A Celebration of Women, For Women, and By Women
The 18th LUX Style Awards were held this year with great glitz and glamour, leaving audiences on a high as always. The night was full of celebrities hosting, giving interviews, dancing, interacting and presenting. Twenty-eight awards were bestowed for the entertainment and fashion industry’s hard work, and performances to enchant even the dullest of hearts. However, what sets the LSAs apart from other local award shows is the troupe of women in charge. From Show Director Freiha Altaf, and stylist Nabila to Awards Manager Fareshteh Aslam and on-ground event designers Anisa and Amina Khan of RAKA, the event is administered by a posse of incredibly influential and high powered women.
It goes without saying that LUX has always honoured the genuine talent of the country, and this year was no exception. A whole array of artists were recognised for their efforts and were duly awarded for their contributions to the industry. Starting off with Unilever Chairman Shazia Syed, who talked about how Unilever has played a key role in enabling women in all walks of life, and is now actively working for the long-overdue rights of the transgender community.
“This is just the beginning: we need to transparently continue to un-stereotype not just in our homes but across our communities and beyond. We need to make the tough choices between selling the usual masala VS those powerful controversial messages that have the most impact,” she said.
“It is through these bold decisions that we will be able to demonstrate our bias for tolerance, inclusiveness and freedom from stereotypes. And it is by doing this that we will become conscious and adaptable, and eventually become progressive. And this is the biggest contribution we can make to our country,” she added.
Kicking off a night of celebrating women with that statement, the dynamic red-haired Momina Mustehsan then took centre-stage to show what girl power is all about. The singer performed with Lyari’s rising rap star Eva B which was coordinated completely by Mustehsan herself. The dance, lyrics, and the entire feel of the performance screamed resilience, and together they delivered a strong message of smashing unreasonable stereotypes and how women are out to own this world. About time!
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“This special segment was an ode to the strong women in our society; women who struggle in numerous aspects, yet, always manage to create opportunities and stand up for themselves. This is the first time I’m performing at LUX Style Awards and what makes it most special for me is that it revolved around the women empowerment theme,” said Mustehsan.
Another instance of immense sisterhood was witnessed when Mehwish Hayat and Zara Noor Abbas took the stage for their segment. Amidst all the banter, they highlighted how imperative it is for women to stick together, especially at a time when they are pitted against each other. Yep, these Challawa co-stars had no time for drama and they made sure the point got across in hopes of women to empower one another, at all times.
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Lal Kabootar actress Mansha Pasha has never been far behind when it comes to speaking about women and self-reliance, and she made sure she pitched in with her much-needed input at this year’s event. The actress highlighted how we are finally at the point where we are showing courageous women on screen, and slowly bidding farewell to the damsel-in-distress– with a special reference to Sohai Ali Abro’s Motorcycle Girl. Sohai went on to win Best Actress for her sterling performance in Adnan Sarwar’s Motorcycle girl.
In fact, many badass roles were nominated and lauded that night, including Hajra Yamin for Pinky Memsaab, Hania Amir’s fighter pilot in Parwaz Hai Junoon, Mehwish Hayat’s independence in Load Wedding, to Sanam Saeed and Aamina Sheikhs’s sisterhood in Cake. Rest assured, the film industry is breaking barriers and playing its part when it comes to empowering women, and the LSAs recognised that.
In fact, the prestigious Lifetime Achievement awards were also presented to two powerful women this year – Shabnam for entertainment and Nabila for fashion. Furthermore, a grand tribute was then dedicated to Shabnam, where the three LUX girls Meera, Maya Ali, and Saba Qamar poured their heart out on the stage through their dance performances. Singer Atif Aslam also crooned one of her hit tracks, which ended in a standing ovation for the legendary actress.
As for the human fireball Nabila, the award was presented to her by her own two sons, creating a moment of pure intimacy for the family. Nabila made sure to talk about eradicating all the misconceptions about the industry, and working towards creating an environment which has a spot for everyone in sight. Let’s come together and do our bit to build a better world. A world which is diverse, inclusive, embracing and fair for all,” she said.
The LUX Style Awards will be aired on Geo Entertainment on Saturday the 3rd of August.
