Millions of Muslims from around the globe are preparing to observe Ramazan, the religious month of fasting. For 30 days, they will not eat or drink from sunrise and sundown and refrain from ill deeds in a bid to become closer to Allah. They are also encouraged to give back to the community and take part in charitable deeds. But for celebrities who have the world at their feet, and are super busy in their recordings, resisting temptation may prove a little difficult. Sunday Plus asks some stars to reveal their thoughts on the Holy Month.

FAYSAL QURAISHI

1.      Essential dish without which Iftaar is incomplete for you?

Fruit Chat with chickpeas.

2.       How often do you dine out for Sehar and Iftaar?
Maximum 5 to 6 times.

3.       What’s your favorite eatery for Sehar and Iftaar?
Movenpick hotel in Karachi.

4.      What’s your opinion on dining out trends in Ramazan?

Balance is extremely important. Ramazan is not all about dining at fancy eateries. It is about patience and making your will power stronger.

5.       What special arrangements you make for Iftaar at home?

I prefer having a very simple Iftaar even when I am at home. Also, I prefer having Iftaar and dinner together.

6.      What makes this year’s Ramazan different from previous ones?

This year, I am trying to be more focused. I will be trying my best to be the best version of myself in terms of religion. I will be reading more about it. I am not very pleased with the way the month of Ramazan has started being spent around us.

7.       How does Ramazan affect your daily schedules/routines?

The only difference is that my timings change slightly. Usually my day starts at 9 AM, during Ramazan it is 7 AM because I do not sleep after Sehri. I go straight to work. If it is an all-night shoot, then I work till Sehri after which I sleep and wake up by afternoon. 

JUGGAN KAZIM

1.     Essential dish without which iftari is incomplete for you.

Allu Channay ki chaat without potatoes and papri which makes it high in protein.

2.     How often do you dine out for sehar and iftar?

Not very often. I am mostly busy in shooting for Ramazan transmissions and break my fast on set. As far as sehri is concerned, Waris ki Nihari with family at home.

3.     What’s your favourite eatery for sehar and iftar?

I love Cosa Nostra and Muhammadi Nihari.

4.         What’s your opinion on dininng out trends in Ramazan?

I feel dinning out for Iftar is ok, but sehar is such a family oriented acitivity. So I want to stay home and believe that Sehari should be a family oriented.

5.     What special arrangements you make for iftar at home?

Ramazan is full time work . I like to make meetha myself. Actually jalebi. I like to make fun desserts banana chocolate pie., cheese cake etc. If I have decided to cook, then I make it a day prior due to busy schedules.

6.      What makes this year’s Ramazan different from previous ones?

I may sound bit sentimental while answering this but this year’s Ramazan is different because I am doing special Ramazan tramission in which I will be breaking fast with fantastic people from different walks of life. Interacting with people who are unknown to you means that you have actually started giving back to the society. After this kind of back to back work you really enjoy Eid.
7.    How does Ramazan effect your daily schedules/routines?

My whole routine changes . As I wake up at Fajr, gets my son ready. On air at 1pm and off air at 8pm. I love this time of year. Its a time of giving and celebration.

JAWAD AHMAD

1. Essential dish without which iftari is incomplete for you.

Answer: I take a full meal at Iftari which varies everyday. Water is an essential item with it though you might not call it a dish. :)

2. How often do you dine out for sehar and iftar?
Answer: Very rarely. Maybe once or twice in the whole month of Ramazan.

3. What’s your favourite eatery for sehar and iftar?
Answer: None in particular. I prefer road side restaurants over expensive places when I dine out.

4. What’s your opinion on dininng out trends in Ramazan?
Answer: In a country like Pakistan where majority of the people are poor and 50% of us live below the poverty line, people should actually think more than twice before dining out and spending lavishly on food and that too, in the month of Ramazan, the month of sacrifice, mutual support and giving.

5. What special arrangements you make for iftar at home?
Answer: I just make sure that I at home at Iftar time to be with my family and to eat with them.

6. What makes this year’s Ramazan different from previous ones?
Answer: We are living in difficult times. As a nation, we need to be more tolerant and supportive towards each other than ever before.

7. How does Ramazan effect your daily schedules/routines?
In Ramazan I will be working on the promotion of my new song 'Bhola Kya Karay' against the imposition of heavy tax on poor and middle class Pakistanis. I am involved full time in the expansion and growth of my political organisation 'International Youth And Workers Movement', IYWM.  Ramazan does not, except for the fact that I tend to eat a lot at Sehri and Iftari and have to control my appetite.

FARAN TAHIR

1.    Essential dish without which iftari is incomplete for you?
Good, crisply battered samosa and chai
2.    How often do you dine out for sehar and iftar?
Not too often. I like the peace and quiet of home.
3.    What’s your favourite eatery for sehar and iftar?
Home
4.    What’s your opinion on dining out trends in Ramazan?
I think it is a lot of fun after a day of focus. Although, I love the social aspect of it more than eating insane amount of food.
5.    What special arrangements do you make for iftar at home?
I like to go straight to dinner rather two separate meals. Just bump up the menu.
6.    What makes this year’s Ramazan different for you from previous ones?
It’s smack dab in the middle of summer. Enough said :)
7.    How does Ramazan affect your daily schedule/routine?
It does become a bit of a maneuver with travel and different time zones. Also, I try to push my runs and work out either early in the morning or right before iftar. All can be managed if there is the will.

SUMBAL HAMMAD

1.    Essential dish without which iftari is incomplete for you.

It has to be Dahe bhaley .Whatever the season is nothing beats the good old dahi bhalay.
2.    How often do you dine out for sehar and iftar?

Not very often. I enjoy having a light iftari and a light sehri. It's impossible to eat light out in Lahore. The food is always so tempting and dining with friends you can never watch what you eat.

3.    What’s your favourite eatery for sehar and iftar?

 As I mentioned earlier, I am not a huge fan of eating out.

 4.    What’s your opinion on dining out trends in Ramazan?

 Having said that I prefer eating at home, I think it's a great way to add to the festivities of Ramazan. The streets are buzzing after Tarawee till Fajr. Always good to see the city alive.

 5.    What special arrangements you make for iftar at home?

 I make it a point to have the children's favourites. Each has their own 'must have' Iftar item. I do however ensure that iftari is homemade, especially in the summer months  when food poisoning is more common.

6.    What makes this year’s Ramazan different from previous ones?

This year will be the families last Ramazan together, as one of my older daughters will be going away to university abroad. 

7.    How does Ramazan effect your daily schedules/routines?

Ramazan fast tracks the desire to do as much good as possible. Ramazan in my family is spent focusing on contributing as much as we can to the less fortunate. The daily routine is unfortunately like in any household, erratic.

MOHSIN NAVEED RANJHA (MNR)

1-Essential dish without which iftar is incomplete for you?

My most favorite is chicken sandwich wraps.

2-How often you dine out for sehar and aftar?

I usually prefer to do sehar at home but love to dine out for aftar with friends and family.

3-What is your favourite eatry for sehar and aftar?

Ramzan is a month in which I guess you have all of your favorite dishes on the table. So it’s hard to choose one.

4-What’s your opinion on dinning out trends in ramazan?

Dinning out trend is good as long as you are not obsessed with it.

5-What special arrangement you make for aftar at home?

Out of busy routine, it is most of the time not possible to help and contribute in aftar preparation.

6-What makes this year’s ramazan different from previous one?

I am having my beautiful daughter in this Ramadhan and I am sure she will bring a lot of blessing and happiness to our family.

7-How does ramadhan effect your daily scheduale/routine?

Of course your routine changes in Ramadhan, but work and responsibilities are still there to meet up.

ADNAN PERDESY

1.       Essential dish without which iftari is incomplete for you.

My iftari is incomplete without Nimbo Pani, instant energizers dates and Kachoris.

2.       How often do you dine out for sehar and iftar?

I prefer to have iftaari at home mostly. I go out almost every day after 15th of Ramzan for sehri either with family or with friends.

3.    What’s your favourite eatery for sehar and iftar?

I make sure I eat fruit in Sehari and drink a lot of water so I stay hydrated the whole day. For Iftari it would be dates.
4.    What’s your opinion on dininng out trends in Ramazan?

It is good for the overall business of restaurants.

5.    What special arrangements you make for iftar at home?

I make sure I am home whenever my mom cooks and prepares the food. My efforts towards cooking are not much!
6.    What makes this year’s Ramazan different from previous ones?

It is just hotter this time.
7.    How does Ramazan affect your daily schedules/routines?

The working hours become shorter and the energy levels drop! I start taking short naps to keep myself charged mentally and physically.

ABDULLAH HARIS

1.      Essential dish without which iftari is incomplete for you.

Mom's hand made -Qeema walay samosay.

2.                 How often do you dine out for sehar and iftar?

It all depends on work and schedules. However, I prefer doing that at home with family.

3.     What’s your favourite eatery for sehar and iftar?

Everything.

4.     What’s your opinion on dininng out trends in Ramazan?

I have no opinions on such things.

5.     What special arrangements you make for iftar at home?

Some food items are necessary for my iftar table. Samosa's and fruitchaat is a must.

6.     What makes this year’s Ramazan different from previous ones?

God is kind enough to let me live and fast in this Ramazan this year too is what makes this year's Ramazan different from previous ones.

7.      How does Ramazan affect your daily schedules/routines?

It doesn't matter. Only time management gets more intense.

WARDHA SALEEM

1.       Essential dish without which iftari is incomplete for you.

Jalebi

2.       How often do you dine out for sehar and iftar?

Four to five times maybe in the whole month. I prefer to have my Iftar and sehri at home .

3.       What’s your favourite eatery for sehar and iftar?

Definitely not a buffet place. Places where I can order real food OKRA , Aylanto .

4.       What’s your opinion on dining out trends in Ramazan?

I like the whole concept specially when you have to host a Iftar for people.

5.        What special arrangements you make for iftar at home? 

Coming from a Sindhi family all the fattening fried stuff has to be on the table from PAKORA to samosa , chicken ROLL , aaloo , DAHI bara and cholas, sharbat and thadal.

6.       What makes this year’s Ramazan different from previous ones?

I am going for UMRAH this year during Ramazan which makes this year very special for me.

7.        How does Ramazan effect your daily schedules/routines?

My whole routine changes from waking up way too early, early working hrs to odd sleeping timings .

 

MIKAAL ZULFIQAR

1.      Essential dish without which iftari is incomplete for you.

Dahi barhay
2.    How often do you dine out for sehar and iftar?

Not so much for sehar. Though I go out for Iftar with friends and family.

3.    What’s your favourite eatery for sehar and iftar?

Somthing like lassi and parathay, chicken shorba, nihari. My favourite place to dine in would be Salt and Pepper Village.
4.    What’s your opinion on dininng out trends in Ramazan?

I don’t have much of an opinion on that. As it entirely depends on the people and their moods.

5.    What special arrangements you make for iftar at home?

Mem baray mazay say khata hoon (I eat joyfully) that is my contribution.
6.    What makes this year’s Ramazan different from previous ones?

As such there is not any difference. We are shooting every day. Last year I was in Karachi during Ramazan, this year I will be in Lahore with my dad.
7.    How does Ramazan effect your daily schedules/routines?

My shoot timings and schedule become hectic. Really looking forward to earn as much swaab (spiritual reward) as possible.