025
‘Squid Game’ season 3
Starring: Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-joon
Where: Netflix
When: June 27
The final season of the South Korean survival thriller about a game show where the rewards are enormous but loss means death, Seong Gi-hun (or player 456, as you might know him) and his friends must fight for survival in ever-more fiendish challenges. The VIPs — the wealthy individuals who fund the games — return to the island once again, perhaps setting the stage for a vengeance-fueled finale and a showdown between the Front Man and his brother, police officer Jun-ho.
‘Ironheart’
Starring: Dominique Thorne, Anthony Ramos, Lyric Ross
Where: Disney+
When: June 25
This Marvel miniseries is a spinoff from the “Black Panther” movie franchise and follows MIT student and genius inventor Riri Williams, aka Ironheart, who was responsible for creating the vibranium detector that sparked the events of 2022’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” in which she also invented an exoskeleton to rival that of Tony Stark/Ironman so that she could fight alongside the Wakandans. Now Williams has returned home to Chicago, where she meets Parker Robbins, aka The Hood, who is able to access dark magic, setting Williams on a “path of danger and adventure.”
‘The Bear’ season 4
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri
Where: Disney+
When: June 26
The first two seasons of the horribly tense kitchen-based drama “The Bear” were fantastic TV. The third? Not so much. (Although it should be said that even weak episodes of “The Bear” are still better than the vast majority of shows.) But hopefully season four finds super-talented chef Carmy Berzatto and his crew back on form as they try to make a success of the titular family restaurant which they’ve shifted from run-down sandwich shop to fine-dining venue. And after a wait of almost a year, we’ll finally get to find out what that all-important review said.
‘Wednesday’ season 2
Starring: Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzman
Where: Netflix
When: August 6
Wednesday Addams is back at Nevermore Academy for another year. And this time around, the rest of her spooky, kooky family will be spending a lot more time there, too — much to Wednesday’s chagrin — and not just because her brother Pugsley has enrolled. Co-showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar have promised a “darker, more complex” series. And at Netlix’s live Tudum event last month, it was announced that Lady Gaga will be guest starring as the “mysterious and enigmatic” Nevermore teacher Rosaline Rotwood.
‘Slow Horses’ season 5
Starring: Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas
Where: Apple+ TV
When: Sept. 24
Former British super-spy Jackson Lamb and his unfortunate crew of misfit spooks return for another series of this excellent, darkly humorous espionage drama. This time around, the trouble starts when Slough House’s resident tech nerd Roddy gets a glamorous new girlfriend, who everyone — or, at least, everyone except for Roddy — can see is well out of his league. The show is an adaptation of Mick Herron’s “Slough House” novels, and this season is based on “London Rules.” “Ted Lasso” star Nick Mohammed is perhaps the biggest new name to join the cast; he'll be playing an ambitious London mayoral candidate.
‘Stranger Things’ season 5
Starring: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown
Where: Netflix
When: November 26
The final (really?) season of the phenomenally successful Eighties-set sci-fi horror drama has a lot to live up to. Once again, psychokinetic Eleven and her pals in Hawkins, Indiana, must fight to save the Earth from the alternate dimension known as the Upside Down. Since its arrival on our screens in 2016, “Stranger Things” has been one of the world’s most talked-about and beloved series. Showrunners The Duffer Brothers have got pretty much everything right so far. Can they stick the landing?
REVIEW: ‘Stick’ — Apple’s golf-based comedy unlikely to rival ‘Ted Lasso’ success
- Owen Wilson’s charisma shines through, but ‘Stick’ is forgettable fluff
JEDDAH: You remember “Ted Lasso,” right? The Jason Sudeikis-fronted feelgood football-based sporting comedy that was a huge hit for Apple? Apple sure does. Hence “Stick.”
The Jason Sudeikis of “Stick” is Owen Wilson — a solid choice, possessed of a similar goofy charisma and real comedy pedigree. The football of “Stick” is golf. Which, while it’s easier to convincingly replicate to a high standard on screen (the supposedly elite football action in “Ted Lasso” was, unintentionally, just as hilarious as its best jokes) is also nowhere near as visually engaging as football. So “Stick” already has a lot of work to do.
The plot: Wilson is former pro golfer Pryce “Stick” Cahill, a serious talent who had a serious meltdown during a televised tournament, basically ruining his life. He now sells golf gear, gives lessons, and carries out side hustles with his former caddy Mitts (Marc Maron, doing what Marc Maron does — grumpy, cynical, with a glimpse of heart). And he’s going through a protracted divorce with a woman he still clearly loves but who has moved on.
One day, Pryce spots a young teen, Santi (Peter Dager), smashing balls further than most pros manage. Pryce quickly identifies that Santi is a prodigy and convinces his single mom Elena (Mariana Trevino) to let him coach/manage/try and qualify Santi for the US amateur championships. This involves a road trip in Mitts’ RV. It also involves Pryce handing over $100,000 that he really can’t afford to Elena to prove to her he’s serious. She knows Santi’s good, but since his dad — and former coach — left them, he hasn’t wanted to play golf at all. Santi is hugely talented, but prone to losing his head if things don’t go perfectly for him.
And that’s about it (in episodes up to the time of writing). We follow the mismatched crew on their road trip; Santi plays some golf and wows people; Pryce kind of becomes a substitute dad; Mitts and Elena bicker in a kind of flirty way. Nothing much happens, no huge laughs are had, Dager is a convincing mix of adolescent arrogance and angst, and Wilson is his usual quirky, charming self.
There’s nothing to hate about “Stick,” but there’s nothing really to love about it either. It’s nice. It’s vaguely entertaining. I’m already forgetting it.
Recipes for Success: Chef Davisha Burrowes offers advice and a tasty recipe
RIYADH: The Mediterranean dining venue The Lighthouse, founded in the UAE, recently opened its first Saudi outpost in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter.
“I like to describe the Lighthouse menu as a celebration of fresh and seasonal ingredients that represent the Mediterranean culturally as a whole,” says its executive chef Davisha Burrowes. “I think it’s a perfect balance between East and West.”
Burrowes — who grew up in Barbados — caught the culinary bug early.
“I was around nine years old when I started cooking,” she says. “And that just grew around the age of 14 or 15. I did a few competitions in Barbados, and from there, I took my degree in culinary arts, worked around the world in different cuisines, then finally landed with the Lighthouse.”
When you started out, what was the most common mistake you made?
I think all young chefs tend to seek perfection. I was definitely overthinking the little things. And when you overthink, you tend to overcomplicate and overseason. and throughout the years, with growth from maturing as a chef, I will tell anyone that lasts this morning.
What’s your top tip for amateur chefs?
Experiment. Don’t be afraid to try new things — new flavors, new blends. Go with the flow a little bit, and don’t be so hard on yourself. Some of the best recipes, by a lot of chefs around the world, have been born through mistakes.
What one ingredient can instantly improve any dish? And why?
Probably a fresh squeeze of lemon. It brightens, it lifts, it cuts through very rich flavors as well. But personally, I think the best ingredient you can put in a dish is love, cooking with your heart, with your passion, just enjoying it and giving respect to each ingredient, whether it’s something as humble as an onion or a piece of foie gras.
When you go out to eat, do you find yourself critiquing the food?
It depends. If I go to somewhere casual, you know, I take it for what it is. I manage my expectations. I also work within hospitality, so I know there can be certain challenges within the back of house and within the operation. But if I’m going somewhere where I have high expectations, then I hold them to a certain level.
What’s your favorite cuisine?
I love Japanese cuisine. I worked in Japanese cuisine for two years, so I love a good selection of Nigiri platter. It needs precision, but it’s very, very simple.
What’s your go-to dish if you have to cook something quickly at home?
I love cooking spaghetti carbonara. It has very few ingredients, it takes minimal effort, but it also has its intricacies.
What’s your favorite dish to cook?
If time’s not a factor, then it’s a barbecue. Going back to my roots, I’m from the Caribbean, and we do a lot of barbecue — it’s always summer in the Caribbean, so we do a lot of cooking outdoors. So, definitely a barbecue feast or a grazing plate.
What customer behavior most annoys you?
I wouldn’t say it necessarily “annoys” me, but I do get a little disappointed when some ingredients are swapped out of dishes — especially ingredients that are essential to the harmony of the dish. As chefs, we spend a lot of time curating dishes, making sure the flavors are balanced, so when ingredients are swapped out, it just changes the whole experience that we’re trying to offer.
As a leader, what are you like? Are you a disciplinarian? Or are you more laid back?
I prefer to inspire rather than intimidate. I’m very hands-on in the kitchen. I like to lead by example. I think that as a chef — or as a leader in any field — it’s important that the team see you do it, so they can have the encouragement to do it on their own.
Chef Davisha’s charred aubergine with labneh and hot honey harissa
(Serves 2)
Ingredients:
For the Charred Aubergine:
1 large eggplant (aubergine)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp labneh (or see Labneh Mix below)
1 tbsp hot honey harissa (see Hot Honey Harissa below)
1 tsp toasted pine nuts
A few fresh chives, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
For the Labneh Mix (optional, for a more flavorful labneh):
60g labneh
0g Greek yogurt
Pinch of table salt
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
For the Hot Honey Harissa:
20g butter
10g olive oil
3g harissa paste (or more for extra heat)
1g crushed chili flakes
5g smoked paprika
10g honey
INSTRUCTIONS:
Char the Aubergine: Preheat a grill pan or BBQ to high heat. Brush the aubergine halves with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Place cut-side down on the hot grill and cook until charred and softened (about 6-8 minutes per side). For a true smoky flavor, roast directly over a gas flame or in a preheated oven at 220°C for 20 minutes.
Prepare the Labneh Mix (optional): In a bowl, whisk together labneh, Greek yogurt, salt, and lemon juice. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Make Hot Honey Harissa: In a small saucepan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat.
Add the harissa paste, chili flakes, smoked paprika, and honey. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Remove from heat.
Assemble: Place the charred aubergine on a serving plate. Dollop with labneh (or labneh mix), drizzle generously with hot honey harissa, and scatter toasted pine nuts and chopped chives on top.
At-home tips
Labneh Substitute: If you don’t have labneh, use thick Greek yogurt, strained through a cheesecloth or coffee filter for a few hours to mimic labneh’s rich texture.
Char at Home: If you don’t have a grill, broil the aubergine in your oven or cook it in a cast-iron pan to achieve a similar smoky effect.
Harissa Hack: No harissa paste? Mix 1 tbsp tomato paste with 1 tsp chili flakes, ½ tsp cumin, and a pinch of smoked paprika for a quick substitute.
Honey Choices: Use mild, floral honey for a more balanced sauce or a spicy honey to really turn up the heat.
