LAHORE // In the countdown to her wedding, Sana Khan, 26, made the usual rounds of designer shops, jewellers and beauty salons in her native city of Lahore. But for her most important bridal purchases, she went abroad - to India.
"I bought at least 50 per cent of my dowry from Delhi and Jaipur," she said. "I even wanted to order my dress there but decided against it because it was too much hassle to go there for fittings."
At a time when diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan have hit a sour note, citizens of both countries are soaking up each other's culture.
Humaira Khawaja, 27, whose brother recently got married in Lahore, said she made three trips to India for the wedding.
The first was to choose clothes and jewellery for the engagement, the second was to place orders for the wedding and the third was to pick up the items.
"All our clothes came from India," said Ms Khawaja, who works with her father at his carpet factory.
"All the clothes we gave the bride were Indian; her jewellery came from India and all of our clothes - meaning my sister, nieces, mother - also came from India."
Ms Khawaja says the reasons were practical rather than political.
"Their workmanship and design elements are so much better than ours. We are nowhere close to them." Amjad Islam Amjad, a cultural commentator based in Lahore, said the influence of Indian culture was growing.
"We're so much in awe of them that in every aspect of our culture we bow down to them, whether it's imitating their clothes or dances."
While aspects of Indian culture appear to be peacefully assimilating into everyday life in Pakistan, diplomacy between the two nuclear armed rivals remains strained.
Since the split of the subcontinent in 1947, the two countries have been at odds. They fought two wars, in 1961 and in 1975. In May 1999, they came close to a third when India launched airstrikes against Pakistan-supported troops in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir, north of Kargil. During the stand-off, thousands of shells were fired every day and about 50,000 people were made homeless on both sides of the border.
"The Kargil offensive completely ruptured relationships between Pakistan and India," said Rasool Baksh Raees, a political analyst and professor at Lahore University of Management Sciences. "It has taken us years to mend the situation and the wounds are still fresh."
Since 1999, the two sides have implemented a number of measures meant to improve relations between their people, including bus journeys over the border, cricket matches, film productions and fashion shows. All have led to what observers are calling the "Bollywoodisation" of Pakistan.
"Their culture is more developed, stronger and more powerful than ours," said Mr Amjad. "Also, they've marketed themselves so well that it's easy for us to believe they are better."
In Pakistani cinemas, Indian films draw huge audiences while the majority of local productions play to empty or half-filled houses. Because of the popularity of Bollywood celebrities in Pakistan, event managers prefer booking Indian actresses and models to Pakistani celebrities - even if the cost is 10 times the price of a local entertainer. At street stalls, vendors market glass bangles by naming them after popular Indian television shows.
Hajra Hayat, a fashion designer who is renowned for her heavily embellished bridal outfits, said she recently attended a friend's wedding where guests threw coloured powder and water at each other, in a replication of the Indian Hindi festival of Holi.
"To some extent, we're awestruck by the Indians, more so now than before, which is a testament to the great job their media is doing in marketing their culture," said Ms Hayat. "I sometimes get brides asking for an outfit to be made in the same colours as ones that Ashwariya Rai or Kareena Kapoor wore in a certain Indian film. I never get requests from a bride inspired by a Pakistani actress."
Afra Bukhari, a cultural consultant and short story writer, said Pakistanis were eager to imitate Indians because they have progressed at a faster pace.
"Their economy is doing better than ours, their political situation is more stable than ours and they are held in greater esteem by the rest of the world," said Mr Bukhari. "We believe imitating them would help us do better too."
However, Ayesha Meezan, an event manager, said sometimes the urge to imitate went too far.
"We often get couples eager to get the Devdas look for their weddings," she said, alluding to a popular Indian film based on an epic tale of love.
"They're not even willing to consider a theme more indigenous to Pakistan."
* The National
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
De De Pyaar De
Produced: Luv Films, YRF Films
Directed: Akiv Ali
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Rakul Preet Singh, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jaaved Jaffrey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
MWTC
Tickets start from Dh100 for adults and are now on sale at www.ticketmaster.ae and Virgin Megastores across the UAE. Three-day and travel packages are also available at 20 per cent discount.
The%20specs
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
more from Janine di Giovanni
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Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
'The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting up a Generation for Failure'
Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, Penguin Randomhouse
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
THE LOWDOWN
Romeo Akbar Walter
Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
