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IN MEMORIAM: THE QUIET CRAFTSMAN
I love the smell of napalm in the morning. You know, one time we had a hill bombed, for twelve hours. When it was all over, I walked up. We didn’t find one of ’em, not one stinkin’ dink body. The smell, you know that gasoline smell, the whole hill. Smelled like… victory. Someday this war’s gonna end.”
For many, that monologue from Apocalypse Now is the definitive Robert Duvall moment: a blend of bravado, absurdity and menace delivered with unnerving calm.
For those of us who grew up in Pakistan in the shadow of ideological debates about empire, non-alignment and resistance, the wars in Indochina had a special resonance. Left-wing activists in Pakistan — students, trade unionists, writers — saw Vietnam not merely as a distant battlefield, but as a moral drama about superpower intervention. In drawing rooms and campus canteens, names such as Hanoi and Saigon were invoked alongside discussions of Palestine and Latin America.
When Duvall’s Lt Col Bill Kilgore spoke of napalm as “victory”, the line reverberated far beyond Hollywood. It sounded like the distilled psychology of imperial hubris. Yet it was not the first time I had encountered Duvall.
Actor Robert Duvall, who passed away February 15, specialised across six decades in portraying authority figures. But his real power lay in his trust of understatement
Like many of my generation, I had met him earlier in The Godfather as Tom Hagen, the cool-headed consigliere of the Corleone family. Only later did I return to his film debut in To Kill A Mockingbird and discover the shy, almost spectral Boo Radley.
Watching those two performances within a short span, I admired how profoundly he had developed within a decade — from silent outsider to composed insider, from moral witness to institutional operator.
In To Kill A Mockingbird, Duvall speaks not a word. Boo Radley is more presence than personality, a figure shaped by prejudice and gossip in a racially divided Alabama town. The film’s courtroom drama — centred on an innocent black man condemned by a biased system — remains a searing indictment of how justice can falter under social pressure.
For audiences in Pakistan, the theme is painfully familiar. Accused persons belonging to minority communities often struggle to obtain fair hearings when public emotion runs high. Legal processes, though constitutionally grounded, can be distorted by prejudice or intimidation. Boo Radley, misjudged by rumour, symbolises how communities construct guilt before evidence is weighed.
By contrast, in The Godfather, Duvall’s Tom Hagen represents the law as instrument. Hagen is not a flamboyant gangster; he is the rationaliser of violence, the lawyer who gives crime administrative polish. He drafts contracts, negotiates settlements, speaks in measured tones. The performance is unsettling because it is so civilised.
In many societies — including Pakistan — public confidence in the legal profession has occasionally been shaken by instances where lawyers have been perceived as enabling powerful criminal networks rather than merely defending the accused’s rights. Duvall’s Hagen embodies the ethical tension at the heart of advocacy: where does representation end and complicity begin? His quiet authority shows how legality can cloak moral compromise.
A figure of institutional power
A fascination with institutional power runs throughout Duvall’s career. In The Conversation, he appears briefly, yet memorably, as “The Director”, the opaque authority behind a corporate surveillance operation.
Released in the wake of Watergate, the film captured anxieties about wiretapping and the erosion of privacy. Its themes resonate strongly in contexts where intelligence agencies are widely believed to intrude into personal and political life. Pakistan’s own history is punctuated by allegations of surveillance, intercepted communications and the invisible reach of security institutions. Duvall’s character scarcely raises his voice; he does not need to. His calm signals the normalisation of intrusion.
In Network, Duvall shifted from covert authority to corporate evangelism. As Frank Hackett, the ratings-obsessed executive, he proclaims the primacy of the “American business system” with almost theological conviction.
The satire targeted the commodification of news, yet its critique of sensationalism feels universal. In Pakistan’s fiercely competitive television landscape — where talk shows amplify outrage and political polarisation — Network appears less an American curiosity than a cautionary tale. Duvall’s performance captures the zealotry of commerce: profit as creed.
Then came Kilgore in Apocalypse Now. The line about napalm is delivered not as parody but as genuine enthusiasm. Kilgore believes in the righteousness of his mission. That sincerity makes him terrifying.
For Pakistani leftists of the 1960s and 1970s — many of whom marched against American intervention in Vietnam — the character symbolised the psychology of superpower dominance. Yet Duvall did not play Kilgore as a cartoon villain. He infused him with charm and humour, exposing the seductive appeal of militarised masculinity.
Duvall’s later career softened in tone. In Sling Blade, he portrayed a compassionate small-town patriarch, offering steadiness in a fractured community. The performance suggested an actor comfortable with restraint. Where Kilgore strutted, this character listened.
Behind the camera, Duvall demonstrated similar instincts. As the producer of We’re Not the Jet Set, he championed modest, music-inflected storytelling, rooted in working-class life. The film’s beauty lay in its refusal of glamour. It celebrated unpolished voices and rural rhythms rather than celebrity sheen. Duvall’s sensibility gravitated towards authenticity over spectacle — a trait evident across his acting choices.
His poor films and conservative streak to defend the system
Not all projects succeeded. In The Scarlet Letter (1995), an adaptation that veered towards melodrama, even Duvall’s gravitas could not compensate for narrative confusion.
More controversial was Stalin, in which he portrayed the Soviet leader. The production offered a largely one-dimensional depiction, flattening historical complexity into a stark morality play. To this scribe, it resembled Cold War propaganda, maligning the USSR with little attempt at nuance. Whatever one’s judgement of Stalin’s record, the film’s weakness lay in its simplicity.
Duvall, an actor known for layering contradictions, appeared constrained by a script intent on caricature. Politically, Duvall avoided strident activism. He occasionally expressed conservative sympathies, yet refrained from Hollywood’s culture of megaphone politics. His contributions were quieter: support for arts initiatives, encouragement of independent filmmakers and advocacy for veterans. In this, he resembled many of his characters — men who believed in systems yet understood their fragility.
Across six decades, Duvall specialised in authority figures — lawyers, generals, executives, patriarchs. Yet he rarely played them as caricatures. He illuminated belief as both strength and blindness. In To Kill A Mockingbird, justice falters under prejudice. In The Godfather, law is bent to shield crime. In The Conversation, surveillance corrodes privacy. In Network, commerce consumes journalism. In Apocalypse Now, militarised conviction veers into delusion.
For audiences in Pakistan, these themes are not abstract. Questions about minority rights, legal ethics, intelligence overreach and media sensationalism remain live debates.
Duvall’s filmography, though distinctly American, speaks to broader anxieties about power and conscience. Watching Boo Radley after Tom Hagen, I admired not merely Duvall’s growth, but his consistency. He trusted understatement. He understood that authority whispered can be more chilling than authority shouted. He refined rather than reinvented himself.
Cinema has lost one of its quiet craftsmen. But his performances endure — measured, intelligent, unsettling. And that monologue about napalm, resonant from Indochina to distant campuses in Pakistan, remains a reminder of how art can capture the psychology of power in a single, unforgettable breath.
The writer is a columnist, educator and film critic. He can be reached at Mnazir1964@yahoo.co.uk. X:@NaazirMahmood
Published in Dawn, ICON, February 22nd, 2026
Q. I am attaching a picture that shows the infestation on my tomato plant leaves. This tunnelling destroys the leaves of my vegetable plants every year. I spray my plants with organic concoctions, such as baking soda, vegetable oil and red chilli powder and, at times, crushed garlic mixed with water. But nothing helps. Please guide how to get rid of this infestation and avoid this destruction of my tomato plant leaves.
A. Looking at the photograph, it appears that your tomato plant is under attack from leaf miners. It is a very common pest when it comes to tomato plants. Small adult flies, scientifically known as Liriomyza sativae and Liriomyza trifolii, are generally detrimental in this case. These pests lay eggs on the leaves, from which larvae hatch. The larvae then tunnel through the leaf, consuming it from within. The larvae then fall to the ground and transform into pupas, which then transform into flies. This process occurs after every one to two weeks. Therefore, the pest attack on the plant spreads very quickly.
Leaf miners are not caterpillars or fruit borers. They live and feed inside the leaf tissue, so contact pesticides usually don’t work on them. Only systemic or translaminar insecticides that can penetrate the leaf or move within the leaf tissue are effective. Sprinkling and spraying chemical pesticides are considered among the best options to save the plant from leaf miners.
The best organic option would be to fortnightly spray the plant with an organic neem oil solution mixed in water. You may also cover up the plant from the beginning to deter flies from laying eggs on the leaves. If an attack occurs during the plant’s early growth stages, the affected leaves should be pruned to ensure the safety of the rest of the plant and to limit the pest from spreading.
All your gardening queries answered here
Q. What types of flowers can survive water extracted through borewells in Karachi?
A. A plant’s performance is relatively diminished and compromised when it is being supplied with water extracted through borewells. Flowering plants that tolerate slightly saline water, though with somewhat reduced flowering, are bougainvillea, oleander, vinca (or sadabahar) and portulaca, to name a few.
Q. I have a chikoo (sapodilla) tree for the last six years, as shown in the photograph. We are tending to the tree to the best of our abilities, providing it with fertiliser, care and watering. However, it has produced neither fruit nor flower. Please suggest what seems to be the issue here.
A. Looking at the photograph, your tree appears to have been grown from seed rather than grafted. Trees grown from seeds usually start fruiting after at least six years to a decade. Sometimes, they never fruit at all. On the other hand, grafted trees usually begin fruiting within three to four years. This is why I believe the tree was likely grown from seed.
However, if it’s grafted, then the plant needs to be enriched with fertilisers that are rich in potassium, phosphorus and boron. Nitrogen-based fertilisers should be stopped. You mentioned that you are watering the tree regularly, which is a good thing. However, in some cases, creating a water-stress situation can provoke the tree to start producing flowers. In this case, withholding water for two weeks, then watering heavily can improve the chances. So, you can try that out as well.
Sometimes, overcrowding of the leaves can be detrimental. The leaves, branches and stem drain the tree of its energies while hampering the chances of flowering. One of the quick fix solutions would be to graft a healthy and already fruiting branch from another tree. Gardeners prefer this technique as it ensures immediate fruiting. In your case, the tree is likely to fruit within the next one to two years. Best of luck!
Q. I have a desert rose plant at my home in Karachi for the last few years. It has not flowered since I bought it. What needs to be done to change that?
A. Adenium, or the desert rose plant, is a hardy plant that survives harsh weather and difficult conditions. However, it still requires a few care practices, such as frequent pruning of branches, shifting to bigger pots or ground to improve root space, and keeping it safe from dew and overwatering. Do share its progress after applying these solutions. Hopefully, it will start to flower soon. Fingers crossed!
Please send your queries and emails to doctree101@hotmail.com. The writer is a physician and a host for the YouTube channel ‘DocTree Gardening’ promoting organic kitchen gardening
Published in Dawn, EOS, February 22nd, 2026
Dear Auntie,
I am a 35-year-old woman who has been married for seven years. My husband is a lawyer and is not from within the family. The problem is that my parents do not like my husband and never greet him properly. Since my husband has a very bad temper, he has stopped meeting them altogether and now just drops me outside their home without coming in.
The thing is that he’s too sensitive about their attitude and keeps asking me why they act in the manner that they do. I have told him many times that they are just insecure because they are not so financially well off, but he keeps pestering me day and night. I’m mentally and emotionally exhausted and do not know what to do with him. Please help.
Exhausted
‘My Husband and Parents Don’t Get Along’
Dear Exhausted,
Your situation is more common than people like to admit and, honestly, it puts a strain on many marriages. When the people you love refuse to meet each other halfway, the responsibility falls on the person who belongs to both sides.
However, what is truly concerning is the pressure your husband is putting on you by questioning you about your parents’ behaviour. People who are hurt often want explanations for what is happening, but explanations cannot always bring relief. And you cannot keep answering the same question over and over just to calm someone down.
So no, this is not easy. You cannot change your parents’ insecurities and you cannot control your husband’s temper either. But you can change what you are willing to put up with.
To begin with, you should set a firm boundary with your husband. Do it calmly by telling him that while you understand that he feels disrespected, discussing it repeatedly is affecting your mental health and that you cannot keep dissecting it every day. Sometimes people do not realise the toll they are causing until you bring it to their attention. Also, remind him that they are your parents and that you aren’t open to hearing a tirade against them every day.
Moreover, you should stop trying to change the situation for now. If he drops you off at the parents’ house and doesn’t come in, let it be. Some time and distance can help calm egos in ways that arguments cannot. So don’t try to fix it for now. You might want to speak quietly to the parent who is more open to discussing the situation and let them know that this issue is hurting you.
At the end of the day, you should not be responsible for managing and juggling everyone’s egos, especially since all those involved are adults.
Think about where your own limits lie. And talk to yourself honestly. Not as your parents’ daughter or your husband’s wife, but as yourself, and ask how much of this you can continue to absorb before something inside you snaps. And then set limits on what you will put up with and what you won’t.g
Disclaimer: If you or someone you know is in crisis and/or feeling suicidal, please go to your nearest emergency room and seek medical help immediately.
Auntie will not reply privately to any query. Please send concise queries to: auntieagni@gmail.com
Published in Dawn, EOS, February 22nd, 2026
A itchisonia-upon-Chenab, February 22: In a startling new development that has sent waves of huzzahs throughout insane asylums, nothing happened in the Republic of Cliftonia yesterday. Peace prevailed, as it always has, in every nook, corner, niche and alcove of the Republic. In fact, reports coming in from across the nation confirm that even the Republic’s round edges remained bathed in bucketfuls of undiluted peace.
Last week, 595,629 flowers bloomed in Aitchisonia-upon-Chenab, ushering in the much-awaited spring season. Around 320,450 beautifully-plumed Siberian Bloompanthers — Ciftonia’s national bird — flew and nested in the 927,328 evergreen trees planted by the authorities last Friday, as part of their ‘A Bird In Tree Is Worth Two In The Bush’ campaign.
Speaking to the media, Jimmy Jirga, Minister of Bird-Settling, Cravats and Brunches, said that the arrival of such an unprecedented number of birds augured well for the future of the food industry.
“There has been a deluge of birds to match the tsunami of trees that I had personally planted last month,” he said. “For what is a bird if not nature’s way of supplying us with eggs. And you will be pleased to know that not a single one of our birds has found mention in the X-Files, which have recently been released by the Federal Bureau of the Department of Justice and Central Intelligence. This has proved, yet again, that even our birds are as pure as the driven snow,” he stated.
In the Republic of Cliftonia, peace is permanent, statistics are miraculous and anything missing from official records simply never existed
“Speaking of which, I am pleased to report that our Met Department registered almost two million snowflakes that fell across the length and breadth of Grammaria county, sending snow-starved Grammarians into uncontrollable bouts of delight and delirium. The government played its part in setting up stalls that sold colourful and delicious snow cones, which could be licked, chomped or snorted as per the discretion and mood of the customer,” he added.
“And once again, we are happy to report that none of our snow cones were mentioned in any of the emails that were part of the recently released X-Files.”
According to the Ministry of Chocolate, Caramel and Fine Dining, more than 53,000 high quality chocolate nougats were distributed to children in private schools in the western borough of Mrs. Agha. This distribution was sponsored by a generous Cliftonian tech-billionaire based in the Valley of Silicon.
“Expatriate Cliftonians are undoubtedly the greatest suppositories of our country, for they have a solution for every supposed ailment that afflicts our land. Their wealth, intelligence, qualifications, multiple passports, distance, extremely high (double) standards, and desire to ensure their children study and make a career somewhere as far away from the motherland make them shining exemplars of those seeking the last refuge,” explained Minister Jirga.
“The nougats provided were of stellar quality and satisfied one of the most basic needs of our children. Who but a billionaire can gauge such essential needs? Who but a babydoll robber baron can respond with such alacrity to requirements that are crying out to be met by large-hearted Siliconians? None but them,” he said.
“Let me also tell you that not one of the thousands of nougats delivered found its way into the X-Files, even though their donor did. But then that is the beauty of this wonderful, peaceful universe that we’ve created.”
The ministry also released information on the 3,298 cultural events held over the past few months, which helped reinforce the peace that the world has ceaselessly enjoyed since right after lunch on Wednesday, 23 August, 1142 CE. Ballets, classical music recitals, defence industry exhibitions, literature festivals, sports events, anti-terrorism conferences, food fests, and kidnapping, ransom and home security seminars jostled with each other for attention, as governments across the world celebrated peace and harmony and imposed it on its citizens with an iron foot, as their hand was busy doing other things.
“As a distinguished member of many panels at these events, I can tell you for certain that I was quite nervous at how fragile the peace we have imposed globally on our collective peoples is and how it can be shattered by one unwanted phrase, one misspoken word, one unfunny joke and one broken wind,” said Minister Jirga.
“But fortunately, mankind has learned to live with us and our many moods and better sense has always prevailed. As contemporary history’s greatest sage, St Morrissey sang about us many moons ago: ’Don’t blame/ This sweet and tender hooligan/ Because he’ll never, never, never do it again/ Not until the next time.’ I sincerely believe no truer words have since been spoken.”
Minister Jirga also said that, lest anyone forget, it was imperative to note that not one event, festival, symposium, seminar etc held was mentioned in any of the emails, photographs, videos, secret recordings, locker rooms and islands listed in the X-Files, thereby proving that such files were nothing more than a sinister effort by his mother-in-law to blame him for everything that’s ever happened in Cliftonia’s peaceful little world.
Farid Alvie was born. He currently lives.
He’s on Instagram @faridalvie
Published in Dawn, EOS, February 22nd, 2026
سانحہ ڈوڈی پورہ کو 20 سال بیت گئے، کشمیری شہداء کے اہلخانہ آج بھی انصاف کے منتظر
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