Ali Zafar is very well known for his parties but these parties are not meant for everyone. He only invites his closes friends to these parties that is why we see the same faces in the parties ever time. Ali Zafar is really good friends with Fawad and Sadaf Khan, Bilal Lashari and Ahmed Ali Butt and his wife are always there at his parties. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves a lot.
Here are some pictures from the party:
A person can get all the fame and money in the world but his or her world would be incomplete without family. While every member of the family has a special bond with each other, mothers are more special than others because they are those people who are close to you even before you enter this world. A mother will do anything to protect her children and a mother’s love for her children is always unconditional.
Many of our celebrities are very close to their mothers. They keep on reminding their mothers just how much they are loved and they post pictures with their mothers on different social networking sites. It is always great to see these celebrities expressing their love for their mothers. Here are some amazing pictures of Pakistani celebrities with their mothers.
Sadia Faisal with her celebrity mother
Ayesha Khan and her beautiful mother
Shaan and his mother
Mawra Hocane having fun with her mother
Mehwish Hayat looks a lot like her mother
Arij Fatyma and her mother
Fatima Effendi with her celebrity mom
Ayeza Khan with her mother on her wedding day
Meesha Shafi with her beautiful and talented mother
Neelam Munir with her mother
Mehreen Raheal with her celebrity mother
Faisal Qureshi with his celebrity mom
Aiman and Minal Khan with their mother
Ahmed Ali Butt with his celebrity mother
Madiha Rizvi cute click with her celebrity mom
Amir Adnan is a leading designer of Pakistan who designs all sorts of clothes from casual to formal wear for men. Designers of his caliber are always very conscious about which model they choose for endorsing their designs because people first look at these designs in the photo shoots and then they decide whether they want to make a trip to the designer’s outlet or not.
It is good to see Azfar Rehman modeling for Amir Adnan because Azfar can sport any look with ease. He always looks stylish and likes to experiment with different looks which is an important pre-requisite for being a successful model. This collection shows what Amir Adnan has in store for men in winters. They can choose from a wide range of jackets and scarves which are part of his collection.
Here are some pictures from the photo shoot.
Azfar Rehman and Ayesha Omar’s accident left everyone in shock. Everyone was relieved to know that they were both alright although Ayesha Omar had a few fractures but overall she was in stable health. Ayesha shared the whole account of the terrible experience in detail with everyone on her facebook page. She was also thankful to all those people who were there for her in this hour of need.
People were waiting to hear from Azfar Rehman and yesterday Azfar’s post on instagram along with a brief video showed that he was perfectly fine. Azfar thanked everyone for their concern and prayers and wanted everyone to know that he is fine. Azfar Rehman was a big support for Ayesha Omar when she was injured badly and Ayesha said in her post that she wouldn’t be alive and well if it wasn’t for him.
Here is the message he posted yesterday and his most recent picture from yesterday.
Maryam Nawaz is not just Prime Minister’s daughter but she is also a prominent personality in politics. We see her playing an active role in the political process in different ways. Maryam Nawaz’s daughter Mehr-un-Nisa’s Valima ceremony was held on Saturday and as expected this ceremony was attended by many notable personalities.
Here are some pictures from the ceremony.
Ohkay so, this episode of Tere Mere Beech was interesting too. Even though the story has been quite predictable so far, it still provides a decent entertainment because the production value along with the direction & the acting is pretty good & also, the drama doesn’t have much loopholes till now, this is why I enjoy watching it.
This episode was all about Hareem & her mission of getting engaged before Nadia’s marriage. So far, we have had sympathy for Hareem because of the way she was abandoned by her mother & after returning to Nighat’s place, the way she was being treated, but now all the decisions that Hareem is making is putting an end to the sympathy I used to feel for her, because she herself is ruining her life. Yes, Nighat has been irrational & unreasonable with Hareem & there’s no denying to that, but after finding out about Fahad, not only Nighat but everyone else has tried to knock some sense into Hareem because they genuinely care for her but she is failing to understand that. Yes, it is too obvious that Hareem doesn’t want to listen to them because she hates them but that still doesn’t justify her stance that just because she ‘thinks’ Fahad is rich & just because she ‘thinks’ that her mother & sisters don’t want her to be happy, she feels like she shouldn’t listen to her family at all.
The way Ali & Nadia found out about Hareem & Fahad seemed very convincing. By chance they spotted them together & since that moment, Ali understood that something was definitely wrong about the whole scenario. Nighat obviously is a bit too distressed because of Hareem but I found it a little odd that without investigating much, despite having Ali on her side, she agreed to this marriage & didn’t even bother questioning Fahad herself. Also, I don’t think in this day & age, where everyone has an access to technology, it was too hard for Nighat to get hold of Fahad’s parents on the phone. It would’ve looked justified that Nighat did her research but she chose to listen to Hareem because she was too scared to confront her & also, more than Hareem, Nighat was once again concerned about Nadia & her in-laws, so she decided to get over with this fiasco ASAP before Nadia’s mother in law questions their decision!
Nadia is shown to be quite decent & understanding sort of a person but at times she seems a bit too desperate where she doesn’t want to upset her mother in law or Ali. I felt that because she suggested that Hareem should be married off to Fahad ASAP so that she can feel at ease as then Hareem won’t be there to make things difficult for them.
Fahad’s friend was at least honest about his job but he supported Fahad in telling a lie to Nighat & everyone else. Looks like Fahad is someone who doesn’t believe in hard work & focuses more on the shortcuts, that is why he thinks just because a girl from the sound background came into his life, he shouldn’t worry about anything else. Also, not only Hareem’s bank balance but what attracted Fahad the most towards her was her innocence, because Fahad knows he will boss around her easily & she will agree to whatever he will suggest & demand.
After this episode, I found Hareem totally wrong & at fault too because she is choosing to keep her eyes closed. Yes, she is not on good terms with her mother & sisters but at least, she should pay heed to what they are saying, even if it is something that is hard on her. Zahida is gullible & has no exposure but at least Nighat should have taken charge of the situation & should have done her part by inquiring about Fahad because Nighat believes that Hareem has no sense whatsoever, so I am not too sure what made Nighat agree to Hareem’s demands so easily!!!
Overall, this episode was interesting & looks like Fahad will start pushing his agenda in the next episode. Fahad may think that he is clever enough but he is being stupid as well to believe that Hareem owns a chunk of her father’s property. Just because Hareem looks rich doesn’t mean she is rich & this is something that Fahad should’ve inquired about too. It is an irony that both Fahad & Hareem are starting the new phase of their lives based on lies, not too sure what they both will do after finding the truth about each other. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Tere Mere Beech.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
There was a time when people did not have much of an access to the private pictures of celebrities or those people who were at the helm of affairs. Gone are those days because now due to the excessive private channels and social media these pictures are accessible to everyone. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s grand daughter Mehr-un-Nisa Safdar’s Nikkah was held in Masjid-ul-Nabvi last year but her rukhsati ceremony was held in Lahore on Friday. The ceremony was attended by many ministers and other political personalities of the country. Mahnoor Safdar got married to Raheel Munir who is the son of the famous industrialist Chaudhry Munir.
Apart from family members and friends, many bureaucrats, industrialists and even showbiz personalities also attended the ceremony. Express News reported that 1500 people were part of the function. It also reported that there was only one dish in the ceremony and it ended at 10 which is in accordance with law.
Here are some pictures from the ceremony:
A dance number is a popular term in the commercial Indian and Pakistani cinema. There is no concrete definition but is a song, with catchy lyrics, chorus dancing, gaudy styling, halla gulla and attractive lyrics and choreography. Sometimes dance numbers are also called as item numbers but item numbers differs slightly from a regular dance number, as item numbers usually have a more glamorized, seductive appeal. To me every item number is an advanced form of a dance number, but not all dance numbers are item numbers.
In our country the entertainment started from cinema. Even before the creation of Pakistan, Lahore was a major hub of Punjabi and Hindustani (Urdu/Hindi) film making in Northern British India. After 1947, Lahore became part of Pakistan and film making continued in Pakistan from Lahore. Later Karachi and Dhaka also emerged as a centre of Urdu film making. Though we differ in many accounts with our neighboring India, but when it comes to the filmi entertainment majority of the Pakistani audience likes the entertainment formula of Bollywood. So it was no surprise that the style of Urdu film making in Pakistan was on the same patterns which were laid by Bollywood.
Dance number or item number is an essential part of Bollywood entertainment formula and in recent years many Bollywood item numbers have been very popular in Pakistan like Munni, Sheela to name a few. Pakistani Urdu films of 60’s and 70’s regularly have a dance number shot in a disco club (pronounced as kee-lub in our films) while Punjabi films mostly have a mujra dance number. Urdu and Punjabi film making eventually come to an end in Lahore till mid 2000. From past two three years film maker of Karachi have revived the urdu cinema of Pakistan by providing back to back successful films and thus Karachi is emerging as a new hub of Urdu film making.
2015 has been a successful year for Urdu cinema, where many Urdu films mainly produced in Karachi proved successful. The common thing in all these commercial films was dance numbers. Few of the dance numbers easily fall into the category of item numbers due to their treatment. So lets review the famous dance numbers of 2015.
Jalaibee
Jalaibee was produced in Islamabad and released on 20th March 2015. The film featured a dance number Jawwani shot on Zhalay Sarhadi. Zhalay Sarhadi was playing the role of Bannu a club dancer, so the dance number was not a forced song in this film. The music was composed by Shuja Hyder and vocals are provided by Ghazal Ali and Naqash Hyder
Wrong No.
Wrong No. was produced in Karachi and released on 19th July 2015. The film featured a dance number Selfiyan shot on Sohai Ali Aabroo. The situation of the song was that Laila (Sohai Ali Aabroo) is dancing on a family gathering in front of other family members. The music is composed by Waqar Ali, and her daughter Aliya Waqar provided the vocals.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2u0of2
Bin Roye
Bin Roye was produced in Karachi and released on 19th July 2015. The film featured a dance number Balle Balle shot on Adeel Hussain and Mahira Khan. The situation of the song was the marriage of the Saman who is the sister of Saba (Mahira Khan). Its music was composed by Shiraz Uppal, while vocals are provided by Shiraz Uppal and Harshdeep Kaur.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2ttoql_bin-roye-ballay-ballay-song_shortfilms
Karachi Se Lahore
Karachi Se Lahore was produced in Karachi and released on 31st July 2015. The film featured three dance numbers. Its music composer was Shiraz Uppal
Tooti Frooti was shot on Ayesha Omar and Shahzad Sheikh, the situation of the song was a hypothetical festival of truck drivers some where in Pakistan, where to free one of her friend Ayesha Omar replaces the professional dancer and dances in front of the truck drivers. Overall it seemed a forced attempt in the flow of the story of the film. Vocals by Ayesha Omar and Shiraz Uppal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmkZDt5xac8
Rabbi Rali the other dance number of this film was shot on Mantaha Tareen Maqsood and Javed Sheikh it was a pure mujra song, where Mantaha Tareen Maqsood was palying the role of a dancer so it fits on her role in the film. Vocals by Zarrish, Ali Hamza
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x37mp4u
Lahoriya was shot on Ahmed Hassan, Yasir Hussain, Ayesha Omar and Shahzad Sheikh. Vocals by Shiraz Uppal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkfsvnGnBOI
Dekh Magar Pyar Se
Dekh Magar Pyar Se was produced in Karachi but shot in Lahore and London, released on 14. The film featured one dance number Kala Doriya shot on the top model Aamnah Ilyas. Like the rest of the film does not make any sense. Its music was composed by Soch band.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2ydrn1
Jawani Phir Nahin Aani
Jawani Phir Nahin Aani became the highest earning Pakistani film ever, released on 25 September 2015. Produced in Karachi it was shot in Karachi, Lahore and Bangkok. The film featured three dance numbers. Its music composer was Sahir Ali Bagga.
Jawani Phir Nahin Aani was shot on Humayun Saeed, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Ahmed Ali Butt, Vasay Chadhary and Mehwish Hayat in a disco club of Bangkok. Vocals by Mika Singh, Tehreem, Muniba, Shani-Arshad
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x378kxm_khul-jaye-botel-jawani-phir-nahi-ani_music
Tarang was shot on Humayun Saeed and Sohai Ali Aabroo on the occassion of their engagement. Vocals by Sara Raza, Nabeel Shaukat Ali
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x37890u
Fair & Lovely ka jalwa was shot on Humayun Saeed, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Ahmed Ali Butt, Vasay Chadhary and Sohai Ali Aabroo on the wedding occasion of Humayun Saeed and Sohai Ali Aabroo in the film. Vocals by Sana Zulfiqaar, Sahir Ali Bagga
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x378l5l_jalwa-jawani-phir-nahi-ani_fun
Halla Gulla
Halla Gulla was produced in Karachi and shot in Karachi and Bangkok, released on 25 September 2015. The film featured four dance numbers shot on different artists. Its music composer was Sahir Ali Bagga. Sadly its dance numbers were quite bold but despite this it failed to register success at the box office.
Halla Gulla was shot on Asim Mehmood, Munib Riaz Butt and Rachel. The vocals are provided by Sahir Ali Bagga, Kunal Ganjawala, Beena Khan
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x378n9q_halla-gulla-title-song_fun
Kamla was shot on Mariam Ansari, vocals by Sana Ze
Thumka was shot on Mahnoor, Munib Riaz Butt and Asim Mahmood, vocals by Sana Ze, Kunal Ganjawala, Sahir Ali Bagga
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x38r9cq
Zero Meter was shot on Rubab vocals by Sana Ze, Malko, The video of this song is not released so only audio is shared here
So it ends the list of dance numbers in the films released in 2015. The readers of this articles can decide themselves which dance number falls in the category of an item number and which is merely a dance number. Though the trend of item numbers has been hugely criticized on social as well as print media still many upcoming commercial films like Hijrat releasing on the 21st January 2016 has an item number too and Ho Mann Jahan releasing on the 1st January 2016 has a dance number Shakkar Wandan.
Either we like it or not, but it is evident that dance numbers or item numbers will be very much part of Urdu films in the year 2016. Our film makers always put forth the reason of public demand while adding an item number. Can we request film makers, that if it is so essential to add a dance number please meet half way, add the glamour, loud dance, halla gulla, but avoid the degrading lyrics and seductive moves and dressing. The dance number like Balle Balle of Bin Roye, Jawwani of Jalaibee can be taken as an example which are colorful without going too loud. On the contrary Halla Gulla has four dance numbers and all were quite bold but still the film flopped badly proving that bold dance numbers are not a parameter of success.
There is enough to discuss about the dance numbers. Which dance number of 2015 is the best in your point of view? Do you like a dance number? Is it essential to have a dance number in the film? If a dance number is so essential for the story of the film, are there any limits it should adhere to?
Rashid Nazir Ali
2015 has been a remarkable year for film business in Pakistan. Hollywood, Bollywood as well as local Pakistani films have earned quite well this year. While there were films which made headlines due to their subjects and business, there were plenty of films which were the lead stories when they were banned for one reason or the other.
This article is a compilation of all such films of 2015 comprising of Bollywood and local Pakistani films. Interestingly most of the Bollywood films banned in Pakistan also failed to earn big in India. Also the reason for ban on all the Indian Bollywood films was same i.e. their anti-Pakistan or anti-Islam content, still it has not impacted the business of other Bollywood films allowed screening in Pakistan.
Baby
Bollywood’s Baby was due to release on 23rd January 2015. The film has veteran Pakistani artist Rasheed Naaz as well as Mikaal Zulfiqar in the supporting roles. The film made headlines when it was denied the censor certificate by the Sindh Board for Films Certificate (SBFC). SBFC refused the censor certificate due to its allegedly anti-Pakistan subject and theme. After the refusal of SBFC, the film was not presented before the other two censor boards of Pakistan i.e. Central Borad for Films Certificate (CBFC) and Punjab Board for Films Certificate (PBFC).On social media Rasheed Naaz and Mikaal Zulfiqar both were criticized as well for working in this film.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2bnank_exclusive-baby-official-trailer-akshay-kumar-t-series_shortfilms
Honour Killing
A British-Indian film Honour Killing was due to relase on 27th February 2015. Pakisani artists Zara Sheikh and Javed Sheikh played important roles in this film. Honour Killing was issued the censor certificate by SBFC, however it made headlines when presented before the CBFC. The CBFC refused to issue the censor certificate calling it an anti Pakistan film as well as revoked the censor certificate of SBFC.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2gtvjz_honour-killing-official-theatrical-trailer-rabba-maaf-kareen-2015_shortfilms
Welcome to Karachi
A Bollywood film released in May 2015. The film created uproar when its trailer was released in April 2015. It also has Pakistani artists Ayub Khoso and Adnan Shah Tipu in the negative roles. The trailer of the film resulted in its negative image in Pakistan and eventually no Pakistani distributor bought this film for release in Pakistan.
Bangistan
Due to release on 7th August 2015, the CBFC issued a negative statement against the film after seeing its trailer on social media. Due to the statement made by CBFC, the distributors of the film cancelled their plans by not presenting it before the censor board.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2to1sy_bangistan-2015-official-trailer_shortfilms
Phantom
Based on the Mumbai attacks, Phantom was not intended to release in Pakistan. However it gained fame when Hafiz Saeed the leader of Jammatul Dawwa filed a pre-emtive petition in the Lahore High Court to halt its expected release. The petition of Hafiz Saeed (who is accused of Mumbai attacks by India) made headlines in Indian as well as Pakistani media and dragged many politicians in the debate too. Phantom was not presented before any censor board in Pakistan, but was banned by Lahore High Court on the petition of Hafiz Saeed.
Phantom was not the first film of Indian director Kabir Khan banned in Pakistan. Before Phantom, Kabir Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger in 2013 was also banned. Interestingly Bajrangi Bhaijan also directed by Kabir Khan is so far the highest earning Bollywood film of 2015 in Pakistan.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2z857o
Abdullah The Final Witness
A local Urdu film produced in Quetta, Balochistan, this film is based on the Kharotabad event of 2011, in which five russian and tajik citizen were killed by a security agency. The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival 2015. But when presented in CBFC in June 2015 to release in Pakistan, it was returned with many objections. The film is still stuck in CBFC despite few cuts made by the producer Hashim Nadeem. The CBFC has objection on the portrayal of a security agency in this film.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2d5dwp_abdullah-the-final-witness_shortfilms
Swaarangi
Swaarangi was due to release on 29th August 2015, but it became a victim of the inconsistent censor policy of different censor boards of Pakistan. Swaarangi got censor certificates from SBFC and PBFC without any cuts, but stuck in CBFC. The CBFC termed Swaarangi as an effort to undermine Pakistan. Swaarangi was based on drug addiction and its consequences. In the end Swaarangi was released only in Sindh and Punjab on 11th September 2015.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x18jhiy_swaa-rangi-pakistani-movie-trailer-geekpk-com_shortfilms
Bajirao Mastani
Bollywood’s Bajirao Mastani is also another film which became a victim of the inconsisten censor policy of different censor boards. It was cleared by PBFC and SBFC without any major cut but was stuck in the CBFC. Eventually CBFC also issued the censor certificate after reviewing it multiple times. So Bajirao Mastani is released in the whole Pakistan on 18th December 2015. Though tt is not banned in Pakistan, but the late decision of the CBFC resulted in the rumors of its banning.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2yzf7w_bajirao-mastani-official-teaser-trailer-ranveer-singh-deepika-padukone-priyanka-chopra_shortfilms
2015 is the year where perhaps the number of films banned or stuck temporarily in the censor boards is the highest. Though the three censor boards currently operating in Pakistan follow the same censor code, but their inconsistent decision making with respect to films like Honour Killing, Swaarangi and Bajirao Mastani raised many questions about the qualification of the members of various censor boards. A comparative study carried out by an English daily revealed that while the majority of the members of PBFC and SBFC are mostly former artists the majority of the members of CBFC consists of retired bureaucrats and army officers. The inconsistent decision making of these censor boards might attribute to their members, who belong to different walks of life and thus their approach towards issuing a censor certificate to a film varies to a huge extent.
Rashid Nazir Ali
Hollywood films are released in Pakistan since its independence in 1947. The Hollywood films have their own dedicated audience which constantly watch these films regardless of the situation of Bollywood and local films. Every year Hollywood films earn handsomely on Pakistani box office but it is less than the Bollywood films.
2015 is the year in which few Hollywood films earned much more than Bollywood movies in Pakistan. The business of Hollywood films is helped by the high price of ticket, where the average price of a Bollywood film is 500 rupee in a multiplex the average price of Hollywood film is 700 -800.
This year few Hollywood film surprised even the distributors with their overwhelming business. Most of the Hollywood films in Pakistan are distributed by Foot Print.
The figures of business are taken from the website www.boxofficedetail.com.
Furious 7
Released on 3 April 2015, Furious 7 became the highest earning Hollywood film on Pakistani Box office. It earned a massive amount of 25.03 crore even passing the all time record of Bollywood’s Dhoom3 which earned 25 crore in 2013-14. Fast and Furious 7 was helped by the untimely death of its hero Paul Walker as well, but still the response it received was beyond expectation for any distributor and film maker.
Avengers Age of Ultron
Distributed by Eveready Pictures, this film earned 13.8 crores. It is released on 1 May 2015.
Jurassic World
Released on 12 June 2015, Jurassic World earned 10.55 crore. It was distributed by Foot Print.
Mission Impossible Rogue Nation
Released on 31st July 2015, this film earned 9.65 crore. It was distributed by Foot Print.
Mocking Jay Part 2
Released on 5th November 2015, the business of Mocking Jay Part2 was far below expectation. The film earned less than 3 crore. It was distributed by Foot Print.
Spectre
Released on 12 November 2015, the film earned much less than what is expected from a James Bond film. It was distributed by Foot Print and earned less than 5 crore.
Star Wars
Released on 25th December 2015 by IMGC Global, the business of Star Wars is also less then expectation but official figures are not available yet.
On the whole 2015 proved a good year for cinema in Pakistani, this year all types of film from Hollywood, Bollywood as well as local Pakistani films did decent business. Overall it attracted new investors towards film making as well as cinema industry and 2016 seems to further excel in film business.
Rashid Nazir Ali
The year 2015 is concluding in few days and here is a roundup of main Bollywood films released in Pakistan this year. Bollywood films are extremely popular in Pakistan and are in fact the backbone for the cinema industry of Pakistan. Bollywood films pulled back the upper middle class audience back to the cinema halls, which otherwise quit watching films in cinema houses in 1980’s. Seeing the overwhelming response to Bollywood films, many new multiplexes are built in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Multan and other cities.
On the political end though it has been a tense year with India, where both countries exchanged shelling on the line of control as well as working boundary. Many Pakistani artists were also attacked in India, while release of few Pakistani films was banned in few states of India. Few circles in Pakistan demanded a ban on the screening of Bollywood movies, but despite this tense situation the Bollywood crazy Pakistani cine-goers kicked out this theory of inter-mingling politics with entertainment. The marvelous and splendid success of Bollywood movies on Pakistani box office proved how much big-hearted the Pakistani cine-goers are.
In past five years Bollywood films have conquered many box office records in Pakistan and this year they continued their steep progress graph. The leading distributor of Bollywood films in Pakistan is IMGC Global(Geo Films) howoever 2015 saw a new entrant Everready Pictures & Hum Films which bought the distribution rights of Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Dilwale two of the most successful films of 2015.
Almost 50 Bollywood films were released in 2015, and here are the leading Bollywood films which made headlines for their business in Pakistan. The figures of business are taken from the website www.boxofficedetail.com
PK
It was released in December 2014, but proved so much successful that its screened continued till February 2015. Past trends shows that the Bollywood films released in the month of December earn big and PK continued the same trend. The film earned 24 crore on Pakistani box office and made its way to the top five highest earning films in Pakistan, just behind another Bollywood film Dhoom3 which earned 25 crore in 2013-14. PK was distributed by IMGC Global.
Badlapur
Badlapur is released on 20th February 2015. The film earned 4.55 crore rupees on Pakistani box office and became the first hit bollywood film of 2015. Badlapur was distributed by IMGC Global.
Gabbar Is Back
Gabbar Is Back is released 1 May 2015 and it earned 3.75. It was distributed by IMGC Global.
Tannu Weds Mannu Returns
Released on 22 May 2015, this film earned 5.5. crore. It was distributed by IMGC Global
Hamari Adhuri Kahani
Released on 12 June 2015, this film earned 3.55 crore. It was distributed by IMGC Global
Dil Dhadakne Do
Released on 5 June 2015, this film earned 7 crore. It was distributed by Summit Entertainment.
Bajrangi Bhaijan
Released on 19th July 2015, Bajrangi Bhaijan is the most successful Bollywood film of 2015 in Pakistan. The film recieved massive response despite facing competition from two Urdu films Wrong No. and Bin Roye. It outshined all the others film released on Eidul Fitr and due to its high demand many shows alloted to other films were cancelled. The film earned a huge amount of 23.2 crore. It was distributed by Everready Productions.
Brothers
Released on 14th August 2015 on the independance day of Pakistan, Brothers was competing with three Urdu films Moor, Dekh Magar Pyar Se and Shah. Brothers proved the clear choice of cine-goers on the Pakistani independance day. While all the three Urdu films struggled for viewership, Brothers earned a handsome amount of 6.45 crore. It was distributed by IMGC Global.
Welcome Back
The march of Brothers was halted by Welcome Back released on 4 September 2015. The devoted Bollywood fans Welcomed this movie with open heart and it earned 9.55 crores. It was distributed by IMGC Global.
Singh Is Bling
Released on 2 October 2015, this film earned 5.05 crore. It was distributed by IMGC Global.
Prem Ratan Dhan Payo
Released on 12 November 2015, this film earned nearly 9 crore in Pakistan. It was distributed by IMGC Global.
Tamasha
Tamasha was released on 27 November 2015 and earned in the range of 6 – 7 crore. It was distributed by IMGC Global. Tamsha also starred Pakistani artist Javed Sheikh in a supporting role.
Dilwale
Released on 18th December, Dilwale is still running jam packed in all the cinemas of Pakistan. The film has earned around 20 crore so far is the highest earning film of Shahrukh Khan in Pakistan. The film is expected to takeover the record of Bajrangi Bhaijan as the highest earning Bollywood film in 2015 in Pakistan. Dilwale was distributed by Everready Productions.
Bajirao Mastani
Released on 18th December, Bajirao Mastani also earned nearly 7 crore. The film faced a tough time in the Federal Censor board but was eventually cleared. Bajirao Mastani was distributed by IMGC Global.
Rashid Nazir Ali
The year 2015 is concluding in few days and here is a roundup of Pakistani films released in 2015. On the whole business wise 2015 proved a favorable year for Pakistani films, as many films earned huge revenue from the box office. However quantity wise it was another disappointment year as very few Pakistani films were released. The year 2015 proved remarkable for the business of Urdu films, as the highest earning Urdu film of Pakistan is released this year. The films released in 2015 were in Urdu, Punjabi and Pashto languages. Urdu films were produced in Karachi and Lahore, whereas Punjabi and Pashto films are produced in Lahore. In 2015, Urdu films were also consistently released abroad in countries with large Pakistani diaspora like USA, UK, UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa
Pakistan comprises of four provinces Sindh, Punjab, KPK and Balochistan and three federal territories FATA, Islamabad and Gilgit Baltistan. Another region of Azad Jammu & Kashmir is also administered by Pakistan.
There are no cinemas in the federal terroritries of FATA, Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. So cinemas in Pakistan only exist in the four provinces and the federal capital Islamabad. In the Balochistan there are less then 10 cinemas and all are located in the capital city of Quetta. In the KPK province, there are less than 20 cinemas are located in the cities of Mardan, Peshawar, Swat and Nowshehra. The majority of cinemas of Pakistan exist in the province of Punjab, Sindh and federal capital Islamabad.
On the whole 43 local films in Urdu, Punjabi and Pashto were released these year and this article summarizes some the big films.
Urdu films
Urdu is the national language of Pakistan spoken and understood in the whole country. However the business of Urdu films is limited to the provinces of Sindh, Punjab and Federal Capital Islamabad. In Sindh, the cities of Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukker are the main business locations. In Punjab main cities like Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi and Multan as well as smaller cities like Sargodha, Gujrat, Lalamusa, Bahawalpur contribute to the Urdu cinema business. Federal capital Islamabad with many multiplexes is also a big market for Urdu films.
The Urdu films released in 2015 were produced in Karachi (Karawood), Lahore (Lollywood) and Islamabad. None of the Urdu film produced in Lahore is released in Karachi or outside Punjab, but the films released in Karachi were released throughout Sindh, Punjab and Islamabad.
Good Morning Karachi (گڈ مارننگ گراچی)
Film: Good Morning Karachi (گڈ مارننگ گراچی)
Cast: Aamna Ilyas, Saba Hameed, Beo Rana Zafar, Atta Yaqub, Aamina Sheikh, Savera Nadeem, Yasir Aqueel, Khalid Malik, Shaheen Khan, Farhan Ali Agha
Writer: Shandana Minhas
Screenplay: Malia Scotch Marmo, Sabiha sumar and Samhita Arni
Directed By: Sabiha Sumar
Produced By: Sachithanandam Sathananthan for Vidhi films
Distributor: APlus Films
Release Date: 1st January 2015
Produced In: Karachi
Music:
Shot In: Karachi
Budget: Not Available
Business (Pakistan): Less than 50 lakhs.
Business (Overseas): Not released outside Pakistan
Verdict: Flop
Released on 1st January 2015, Good Morning Karachi was the first Pakistani film of the year 2015. Produced and shot in Karachi, GMK was the first film released by APlus films. Though an Urdu film, its name was in English.
Based on the novel Rufina by Shandana Minhaas, the film failed miserably at the box office. Good Morning Karachi was the story of a girl Rufina who dreams to be a model while living in an impoverished area of Karachi. It was not a commercial film and such films in Pakistan seldom attract cine goers and only recieve praise from the film critics. However in the case of Good Morning Karachi, famous film critics like Omair Alavi criticized it for a negative portrayal of the city of Karachi.
Jalaibee (جلیبی)
Film: Jalaibee (جلیبی)
Cast:Danish Taimoor, Ali Safina, Wiqaar Ali Khan, Zhalay Sarhadi, Sajid Hasan, Sabeeka Imam, Adnan Jaffer, Uzair Jaswal
Writer: Yasir Jaswal
Directed By: Yasir Jaswal
Produced By: Business (Pakistan):
Business (Overseas): Eman Syed for Redrum Films
Distributor: ARY Films
Release Date: 20th March 2015
Produced In: Islamabad
Music: Umair Jaswal
Shot In: Islamabad
Budget: 9 crore
Business (Pakistan): 7 crore
Business (Overseas): 3 crore (UAE, US, UK)
Verdict: Average Hit
Jalaibee is one of the few commercial films produced in Islamabad. Unlike Karachi and Lahore, Islamabad is a new entrant in the production of Urdu films. Earlier Waar a film produced in Islamabad proved quite successful in 2013. Jalaibee was the first major Urdu film of the year 2015 released in March 2015. It was the debut Urdu film of many famous artists like Wiqar Ali Khan, Sabika Imam, Danish Taimoor, Ali Safina, Uzair Jaswal. Zhalay Sarhadi who earlier worked in the Urdu film Ramchand Pakistani in 2008 was also in a leading role.
The story of Jalaibee was as twisted as a real Jalaibee but the sweetness was entirely missing. The advertised budget of Jalaibee was about 9 crore, and it earned 6.5 crore – 7 crore on the box office. Though it failed to recover its costs, but still it is declared average hit as anything above 5 crore is considered a decent earning on Pakistani box office. Jalaibee was also released overseas in UAE, UK and USA as well receiving mixed response.
3 Bahadur (تین بہادر)
Film: 3 Bahadur (تین بہادر)
Cast (Voices by): Muneeba Yaseen,Hanzala Shahid,Zuhab Khan
Writer: Kamran Khan
Directed By: Sharmeen-Obaid Chinoy
Produced By: Waadi Animations
Distributor: ARY Films
Release Date: 22 May 2015
Produced In: Karachi
Music: John Angier, Sheraz Uppal
Shot In: Karachi
Budget: – 1.50 crore
Business (Pakistan): 6.64 crore
Business (Overseas):
Verdict: All Time Blockbuster
Teen Bahadur is the first commercial animated film of Pakistan produced by Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy. Teen Bahadur earned 6.64 crore which is a huge collection for any animated film in Pakistan and is declared All Time Blockbuster animated film of Pakistan. Its music composed by Sheraz Uppal was also hit. The film has a dance number (animated one) Aaja Re as well. Encouraged by the overwhelming success of Teen Bahadur, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy also announced its Part 2 which will release in 2017.
Maya (مایا)
Film: Maya (مایا)
Cast: Ahmed Abdul Rehman , Hina Jawad , Zain Afzal , Sheikh Mohammad Ahmed , Anam Malik , & Rasheed Ali Guest Appearance Jawad Bashir & Ali Aftab
Writer:
Directed By: Jawwad Bashir
Produced By: Hinna Jawwad, Sana Sulman, Zara Hamid, Twister Films
Distributor:
Release Date: 12 June 2015
Produced In: Lahore
Music:
Shot In: Lahore
Budget: Not Available
Verdict: Flop
Budget: Not Available
Business (Pakistan): Not Available
Business (Overseas): Not released outside Pakistan
Verdict: Flop
Maya is a horror film. Jawwad Bashir, who is famous name for sitcoms and Ufone commercials experimented with a different genre. Maya was produced by Jawwad’s then wife and model Hinna Javaid. Maya fell flat at the box office and perhaps also resulted in the rift between Jawwad Bashir and Hinna Javaid. Both Hinna and Jawwad parted their ways within weeks after the failure of Maya. Hinna Javaid married a British-Pakistani businessman in October, while Jawwad Bashir announced a new film of social romantic genre. As compared to Maya, the separation of Jawwad and Hinna received more attention in the press.
With Maya the first half of the 2015 ended with a relative dismal results for Urdu cinema. In the first half of 2015 only one mainstream commercial film Jalaibee was released which proved average at box office. On the contrary the second half of 2015 proved quite promising for the Urdu cinema where majority of the films posted positive results.
Wrong No.
Film: Wrong No.
Cast: Javed Sheikh, Danish Taimoor, Sohai Ali Abro, Janita Asma . Danish Nawaz, Shafqat Cheema & Nadeem Jafri
Writer:
Directed By: Yasir Nawaz
Produced By: YNH Films
Distributor: ARY Films
Release Date: 19 July 2015
Produced In: Karachi
Music: Waqar Ali
Shot In: Karachi
Budget: – 4 crore
Business (Pakistan): 15.5 crore
Business (Overseas): 10 -12 crore
Verdict: Blockbuster Hit
Released on 16th July 2015 on the festive occassion of Eidul Fitr, Wrong No. proved the second most successful Urdu film of the year 2015. A guy flick, it was the directoral debut for Yasir Nawaz, along with many other artists like Sohai Ali Aabroo, Janita Asma, Nadeem Jaffri, Danish Nawaz. Wrong No. earned around 15.5 crore and is declared a Blockbuster. Seeing its overwhelming success it was also released in UK and UAE where it failed to create the magic it did in Pakistan. The film also has a dance number Selfiyan shot on Sohai Ali Aabroo.
Bin Roye (بن روۓ)
Film:Bin Roye (بن روۓ)
Cast: Humayun Saeed , Mahira Khan , Armeena Rana Khan ,Javed Sheikh,Zeba Bakhtiyar, Azra Mansoor, Junaid Khan
Writer: Farhat Ishtiaq
Directed By: Momina Duraid & Hameed Kashmiri
Produced By: Momina Duraid
Distributor: Hum Films & Everready Pictures
Release Date: 19 July 2015
Produced In: Karachi
Music: Shiraz Uppal
Shot In: Karachi, USA, Dubai
Budget: – 3 -4 crore
Business (Pakistan): 11 crore
Business (Overseas): 20 – 25 crore
Verdict: Super Hit
Released on 18th July 2015 on Eidul Fitr, Bin Roye was a long awaited project from Hum Tv distributed by Eveready Productions. A film of social/romantic family drama genre Bin Roye also proved successful and earned about 10.85 crore. After a very long time an Urdu film of social/romantic family drama genre proved successful at the box office. Otherwise the recent history fo successful Pakistani films was limited to action and comedy films. After Bol in 2011, Mahira Khan made a successful comeback to Urdu cinema.
Apart from Pakistan Bin Roye was released worldwide by Indian film distributor B4U films. It was released in many countries including those where not much Pakistani reside, but having a sizeable Hindi speaking population like Fiji (a remote island in the pacific ocean having a large Indian Hindi speaking diaspora). Bin Roye was released in UAE, UK, USA, Canada, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Denmark, Norway, Singapore, Australia, Newzealand, Malaysia, Fiji, South Africa and many other countries.
It was also due to release in India but after threats from a Hindu extremist organization Maharashtra Navniriman Sena (MNS) its release was cancelled in the state of Maharashtra. Apart from Maharashtra it was released on 82 screens in India, which is a record for any Pakistani film in India. However it failed to register any success in India.
Apart from India, it earned well in the western countries UK, USA and Canada. Especially in UK it did exceptional business and became the highest earning Pakistani film in the UK. As per estimates it earned around 11 crore Pakistani rupee in UK alone which is more than its collection on Pakistani box office. Bin Roye also opened the doors for more upcoming social romantic family drama films.
Bin Roye is the only film of 2015 which proved successful both in Pakistan as well as abroad. The other films which proved more successful in Pakistan, proved far less successful in other countries like UK, UAE and USA.
Karachi Se Lahore (کراچی سے لاہور)
Film: Karachi Se Lahore (کراچی سے لاہور)
Cast: Javed Sheikh, Shehzad sheikh, Aysha Omer, Yasir Hussain, Aashir Wajahat, Eshita Syed, Ahmed Ali, Rashid Naz, Mantaha
Writer: Yasir Hussain
Directed By: Wajahat Rauf
Produced By: Wajahat Rauffor Showcase Films
Distributor: ARY Films
Release Date: 31 July 2015
Produced In: Karachi
Music: Shiraz Uppal
Shot In: Karachi, Lahore, Baluchistan
Budget: Not Available
Business (Pakistan):
Business (Overseas): Not Available
Verdict: Super Hit
A road trip comedy film Karachi Se Lahore was released on 31st July 2015. Like many other films of 2015, many artists made their debut like Ayesha Omar, Shahzad Sheikh, Yasir Hussain, as well as the director and producer Wajahat Rauf. KSL also proved superhit and grossed about 10 crore rupees at the box office. As compared to other films it has two dance numbers Tooti Frooti shot on Ayesha Omar and Rabbi Rali on Mantaha Tareen Maqsood. KSL was produced in Karachi and shot in Karachi, Lahore and Balochistan
Seeing its success in Pakistan it was also released overseas in UAE, without much success. KSL was also screened at Hollywood in some Asian film festival.
The success of three consecutive Urdu films provided encouraging signs to the film makers and distributors and it raised the hopes about three upcoming Urdu film which were due to release on 14th August 2015.
Shah (شاہ)
Film: Shah (شاہ)
Cast: Sardar Baloch,Gulab Chandio,Kiran Chaudhry,Faiz Chohan,Adnan Sarwar,Miraal Sara,Adeel Raees
Writer:
Directed By: Adnan Sarwar
Produced By: Adnan Sarwar for Logos Films & Media
Distributor: ARY Films
Release Date: 14 August 2015
Produced In: Karachi
Music:
Shot In: Karachi
Budget: – 1.70 crore
Business (Pakistan): 1.10 crore
Business (Overseas): Not released
Verdict: Average
A low budget biopic film financed entirely by Bank Alfalah, released on 13th August 2015. Shah was a tribute to long forgotten boxing hero of Pakistan Syed Hussain Shah. The stated budget of the film was 1.70 crore rupee and it earned approximately 1.10 crore rupee on the box office. Due to lack of finance the director Adnan Sarwar himself played the lead role of Hussain Shah. Shah was produced and shot in Karachi.
Films of such genre seldom succeed in Pakistan and are only screened at multiplexes in posh areas. Shah proved a timely acknowledgement to Olympic medalist Syed Hussain Shah who otherwise faced many bitter experiences from the beaurucracy and have to settle in Japan to earn his living.
Moor (مور)
Film: Moor (مور)
Cast: Hameed Sheikh, Samiya Mumtaz, Shaz Khan, Abdul Qadir, Sonya Hussyn, Ayaz Samoo, Ali Sheikh, Shabbir Rana, Habib Panazayi, Azlan Shah
Writer: Jami and Nazira Ali
Directed By: Jami
Produced By: Jami and Nadeem Mandwiwala
Distributor: IMGC (Geo Films)
Release Date: 14 August 2015
Produced In: Karachi
Music:
Shot In: Balochistan, Karachi
Budget: – 5 crore
Business (Pakistan): 2 crore
Business (Overseas): Not released
Verdict: Flop
Moor means mother in the Pashto language. Directed by Jami, it was under production for past four years. Like any film of Jami it has a layered script with interwooven themes. Such films seldom attract the masses and thus Moor was screened at selective multiplexes. The film earned praise from most of the critics and ultimately earned the Pakistan’s entry to Oscars from the Pakistani Oscar Committee headed by Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy.
Dekh Magar Pyar Se (دیکھ مگر پیار سے)
Film: Dekh Magar Pyar Se (دیکھ مگر پیار سے)
Cast: Humaima Malik, Sikandar Rizvi, Irfan Khoosat, Farooq Aqdas
Writer:Saba Imtiaz
Directed By: Asadul Haq
Produced By: Asadul Haq – Shiny Toy Guns
Distributor: IMGC (Geo Films)
Release Date: 14 August 2015
Produced In: Karachi
Music: Soch Band
Shot In: Lahore and London
Budget: – Not Available
Business (Pakistan): 2.20 crore
Business (Overseas): Not Available
Verdict: Average Hit
Dekh Magar Pyar Se was the only commercial comedy film released on 14th August 2015. Like many other Urdu films it was the debut film for the director Asadul Haq, actor Sikandar Rizvi, Farooq Aqdas. The film was produced in Karachi but shot in Lahore and London. Humaima Malik returned to Urdu cinema after a gap of four years, where Bol in 2011 was her last film.
DMPS, earned nearly 2 crore on the box office, where its budget was never revealed. On the whole DMPS was heavily criticized by viewers and critics alike for its weak story and execution. The music of the film by Soch Band was praised.
Manto (منٹو)
Film: Manto (منٹو)
Cast: Sarmad Sultan, Sania Saeed, Saba Qamar, Mahira Khan, Nimra Bucha, Arjumand Raheem, Faisal Qureshi, Humayun Saeed, Hina Khawaja Bayat, Shamoon Abbasi, Nadia Afgan, Sawera Nadeem
Writer: Shahid Mehmood Nadeem
Directed By: Sarmad Sultan Khoosat
Produced By: Asif Raza Mir
Distributor: IMGC (Geo Films)
Release Date: 11 Septebmer 2015.
Produced In: Karachi
Music:
Shot In: Karachi
Budget: – Not revealed
Business (Pakistan): 5 crore
Business (Overseas): Not released outside Pakistan
Verdict: Super Hit
A biopic film based on the life of famous short story writer Saadat Hassan Manto. The film covers the last seven years of the life of Saadat Hassan Manto which he spent in Pakistan after 1947. Manto is originally shot as a 20 episode television drama, and the film version consists of two hours of scenes edited out from the television drama. Manto was produced and shot in Karachi.
The name of Saadat Hassan Manto is considered a controversial name in the Urdu literature, and the film benefitted from the same reputation. Though films of independent nature seldom succeed in Pakistan, Manto performed very well by earning 5 crore on the box office, which was far more than its budget considering the film was edited version from a 20 hour long drama.
Swaarangi (سوارنگی)
Film: Swaarangi (سوارنگی)
Cast: Resham, Ayub Khosa, Naveed Akbar, Waseem Manzoor, Hamza Mushtaq, Shahzaib Johar
Writer: Phida Hussain
Directed By: Phida Hussain
Produced By:Mazhar Abbass
Distributor: Phida Hussain Films
Release Date: 11 September 2015
Produced In: Lahore
Music:
Shot In: Mianwali
Budget: – Not Available
Business (Pakistan): Not Available
Business (Overseas): Not Released
Verdict: Flop
An independent film , Swaarangi was the comeback of Resham in a film after a long gap of nine years. The film faced a ban from the Federal Censor Board, but cleared without any cuts by Punjab and Sindh Censor Boards. The film was released in very few multiplexes in Lahore only. Swaarangi proved dead flop at the box office.
Jawani Phir Nahin Aani (جوانی پھر نہیں آنی)
Film: Jawani Phir Nahin Aani (جوانی پھر نہیں آنی)
Cast: Humayun Saeed, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Ahmed Ali Butt, Vasay Ch, Aisha Khan, Sarwat Gillani, Mehwish Hayat,Sohai Ali Abro, Javed Sheikh, Bushra Ansari, ZQ, Ismail Tara
Writer: Vasay Chaudhar
Directed By: Nadeem Baig
Produced By: Salman Iqbal, Humayun Saeed, Mohammad Jerjees Seja & Shahzad Nasib, Six Sigma Productions
Distributor: ARY Films
Release Date: 25 September 1015
Produced In: Karachi
Music: Sahir Ali Bagga
Shot In: Karachi, Bangkok
Budget: – 9 crore
Business (Pakistan): 40 – 45 crore
Business (Overseas): Not Available
Verdict: All Time Blockbuster Hit
A comedy film Jawani Phir Nahin Aani (JPNA) has been the highlight of the year when it made the history by becoming the most successful film of Pakistan cinema. JPNA was also released in UAE, UK, USA. JPNA first by passed the Bollywood’s Dhoom3 which in 2013 earned 25 crore rupees on Pakistani box office and became the highest earning film in Pakistani rupees.
After the grand success of JPNA many new Pakistani films were announced and it encouraged investors towards the local film industry.
Halla Gulla (ہلہ گلہ)
Film: Halla Gulla (ہلہ گلہ)
Cast: Javed Sheikh, Ismail Tara, Ghazala Javed, Asim Mehmood, Muneeb, Sidra Batool, Ashraf Khan ,Zara Gul Jasmeen Adil Wadia, Maryam Ansari, Hina Rizvi, Hunain Maniar, Bilal Yousufzai
Writer:Raheela Mushtaq
Directed By: Kamran Ali Khan
Produced By: Hamid Mohammad
Distributor: Geo Films
Release Date: 25 September 2015
Produced In: Karachi
Music: Sahir Ali Bagga
Shot In: Karachi, Bangkok
Budget: – 3 -4 crore
Business (Pakistan): 1.5 crore
Business (Overseas): Not Released
Verdict: Flop
A comedy film Halla Gulla was also screened on Eidul Azha with JPNA. However unlike JPNA, Halla Gulla failed at the box office.
Ishq Ne Hum Ko Loota (عشق نے ہم کو لوٹا)
Film: Ishq Ne Hum Ko Loota (عشق نے ہم کو لوٹا)
Cast: Nadeem Shah, Zara Sheikh, Meera
Writer: Parvez Kaleem
Directed By: Iqbal Kashmiri
Produced By: Nadeem Shah
Distributor: Nadeem Shah
Release Date:
Produced In: Lahore
Music:
Shot In: Lahore
Budget: – Not Available
Business (Pakistan):
Business (Overseas): Not released
Verdict: Flop
The last Urdu film of 2015 was Ishq Ne Hum Ko Loota released only in Lahore in November. The film was shot five years ago but was stuck in the film processing laboratory of Evernew Studio over non payment of the dues. This year the film finally made it to cinemas without leaving any impact. It was based on the sob fest story of Devdas.
Punjabi films
Punjabi films were once considered as the backbone of Pakistani film industry. Till mid 2000 Punjabi films were running successfully in Punjab, however with the departure of 35 mm old camera and arrival of digital camera and multiplexes the Punjabi cinema failed miserably. This year nearly five low budget Punjabi films produced in Lahore were released in few cinemas of Lahore, Gujranwala and other small centres of Punjab. None of the Punjabi film was able to revive the dying Punjabi cinema.
The name of the Punjabi film were Razia Phas Gayi Gundon Main, Lahoria tay Pishoria, Gujjar Pooray Dinna Da, Sohna Gujjar and Sami Rawal.
Pashto films
Pashto films are produced in Lahore, Punjab but their market is outside of Punjab in the provinces of Balochistan and KPK. Pashto films are also released in few cinemas of Karachi, Sindh due to high population of Pashto speakers in the city. This year nearly 17 Pashto films were released 12 of which were hit while the rest also recovered their cost. Apart from Pakistan, Pashto films were also released in Kabul, Afghanistan and Dubai, UAE. Though the budgets of Pashto films are limited but their market is spread across multiple provinces and countries, which enables the makers of Pashto films to easily convert their investment into profit.
Rashid Nazir Ali
Pakistani showbiz is lucky to have so many people from talented families working day and night to prove that they will do anything to see Pakistani entertainment on top of the world. There are many family members who are associated with this field. There are also many siblings who have made a name for themselves all on their own in the showbiz industry. Their relationship with each other is very strong and when they are not with each other for a long time because of work-related commitments they always make sure that they let the other know that they miss them. These siblings provide love and support to each other every step of the way. In showbiz sometimes people get so busy with their own struggles that they have no time for anyone else but the celebrities on this list are certainly not like that. They always find time for family and if they can’t be with them they make sure they know that they are in their thoughts.
The celebrities on this list are not there because they are more successful than other celebrity siblings in the business but they are there because they shower more love on each other than rest of the celebrity siblings.
Humaima Malick and Feroze Khan
Humaima Malick was in showbiz long before Feroze Khan made his television debut but now that he has entered the industry he wants everyone to know just how much he loves his sister. Look at these instagram posts, they tell just how much this brother is willing to do for his sister and how much he loves her.
Humaima Malick loves spending time with her brother. We see them hanging out very often and they look very happy when they are together. Feroze Khan thinks of Humaima Malick not just as a sister but also as a mentor.
Mawra Hocane and Urwa Hocane
Everyone knows how much these sisters love each other. They are always showering love on each other and whenever they are in the same city, they always take time out to meet each other. They are always happy to see each other grow. Their unconditional support for each other is a big strength for both of them. Here are some pictures and posts of these sisters that clearly show how they feel about each other.
Aiman Khan and Minal Khan
These sisters do everything together. Since they are twins they always make sure that their birthday celebrations are done jointly and both of them have the same group of friends with whom they enjoy. Aiman and Minal keep on posting their pictures together and they keep on telling each other how strong their bond is.
Here are some beautiful pictures of the twins which they keep on posting on different pages and some posts that go with them.
Sarah Khan and Noor Khan
Sarah Khan and Noor Khan are seen going to the parlor together, shopping together and they are even seen in shoots with each other. The talented and beautiful sisters shared screen in the HUM TV play Mohabbat Aag Si. Noor Khan was very excited about sharing screen with her sister.
Mehwish and Danish Hayat
Mehwish and Danish were seen together in the reality show Madventures Season 1 and 2. Mehwish Hayat and Danish are also seen together in award shows and functions. They never hold their feelings for each other back. Their instagram posts are filled with love for each other. Danish Hayat has been part of some fashion shows and he has also done modeling.
This episode marked the begining of another marriage that is bound to be a very complicated one! The actual marriage ceremony was completely skipped but the viewers were shown clearly how the nikkah took place in the beginning of the episode and the way Adeel managed to “convince” Gul-e-Rana to accept him as her husband only after he forced her into a nikkah. There was absolutely nothing new about the troubles Gul-e-Rana faced today. She was helpless just like any other girl who would go through something like this in any other drama. She probably thought of her Taya before anyone else therefore she did not talk to him about whatever transpired between her and Adeel. Asking him to get Adeel married to Maria and everything else that happened after that had been-there-seen-that written all over it too.
Once again we saw a “strong” girl who has enough common sense to know better fall prey to the evil designs of a man because she could not think of a way out. It didn’t take much to convince Adeel’s father or Rana’s mother that they were having an affair – another example of how men always are trusted more than the women because the women in our plays fail to plead their case. Rana’s conversation with Alia when she went to talk to Asher about her troubles reminded me of Rameen’s character. Rameen was also someone who had tons of advice for everyone around her but was completely helpless and clueless when it came to solving her own problems.
I completely understand though why Rana could not share anything that happened with her Taya or mother – she lives in her Taya’s house, she feels indebted to him and would probably not want to hurt him by telling him what a monster his son was. Munira is a weak woman who will not be able to do anything to help her daughter and she is already sick therefore Rana would not want to give her more to worry about. Adeel’s threats and intimidating behavior left Rana with no choice and therefore she decided to accept this relationship. The only problem I have is that if a heroine is going to be shown as someone who cannot muster up the courage to take all these chances then she should not be portrayed as someone who is capable of being very strong. Adeel promised Rana that he would change if she accepted him as her husband but at the same time he did not want to hurt Maria’s feeling either which obviously suggested that he had no intentions of changing. I am still unable to understand why Alia’s track and misery has been added to this drama. Watching one woman in the drama going through so many problems is enough, why show two such women and another man who likes to belittle women and has no respect for them. Perhaps the writer is trying to show that whether it is a affluent household or a poor one men always have the tendency to abuse women but I must say that I find Rana’s khaloo’s character terribly annoying!
This whole episode lacked consistency. We jumped from one scene to the other and it was not easy to figure out how much time had elapsed in between these scenes. The marriage was too sudden, one minute we saw Rana considering what Adeel had said and the other minute she was shown as a bride. If the director wanted to end the drama at a thrilling note to keep the viewers wondering if Rana had done something to herself, he shouldn’t have shown her well and alive having a conversation with Asher in the preview of the next episode!
This drama is full of clichés and has nothing new to offer and the overacting by few of the actors doesn’t help either. Dialogues like “tumhari khamoshi tumhara gunah sabit krne ke liye kafi hai” and many more which were a part of this episode should officially be banned from dramas because they have been done-to-death. Gul-e-Rana is the story of another “strong” girl who is not likely to do anything to help herself and like every such girl in our dramas, there is a helpless and mistrusting mother behind her who will only make matters worse for her.
How many of you watched this latest episode? Do share your thoughts about it.
Fatima Awan
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is an upcoming Bollywood film which boasts of a star cast from India and also from Pakistan. It is a film by Karan Johar which makes it all the more desirable for the audience. From Pakistan Fawad Khan and Imran Abbas will be part of this film. Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Aishweriya Rai are the prominent names from India.
Karan Johar announced the release date of the film on twitter. He announced that the film will be releasing on 28th October 2016.
Fawad Khan bonded with Ranbir Kapoor and his family while shooting for the film. They took some selfies and had a good time. Here are some selfies of Fawad Khan with Ranbir Kapoor’s mother and sister.
Fawad Khan was also down with Pneumonia in the last days of shooting. Fawad Khan and Imran Abbas’ selfies with Ranbir Kapoor too were circulating in the media which showed how all these actors were bonding.
OMG! What did I just see!?!?! Like seriously, this drama has crossed the brain-dead zone ages ago & now they are just filling the episodes to reach the end because they had a certain number in their minds which they thought were enough to get them ratings & profits. This drama is made on such commercial basis because other than that I see not even a single reason that justifies the point of this drama.
Before saying anything, I think if anyone from any intelligence agency of the world is watching this drama, they should hire Naani, Daani or that kid-goon Numair because they do the reporting in a split second perfectly. Just when Naani saw that Baber was misbehaving with her mother, she knew she had to call her Papa # 2 & later when Tania showed at Samra’s doorstep, Naani gave reports about her visit to Aazar, proving my point once again that in this drama, the kids are being used to do the heavy lifting while the adults are too busy sorting the mess that they themselves have created in their lives.
Ohkay so, Baber has fallen for Samra, which is absolutely pathetic & later when he understood that Samra was way out of his league, he tried to sham her reputation by suggesting that it was Samra who was trying to make a contact with him. The whole baarish mai bheegna & later sofa pe aa ke behosh ho jana was a plot that set the grounds for something even more disastrous that happened between Samra & Aaazar. I really don’t understand Samra’s condition, where she looses senses just when she feels like & regains her senses when she shouldn’t actually!!! Samra & Aazar have now started to fall for each other because now they are seeing themselves as each other’s spouses. Aazar contacted Molvi Sahab just to find out that Samra is his wife, as if he didn’t know before getting a bit too comfortable & chummy with her.
Samra says she feels guilty because she thinks she is wrecking Rania’s marriage, which literally makes me want to push her into a deep pit because nothing that she will say now would undo the fact that Samra has successfully snatched Aazar away from Rania. If Samra was so conscious before, she wouldn’t have gotten a bit too chummy with Aazar.
After Awazar of Aahista Aahista & a few more, I really thought I had seen the worst male characters but honestly speaking, I am surprised that our current drama writers do not fail to surprise me till date. After all those miserable men, here comes Aazar who is beyond my understanding. He still thinks & says that Samra is Arsal’s wife, but doesn’t hold back in building a marital relation with Samra & then, there we have Rania who is dying to get back to Aazar, thinking that he can never deceive her. Why didn’t we see Rania thinking things through about the fact that when she was at her mother’s place, Aazar didn’t bother about her or Daada at all? Rania is living in a fool’s paradise to believe that she means everything to Aazar, which I believe any sane person wouldn’t claim after seeing no attempts of reconciliation from her husband. Aazar didn’t even call her once to come back & there we saw her leaving his place on her own terms & then packing her bags to come back to him on her own terms too!!! Talk about being Pakistan’s most unwanted at the moment!!
Well, if there’s one thing that Samra believes in, that is sympathy seeking. Just when she saw that the divorce was on cards, she started speaking about how bechari & bebass she is, how she will be forced by the destiny to join all those becharis out there who tend to fend for themselves. All of a sudden Samra started magnifying her issues & problems in front of Aazar to make him realize that she is literally handicapped & she can’t do anything on her own, so that he decides not to divorce her. It is so stupid of Samra that she still chooses to ignore the fact that no matter what, she has to get up on her feet & do something about her situation & if not even for herself, then for her Naani at least. I think after all that Samra has gone through, her ignorance-is-bliss mode makes no sense whatsoever. Where she should be practical, she is treating her whole life with so much immaturity. That whole dialogue that came after Samra’s drama where Aazar mentioned that she is Arsal’s wife was soooo out of the line. Seriously, the writer needs to be checked by the psychiatrist for making a mockery of the martial relationships so badly!!!
I am glad that Baber & Tania both got slapped in different ways. Where Baber got slapped physically, Tania got a verbal slap too where she was told off by Rania to not interfere in her life anymore. Tania all of a sudden has started harbouring these feelings of concern for Rania whereas there was a time when she used to hate Rania for bossing around her brother Aazar. Like seriously, Baber & Tania are just added headache provokers in this drama, but oh well, I guess they all are the same!!! Please share your thoughts about this senseless drama & openly share your detest so that the producers understand that this is exact the opposite of the entertainment that we expect from them!!!
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
Bushra Ansari has been seen in a lot of talk shows and what people love the most about her is that she is very blunt about whatever she feels. Bushra Ansari always compares the time when she started her career and the way things are nowadays in the showbiz industry whenever she is talking as a host or as a guest.
Bushra Ansari was invited to Nadia Khan’s Show in which she talked about many things like why she left hosting Geo’s Morning Show and how she enjoyed working even now. While playing a game in which she was shown the pictures of different celebrities and she was asked to say something about them she said something that may come as a surprise to many about Sahir Lodhi. Bushra Ansari did not recognize Sahir Lodhi at first but when she did, she knew exactly how she felt about him.
“Today I am going to give a statement about Sahir Lodhi which has always been in my heart. People say he is like Shah Rukh Khan and all those things, okay that is fine. The truth is that he is immensely talented. But it is also a fact that no one has ever groomed him. He is very strong intellectually too. He knows how to covey his message in an impressive manner. He talks very logically, he is not a duffer. He is an intelligent man who needs the right kind of guidance just like all the newbie artists nowadays.”
Bushra Ansari also said that when she started her career she was very lucky to have some superb mentors. Sahir Lodhi would have been much more successful if her got proper guidance when he started his career.
Pakistan’s showbiz community consists of many prominent actors, models and fashion designers who are Christians. But it isn’t just these celebrities who wish others Merry Christmas or participate in Christmas parties. Many Pakistani stars enjoy celebrating Christmas even though they are Muslims. They do so to show solidarity to their Christian friends and to keep them company. Many of our liberal Muslim stars even decorate their houses with Christmas lights and have a well decorated Christmas tree. This is because they like the concept of celebrating a holiday like that.
Waqar Ali Khan held a festive Christmas Hi-tea party in his house in London. Frieha Altaf was at a party with her close friends in Karachi last night. Even Ayesha Omer joined them on the occasion. She spent the afternoon with her friends too. Meesha Shafi spent the day with family and she was at a party with friends.
Here are pictures of some Pakistani stars on this Christmas.
Sanam Jung announced in her talk show few days ago that she was getting married very soon. She did not tell exactly when but we know now that it is going to be very soon. In her show today Sanam Jung announced that she had taken holidays from her show because she was getting married but the exact date of the marriage was not revealed.
Sanam Jung hosted the Morning Show on HUM for one year and 3 months. Sanam Jung said that ever since she took up the job of hosting the show, she did not take even one day off. Sanam Jung showed some “moments to remember” from this journey in the form of a video clip. Aijaz Aslam was invited to the show and he distributed mithai among the audience. Noor and Saud also came to the show and the topic of all the discussion was Sanam’s marriage.
Sanam thanked her fans in the end and also announced who was going to host the show while she will be away from holidays. Noor will be hosting the show when Sanam Jung goes on holidays.
Watch the Sanam’s last show here>>>http://dramaonline.com/jago-pakistan-jago-with-sanam-jung-in-hd-25th-december-2015/
25th December is a very special day for all Pakistanis because on this day Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the father of the nation came to this world. He did something which was very close to impossible. He won praises from all parts of the globe for achieving something which no other leader could have achieved. Stanley Wolpert who was a famous American author and is considered one of the best authorities on the history of the subcontinent and India and Pakistan wrote a book on Quaid-e-Azam titled “Jinnah Of Pakistan” in which he summed up what Quaid-eAzam achieved in these few lines,
“Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state. Muhammad Ali Jinnah did all three.”
Pakistani celebrities also remembered this great personality in different ways on his birthday. Here are some posts that will show you how these celebrated wished and remembered the great leader.
Ahsan Khan is one of those celebrities who do not usually give a lot of strong statements on social networking sites. Anyone who follows Ahsan Khan on these sites would know that he usually is only talking about his projects and work in his posts but there must be something annoying this actor that is why he decided to say it loud and clear in a facebook status.
While wishing the Christian community a merry Christmas, Ahsan Khan also highlighted the attitude of many people he comes across very often. Ahsan Khan for some reason is always questioned about his religious beliefs. It could be because he has also hosted some Ramazan transmissions. Whatever the reason maybe it is very clear from his status that Ahsan Khan is not happy with people who ask him such questions. He wants people to know that he is a human before everything else and he would not like to associate with people who ask him these questions.
Here is his facebook status.
There is a saying that behind every successful man there is a woman which is very true because a woman raises a son and a woman stands by his side as a wife through the later half of his life. Showbiz is a tricky field to be in for a married man because the timings are not 9 to 5 and it is very demanding because an actor, model, singer or host does not only do his job but he is in a way public property. Even when he goes out people think it is their right to approach him and talk to him.
The wives of these celebrities have to be very understanding otherwise the marriage will fall apart. A woman who gets jealous easily, is insecure in any way or wants her husband to give her and the children time without considering his professional restraints cannot be someone who will be behind a successful male celebrity. There was a time when only showbiz wives were seen in functions and by their husbands’ side during interviews but that trend is gradually fading away. Wives of celebrities who are not in showbiz are also celebrities in a way now because they are seen by their side when they are even abroad promoting different projects. This shows that they support their husband which is a big help for all these men.
Here is a list of Pakistani celebrities’ wives who are always by their side in public although they are not in showbiz.
Fawad Khan’s Wife Sadaf Khan
Fawad Khan loves his wife dearly, none of his interviews are complete without mentioning how his wife has supported him in all these years. He has always said that he is where he is today because of Sadaf’s support. He also said in an interview that his wife is very possessive about him and he loves that about her. Sadaf Khan runs a garment business of her own, she is stylish and confident. She is always there with her husband whether he is in Pakistan or abroad.
Talking to the Indian media once he said,
“My wife is not insecure at all. She is one of the most sensible persons I have ever come across.”
Here are some pictures of the happy couple from some events:
Ali Zafar’s Wife Ayesha Fazli
Ali Zafar and Ayesha Fazli also had a love marriage like Fawad and Sadaf and the love is very much there even after all these years. Ali Zafar gifted Ayesha’s dream house to her this year to show how much he appreciated her love and support in all these years. Ayesha Fazli is always there at functions and shows and even personal parties. Ayesha Fazli is also a confident outgoing woman who loves her husband and is always by his side.
Here are some really cute pictures of the couple:
Ahmed Ali Butt’s Wife Fatima Khan
Ahmed Ali Butt and Fatima Khan also tied the knot after knowing each other for many years. More than a decade ago Fatima Khan was part of the drama industry of Pakistan, she was seen in a few sitcoms but then she got married and moved abroad. The marriage did not work out maybe because she was destined to be with Ahmed Ali Butt. Fatima Khan has been seen in all the functions Ahmed Ali Butt has been invited too since they got married. They also spend a lot of time together. She always looks gorgeous and has a smiling face. Ahmed Ali Butt calls his wife his girlfriend and partner in crime in different posts which shows what great friendship they have!
Here are some lovely pictures of both of them:
Vasay Chaudhry’s Wife Mahera Shah
Vasay Chaudhry and Mahera Shah got married in 2008 and they have three beautiful daughters. Mahera Shah are seen in public very often too. They make a very cute couple who look good together.
Here are some pictures of the beautiful couple:
Faysal Qureshi’s Wife Sana Qureshi
Faysal Qureshi and Sana Qureshi although have never been seen together in a talk show but Faysal Qureshi keeps on posting his pictures with his wife in which they are always seen having a happy family time. In the past 2 years Sana has accompanied Faysal to all the functions he has attended. It is really good to see this sweet couple being happy together.
Moammar Rana’s Wife Mehnaz Pervaiz
Among all the celebrities in this list Moammar Rana and Mehnaz’s marriage is the oldest. They have two beautiful daughters and they have made a lot of appearances in talk shows and functions. They were even seen as show stoppers on the ramp. Moammar’s marriage with Mehnaz was a strictly arranged marriage but it can be seen in their interview and in these pictures that they are a match made in heaven. Mehnaz always seems like a very sensible woman in her interviews.
Atif Aslam’s Wife Sara Bharwana
Atif and Sara got married recently but Sara makes sure that she is by her husband’s side in functions and even in private parties. Whether Atif is attending a wedding or an award show Sara is always by his side looking beautiful.
Yes, I took the liberty of changing the title of the drama because I think this drama should have been titled just that!! I am finding it really hard to absorb what I just watched!! Just when you think Sangat has shocked and disappointed you enough, it gets worse. Now when I hear the sound track during the break “saza hai, maye saza hai” I get even more convinced that it refers to Shahwez, the bechara rapist who is getting punished by a “ruthless” rape victim! Talk about taking contradictions to a whole new level! A rapist has been turned into a victim and a victim has been shown as someone who is perfectly comfortable around the person who violated her in the worst way possible! Ayesha’s confidence is definitely not something you can relate to. It is almost as if she wants Shahwez to get attached to his daughter, which is sickening. She is still not willing to tell her mother the truth because she wants Shahwez to stay in the house and she has no intentions of making any more attempts to be reconcile things with her husband. Whatever Ayesha’s grand plan is it should be revealed soon because I am losing all respect for her character which started off as a very strong and sensible one! Sure, Shahwez is the only person who can save Sangat’s life but is developing this whole relationship with him really important? Why doesn’t Ayesha just “order” him to do whatever it is that needs to be done?
The joke of the day was when Salma took pride in the fact that she was “strong” (stupid, naive, senseless????) enough to love someone like Shahwez! There was a time when I used to think Salma had no reason to feel “insecure” from Ayesha but now I am not even sure what Ayesha’s intentions are. She wants Shahwez to be her kid’s nanny and her driver. She is enjoying controlling him which basically means that she has clearly moved on. He is supposed to do everything which Adnan used to do. Why not just marry Shahwez and live happily ever after? Since torturing him is so much fun, Ayesha could do it for the rest of her life if she gets married to him and Shahwez’s “saza” will be never ending then!! I am sorry I have to joke about this otherwise very serious situation but I have stopped taking this drama seriously now.
Every week we see a senseless episode of this play which makes a mockery of something as serious as rape. What makes this drama even more unbearable now is that there are hardly any commercial breaks also to provide the much-needed relief from the torture of watch Ayesha and Shahwez sharing the most strange relationship we have ever witnessed in television history! The preview of the episode will ensure trps since Ayesha will tell Shahwez that he is the father of her child. It is shocking how much Ayesha trusts this man! She is going to share something she has not shared with her mother or her husband with this man because they have this “bond” which only the writer of this drama understands! After watching this episode and the last one I do feel like the writer is somehow trying to convince us that these two do share a bond which Ayesha does not share with anyone else. He is the only man she shares her feelings with and the first person she will tell the truth to! How are the viewers supposed to relate to this situation?
Did you watch this disastrous episode of Sangat? Please share your thoughts about it.
Fatima Awan
Ohkay so, I must say I absolutely enjoyed watching this episode of Mana Ka Gharana. There’s something very simple & sweet about this drama & I love the way it has been executed. They are showcasing a life of a very close-knit family that lives in a very peaceful environment & how they believe in making things easier for each & every family member. I really like how they all show solidarity & try to come up with a solution every single time they feel things are getting too complicated for anyone.
Honestly speaking, there was a lot of focus on Zarri for my liking, may be because so far I haven’t gotten anything to feel for her character or any details that would let me know that she is nice. So far Zarri comes across as someone who doesn’t believe in minding her own business & if someone will have an issue with her, she will make sure to turn that person into a culprit & would enjoy the luxury of being a victim in everyone’s eyes. When she knew that Maalik didn’t fancy any sort of interference in his life, she still invaded his privacy & searched through his personal belongings. When Maalik tried to make her realize that she shouldn’t have done that, she brushed it off her shoulders saying it wasn’t a big deal. If Maalik has been rigid with her, then since day one Zarri has made sure to make things difficult for Maalik too. It is Zarri who has come to live with them, so she shouldn’t go around disturbing people’s personal space, but somehow it looks like she doesn’t know where to draw a line.
Obviously, the things Maalik said to Zarri caused her distress which evoked everyone’s sympathy towards her. Ghalib also reminisced about the past as to how his father wanted Maalik to get married to Zarri but he chose Gul Bahar over her. I don’t know why but I found it quite odd that despite being well aware of the fact that Maalik is going to be there, Zarri not only chose to come to Ghalib’s house, but she started disturbing Maalik too. I think she should’ve known better that after all that has happened between them in the past, she can’t be just so candid with & around Maalik. Ghalib, Saleha, Mana & Khizer, each & everyone started feeling bad for Zarri & the one who actually got disturbed got ignored because in their opinion, Maalik was being rigid for no good reason.
The new character that made an entry was obviously of some businessman (Danish Raheel) who was visiting the hill station for his business purposes & was staying at the guest house. Mana came across him & he caught her attention, may be because his aura was somewhat similar to the aura of Mana’s ideal that she had in her mind. Even though Mana didn’t get to interact with him, it was shown that he is going to be a bit of a snort. Obviously, he will be a bit polite when he will start conversing with Mana but his personality is not as pleasant as Khizer’s. The inner most feelings that Mana shared with Zarri showed that she is eager to settle into a big city as she is tired of living in a small town. I am sure this will definitely force Mana to feel attracted to the businessman as she will think he will take her away like her imaginary prince charming that she spoke about.
What I liked seeing the most was the change in Maalik’s attitude. He actually felt guilty for being too harsh on Zarri & he showed that despite being rigid & uncompromising, he still is humane enough to admit his mistakes & apologize when required. He not only apologized to Zarri but tried to have a conversation with her because he knows that they both share similar interests too, which was a pleasant surprise as well. It looks like Maalik is trying to give his life & Zarri a second chance too because he is tired of living in a shell.
It looks like Maalik’s wife will make a reentry & she is going to create a havoc in his & Zarri’s life because she won’t let go of him easily. Overall, this episode was a bit slow but still interesting. I hope they do have a strong story to tell in the episodes to come because so far it is only coming across as a story of a single family without much scope. I hope that different situations & circumstances take place so that the story becomes a bit intense & even more interesting. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Mana Ka Gharana.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
This year many famous celebrities were in news because they unfortunately had accidents which put their careers on hold for a while too. Some of these accidents were more tragic than others but all of them effected the celebrities involved in some way. Celebrities have to drive at odd hours because of the nature of their job and sometimes either the drivers on the road are too tired and sometimes these celebrities cannot focus on driving themselves. Many celebrities like Mawra Hocane, Ayesha Omer and Mahira Khan has small accidents on sets because of which the shooting had to be delayed for a day or two but this list consists of those accidents which were of a grave nature. While some celebrities talked about the accidents they were involved in others didn’t want to talk about them at all. Last year in November 2015 Hareem Farooq had an accident right after she was done shooting for Mere Humdum Mere Dost. In this accident she fractured her arm severely.
Here is the list of the worst celebrity accidents in the year 2015:
Moomal Khalid
This year started at a very sad note for Moomal Khalid. Her car in which she was travelling with her fiancé Shahzaib Magsi went out of control and crashed. The crash was terrible, Moomal had some serious injuries and Shahzaib Magsi died in the accident. This was one of the worst accidents because someone lost their life in it.
Hamayun Saeed
Hamayun Saeed has a bad accident when he had just landed in Bangkok to shoot for the film Jawani Phir Nahi Aani. Hamayun Saeed was badly hurt in the accident but thankfully he did not get any serious injuries or fractures. Hamayun Saeed was away from home so this was an even more difficult period for him. He talked about the accident a few hours after it happened and thanked people for their prayers and concern.
Khushboo
Khushboo is well known among people who watch Pakistani films and go to theater. Khushboo is also known for her kind nature, she is married to the Pakistani film actor Arbaz Khan. Khushboo was traveling back to Lahore from Sahiwal when she met a terrible accident in which she lost her brother who was traveling with her. This was a very sad moment for the actress because she lost her brother and also had some serious injuries. 
Nimra Khan
Nimra Khan avoids driving late at night because she said in an interview after the accident it is not easy driving after a whole night of work but this fateful day when she had an accident in which she was severely injured she did not have a driver and had to drive herself. She slept on the wheel and crashed in an army vehicle. As a result she was in the ICU for a few days. Nimra was very worried about all the projects she had signed even in this condition and posted a video message for her fans as soon as she was conscious. Nimra lost a lot of blood and had to undergo multiple surgeries. Nimra Khan talked about in detail after her accident too in a Morning Show.
Babar Khan and Sana Khan
Babar Khan and Sana Khan had only been married for 4 months when they had this terrible accident in which the entertainment industry lost a talented actress like Sana Khan and Babar Khan was in hospital for many days. Babar Khan never talked about this tragedy or the demise of his beautiful wife.
Ayesha Omar and Azfar Rehman
Ayesha Omar and Azfar Rehman had a terrible accident when few days back they were travelling together in early hours of the morning. They were lucky enough to survive this horrific accident. Azfar had a head injury and Ayesha has several fractured bones. She talked about the accident and the support she got from her fans and friends 3 days ago.
Ho Mann Jahan team after promoting their films in different parts of the country is the most unique way has now left for Dubai where they will urge people to watch the film and talk some more about their upcoming film. Ho Mann Jahan is Sheheryar Munawar’s first film as an actor and as a producer. Asim Raza, the director of the film is also accompanying the cast everywhere to promote the film. Many celebrities who are not part of the film have also been playing an active role in promoting it. The latest news is that Ho Mann Jahan will be releasing in UK, USA, Canada and Middle East on January 1st. This will give people all around the world who watch Urdu films an opportunity to watch the film.
Talking about the worldwide release of the film Indian director and producer Mahesh Bhatt in a video message said,
“1st January 2016 will be a special day for Pakistani cinema because Asim Raza’s Pakistani film Ho Mann Jahan will be released all over the world. I am very certain that this film will help Pakistani cinema reach the heights it has been aspiring to reach.”
The Ho Mann Jahan team attended a Press Conference in Dubai yesterday. Here are some pictures of the team arriving in Dubai and from the Press Conference.
This episode was full of confessions and confrontations. It showed how women are made to feel responsible for things that are beyond their control and how men manage to get away with so much only because they know that these women whether it is a young wife like Sehr or an old one like Sadaf do not have a choice but to put up with whatever is part of the “baggage” called marriage!!
Sadaf’s worst fears came true in tonight’s episode solely because of her wrong decision to tell Hira the truth. Hira kept on going back to her father looking for a closure but every time she went there she was rejected in the worst manner possible. The fact that Sadaf had to prove to her daughter that she had done nothing wrong in the past was actually very sad to see. While I understand that there are many women like Sadaf in our society I must say that I can’t help but wonder who really is responsible for the kind of circumstances they live under. We saw Sadaf holding herself responsible for something she had no control over because she knew how unreasonable her husband was but she does not have the courage or the choice to question him in any way! Hira keeps on loving her step-father unconditionally even though he does not really deserve all that love, concern and respect.
Shehryar told Sehr the truth because he could not care less what she does as a reaction or how it will effect her. Shehryar is the most villainous villain we have seen in dramas lately and Sajjid Hassan is always brilliant in every role he plays. Aiman Khan has a very powerful screen-presence therefore even though her character is negative but she always manages to overshadow Saboor Ali in all the scenes. And you can’t help but see her character as that of a naive girl who does not know any better. She is greedy and selfish without a shadow of doubt but she is still young and these tough lessons that life is teaching her are bound to change her perspective.
I must say that every time I see Javeria Abbasi’s character on screen, the first thing that runs through my head is that people like her must have a very long life!! The woman does not believe in worrying about anything in life. She enjoys watching people fight and everything bad is actually exciting for her!! She does not think a lot about the future as long the present is good. Even when she was divorced, she did not give it a second thought!! I am really enjoying watching Javeria Abbasi in this role. She is playing one of those insensitive negative characters which are actually amusing maybe because you don’t take them very seriously.
Saboor Ali was the weakest link in this episode too because she has been overdoing everything. Her dialogue delivery is a little too intense!!! The director too believes in stretching the scenes which show women being tormented in some way or the other. Just like all the previous episodes in this one too Sehr and Shehryar’s track kept my interest alive in the play. I cannot praise Aiman Khan enough for her brilliant performance. I feel for Sadaf but her helplessness is not pleasant to watch at all. All the negative characters are much more “entertaining” than the ones who have been portrayed as flawless individuals. You want all those characters who are playing with other people’s life to pay for their mistakes at some point but this drama would have been a complete snooze-fest without them.
Did you watch this latest episode? Do share your thoughts about it.
Fatima Awan
The interesting thing about selfies is that the word selfie did not even exist in the dictionary few years ago! There was no concept of people taking their own pictures because smart phones and webcams etc with which one can easily their own picture were introduced only few years ago. There was also a time when the results of selfies were not so fantastic that people could have put them on the social media pages. Usually we saw people posting pictures from functions which were taken by professional photographers because everyone wants only their best pictures on the social media pages.
When you are a celebrity you have to be even more conscious of your public image in every way. Many of our celebrities love to take selfies. It is their way of capturing the moment and keeping their fans posted about what they are doing and how they look. These celebrities who love taking and sharing selfies are doing their fans a big favor by keeping them updated. Fans get to know which dramas they are working in and who they are spending their time with. We also know about the moods of people by looking at their selfies. Some of these celebrities only take selfies when they are looking their best but some just do it to capture the moment and to share how they are feeling at that time. A selfie says a lot about these celebrities. We love all these lovely people and are so happy that they share these selfies with us.
Here are 5 celebrities who love taking and posting selfies on Social Media pages:
Agha Ali
If you take a look at some of Agha Ali’s recent selfies you will know which color he likes wearing the most and what is his focus of attention nowadays!! These selfies are from 5 different days and after looking at them it is an easy guess that he loves the color black and his focus of attention is his body nowadays!! That is because he wants to start a career in films. Agha Ali posts selfies on facebook and instagram on regular basis.
Saba Qamar
Saba Qamar usually takes selfies when she is with her co-stars on the sets of her dramas or any other shoot. If you take a look at her selfies you can tell who she has been working with. Saba always has a big smile on her face which shows that she loves doing what she does! Here are 5 selfies which will show what kind of pictures Saba Qamar likes to take of herself with others.
Mehwish Hayat
Mehwish Hayat’s selfies are always about her own self, which is fantastic. They always show her moods. She also shares details of what was going on in her mind when she took the selfie and she usually feels like a queen when she is taking a selfie. The confidence this woman has in herself is always drooling out from her selfies. Here are 5 selfies that will show to you that Mehwish usually takes selfie in very little or no make-up.
Ahmed Butt
Ahmed Butt was the king of selfies this year. He always took the best selfies in all the events he attended with everyone looking great in the frame. Ahmed Butt calls these selfies his trademark selfies and rightly so too because no one takes group selfies like Ahmed Butt. All of these excellent moments have been captured perfectly in these 5 selfies and these are just 5 out of 100s of selfies he took this year!!
Ayeza Khan
If Ahmed Butt was the king of selfies this year then Ayeza Khan was the queen of selfies. She posted one or more selfie almost every day. Unlike Ahmed Butt Ayeza Khan most often posted selfies of herself. She looked very pretty in all these selfies. Here are 5 selfies which Ayeza Posted in the past few days, there are many many more which she posted this year.
Danish Taimoor and Ayeza Khan are giving more and more interviews now and their fans cannot get enough of these love birds too. Every time they appear in a show they tell their fans something new about themselves. This time Danish Taimoor in particular shared something that will come as a shock and disappoint many of his fans. Danish shared that he wanted to be known as a film star now. Danish said the reason for this is,
“In India too people who are seen in dramas all the time are not the ones who are known as film stars. Film stars are different from TV stars and they are seen in films only. Who will buy a ticket of 600 rupees to see me in a film if they see me on television all the time. I want to contribute to the revival of Pakistani film industry therefore I will only be seen in films now.”
This is not the only reason Danish wants to stick to films alone. Another reason he said was,
“All the drama scripts are the same. I am fed up of playing the same kind of characters and being part of the same dramas. I am done with being the husband of two wives and all the other scripts like that.”
Ayeza Khan said that Danish was offered a lot of dramas but all of them are the same kind of dramas so he wants to do films only now. Danish also said that acting was not how he earned his livelihood so he would much rather do what he wants to do then doing things he is sick and tired of.
Ayeza Khan and Danish Taimoor also talked about their life together and how they had both changed after getting married.
Here are some pictures from the show:
Nargia Fakhri became the centre of attention for all the wrong reasons when her picture which was considered indecent by many was seen on the front page of every Urdu daily. Many people thought that Mobilink should have known better than to objectify a women like that to sell their product. Others questioned whether it was the model they were selling or their latest product. People criticized this act mostly because it was on the front page of every newspaper which is read by people all ages. The picture looked obscene and had nothing to do with the product which Mobilink was selling. After criticism from people some newspapers took the picture off but others said that so long as they were getting paid for the advertisement, it was going to stay there.
Nargis Fakhri decided to share her stance with people because she was the model in the advertisement so people questioned her too for posing in such a way. She said,
“I’ve been with Mobilink as their brand ambassador for the last three years and there has never been an issue like this. I was unaware that they would consider using this visual for a mainstream newspaper ad – an Urdu daily as it was never meant to be.”
Nargis was just as shocked to see the advertisement in the centre of front page of every Urdu newspaper. She shared,
“Culturally too, my team and I are aware and respectful of what visuals work for which mediums, markets and audiences and hence, given the brand’s firm penetration in the Pakistani market, we left it up to their expertise to use the images appropriately.”
The model and actress shared these details when she was talking to Pinkvilla.
Oh wow!!! I am in love with this drama. I think after Sadqay Tumhare & Diyar-e-Dil, Preet Na Kariyo Koi is also the best drama that Hum TV has produced this year. It happens quite rarely that when I’m watching a drama, my whole attention is drawn towards it & this time around too, especially in this episode, the direction & the acting was so intense & top-notch, that I forgot about everything & couldn’t stop wondering what’s going to happen next & for me, this is a definition of a quality work which Preet Na Kariyo is all about.
Sadly, the world has turned upside down for Shagufta Shehzadi. I loved how they showed Shagufta’s struggles, whether they were financial, emotional or physical. Shagufta never in her dreams would’ve thought that she’d live a day like this where she will be totally uncertain about the next second that will come in her life. With Shams gone, she knew she won’t be able to do anything on her own, that is why she approached Suleri, then Shams’s family, then her own family, then Saima’s mother, then her friends & eventually her professor who ended up helping her getting back on her feet.
I loved how they showed that Shagufta felt trapped but still made every single move in order to bring herself out of the misery. Shagufta does understand that the problem that she is facing is not simple but even in such tough circumstances, she decided to do something about it rather than feeling helpless & hopeless. Suleri obviously didn’t want to help Shagufta at this point that is why he left without even notifying her. I hope that after this, Shagufta does understand that Suleri is someone who shouldn’t & who can’t be trusted because he only extends help to a certain extent & when he sees that he is not being benefited from it, he takes a step back. Actually, I was amazed at the way Zareena analyzed the whole situation & made Shagufta aware of it as well. Zareena proved that she might seem absent minded or oblivious of her surroundings, she keeps her ears open & perfectly understands what Mushtaq is up to. I think it was actually Zareena’s testimony that made things clear for Shagufta & she understood that she has to fight no one else but Shams’s family member, his elder brother Mushtaq only.
I feel all the things that Zareena said highlighted the fact that Shams is actually quite gullible & he doesn’t have a mental strength to think things through properly. Shams is quite emotional as it has been shown already, he makes decisions without even thinking about the consequences & this is exactly the reason why he allowed his brother Mushtaq to use him for his own benefit. Shams did what he was told to do by both; Mushtaq & Suleri but he never bothered about sitting back & analyzing the whole situation as to how they both were using him. I love this fact about the drama that all the things they showed about the characters in the initial episodes are now being brought back in different situations & it is making perfect sense. Shams believed in doing everything at the spur of a moment & that is why he has landed himself in a deep trouble, whereas Shagufta was shown as someone who would do anything for someone she loves, that is why she never once used Shams’s condition to seek sympathy & in stead, she kept on hiding the reality because she knew if she would speak about it, people will not only hold her responsible for her condition but will badmouth Shams as well & this is something that she didn’t want at all.
Finally, Shagufta found out about her father as well & even before she could absorb what she had heard, she was thrown out of the house. With her husband gone & a baby on the way, the last thing Shagufta wanted to hear was about her father’s death. I actually felt bad for her that the only emotional support she longed for was gone too & that is when she decided she had to get herself together & be strong because nothing else was working for her & the only person who could help her was Shagufta herself.
I think there’s a reason why they didn’t show the actual scene of how Shams shot Majeed. At first I thought it was because Mushtaq was fabricating a lie but later when Shams admitted himself, I still felt there was more to it that even Shams wasn’t aware of. I did have a feeling that the way Mushtaq was persistent & the way he was being pally with the police officer was all because he had a hidden agenda. I think it was very wise of Shagufta to get in contact with her professor. Even though she didn’t want to tell him everything, Khalid understood that she was in deep trouble & she needed his help. I think the solution that he & his friend came up with was perfect for her & was exactly something that she needed. I really like how they showed that there’s always a way & a helping hand if someone yearns for it. Despite the fact that Shagufta was skeptical, she agreed because Khalid showed a lot of faith in the solution he came up with & this is what we want in our dramas, we want them to show us the solutions & stronger women who decide to work against all the odds & fend for themselves no matter how dire the situation must be.
Overall, this episode was so engaging that I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. The performances were phenomenal & everyone did their jobs well. I loved the bits of Zareena & Mushtaq because their acting was spot on but but but, I have said it a lot of times but will say that again, I feel Hira is the star of the show. Her minute expressions when she gets to know about her father’s death, her attempt at lying to her professor when he is trying to find out the truth, she really has done a perfecttt job as Shagufta. I may not be a fan of Hira’s personality but I am sold at her acting & I think I won’t be missing out on any upcoming projects of Hira because she has emerged as a very strong actress & I like watching her on-screen. I must say, she looked absolutely beautiful in the no-makeup look, she has never looked so pretty before. The preview of the next episode promised a lot more drama where things will open up a little more about Shams’s case & Shagufta Shehzadi will emerge stronger & confident than ever. I can’t wait to see more. Please share your thoughts about this amazing amazing amazing episode of Preet Na Kariyo Koi! :)
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
The popularity of Indian Bollywood films among Pakistani viewers is beyond anyones imagination. Regardless of the political situation with neighboring India, Indian Bollywood films always perform well in Pakistan. It clearly shows that Pakistani viewers keep politics separate from arts and entertainment which perhaps also is the right approach.
The business of Bollywood films is flourishing every year. This year in July, Bollywood Bajrangi Bhaijan made the record of highest opening weekend earning for a Bollywood film in Pakistan. However in just six months time the Bollywood enthusiasts have poured in cinemas in even greater numbers to watch Bollywood Dilwale released on 18th December 2015.
As per English daily Express Tribune,Dilwale has earned 6 crore rupees on its opening weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) which is a new record for a Bollywood film on Pakistani box office. With a extended upcoming weekend due to the holidays of 12 Rabiul Awwal and 25th December, Dilwale is expected to continue this trend.
The whole content of ET story is pasted here
With no major Pakistani film seeing a release since the dawn of Jawani Phir Nahi Ani, the local box office seemed to have eased into slumber. But this changed with the arrival of two major Indian productions — Dilwale and Bajirao Mastani.
A head-to-head comparison indicates Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani has raked in only one fourth of what the Rohit Shetty film Dilwale managed to earn. But distributors, who were earlier expecting the competition to be entirely one-sided, feel Deepika Padukone’s film has been able to put up a steady fight against the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer.
Distribution Club executive director Abid Rasheed, whose company imported Bajirao Mastani, said the film has so far earned Rs21 million and that its earnings rose after the opening day. “Positive word-of-mouth helped generate audience interest in the movie. And with holidays coming up in the next few days, you can expect the film to put on an even more improved display at the box office,” said Rasheed.
Prior to the release of both movies, Dilwale was already in the pole position since the advance booking ratio for Dilwale to Bajirao Mastani was 10:1. Rasheed, however, argued that Bajirao Mastani was released on only 70 screens as compared to Dilwale’s 85 plus screens.
Dilwale, whose team left no stone unturned in promoting the film in Pakistan, earned in excess of Rs60 million during its first three days. An official for Eveready Pictures revealed that the collections for the opening two days were Rs21.3 million and Rs23 million respectively.
Although multiplexes contributed the most to Dilwale’s kitty, the film performed impressively at single-screen cinemas as well. Farrukh Rauf, director of Capri Cinema, stated that where Dilwale has recorded full houses, attendance for Bajirao Mastani has been ‘below par’.
While Indian movies usually tend to last only a week at single-screen cinemas, Dilwale’s impressive performance has already convinced Rauf to give it an extended run. “We have the Christmas holidays and a long weekend coming up, so the next week is looking even better for Dilwale,” he added.
Source: http://tribune.com.pk/story/1013936/dilwale-tops-box-office-as-bajirao-lags-behind/
Rashid Nazir Ali
Sajjal Ali has always been seen in dramas in very traditional get-up with the exception of one drama. Sajjal Ali has certainly changed things in that department by wearing very cute Western outfits in her first Pakistani Film “Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hai”. Sajjal is trying to warm up the viewers to this new look by posting different pictures of herself from the film along with some pictures from different photo shoots in which Sajjal does not look like the simple girl we see in dramas.
Is Sajjal trying to prove that she can also be as stylish as her other co-stars? It certainly looks that way. Most of the Pakistani actresses are only seen in traditional get-up in dramas but when they are attending award shows or even Talk Shows they are always dressed up in Western outfit. Sajjal Ali’s recent photographs show her in a completely different avatar. Most people like her new look and are waiting for the film to go on air.
Check out the new look of Sajjal Ali in these pictures:
Popularity and acceptance of Indian entertainment content in Pakistan is an open and proven fact. Regardless of the political situation among Pakistan and neighboring India, Bollywood films have continued their acceptance among Pakistani film viewers and cine-goers.
Nearly all Pakistani news, sports and entertainment television channels give special coverage to Indian content comprising of Bollywood films, Bollywood award shows, Indian television dramas, reality shows. One name which clearly stands tall in this rat race is Geo Network, which started its operation in 2002 and became one of the earliest satellite news and entertainment channel of Pakistan.
Geo’s news channel Geo News gives priority coverage to Bollywood and Indian entertainment industry in all its news bulletins. Geo’s primary entertainment channel Geo Entertainment also reserves prime time slots to Indian content especially on weekends it airs Indian films and award shows. Not contented with all this, perhaps with the urges to promote Indian content even further Geo’s secondary entertainment channel Geo Kahani is specifically reserved for Indian content. In 24 hours of transmission, nearly 16 hours daily are reserved for Indian dramas, where the only Pakistani program of Geo Kahani is the morning show Subhe Pakistan hosted by Aamir Liaqut Hussain. Geo Kahani also airs Hollywood films on the weekends dubbed in Hindi.Geo Super the only private sports channel of Pakistan is also not behind as it airs India’s sports events like Indian Premier League. Geo’s film Distribution company Geo Films is a leading distributor of Indian Bollywood films in Pakistan.
Following the same urge, few years Geo Tv also launched an initiative of Aman Ki Asha (also known as Aman Ka Tamasha) to promote relations with India. Any independent study of Pakistani electronic media will place Geo Tv on the top spot when it comes to promoting Indian content.
When your institution has played a leading part in promoting a trend, then it feels really awkward when any anchor person of Geo Tv criticizes others for promoting Indian content. It is like the famous proverb Pot Calling the Kettle Black.
Just recently two of Geo Tv’s leading anchor criticized the trend of promoting Indian content by Pakistani media. The first one among them is renowned journalist and anchor Talat Hussain who in his show Naya Pakistan on Geo News critcised Shaista Lodhi (of entertainment channel Hum Sitaray) and Saahir Lodhi (of news channel Samaa Tv) upon promoting Bollywood’s film Dilwale. One wonders have Talat Hussain ever watched the channels of the media group he is associated with, if he had how come he never questioned Geo Tv over it, never voiced over it in his program Naya Pakistan. If he feels Pakistan is being culturally invaded by India, then why not name the biggest player of this field which is his own channel.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3im2y2_talat-hussain-bashing-shaista-lodhi_news
The second one in the list is the former President of Geo Entertainment, Aamir Liaqut Hussain (ALH) who resigned from his post in protest to the policies of his own channel. ALH was not happy when the news readers of Geo News appeared wearing the uniform of Army Public School (APS) on 16th December 2016. ALH counted this act derogatory towards the martyrs of APS, one of his concern was that the news readers were reading the Indian news while wearing the APS uniform. Though ALH has resigned from the post of the President of Geo Entertainment, he will continue to do the morning show Subhe Pakistan on the same channel Geo Kahani which currently is the only Pakistani content on this channel which otherwise is reserved for Indian content. So if Indian news was a concern, than what about the excessive 16 hours of daily Indian content on Geo Kahani
Again,another example of the double standards that our famous television anchors are known for. Time and again we see such gimmicks from our anchor persons which sounds right but lack substance as their own channels seldom adheres to such rants. Reforms begins from your home, so if our anchors are so much concerned on issues like promotion of Indian content or cultural invasion of India then its better to revise the policy of their own channel along with pointing to others like Pot calling the kettle black. If not then please keep your rants to yourself as we already have enough of such double standards in our society.
Rashid Nazir Ali
This year was definitely slightly better than the last one because it had more than just one decent drama to its credit. Last year Pyare Afzal was the only real sensation which blew the viewers away. This year too while there was only one play which truly hit a home run with majority of the viewers but overall there were quite a few dramas which were executed really well, gave the viewers some unforgettable performances to watch and were followed and appreciated by many viewers.
Having said that I must admit that the quality of dramas on both these leading channels has deteriorated over the years mostly because of the fact that there is a rat-race because of which everything needs to be done quickly. The writers do not get adequate time to pen down the script, the producers most often tell the writers what kind of a storyline they should follow therefore writers cannot entirely put their creativity to good use, the directors too are pressurized to get the drama wrapped up in a certain period of time and the actors also have very little choice because they have to choose one of these projects since almost everyone is playing it safe nowadays. Also, some very talented actors are being typecast.
Since last year we have been comparing HUM and ARY Digital as opposed to writing an overview of all the dramas of the year. The reason for this is that even though HUM and ARY Digital aren’t exactly giving the viewers the kind of dramas which were once the benchmark of these channels but these two channels are watched the most by the viewers. Geo television unfortunately did not give a single hit this year. In fact there wasn’t a single drama on Geo TV that truly attracted the attention of the viewers. The dramas on Geo TV lately seem to be influenced heavily by Turkish and Indian dramas.
When the year 2015 started HUM was airing plays like Sadqay Tumhare, Digest Writer, Zid, Aik Pal and Mehram among others. These dramas started in 2014 but they ended in the year 2015 therefore we will be counting them as 2015 dramas. Digest Writer was highly appreciated by people because of the script, direction and acting. Many people felt that it was the best drama of the season. Sadqay Tumhare was Mahira’s comeback play after Shehr-e-Zaat and it was also Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar’s first play that went on air after Pyare Afzal. The expectations from this drama were huge. The script of the drama was bold, the execution impressive and it had a stellar cast that gave their best performances. Sadqay Tumhare’s bold dialogues however did not resonate with many of the viewers but it also had a good fan following.
Zid was a complete disaster mainly because of the weak script. Bee Gul, who is popular for her “artistic” dramas was forced to write a commercial script by HUM and the result was a complete train wreck. While Aik Pal had some following, Mehram did not gain a lot of popularity. In the first season HUM did offer two dramas which attracted the attention of the viewers and kept many glued till the end.
ARY Digital started the year 2015 with plays like Chup Raho, Mein Bushra, Doosri Biwi and Goya among others. All these dramas started in 2014 but they were still on air and being watched by the viewers in the year 2015. All these dramas had one thing in common – they started off as engaging plays but after a few episodes all these dramas went downhill and by the time they ended the viewers were happy to see them coming to an end!! ARY set new standards in terms of stretching dramas to a point that a lot of people stopped watching ARY’s dramas altogether. The characters and the story did not even make much sense by the time these dramas ended. Chup Raho was promoted as the most watched play of the season by ARY but it got nothing but criticism from the viewers.
Goya was shifted to 9 pm slot few weeks after it went on air and it was replaced by drama serial Dil Nahin Manta, the only attraction of the play Mein Bushra was Bushra’s character which was turned into another one of those bechari heroines after a few episodes and Doosri Biwi was literally just another Doosri Biwi play which made a mockery of marriage. Dil Nahin Manta and Nazdeekiyan were two more plays that aired in the first season and they don’t even deserve a mention here.
In the first season, HUM definitely took the lead with Digest Writer and Sadqay Tumhare. Both these dramas were appreciated by the viewers and were the most talked about dramas of the first season. ARY Digital was discussed mostly by the viewers for the twisted story lines and the way in which the dramas on ARY were stretched beyond limit.
Second season of the year started with brand new dramas on HUM like Alvida, Diyar-e-Dil, Jugnoo, Mol, Karb and Kitna Satatay Ho. Diyar-e-Dil was undoubtedly the biggest hit of this season, it was liked by many because it was a complete package. It proved to be one of those rare dramas which the viewers remember for a long time.
Alvida was enticing and it brought the Dil-e-Muztar jodi back on screen therefore it was followed by many. It also marked the comeback of Naveen Waqar in dramas and was fast paced. Jugnoo was enjoyed by those people who wanted to see something different and Mol also was considered a popular drama. Karb and Kitna Satatay Ho didn’t get a lot of popularity but they didn’t go unnoticed either.
Mohabbat Aag Si and Muqaddas were also popular although they aired at 9pm. The strategy of showing enticing dramas which aired more than once a week worked for HUM for the 9pm slot.
The dramas that aired on ARY in the second season were Meray Dard Ki Tujhe kya Khabar, Zinda Dargour, Tere Dar Par, Aitraz, Mumkin and Daraar. Some of these plays are still on air because the plays on ARY end only when the producers are very sure that they got their money’s worth!
None of the dramas which aired on ARY in the second season were popular among the viewers. They did not even boast of a star cast and the only drama Aitraz which had a star cast had a very weak storyline. Mumkin and Meray Dard Ki Tujhe Kya Khabar were followed by the viewers but they couldn’t pass as dramas which were hits. HUM, on the other hand gave the biggest hit of the season and the year in this season. It also showed a couple of dramas which were definitely a lot better than the dramas ARY Digital showed therefore clearly HUM was the winner in the second season as well.
There has been a complete and utter disregard of viewers’ choice by ARY this year. The fact that the biggest hit of last year Pyare Afzal was replaced by a drama like Chup Raho pretty much says it all!
HUM was a clear winner this year not because it gave a lot of quality dramas to its viewers to watch but only because it gave a handful of quality dramas which were in every way much better than anything which ARY had to offer. Diyar-e-Dil was the biggest accomplishment of HUM this year. There is a lot of room for improvement however because the promos of the latest dramas on HUM TV clearly suggest that HUM is all set to take the bechari aurat route too!! Also plays like Sangat and Gul-e-Rana are following in the footpath of drama serial Chup Raho, which people probably watched out of curiosity but was most definitely not a favorite. Viewers still have huge expectations from HUM and hope that they will deliver this year. There was a time when plays like Vasl, Dastan, Qaid-e-tanhai, Mastana Mahi, Meera Naseeb. Pani Jaisa Pyar, Mein Abdul Qadir Hoon, Maat and Hamsafar all went on air within a span of only 2 years. And HUM TV’s “average” dramas in these two years were plays like Parsa, Meray Qatil Meray Dildar and Sanjha.
ARY Digital definitely delivered when it came to revival of cinema in Pakistan but failed miserably in giving its viewers quality dramas to watch. Jawani Phir Nahi Aani was the biggest hit of all times and Ho Mann Jahan is already making waves as the most awaited film of the year 2016.
Do share your thoughts about the dramas you watched in 2015. Do you agree that HUM was a clear winner this year?
Fatima Awan
Mobilink ad with Nargis Fakhri promoting its latest product has been a subject of controversy because it objectifies women and most people find it absurd that this ad is on the front page of every Urdu Newspaper. Many celebrities and other people from general public took to twitter and facebook to show their displeasure with the ad and also asked the newspapers to stop printing this ad on the front page.
Here are some tweets and statuses that will show just how much people are protesting against it and why!
