Urban Noir: Disruptions and Dislocations in Karachi

Info

Attendees are invited to the second lecture in the public program connected to the exhibition کبھی قطرہ سمندر میں بدل جاتا ہے | A Drop Becoming the Ocean, organized by the Faculty of Arts & Sciences at Aga Khan University and the Furqaan Ahmed Collection.

During this session, Prof. Kamran Asdar Ali will delve into the film Laal Kabootar, directed by Kamal Khan in 2018, to examine modern-day Karachi. Analogous to how Ram Gopal Verma’s Satya was a groundbreaking work, Laal Kabootar is poised to be recognized as a significant addition to Pakistani cinema, capturing the essence of Karachi Noir. The film portrays the ongoing feeling of dread experienced by the city's residents, reflecting the pervasive anxiety tied to urban life, surveillance, security issues, and violence. With Karachi's inhabitants grappling with job insecurities and the threat of unexplained violence, the discussion will reflect on pathways toward social, economic, and cultural recovery for this tumultuous city. Prof. Ali utilizes Laal Kabootar to shed light on the daily lives of working-class individuals, probing the potential avenues for a more promising future in cities like Karachi, where multilingual and multicultural communities navigate their complex coexistence.

This lecture supports the educational and dialogue-driven goals of the exhibition کبھی قطرہ سمندر میں بدل جاتا ہے | A Drop Becoming the Ocean, which uses water to weave together discussions on environmental issues, migration, social class dynamics, and colonial legacies in Pakistan and South Asia. This collaboration between the Furqaan Ahmed Collection and the Faculty of Arts & Sciences at Aga Khan University showcases works by esteemed artists from the region, including Naiza Khan, Salima Hashmi, Zarina Hashmi, Saba Khan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Jr., and Lala Rukh.

The talk will take place from 5 PM to 6 PM, after which refreshments will be available, and participants are encouraged to explore the exhibition.

Note: Attendees must bring their CNIC card or foreign passport for building access.

For press inquiries or additional information, please contact fas.research@aku.edu.

Speaker Profile:

Prof. Kamran Asdar Ali is a Professor of Anthropology and serves as the Chair of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin. His areas of expertise include gender, sexuality, health, political economy, labor history, urban studies, and popular culture, primarily focusing on South Asia and the Middle East. He is the author of significant works such as Communism in Pakistan: Politics and Class Activism 1947-1972 and Planning the Family in Egypt: New Bodies, New Selves. Additionally, he has co-edited various notable publications addressing gender and urban spaces in diverse cultural contexts.