Nimra Bucha is a relatively new face on the screen; she has started her career quite late but has secured a place in the drama industry. She is married to journalist and author Mohammed Hanif (A Case of Exploding Mangoes and Our Lady Alice Bhatti) and has a teenaged son Chanan. The famous anchor Sana Bucha is her younger sister. The family moved to London in late 90s; they shifted back to Karachi after 12 years, the time when Nimra started working in TV.
Nimra was originally associated with theatre in London before joining Pakistani drama industry. She is a very good actress who managed to grab some interesting as well as some stereotypical roles; the dilemma of our industry now days. most of her roles involved loads of rona dhona. Her dialogue delivery, gestures are always very precise and spot on. The only problem with her (and Yasra Rizvi as well) is her identical facial expressions throughout her dramas. The reason can be it is one way or another difficult for theatre performers, who are used to open space and more gestures than expressions, to perform in a limited space and depict all those emotions primarily with their expressions and intonation. This excuse is obviously unacceptable considering it is the requirement of their profession to master not only gestures and expressions but all the minute details as well. The degree of flawlessness is equal to the degree of success.
Nimra Bucha has worked in Daam, Mera Yaqeen, Sabz Pari Lal Kaboter, Virasat, Baandi and Ek Nazar meri Taraf. Daam and Ek Nazar Meri Taraf are best amongst her serials though Nimra didn’t have lead roles in both. Her upcoming serial Main Manto looks very different than her previous dramas and very promising too, hopefully her character too will be. Her husband Mohammed Hanif will also have a guest appearance in the drama. She will also be seen in an upcoming movie Kanebaaz, which also looks interesting from the promos.
Who does not want to laugh? Everyone wants to have a cheerful environment around itself. Watching sitcoms is one of the ways to surround oneself with laughter and joy. It is not lesser than a blessing that our TV networks are showcasing good comedy shows which have so far gained a whole lot of appreciation. Even sometimes, people themselves try to imitate these cheerful comic characters at their homes to create a joyful environment around. A number of TV channels are broadcasting good comedy shows but there are certain ones which almost no one misses to watch. The three most famous sitcoms, these days, are:
In Pakistan sitcoms are more popular among the people as compared to conventional dramas. But the number of sitcoms being produced by the Pakistan drama industry is much less than the number of conventional dramas probably because sitcom is a format difficult to define in detail. The field is broad, as is often the comedy.
It has undergone significant changes over the years only to end up, to some extent, back in the same place. Sometimes it holds a mirror up to society to reflect the changes going on in the world, and sometimes it’s a show about nothing
The sitcom may be unique among artistic media in its ability to focus on relationship in a dualistic sense: it moves not only internally within the framework of its context but also externally by cultivating a deep relationship with its audience. The sitcom slowly, almost imperceptibly, invites the audience to become part of its constructed community. What makes this model of relationship possible is the accessibility of the comedic character and, more significantly, the permission comedy gives us to acknowledge and accept our own failures and even sinfulness.
The ethical fragility of the hero not only drives the narrative of the comedic piece but also serves as a point of accessibility for the audience. The apogee of the comedic narrative usually involves the hero in a place of moral conflict, driven equally by his higher and lower desires; but the context is usually of the most ordinary sort, with minimal stakes.
Perhaps even more significant is the ensemble element of the sitcom, which provides a collection of diverse personalities that allow viewers multiple opportunities to find someone with whom to identify.
The sitcom is the most populist of genres in the most populist of mediums and has traditionally brought with it a strident, moralistic tone. While other television genres, like the procedural drama and the historical narrative, are infused with moralistic undertones, their quality depends almost entirely upon maintaining a level of ethical nuance and ambiguity that the sitcom does not require.
Moreover, we can observe that in Pakistan there is strong inclination towards this genre. The reason behind is, less entertainment packages are available to the people. Over time sitcoms acquire a kind of second life, where people who don’t even watch a show perceive the program as being extremely influential
As the media hype builds for the show, writers go beyond objective reviews to actually using their newspapers and magazines to push a controversial sitcom into the limelight so that more people will watch.
No matter how one categorizes these programs or how much influence the new reality trend has on the medium, the fact remains that television comedies are not realistic. It’s impossible—because TV is not reality.
In the end, it can be summarized that sitcom industry in Pakistan is not big, but it can’t be denied that it is undoubtedly a great one. We still remember the sitcom “Family Front” (PTV) and we shall not be forgetting BULBULAY too. They have a great and long-lasting impact on their viewers
Do you agree with these thoughts? Comment underneath and share your views
We have been hearing back to back news of many upcoming Pakistani movies, and the latest entrant in this category is the independent movie ‘Dukhtaar’. The cast includes Samiya Mumtaz, Mohib Mirza, Saleha Aref, Asif Khan, Omair Rana and few others.
The main attraction of this movie is its unique story line which revolves around a young mother, Allah Rakhi (Samiya Mumtaz) who kidnaps her ten-year-old daughter on the day of her daughter’s forced marriage and makes a run for it to save her daughter from the ill-fate ahead. A powerful tribal leader is then on their trail and pursues the runaway mother and his child bride. The conflict between the mother and daughter; and the opposed forces is the center point of the story. This movie highlights the social issues that are being faced by women in Interior Khyber Pakhtoon and Interior Punjab.
Afia Nathaniel the director, producer and writer of this movie is a LUMS graduate. She established Zambeel Films in 2008, with a vision of producing local films for global audience. Earlier, she has done three short films; Toba Tek Singh, Long After (Muntazir), and Butterfly as writer, producer, director, and editor. She has been nominated and won many international film and documentary awards till now.
This film is funded by Worldview which is a CBA [Commonwealth Broadcasting Association] Project that aims to improve UK public understanding and awareness of the developing world through the mainstream broadcast and digital media. Worldview supports producers who aim to bring the richness and diversity of the wider-world to UK audiences.
It is a proud moment for all of us to see that the male dominated film industry is now been taken over by females too who are just as capable as males with the technical and creative expertise. Afia is a valuable addition to our list of film-makers as she has diverse academic knowledge and work experience even outside Pakistan. She has won the support of an international forum like Worldview on the basis of her talent, knowledge and expertise. Previously, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s documentary ‘Saving Face’ had won the Oscars.
The film is attracting attention internationally with its Gotham Award nomination which will be held in the New York City. The Gotham Independent Film Awards are now in their 23rd year and are wholly for the benefit of independent films and this time Pakistani entry Dukhtar has made it to the “Live The Dream” award category introduced by Calvin Klein to support women filmmaker in their post-production and distribution endeavors. It is one of the three finalists of this year, the other two movies that are nominated are: Beneath the Harvest Sky and Awol. Dukhtar is co-produced by Afia Nathaniel, one of Pakistan’s most exciting filmmakers and founder of Lahore-based Zambeel Films, and Muhammad Khalid Ali, a seasoned producer at The Crew Films.
According to Afia Nathaniel,“The film is a powerful story about a mother’s personal quest to save her ten-year-old daughter from an arranged marriage to a tribal leader. It is also Pakistan’s first road-trip thriller shot in the surreal landscapes of the northern areas. The Gotham awards nomination for the ‘Live The Dream’ award comes at a great time for us as we continue with our post-production and strategize for our eventual release in various markets, including Pakistan.”
Since, it is the first road trip movie of Pakistan; we can expect to see some exciting locations and thrilling scenes that would keep us on the edge of our seats. This film will also be released in Pakistan very soon!
Dukhtar is going to portray the ignorance, obliteration, and backward mentality that is prevalent in our society. Through these independent movies based on social issues, we can educate the society and bring the social evils into the limelight.
This is another movie worth looking forward too. It is not a mainstream movie, but the story is gripping enough to make you go to the cinema.
Showbiz is called a short-lived career, mainly for main stream actors as timeline for performing leading roles is relatively limited. There is no definite set duration how long one can perform in main roles, it depends upon popularity, market value and how fit a person maintains himself/herself in front of camera.
Generally career of main stream female actors is short if compared to male actors who enjoy a relatively longer run in leading roles. This trend is almost universally followed, where male actors rule for a longer period as compared to female actors. Many male actors keep appearing in lead roles in middle and old age some time even with much younger female lead.
Speaking of Pakistani showbiz scene the trend is also followed here where life time of heroes is much longer then heroines. In urdu films the prime example is Nadeem who started his career in mid 60’s and appeared as a hero in films till late 90’s with much younger female actors like Attiqa Odho, Madiha Shah, Neeli and Zeba Bakhtiyar. Whereas with some exceptions, career of heroines were relatively short. Similarly, Sultan Rahi in Punjabi cinema and Badar Munir in Pashto cinema have appeared for decades as heroes.
Television in Pakistan has not been as vibrant as film industry was for quite long, but from past seven eight years television has emerged as a flourishing industry, providing opportunities to many new actors. With increase in drama productions, many actors have established themselves in leading roles. A look at leading performers, reveal that similar trend for male actors also prevails in our television too. Many of the leading male performers are continuously coming in lead roles for almost twenty years or even more than that. Lets look at the careers of some leading male actors who fall in this category and still appearing in young roles opposite much younger female artists.
Faisal Rehman: has started his career in 1980 from film Nahin Abhi Nahin, where he was paired with Shabnam and Aarzoo. Faisal appeared in many films throughout 1980’s and then took a break from acting. In films he was mostly paired with Baabra Sharif. He is coming in leading roles in many dramas since early 2000 in leading roles opposite Ayesha Khan, Sunita Marshal, Sajal Ali.
Waseem Abbas: is coming in films and dramas from early 1980’s. His films were not much successful but he was a popular television actor. He still appears in secondary lead roles opposite much younger female artists like Aamana Sheikh in Mera Sayen 2 and Yasira Rizvi in Man Ke Moti.
Nauman Ejaz: has started his career in late 1980’s (1988-1989) from films and television. In films he appeared in side roles and went unnoticed whereas on television he had some successful dramas relatively early. Though Nauman never mentions he has worked in films. In his earlier dramas he appeared opposite Saba Hameed (Pat Jhar on PTV) and Samina Peerzada (Sophia on PTV). While Nauman is still appearing in lead roles, recently both Saba Hameed (Qarz on ARY) and Samina Peerzada (Rehaai, Durre Shewaar on HUM TV) have appeared in roles of mother of Nauman Ejaz. Some other female actors who appeared opposite Nauman in 90’s were Attiqa Odho, Seemi Zaidi, Fazila Qaazi, Iffat Omar, Maria Waasti, Savera Nadeem, most of which have now either quit acting or appearing in character roles. But Nauman is still a popular choice in lead roles.
Asad Malik: also started his career from films in 1990, and then appeared on television after not much success in films. Asad Malik break through role was in drama Dasht in 1993 as a Baloch Sardar opposite Fazila Qaazi. Asad Malik also appears in lead roles or secondary lead like in Maat on Hum TV opposite Saba Qamar.
Aijaz Aslam: started his career from commercial and print modeling in early 1990’s. His famous ad was of a shaving cream. His first drama was Kashkol in 1994, where he was paired with Seemi Zaidi and Seema Rizvi.Kashkol was a successful drama and Aijaz enjoyed overnight fame in the role of Roshu. Aijaz has recently performed in a main role in Geo TV drama ‘Kiss Din Mera Wyah Howay Ga’ opposite Aiman Tariq and in ARY TV drama parchaiyan opposite Sana Khan.
Faysal Qureshi: started his career from films in early 1990’s. His first films Nangay Paon, Panah, Saza all were released in first half of 1990’s, neither of which were succesful. Faysal rose to prominence from television drama ‘Boota from toba tek singh’ in second half of 1990’s, in which he was paired with Farah Shah and Mishi Khaan. Since then Faysal is consistently appearing in lead roles till now.
Adnan Sidiqi: started his career from modeling in early 1990’s. His first major role was in drama Uroosa in 1992, opposite Mishi Khaan. Adnan is still coming in leading roles, like in Maat on HUM TV opposite Saba Qamar.
Nabeel: started his career from films and then television in early 1990’s. His notable appearance was in drama Din in 1992 and then in drama Dhuaan. Nabeel now mostly appears in lead roles in sitcoms most famous one is Bulbulay opposite Aisha Umar.
Humayun Saeed: started his career from television in 1995-96 from PTV drama Farz Aik Qarz and Yeh Jahan. Humayun has enjoyed a successful career on television especially in second half of 1990’s and 2000’s when he mostly appeared opposite Saadia Imaam. He appeared opposite Mahira Khaan in drama Neeyat on ARY Digital. As compared to other artists in this article, from past few years Humayun performs in selective dramas, one or two drama in a year. He has focused more on his production house.
Noman Masood: started his career from PTV drama Shahbaz in 1994-95. He got fame from drama Bandhan opposite Nadia Khan. Noman Masood still appears in lead roles.
Few other names than may be added are Adnan Jilani, Moammar Rana and Kashif Mehmood
Surprisingly age is considered a sensitive factor for female actors, but most of our male artists in this article have also never made their age public too. Also viewers attitude is somewhat biased towards male and female actors in this regard. A female artist is instantly labeled as aged, daadi amman, whereas male artists are mostly not pointed as their female counterparts.
Not every domain is open for all. What happens when a wrong field is chosen is that a person not only spoils his career in trying to match the standards of that field, but also puts a full stop on his real talent. We have been talking about different celebrities so far and have also been criticizing some for their bad acting quite often. I just gave it a thought and have compiled a list of 5 celebrities who have wrongly chosen their career.
1) Shehzad Sheikh
The son of one of the leading actor Javed Sheikh, Shehzad sheikh has aimed really high by continuously trying hard to act. It comes as no surprise that he fails each time to impress the audience by his skills, which he assume to have inherited.
Yes, he is good looking, tall, and trendy, there lacks a stardom feel on his face. Shehzad could have made his name even better in something like sports, business, and production or even in finance.
It is really hard to imagine him as a model even; watching him on screen with emotionless expressions is out-of-will for most of the viewers.
2) Kashif Mehmood
*Tada*,This man overacts a lot. If you are following Ishq Humari Galiyu main, you will agree that because of Kashif Mehmood’s unneeded overacting, the drama has lost its originality. There are strict fathers, even Gaiti’s father holds more or less the same shade but again, Kashif has not followed the character well. This is not for the first time but he has always been an over-actor, when he cries, he cries like Shahrukh Khan (at least tries to), when he speaks, he tries speaking like Sunny Deol or someone like Punjabi terrestrial movie.
I perceive Kashif as to be a good host, a trainer or lecturer, or may be as a political leader even. He sounds diplomatic, he speaks loud, he is confident, but for me, he lacks acting!
3) Sahir Lodhi
Sahir had been enjoying some great respect as a radio host and people were literally following him for his show, The Sahir Show which used to go on air on FM 103. I had been his fan and the special segments he introduced in his show were really great. However, the moment he deviated from his actual talent, he lost it all, all of the respect, all of his fame. He is taken as a matter of laughter on social media. No matter how much the channels now pay him for dancing in talk shows, he has significantly lost his followers with the loss of dignity in his personality. And, yes, he is completely a failure as an actor.
Sahir Lodhi seems to be a capable man who knows what audience wants to follow when even the audience doesn’t know about it. It’s a big thing you see. He could have done pretty well as a fashion designer after being a RJ.
4) Gohar Mumtaz
‘Phir Ayi Tanhai’ in Gohar Mumtaz’s career and it was obvious. Gohar earned prominence for his guitar playing and vocals and enjoyed female fan following for his looks soon Jal launched itself. However, our celebrities should give it a thought that looking good doesn’t mean always to turn you into an actor. Gohar’s acting was totally unbearable in Tanhaai, and I am afraid that he might soon appear again on screen as per the news of Umera Ahmed’s upcoming drama where Gohar has been casted in the lead role.
Gohar is a singer, so it would have been wiser to stick to his actual talent and cash his real worth.
5) Noman Habib
Have you watched MHSA? Well I have. Noman Habib’s acting in the film is something I cannot actually rate in the film. He didn’t do justice to his role at all and at times I sensed a famine touch in his dialogue delivery in the movie, May be it was how the character was written to be. Now that Noman Habib will be appearing in comedy sitcom ‘Bunty I love you’ on Hum TV, I am afraid that the channel and the actor, both will suffer with such a bogus idea.
Noman is no doubt, good looking, his career in modelling and fashion designing could have made him more famous-and-Useful.
That’s all for now, please feel free to share your views about the list. Also, add some of your analysis related to the topic.
In an icy cold morning of the chilly winters, you go to your college or workplace what is the first body part that gets cold? The answer is definitely the hands or the nose. Imagine a very smooth fur covering your hands in this chilly morning, what will it feel like? Obviously it feels amazing. Your trendy and favorite mittens will never let the cold climate harm your hands. Now moving on, when you come home, tired and exhausted in a chilly evening, what do you want to do? I will tell my secret here; I would want a big mug of hot coffee or hot chocolate and a warm furry blanket to cover myself up. As soon as I tuck myself in my favorite blanket, I start feeling my secret love for winters. If you have ever felt the same do let me know through your comments. And I do read each and every comment on my every article so your feedback is very much appreciated.
Fur has been the basic winter attire since the beginning of time. When there were no fashion trends and people didn’t know anything about clothes they used to cover themselves up with fur. Fur is very beneficial for a cold climate as it protects and warms up the body. Previously, it all used to be about survival of the fittest so the people used to hunt furry animals like bears, foxes, minks, rabbits and many others for the purpose of their fur. Since today the trend is being followed. Fur is still in fashion and it is also a need. It is the style statement of people who love to dress themselves up for the love of winters. Many of our famous celebrities wear furry coats and scarves in winters. Fur makes you look trendy and at the same time very elegantly dressed up. If someone wears something made out fur he or she usually stand out in the crowd. This is what makes fur popular among people of all ages.
The most famous brands that produce fur are named as Dior, Burberry, H&M, Gucci, Chanel, Versace, Prada and Zara. These brands have been selling these furry products at very high prices and this shows the importance and demand of fur made products. People die for fur and they are willing to pay huge amounts of money to get the best fur made products. Mittens, Hats and coats have always been necessary in winters but these days, snoods, neck warmers, scarves and much more new products are introduced. These products are highlighted as highest ranking products in fashion. In the countries with extreme environments people benefit from furry socks, furry slippers, cozy knits and many other products made out of fur. Those products protect them from frost bites. Not only in countries with extreme climate but also in normal and moderate winter countries, people still prefer wearing fur because it is very much in fashion these days.
These products provide a soft and comforting sensation. The furry neck warmers are very close to the neck and prevent the chills felt on the chest. For me the love of winters is all about cuddling and snuggling while getting the required warmth. Fur is also used to make cuddly and furry stuffed toys. No child resists on the very soft and adorable stuffed toys. These small furry things give you a relaxing feeling. I will give my own example here, since my childhood I have had this strong love for my furry stuffed toys that I can never ever think of living without them. Still today I sleep with my extra large cuddly and furry teddy bear and if I go some where I always take it along. If due to some reason I can not take it then sleeping becomes a big problem for me.
This is how people get attached to things made of fur because it is very comforting. Moreover, in winters the prefect gift someone can give is something made out of fur. A gift which is weather specific is very special and appreciated because it gives comfort and happiness at the same time. Furry accessories or soft and furry stuff toys or pet animals will definitely give you a tight hug from that someone special in return. Try for yourself and do let me know in the comments section below if you have ever experienced something special or you made someone feel special like this.
Actress Meera has always managed to be in limelight, sometimes for her exceptional English skills and sometimes for the scandals which comes as a package with stardom. While Pakistan’s film industry seems to have taken new routes in the success journey, Meera is still found stuck in her old English-Urdu controversy.
The actress stated while talking to media that she loves her national language and hates to speak English at all. Neither will she ever be planning to learn English nor will she be speaking it unless it is necessary.
See the video here:
It was previously heard that Meera had been doing an English course after being disheartened from the fun which was raised using her name and accent.
There are a couple of celebrities who are weak in this subject but are still cherished for their actual talent, which is acting in this case. Do you really think that language at any level really makes a difference in a career as that of acting?
Let us discuss it then, please feel free to share your opinion. J
There are some characters that irritate you to death. I’m not talking about the actors, it in fact is their ability to act with such finesse that they make us hate the respective character and some who arouse same reaction due to their clumsiness, and they are not necessarily evil. Here is my list of annoying characters.
1. Maham (Shakk)
Maham and her husband (forgot his name) are top in my list. Woman like to gossip. Understandable. What on the earth is wrong with the husband?? The couple is annoying exactly the way their characters are sketched, they have acted very well that they made the viewers hate the characters.
2. Arham (Mujy Khuda pe Yaqeen hai)
With a similar bechara type role, same old clothes and style of acting is topped with annoying repetitive dialogues. Areeba coupled with Arham added fuel to my irritation with her powdery makeover and nude or pink lipsticks. Another annoying thing about the drama is the dull and awkward interior of Arham’s house. I had the guts to watch few episodes only so I do appreciate the people who are still watching it.
3. Zoya (Sitamgar)
Sitamgar aired on Hum tv last year. Sajjal Ali played the role of Zoya (for me it was Sajjal’s worst character up till now). Call me heartless or whatever I absolutely had no sympathies for the dying girl, I in fact wanted to throttle her myself each time she called Faisal Rehman “Zubi”.
4. Gaiti and Kiran (Rishte kuch Adhoray se)
First of all this drama is amongst the most irritating, disgusting and senseless dramas aired ever and coincidently it is also credited with two utterly annoying characters Gaiti and Kiran. They have me perplexed, cannot decide which sister is more annoying.
5. Samina (Mere Humrahi)
All the negativity, intolerance, pessimism and hatred towards all are personified in this character. She manages quite well to remain unhappy and makes sure other are too. Her expressions and gestures are always spot on, always complementing her dialogues and character, standing her character really requires patience.
6. Neelum (Numm)
Whether it is the character or the Kanza Wayne’s acting which makes her unbearable I’m not sure. Most of the annoyance is created by her inaudible, mispronounced and distorted words and on top of that her below average dialogue delivery as well. She certainly seems clueless, barely familiar with acting. The actress and the character both are equally annoying.
7. Bhari Sarkar (Aseer Zadi)
I wasn’t expecting Sania Saeed to choose such character, maybe she opted for it because of being different than her usual picks. The way she delivers her dialogues, her attire, her throaty and hoarse voice and the bright, inappropriate lipstick colors are the reasons that make her infuriating.
Do share the character you dislike or that annoy you. Faiza Cheema
Time to time new colour trends emerge. There is some sort of a fashion and every one wears something related to that color. As in winters dark color trend emerges and people start wearing blacks and blues and dark purple shades. Same as this, in summers people prefer lighter shades like beige or baby pink and yellow etc. Apart from this there are some neutral colors as well and they can be worn in almost every season like white, red, orange and green.
I will be discussing the color green in this article. Many people get bored of the trends of colors. It is natural if we see everyone wearing the same color we usually start getting tired of it so at that moment green is color that breaks the trend and makes you look fashionable at the same time. At the time when you are fed up of watching the same colors then try adding green to your wardrobe, jewelery, bags, shoes and even other accessories. Green is a very cool color. One thing I always feel when I see green is the feeling of walking on wet grass. It actually gives me a soothing feel. Green is a color of vigor and courage and at the same time peace and relaxation.
Apart from this green is our flag’s color so we must be in love with it. It has so many shades including; parrot green, bottle green, olive green, apple green, sea green, lime and so many others. A green bag can actually make you stand out in a crowd. It’s the color of freshness and coolness. The biggest advantage of this color is that it suits almost every skin tone. This is what makes it popular. It is a very pretty color which goes with fairer skin tones and also with tanner skin tones. It is a great combination with white, beige, peach, black, navy and many other colors. I will definitely recommend it to every one of you. Try wearing it and see the change.
It is very important to choose the perfect shade of green. Try to watch yourself in all shades and see what suits you best. Green can be worn as a plain color or you can add different shades in one dress. Apart from this you can add more feminine items such as polka dots, ballet flats and pink shaded mufflers. What I do is in winter specially, I have a bright green colored long coat, I match it up with blue skinny jeans and a bronze sweatshirt and I m ready to go. Sometimes I open up my hair and sometimes I tie them up. Another advice is that if you have dark colored hair use lighter shades of green and if you have lighter hair then use darker shades of green. Green and red is not a good combination for me atleast.
Dark green can be blended with other shades of green like pastel green and mint green. This creates a very different yet stylish look but this does not mean that one should wear everything colored green. It will look odd. It is necessary to break the colors you wear. Contrasts are more in these days so try to wear contrasting colors. A pastel green jean looks very trendy and graceful with dark green top or printed shade in green Bag. To give trendier look you can use mint green accessories, like watch, bracelets, bangles, earrings, rings and other much more. You can also use mint green clutch and nail paint for chunky look.
Mint green is very lovely color and has many beautiful contrasts. You can use mint green accessories with golden, silver, pink and lemon shaded dresses. This will certainly look fabulous. Especially in summers its very perfect and fantastic color to glamorize your look. Mint green is very energizing and different from others. This is a great shade for almost any occasion. Either you wear in morning or evening. Not only in parties but also can wear for causal purposes. However, be careful to wear this color in small portion, otherwise you risk turning from a princess in to a frog. Last but not least, if you are bored with black or other dark colors and want to bring change then spinach green can be the best option to go. This was what I knew about green. Give your valuable comments if you know some more interesting ways to look perfect in green. Your comments are appreciated.
Sometimes, when we do not urge to indulge into affairs that we even started abhorring for ourselves, we are being compelled to do so. Similarly, Our Pyarai Afzal was the one who was carried away by his friend once again. He was pretty much reluctant to do anything that can let him down in front of his family but his yearning to get a lump sum of money, much more than his monthly salary, made him do so.
Maulvi Saheb caught Afzal red handed while receiving the amount his friend committed to give him. His sudden reaction was nothing more than disappointment and shock. His father was disappointed because he failed to influence his son with his way of life and his teachings. He was shocked because Afzal broke his promise.
Maulvi Saheb neither scolded him nor he yelled at him. All he decided to give a wakeup call to him is to leave his current job and carry on with his son gambling stuff and that was a slap at Afzal’s face. His words were more than enough for Afzal to make him realize the gravity of situation. Firdous Jamal’s acting was spot on and Hamza’s body language was extremely up-to-mark during the scene.
It was Afzal’s sister who gave his guarantee this time. Her concern, her sisterly love and the words she uttered were so pure that Maulvi Saheb gave up on Afzal’s issue and expected Afzal to be a good boy once again.
While Lubna and Afzal’s sister were discussing Farah and Mehtaab’s wedding right at the beginning of the show, has somebody noticed Lubna sounded a bit fishy when they talked about Afzal? But why the hell Farah gets so much angry and annoyed everytime when she hears Afzal’s name ? Wesai, Afzal’s sister looked so much concerned and her anticipation to see her brother at dignified place someday made her more closer to look like real-life sisters jo apnai bhaie k lyai jaan bhi dai dain..
Afzal left us stranded with so many questions in our minds. Is this Farah whose letter Afzal seems to be reading apparently or is this his earnest yearning or imagination to have Farah in his life just like the girl in his letters.. ? I guess , the overall aura of Farah created in Afzal’s mind was enough to tell us story.Afzal sairaab k peechay bhaag raha hai.. Its like his dream to have Farah in his life.
I missed Mehtaab Chawla today – His presence add up another energy level to the show. Lubna and Farah dress up quite differently and interestingly- adding colors to the show and office scenes are always fun to watch where Afzal,Rozee and that Incharge discussions leaves us smiling always.Nicely executed scenes,very well written dialogues and perfect direction were the elements of today’s episode. So overall,it was a well packaged episode.
Preview of next episode tells that Mehtaab Chawla will be completely ousted from this show as Farah won’t be getting married to him.. :( .. Afzal’s sister will ask him about that letter waali girl and will assure him that she will talk to Maulvi Saheb about his marriage.
So we’re 3 episodes down & surprisingly I am not disappointed. The pace is perfect & everything seems to be in it’s right place. I like how the story is progressing properly without any unnecessary emphasis on the situations.
Aiza has started to make a mark in her professional life too. Personally, she had Laiba’s support & had impressed her perfectly but this time around Aiza got to make an appearance in Laiba’s family too & that too quite regularly. Laiba’s father thinks Aiza is very dear to Laiba so for that he wants them to spend time together as Laiba is his only child & has no one else to look up to. I love the bonding these two share even though Aiza is older to her but still the way she treats Laiba like her own younger sister & listens to her rants & personal feelings is really nice.
What I have liked about this drama is that the characters are simple & relate-able. No one is evil more than lucifer here & no one has crossed saint-ism leaving saints behind. Everyone is just an ordinary human being with their feelings, struggles & affection for one another & that makes this drama experience a bit more interesting to watch.
Saad has totally fallen for Aiza in fact it was so apparent that his friend got a hint of it too. Saad’s continuous gestures are definitely showing how much he likes Aiza but she is for now oblivious of his feelings. The lunch & then the birthday present were enough to let any girl know how one feels but Aiza is too swamped with her office works that she is just not getting the hint, even though she misunderstood about who sent the present but still accepted it thinking Laiba loves to surprise her.
In the meanwhile Saad’s mother had spoken to Laiba’s father about settling down with a life partner & he refused but I am sure he won’t be able to resist Aiza’s charm & positive energy too. Another interesting thing was that even though Aiza had Laiba’s reference in her family company still she has not taken things for granted & is proving herself through her intelligence & that makes me love her positivity.
The funny change in the mood was coming from Aiza’s bhabhi who now thinks it’s useless to get a girl married away who is now earning benefits of her hard-work so for that she shoo-ed away the rishta wali but what’s sad is how her brother is shamefully depending on Aiza for running the household whereas she shouldn’t be doing it. Every time I hear Aiza’s family talk I still feel that Aiza is too good to be a part of that family because there is not even an ounce of similarity that a family shares, no manners that match & no compatibility but still over all it’s a very very decent drama & I won’t mind it being predictable as far as the story is real & no mirch masala is added just for the sake of making a story different.
Sad about what Saad is facing on his own but seeing the preview of the next episode came as a pleasant surprise that even though Saad knows what he is going through he is not leaving his hope behind & plans on proposing Aiza. I am sure the next episode will get a bit more interesting because Laiba will have an idea about what has transpired & will have her say on it.
“Freedom of expression” was among the basic rights granted to the people of Pakistan by its constitution in 1973 but that freedom was not actually utilized as much effectively earlier on. It was only after Mushraf allowed private channels to operate that this right was used to its full capacity. First it was through independent reporting both in print and electronic media and then it was the “unbiased” views and reviews that gave the sense of freedom to the people. But not all of the people but only a few “Privileged” ones who were termed as journalist or more broadly, analysts.
Internet had made its inroads in the country in late 90’s but social media became a reality only after Facebook and Twitter became popular in late 2000’s. Social media was started with a basic idea of connecting people with their friends and family on cyber space where they can update each other about their thoughts, activities and other daily life routines through status updates and sharing pictures etc. Like in international arena, social media gathered a huge number of people around it in Pakistan as well.
Presence of thousands and thousands of people on social media made these big guns of electronic and print media to start strengthening their arm in this media as well. But unfortunately instead of using this media according to its specifications, media person’s and media houses started using social media as bill board or advertisement slot for their shows and alerts from their respective fields.
There are several aspects of activity that media persons have on social sites and they must be analyzed thoroughly before jumping to conclusion.
FACEBOOK
As lead runner in social media, Facebook provides with much more chance to elaborate your actions and thoughts. When looked into the Facebook pages of many media houses like Dawn.com (270K fans), GEO News (700K fans) and DunyaNews (332K fans), one thing was found common, there was no roam for user participation. Only competent to post on these pages were the admins of the pages and fans of the page were not allowed to post anything. This was a great question mark on the credibility of those who claim to be the “voice of the people” but they don’t allow voice of the people on their social networking platform.
Moving forward to the entertainment channels and their high ranking Morning shows, one thing was found common on their pages just like their original programs, “similarity of content.” From HUM (495K fans) to ARY digital (322K fans) and from Maya Khan (14K fans) to shaistawaheedi (67K fans) and even the great SanamBaloch (198K fans), everyone had the same kind of photo covers, same content being updated and same no-response-to-the-users-at Facebook attitude. Posting from the fans was also not allowed on these fan pages as well except on page of HUM. Only left out in this category was the fan page of URDU 1 (216K fans), who had same cover photo on the lines of rest of the entertainment channels but the channel was responsive to the comments made on their posts. Another plus on their page was that their content on the page was much more creative and unique as compared to other rival Facebook pages.
When Facebook pages of famous news analysts and current affairs programs was searched, it was found that Major Players like Hamid Mir, Kamran khan, M. Malik and ShahidMassod either were not in possession of their own pages or their pages were highly outdated. NajamSethi’sAapaskiBaat (25K fans) was limited to uploading topic of their program and subsequent videos of the programs. TalatHussain (257K fans) was found to be promoting his personal website saachTV on his page. Hasb-e-Haal(200K fans) was also uploading their videos only. News Beat with Paras Khursheed (134K fans) of Samaa channel was also just posting details of their agenda for the night. With the exception of News Beat every page was giving access to the fans’ post but there was no feedback on these posts by the anchors. Hasb-e-Haal occasionally use these post by fans to make funny jokes.
Conditions were far better when pages for RJs and FM channels were checked. Samaa FM 107.6 (260K fans) was continuously updating with some fabulous content and was also responding to the fan’s comments although they were not also allowing any posts by the fans. Wes Malik (15k fans) from FM 89 updates statuses and also uploads his playlist from last night. He allows fans post and even responds to the comments. FM 89 (50K fans) was also allowing fan posts and responding to the fans’ comments.
Twitter
Twitter is an easy way of communication in social media. With a limit of 140 characters and remarkable user interface for Mobile users, it makes connecting and sharing much easier. When looked for accounts of the leading Media persons most were found here and even those who didn’t consider FB as worth of their time like Hamid Mir(318K followers), Mohammad Malik(111K followers), Cyril Almeida(22K followers) and many more. But the elitist attitude was even visible here. Major media anchors were either tweeting or retweeting and when they were not doing that they were indulging into conversation with those from their own circles. None bothered to reply to those thousands and lakhs of followers. With only the exception of NajamSethi (191K followers), Malik and Hamid Mir none else was replying to the tweets or responses of common people. Some who made it to the list of “Arrogance” are Babar Sattar (20K followers) Mohammad Hanif from BBC Urdu (24K followers), Mansoor Ali Khan (68K followers), Umer Cheema (70K followers) Talathussain (200K followers) and Kashifabbasi (45K followers)
Conclusion
Now all the above mentioned stats and observations brings out a hypocrite attitude of the media channels in front of us. Media who lash out criticism on all and sundry but when it comes to receiving criticism or even any kind of feedback from general public on social media, they turn a deaf ear. It is not a valid point that the type of comments and abuse directed to these pages make them ban specific users or restricting anyone from saying anything about them. This is just like Government’s act of banning mobile phones and Skype to counter terrorism. It is responsibility of media houses and media anchors to educate their followers and fans on social networking sites. This can add to a real credit on their part that they educated people to voice out their differences in a systematic and non-abusive way.
Their devil-may-care attitude is visible enough in the comment section of their posts where people even do promotions of their own pages and groups and they don’t even bother to report or remove such comments. Another exposition of recklessness of these media anchors and celebrities comes out when they don’t do anything about dozens of fake accounts that run by their name. Just telling people that it’s not your original account is not enough. These analysts have a responsibility to report such accounts and pages to the concerned authorities as they are used for promotional purposes on social media.
Our country has lot to learn from this freedom of media and especially the chances that social media promises to provide. This is not possible until some of the reasonable and responsible members of the society start taking this media seriously. Opportunities offered are even vast then print and electronic media but all it needs is proper understanding of this media. It is about time that media giants start taking it more than a mere publicity tool in their hands.
Interesting enough, while one end of the Pakistan’s film industry seems to have a revival in the form of talent, budget, direction and revenue, the other still suffers with low quality content to its fullest. Syed Noor has been serving Lollywood industry since a long time, adding new films in the local cinema businesses, however, with the revival of film industry in Pakistan, Lollywood’s future can be a good question.
Syed Noor recently shared at an event in Karachi, organized by Karachi Union of Journalists that he is all set for his next film ‘Bhai Wanted’. The basic plot of the story is to highlight the beauty of Pakistan, especially Karachi and for that all the shooting part has been arranged in Karachi only.
Though the film-maker did not mention the cast of the movie, he still revealed that the movie will hold big names with it where the audience will get to see senior artists on screen, followed by some newcomers as he believes that Pakistan has a lot talent in the field of entertainment and all that talent needs, is a chance.
It can now be difficult to predict the business which this movie will generate as it is, there can be sensed a change of mind-and-choice in the local audience. Moreover, the foreign content has also narrowed the business returns for Lollywood.
We hope not to see Saima in this movie. Please share your views about the future of Lollywood movies in comparison to the classy new trend which is emerging in the form of movies like Waar, MHSA, Josh and Bol.
Tanveer Jamshed aka TeeJay founded the label Teejays in 1970 and in a way laid the foundation of Pakistani fashion. He is not only initiator of Pakistani fashion industry in fact he introduced many innovative techniques like providing wardrobe for dramas as advertisement of his designs and made the boutique culture famous in Pakistan. Kurta Shalwar designed by Teejays remained unrivaled by any other labels’ designs and were most sought after for decades.
Teejays has provided wardrobe for nearly 150 dramas including super hits Tanhaiyaan, Dhoop Kinare, Uncle Urfi and Unkahi. He experimented with shapes of kurtas, necklines, puffy sleeves and most significantly he introduced pockets. The best thing about Teejays’ clothes is that they were and still are reasonable as compared to other designer creations. For Teejay his creations were not only for the elite but for the masses as well. Instead of advertising men and women dresses for long, all the designed were immediately available in the outlets. The flame of Teejays fame dwindled in 90’s after ruling the industry for decades.
After Teejay’s ailment he took retirement and Feeha Jamshed aka Feejay his true heir entered the fashion industry and took hold of steering this somewhat sinking ship. Unlike her father Feeha initially designed clothes for the ramp; most of them weren’t available in TeeJays’ outlets. She went for the fusion of east and west resulting in unique amalgam of both. However she provided wardrobe for Mahira Khan in Humsafar proving that she has inherited her father’s talent to produce fabulous eastern dresses as well.
Feeha has named some of her couture and pret collections after her sister Minaal who passed away two years ago. She collaborated with her friend RizwanUllah and the duo is not only fusing east and west but their own different styles and sense of fashion to form unique designs. Being a very close friend of Mahira Khan, Feeha takes her model in her shoots or showstopper in case of fashion shows. Feeha steals the limelight of ramps with her both casual and formal wears. Looking at her success in a short time period, it is evident that her aspiration to follow the footsteps of her father won’t be a dream much longer.
Dramatization of novels is a rage since last few years; all popular-unpopular novels published in monthly digests have been dramatized. Some are in the making even now. The news is Mushaf by Nimra Ahmed and Aks by Umera Ahmed are also under consideration for dramatization. Though I am not in favor of dramatization of novels but knowing it is unavoidable, there are some novels I would like to be dramatized or ruined :P
Pardon me but it happens in most cases here as well
1. Naseem Hijaazi:
First in my list is Naseem Hijazi. His novels are highly subjective and biased but inspite of this fact reading his novels is always a treat. A few of his novels have already been adapted not only in dramas but into a movie as well. Unfortunately I haven’t watched any of them; they are Khak aur Khoon (movie), Akhari Chataan and Shaheen. Shaheen is my favorite of Hijazi’s novels and I would love to see the drama but it is not available online or on Dvds. I hope it is considered again for dramatization. Mohammad Bin Qasim is another option especially now when there are lots of controversies concerning his arrival in Sindh. Its dramatization obviously won’t be able to repel all those controversies but like Naseem Hijazi I’m also biased and would like him presented in a positive light.
2. Safar ki Sham by Farhat Ishtiaq:
It is among my favorites and definitely best among Farhat Ishtiaq’s novels as well. Majority of her novels are predictable stories yet they are sweet and at times witty. This particular is my favorite because of Maha’s character. It will be a good addition on screen if dramatized.
3. The Holy Woman by Qaisra Shahraz:
The story of an independent and strong-willed aristocrat Zarri Bano who fell for Sikandar, shortly after their engagement due to unfortunate turn of events she was forced to become Holy woman i.e. married to Quran for the obvious reasons. Further tragedy struck when her younger sister was married to Sikandar in her lieu. It will make a good drama if the storyline remains unchanged with suitable actors obviously.
These are the three novels that I would prefer to see on screen, since the chaos is inevitable then why not the way I want it. Do share the novels you want to see on screen.
Babar Khan and Sana Khan too have now been added in the list of the amazing showbiz couples which got married in 2013 and earned a lot of wishes and prayers from their followers on their wedding. Babar Khan is one of the handsome newcomers who look young but their experience and perfection in the domain of acting do not go unnoticed by the audience. Sana Khan, on the other hand, is also an actress by profession and first got prominence in drama serial Parchhaiyan as Xavia.
The couple is now happily married and both of them compliment each other completely. While Babar followed simplicity to be his fashion, Sana looked extremely pretty on her wedding day. Here are some of their photos, have a look!
If you are not a Zafar fan so far, it is now time to change your mind as Ali Zafar has now been ranked on top in the list of sexiest men of Asia in 2013. The listing has been produced by a UK based International Magazine under the title of ‘Eastern Eye Magazine’.
This magazine annually releases the results after conducting a poll where the audience contributes its part and share its view in the form of vote. This is not the first time that this singer turned actor has been in the list, in fact, he stood on fifth rank in 2011 and third in 2012.
Ali Zafar is one of those few celebrities who are representing Pakistani talent in India with glory. Unlike other celebrities who make their own industry suffer for the foreign content, Ali is always found enthusiastic whenever any project is offered from his home country.
At a time where we are deprived of quality celebrity interviews (thanks to the ridiculous interviews taken by morning show hosts), ‘TUC The Lighter Side of Life’ is a breath of fresh air for most of us. This is no doubt that this is the most awaited show of the season as people are looking forward to see their favorite celebrities in a proper celebrity talk show. The cherry on top is Mahirah Khan as the host of the celebrity talk show. We have seen her as a VJ when she has hosted the live show ‘Most Wanted’ on MTV Pakistan. She has also hosted ‘Weekends with Mahira’ on Aag TV and judging from her past shows, we can expect some good quality interviews from her. The talk show will go on air from this Saturday at 9:10 pm on Hum TV and on Aplus at 9:00 pm.
Her guest list includes Fawad Khan (Yes folks, Mahirah will interview him), Sheheryar Munawar, Adeel Hussain, Saba Hameed, Javed Sheikh, Ali Azmat, Ali Zafar, Shoaib Akhtar, Shoaib Malik, Bushra Ansari, Ayesha Omer, Sanam Saeed, Zeba Bakhtiar and many more.
Here are a few snapshots of the celebrities that would be seen in the show:
I must say, Mahirah is looking absolutely gorgeous in all her dresses! I have a lot of expectations from this show.
First of all A SHOUT OUT to me & all the other viewers who survived through 18 episodes of this hideous drama. Masha Allah ME & YOU guys are awesome! ;) I was actually wondering & wanted to figure out the reason why the director wanted to show the flashbacks again & again & Voila, it occured to me that he must be suffering from what Amir Khan suffered in Ghajni & yes you guessed it right, the disease is SHORT TERM MEMORY LOSS. Our dear director is a case of Short Term Memory Loss that’s why in order to remember what disaster he stirred, he kept on throwing in the flashbacks because on his own, he’s too weak to keep track of what was happening in his drama.
Areeba has this conversation with her father where he shows the signs of distress about how Areeba will take burden of the responsibilities & all of a sudden he thinks there’s a huge social gap in his family & in Areeba’s in-laws, which made me say that Uncle should’ve had this conversation with Areeba before getting her married to a rich-loon Arham. What was he thinking before Areeba’s wedding that now all of a sudden on a breakfast table he is too worried? By the way which responsibilities was he speaking of? All I know is that Areeba has to walk from one room to the other, pull off a constipated face, bear Arham’s fits & that all there’s to her responsibilities…so what’s the worry about Abba jaan, take a chill pill!
All I saw Shaiq doing in this episode was jumping in & out of the bed, lol. He claims he is too busy, too tired, too bored, too zombie, too dead & yeah, that’s what we all think so too about you now Mikaal Zulfikaar. Phew! Waisay it was the first time that I felt pity for Narmeen, she herself got tangled in such a weird family where one brother was a lunatic & the other was a bored human being. She looked actually really innocent when she smiled at the idea of going out for shopping with Shaiq – even though she had not plucked her eye-brows, she still managed to look happy. Poor soul, iska kya haal bana diya hai zalim sasuraliyon ne, bechari!
Accha, for the first time I understood the changing patterns of Arham’s behaviour which made me deduce the fact that he is suffering from a bipolar disease. He has a personality disorder & I can prove it, just keep on reading through. When Arham’s in front of Areeba, he is just like a bakra who dreads Bari Eid because he is too terrified of being zibbah-o-fied but the moment he is in front of Narmeen, he is just like a wounded lion (read GEEDARH) who just knows how to roar. Such an actor he is & for that I pity Areeba who thinks she has found a SANE husband, aan ann girl, you’re mistakennn. Arham looked like such a foul player that he at first stopped Narmeen & taunted her, later when his father got free after dyeing his beard & confronted this loon, he looked like a masoom baby who just thinks roti is pronounced as chochi. Ahram you better stop playing around otherwise no one will change your pamper, ohkay! Arham said to either his bro or dad that he gets agitated every-time Narmeen taunts him & I was like Gugay ko ghussha a jata haiiii, alay alay alay Alham ko guccha a gayawww, awww!!!
The funniest & faarighest thing to see is Arham & Areeba passing comments & judgements on Narmeen every single time. They speak, talk, breathe, dread, have dreams about Narmeen so yeah she is right in this sense that this family is weird & they portray themselves as sober but in actual they are not. Looks like Arham & Areeba have got nothing to do, seriously NOTHING & for that their laughing, talking & stalking stock is Narmeen, people you guys seriously need to pay a visit to the doctor & then a psychiatrists to bring you out of the sheer fixation of Narmeen.
Aur yeah, everytime we have this commercial break in between, I see a title song with a still of their smiling faces & I curse the time I thought it would be normal drama with some happy faces but they used those deceptive smiles to fool us, but I do have a laugh thinking when was the first & the last time they actually smiled? Never!
We have recently seen many youngsters coming in the line of acting in Pakistan Drama industry. Out of these energetic youngsters, there are only few ones which don’t only have good acting-sense but also have good looks at the same time that helps them to engage themselves with the viewers via their dramas. Shehryar Munawar is one of these fresh faces. We have noticed his performances in a number of Pakistani dramas and undoubtedly he performs very well though he doesn’t possess a professional degree in the field of acting.
Whether it be “Zindagi Gulzar hai” in which he played a supporting character with famous faces like Fawad Afzal Khan or “Asmanoun Pay Likha”’ in which he is currently playing lead character, the hazel-eyed boy has proved himself a great professional actor.
Unlike other actors who live, breathe and dream of acting, Sheheryar just stumbled on it. He was sitting on a job offer from an excellent multinational after completing his bachelors programme. But instead of just going the normal 9-5 route, he thought he’d take a year-long break and do the kind of fun stuff that he’d reminiscence about when he turns 40. Acting turned out to be one of them. When he told his family, including his elder sister who went to Harvard, there was a lot of trepidation
His acting is divine. But the bad news here is, he is acting only for one year, after that he will head off to get his postgraduate degree that his parents agreed on. In this one year he has to do as much as he can and has been successful as he has already made his position in an upcoming Pakistani film “Kambakht“. His fans hope that his parents extend that one year to forever or else they will be heartbroken.
Shehreyar has not only proved himself a great actor but also as a model too. Shehryar Munawar is a versatile actor. So far he has done a number of projects and all of them went quite successful. His fans want to see him in more lead characters and in more dramas as well. Currently, he is doing only few projects. He believes in the fact that the focus of an actor should be in quality of the drama and not the quantity therefore he has not engaged himself in a large number of TV projects.
Moreover, you will be very astonished to know that he likes “Fatima Bhutto”. He appreciates her and he has a soft corner for her. This is something about his personal life. Also, he is a sporty guy. He loves to play games from the years of his school.
May be you will not be able to see much of Shahryer Munawar in the coming years as he might take a break from his acting career for pursuing his postgraduation. But his fans are going to miss him a lot. In a very short span of time he has won the hearts of a number of people via his excellent acting skills and his looks as well
So, all you die-hard fans of Shehryar, you guys need to be patient and wait for his return back. For the time being enjoy his dramas.
He has put a lot of effort in winning the hearts and it will definitely not go in vain. He is the next rising star. We should keep our fingers crossed and hope to see more of him to entertain us.
Those who have seen his performance and appreciate him as an actor, you guys should post beneath about the performance which you think is best from all of his performances so far. And don’t forget to tell us whether you too think that Shehryar is the next rising star
Fahad Mustafa is famous artist and host. His father Salahudin Tunio is a renowned artist of sindhi and urdu media. Here is his interview from Sunday Magazine of urdu daily Nawaiwaqt, done by Umbreen Fatima
Here is interview in roman urdu
fahad mustafa pakistan television kay maroof model adakaar aur producer hain. woh mutaadid dramon mein apni adakaari kay johar dikha chukay hain. fahad sindhi adakaar salahudin tunio kaay sahibzaday hain yoon adakaari unko virsay mein mili hai. unhon naay saal 2002 mein “sheeshay ka mehal” say adakaari ka aghaaz kiya aur dekhtay hi dekhtay unka shumaar television kay basalayihat fankaaron mein honay laga. sheeshay ka mehal, haale dil, bahu rani, aatshi, pul sirat aur mastana maahi mein unhon naay lajawab adakaari kar kaay drama shayiqeen kay dil jeet liye wesay to unhon nay jo bhi kirdaar kiye uss mein haqeeqat kay rang bhar diye lekin “mein abdulqadir hoon” mein unhon nay apnay kirdaar ko is andaaz saay nibhaya kay dekhnay walay dang reh gaye. fahad ko career kee shru-aat mein bohat saraay challanges ka samnaa raha kayee barson ki mehnat kay baad saal 2008 mein drama serial veena mein markazi kirdaar ada kiya aur aik dam un kay career kee dagar kamyabi kee taraf mur gayee. 25 saal kee umar mein unhain producer ban-nay kaa aizaz haasil huwa. bator producer unkaay long play “khalq” nay pakistan television per kamyabi kay jhanday garay. fahad achhay adakaar, model, producer honay kaay saath saath basilayihat mezban bhi hain. guzishta dinon ham nay unsaay khasoosi interview kiya.
Q: apnay baray mein kucch batayen?
FM: mein pharmacy ka student thaa, teen saal tak pharmacy kee taleem haasil kee lekin phir chor di. karachi mein peda huwa hum chaar behan bhai hain teen bhai aur aik behan
Q: showbiz mein kesay aana huwa?
FM: bas qismat mujhey is taraf laay aayee jahan tak adakaari kee baat hai to mujhey adakaari ka shru saay hee shoq thaa. apnay waalid sahab kaay saath bachpan mein bohat saaray plays mein kaam kiya yoon yeh shoq barhta chala gaya bara huwa to is shoq ko aagay laay kar chalna chahita thaa iskaay liye mein naay kaafi auditions diye bohat mehnat kee tab kahin jaa kar iss chobay mein naam kamaya.
Q: kin kirdaron ko rad kar detay hain?
FM: jo kirdar mujhey samajh nahin aatay unko rad kar deta hoon
Q: kis qisam kay kirdar pasand kartay hain?
FM: jin kirdaron mein performance kaa margin ho un kirdaron ko shoq saay karta hoon.
Q: mezbani ka tajarba kesa raha?
FM: mezbani ka tajarba bohat acha raha mein samajhta hoon kaay mezbani adakaari say kahin zyada mushkil kaam hai.
Q: bator producer kitnay dramay bana chukay hain?
FM: kaafi dramay bana chuka hoon aaj kal “meray humrahi” kaay naam saay drama chal raha hai. meri production big bang entertainment kaay banner talay 8 dramay pipeline mein hain. iss say pehlay mein naay “aur phir” kaay naam saay aik series produce kee thee iss kay ilawa single plays bhi kar chuka hoon
Q: yeh kyon kaha jaata hai kay maazi ka drama zyada acha thaa?
FM: maazi mein logon kaay paas zyada mowaqeh nahin hotay thaay aik din mein sirf aik drama chalta thha zyada sey zyada do channels thay iskay bar-aks aaj muqablay ki fizza hai jis mein har aik ko aik doosray saay aagay bhi nikalna hai iskaay bav-jood agar hamara drama pasand kiya jaata hai to yaqeenan dramay mein bhi kucch baat to hai jo log shoq saay tv screen kaay agay beth-tay hain
Q: aaj ka drama kahan khara hai?
FM: hamara drama aaj kamyabi kee manazil taye kar raha haidrama industry phal phool rahi hai hamaray dramon mein cultur, muashrat aur mazhab ka khyaal rakhha jaata hai. berooni dunya mein bhi hamaray drama ko pasand kiya jaa raha hai balkay follow bhi kiya jaata hai.
Q: aaj kay dramay mein kis cheez ki kami dekhtay hain?
FM: mera khyala hai kay kissi cheez ki kami nahin hai bas mazeed acchay fankaron ki zaroorat hai.
Q: aajkay dramay kee aik khoobi batayen?
FM: aajkay dramay haqeeqat kay qareeb tar hain aur yehi unko sab say bari khoobi hai
Q: kin drama artiston kaay kaam saay mutasir rahay hain?
FM: marhoon saleem nasir sahab kaay kaam saay bohat mutaasir raha hoon. woh pedayeshi adakaar thaay iskay illawa moeen akhtar aur bushra ansari kaay kaam kee to kiya hee baat hai. in kaa kaam naye aanay walooN kay liye mash-ale raah hai.
Q: set per kin baton saay perishaani mehsoos kartay hain?
FM: retake aur kaam takheer saay shru honay kaay amal saay tangi mehsoos karta hoon
Q: aajkal har doosra artist mezbaani kar raha hai kiya mezbaani itni aasaan hai kay har doosra kar sakta hai?
FM: nahin mezbaani bohat mushkil kaam hai aur achi baat hai kaay artist yeh kaam kar rahay hain har artist aisay bhi who kaam karta hai jo woh kar sakta hai
Q: morning shows mein kuch ankors aisay bhi hain jinhon nay mezbani kaa matlab hi badal diya hai iss per kiya kahain gaay?
FM: sab ka apna apna style hai mein is per kuch nahin kahon gaa. morning shows achay hain to popular hain ab aap dekhain kaay bohat saari khawateen kaay din kaa aghaaz hi in shows ko daikh kar hota hai. wesay bhi ham sab wohi kartay hain jo log dekhnaa chah-tay hain farz karain mujhey kissi baat per aitraaz hai bhi to agar log dekhna chah-tay hain to mera aitraaz bohat peechay reh jaata hai
Q: zyada tar mezban baghair tyari kaay aatay hai aur yeh cheez nazar bhi aati hai aap apnay show kay liye kitni tyaari kartay hain?
FM: jitni tyaari zaroori hoti hai utni kartay hain yeh poori team ki mehnat hoti hai sirf akelay mezban ki tyari yaah mehnat nahi hot poori team milkar kisi bhi show ko organize karti hai mein to sirf akela camera kaay saamnay betha hota hoon lekin camera kaay peechay bohat saaray logon kee mehnat hoti hai
Q: abhi tak film nahin ki?
FM: ji anjum shehzad ki film “mah meer” mein aiham kirdaar kar raha hoon iman ali aur sanam saeed bhi cast ka aiham hissa hain. sarmad sehbai nay script likkha hai thora saa kaam abhi bhi baaqi hai mukamil hotay hee release kar di jaye gee
Q: doosray mumalik kaay drama aur filmain hamaray haan dikhay jaani chahiye?
FM: bilkul dikhaye jayen bashar-tekay hamari filmain aur drama bhi wahan dikhaye jayen
Q: female ki calls saay kabhi begum ka mood off huwa?
FM: meri biwi nay kabhi bhi female paris-taron ki calls ka bura nahin maana hum dono aik doosray ko bohat achi tarah samajhtay hain isliye aisi baaton ko lay kar jhagra nahin huwa meri biwi balkay khush hoti hai kay unkaay shohar kaay itnay zyada paristar hain
Q: biwi saay jhagra kin baaton per hota hai?
FM: nok jhonk to chalti rehti hai lekin baat jhagray tak nahin pohanchti agar moamla serious ho bhi jaye to jaldi hi aik doosray ko mana letay hain
Q: betay ko bhi showbiz mein laana chahen gaay?
FM: iss baray mein abhi kucch kehna abhi qabal as waqt hai
Q: kabhi kisi senior kay rawaiyay nay dukhi kiya?
FM: bilkul nahin hamaray seniors bohat achay hain aur hamesha support kartay hain
Q: new comers kaay saath showbiz industry kaay log kesay paish aatay hain?
FM: new comers ko khush aamdaid kaha jaata hai jin logon mein accha kaam karnay kee justujoo hoti hai un ki sab hee log madad kartay hain.
Q:biwi kee kon si baat achhi lagti hai?
FM: woh mujhay bohat achhi tarah samajhti hai mujhey bardasht karti hai khhna bohat accha banaati hai aur mera bohat khayal rakkhti hai
Q: aapki biwi kaay mutabiq aap acchay mezbaan hain yaah adakaar?
FM: pata nahin uss nay kabhi bataya nahin aur naa hi mujhey tv per itna dekkhti hai
Q: “mein abdul qadir hoon” mein kya khaas baat thi jo logon nay itna pasand kiya?
FM: “mein abdul qadir hoon” meri zindagi kaa aik yaadgar serial hai. logon naay is drama ko us waqt pasand kiya jab dramon ki kahaniyan khawateen kay gird ghhoomti thheen. us waqt mein yeh wahid drama thhaa jis ki kahani mard kaay gird ghoomti thi. is drama ki kahani mukhtalif thi drama mazhab saay related tha isliye logon ki dilchaspi ka markaz bana
Q: film bananay kay irada hai?
FM: ji film bananay ka irada hai
Q: konsi female artist acchi lagti hain”
FM: sanam saeed, sanam baloch, iman ali, sunita marshal aur sania saeed achi adakarayen hain
Q: future plans kiya hain?
FM:bohat saaray drama aur filmain bananay hain acchi adakaari karni hai
Hum TV has turned into the biggest entertainment provider of Pakistan offering its viewer the best quality of dramas consistently. While it becomes difficult for the audience to decide which factor appeals it more, Hum Network provides a camouflage of everything good altogether. Hum Network, however, has had been trying to get some boost to its revenue by experimenting the launch of its child channels like Style 360, Hum2 and Masala, nothing has turned out to be a real profit which can then standalone in front of Hum TV.
As per the latest news, Eye Television Network will soon going to re-launch Hum 2 as Hum Sitara where it will going to air new serials in hope of making the channel something as big as HUM TV.
Adding new channels in their existing domain is nothing new. We hope that Hum Sitara will do better than Geo Kahani anyway and will not only target the foreign, low price content, but will meet the hopes of its local audience attached to it.
I absolutely love Kamal Hassan’s character; he is very honest with himself and with others. There is nothing extraordinary about his character in fact if this character wasn’t penned down and acted out so perfectly it wouldn’t have been so likeable either but the fact is that Faisal Rehman’s acting and the way in which this character has been etched out is simply flawless. Kudos to the Maha Malik for writing simple but heart touching dialogues and a big thank you to Faisal Rehman for putting his heart and soul into this character. Samiya Mumtaz is equally brilliant as Yumna, she really does come across as a person who won’t even hurt a fly. The way these two share their fears and feelings with each other is nothing short of a treat. Every single conversation is relatable. The chemistry between Samiya Mumtaz and Faisal Rehman is what makes this love story a treat to watch.
I am not a big fan of Maya Ali and there are many dramas which I did not continue watching because of her but her character in this play actually adds more color to the story. Her reaction to Bilquees’ “army’s” surprise visit to Tooba’s engagement and to everything else adds more life to the drama. Humaira Ali has played many such characters like the one she is playing in this play, she was spot on as the typical Mother in Law to be; she was quick to judge a single woman and would not settle for anything less than a perfect family for her only son. Yumna, however should have known better than to get her daughter engaged to the only son of a woman like her. I found it hard to believe that she did not give her reaction a second thought.
Yumna was completely confused about whether she should go ahead with this marriage or not, Kamal did not give her enough time to think things through further and decided to make the decision for her. It was only after the nikkah that she realizes that this is what she really wanted all along. What will be the repercussions of Yumna’s decision? Will Arsal take a stand for Tooba once the secret is out? Or will no one find out just now? The preview of the next episode showed that Bilquess Kamal is going to take the aid of her son now. We have yet to see if Kamal Hassan’s son takes after him or his mother. Kamal did mention in the previous episode that he was a mama’s boy.
This was another beautifully directed episode of Ranjish Hi Sahi. There was only one continuity blooper everything else was just perfect. When Kamal and Yumna are having the conversation in the car about Arsal and his family, my guess is that they were driving back home from Arsal’s house but they were not wearing the same clothes which they were wearing in Arsal’s house. The scenes were short and to the point like always. Ranjish Hi Sahi is a good example of good team effort. The writer has paid attention to detail and so has the director.
Did you watch this latest installment? Do share your views.
Ahmed Bashir was a famous writer, journalist and intellectual of our country. Ahmed Bashir was a progressive writer; he faced hardships for his writing and thinking during martial law of general Zia in 1980’s. In those days he even wrote in newspapers under some ghost name to avoid censorship and ban by government.
Ahmed Bashir (Late)
Ahmed Bashir has written many books and used to regularly write columns in newspapers. He received training of film making from UK and produced/directed one film Neela Parbat in 1969 starring Taalish, Husna and Mohammad Ali. Neela Parbat was written by famous Urdu writer Mumtaz Mufti. Neela Parbat is considered one of the few art films made in Pakistan and it was also second Adult Only (18+) film of Pakistan due to its sensitive and unconventional storyline in which an elder man (Taalish) falls in love with her adapted daughter (Husnaa), whereas Husna was in love with son of Taalish (Muhammad Ali). The film was a bold experiment by Ahmed Bashir and made well ahead of its time. Neela Parbat failed at box office and Ahmed Bashir never made any other film.
Poster of Neela Parbat, starring Muhammad Ali and Husna
Ahmed Bashir passed away in 2004. For current generation Ahmed Bashir maybe an unknown name, and he is more known due to his talented daughters the famous one of which is Bushra Bashir now Bushra Ansari. Ahmed Bashir was married to Mehmooda Bashir and they had four daughters and one son, his son lives in United States while all her four daughters are in Pakistan in the field of arts and literature.
Mehmooda Bashir (Wife of Ahmed Bashir)
Here are details of famous members of Ahmed Bashir Family
Parveen Aatif: is sister of Ahmed Bashir, she is a columnist and fiction writer in Urdu and Punjabi. Parveen Atif has also written few dramas on PTV. She also produced one drama in which Humera Arshad (singer) appeared in leading role for the first and last time.
Parveen Aatif (Sister of Ahmed Bashir)
Neelum Ahmed Bashir: is the eldest daughter of Ahmed Bashir. She is a fiction writer and poet, she writes in Urdu and Punjabi.
Neelum Ahmed Bashir
Sumbal Shahid: is the second eldest daughter of Ahmed Bashir, she is a singer and actor. She has also hosted famous show Golden girls on Geo television. Sumbal has appeared in numerous serials in supporting roles like Takay ki aayegee barat. Though a talented artist, sumbal appeared on screen quite late. Sumbal is married to a military officer and has two sons.
Sumbal Shahid
Bushra Ansari: is third daughter of Ahmed Bashir and is most famous of all. She started her career from Kaliyan a famous puppet show on PTV, Uncle Sargam fame. She is famous for doing comedy roles, but has equally proved herself capable of doing tragic and serious roles. She is also a fine singer. Bushra has also written some dramas like ‘Meray Dard Ko Jo Zuban Milay’ on Hum TV and ‘Neeli Dhoop’ for PTV. Bushra Ansari is married to Iqbal Ansari who was director in PTV; he is now a director in Geo Tv. Bushra Ansari has two daughters Nariman Ansari and Meera Ansari.
Bushra Ansari with her elder daughter Nariman Ansari
Asma Abbas: is also an actor and singer. She is the youngest daughter of Ahmed Bashir. She was seen on PTV in program kaliyan and also in famous parody of ‘Haye Meri Angoothiyan’ as ‘Malika Pukhraaj’ (and Bushra Ansari as Tahira Syed) on PTV in 1984. After which Asma took a long break and returned to acting in early 2000’s Famous serials of Asma are ‘Akbari Asghari’, ‘Saari Bhool Hamari Thee’, ‘Man Ke Moti’. Asma is also married and has two sons and one daughter.
Asma AbbasBushra Ansari and Asma Abbas performing ‘Haye Meri Angoothian’
Iqbal Ansari: is husband of Bushra Ansari. He was a producer/director in PTV. Iqbal Ansari has produced many remarkable plays on PTV like Karawaan and Ajayeb Khana.
Iqbal AnsariIqbal Ansari and Bushra Ansari
Nariman Ansari: is elder daughter of Bushra Ansari and Iqbal Ansari. She worked as a director for TV. Her famous play as director was tele-film ‘Neeli Dhoop’ on PTV which was also first play written by Bushra Ansari.
Meera Ansari: is younger daughter of Bushra Ansari and Iqbal Ansari, she has done modeling and appeared in various commercials of some big brands, like Pampers, Head and Shoulders, Pert Plus, Olpers
Meera AnsariSumbul Shahid, Bushra Ansari, Meera Ansari and Asma Abbas
Shahood Alvi: can also be added in the list. He is a relative of Iqbal Ansari. Shahood is a top performer and has appeared in many dramas on TV.
Shahood Alvi
On ending note, here is a Punjabi poem by Neelum Ahmed Bashir a satire on current political situation
It’s important that women who feel comfortable with makeup should wear it properly, be sure of the shade that best suits you and use correct items of application to allow for a better appearance and long lasting look.
Now-a-days there is an increasing number of women don’t go out without making up. They want to show the best to others, and make a good impression.
Pakistan fashion industry has a good number of groomed make artists. Some of the renowned ones are:
1. Nabila (@ “Nabila):
Nabila acclaimed hair designer and stylist from Karachi, first opened up her salon in May 1986. She has redefined fashion, style and imagery in Pakistan. Throughout her 26 year career in the beauty industry, she has contributed extensively towards refining the image of the media industry.
Nabila clasps eclectic and original styles both in her work and in her own sense of fashion. She is known for her specialized touch, be it hair styling or dramatic make up for shoots. At Nabila, the creative team works with all aspects of hair, make up and styling, believing that individualism and attention to detail are the key in customizing styles.
Each stylist at Nabila has been trained in structures and comprehensive training programs that include courses from prominent training academies, international stylists and constant updating of trends & techniques by none other than Nabila herself.
2. Saba Ansari (@ SABS):
Karachi based beautician Saba Ansari has made her place in the Pakistani fashion industry in the last 10 years by working on large scale projects that have left everyone in awe. During her successful career, which is still doing wonders, she has been responsible for the spectacular hair and make-up of various fashion events and shows. She has also worked with many top Pakistani models, photographers, T.V directors, choreographers, singers and many reputed fashion designers. The dedicated stylist and make-up artist entered the world of beauticians after having done courses from prestigious institutions such as OPI Dubai, Schwarzkopf institute of Germany, Guinot institute of Paris, Lolane of Thailand, and L’Oreal Thailand. Her list of awards includes the Indus Nesvita Style Award in 2007, and the 2006 and 2007 Lux Style Award in the category of Hair and Make-up. ‘Sabs Salon’, which came into being in 2001 is amongst one of the biggest and renowned beauty salons of Pakistan. Some of the services of Sabs Salon are hair styling, colouring, haircuts, and different types of massages and facials, and most importantly make-overs, especially bridal make-up.
3. Aliya Tipu (@ Alle’nora):
In the world of beauty and glamour, Alle’Nora becomes the perfect personification of girl’s dream to look dazzlingly beautiful with all her values, desires and individuality. Since its establishment in 1997, Alle’Nora has successfully established itself as one of the top salons in Pakistan.Makeup artist Aliya Tipu is the creative artist behind the entire team of Alle’Nora, who undoubtedly knows how to create magic with her brushes, like a bold painter splashing the magic of his imagination into canvas. Besides, Aliya always makes sure the entire makeup is done by her for ultimate perfection.Fashion stylist Aliya Tipu has over 22 years of experience and is an active member of Tony & Gay and Vidal Sassoon. She believes that each bride deserves a special look which best suits her personality, her face structure and her specific desire to look beautiful on her special day. Aliya is famous for her amazing and mesmerizing eye make-up and she feels that eyes are the most essential part of every girl’s face and must be accentuated to the maximum.Currently Aliya is also bestowing and teaching her mesmerizing makeup skills to her daughter Aana A. Khan. Both mother and daughter work tirelessly to maintain the standards and professionalism of Alle’Nora.Alle’Nora is surely outclass and unmatched in terms of quality and service. It has separate areas for waxing, manicures, pedicures, facials, makeup, plus a dedicated hair salon area. Besides, a large waiting lounge with AC and TV to make the brides’ guests comfortable while they wait. Complimentary coffee, tea, juice and snacks are also served. Large generators are on stand-by to avoid any inconvenience or discomfort in case of power-outages. Another convenient service at Alle’Nora is the child care which is provided to their guests while they receive beauty services. And plenty of parking is always available.
4. Ather Shehzad:
Is the most renowned name in the world of glamour and Pakistani entertainment industry. Ather Shehzad is basically a single entity shared by two of the most creative persons Ather and Shehzad.Fashion stylist Ather-Shehzad has been announced as the best designer of the year and has won the LUX Style Awards two years in a row for their mesmerizing makeup techniques to transform the fair-to-middling into unforgettable faces.Ather Shehzad has his own salons and studios exclusively for those who want to look eccentric and charming!
5. Babloo Kazmi:
Fashion stylist Babloo is one of those devoted people, who have devoted their life to revolutionize Pakistani fashion industry. It’s been 15 years to the Fashion stylist Babloo is working tremendously in the Pakistani fashion industry. Fashion stylist Babloo started working at a tender age of 14 to earn bread for his family. He faced many problems at the start of his career. Fashion Stylist Babloo worked very hard to overcome those hurdles, especially during the initial stages of his professional carrier. With the passage of time Fashion Stylist Babloo become popular among the Pakistani Fashion personalities, as Fashion Stylist Babloo has worked with almost all the prominent face of the Pakistani Fashion industry and Pakistani Showbiz industry.Fashion Stylist Babloo says that Fashion celebrities carry his given make-over easily but it’s challenging to prepare the face of the people belongs to the silver screen. In this case, Film star Resham holds the given looks of the Fashion Stylist Babloo very artistically.
Which one is your favourite artist or do you think there is someone who I have missed out in the list ?. Do share your views in the comment box beneath
Our Showbiz is crowded with multitalented celebrities who have proven their worth in various fields of entertainment industry. Likewise many of the singers gave a shot at acting and luckily some of them turned out way better actors than expectations.
Ali Haider
Ali Haider is first in my list for the sole reason that he worked in a play “Tum se Kehna tha” (adaptation of “While you were Sleeping”) in the 90’s. Starring Marina Khan and Farhan Ali Agah the play was success. Ali Haider did some other ventures as well including few telefilms for Hum Tv but he there isn’t any major accomplishment to his credit as an actor. Currently he is doing a sitcom “Ek aur Ek Dhai” on Ary Digital.
Ali Azmat
Ali Azmat recently appeared in “Waar”. He worked in a Ptv drama during the 90’s when he still had spaghetti hair but my memory fails me after that I have no recollection of anything and couldn’t find anything on net either. If anyone has watched his drama then please do share.
Ali Zafar
My first memory of Ali Zafar is from “College Jeans” and he was a favorite like the rest of the cast. He worked in projects like “Landa Bazaar” and “Kanch k Par”. He has become a star in India after working in movies “Tere Bin Ladin”, “London, Paris New York” and “Chashme Badoor”.
Ahmed Ali Butt
Ahmed Ali Butt and Fawad Khan had two separate underground bands namely “Entity” and “Paradigm”. They worked together in the Sitcom “Jutt and Bond” and merged their bands as well. Ahmed Ali Butt later worked in “Inspector Khoji” and “Rubber Band” airing on Ptv and Ary Digital respectively. He has tried his luck only in sitcoms all of which were huge successes. Being an ardent fan of Ahmed Butt and his sitcoms especially “Inspector Khoji” I keep hoping for a similar project :D
Fawad Khan
Fawad Khan first acting venture like Ahmed Ali Butt was “Jutt and Bond”. He started paying more attention towards his acting career which is said to be a reason behind disbanding of the band earlier, few other members also had other priorities. Anyhow Fawad Khan has given us hit like “Daastan”, “Humsafar”, “Khuda k Lye”, “Akbari Asghari” and “Kuch Pyar ka Pagalpan”. His recent projects hadn’t been engaging like the earlier ones but there is always hope for betterment, particularly for FK fans.
Junaid Khan
Like many contemporaries Junaid Khan has also tried his luck in plays like “Yahan Pyar nai hai”, “Mata e Jaan hai tu”, “Maliha Madiha”, “Qadurat” and “Ranj e Aashnai”. None of his dramas had been ground shattering and more importantly all of his roles were similar except Qadurat’s
Atif Aslam
Atif Aslam went directly for big screen for his only acting project till now i.e. “Bol.
Goher Mumtaz
Goher has appeared in drama serial “Tanhai” along with Sohai ali Abro. I found in acting somehow monotonous and at times he seemed expressionless and detached from his surroundings. For me he the weakest singer turned actor up till now. He will be appearing in Umera Ahmed’s first sitcom “Cookie” soon.
My favorites are FK and Ahmed Ali Butt, who is yours?
It is a well known fact that our eastern culture is renowned for its delicious spicy food. Pakistan is a country where each province has its own unique food dishes. Lassi-Paratha, Brain Masala, Mutton Roast, Fried fish etc are some of the mouth watering food dishes popular in our country. We can not only enjoy these food dishes in the restaurants but now MASALA TV has made us capable to cook these scrumptious food dishes at homes. It became the first 24 hours cooking channel for Pakistan that was broadcasted in Urdu. In November 2006 people of Pakistan experienced the launching of Masala TV and from then onwards it has become an integral part of every household. Masala TV has introduces many different recipes, cooking experts, professional chefs, health consultants and informative shows that made the channel a favorite of millions. Masala TV is a part of Eye Television Network and is not just popular in Pakistan but is broadcasted worldwide and appreciated by many Pakistanis living abroad.
The slogan of Masala TV “add some masala to your life” became a very popular line and turned out to be very catchy. The marketing of the channel was very strong and soon it became a hit. Masala TV has become a cooking teacher for thousands of viewers who watch their favorite cooking shows daily on it. This first step towards a cooking channel changed the entire cooking show market in Pakistan.
Most popular shows:
1. Live@9 by Chef Gulzar
About the Chef Gulzar:
Chef Gulzar Hussain is a significant food personality and professional chef who certainly knows how to deal with herb and spice to bring out the best flavors in authentic Pakistani, Continental and Japanese cuisines.
As a professional and genuine Chef he acquired training in Japan and worked 12 years on learning and getting acquainted to Japanese culture and food style. Chef Gulzar has been associated with leading Pakistani channels like TV 1, ARY, Indus, Masala and Hum TV for number of cooking shows.A chef who himself is a food enthusiastic and has a passion to cook and serve the best to people of diverse culture. He understands the distinction and characteristics of various food tastes of people belonging to their culture. Chef Gulzar enjoys preparing juicy grill Bar B Q’s and rich in proteins Sea food dishes and is food maniac itself. He usually prepare plenty of Bar B Q’s and Sea food dishes in his cooking shows which are packed with advices for new comers in cooking profession as well as for girls willing to learn at their home. Currently he is doing “Live@9” on Masala TV
2. Food Diaries by Zarnak Sidhwa
About Chef Zarnak Sidhwa:
Zarnak Sidhwa is a cooking expert who started off with her cooking passion at a very early age. She was one of the few lucky people who not just realize what their passion is but also get a chance to make it a way to earn their living. Zarnak took her cooking training from the popular chefs and experts in the cooking industry. Zarnak Sidhwa’s recipes became popular not just in her Parsi community but amongst many food lovers.
Zarnak started her catering business from her home about 8 years back and her popularity slowly reached many people and she was able to develop a niche market for herself. Belonging to a Parsi community her interest is in revising and refreshing the original Parsi recipes and reviving them not just amongst his friends and family but amongst all the foodies. Zarnak Sidhwa’s delicious desserts and cakes are famous. Her Christmas cakes and Weddings cakes are claimed to be innovative and scrumptious. Currently she is doing “FOOD DIARIES” on Masala TV.
3. Tarka by Rida Aftab
About Chef Rida:
Chef Rida Aftab entered the world of media in 2005 with a show named “Pak Raha Hai Kya” and people wholeheartedly accepted her as a new talent of the cooking shows. Her early success was a resultant of Chef Rida’s interactive behavior and irresistible dishes she prepared.
She entered the Television industry with a lot of experience in her work. Chef Rida Aftab’s recipes are simple to make and take less time in preparation. The well known and easy to find ingredients used in the recipe have become the attractive point for the people. She has worked with many TV channels till now and all her shows have received great appreciation. Rida Aftab is a creative person who has the art of transforming a complicated recipe into a simple dish. Currently she is doing “TARKA” on Masala TV.
4. Handi with Zubaida Tariq
About Zubaida Apa:
Zubaida Apa versatility was new to Pakistan and she had a lot to prove when she was recognized firstly by few of her Husband’s colleague for the delicious lunch she used to give to her husband for office. With uniqueness in hand and natural instinct to produce the tastiest cuisine either for family or afterwards in a cooking shows. The 68 years old Zubaida Apa started creating thrill in cooking world.
Worked for numerous famous TV channels like ARY, Geo TV, Masala TV and has done quite a lot of cooking show. Cooking for Zubaida apa comes naturally by a will to learn and she has proved it by her massive range in Pakistani cuisine which can surely make taste buds alive. Hard work, Determination to be a best cook has made her do about 1000 cooking shows. Currently she is doing “HANDI” on Masala TV.
5. Daawat by Chef Zakir:
About Chef Zakir :
The man generally knows how to mix up the ingredients to give it a mouth watering aroma in the entire kitchen with great tasting cuisines. His cuisines are not limited till 5 star hotels and cooking shows and he has also worked for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). The 46 year old veteran chef has innovated tones of recipes like Chicken Ginger Vietnamese Style, Marzipan cookies, Southern Fried rice, Juicy BAR B Q’s in his own distinctive. Expertise in Pakistani and Asian cuisines he produce enticing meals by mixing up the best of the ingredients and furnishing them pleasingly to bring water in mouth.
People in each house hold of Pakistan are following him for years what he is defining and portraying. Not only in Pakistan his recipes have crossed the border, and now is trending overseas countries as well. Chef Zakir currently works and hosts his own cooking show for Masala TV. Currently he is doing “Dawaat” on Masala TV.
6. Masala Morning with Chef Shireen Anwar
About Chef Shireen:
Cooking expert Shireen Anwer was brought up in an environment where cooks prepared the food and for this reason she was unable to fry an egg even when she got married. She claims to hold interest in cooking from an early age but never got a chance to do so until she got married. She then took proper classes to learn how to cook from cooking experts in Pakistan, UK, USA, India and other parts of the world where she got a chance to visit.
Shireen Anwer started her own cooking classes and till date thousands of ladies have benefited from her teachings and Shireen Anwer’s recipes. She started with her own cooking show on a Masala TV and became popular amongst the masses very soon. Shireen Anwer says that she is inspired by Zubaida Aapa and Chef Mehboob. Her passion and love for cooking has also inspired her to become a favorite of her fans and she is admired by thousands of cooking show lovers. Currently she is doing “Masala Morning” on Masala TV.
After reading this article you must be thinking to watch atleast one of these Chefs on MASALA TV and trying one of the many recipes. Do share your comment which chef is your best or which chef inspired you the most.
Pakistani media is a very rapidly growing institution. This increasing media has developed a war in between these famous channels. Some media anchors are still fighting for right path and ethics. In this article I will be focusing on the top five anchors of Pakistan. This list is made on the choice of the viewers and their fan following. Some of them are high ranked on the basis of the ratings of their channels. Your opinion is very much appreciated so do come up with your suggestions.
Starting of with the top notch veteran journalist Talat Hussain, he is ranked as the top most among this list. This ranking is on the basis of his bold and positive opinions about the certain issues happening in Pakistan. He has a whole lot of work experience; he has worked in PTV, Aaj TV, Dawn news and also in Express News. I find this anchor as very honest and straight forward. He is a great anchor and also a very clean person in his personal life as well. I have also met him personally and he is a very down to earth personality. He was offered to become the care taker minister by the government but he refused to do so. Nowadays he has started working with Bahria University Islamabad and this is a great opportunity for the students of the university.
Second among the list of the top five anchors of Pakistan is Moeed Pirzada. He has completed his masters in internet and media regulation. He has also done masters in International Finance and Economics. He also has a huge work experience. Moeed Pirzada has worked with Dunya TV, PTV news and Waqt news. He interviewed international celebrities like Hillary Clinton, Jaswant Singh and Richard Holbrook. He is not a good writer but he is a great anchor. He also has a solid grip on international affairs. He is currently working as director world affairs and hosts a popular talk show Sochta Pakistan. In this program national, regional, strategic, social and educational issues with leading politicians, analysts and policy makers are discussed in detail.
Third among the list is Nadeem Malik. He is currently working in Samaa TV and Aaj TV. He is in the list of top five anchors because he has an unbiased and neutral opinion for all sorts of issues. He has a very soft style of speech. He has interviewed the Sri Lankan and Afghan Presidents and also the Malaysian Prime minister. He also has expertise in economic affairs. He has worked with PTV and CNBC Pakistan. Nadeem also served as the Bureau Chief of Islamabad for CNBC Pakistan and hosted talk show News Guru. He has longstanding associations with news organizations and business journals. He has contributed to dozens of local and international news journals as a freelancer, including BBC Online, Asia Times and The News International.
The fourth among this list is Muhammad Malik. He is recently working with Dunya News and has previously worked with Jang group as well. He is also a straight forward anchor. For an anchor it is a very important to be focused on what you are saying by being totally unbiased. He is a very liberal person but he has never had any double minded point of view. He never uses his opinion for misguiding others. Viewers usually get carried away with certain misguiding views and statements; this is why an anchor must know what to say and how to say whatever he wants to. He is very well known for his stinging writing style and spot on analysis.
The fifth among this ranking is Absar Alam. He is a senior journalist and a news anchor. He worked for Geo Network and is working nowadays with Aaj TV. He speaks the truth no matter what. He has received many life threats but still he works for the truth. In such challenging and upsetting situations he never looked back and performed exceptionally noteworthy. Along with all these excellent anchors, our country has many other anchors who work day and night for our sake. They strive hard to provide us awareness and keep us updated. Hamid Mir, Kamran Khan, Javed Chaudhry, Shahid Masood, Mubashir Lucman, Kashif Abbasi and many more. These anchors have made our news programs a hit. We should support them and give all of these people a very positive feedback so that they work more hard and keep us informed about the things happening around us.
It was only a few days ago that we updated the readers about Babar Khan and Sana Khan’s engagement and here we are again, congratulating the couple finally on their wedding. The couple has finally tied the knots and looks absolutely amazing together.
Hare a few clicks taken in the ceremony, Have a look!
For all those who are living in U.A.E and waiting for so long for Waar to be released there. I am glad to announce that your wait is over. Waar team including Ayesha Khan,Shaan Shahid, Shamoon Abbasi and Ali Azmat will be there to meet Waar lovers at Main Stage of Global Village,Dubai.
This is your chance to not miss the opportunity. Do visit Global Village,meet the star cast of Waar and enjoy the movie there.. !
Among the fresh shows of this season is Lighter Side of Life, a 7th Sky Entertainment Production. This show will be broadcasted from Hum Tv on Saturdays at 9pm. As told by Nida earlier, Mahira Khan will be the one to host this show.
TUC Lighter Side of Life will be a refreshing addition to the list of new shows and to add the charm Mahira will also be there. Being a VJ,it wont be difficult for her to host the show. But when it comes to deal with media personalities and their lives then it is relatively different as well as difficult to deal as compared to hosting a music show.
PTV has given us many unforgettable plays that even after many years, or in case of some dramas, decades they are still cherished and appreciated. Those dramas are used as an example not because of their glamour (which they lacked unlike dramas now a days) but as a complete set of entertainment, quality and values.
One genre of which PTV has produced many memorable serials (a particular favorite of mine) is patriotism. Sunehray Din, Alpha Bravo Charlie, Dhuwan, Wilco, Aahan, Zanjeer, Angar Wadi and Laag are among the dramas that will be remembered for long. Though few of the above mentioned dramas are Kashmir related, I’ve included them in the list, firstly because they were equally emotionally charged and thrilling dramas. Secondly, we are fed with the belief since infancy that Kashmir is our part (a controversial debate though) and hence their plights are ours as well, and these were some great dramas that deserve to be remembered.
The first three mentioned dramas had not only strongly constructed plots with witty and powerful dialogues they were exceptionally emotive and moving. Those dramas had tragic components as well but those tragedies did not had the depressing effect, which dramas of present day have. The struggles and difficult lives of our soldiers evolve patriotic feelings, create awareness about their dilemmas and problems. There is desperate need for such dramas not only for our moral boosting but also for the sake of our somewhat ethically and morally deteriorating generation whose sole purpose appears to be utilization of night packages (the image portrayed by Tvcs).
Waar is a film of the same genre but since I haven’t watched the movie I cannot comment on it or either compare it with the aforementioned dramas. Patriotic dramas and movies are biased, it is an understandable fact. When our nation happily watches propaganda movies of Bollywood (which are most of the times extremely anti-Pakistani) without raising any objections then why there are objections on such Pakistani projects. We have lots of senseless dramas these days, having patriotic dramas on air will be a treat in addition to the fact that in the current circumstances of our country we need positive dramas.
What is your say about patriotic dramas, do share your views.
Faiza Cheema
Being made under the label of Momina Duraid Production house, Bin Roye Ansu is among most anticipated dramas of the year.According to Farhat Ishtiaq’s page, final cast of the show includes Humayun Saeed as Irtiza,Mahira Khan as Saba,Amreena Rana Khan as Samun,Zeba Bakhtiar as Maliha and Javed Sheikh as Shafique.
Enjoy the onset pictures:
Humayun Saeed is all set to make a come back in dramas again. We hope that this drama will turn out to be one of best dramas this season.
What are your expectations from this show? Do share your views.
Finally the inevitable happened. Sehrish fell down from the stairs and lost her child and as I had predicted this caused a strain in Ehtasham and Sehrish’s relationship. I feel almost like a conjurer, bring on my crystal ball aur who kabootar kahan bhag gaye jo hat mein se nikalnay thay!
My heart pains for this couple as I loved them but what can we do! Bad things happen to good people and hota wohee hai jo manzoo-e-writer-aur-director hota hai. Ehtasham was holding up right till the moment Sehrish told him that she deliberately used the stairs as a means of proving a point to him since he had confined her to bed only and was over-protective of her. Sehrish owned up to her mistake of being plain silly which led to the incident but Ehtasham could not.
Btw this is another one of those plays where a miscarriage has caused a strain in the relationship. Other such examples are Shehr-e-Zaat, Kankar etc. Though it was done quite realistically here, falling from the stairs is again a ploy used in so many serials. I mean is falling from the stairs the only reason of a miscarriage. I can google and find a thousand ways but alas it looks like our drama makers have never heard of google! Koi in logon ko google ke baray mein bataye…
After the miscarriage, Sehrish is at her mother’s place and Ehtasham has severed all forms of contact with her. He doesn’t pick up her phone and doesn’t come to see her either. He doesn’t even talk to his own mother since he knows she’d ask him to bring Sehrish back. For how long he continues like this and doesn’t own up to his own mistake of being over possessive remains a question.
As a means of putting her down Ali allowed Sania to do a job. It was made to look like a great favour to her by her husband and mother-in-law. Lekin us bichari ko baghair experience ke 150,000 kee job mil gayee. We poor souls should all consult her. Hamain to experience ke sath itnay kee job itnee miltee Sania Madam hamaray sir pe bhee hath rakh dain.
To make matters worse Sania has found a job in Ali’s office as his project assistant. Ali is totally paranoid on having Sania on his team and Sania is not so happy either. Except for her son, her family is making it look very bad for her that she’s doing a job. Her husband is having inferiority complex on knowing that she’s more educated than him. Naheen, doctor naheeeeeeennnnnnn! The scene where Roomi says Sania should do the job was very cute. I have a feeling eventually Ehtasham would get convinced of Sania’s abilities and the two would get along but this would cause doubts in the minds of their respective spouses. The irritatingly irritating Atif found out about Sania and immediately called Maham to share this ‘big secret’ with her. Yar issay office mein kuch kam wam de diya karo itna khoobsoorat to hai naheen k sirf shakal dekhnay k liye office mein rakha hua hai!
I mean urggg we got to see Atif so much in these two episodes that I almost tried to hit the wall. Infact, we saw him much more of Atif (you hearing kidnappers!) than Sehrish. Infact, Sehrish had very few scenes in 8th my ‘favourite couple’ Maham and Atif in again many scenes Maham spilling the beans (not literally episode while I wanted to see more of her. Dil maange more! The preview again shows folks warna gand par jata aur production assistants kee shamat atee) to Sehrish about Sania being ex-
fiance of Ehtasham and Maham and Atif talking about the divorce of Ehtasham-Sehrish. Things are looking pretty bleak here for which we would have to wait till next week. You guys wait while I will try to arrange for some target killers for Maham-Atif.
Dialogue of the two episodes: Maan hai to lar lo aur ana tum dono ke beech honee naheen chahiye.
Geo Tv seems to be coming up with some quality dramas coming season.Drama Serial Rukhsar,made under Seven Sky entertainment, will be starting tomorrow at 8pm on Geo TV.Star Cast of the show includes Sumbul Iqbal, Agha Ali, Imran Aslam, Ushna Shah, Sana Khan, Babar Khan, Moomal Khalid and Sarah Razi.
We are the first ones to release this wedding photo-shoot among all websites :) , Enjoy the photoshoot :
Seems like photo-shoot of real-life wedding, isn’t it ? :P
Most of us will be unaware of the fact that Neelam Munir started her career with modelling and then switched to television industry where she initiated working in various dramas and telefilms. She is among those actresses of Pakistan who are naturally bestowed with beauty.
Have a look at her photoshoot here :
We hope that Neelam will soon come back with impressive and different role in some drama serial.
