Category: 5. Entertainment

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

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Today’s Mini Crossword took me much longer than usual. 6-Across and 5-Down look like the same clue, but note that question mark, which makes one kind of a jokey answer. Need help with today’s Mini? Read on. If you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Gaping hole
Answer: CHASM

6A clue: Conversation opener
Answer: HELLO

7A clue: Group of five found in “Julia Roberts” and “Austin Powers”
Answer: AEIOU

8A clue: Ben of Broadway
Answer: PLATT

9A clue: “Keep it down!”
Answer: SHH

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Bloke
Answer: CHAP

2D clue: Inside part of a golf club
Answer: HEEL

3D clue: A.k.a. name
Answer: ALIAS

4D clue: Animal that talks comically slowly in “Zootopia”
Answer: SLOTH

5D clue: Conversation opener?
Answer: MOUTH

Former Supermen Henry Cavill and Tyler Hoechlin showed support for David Corenswet as he took on the renowned role in James Gunn’s new Superman, but the two actors were reluctant to give him any explicit advice on how to tackle the part. 

At the London premiere of the DC Studios film, the actor revealed in an interview with Heart that he’d spoken with both Cavill and Hoechlin, but both of the former Superman stars didn’t give him “any tips” on how to approach his film. 

“I had the pleasure of exchanging letters with two previous Supermans, Henry Cavill and Tyler Hoechlin. Both of them, interestingly, sort of said in their own words, ‘I’m not gonna try to give you any tips,’” he said, via Beat 102 103. “And I think that’s a very Superman thing — Superman’s not so much for giving advice or dictating how other people should be.” 

While both actors were reluctant to give Corenswet specific suggestions on how to best portray the Man of Steel, they did send him encouragement. 

“They really just conveyed to me an encouragement and a sense of, you know, have fun with it, which I think is Superman’s way of doing it too,” he explained. “They were very encouraging and we had a lovely exchange.” 

The Twisters actor added that while he hasn’t met with Cavill and Hoechlin face-to-face quite yet, “I’m excited to meet them one day, it’ll be great when we can all get in a room together.” 

Gunn’s Superman will hit theaters on July 11, serving as the first time Corenswet will portray the iconic superhero. Cavill starred as Clark Kent in Zack Snyder’s 2013 Man of Steel, 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and 2017’s Justice League, while Hoechlin starred as the character in the CW’s TV series Superman & Lois from 2021 to 2024.

Of choosing Corenswet to lead his Superman film, Gunn said that he had a great chemistry test with Rachel Brosnahan, who is set to star as Lois Lane. He explained, “David had better chemistry with Rachel [Brosnahan] because she’s a very controlled actor, and David is a little bit more, you know, loose, and that creates a different type of dynamism on-screen.”

Mumbai: Actor Parag Tyagi has shared a gut-wrenching tribute to his late wife, model and Kaanta Laga fame Shefali Jariwala, days after her sudden death shook fans and industry friends alike.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday, Tyagi posted a montage of old photos capturing intimate moments — the couple hugging, kissing, and laughing during their travels — accompanied by Mateo Oxley’s I Love You Always Forever.

Sharing the photos, Tyagi wrote, “I will find you every time you are born and I will love you in every lifetime (red heart and kissing face emojis). I love you eternally meri gundi meri chokri (my thug, my girl) (hug face emoji).” He also added the hashtags–Shefali Jariwala, Meri gundi, Love, Forever, Lifetime, Eternally, Miss you so much, Be happy, and Stay beautiful.

In his deeply emotional note, Tyagi vowed to “love Shefali in every lifetime.” “Shefali, Meri Pari — the ever-eternal Kaanta Laga — was so much more than what met the eye. She was fire-wrapped in grace — sharp, focused, and fiercely driven. A woman who lived with intention, nurturing her career, her mind, her body, and her soul with quiet strength and unwavering determination.”

Remembering Jariwala not just as a star but as the heart of their family, he continued, But beyond all her titles and achievements, Jariwala was love in its most selfless form. She was sab ki maa (everyone’s mom) — always putting others first, offering comfort and warmth simply through her presence. A generous daughter. A devoted and affectionate wife and a wonderful mom to Simba,”

Jariwala, who rose to instant stardom in 2002 with her iconic appearance in the ‘Kaanta Laga’ remix, tragically passed away on June 27 at age 42. Rushed by ‘Tyagi to Bellevue Multispeciality Hospital, she was declared dead on arrival. Mumbai Police sent her body for a post-mortem; the official cause of death has been “reserved” pending further investigation.

The couple, who first met in 2010 and married in 2014 after four years of dating, had also won hearts as contestants on the dance reality show ‘Nach Baliye.

As friends and fans mourn the untimely loss of the beloved dancer and model, Tyagi’s words stand as a poignant testament to a love story cut tragically short — but one he promises will transcend lifetimes.

 

 

Disclaimer: Kindly avoid objectionable, derogatory, unlawful and lewd comments, while responding to reports. Such comments are punishable under cyber laws. Please keep away from personal attacks. The opinions expressed here are the personal opinions of readers and not that of Mathrubhumi.

Ozzy Osbourne took the stage one final time in a powerful reunion with the original Black Sabbath lineup on Saturday in Birmingham, delivering what was cited as his last-ever concert. 

For the first time in 20 years, Osbourne joined guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward to perform four of the band’s signature tracks, War Pigs, NIB, Iron Man, and Paranoid, in front of 42,000 fans at Villa Park.

“It’s so good to be on this fucking stage, you have no idea,” Osbourne told the cheering crowd as he emerged from under the stage on a winged throne. 

“Let the madness begin!”, he said, as per Variety. 

And with that, the heavy metal legend gave fans one more moment of madness, and history.

Earlier in the evening, Osbourne treated the audience to a five-song solo set backed by guitarist Zakk Wylde. 

That portion included fan favourites like I Don’t Know, Mr. Crowley, Suicide Solution, Mama I’m Coming Home, and Crazy Train. 

Before launching into Mama, he shared a moment of gratitude. “I’ve been laid up for six years,” he said. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

The day-long metal celebration also featured blistering performances from some of rock’s biggest names, each delivering two-to-seven-song sets. 

Acts like Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, Gojira, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Halestorm, Anthrax, Rival Sons, and Mastodon paid homage with covers of Black Sabbath and Osbourne classics alongside their own material.

Actor Jason Momoa, serving as host, brought the energy as he jumped into the crowd with the kind of enthusiasm the evening demanded. 

“Make some space for me, I’m coming in!” he shouted before diving into the mosh pit.

The night ended with fireworks lighting up the sky and Osbourne being presented with a celebratory cake, a fitting close to a monumental moment in rock history.

Michael Madsen’s son Luke is remembering his father with love and admiration following the actor’s death at age 67.

In a heartfelt tribute shared on Instagram, the 19-year-old honoured the Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill star with a moving message and three personal photos.

“My Hero Wore a Cowboy Hat,” Luke began.

“My Hero Stood Taller And Stronger Than Any Man I’ve Ever Met. My Hero Understood Me Better Than Anyone.”

He described his dad as “The Coolest Most Bada– Human Being” and the “Famous Tough Guy Movie Star” known to many.

But above all, Luke added, “My Hero Was My Father. And He Was. Damn Good One. Love You Pops. I’ll See You Again Someday. Tell Hudson I Said Hi.”

Luke’s mention of his late brother Hudson added another emotional layer to the tribute.

Hudson Madsen, the eldest of Michael’s sons, died by suicide in 2022 at the age of 26.

A U.S. Army sergeant, Hudson had served in Afghanistan and was stationed at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, where he lived with his wife Carlie.

He had sent a final text message to his father that simply read, “I love you, dad,” Michael Madsen told the Los Angeles Times at the time.

Michael Madsen died from cardiac arrest on July 3 at his home in Malibu, California, just two years after losing Hudson.

The tragic news has prompted an outpouring of love from family and fans. His sister, Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen, also shared touching memories shortly after news of his passing became public.

Known for his unforgettable performances in films like Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, and many others, Madsen leaves behind a powerful legacy, not just on screen, but in the hearts of those who knew and loved him best.

There’s a certain thrill in watching something original come alive on stage, a story that hasn’t yet been seen, characters you’ve never met before, and dialogue that hasn’t already been quoted on social media.

That’s exactly what Tasneef, the National Academy of Performing Arts’ (Napa) first-ever Original Playwrights Theatre Festival, delivered: a powerful, promising showcase of four original Urdu language plays that left audiences hopeful for the future of Pakistani theatre.

Marking 20 years of theatrical excellence, Napa has long been a hub of dramatic innovation. But this time, the spotlight was firmly on the storytellers, the playwrights. The festival was born out of a national open call for original Urdu scripts, and the response was heartening: over 30 entries from all over Pakistan. Through a blind, merit-based process, four scripts were selected, directed, rehearsed and staged from June 13-21, under the curatorship of Afreen Seher, Head of Theatre at Napa.

These weren’t recycled adaptations or familiar re-runs. Tasneef was fresh, contemporary and deeply rooted in the issues and rhythms of today’s Pakistan. Each play brought with it a distinct genre and narrative style, giving theatre-goers a well-rounded, thought-provoking experience.

Here’s a look at the four standout plays that were showcased:

Musafir: A conversation that lingers
Written and directed by Farhan Alam Siddiqui

Opening the festival was Musafir, a slow-burn narrative that takes place at a seemingly mundane train station, until it doesn’t. What begins as a light exchange between two strangers on a bench unfolds into a layered dialogue about dreams, detours and the burden of expectations.

Napa’s ‘Tasneef’ festival was a reminder that great stories are being written every day in this country and all they need is a stage

Siddiqui, one of Napa’s earliest graduates, brings a certain maturity to the pacing and structure, making the audience lean in with curiosity. There’s humour, quiet tension, and a final twist that stirs reflection long after the curtain drops. While the storytelling took a few moments to settle, Musafir captured the quiet heartbreak of lives paused mid-journey.

1st Time in Pakistan: Satire meets systemic decay
Written and directed by Zakiullah Khan

Possibly the most talked-about play of the lot, 1st Time in Pakistan was a biting satire set in a fictional town called Karta Dharta. Protesters gather outside a government office, frustrated by the town officer’s inaction over basic sanitation, sewage and water problems.

Enter the “solution”: a grand infrastructure plan dubbed “1st Time in Pakistan.” But at the cost of the locals’ displacement. The parallels to real-life land controversies, including whispers of Bahria Town, were impossible to ignore. While the script tackled serious issues with smart observations and grounded absurdity, some moments dipped into crass humour that could’ve benefitted from tighter editing. Still, Zakiullah Khan’s direction kept the energy high and the message clear: even in satire, the stakes are real.

Saraab: The pressure of pretence
Written and directed by Damyanti Gosai

A haunting, introspective drama, Saraab explored the psychological and societal expectations placed on individuals. Written and directed by Damyanti Gosai, a Napa alumnus and multilingual translator, the play unfolded like a fever dream, where reality blurs into illusion. Through fragmented scenes, layered monologues and striking visual metaphors, Saraab interrogated how people lose themselves in the process of conforming.

One of the standout plays, Saraab tackled student politics and moral awakening with gripping intensity and thoughtful staging. The lighting design was particularly effective, casting a sharp focus on the emotional shifts and political undertones throughout the narrative.

The story followed a university student on the brink of engagement, whose life takes an unexpected turn when his beloved professor is arrested on the very day of his ceremony. As campus elections unfold, the incident becomes highly politicised, and the young man finds himself torn between personal obligations and a growing sense of justice. Despite pleas from his family and fiancée to stay out of it, he joins the student movement, eventually leading a protest that ends in a violent crackdown.

The arc of idealism, resistance and loss unfolded powerfully, leaving the audience with much to reflect on. Gosai’s direction was both tender and courageous, making space for discomfort, introspection and, ultimately, empathy. Saraab stood out as a piece that dared to look inward.

In The Middle: A love letter to struggling artists
Directed by Usama Khan

In The Middle was the festival’s meta-commentary on theatre itself. The story followed three aspiring actors, all stuck in a tough spot, where they must make a decision within six days that could change everything.

It follows an immigrant couple grappling with an expiring visa and conflicting desires for their future. Kaif, shaken by a viral video and its consequences, wants to seek asylum, while Sajjad is determined to return to Pakistan to pursue his passion for the arts. Their opposing choices put them at odds, just as Sajjad reconnects with his former student Hassan, who also shares a complicated past with Kaif. As old wounds resurface and difficult truths are revealed, the couple must confront their past and make a decision that will redefine their future.

The play explores ambition, guilt and survival through emotionally charged dialogue and tense personal dynamics. With minimal props and a tight-knit cast, the play unfolded like a backstage drama-meets-life crisis.

Director Usama Khan struck a perfect chord, drawing the audience into the vulnerabilities of those who dedicate their lives to performance. The script was raw, honest and deeply relatable, especially to anyone who’s ever chased a creative dream in a world that doesn’t always understand art as a profession.

Why Tasneef mattered

It was heartening to see original Pakistani scripts being staged and, more importantly, celebrated. With Tasneef, Napa has given fresh voices the space to be heard, the training to be polished, and the audience they deserve. Festivals like these are crucial to the health of our cultural ecosystem. They don’t just entertain; they challenge, inform and nurture talent that might otherwise go unnoticed.

While Napa and its faculty have done the heavy lifting, initiatives such as Tasneef require more than just passion; they need institutional support. For Pakistan’s theatre to flourish and evolve, it is imperative that the government step in to support such festivals, fund cultural institutions, and invest in creative infrastructure.

Art thrives when it is nourished, and artists thrive when they are trusted.

Published in Dawn, ICON, July 6th, 2025

With the fifth and final season of The Boys approaching, Eric Kripke has something special in store for fans of his work.

Soldier Boy actor Jensen Ackles recently teased his reunion with Supernatural co-stars Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins ahead of the Prime Video series’ concluding episodes, for which their characters have not yet been revealed.

“We see each other more often than you would think — honestly, at least once a month,” he told People after they starred in Kripke’s CW series for 15 seasons from 2005 to 2020.

Ackles added, “It was weird. It was like inviting my friends over to somebody else’s house for dinner. I was like, ‘Listen, guys, don’t make me look bad. I got to stay here.’ They were amazing. I can’t wait to talk more about it because it was quite an experience.”

After Kripke expressed his desire to work with Padalecki on the concluding season of The Boys, the actor told Deadline he’s in. “The answer is yes,” he said last June.

“We have talked [about a role]. As a matter of fact, we talked today,” added Padalecki. “I think at this point in my acting life, I only want to work on projects that I really care about or with people that I really care about, and obviously Eric and I are indelibly connected forever.”

After Ackles joined the series as Soldier Boy during Season 3, his and Padalecki’s Supernatural onscreen dad Jeffrey Dean Morgan appeared as Joe Kessler via Billy Butcher’s hallucination in Season 4.

This week, Kripke bid farewell to The Boys set as he wrapped the finale. “It’s bittersweet, but my primary feeling is gratitude,” he wrote in part. “We have the best cast, the best crew, the most fun story to write, and something that is impossible to predict: the right timing. You wait your whole career to have maybe two of those things, if you’re lucky. We got all of them.”

The final season of The Boys, premiering in 2026, comes after Season 4 topped the Nielsen streaming scores for the first time, setting multiple records for Prime Video.

he title of this book, Towards the Pebbled Shore, is borrowed from a Shakespearean sonnet that explores the destructive nature of time and the fragility of human existence. The phrase provides a powerful metaphor for the swift and inevitable progression of life towards its final destination. Does the author, in selecting this title, suggest an intensified awareness of mortality? Possibly, he does. Yet the resonance of this image lies equally in its quiet alignment with the book’s thematic core.

Comprising 52 essays and columns on subjects ranging from world and Eastern classics to Urdu literature, poetry, language and history, the book may appear at first to be a wide-ranging collection. However, beneath this diversity lies a discernible thread: the assertion that while the waves of time may erode all living things, they cannot extinguish the enduring power of the creative imagination.

The world’s literary classics, the book argues, serve not merely as reflections of their age but as fortresses of thought, standing firm against the passage of time, not unlike a rugged shore resisting the sea. Particular emphasis is placed on the classical languages, Greek, Latin, Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit, as the foundation of global literary heritage. While Urdu may not traditionally be classified among these classical tongues, the book posits that it has produced its own canon of timeless works.

Syed Noman-ul Haq, a renowned and esteemed scholar and author, has consistently focused on great literary works from around the globe, with a particular emphasis on Islamic literature. In his examination of the Sanskrit classic Panchatantra and its translations into various world languages, including Pehlevi, Persian and Arabic as Kalila wa Damna, he posits that the realm of creativity transcends the dichotomy of East and West, operating under its own unique logic and grammar. He recognises that nation-states have established not only geographical boundaries but also ideological, cultural and artistic divisions. Haq asserts that nature did not create nation-states; instead, it was humanity that did so. He appears to hold the belief that the domain of creative imagination is inherently shared among all people. This perspective implies that cross-cultural exchanges are a natural occurrence. Seeking inspiration, knowledge and insights from others and engaging in collective cultural endeavours is a fundamental aspect of human nature. Consequently, Haq presents a compelling interpretation of modernity as well. He contends that “modernity is a convergence, a convergence in which many individuals and civilisations have engaged, despite its European origins. Throughout this historical journey, the Arabo-Islamic world has played a significant role. Indeed, it is impossible to recount the intellectual or literary history of the Greeks or the Latin West without referencing Arabic sources.” This understanding of modernity is not only historically accurate but also epistemologically valid. However, it is important to highlight that it was the Latin West that drew extensively from Arabic sources. The case of Modern West is a bit different.

Haq presents numerous historical facts that support his perspective on modernity. Although the book under review is a compilation of short essays and columns, primarily published in Dawn’s Books and Authors magazine, Haq’s well-integrated vision is evident throughout the text. He argues that world classics such as Alf Laila wa Laila (One Thousand and One Nights), Rasa’il Ikhwan al-Safa (Epistles of the brethren of Purity), Hayy Ibn Yaqzan, Kalila wa Damna, among others, played a significant role in the development of modernity. He asserts that the historical influence of Hayy Ibn Yaqzan on global intellectual culture was substantial, stating, “We hear its echoes throughout Europe.” Hayy not only captivated Dutch philosopher Spinoza but also inspired Daniel Defoe in the creation of Robinson Crusoe, which is set on an island reminiscent of Hayy, as well as Rudyard Kipling in writing The Jungle Book. Haq notes that historians have traced the philosophical influence of Hayy, particularly its concept of the human mind as a tabula rasa, on the ideas of Voltaire and Karl Marx. Similarly, Haq speculates that Cervantes’s Don Quixote could be interpreted as an ‘Arabic tale.’ He references the author’s assertion, found in the first chapter of Book II, where Cervantes recounts the discovery of an Arabic text in Toledo that describes Don Quixote as a work by an Arabic historian named Cide Hemet, a corruption of Saiyid Hamid. However, most critics interpret this part of the novel as a fictional device, instead of taking it as an incontestable historical fact. The popular interpretation notwithstanding, Haq concludes that “…Don Quixote is imbued with the concerns, struggles, fate and psychological dislocation of the Muslims (and Jews) of former Al-Andalus.”

He does not conclude his argument there. He continues to express the view that this, the greatest Spanish novel, often described as picaresque, is significantly shaped by the Arabic tradition of Maqamat, particularly Maqamat-i-Hariri,- by an Eleventh Century Muslim scholar of Basra, whose works have been imitated by Spanish Christians since the late 12th Century, several years prior to Cervantes. According to Haq, “Arabic maqama is an episodic story of the adventures of a likeable rogue who travels from place to place and in a corrupt society lives by his wits.”

In addition to the Arabic influence on the evolution of Western intellectual culture, Haq references other Eastern sources, including the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, the Sanskrit Panchatantra and the Persian Shahnama of Firdausi. These literary classics from the East served as a catalyst for the Western imagination. The crucial point to consider is that the journey of Eastern thought and intellect towards the West occurred at a significant moment in history, during the initial phase of Western modernity. The concept of Western modernity did not emerge in a singular historical event. It experienced numerous stages, although by the 20th Century, it had turned into a petrified narrative, prompting substantial criticism from post-modernists. Since the 19th Century, Western imperial powers have sought to construct a singular notion of modernity, erasing non-Western cultural influences and intertwining it with colonialism. Therefore, it is not unexpected that modernity has been perceived as a Western cultural and intellectual phenomenon since the 19th Century, portraying non-Western cultures as the Other, entities to be subdued, exploited, misrepresented and ultimately compelled to imitate Western modernity blindly, lest they fail to exist as nations.

One needs to understand that during the initial phase of Western modernity, the exchange of cultural ideas was largely disinterested, driven by an instinct for intellectual survival and cultural blossoming. However, in the era of colonial expansion, cultural transmission evolved into a deliberate interplay of exclusion and inclusion, appropriation and exploitation, as well as a calculated erasure or brazen denial of previous cultural influences.

Cross-cultural transmission is now viewed as an integral aspect of power dynamics. Each text embodies a specific national-political power, or at least political significance, beyond its mere literary or intellectual importance. This perspective on cultural transmission is notably advanced by post-colonial authors. They argue that colonialism established the dichotomies of East and West as part of its imperial-hegemonic strategy, rather than for the sake of comprehending the world. Although Haq refrains from utilising a post-colonial framework, he appears to acknowledge the intentional erasure of Eastern cultural impact on Western Enlightenment. In his discussion of aljamiado in Spain, he expresses dissatisfaction with the historical narratives we receive, which he describes as prefabricated grand narratives that obscure facts, consigning them to obscurity. Haq aims to reclaim these historical truths from the ghettos of history.

Very few individuals are aware of aljamiado in Spain. Historically significant, aljamiado refers to texts composed in the Spanish language using Arabic script. According to Haq, the majority of aljamiado emerged during a period when there was a complete blackout of Arabic writing in Spain. In fact, the creation of aljamiado represented an act of defiance by Spanish Muslims who were subjected to coercive baptism following the Reconquista of Muslim Spain. This was not merely a political act of defiance, but also a cultural one. The point to be emphasised is that Muslims in Europe created a truly hybrid culture, evident in the case of aljamiado as well. Aljamiado texts were linguistically Spanish, scripturally Arabic, and thematically Islamic. It can be asserted that Muslims in Spain during the 15th and 16th Centuries, in their fear of extinction, composed aljamiado as a means of survival and recovery of their cultural self.

Haq’s writings, including his Urdu translation of Kitab al Tawasin, aim to reclaim the lost Self of Islamic/ Islamicate/ Muslim culture, which he asserts has played a crucial role in cultural synthesis. The pursuit of recovering this lost cultural identity appears to have deeply influenced Haq’s writing. This may explain why Muslim Spain continues to resonate with him, much like it did with Allama Iqbal, his most admired figure in the modern Islamic world, who, through his poetry, kept the spirit of the golden era of Islam alive. He passionately references intellectuals and writers from Muslim Spain, such as Ibn Tufayl, Ibn Rushd and Mu’tamid, a poet-prince of the Abbasid dynasty, who pioneered prison poetry, known as habsiyat in Urdu, during the 11th Century. Interestingly, Mas’ud Sa’d Salman of Lahore also created similar poetry while imprisoned in the same century. For Haq, Muslim Spain symbolises his vision of modernity and cross-cultural exchange. As previously noted, he perceives modernity as a convergence of various cultural and intellectual currents, of which Muslim Spain is a prime example. Even after its decline, the Iberian Muslim community, particularly through aljamiado, maintained this spirit of cross-cultural transmission. Thus, the bloodshed of 1492 represented a significant setback not only for Muslims of Spain but also for the entirety of human composite culture.

It is important to emphasise also that his endeavour to recover the lost Muslim identity does not prevent him from valuing the monumental literary achievements of the Latin and Modern West, as well as Sanskrit literature. This is how he has cultivated a persistent appreciation for the aesthetic enjoyment found in literary texts.

In Haq, one can see an impeccable fusion of literary scholarship and aesthetics. His pronounced inclination towards literary scholarship drives him to explore history – primarily literary history, though occasionally political as well. However, his aesthetic sensibility compels him to focus on articulating the ‘pleasure principles’ of a text rather than delving into the multiple meanings that are intertwined with the transience of history or the psychological composition of the author. He is of the view that poetry possesses its own grammar and logic, its own beats and rhythms. This implies that the logic and grammar of poetry take precedence over parole (Saussure’s terminology for speech acts, in contrast to langue, which refers to a set of grammatical rules). We know that grammar is largely fixed, while parole or the meaning of the text, is fluid and remains open to interpretation. Haq emphasises the stability of poetic grammar over the fleeting nature of meanings. In his literary philosophy, the manner in which something is expressed takes precedence over the content itself. By adopting this approach, he appears to permit poetry to forge its own reality, thereby altering conventional perceptions of reality. This also suggests that the aesthetics of poetry acquire a characteristic of metaphysics. In his remarkable essay titled Ghalib’s Metaphorical Sport, he posits that Ghalib’s poetry transforms concrete reality into metaphor, subsequently regarding metaphor as concrete reality, and extracts further metaphor from it. He suggests that reality engenders metaphor, and metaphor as reality gives rise to new metaphors. Can we infer from this that poetry may contain an infinite Derridean sequence of metaphors, or is there a ‘reality principle’ at work in poetry that inhibits the emergence of a labyrinth?

This aesthetic process establishes a sovereign, metaphysical realm. This realm not only transcends concrete reality but also extends beyond history. I contend that concrete reality and history, although mediated through language initially and then through poetic metaphors, remain essential, as a ‘reality principle’- albeit not absolute – references. Even the highest forms of aesthetics do not relinquish the sensual dimensions of human experience that are rooted in history. This minor disagreement aside, the book is a genuinely scholarly work. Besides erudite discussion about world and Islamic classics, the book contains a brilliant evaluation of Urdu poets like Ghalib, Iqbal, Faiz, Fraz, Nasir and Iftikhar Arif. The breadth, magnitude and profundity of Haq’s expertise in the world’s classical languages and their monumental works are unparalleled. This book is essential reading for students and connoisseurs of world literature.

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The reviewer is a Lahore-based Urdu critic and fiction writer. He is also the current Head of Publications at the Gurmani Centre, LUMS. Majmooa Nasir Abbas Nayyar is his most recent publication

Starring: Jenna Davis, Ivanna Sakhno, Violet McGraw,
Jemaine Clement and
Allison Williams

Directed by: Gerard
Johnstone

t was in 2023, during a perfect storm of cultural obsession over both Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT had just launched) and plastic dolls (Greta Gerwig’s Barbie was released the same year), that M3GAN — the artificially intelligent robot doll who went on a pop-music-soundtracked killing spree was launched on an unsuspecting-but-instantly-willing public. This Chucky-esque chick with a peculiar penchant for genuinely killer dance-moves became a viral sensation: a robot doll who slayed, in every sense of the word. Sensing a cultural moment, the canny producers at horror specialists Blumhouse wasted no time in speeding to market a top-to-bottom hardware and software update, and happily, 2.0 is just as ridiculously entertaining as the prototype.

Nearly the entire creative team from the first film have returned, including writer-director Gerard Johnstone, Allison Williams as M3GAN’s regretful co-creator Gemma, Violet McGraw as Gemma’s niece Cady, and Amie Donald as M3GAN herself, with Jenna Davis providing her cutesy/ curdling voice.

“We are following Terminator 2 rules here: if AMELIA is the cold, ruthless, unstoppable T-1000, then M3GAN is the T-800 who can take her on — the fan-favourite baddie gone good — with Williams’ Gemma as the tech-sceptical Sarah Connor-type, who must learn to love her former foe. Because if a M3GAN can learn the value of human life, maybe we can too?”

But things are different now. While the first film at least gestured towards horror in its comedy, that pretence has now been merrily abandoned. It begins almost like a James Bond (or, indeed, Austin Powers) film, with a very ’90s action-sci-fi prologue introducing us to the new tech in town. M3GAN now has a fearsome new rival in militarised fembot AMELIA (played by Ukrainian actor Ivanna Sakhno), which in the grand tradition of sci-fi acronyms stands for “Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics and Infiltration Android”: an automaton capable of punching a man’s head clean off. And wouldn’t you know it, she’s gone rogue.

That’s where M3GAN — thought to have been destroyed after the deadly events of the last film — re-enters the fray, now taking multiple forms, from cloud-based AI to wearable tech to a toy “plastic Teletubby”. We are following Terminator 2 rules here: if AMELIA is the cold, ruthless,unstoppable T-1000, then M3-GAN is the T-800 who can take her on — the fan-favourite baddie gone good — with Williams’ Gemma as the tech- sceptical Sarah Connor-type, who must learn to love her former foe. Because if a M3GAN can learn the value of human life, maybe we can too?

All of that works reasonably well, though Johnstone’s script sometimes throws a little too much plot at the wall, taking a long walk through some chewy exposition to get to the good stuff. While there’s some interesting and cogent takes on tech addiction and the unregulated power of Silicon Valley, the narrative is far more convoluted than it needs to. But when it lets loose and amps up the camp, we hit more 1s than 0s. There are glorious allusions to Steven Seagal’s Above The Law and Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers; a gleeful supporting turn from Jemaine Clement as a despicably sleazy tech baron; and the most deranged, out-of-nowhere musical number this side of Beetlejuice.

There are potential quibbles to be had about plausibility and coherence — Gemma’s professed Ludditism seems to be very easily swayed, if not entirely and instantly abandoned — but when you’re watching two plastic dolls neck-snap their way through the world, life is good. We can’t wait for the next system upgrade.

– Courtesy: Empireonline.com

Rating system: *Not on your life * ½ If you really must waste your time ** Hardly worth the bother ** ½ Okay for a slow afternoon only *** Good enough for a look see *** ½ Recommended viewing **** Don’t miss it **** ½ Almost perfect ***** Perfection