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When we say WTF, we mean two things: What the F$%K and Wow That’s Fabulous! So here are the WTF moments from last night’s #MissVeet event.

Miss Veet Pakistan 2016 finally came to an end (on a surprisingly chilly winter night in Karachi) by crowning Zainab Raja winner. We clapped, despite being unconvinced that she was the best contestant, and as we attempted to deal with the OTT and garishly pink-lit Mohatta Palace in the backdrop. Sending out a silent apology to Fatima Jinnah. However, wouldn’t it have been perfect if it all went down as simply as just that? Well, that’s where the WTF moments come in, which of course mean both the obvious and the saving graces of the evening. Yes, we do have good things to say as well.

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THE LOWS

But starting off with the purely bizarre moments of the night, these are Something Haute’s WTF picks of the night:

Imran Abbas’ foot-in-the-mouth moment

Amongst quite a few celebrities gracing the stage for either a quirky performance or to present awards, there was Imran Abbas, who went on more of an irksome tirade than actually needed. On stage to present an award for the most intelligent contestant, the actor went on to say that while ‘beauty fades, dumb stays forever’. Although we aren’t sure why that was said or even if that was needed, one thing for sure is that the dumb will stay with him forever.

The Veet Q&A Round

If there is one thing that is an eternal part of any pageant, it’s the Q & A round. However, things surely went awry at Miss Veet when the top 3 contestants seemed akin to deer caught in the headlights when the judges asked their questions. Whether it was the microphones malfunctioning or the contestants not hearing the questions correctly, it turned into one bizarre moment after another as the girls ended up being questionably unprepared. When asked how she would promote brand Pakistan, Lara went on to say how she would promote a brand at Pakistan. Take the hint, people at Veet, she wants a job!

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The Thora Jee Le team

With celebs like Mawra Hocane and Ali Zafar slated to perform at the event, a performance by the cast of Thora Jee Le had everyone confused. One couldn’t even help but ask who they were; were we supposed to know these people? With little or no promotions of the film, it was truly difficult to separate the background dancers from the actual cast (no offence to the extras). It would have helped had Azfer Rahman, the host, introduced the cast. If to create puzzlement amongst the audience was the mission of this, then they succeeded beyond expectation.

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Noori’s 30-second snub

If there are a few people in the Pakistani music industry who get to be called rockstars in their own right without anyone disapproving it, it’s Noori. However, with Azfar Rehman calling them up on stage and giving them no more than 30-seconds of stage time, it became one missed opportunity. They could have been roped into a conversation about the team and their Sri Lankan experience, or heck, they could have been asked to sing a few lines from their signature song ‘Asmaan.’ Instead, they were off the stage in a blink of an eye. Take note Miss Veet, this is how you DON’T do things.

Osman Khalid Butt: The next Shah Rukh Khan? 

Move over Sahir Lodhi, it seems we have yet another contestant in the running to become the next Shah Rukh Khan, or rather the chota SRK. According to what OKB said last night, he already thinks he is akin to Bollywood’s King Khan. While all in tongue-in-cheek humour as how Butt naturally is, it wasn’t the best thing to say when your first ever film hasn’t even released yet.

The case of the missing production value

In what would definitely be crowned as the biggest WTF moment of the whole show, the production value remained almost zero to none. If this show was an attempt to become Pakistan’s answer to Femina, then one would at least have expected some standard of execution. Also, the next time there’s a ceremony that ends up being four hours long but does not offer any amuse-bouche, we would appreciate a head’s up to eat and come. However, even if one leaves all aside, tableau-like props (the plumes which looked like feather dusters didn’t go unnoticed), an unprepared host, and contestants who clearly needed more grooming, weren’t the best thing to offer for a night made out to be so much more than what it actually was.

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THE HIGHS

Fortunately, all was still not lost. There were some WTF (Wow That’s Fantastic!) moments that won our hearts in an otherwise lacklustre event.

Haute Moments at the Pink Carpet 

Amongst a sea of drabs, some fabulous ensembles surely stood out, which made us thank the high heavens that not everyone was wearing a sky-blue blazer at night (hint, OBE)! Whether it was Hira Tareen in a classy Adnan Pardesy black and gold peplum top or Sadaf Kanwal in a jungle-inspired Zaheer Abbas jumpsuit, the ladies defined glamour to a T.

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Ali Zafar winning hearts

If there is one rockstar of the industry who knows how to win over his countless fans each and every time, it’s Ali Zafar. Whether it’s his quirky one-liners or his charismatic charm, the singer knows that success lies in being true to himself, and all of that truly showed last night when he brought the audience back from the depths of boredom. While one knows that there’s no dearth of energy when Zafar is around, his vocal range spoke volumes when he ended up singing ‘Rangeen’ in an Opera as well as a Qawaali style!

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Mawra Hocane sizzling the stage

While Ali Zafar was the perfect ending to the night, Mawra Hocane started it all off with a performance that left the audience awe-struck. Performing on Meesha Shafi’s super-energetic song ‘Bijli’, the surely electrifying dance moves by Hocane were commendable. However, while one doesn’t have much to say of the done-to-death peacock feathers at the back, the Sanam Teri Kasam diva won hearts last night!

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The introduction of Veet Academy

With Veet Academy finally being introduced to the audience last night, one couldn’t help but applaud the decision to create a space, which can give an unquestionable boost to the media industries of Pakistan with new talent soon, all with the help of some top-notch mentors! From Massarrat Misbah as the beauty and styling advisor to Hareem Farooq as the fitness expert, one must commend the decision of choosing the right people for the jobs they have been given.

Shahjehan Saleem

The author is Contributing Editor at Something Haute as well as a professor in the Media Sciences department at SZABIST, Karachi. Socio-cultural theories and geography fill up the rest of his time.