Javeria and Saud’s daughter Jannat is already a celebrity because she is very often seen making an appearance in talk shows. She is a confident little girl who enjoys all the attention she gets. Jannat also came as a guest on Sanam Jung’s Morning Show last week dressed up as Cinderella to promote the film Cinderella which was going to be screened in cinemas. Javeria and Saud always celebrate their daughter’s birthday in a grand way. This time also they had a big frozen themed party. The party was attended mostly by family members.
Marriage is the most sacred bond between two individuals. No one can be as close to a person as their spouse. A supportive spouse helps build up a person’s personality and helps him/her excel in every field. Pakistani celebrities, no matter how famous and busy they get, they always feel that marriage is an important step in life which must be taken. Everyone tries their best to choose the best person as their life partner but sometimes people only find out after they get married that they are not compatible and that is when they decide to part ways. The good thing is that there were a lot more marriages in 2015 than there were divorces. All these celebrities who got married chose their own partners and most of them are enjoying their live together while they work hard on their careers too. Some of them had known each other for many years and others got married soon after they met. Their interviews in talk shows gave the fans an insight into how they met, which is always interesting to hear.
Here is the list of celebrities who got married and those who got divorced in 2015:
Sharmila Farooqui and Hasham Riaz Sheikh
Sharmila Farooqui’s wedding was a grand affair. The functions covered a time frame of 15 days. The wedding was held in Karachi in which Sharmila Farooqui tied the knot with Hasham Riaz Sheikh who is a former banker and currently he owns Capital TV. The couple is enjoying their life together.
Bilal Qureshi and Uroosa Qureshi
Bilal and Uroosa both are celebrities. They got married on Valentine’s Day. They have been seen together on talk shows a lot after the wedding.
Sanam Saeed and Farhan Hassan
Sanam Saeed and Farhan Hassan were childhood friends who decided that they wanted to spend the rest of their life together. Sanam Saeed’s wedding functions continued for days too. Friends and family also attended post wedding parties and dinners in Phuket, Thailand.
Babar Khan and Bisma Khan
Babar and Bisma’s wedding was a low key affair when compared to other weddings on the list because Babar lost his first wife in a tragic accident so Babar did not want a big wedding.
Shaista Lodhi and Adnan Lodhi
Shaista Lodhi’s marriage to Adnan Lodhi was a start of a new phase of life for her in more ways than one. Shaista returned to television immediately after her marriage. The marriage was a family affair.
Ali Gul Pir
Ali Gul Pir also got married this year. He did not reveal much about his wife and only shared some pictures of the wedding.
Madiha Iftikhar and Shazeel Mirza
Madiha Iftikhar looked elegant on her wedding. The wedding function was held gracefully with close family and friends attending it.
Annie Khalid and Saad Ahmed
Annie Khalid looked gorgeous in an orange dress on her baraat and she opted for yellow dress for her mehndi which looked different and attractive. Annie Khalid was very happy with her make up artist for giving her the perfect look. She posted on instagram, “You made me feel like a regal princess.” The wedding function was a family affair.
Mukarram Kaleem
Mukarram Kaleem also tied the know this year. He is better known as a host and an actor. Mukarram Kaleem’s wedding was attended by many celebrities.
Maha Kanwal and Erfan Khan
Maha Kanwal is a famous model. She got married to Erfan Kanwal this year. The couple is very happy together.
Pari Hashmi and Saqib Zafar Khan
Saqib Zafar Khan saw Pari Hashmi on the set of one of her plays and that is when he knew that this was the girl he wanted to marry. They got married soon afterwards.
Sarfraz Ahmed and Syeda Khushbakht Shah
Sarfraz Ahmed has been part of the Pakistani cricket team for a few years. He got married in a Karachi in the presence of family and friends.
Ahmed Shehzad and Sana Murad
When Ahmed Shehzad got married he did not like the presence of too many media persons on his wedding. This wedding was mostly a family affair.
Uroosa Siddiqui and Saqib Khan
Uroosa Siddiqui is well known for her comic roles. She tied the know with Saqib Khan.
Imran Khan and Reham Khan
Imran Khan and Reham Khan got married and the couple parted ways in the year 2015 too. They got married in January 2015 and the news of their divorce came in October.
Azfar Ali and Naveen Waqar
Azfar Ali announced at the end of the year that he and Naveen Waqar were no longer a couple. He did not share details about their divorce but made the announcement after getting a lot of requests for interviews together.
Ohkay so, this drama is showing a pretty decent progress in terms of story. I am liking the pace so far & I am glad that they have started to introduce new characters at the right time. This episode was a good watch too & I am looking forward to the next episode already.
Mana & Khizer are doing everything to make Zarri happy & feel a part of their family. I find their attempts very genuine & cute. It shows that they both are very attached to their family members & the elders have instilled these values in them very nicely. Zarri obviously feels that Mana & Khizer make a perfect couple because she even spoke to Mana about it as well but just like Mana, even Saleha doesn’t fancy the idea of their marriage as she is afraid that the clash in their personalities will cost them their happiness. Mana & Khizer are best of friends but they are two different people & just because Saleha has experienced it firsthand in the case of Maalik & Gul Bahar as to how two different people couldn’t make each other happy, she feels both Mana & Khizer will meet the same fate as they both are incompatible with each other.
I really like the difference that Maalik is showing in his personality. It seems as if he was tired of being isolated & Zarri entered his life at the right time because he needed someone to push him out of his misery. Who would’ve thought that the same person who didn’t allow a maid to enter his room would now especially make an effort to grab a birthday gift for a lady. Maalik knows he is capable of loving someone & wants to feel loved too, that is why he is now making an effort as far as Zarri is concerned because he genuinely feels for her.
Gul Bahar finally made an entry & the moment she stepped in, the difference between her & Maalik’s personalities was evident. Gul Bahar obviously is very dominating & she likes to have things her way, that is why she wanted Maalik to move out of the small town & settle with her at a place where she wanted to live but Maalik didn’t budge & that created rift between them. I found it a little odd that everyone welcomed Gul Bahar cordially & didn’t make her feel uncomfortable, considering what she has done & how they themselves saw what Maalik was going through.
It was a coincidence that Shehryaar happened to be Gul Bahar’s nephew. For now, Shehryaar fits the bill of the prince charming that Mana thought of, that is why just a few pointers about Shehryaar were enough for Mana to believe that she is very lucky. The very first impression of Shehryaar wasn’t as appeasing, so I won’t be surprised if he turns out to be a snob, considering he has a sound background & in his comparison, Mana is just a simpleton with a very little exposure.
Just the news of Mana’s proposal was enough for Khizer to feel heartbroken, which clearly described his mental & emotional state as he was disturbed. Khizer obviously loves Mana but he has never allowed his feelings to surface as he doesn’t want to make things awkward for him, for Mana & for the rest of their family members but this time around, this news was so shocking that he couldn’t keep his feelings to himself. Mana doesn’t really know the reason but I am sure she won’t pay heed to anything that Khizer would say.
I must say, I really like the relationship that both Maalik & Khizer share. Even though Khizer is half his age but Maalik feels at ease & comfort by sharing his feelings with him as he knows that Khizer is mature for his age & he would not only listen to him properly but will advice him accurately too. It was interesting to know that Maalik is over Gul Bahar’s chapter in his life & just because he could find some compatibility with Zarri, this fact also helped him in moving on. Just because Gul Bahar spotted her picture in Maalik’s room made her think that he is still stuck in a rut but the mention of divorce gave her a reality check. I actually really like the chemistry both Maalik & Zarri share. The things Maalik said about Mana & Khizer while being in a conversation with Zarri went to show that he really respects both of them & looks upto them which was something that I found really very sweet.
Overall, this episode was interesting too. I really like how they showed the difference between Ghaalib & Saleha’s thinking as well, where she thinks Mana is better off with Shehryaar, Ghaalib is a little more far sighted & he thinks the only guy who can make her happy is Khizer. Somehow I couldn’t get a hold of the preview so no idea what’s going to happen next week but I surely am looking forward to the next episode. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Mana Ka Gharana. :)
My wishful thinking clouded my judgment while watching tonight’s episode and for a little while I was convinced that Waseem might have realized how much Hira and Sadaf had done for him and now he wanted to do something for them in return – something that will make them happy! I thought, finally some character development but I was so wrong! After doing all that thinking and listening to his sister brain wash him Waseem has thought of a punishment for Hira and Sadaf both that will give him the satisfaction he needs. The smile on his face in this episode and especially in the end clearly showed that he had something evil in mind and honestly speaking I cannot even imagine what it could be! I am expecting the worst since whatever he has done to his wife and step-daughter is bad enough, I wonder what could be so evil that even after finding out about the picture he did not react but was happy that he had already thought of something bad enough to make Sadaf and Hira suffer.
Shehryar’s response to Sehr’s reaction to the news that her husband was her step-mother’s ex-husband did not come as a surprise at all. That is exactly what was expected from him. He does not take his relationship with Sehr seriously that is why he had no problem asking her to make up her mind and leave if she wanted to. Sehr decided to stay ultimately not because she loves her husband but because she does not want to see her step-mother winning in this situation. She is too naive and has no idea who is the real loser here! Shehryar turned to other women the second he knew that Sehr could not give him the kind of company he wanted – that is how loyal he is to her. Sehr for now is quite happy with her outings and is in denial about the kind of person her husband is.
Hira has herself convinced that she does not deserve to be happy. Making her father happy has been her utmost priority right from day one although her father does not show an ounce of respect for her. I could not even remotely relate to why Sadaf and Hira were so thankful to Waseem after Shehryar told him the truth because he held Sadaf responsible for something she had absolutely no control over and barely talked to her. Hira and Sadaf were perhaps thankful to him for letting them stay in the house and for not divorcing Sadaf. I understand why Sadaf would set such low standards for herself since she was married to someone like Shehryar before she got married to Waseem but I don’t understand why an educated and sensible girl like Hira wouldn’t know any better. I am glad that Sadaf at least questioned Waseem about who he was planning to marry Hira with.
We have three beqasoors in this drama so far; Sadaf, Hira and Babar. After watching the developments in this episode I am more convinced than ever that these beqasoors are destined to lead a miserable life. The other lot in this drama, the not so beqasoor ones (Waseem, Shehryar, Sehr and Waseem’s sister) are going to decide the fate of the ones who think that they do not deserve to be happy! The viewers were fooled into thinking that Sehr and Waseem characters might change for the better but in the last few scenes it was revealed that they did not show any signs of changing. Sehr decided she could not live without Shehryar and Waseem was even more sure than ever that Sadaf and Hira deserved to be punished.
Did you watch tonight’s episode? Any predictions about who is going to be Hira’s future husband?
Mawra Hocane’s groovy dance moves in the new video of a song from her upcoming Bollywood film “Sanam Teri Kasam” show a side of her which Pakistani viewers have never watched on the television screen. Television watching viewers have always seen Mawra Hocane playing simple roles. Mostly the viewers have seen her crying in dramas but in this latest song video Mawra Hocane’s character is nowhere near crying.
Mawra Hocane’s character in this video wants to know how she will act when she is drunk and when she does get drunk she sings the song “kheech meri photo”, asking her hero to take her photo. Mawra Hocane is the focus of attention in this video. Her hero tries hard to make her stop drinking but she does not want to stop.
Mawra Hocane got a lot of support from celebrities in Pakistan. These celebrities took their pictures, tagged them “Kheech Meri Photo” and showed their excitement and support for Mawra’s song video. Sadia Faisal, Maya Ali, Armeena Rana Khan, Mehreen Syed, Farhan Saeed, Uzair Jaswal, Junaid Khan, Fouzia Aman, Urwa Hocane and Sadia Khan posted pictures of themselves on instagram to show support for Mawra. Mawra Hocane’s brother also showed support for his sister.
Everyone needs a vacation, it brings a much-needed change in a person’s life and going away to another country especially if it is scenic rejuvenates everyone. Our celebrities work hard all year long and have to work odd hours in order to keep their commitments so all of them take some time off from their busy schedules to hang out with friends and family away from home where they can unwind.
This has been a great year for Osman Khalid Butt. He was part of one of the most hit and biggest serials of this year and he has been seen a lot on the ramp and in commercials. Osman Khalid Butt thinks that Diyar-e-Dil was one of those gifts that keeps on giving. His chemistry with his co-star and real life friend Maya Ali was applauded by the viewers and they became an important part of Fashion weeks this year. After working really hard this year Osman Khalid Butt decided to give himself a well-deserved break by going on a holiday with his best friends who are also celebrities. They are in Thailand right now enjoying themselves. A holiday with friends is always someone everyone looks forward to and want.They are trying everything from bungee-jumping to chilling out on the beach. It is good to see all these celebrities enjoying themselves.
Here are some pictures of Osman Khalid Butt and his friends Nida Khan and Ahmed Ali among others.
Sisters are the greatest gift of God because they are not just blood relatives but they can also be your best friend. Sisters are sweet and sensitive. The bond sisters have with each other cannot be compared with any other. Whether these sisters are the same age group or older there is always a special connection that binds them together with each other. Many of our celebrities too are blessed with sisters. They enjoy their sisters’ company and post pictures of them whenever they are together.
Here are some pictures of Pakistani celebrities with their sisters:
Dillagi will mark the comeback of Hamayun Saeed on television after four long years. There was a time when Hamayun Saeed used to work in dramas a lot but later on he got himself busy in production and was only seen in films. After a long time Hamayun Saeed feels that he has found a script which is perfect for his comeback. The script of the drama serial “Dillagi” has been written by Faiza Iftikhar and it has been directed by Nadeem Baig, the man who was behind the film Jawani Phir Nahi Aani. The drama will be produced by Six Sigma Plus.
Mehwish Hayat will be playing the lead in the play alongside Hamayun Saeed. The entire cast has been working day and night shooting for the drama. Mehwish Hayat posted a picture of herself and the director Nadeem Baig sleeping on the sets to show just how hectic the schedule was. Hamayun Saeed took the picture while they were sleeping on their seats!
Mehwish Hayat hopes that all this hard work will pay off. Here are some recent pictures from the sets of the drama.
Ohkay so, needless to say but this episode of Preet Na Kariyo Koi was intense, interesting, engaging, gripping & everything. I totally enjoyed the way things have been taken forward & the way they are showing how much time has lapsed because through that, they are also showcasing the strengths & the weaknesses of all the characters.
I must say, I respect Shagufta’s character for the fact that she is fighting her battles alone. All the things that Zareena told her were grave but still not enough to shake Shagufta’s ground because she is one determined lady. Shagufta knows that no matter what it takes, she should never quit trying because at least she will know that she didn’t leave any stone unturned & did everything it was in her might to save her husband Shams. Even though Shagufta wants to make it very clear to Zareena that she won’t be sharing Shams with her, she still feels bad for her because she knows Zareena is harmless, has nowhere to go & at least she is the one who keeps her informed of what is transpiring at Mushtaq’s side. The mithai that Shagufta sent to Mushtaq was an open declaration of the battle she was ready to fight with him because she knows that the one who is her biggest enemy & the biggest hindrance in Shams’s freedom is her husband’s brother Mushtaq.
It was actually refreshing to see Shagufta emerging as an empowered woman where she not only made herself financially independent, she chose to educate herself that too in that field where she could help her husband lawfully as well. She seems to having so much at her plate but the way she was managing her life with her new born went to show that there’s nothing that would hold her back. At times, Yazdani & even Suleri had to remind her of her newborn but Shagufta made sure to let them know that her daughter won’t become her weakness & she won’t let her become an obstacle in her way at any cost.
So, it was made clear that Mushtaq was the one who did everything against his brother. I know it’s a random thought but I find it good to see a man of his stature & personality confiding in his wife because usually, such men in our dramas are shown to be bossing around their wives or if not, they treat them as doormats but here Mushtaq keeps his wife closer to him because he knows that she will do everything for him & will stand by his side undoubtedly, which shows that their bonding is stronger, I know it is awkward but I like the relationship they both share, haha! It was sickening to see Mushtaq suggesting a police encounter against Shams which would assure Shams’s death but it was a relief to know that at least the S.H.O had some humility & conscience, that is why even he kept on reminding Mushtaq of all the evilness he was embodying & I feel it was strategic that he shot a bullet at Shams’s leg in stead of anywhere else because he knew that it wouldn’t cost him his life.
At first I thought it was also one of Suleri’s plan to get Yazdani in contact with Shagufta so that she doesn’t go out of his trap but then I reminded myself that the one who made her meet Yazdani was Professor Khalid & he obviously had no connections to Suleri. It was a pure coincidence that Yazdani & Suleri were friends & the moment Suleri saw Shagufta, he was reminded of all the plans he had in his mind in regards to Shagufta. Just when Suleri ‘only’ referred to the work that he needed her to do, I thought he didn’t have any other agenda but he proved me wrong because he obviously is thinking on those lines but is waiting for the right time to put forth it to Shagufta. Suleri at least tried to push his agenda by making Shagufta lose hope & by weakening her emotional strength by reminding her of Shams’s 7 years of imprisonment & also by using her daughter’s name but Shagufta chose to walk off as she could feel where he was heading with that conversation. Yazdani is a lawyer that is why he believes in doing everything in line of order but Suleri is ruthless & he knows he has enough connections where he can take risks, that is why the moment Shagufta requested him to arrange her meeting with Shams, he made it possible whereas she kept on pleading in front of Yazdani but he was too afraid to help her. Also, even though it was good to see Ilyas, I somehow feel he should have tried getting in contact with Shagufta to know what she was going through. Even though Bhola pushed her out of the house, Ilyas is mature enough to not only calm Bhola down but make him understand too. Also, all the things Bhola said were too mature for his age & I think he shouldn’t get even this much screen-time too!
It was interesting to see that the case against Shams was weak to begin with & that is why when the S.H.O attempted to kill him, his case got stronger & Shagufta used it in his favor to get him transferred to Lahore. Shams obviously had his hopes high just when he thought Suleri wasn’t around but the moment he learned from Shagufta that she not only met him but was working for him made Shams dubious at first & then a little hopeless that even after coming back, Suleri didn’t do anything for him. Suleri obviously won’t allow Shagufta to go out of his sights because for him where Shams is just a ‘bekaar cheez’, she is actually a ‘qayamat cheez’, which shows that for Suleri, Shams was just like a mindless minion who didn’t do any thinking on his own but Shagufta on the other hand had brains & wisdom that attracted him to her in the first place.
I loved the way they showed Shams’s transition where when he was in Gujranwala, he was still hopeful & optimistic but when he got transferred to Lahore after the shooting incident & after not getting in contact with Suleri, he was emotionally low & was feeling defeated. It is actually unfortunate that even after so much has happened with Shams, he still hasn’t been able to read between the lines. Shagufta’s discomfort at working with Suleri meant nothing to Shams because he didn’t think about what Suleri might’ve said that made her come to a decision of leaving his job. Shams should know that if he would’ve been so important for Suleri, he would’ve at least paid him a visit once in the jail once but he didn’t do that which is a message in its own that Shams is no longer needed by Suleri. The way Shams inquired about little things & directed Shagufta to take care of her veil went to show that along with his hope, his trust in Shagufta is getting fainter too & I wasn’t surprised by it because Shams was never the one who would think things through & he has always fallen short of the logic when it came to such situations, so I am sure it won’t take him long to turn against Shagufta because no matter what she will do for him, in the end he will hold her responsible for one thing or the other, as a result of his insecurities only!
So, this it is from my side. I must say I loved watching this episode & it actually looked like such an intense drama that I was watching & not even for a second my mind wandered because throughout the episode, I was only thinking about what was going to happen next & for me, this is a definition of a perfect drama that keeps the viewers engaged. Also, I loved the usage of proper & accurate Urdu, where they didn’t just resort to the word ‘practical’ but chose ‘haqeeqat pasandi’, also they chose to use ‘police muqabla’ in stead of ‘police encounter’. These are the little details that are contributing in making it a drama to remember I feel. I loved the acting & I must say, Adnan Shah Tipu has done a commendable job as Mushtaq & so has Farhana Maqsood as his wife, they both have given a perfect face to the negative characters & their acting is just right because they haven’t over done it. Hira was amazing & once again, she looked beautiful, I think she should resort to the no-makeup look like this one more often because it suits her the best. Ahsan Khan did his job well in showcasing Shams’s predicament as well. The direction is obviously top-notch & I love the pace of the drama so far. Also, it was good to see them paying attention to detail by using kids of different age to showcase how much time has passed by because mostly in our dramas, where they would show the time lapse of 10 years, the kid would still be in sleeping in a crib & would choose not to grow up, so thumbs up for tackling it properly too! Please share your thoughts about this amazinggg episode of Preet Na Kariyo Koi. :)
When Imran Khan and Reham Khan were divorced, Imran Khan made it very clear that this was his private matter and he did not want any interference from anyone. Now that a little time has passed, Imran Khan is willing to talk about the divorce. Sanam Baloch interviewed Imran Khan and she asked him some personal questions too which he answered very candidly.
Sanam Baloch asked how he felt about being so unsuccessful in his personal life although he had been successful in everything else he did in his life. To this Imran Khan replied,
“Nelson Mandela was a failure in his personal life, Quaid-e-Azam too. This is really up to Allah and there is very little anyone can do about it.”
Sanam Baloch also asked Imran Khan if he cried after his divorce to which he replied,
“I don’t believe in these dramas like Indian films I can’t say I broke my heart and cried! I can’t do that. It was no doubt a difficult time, a very painful time and that is when it is time for self analysis. Soul searching is very important when you are going through a difficult time. You think about what happened and you think of the lessons the experience taught you. That is how you move forward, you can’t live in the past.”
Imran Khan compared this experience of his life with all those difficult experiences he had when he used to be a cricketer. He said that you can’t live in the past and start writing poetry about it. You have to move on!
Fahad Mirza and Sarwat Gillani usually keep their family life private. That is why unlike many other married celebrity couples, we have hardly seen any pictures of their baby and they do not even come to talk about their married life very often on shows. While Fahad Mirza is a cosmetic surgeon but he also does modeling and acting as a hobby. Sarwat Gillani has been associated with showbiz for a long time. She is a model and an actress who has been part of some very important projects. Sarwat Gillani was also part of the hit film Jawani Phir Nahi Aani and it looks like just like many other actors Sarwat Gillani wants to stick to films for now.
Right now Sarwat Gillani is enjoying her blissful married life more than anything else. Fahad Mirza threw a surprise birthday party for his wife recently in which he invited friends and family. Sarwat Gillani loved the surprise. The happiness on her face shows how much she liked this surprise.
Mobilink’s print ad featuring Nargis Fakhri was criticized by many people because the ad was considered vulgar. People criticized this ad because no one wanted to see this kind of an ad on the front page and in the middle of their newspaper. This ad was printed on every Urdu Newspaper so it became the talk of the town. Even Nargis Fakhri said that she did not like that Mobilink did not keep people’s sensitivities in mind while publishing this ad in different newspapers.
Ufone is popular for its funny ads which are never cheap or vulgar in any way. Many times Ufone has directly answered their rivals back in the ad. This is not something we see in commercials very often. Products compete with each other but the competition is usually restrained. Ufone does not believe in restraint while answering its competition and people like that about their ad campaigns.
Within a week Ufone has used another smart publicity tactic which will not offend people in any way. Their ad also appeared on the front page of every newspaper but it did not feature an actress or a female model but it showed Faisal Qureshi posing in the same way as Nargis Fakhri and the instruction that read in the end was that you don’t have to be ashamed of looking at the ad in public was even more funny.
Here is Ufone’s take on Mobilink’s ad. What do you think?
Much awaited film Ho Mann Jahaan’s premier was held in Lahore yesterday which was attended by many celebrities. The premier was held in Super Cinema Lahore. The team of Ho Mann Jahan was also present at the premier. Mahira Khan, Sheheryar Munawar. Adeel Hussein and Soniya Jahan are playing the leading roles in the film. Actors like Nimra Bucha, Bushra Ansari, Jamal Shah and Arshad Mahmud will also be seen in the film. Fawad Khan will make a guest appearance in the film. Hamza Ali Abbasi also plays a cameo role in the film. Ho Mann is a film the story of which focuses on friendship and love. Asim Raza, the director and producer of the film said in a interview that this film came straight from his heart and it was not made for only commercial purposes.
Here are some pictures from the premier of the film.
The most important factor which makes a drama a must-watch is how well it manages to hold the attention of the viewers right till the end. Even if there are loopholes in the script and if there are some editing mistakes, they can easily be overlooked if the drama as a whole provides the viewers with good entertainment. Nowadays unpredictable scripts, strong characters and a drama that ends without being stretched is considered as a winner in everyone’s eyes. The viewers who are hooked on Pakistani dramas kept on watching whatever different channels had to offer in the hope that one of these dramas will provide the kind of entertainment they were looking for. But there were very few dramas which made their mark because most of the dramas banked on clichéd scripts and most importantly there were many dramas that went off-track because they were stretched.
In my opinion following plays count as must-watch plays of 2015 because of different reasons that have been mentioned below. The list is in alphabetical order.
Alvida
Writer: Samira Fazal
Director: Shehzad Kashmiri
Produced By: Momina Duraid, Humayun Saeed, Shahzad Naseeb.
Cast: Imran Abbas, Sanam Jung, Naveen Waqar, Zahid Ahmed, Mahmood Aslam, Sara Khan, Haris Waheed & others.
What makes Alvida a must-watch is its pace and an unpredictable storyline. Like all other plays written by Samira Fazal, this one too has some unexpected twists and turns that will keep you at the edge of your seats and characters that will give the viewers a lot to discuss. For the first time Zahid Ahmed’s performance in a negative role was highly appreciated by the viewers when he played the character of Rameez in this play. Sara Khan outshone in a negative role and surprised the viewers with her brilliant acting and screen-presence. Sanam Jung was seen in a drama for the first time after Mohabbat Subha Ka Sitara Hai and Haya although was reckless and immature but her character was far more appealing than that of Romaissa. Imran Abbas played his role brilliantly too. There were some loopholes in the script that made you question certain developments but overall it was a very entertaining play free of clichés.
It was one of those rare dramas which had the perfect ending in which everyone got what they deserved in the end.
Digest writer
Writer: Madiha Shahid
Director: Syed Ahmed Kamran
Produced By: Larachi Entertainment
Cast: Saba Qamar, Gohar Rasheed, Maheen Jaffri, Aiman Khan, Mehmood Akhtar, Sajida Syed, Parveen Akbar, Agha Ali & others.
Digest Writer was lauded by the viewers for a realistic script, characters which viewers had absolutely no problem connecting to and direction which did complete justice to the script. Digest writer was the story of Fareeda who had a passion for writing; her journey as a digest writer and later on as a script writer along with her personal struggles was what the story of the drama revolved around. The perfect execution of the drama won the hearts of many. People who were sick and tired of watching the same old stories unravel on their television screens welcomed Digest Writer like a breath of fresh air. All the actors were absolutely brilliant in their respective roles but Saba Qamar, Agha Ali and Gauhar Rasheed owned their characters more than any other.
Diyar-e-Dil
Writer: Farhat Ishtiaq
Director: Haseeb Hassan
Produced by: Momina Duraid
Cast: Abid Ali, Sanam Saeed, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Maya Ali, Osman Khalid Butt, Hareem Farooq, Ali Rehman Khan, Behroze Sabzwari, Tara Mehmood, Rasheed Naz, Eshita & others.
Diyar-e-Dil was Pyare Afzal of this year; it was on air for 33 weeks but even then the viewers missed it once it ended. Diyar-e-Dil enticed the viewers right from the get-go because of its breathtaking locations and a very happening first episode. Gradually the viewers fell in love with the characters which were intriguing and unforgettable. Abid Ali’s brilliant performance along with Osman Khalid Butt and Maya Ali’s on-screen chemistry made the viewers fall in love with the Aunn Zara jodi once again. The one thing that set this drama apart from all others was the emotional connection the viewers had with all the characters and the drama as a whole. The manner in which some very complex family ties were impeccably translated on screen was appreciated by the viewers as well. It was a story which covered many generations and showing all these generations and their relationships with each other with absolute brilliance was a huge accomplishment.
Mera Naam Yousuf Hai
Writer: Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar
Director: Mehreen Jabbar
Produced by: Sadia Jabbar
Cast: Imran Abbas, Maya Ali, Hina Bayat, Behroze Sabzwari, Waseem Abbas, Mizna Waqas, Taqi Ahmed, Ali Sheikh, Seema Sehr & others.
Mera Naam Yousuf Hai was emotional, filmy and had some very strong and unconventional female leads to its credit. Just like all the plays written by Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar this one too did not only focus on the lead but had side characters that sometimes made you connect to them more than the leading characters. Apart from some very impactful characters, powerful dialogues and smooth direction this play is one of those very few plays of this season which was not stretched at all. It ended when the ending was least expected with a twist which put a smile on everyone’s face. The viewers got to see some memorable performances by all the actors young and old. A deep and meaningful script brought beautifully to life by a team of dedicated individuals, Mera Naam Yousuf Hai was a personal favorite.
Sadqay Tumhare
Writer: Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar
Director: Ehteshamuddin
Produced By: Momina Duraid, Samina Hamayun Saeed and Tariq Shah
Cast: Mahira Khan, Adnan Malik, Sammiya Mumtaz, Sanya Shamshad, Qavi Khan, Aamir Qureshi, Farhan Ali Agha, Irfan Khosat, Rehan Sheikh, Shamil Khan & others
Sadqay Tumhare had some stellar performances to its credit, the viewers got to see Sammiya Mumtaz in a negative role for the first time in a play and she gave a spell binding performance every step of the way. Mahira Khan and Adnan Malik’s on-screen chemistry coupled with characters which were unusual and appealing made this love story much more than just another love story. Sadqay Tumhare’s script was bold like all of Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar’s scripts and this play had some of the most complicated characters to its credit. Sadqay Tumhare is a must watch for all those viewers who want to see all the actors in the cast in some of the most impressive roles and performances of their entire career.
Feel free to add to the list and don’t forget to share your thoughts about the dramas on the list.
Nowadays it isn’t just the female celebrities who want to look fair but the males are also very conscious about their complexion. Fahad Mustafa once said that in Pakistan it was impossible for a dark and average looking man to get a lot of recognition because everyone from the people in the showbiz industry to those who watch television and films want to see fair men and women on screen. There was a time when getting fairness treatments did not ensure a fair complexion but that is not the case now. With the new technologies, the steroid injections can make someone very fair permanently.
Every actor who has been confronted about these surgeries has denied they got it done. When Mani was asked in a talk show if he got these steroid injections he said that when he used to do interviews in the streets in summers, he got a bad tan but now that he stayed mostly indoors his real complexion showed. Nadia Khan also asked Danish Taimoor the same question because there are rumors everywhere that he also got fairness injections. Danish Taimoor said,
“I don’t need to be fairer than I already am naturally. I was always fair, in fact what happened was that when you start your career they put on a lot of make-up on you. They used to apply 36 base on me. I had no idea how many shades darker I looked with that base. When someone used to meet me personally at that time, they used to be surprised to see how fair I was. Then I stopped using make-up. That is why I stand out because everyone else is wearing make-up and I wear no make-up at all.”
Nadia Khan said that doctors who were giving these injections to people were spreading these rumors saying that Danish Taimoor is our client.
To this Danish Taimoor replied,
“If I ever thought about taking steroids, I would have taken them for my body!”
Ayesha Sana’s video in which she shouted at a camera man for shooting her from the wrong angle went viral few months ago. It showed that when it came to looking good on camera Ayesha did not spare anyone and did not believe in compromising on her looks. Some celebrities also got together and made a dubmash video of Ayesha Sana’s behavior with the camera man. People are always told that some celebrities are very conscious about their looks but Ayesha Sana is the only one who people have seen shouting at others because she did not look good enough on screen. There was a time when Ayesha Sana was better known as an actress but now she is doing more hosting of live shows abroad.
This time also someone made a video of Ayesha Sana in which she is shouting badly and non stop at hair dressers who messed up her curls. Although no one is talking back at her but she goes on ridiculing the staff and also curses them. Some people shout at others for their mistakes and then stop after a few seconds or a minute but this video just like the last one shows that Ayesha Sana is not one of these people. She keeps on shouting until she gets what she wants.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!!!
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.
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.
