MADRASSA

  1. Read more: Pitcher and Dust
    Pitcher and Dust

    Pitcher and Dust

    by Saad Khan

    As a child, I wanted life around me to be seen in the media around me without a top-down gaze as lower-class stories are represented…imitated. As a grown man who could speak English, I got access to the guarded spaces of the upper and the middle classes, of rich diasporas and the whites. I wanted the life I had known around me to be understood by these others: the culture-makers, the trendsetters, the ones whose narratives are imperial, are heard, acknowledged, and lauded, and whose hot-takes, opinions, and stories are ‘nuanced’ and thus overwrite our stories.
    Read more
  2. Read more: Kharabaat: Archiving the Male Sexual Culture of Lootis in Iran
    A group of tattooed men relaxing together, showcasing camaraderie, masculinity, and cultural expression in a vibrant, modern setting.

    Kharabaat: Archiving the Male Sexual Culture of Lootis in Iran

    by Khajistan Cultural Desk

    A Khajistan podcast explores Iran’s Looti men, hyper-masculine working-class figures whose identity blends power, loyalty, and defiance. Rejecting rigid sexual labels, their culture reflects resilience, harsh upbringings, and camaraderie, showcased through tattoos and Instagram expressions.
    Read more
  3. Read more: Saad Khan of Khajistan Featured in Dazed MENA 100 as a Visionary Archivist
    Saad Khan of Khajistan Featured in Dazed MENA 100 as a Visionary Archivist

    Saad Khan of Khajistan Featured in Dazed MENA 100 as a Visionary Archivist

    by Khajistan Cultural Desk

    Saad Khan, founder of Khajistan, is featured in Dazed MENA 100 for his innovative work in preserving overlooked cultural histories from the Greater Middle East. Explore his mission and impact.
    Read more
  4. Read more: Khajistan Launches Khajistan Digital Archive
    Khajistan Launches Khajistan Digital Archive

    Khajistan Launches Khajistan Digital Archive

    by Saad Khan

    Explore the Khajistan Digital Archive—a living record of over 65,000 images and videos capturing humor, struggles, and inner worlds from the Greater Middle East. Dive into a playful space where meaning is yours to make. Visit archive.khajistan.com.

    Read more
  5. Read more: 1970s Lollywood Club Culture: Where Lust, Danger, and Deception Collide
    1970s Lollywood Club Culture: Where Lust, Danger, and Deception Collide

    1970s Lollywood Club Culture: Where Lust, Danger, and Deception Collide

    by Omar Khan

    Lollywood historian Omar Ali Khan dives into the significance of the nightclub, or ‘Killub’, in 1970s Pakistani cinema and how the rise of disco ev...
    Read more
  6. Read more: Top 30 Sensual, Sultry, and Sinful Lollywood Club Dance Classics
    Top 30 Sensual, Sultry, and Sinful Lollywood Club Dance Classics

    Top 30 Sensual, Sultry, and Sinful Lollywood Club Dance Classics

    by Omar Khan

    The Club (short for Night Club) was a western evil imported into Pakistani Cinema primarily in the 1960s and 1970s, meeting its end with the advent...
    Read more