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CONDITIONING: THE TEARS OF RAMAZAN – Newspaper
The holy month in Pakistan has its own patterns: work is relaxed, charity is abundant and patience in short supply. Another recurring feature is the surge in sporting activity, running late into the night, with padel now joining long-established Ramazan fixtures such as cricket, volleyball and futsal.
Those getting caught up in the excitement often include people who have spent the past 11 months largely sedentary.
As a regular player — balancing volleyball and football alongside cricket — I can attest to the increase in frequency of matches and the intensity that comes with it. This is particularly visible during small tourneys — I had played three volleyball tournaments by the time this went to print — where the competitive spirit tends to take over and people end up jumping higher, hitting harder and diving farther than they usually would. I know I have also been pushing myself despite the recurring, albeit manageable, pain in my wrist and persistent stiffness in several fingers.
This results in more-than-usual strain on a body that is already less hydrated and sleep-deprived from fasting. The question, then, is whether Ramazan and injury risk are meaningfully connected.
>Every year during the holy month, thousands of Pakistanis dust off their racquets, lace up their trainers and head to the nearest padel or volleyball court or cricket ground. The spirit is willing, but the body may not be ready…
NOT THE FAST, BUT THE GAP
The first thing every specialist Eos spoke to was keen to establish is that fasting itself is not the direct culprit.
“Basically, there is no such rise in sports injuries specifically because of fasting,” says Professor Badaruddin Sahito, an orthopaedic surgeon at the Civil Hospital, Karachi. Dr Mansoor Ali Khan, the chair of the orthopaedic department at Aga Khan University Hospital, echoes this: “Injuries are not directly related to fasting,” he tells Eos.
The real issue, they agree, is the sudden and dramatic increase in physical activity by people who have done very little of it for months — or years. “Many people play sports at night, often after many years’ gap,” notes Dr Khan.
Dr Amina Bhatti, a chiropractor, puts it plainly: “It’s not limited to Ramazan. Anyone who suddenly increases their activity level without following a routine will precipitate an injury.”
The Ramazan recreational sportsman — what Prof Sahito calls the “yearly Ramazan sportsman” — is therefore in a category of his own. They are enthusiastic, competitive, typically in their thirties or forties — and wholly unprepared for what they are about to ask their body to do.
WHAT GOES WRONG, AND WHERE
When injuries do occur, they follow recognisable patterns. Soft tissue damage is the most common category: ligament sprains, muscle strains and overuse injuries that accumulate across multiple sessions.
Around the knee, ligament injuries are particularly frequent, as are twisting injuries to the ankle. Tennis and badminton players tend to suffer shoulder problems, specifically rotator cuff injuries, while elbow complaints — the medial pain of golfer’s elbow and the lateral pain of tennis elbow — are also regularly seen.
Padel’s injury picture has its own character — a sport built on lateral movement, sudden stops and overhead shots. “When a player is under-recovered, dehydrated and still attempting to play at full intensity, that’s usually when problems occur,” padel instructor Samad Shajani tells Eos.
Tennis and padel instructor Nameer Shamsi identifies tennis elbow as the single most common complaint he sees, followed by lower back and knee injuries. He also points to a dynamic that is easy to overlook: padel’s social appeal. “The addictive nature of the game means that some people end up over-playing, and the body doesn’t get enough time to recover,” he tells Eos.
Away from the padel courts, a quieter but equally familiar Ramazan scene plays out in parks and open grounds across cities and towns: the neighbourhood volleyball game. Requiring nothing more than a net and enough players, volleyball has been a Ramazan fixture long before padel arrived. But its injury risks are no less real.
Repetitive jumping loads the knees heavily — patellar tendinopathy, or jumper’s knee, is among the most common complaints — while ankle sprains from awkward landings and shoulder strain from spiking and serving are routine.
The risk is compounded by surface: concrete courtyards and uneven ground offer none of the shock absorption of a proper indoor floor, and the near-total absence of any warm-up means conditions for injury are set from the opening serve.
THE DEHYDRATION FACTOR
While fasting alone does not cause injuries, one of its physiological consequences does increase risk. Prolonged dehydration — the result of going 12 to 16 hours without fluid intake — compromises muscle function, slows reaction times and reduces the body’s ability to absorb impact and strain.
“Dehydration definitely increases muscle injuries,” says Dr Khan. Prof Sahito explains the mechanism: glycogen, derived from glucose in the blood, is the primary energy source for working muscles. On depleted reserves, muscles become more susceptible to tears and cramps.
The risk is highest in the hour or two before iftar, when the fast is at its longest and the body’s reserves are lowest. Dr Bhatti’s advice is, therefore, to schedule training at one of two optimal windows: after sehri, when the body is hydrated and fuelled for the hours ahead, or after iftar, once fluid and energy levels have been restored. “The timing of the workout is essential,” she says. “Choose optimal windows when the muscle will perform efficiently.”
CONDITIONING, WARM-UP AND THE AGE FACTOR
Beyond hydration and timing, the specialists converge on a third factor: the almost universal neglect of warm-up, cool-down and basic conditioning. “The injuries I come across are related to poor conditioning and loading joints far more than they are used to,” says Dr Bhatti.
Prof Sahito’s advice to recreational players begins with the same point: do some exercise and take a practice session before rushing directly into sport. Dr Khan’s guidance is equally direct: “Know your level of fitness and proceed slowly.”
This is harder than it sounds — the social atmosphere of group sessions and friendly rivalry creates constant pressure to push beyond what the body is ready for. Dr Bhatti describes a “brain-body disconnect” that develops in group settings, where players override genuine warning signs because others around them appear to be managing fine.
Age compounds everything. “You can’t be 45 or 55 and decide one day you want to change your lifestyle,” she says. “That’s admirable — but it should come with a foundation of activation exercises, stretches, warm-ups and cool-downs built into the routine first.”
THE PRESCRIPTION
The advice from the specialists, taken together, is consistent and not complicated.
Rehydrate thoroughly after iftar before playing. Eat for sustained energy rather than simply breaking the fast with sugar-heavy foods that produce a spike and a crash. Warm up properly — not a token stretch, but genuine activation of the muscles and joints you are about to load. Don’t play five nights in a row if your body has no base fitness to draw on. And if something hurts, stop.
“Keep playing throughout the year,” urges Prof Sahito. “That is the key. Keep playing, and it will keep you healthy and active.”
The Ramazan courts will fill regardless. They always do. But the difference between a month that leaves you fitter and one that leaves you in a brace often comes down to the 15 minutes before play — and the honesty to admit when you have done enough.
As I type this with a sprained wrist, it is something I should perhaps have mulled over sooner.
The writer is a member of staff. X: @hydada83
Published in Dawn, EOS, March 15th, 2026
Move Over, Ranveer Singh
Actor Hammad Shoaib has been praised for his performances in several TV serials. However, he recently sparked discussions among his fans and colleagues due to his resemblance to Bollywood A-lister Ranveer Singh. In response, Hammad S said that, while Ranveer S is a great actor and a brilliant performer, he does not aspire to be like him, because he himself is talented enough and wants to carve his own individual identity. Fair enough. But hold on. Is Ranveer S a great actor? You lost us there…
Reel Boost
To boost Pakistan’s film industry, the Punjab Film Fund (established by the Government of Punjab and led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb) has released the first tranche of 15 million rupees of a 30 million rupees production grant for filmmakers. As per the structural plan, the funds will be given in three stages to approved filmmakers: the first tranche (50 percent) will be given upon signing agreements; the second (30 percent) will be issued after principal photography and the first edit; the third (20 percent) will be released after censor certification and compliance submission. This is good news, especially since the fund was announced way back in 2023. Let’s hope cinema and not just filmmakers will benefit from the opportunity.
The Scarpetta Sisterhood
Hollywood heavyweights Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis seem to be becoming close friends after portraying sisters in the Amazon Prime series Scarpetta. Mind you, it’s not just acting that’s strengthening the bond between them. Jamie LC says, “We are both the mothers of daughters. We share that we both have a respect and a professional appreciation for the fact that we get this life, that we get to do this job, and from that comes responsibility.” Meanwhile, Nicole K gushed, “I don’t think there’s anyone in this industry that does not bond with Jamie Lee. There’s nobody who doesn’t go, ‘Oh yeah, Jamie Lee Curtis — she’s one of my best friends.’ She’s capable of that.” Clearly, nothing compares to sisterhood.
Stereotypical Saheefa
Actress and model Saheefa Jabbar Khattak recently put out an over-the-top video of herself having a meltdown while driving. She was wiping tears and crying about people leaving negative reviews about her restaurants. For those not in the know, she recently opened two restaurants in Lahore and, during the launch of one of them, she posted on Instagram that she was looking for staff to run her business but that she prefers to hire Pakhtuns because they are “zubaan ke pakkay” [true to their word]. Not only that, she also said that she no longer trusts members of the Punjabi and Urdu-speaking communities. Talk about self-sabotage! Unsurprisingly, this comment received harsh criticism from netizens who claimed that she was projecting stereotypes and prejudice. We hope an apology is forthcoming.
Stranded in the UAE
The war in the Middle East is creating all sorts of difficulties for people from all walks of life, including showbiz celebs. As a sizeable number of Indian actresses live in Dubai (or go there often for a variety of reasons), Iran’s bombing of the UAE caused some of them to be stranded in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. For example, Nargis Fakhri, Sonal Chauhan and Esha Gupta were forced to stay on in the UAE due to the war. They expressed concern about the situation and, at the same time, praised the UAE government for taking care of people who were stuck at the airport. However, they did not comment on their own (Indian) government. Perhaps that’s because they didn’t have anything positive to say on that account?
Speaking Out
Several Hollywood stars are, as they should be, speaking out against the war that Israel and the US have initiated on Iran. Jane Fonda, John Cusack and Rosie O’Donnell are among them. Mark Ruffalo, who has been courageously outspoken about the genocide in Gaza, has also commented on the subject, referring to an article about Donald Trump’s adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, pointing out, “He was sent to make sure we went to war.” Now that’s exactly how responsible artists around the world should behave. Wake up, Bollywood!
Published in Dawn, ICON, March 15th, 2026
THE WEEK THAT WAS
Tum Larrkay Bhi Naa | Hum TV, Daily 7.00pm
A contemporary script from the king of social satire, Faseeh Bari Khan, Tum Larrkay Bhi Naa explores the lives of two generations.
Faiza Hasan and Vaneeza Ahmed play two sisters with strikingly different personalities and parenting styles, while their children lead parallel lives under their noses, and navigate break-ups and make-ups. At the centre of the serial are Badrika (Aina Asif) and Zoyan (Ali Dayan), whose love life cannot run smoothly due to the latter’s immaturity.
Khan is known for writing about strong women who follow their whims and earn their way, unlike the traditional, dependent ‘good girl’ clichés we usually see on screens, and this drama is no exception. In contrast, all the men are weak and ineffectual, while the younger generation lacks ambition and is only interested in their love lives. Furthermore, there is a lot of subtle humour and plenty of quiet digs at the drama industry in the drama, which regular viewers of Pakistani serials will pick up on. Yasir Nawaz’s direction keeps the show moving at a brisk pace, and the serial showcases a lot of great talent from the younger cast.
Ishq Mein Tere Sadqay | Geo TV, Daily 9.00pm
Zulfikar Shah’s (Muneeb Butt) obsession with Noor (Anika Zulfikar) results in her being an easy target for her enemies, who begin to question her moral character. In the meantime, Salar (Ali Abbas), who was forced to marry her, finally breaks off their on-paper relationship.
After she is humiliated by Salar’s new wife, Noor runs away to avoid pain and constant rejections, only to be found by the stalkerish Zulfikar. When her aunt, her only protector, realises Noor can never be safe at her home, she pushes Noor to marry Zulfikar, who promises to always protect and honour the orphaned Noor. However, life is never easy for this Cinderella, and she faces rejection yet again, this time from Zulfikar’s scheming father, a corrupt businessman.
This masala-style soap serial is a big hit and bucks the trend of family comedies and clean-cut romances that are usually aired — and do well — during Ramazan.
Despite the melodrama, black-and-white characterisations and clichés, the script has an ethical compass that highlights the hero’s extreme behaviour. Noor may be poor and “mazloom” [helpless], but even she stands her ground against the man who forced her into marriage. Muneeb Butt and Anika Zulfikar make an unlikely couple but have won over many viewers.
Fasaana Mart Ka | Green Entertainment, Fri-Sun 9.00pm
Despite a reasonable script and some entertaining performances, this series has failed to catch the eye of the masses, because of the almost depressing focus on its sponsors.
The story centres on a group of retail employees at an Imtiaz Supermarket outlet in Karachi; the glaring artificial lighting and the fact that almost all the action is confined to the store feel claustrophobic. Aena Khan and Shuja Asad make a cute couple, and the quiet longing between the older pair of Faryal Mehmood and Omair Rana is endearing. What is missing are the domestic and personal lives of the staff that Pakistani audiences are used to.
The direction, pace of the show and the whole concept are too slow to create any attachment among viewers, especially during the busy Ramazan season. However, there are strong chances that fans of Korean-style dramas (which often focus exclusively on the protagonists’ professional lives) will tune in.
What To Watch Out For (Or Not)
Sirf Shabana | Hum TV, Coming soon
A thought-provoking new series from the pen of Sanam Mehdi, directed by Aabis Raza, tells the story of a young woman who survives without her father, who abandoned her. The serial features Sohai Ali Abro and Durrab Khalil as a poet.
Published in Dawn, ICON, March 15th, 2026
Frankenstein’s female creature, also known as “the Bride”, was the first female monster to appear on screen, in the 1935 Frankenstein sequel The Bride of Frankenstein. An unruly and rebellious figure, she has inspired dozens of adaptations since.
Most recently, the Bride, as a dramatic character, has been part of a series of creative reimaginings through an explicitly feminist lens. For instance, the dark coming-of-age comedy, Lisa Frankenstein (2024). It imagined the Bride (Kathryn Newton) in the role of the scientist who accidentally brings to life a young Victorian man (Cole Sprouse).
Released just a year earlier, Poor Things (2023) brought an even more complex exploration of power, agency and consent, set in a retro-futuristic Victorian era. In it, the female creature Bella (Emma Stone) negotiates what it means to be both a scientific object and creator (being created out of the pregnant body of a woman and the brain of the mother’s unborn baby). Bella does not abide by the rules and conventions of polite society, using her body against the purpose of her creator and causing several mental breakdowns for the male characters in the process.
Now, a new movie directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Bride!, brings the character to life in moody 1930s Chicago. Jessie Buckley plays the female creature brought back from the dead to be Frankenstein’s mate. But she is not the sort of creature that is inclined to serve someone else’s purpose. When Frankenstein (now the monster, not the scientist, and played by Christian Bale) calls her “the Bride of Frankenstein”, she replies: “No, just the Bride.”
A brief cinematic history of Frankenstein’s Bride as a feminist icon
Although the film promises a ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ story — two lovers and rebels on the run from the law — this Bride refuses to belong to any man. Instead, gun in hand, she demands to be seen and heard on her own terms.
Reanimating the Bride from novel to screen
Since her inception, the Bride’s struggle has been for autonomy. She first appeared in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein (1818), named after an egomaniac scientist who creates a creature from cadavers. In the novel, Dr Frankenstein begrudgingly agrees to make his male creature a companion, but destroys her before she can live. He is afraid she might reproduce or become even more powerful than the male creature.
Her destruction is the most violent episode in the novel and makes apparent the anxiety that her unruly female body causes to the mad scientist. The erasure of Shelley’s original female creation set the scene for the way she continues to be written out of most adaptations of the novel. This includes, most recently, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein (2025).
One hundred years on from Shelley’s novel, the Bride was finally brought to life in James Whales’ The Bride of Frankenstein and played by Elsa Lanchester. Although central to the film’s title, she appears only in the final five minutes. But that was more than enough time to establish her cinematic legacy.
She stands tall, dressed in a white gown, her dark, voluminous hair streaked with lightning. Scars and stitches run around her face. She is both alive and dead, a bride and child, beautiful and monstrous, futuristic and otherworldly. Her appearance defies categorisation, not quite the demure wife she is meant to be.
Even more memorable is the Bride’s defiant scream when she rejects the male creature and the role assigned to her by the film’s title and her creator. Feminist scholars have read this as an assertion of sexual autonomy and agency, a rejection of patriarchal control and a refusal of the role of wife and mother.
She is a powerful symbol of defiance, and both costume and voice become tools for future Brides to say no to their fate. Lanchester’s Bride, however, is not able to invent alternative possibilities for herself and is ultimately destroyed by the male creature, punished for her rebellion.
The limitations of patriarchy are made even clearer in later adaptations, in which Brides choose to end their lives, such as in Frankenstein Created Woman (1967). Her limited options also show the constraints of a narrative in which she is made a mere character in someone else’s story.
The creature Lily (Billie Piper) in the television series Penny Dreadful (2014-2016) is another Bride who attempts to make her own path. But the memories of her body’s previous life as a sex worker have shown her that the world is rotten to the core — her only solution is to destroy it. Lily chooses destruction over radical change and, while she rejects both Frankenstein and the male creature, the man she does willingly choose ultimately betrays her.
For some Brides, power comes from reclaiming the role of creator. This can be seen in Lisa Frankenstein and Poor Things, but also in an earlier adaptation — the exploitation comedy Frankenhooker (1990). The film ends with the Bride taking revenge on her creator by attaching his head to female body parts.
Poor Things is one of the only films where the Bride is not only invested in radical social change, but also escapes the expectations put on her body as a scientific and sexual object. Bella actively subverts these expectations by repurposing her body as one of personal scientific enquiry. This extends to the way she uses sex. It puts her in a complicated position in relation to exploitation and empowerment, where she is simultaneously both and neither. Instead, her actions sit somewhere on the outside of our current perceptions of both.
As Jessie Buckley’s new Bride graces our screens, she promises to follow in the footsteps of her rebellious predecessors — and a long horror tradition.
The writer is a PhD candidate in Film and Television Studies at the University of Warwick in the UK
Republished from The Conversation
Published in Dawn, ICON, March 15th, 2026
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