Latest news with #Zakir
Metro
13 hours ago
- General
- Metro
My mother's words as I fled my homeland ring in my ears
I'll never forget the last thing my mother told my husband, Zakirullah, before we had to say goodbye. 'Fatemah is my amânat to you, take care of her.' Amânat is a Dari word that essentially translates to: 'A gift you entrust someone with.' She said this as floods of tears streamed down my face. I didn't want to leave her – or my three younger siblings – but Zakir and I had no choice. Within two weeks, Kabul fell to the Taliban and my whole world shattered. I was born and raised in the west of Afghanistan in a city called Herāt. Devastatingly, my father was killed by the Taliban when I was just six years old, leaving my mother to raise me, my younger brother, and two younger sisters. Despite this, I was always encouraged to dream big. That's why, after university in 2013, I decided to study a master's degree in Kabul, which is on the other side of the country. From there, I worked for the British Council, where I was in charge of the child protection department and various programs within schools and higher education. Zakir and I met in 2015 for the first time. I delivered a training in one of the orphanages in Kabul, and he was working there. I think God had already decided for us. We met each other by chance at one of the institutes again, and there we started talking, sharing job opportunities and study plans. I realised we were similar in many ways, but different in others. I liked that he was smart, educated, and caring. But his family is quite conservative, so the women in his family didn't get an education or a job. He has always been so supportive of me and my dreams though. Refugee Week is the world's largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking safety. Each year, IMIX – a charity that helps change the way people think and talk about migration – supports Refugee Week Ambassadors. These are people, like Fatemah, who came to the UK to rebuild their lives and who now play an important part in our communities. IMIX is proud to work with Metro as a trusted partner in highlighting these voices and shining a light on the many ways refugees help make the UK a better place for everyone. You can read Dorsa's story below I hugged my dad to hide the terrifying truth We got engaged in 2016 and were married a year later. We were thrilled to welcome our two sons in 2018 and 2020. After that, our lives felt settled and comfortable. In fact, Zakir and I were doing so well (he was working with the US government by that point) that we managed to rent a home in Kabul and were able to help move my mother, sisters, and brother from Herāt to be near us. It was worlds away from how we both grew up. We were all so happy. Then, in April 2021, we saw terrifying headlines that NATO allies were going to start withdrawing from the country, which would effectively hand it over to the Taliban. Within a month of that, Zakir heard about the UK's Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme, which helps relocate Afghans who worked with the UK to get them out of the country. I was eligible because I had worked at the UK Ministry of Defence and the British Embassy, as well as various international organisations over the years, which would almost certainly put me in grave danger. My husband decided to apply for us and it was all approved by July. Of course, we felt relieved at the idea of escaping to safety, but it was heartbreaking to realise we couldn't bring anyone with us besides our two boys. Breaking the news to our families was incredibly tough. We didn't know when – or if – we would see them again and I was so scared that my work would put my family in danger. That's when I had the emotional moment saying goodbye to my mother and siblings. Her words were still ringing in my ears as we boarded the plane heading to the UK on August 3 – a country I'd never been to before. We arrived in Manchester and were placed in hotel quarantine for seven days due to the pandemic. We were moved from hotel to hotel across the country until we finally secured permanent accommodation in south-east London. Thankfully, both my husband and I were able to continue working, but this wasn't easy while juggling trying to get our sons settled and adjusting to school. I have since completed another master's degree and I work for the British Council again after a career break, while my husband secured a job at Queen Mary University. As for my siblings and mother, they were forced to flee their homes repeatedly to avoid detection from the Taliban until we managed to secure visas for them in Pakistan by the end of 2021. Thankfully, my mother, brother, and sisters secured visas again – this time to Australia – by the year after, where they still are today. Throughout it all, it's been incredibly difficult to be away from them. Of course, we regularly talk but I haven't seen my siblings now for almost four years. I feel quite lucky to be able to say that I met with my mother in Germany last August for the first time since being separated. The moment I saw her, I broke down in tears – I was so happy. Remarkably, my eldest son – who was around three when he last saw his grandmother – remembered her. In fact, he was so overwhelmed with joy at being reunited that he cried himself to sleep on her shoulder. Unfortunately, we only managed to spend two weeks together in Germany before she had to go back to Australia and me to the UK. Ever since, my eldest son still asks when we're all going to be properly united. Of course, I want that to happen, but they're all so tired of starting over again and again. For that reason, I don't know what the future holds for us all. For now, I'm concentrating on building a life for my sons in the UK. Part of that is trying to be a role model, which is why I'm an ambassador for the charity City of Sanctuary, as well as involved with Refugee Week. More Trending At the end of the day, I want people in the UK to realise that we're real humans with real stories. We miss our homeland a lot, and we came here as we had to, not because we wanted to. My story is not yet finished. But at least we still have the greatest amânat of all – our lives. As told to James Besanvalle Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: I went to Glastonbury and discovered it's just really overrated MORE: I'm allowed to date other women – my partner isn't MORE: How I stopped feeling insecure when my partner didn't orgasm
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘Shakti has ended,' says the iconic band's co-founder John McLaughlin
The collaborative sound of Shakti, which changed musical discourse worldwide, will echo one final time when Mind Explosion: 50th Anniversary Tour Live releases on August 1. The tracks of the album trace the band's voyage through genres and geographies. With the passing of its celebrated Indian frontman, tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain, this is the last offering from Shakti's stable. For jazz exponent and Shakti co-founder John McLaughlin, Mind Explosion is about camaraderie and creativity. 'On December 15, 2024, a curtain came down on a monumental part of my life. After 55 years of countless concerts, recordings, travels, meals, and laughter together, my brother Zakir, departed. The group Shakti, which we founded together in 1973, has ended. I sincerely hope other 'Shakti' kinds of groups will follow. The kinds of groups that unite diverse cultures for one reason only: joy, because joy was for 50 years the unshakable foundation of Shakti. We brought joy to each other and to listeners,' said the 83-year-old maestro on email to The Hindu. Apart from playing the truest East-West fusion music, the kind rarely heard, Shakti's biggest contribution is turning the spotlight on Indian classical instrumentalists. The band triumphantly tapped into their unique improvisatory skills and projected their ability to hold on to their own style in a collaborative set up. In the process, it inspired a whole generation of string and percussion artistes to look beyond the conventional repertoire and explore new possibilities of sound. The Shakti story began in 1969 when Zakir first met John. Both frequented the same music store in Greenwich Village in New York City. In 1973, they met again in the living room of celebrated sarodist Ustad Ali Akbar Khan's house in California. After which John remarked about Zakir: 'We were musicians from the same family in another life'. Soon the formidable duo launched Shakti with ghatam virtuoso Vikku Vinayakram and maverick violinist L. Shankar. From 1975 to 1977, they toured extensively and released three studio albums and one live album. In 1978, Shakti disbanded but regrouped in 1979 as Remembering Shakti. Along the way, Zakir and John brought on board mandolin prodigy U. Shrinivas, singer Shankar Mahadevan and kanjira ace Selva Ganesh. In 2014, after Shrinivas' untimely death, Shakti lost steam but only to make a second comeback in 2020, this time with experimental violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan into the fold. The COVID-19 Pandemic struck and lockdown was spent recording The Moment. In 2023, Shakti celebrated 50 years with a world tour, making memorable stopovers at several Indian cities. In 2024, The Moment won the Grammy for Best Global Music Album. 'We planned to release Mind Explosion last year along with Shakti's final three golden jubilee shows at NMACC in Mumbai and Dubai's Coca-Cola Arena, but Zakir Hussain's death left us shattered,' says Souvik Dutta, the U.S.-based music entrepreneur, who is launching the album. He was also the man behind Shakti's 50th anniversary concerts and the producer of its The Moment. 'Unlike his vibrant self, Zakir sounded exhausted when he called me in November 2024. He wanted to take some time off. He had told John he would be fine soon and back for the shows. He was conversing with all of us on our Whatsapp group and even took a look at the working album cover. Suddenly, his health began to deteriorate. After his passing, we lost the enthusiasm and energy to take the work forward. But we decided that we had to do it for him. His absence was felt every moment and in every musical aspect. It was painful. So much that even the cover design went through at least seven iterations before John arrived at the final one,' recalls Souvik. The band wanted to round off its golden jubilee celebrations with a live album. Recording engineer Sven Hoffman recorded all 29 concerts performed across the globe. The musicians listened to these recordings and zeroed in on six tracks – 'Kiki', 'Giriraj Sudha', 'Lotus Feet', '5 in the Morning 6 in the Afternoon', 'Sakhi' and 'Shrini's Dream'. Mind Explosion, mixed by George Murphy and mastered by renowned keyboardist Scott Kinsey, carries a big slice of Indo-jazz music history. Dedicating the album to Zakir bhai's memory, Shankar Mahadevan, Ganesh Rajagopalan and Selva Ganesh see the album as a documentation of Shakti's efforts in creating a music world without borders.
News18
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Zakir Khan to Embark On India's Largest-Ever Stand-Up Comedy Tour Across 60+ Cities
Last Updated: Zakir Khan signs India's largest stand-up comedy tour deal with TribeVibe and OML, spanning 60+ cities and 160,000+ fans. A milestone moment for Indian live entertainment. In what is being hailed as a game-changing moment for India's live entertainment landscape, stand-up icon Zakir Khan has signed a historic deal with TribeVibe, a BookMyShow enterprise, and Only Much Louder (OML), to launch the biggest comedy tour India has ever witnessed. The tour will cover over 60 cities, reaching more than 160,000 fans, making it the largest stand-up comedy tour ever by an Indian comedian. With this unprecedented collaboration, Zakir Khan continues to redefine the boundaries of Indian comedy. Known for his unmatched storytelling and relatability, Zakir will now take his signature brand of humour across the length and breadth of the country—from bustling metros to emerging towns—setting a new benchmark for the genre. The tour represents more than just numbers. It embodies a strategic alliance between OML's talent management, BookMyShow's audience insights, and TribeVibe's grassroots production strength, which collectively aim to democratise access to live comedy beyond traditional urban circuits. By reaching audiences in lesser-served regions, the initiative reflects India's growing appetite for quality homegrown entertainment. 'This isn't just a personal milestone," Zakir said. 'It's a celebration of how far Indian stand-up has come. I've always dreamt of comedy being treated like mainstream entertainment—and this partnership is a massive step toward that. This is about taking our stories everywhere they deserve to be heard." TribeVibe's CEO Shoven Shah called the partnership a 'new form of cultural consumption" and said Zakir was the perfect artist to lead this vision. 'We've always believed in democratising great experiences. Doing a 60-city tour is about proving that India is ready to host and celebrate entertainment at this scale," he added. OML's Rishabh Nahar, SVP, echoed the sentiment, calling the tour a 'blueprint for the future" of Indian live entertainment. 'It's about building a sustainable touring economy that matches the ambition of global markets—where data guides decisions and artists build legacies," he said. The tour is expected to roll out in phases, with cities and dates to be announced soon. For fans, it signals not just an opportunity to see Zakir live but to witness Indian stand-up comedy claiming its rightful place on the cultural mainstage. First Published:
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Zakir Khan's 60-city comedy tour sets new benchmark for live entertainment in India
In a defining moment for India's live entertainment landscape, comedian Zakir Khan has joined forces with TribeVibe Entertainment, a BookMyShow enterprise, and Only Much Louder (OML) to launch the country's largest-ever stand-up comedy tour. Spanning more than 60 cities and reaching over 160,000 fans, the tour marks the most ambitious undertaking by an Indian comedian to date—setting a new standard for scale, structure, and cultural reach. At its core, the tour embodies a shared mission: to take comedy to audiences where they are, elevate an art form that has grown steadily in prominence, and create something with lasting impact. The partnership brings together Zakir Khan's pan-India appeal, OML's talent expertise, BookMyShow's data-driven audience insights, and TribeVibe's expansive production capabilities—extending deep into greenfield markets beyond the traditional metro circuits. 'This collaboration signals a new form of cultural consumption in India, one that is ambitious in scale, yet grounded in purpose. It's not just about doing a 60-city tour; it's about proving that India is ready to host and celebrate live entertainment at this scale across its full breadth. At TribeVibe, we've always believed in democratising access to great experiences and Zakir, through his authenticity and connection with audiences, is the perfect artist to lead this vision. Partnering with OML to bring this to life feels like a natural next step in the journey,' said Shoven Shah, Founder & CEO, TribeVibe Entertainment. Zakir Khan shared, 'This isn't just a personal milestone, it's a celebration of how far Indian stand-up has come. I'm grateful to be doing this with partners who truly believe in the power of homegrown stories and the audiences who've made it all possible. This tour is not just about performing in 60 cities, it's about taking the art of Indian stand-up to every corner of the country with the scale and seriousness it truly deserves. For years, we've dreamed of comedy being treated like mainstream entertainment, and this partnership is a massive step in that direction. I've always believed in building something bigger than myself, and this moment feels like that belief taking centre stage." Rishabh Nahar, SVP, OML, added, 'This tour doesn't just mark a milestone for Zakir, but serves as a blueprint for the future of Indian live entertainment, bringing live comedy to the cultural and geographic heart of the country. With this partnership, TribeVibe Entertainment and OML hope to lay the groundwork for a touring economy that mirrors the scale, sophistication and ambition of global markets, where data guides decisions, artists build legacies and where audiences everywhere have equal access to transformative cultural experiences.'
New Indian Express
28-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
The four-day India-Pakistan crisis and why civilian safety can't remain an afterthought
At the crack of dawn on May 10, Zakir Hussain had just one prayer on his lips -- that he be able to rescue his young children from the intense Pakistani shelling targeting his village of KheriKeran. Located in the Bantalab area, approximately fourteen kilometres from the Kanachak sector of the India-Pakistan international border, KheriKeran falls in one of the transitional zones where the international border begins to give way to the Line of Control. Zakir's home was among those hit as over thirty shells rained down on the village, which lies deep in the interiors. The 45-year-old sadly would go on to become one of at least twenty-one civilians killed in the cross-border shelling, with most casualties reported south of the Pir Panjal range. The escalation followed the launch of Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory military campaign initiated by India in response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of twenty-six civilians. The intensity of the shelling was not confined to forward posts. In the interior region of Surankote in Poonch district, around 25 kilometres from the LoC, Pakistani shelling reached unprecedented levels. Residential buildings sustained significant damage and civilian injuries rose. Among the wounded was a young girl with a fractured rib caused by shrapnel. Even more heart-wrenching was the story emerging from Kulani village in Poonch near the Line of Control, largely ignored by national media. There, a young couple mourned the loss of their 12-year-old twins, Zoya and Zain, who were killed in the shelling on May 10. These accounts reflected the unseen and underreported dimensions of the current crisis. While strategic analysts and political commentators focus on military maneuvers, international posturing and diplomatic fallout, the human toll has been dangerously overlooked. In the wider discourse on the India-Pakistan military confrontation, these ground-level tragedies deserve far more attention. A clinical, dispassionate bottom-up assessment of the four-day crisis is essential, not merely to understand the operational dynamics or strategic calculus, but to reflect on the lived experiences of border residents. Their stories must be central to any credible evaluation of the conflict, lest policy be shaped by distortion, political expediency, or selective empathy. Poonch bore the brunt again First, the toll of at least fifteen civilian deaths in Poonch during the recent India-Pakistan military escalation raises urgent and uncomfortable questions. No other region experienced casualties on this scale. Poonch town, a historical settlement nestled along the Line of Control (LoC), has once again borne the brunt of cross-border hostilities. Historically, Poonch was a princely state (or jagir) under the suzerainty of the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir. Though subordinate to the Dogra rulers, it enjoyed a notable degree of internal autonomy. Its strategic location rendered it geopolitically significant. In 1947, with the first India-Pakistan war, the state of Poonch was bisected by the newly-drawn ceasefire line, which would later become the LoC. Since then, the town has remained one of the most vulnerable civilian centers in any India-Pakistan military flare-up, both for its geography and its tragic geopolitical inheritance. Anyone familiar with Jammu and Kashmir's topography and the cycles of crisis knows that Poonch is among the worst exposed. Sitting in a low-lying bowl, surrounded by Pakistan-held heights, the town is perilously positioned. Having observed intermittent border tensions for over four-decades, I was nevertheless struck by the sheer absence of civil preparedness this time. If retaliation, such as Operation Sindoor, was on the table, why weren't defensive precautions in place? Why were no functioning civilian bunkers available? Why was civil defence not preemptively activated? Locals are asking these very questions, and rightly so. A crisis of this magnitude demands more than military precision. It demands comprehensive protection for civilian populations who are routinely caught in the crossfire. The failure to implement even the most basic protective measures reflects a chronic governance gap: an inability to map known vulnerabilities and build resilience along the LoC.
