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Bollywood, business and biryani

Students of Lahore University of Management Sciences are enthused by `brand India'

ACADEMIC CALLING Mian Usman (left) and Faisal Saleem Photo K. Gajendran

Faisal Saleem and Mian Usman are as excited about watching Bollywood blockbusters on the big screen as indulging in a filling Hyderabadi biryani with Mirchi ka salan. "This is for the first time that we have been watching Hindi films in a theatre. Back home we watch them on DVD," says Faisal. "And when we were coming to Hyderabad we knew for one that there would be good food," adds Usman.

For the duo, students of Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), recently in town at ISB, Rang de Basanti only added to the experience. "Regardless of you being an Indian or Pakistani, you feel the patriotism and come out of the hall moved.

Both the nations have been through colonialism and struggle against the British," reflects Faisal. He adds, "This is the first time that Pakistanis have come across the border for an exchange programme. Coming to India and for education was like double whammy."

The two semesters here have been a hectic 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., reveals Usman, who plans to major in marketing. "Pakistan is known for surgical goods, textiles and leather. It has been an open market so we have been having a thriving FMCG sector," he says.

Ditto, says Faisal. A student of University of Austin, Texas, before he moved to LUMS, he plans to major in marketing as well. "I am fascinated by `brand India'. India is going places.

For instance, Infosys is a city. This is called growth. The Information Technology boom happened the same time in Pakistan as it happened here but I don't think we capitalised on it.

But the academic trend is changing. Earlier the main professions were engineering and medicine. Now youngsters are taking to finance and social sciences," he adds. About the experience in the B-school here, "excellent. You have the best professors teaching. I don't see why anybody would want to go to a Harvard or Stanford," says Usman.

Another aspect that got him hooked on here during his stay is the nightlife. "I have been to10 D, Touch, Ahala and others," he says with a familiarity that any Hyderabadi would relate to these popular destinations.

While Usman preferred Waterfront, Four Seasons and Mainland China as ideas for a nice meal much as shopping in the malls, as he plans to take home pearls and books. "The amount of business opportunities between the two countries are immense once borders open. We do have a lot of fashion there as also music. We do have amazing artists like Jal, Junoon and Adnan Sami but we don't have a Bollywood," he says.

SYEDA FARIDA

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