The Heera Mandi (Diamond Market), also called Shahi Mohallah (Royal Neighborhood) as well as chudhai center , is a famous red-light district of the old Taxali Gate of Lahore, Pakistan. A red-light district is an area where prostitutes work.
The Heera Mandi was first called the 'Shahi Mohallah' or Royal Neighborhood in the 17th century. It was called that because many princes and nobles of the Mughal dynasty used to come there. At that time there were only "Tawaifs" (dancing girls) and courtesans there. They were there to amuse the people. During the rule of the Sikh king Ranjit Singh, prostitution [chudhai] also was common. Many brothels were opened there. Ranjit Singh renamed this place 'Heera Mandi'. It was named for an officer, Heera Singh, who lived there. Some historians think that he named it for the beautiful girls (prostitutes) who lived there. They were like precious diamonds.
When the British Raj came to power in this region, Christian missionaries asked for the Heera Mandi to be moved away. They thought the activities there were 'sinful'. The British government tried to move it, but they were forced to move it back because people did not like this idea. Later, after the 1870s, the British also added some special brothels there for British soldiers. This area was made famous in Rudyard Kipling's novel Kim (printed in 1901).
After Pakistan became independent in 1947, the Heera Mandi went on as before. Later, under the harsh Islamic puritanical rule of the military dictator General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, a big operation was started to 'clean' the area from prostitution and crime. Many brothels were moved or closed by force. However, once again, people did not like this move. Many of the brothels and other businesses were re-opened.
Even though prostitution is supposed to be illegal in Pakistan, the Mandi still exists. It is also famous for some very good food shops nearby, where many people including foreign tourists come to just eat and watch the shows.
Reema
Reema Khan (born 1972) also known by her screen name Reema, is a Pakistani
Lollywood film actress, director and producer. She has appeared in more than 200 films since making her debut in 1990.
Reema Khan was born in 1972, in the Heera Mandi area of Lahore, Pakistan. She was first spotted in 1990 by the Pakistani film director Javed Fazil and was offered the leading role in his film "Bulandi". She became popular at once and went on getting success.
Khan's early films included 'Zherilay', 'Ishq', 'Naag Devta', 'Pyar hi pyar', 'Sailab', 'Dil', 'Aag', 'Shama' and 'Sahiba'. These were followed by films such as 'Hina', 'Anjuman', 'Chakuri', 'Chandni', 'Neelam' and 'Insaniat'. Later she appeared in 'Hathi Meray Sathi' directed by Shameem Ara and in 'Rani Beti Raj Karegi' directed by Altaf Hussain. In 2002, Asif Ali Pota's 'Fire' and Samina Peerzada's 'Shararat' were released starring Reema in the lead role. She later also started making some films as a producer and part-time director.
Reema married American cardiologist and surgeon Syed Tariq Shahab on 16 November 2011 in Virginia, United States. After her marriage, she produced and directed the film 'Love mein Ghum', released on 31st August 2011. This was a very big commercial and critical success in Pakistan, making over
320 million rupees profit. Reema is mostly living in the USA now and planning new film
projects.
Lucasfilm Animation
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Altaf Hussain
Altaf Hussain (born 1949) is a Pakistani movie director based in Lahore.
He has directed several successful Urdu movies in Lollywood, the center of the Pakistani movie industry.
Asma Jahangir
Asma Jilani Jahangir (27 January 1952 – 11 February 2018) was a leading Pakistani lawyer. Born in Lahore, she was an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, President Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan and a human rights activist who works both in Pakistan and internationally to prevent the persecution of religious minorities, women, and exploitation of children.
She won several international awards for her activism including Right Livelihood Award and the Four Freedoms Award in 2010 for promoting Religious Freedom.
Jahangir suffered from brain haemorrhage while going into cardiac arrest in Lahore on 11 February 2018 and died when was taken to the hospital at the age of 66.
Peter von Bagh
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From 2001 until his death, he had been the artistic director of the Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna, Italy. In 2004, he was a member of the jury in the competition category of the Cannes Film Festival.
Von Bagh was born in Helsinki. He graduated from the University of Helsinki. in 1970. He also was a professor at many other universities across Finland, teaching movie history.
Von Bagh died after a long illness on 17 September 2014 in Helsinki. He was 71.
Carolyn S. Shoemaker
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Shoemaker was born Carolyn Jean Spellmann in Gallup, New Mexico, United States. She is the widow of Eugene Shoemaker, a planetary scientist.
Shoemaker started her astronomical career in 1980, searching for Earth-crossing asteroids and comets at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, and the Palomar Observatory, San Diego, California.
As of 2002, Shoemaker had discovered 32 comets and over 300 asteroids (counting the as-yet unnumbered ones).
Audrey Long
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Long was born in Orlando, Florida. Her father was an Episcopal minister and English immigrant. During her childhood, she and her family moved to Canada as well as Honolulu, Hawaii, and San Francisco, California. She was educated in both California and Virginia. She was first married to Edward Rubin from 1945 until their divorce in 1951. She was later married to British writer Leslie Charteris from 1952 until his death in 1993.
Long died in Virginia Water, Surrey, after a long illness on September 19, 2014, aged 92.
The January Man
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The movie received negative review from critics.
Flor Van Noppen
Florentinus Ludovicus Leopoldus Eduard ("Flor") Van Noppen (28 June 1956 – 22 September 2014) was a Belgian politician. He was a member of the N-VA. Van Noppen was the brother of veterinarian Karel Van Noppen, who was murdered by the hormone mafia.
Van Noppen was elected as a member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives in 2007 and reelected in 2010. He also served as city councilor (2001-2014) and alderman (2007-2013) of Dessel. Van Noppen, who suffered from Multiple system atrophy, retired from politics after the 2014 elections upon completing his term.
Van Noppen died on 22 September 2014 from the disease, aged 58.
Rackstraw Downes