Kiya Kahe Ga Kazi

Saif Ali is a generalist with a knack for storytelling. We speak about his life in America as an 'illegal alien,' about the experience of being detained and then deported from America, about cognitive capital, and storytelling, about being broken and building back up, about the engine of self-hate and the plight of those who wish to understand themselves, about loss and grief, and about holding space for the humanity of others. 

Hira manages the creative space at District 19, a veritable social hub of art and culture, based in Karachi. We speak about what it is to be managing a large workforce comprised primarily of men as a woman in Pakistan, about the ethos of district 19, about the plight of musicians in the lockdown, about fostering art and cultivating artists, and about combating mistrust as it exists in the artist community in Karachi. 

Aun Ali is the editor in chief of the 'Bard's Review,' a philosophically inclined magazine featuring writing from across Pakistan, Aun is also the creator of the 'Phil Room,' an entity that hopes to enamor Pakistani consumers with philosophical discussion and debate. We speak about the dimensions of dogma present in Pakistan, about absolute imperatives, about Plato's political rendition of madness, about the importance of meta-linguistic inquiry and meta-cognition. 

Namrah Sikander is a former content writer for Teeli specializing in the creation and mechanics of memes. We speak about the potent information delivering ability of memes, about the power of despair as an engine to drive one towards their goals, the paradigm-shifting concepts housed in Albert Camus' Absurdist philosophy, and gratitude.

Sajeer Shaikh is the social media manager and content editor for Mangobaaz, an online media reporting concern that has garnered both praise and vitriol for their wont to 'change the local narrative' as it were. We speak about the taboos surrounding conversations about female physiology, about the need to build contextual languages before we begin to have meaningful conversations, about body image issues, and about the primacy of immediate consequence as a barrier to crime. 

Faryal Zuberi is a software engineer engaged in the tech startup scene in Karachi. We speak about the general lack of inclusivity in the tech community in Pakistan and the factors that lead to it, about the proclivity, in Pakistan, to understand the tech industry as a 'black box,' about extreme liberalism and benign conservatism, about the distinction between tolerance and acceptance, and about the power of family. 

Annum Salman is a spoken word poet, author of 'Sense me,' and a member of the budding PR industry in Karachi. We speak about the taboos around mental health, the socio-religious imperatives around suicide, the lack of legitimacy that writers are afforded, the power of nuanced conversations, diaspora complexes, and the liberating power of poetry. 

Hassaan Bin Shaheen is a law teacher, a comedian, and a rapper. Boasting a potent oratory ability, Hassaan and I speak about the chasm between 'Millenials' and 'Gen Z' musicians, about the financial wherewithal that is required to pursue art full-time, about the power of embracing one's vulnerability, about 'radical acceptance' and 'hostile positivity,' about the primacy of writing in any creative pursuit, and about decolonizing our minds.  

Zarmeena Yousuf is a choreographer, teacher, mentor, and is well-versed in multiple styles of dance. We speak about the irreverence with which the Pakistani entertainment industry treats production teams, the general lack of understanding in the local entertainment circuit when it comes to the nuances and varieties of dance, the general commodification and lack of respect that a dancer is treated with, and about the courage to pursue one's ambitions in spite of societal imperatives. 

Keenjhar Khoso is a motivational speaker, a real estate agent (one of the very few females in the field in Karachi), social media manager, and philanthropist. We spoke about her various projects aimed at the mitigation of poverty in Karachi, about the merits and demerits of the women's empowerment movement in general, and the 'Aurat' march in particular, and about a national apathy that appears to be on the rise in Karachi.