Deepak Perwani, the first designer to make a mark in for male fashion in the Pakistani fashion industry has got it all today. Winner of the Lux and Indus Style Awards, he is diversifying now into bridal wear due to demand. He is one of the prominent members of the Hindu Sindhi community in Pakistan. He has become the country's cultural ambassador to China.DEEPAK Perwani's favourite movies change with time. Says the designer,''Films are such a vast genre, and there have been such varied kinds of movies in vogue over the years-romantic, cowboy, comedy, suspense, kung-fu, sci-fi, animation, and so on-and with so many in each category ranking among my favourites that it would really not be fair to name only a few of my pet ones.''
Nevertheless, Perwani does name some of his favourites for this year. Top of the list of his 'must-see films' is Irreversible. A French movie, the whole film has been done in reverse. Says Perwani, ''It is all about nothing and everything. Taken backwards, it is about a pretty young girl whose life changes for ever when she steps into a subway one day. She is raped and the 15-minute scene has been done so brilliantly that you feel outraged not just by the act, but by the injustice of the violation.''
His second hot favourite of the year, in marked contrast to the first, is American Wedding, the latest of the American Pie series, which he describes as ''hilarious''. Finding Nemo, which he finds ''very cute'', follows close on its heels.
Perwani claims he has not watched an Indian movie in a long while, but if he had to name one, it would be Lagan -a feel-good film. Says he, ''That is what cinema should be-it should be able to shock you, make you happy, sad. Dil Chahta Hai is another great movie. It is stylish and contemporary and could be about just anyone in today's world.
As for Pakistani films, ''I used to watch every new release until I began to feel that all they are doing is demeaning women. Most of them are in really bad taste, forget their production quality. In fact, in recent times the only Pakistani movie I have really enjoyed is World ka Centre. An experimental film, it is about two boys from Lahore who were leaving for the United States on 9/11. It was very well done, and this is the kind of cinema we need.''
Perwani's favourite music is 32 Flavours by Alana Davis. It projects his belief that you have to be brave if you want to make it in this world as a woman. He has even used the song in a documentary that he has made recently.
Another all-time favourite of his is Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's Sajna Teray Bina. He is also very fond of Good Cop, Bad Cop, sung by the band Everything But The Girl.
An avid reader, Perwani's favourite book is The Raj by Gita Mehta. He describes it as ''a brilliant book set in pre-Mughal raj. A fiction, it focuses on the kingdom of a maharani and traces her entire life.'' At the same time, the story somehow reminds one of the autobiography of Gyatri Devi and one gets the distinct impression that some portions have been inspired from her book, so it is part fiction and part reality, he adds. Orlando by Virginia Wolfe is another of Perwani's favourite books. Set in the thirteenth century, it is ''an incredible book'' detailing the most intense considerations of gender.
Says Perwani, ''Orlando is an extraordinary character living for 400 years and changing sex, and the book is a fascinating piece of literature on gender bending.''
Among his favourites is also Manto Nama, a highly enjoyable book. ''The entire book makes for excellent reading,'' says Perwani. He is also very fond of Sunlight on a Broken Column by Attia Hosain. ''It is a very mellow and sad book about family life and how lives change with the moving of one's abode.''
And finally, he dotes on The Blue Bedspread by Raj Kamal Jha, about which he is convinced that ''if you read it once, you will want to read it again the same night.''
FAVOURITE FILM: Irreversible
FAVOURITE MUSIC: 32 Flavours, by Alana Davis
FAVOURITE BOOK: The Raj by Gita Mehta
The show was held in Hainan province, in the city of Boao, which, not too long ago, was without electricity and telephones but now boasts over 25 hotels, highways and everything imaginable in terms of comfort and style. Deepak Perwani, representing Pakistan at the conference, showed off a diffusion of East and West, starting the show with a white multi-layered gharara and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's music.
The audience burst into applause with President Pervez Musharraf, who was also present as the Chinese models walked down the catwalk wearing Pakistani clothes, as if they had worn them all their lives. This was fashion in its glorious self, a true language unspoken but felt, bringing people together.
The second outfit was a red sari while the last piece was a black strappy sharara with green kundan jewellery and peacock feathers, which the model held in her hands. As she offered a salaam to everyone in the audience, the gesture won many hearts that night. And what a spectacular night it was, with tons of fireworks marking the grand finale.
It appeared as if both countries had not expected what they saw that evening. The Chinese have come a long way from Mao's time to fashion that was very elegant. It would not be a surprise if one sees Chinese designers participating in fashion shows abroad soon The Chinese weren't expecting the Pakistanis to be so up-to-date. Seeing the elegance of Deepak Perwani's clothes, a whole vista seemed to have opened up for Pakistani designers there, having never had such a cultural exchange in the past.
The music, the models and the clothes spoke the same language whether it was Singapore, Malaysia, Pakistan or China. They were all one for that brief period of time, part of a bigger picture a picture that makes us children of the global village.
Deepak Perwani, proud to be part of such an event, informed that he has been appointed a permanent member to promote culture between the two countries and also to promote dialogue that speaks not the language of politicians, but of fashion
Today Pakistan's Hindus number somewhere between 2.5 million [a somewhat suspect official estimate] and 5 million [according to popular Hindu politician Kishinchand Parwani]. Over 95 per cent of them live in the province of Sindh most are poor farmers and labourers from the scheduled castes.
Many of the worshippers at Karachi's temples are somewhat better off, and the calm affluence of Karachi's wealthier Hindus is worlds apart. Thirty-year-old Deepak Perwani, his hair dyed red, and a Ganesha tattooed on his right arm, is one of Pakistan's top fashion designers. His quick Indo-Pak analysis ''There is one major difference. Indians can't cut a salwar to save their lives and Pakistanis can't cut a churidar''
As with many Hindus here, 'Inshallah' slips out of his mouth easily as a prelude to anything and he eats beef, never pork. A travel agent once booked him into a Lahore hotel as an Indian. ''I was pissed off. I struck out the word Indian and wrote Pakistani.'' Six years ago when he wanted to open a store on an upmarket Karachi street, his friends asked him not to flaunt his name outside. But he was soon forced by market pressure to put his brand up in massive type-Deepak Perwani. "There's been no trouble, not a single incident outside my shop."
Perwani is celebrated and patronised by the rich and mighty of Pakistan, even honoured as the country's cultural ambassador to China. But he has just one ''small problem'' being in Pakistan.
''Mathematical chance isn't on the side of a Sindhi Hindu looking for a suitable arranged match within the small community. The girl has to be imported,'' Perwani says, ''since I am doing too well here to be exported." His mother Renu will parade him in Bombay, Dubai and Hong Kong, but as she says with motherly concern, ''People in India or Dubai don't want their daughters to live in Pakistan. It's a mindset.''
Renu's endearing motherly look turns somewhat severe when she considers the options for her son,''I would never accept a Muslim girl in my house. All my friends are Muslims and I know they are very beautiful people, cultured and nice. But a daughter-in-law is a different matter.'' In any case, her son can't marry a Muslim Islamic law prohibits a Muslim marrying a Hindu. ''I'd have to convert,'' says Deepak.''And I would never do that.''
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