A maestro dips into nostalgia Photographer Arif Mahmood's Pestonjee, Silver Linings leave one in sweet melancholy “In 2016, my dad fell seriously ill. He passed away in 2019. While in contrast, Pestonjee - who was a year older than my dad - was walking around, alive and well. This inspired me greatly,” says Mahmood, referring to the man whose life has been captured in his photo essay. PHOTO: COURTESY CANVAS GALLERY KARACHI: As the pandemic makes us nostalgic, longing for the yesteryears when times were simpler, a studio-light setup and a little brown bench in front of a dimly lit Arif Mahmood photo helps in turning the bitter yearning into a sweet melancholy. This is precisely what makes Mahmood the maestro.