Amina Sheikh is the super fashion model, actor  & host in Pakistani Media Industry. Her elegance and elective style has taken her to the heights of success in a very short period of time.

She has a very positive picture of supporting and caring family.  According to her “I take great pride in my family, my support system that is built around me, my husband Mohib Mirza and all our close relations attached to my marriage.”

She has been given a privileged title of Amina Haq of today by Instep Magazine due to her ability and charm to amuse the audience with her hot looks and figure.

The dazzling beauty, Amina Sheikh recently modeled for the Big name Maria B. She has worked in many dramas and long plays. She has done ramps for some of the big fashion designers. She has also modeled for several high profile campaign and editorial magazines.

Revealing the secret of her slim figure she said that there is only one week in the month when she does not stop herself to eat sweets and snacks but rest of the month she keeps a strict diet schedule

Now let’s look into early years of her life and how she entered into show biz

Amnia Sheikh did her primary schooling in Karachi and secondary schooling in America. Aamina Sheikh done courses in film video production which she got from Hampshire College in Boston. After the return from America Amina Sheikh start her career in Pakistan showbiz Industry. She worked in Geo Television program Bachey Man ke Sachey. She is also a producer and produced a talk show in 2007. Aamina Sheikh started her acting career from Gurmuch Singh ki Waseeyat which was a telefilm. The telefilm was Saadat Hassan Manto novel based and has very strong storyline. Second drama was Wilco the ISPR and this was major break for her. As an actor, Aamina is portraying strong and challenging characters with incredible sensitivity and attention to details along with being extremely natural in her portrayal of complex roles. She was brand Ambassador of clear shampoo in 2009. She was also Regional face Emirates in 2009 and 2010. Aamina sheikh was also nominated for best model in Lux Style award.

These are Aamina Sheikh’s Popular Drama Projects:

 Qissaon Ki Chaadar
 Mera naam hai muhabbat
 Boltay Afsanay
 Dil-e-eNadan
 Agar tum na hotay
 Haa;-e-Dil
 Daam
 Saleena
 Tere Liye
 Ishq Gumshuda
 Hum Tum
 Uraan
 Mera Saaein
 Main Abdul Qadir Hoon
 Maat
 Umm-e-Kulsoom
 Kuch Kami Si Hai
 Mora Piya
 Ek Hatheli pe hina ek hatheli pe lahoo
 Mera saaein 2
 Mirat ul uroos

Because of these projects and her excellent modeling skills she has been really recognized & appreciated by the film fraternity.
But some of her critics also say that she doesn’t possess a model’s face. A greater number of her fans and followers love her because of her great acting skills.

It can’t be denied that she has struggled a lot to make room in the media industry. From modeling to acting and hosting, she has proved herself in every area and this is a positive sign that she will soon become a renowned media person.

It is also worth mentioning here that she her film was also nominated in SAARC Film Festival of 2013 and it brought her great laurels. It is something worth appreciation

A number of her fans want to see more of her. At the moment HUM TV is not showing any of her dramas and this is making many of her fans and followers, unhappy.But anyway, it is evident that Amina Sheikh has really made her “NAME” in the industry

We wish her best of luck

But before you move-on, please share your comments about Amina Sheikh in the comment box below. Also let us know whether you think she is a YAY for the Pak-Media Industry or a NAY

Cheers

S. Rasool

Mathira is no one but who you want to see, you know? I am turning into a controversial author here for my topic selection perhaps, but I speak my heart, after all this is where we can share our opinions and thoughts with a complete liberty. Getting back to the topic, yes, Mathira is someone who the audience wants to follow. We have been taught throughout our childhood that there are two ways to progress, and Mathira seems to have chosen the easier one. I was going through her official fanpage and was really shocked to see some of her pictures. Interestingly, even more surprising were the number of likes and comments on her each click which represents her followers within the country.

Starting off with a mid-night live talk show from a local channel, Mathira started her showbiz career and got prominence for her bold attitude and slang language in no time. Using her confidence as a weapon to polish her over-confidence, Mathira soon earned even a higher limelight by being in the news for her dress malfunctioning in a fashion show. She got noticeable and cashing her as a source improving TRPs, different channels kept on bringing her on screen. Those of you, who still wonder about the family and morals of Mathira, it is necessary to state that she was born to an African mother in Zimbabwe. Nowadays, the actress is busy in India and shooting for her upcoming film.

While the high-rated celebrities condemn indecency on screen, they know their class and the life of showbiz really well and mix out with controversial celebrities openly. Here are some pictures of Mathira with her good friends who are known for their reputation and decency on-screen.

While half of the audience hates her for her roles and nude photoshoots, there are some veteran actors of our industry who still do not mind her company during the shoots and parties.  Mathira, surely has a big showbiz circle!

Besides the fact that Danish Nawaz is good as a director, his acting skills often reveal the spark within him. Watching him with her in the click is really nothing to be surprised about.

The Lollywood star Moammar rana with Mathira and a friend in a party

Now this one is really funny. Wudood of QSKB with Mathira

I soo wanted to see Noor Hasan somewhere apart from his ‘Aseerzadi’,and here is where I could see him lately.

*Sighs* I wonder where was Sania this time!

Amazed? at least I was! It was lately that Mathira was found calling Shahid Afridi as mentally sick and here they are again, together in a snap.

Jahanzeb Khan is a rising star and whether it be the movie Armaan, or drama serial ‘Rishtay Kuch Adhooray se’, he has managed to force the audience to like him. Here is one of his pictures with a ‘naughty friend’ Mathira. This is how he has elaborated this picture on his official fanpage.

Mathira’s dressing is a real embarrassment actually. Saud spotted too in one of her recent shares.

Is Fahad suffering from an eye infection or drunk completely? *Wonders* It is one of the most rotated pictures on social media fan pages these days.

Following the footsteps of Veena Malik, Mathira has earned enough of hatred along with stardom in Pakistan and now all set to give her career a new turn.The best part about this entertainer is that she has something very similar to the audience. Neither she nor they care about her actually. Now that she is in India, I really hope that she do not return on screen with religious comeback like Veena  Malik, because unlike their respect, religion is NOT a Joke!

To me, Mathira is what Audience wants to see her as. Please feel free to contribute your share here.

Wishes,

Nida  Zaidi

There are a number of talented singers in Pakistan but there are only a hand full of female singer that have still been successful in maintaining their name in the industry. Hadiqa Kiani is one of them

Hadiqa was born in Rawalpindi as the youngest of 3 siblings, her older brother (Irfan) and sister ( Sasha). Her father died when she was 3 years old. Her mother Khawar was the Principle of a Government Girls School. Since childhood, Hadiqa and both her brother and sister had a knack for music, and as such her mother and school enlisted her in the Pakistan National Council Of The Arts. During her childhood days, she used to perform in front of crowd of thousands of people, at the Liaqat Memorial Hall Pindi in various children music festivals. Also music was taught as a subject in her school and she recieved early education in music from her music teacher Madam Nargis Naheed.

She went on to study at Viqar-un-Nisa Noon Girls High School Pindi. She represented Pakistan in International children festivals in Turkey, Jordan, Bulgaria, and Greece, winning various medals along the way. She also used to be on Sohail Rana’s children’s program “Rang Barangi Dunya”; a weekly musical on PTV.

As an eighth grader Hadiqa moved from birth place Rawalpindi to Lahore. She was then enrolled in Naya Aligar Public School Lahore. She then went on to Kinnaird and Govt. College, due to her excellent academic performance, and earned a master’s degree in Psychology.

In Lahore she got classically trained by Ustad Faiz Ahmed Khan (Late) and was also groomed by Wajid Ali Nashad (Late).

In early 90s, Hadiqa came onto TV to host a children music program from PTV called Angan Angan Taray. In the three and a half year long run, she had sung over eight hundred songs for children and also hosted the same show along side renowned music Composer Amjad Bobby (Late) and later on with music composer Khalil Ahmed (late).She also appeared as a VJ for a music charts program called Video Junction on NTM.

Hadiqa sung songs as a playback singer for a musical movie called Sargam (featuring Zeba Bakhtiar) in 1994 (muscic of which was composed by Adnan Sami Khan). The same year, she received various awards for her playback singing.

She won “NTM Viewer’s choice award” for the best female Singer of Pakistan in 1995. In the same Award show, Late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was awarded as the best Male Singer of Pakistan.

Hadiqa released her debut album Raaz (Secret) in 1996. She composed and wrote the lyrics to her first single, “Jeevan” (Life). The album spawned a string of radio friendly tunes and generally had favorable reviews. One reason Hadiqa”s album did well was because it was not common for female singers (from non musical backgrounds) to release albums in Pakistan. Also, she was the first female singer to release a pop album after a former pop singer, Nazia Hassan, gave up her musical career in 1993. Hadiqa’s ability to sing in various dialects also helped the album gain momentum.

In 1996, Hadiqa’s debut had sold over 700,000 thousand copies, a very impressive figure for Pakistan. This milestone came when piracy in Pakistan hit an all time high. She kept on releasing singles from the album, all of which were received well. These included “Yaad”, “Tu Agar Mil Jaata”, “Jaan E Jan”, and “Manne Di Mauj”.

Her increasing popularity was further highlighted in January 1997 when Hadiqa became the first Asian singer ever to perform on the British National Lottery Live BBC1 (a program with an estimated viewership 16.6 million at that time). Afterwards she worked on two more shows with Bally Sagoo for BBC 2 and ITV before moving to perform in the U.S. Her U.S. tour covered 15 states and a show in Canada too. The same year Hadiqa performed on several other international events such as “Celebration Hong Kong 97” at Happy Valley Race Course, alongside other International singers like Lisa Stansfield, Wet Wet Wet, Michael Learns to Rock, All 4 One and The Brand New Heavies.

By the end of the year she became the first Asian female singer ever to be signed by Pepsi Cola International. She was the second female in the world to achieve this, with the first being Gloria Estefan.

In 1998 Hadiqa began working on her second music album, Roshni (Light). The album was dedicated to her nephew Sonu, the son of her older sister, The first single off the album, “Tu Nawa Tu Sada” was released before the album was released. Hadiqa then released a second single, “Inteha-e-Shauq”. The song became the official song for the Pakistani Cricket team for the Cricket World Cup that year. Both songs being patriotic gained favorable reviews, however “Inteha-e-Shauq” was a much better success for Hadiqa.

On November 1, 1998 Hadiqa released Roshni. Initial album sales were powered mostly by “Inteha-e-Shauq”, which made the final listing of the album along with “Tu Nawa Tu Sada”.

Hadiqa’s third single off the album, “Dupatta” was an instant success. “Dupatta” gained more popularity than any other single .The success of the song was attributed to its quasi-bhangra rhythm with fat, funky techno beats and wah wah guitars, and Hadiqa’s “dreamy-meets-husky- vocals”, which made the results “stunning.” In wake of Dupatta’s success, Hadiqa soon went on to be widely accepted as the country’s leading female vocalist.

Capitalizing on “Dupatta’s” success, Hadiqa went on to release two other moderate hits, “Roshni”, and “Woh Kaun Hai”. She then delivered once again by releasing a sixth single off the album, “Boohey Barian” which went on to become an even bigger hit for her than “Dupatta”. To date, “Boohey Barian” is widely accepted as Hadiqa’s best single ever. So much so that it was adapted in TWO Indian films as “Hum Tuharey Hein Sanam” and Dil Laga Liya”.

Hadiqa’s massive success in 1999 was highlighted when she won PTV World viewer’s choice award for the best female singer in 2000. She also released seventh single off the album, “Intezaar”.

In October, 2005, Hadiqa became the first person to adopt a baby from the earthquake. She has named the baby boy “Naaday Ali” and officially announced her adoption decision on Geo TV the same night she adopted him on a live show “Capital Talk”. She then proceeded to announce it in an official press release. Later she was given the sole guardianship of the baby by the honourable court of Law.

Hadiqa represented Pakistan on the 25th Anniversary of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) in Turkey. Musicians and Artists from Islamic Countries such as Azerbaijan, U.A.E, Iran, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Kuwait, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Turkey, Pakistan and Yemen took part in the festival. The event was organized by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. She performed at the AKM concert Hall on 23 November 2005. Among the audience were musicians from various countries. The biggest surprise for the audience was when Hadiqa sang “Sanalama” (Turkish song of Living Legend “Sezanaksu”). The audience gave her a standing ovation. At the end of her performance, The Mayor of Istanbul presented a bouquet of flowers to her. After her performance she received invitations for upcoming Art festivals in various countries such as Iran, Syria, Qatar and Lebanon. During her stay in Istanbul she officially visited various historical sites in Turkey and conveyed the love of Pakistan for Turkey. Her performance in Istanbul was important news in various Turkish News papers. She had to extend her tour of Turkey and performed in Ankara and Izmeer (Police Academy)

As an Ambassador of Pop culture in Pakistan, Hadiqa officially performed for various royalties and Heads of the states. She performed in China for the Chinese 2nd Premier on 21st Feb, 2006. She performed for President George W.Bush on 4 March, 2006. She performed for the Crown Prince of Brunei Al-Muhtadee Billah Bolkiah on 29 May, 2006. She performed for Mrs.Laura Bush on September 21, 2006 at The Kennedy Convention Centre, Washington DC. She closed the year by performing for HRH Prince Charles on October 30, 2006, and the Chinese President Mr. Hu Jin Tau on November 23, 2006.

In January 2006, Hadiqa released a single, “Iss Bar Milo”. Although the song was off her album Rung, it was used instead to promote a duo between her and Aamir Zaki. They both had planned to release an English album. The song became a huge success, and its video continue to build on the trend of videos Hadiqa had released. In the video Hadiqa plays a schizophrenic patient at a mental institution for women. Reviews for the rock song were extremely favorable, with people appreciating her acting and her decision to sing different genres.

In Feburary 2006, Hadiqa’s mother got paralized. She is not just a mother but her best friend and her biggest support in life. Her mother is also the lyric writer of Hadiqa’s songs like Boohay Barian, Ranjhan, Mahi, Jogi and many more. Hadiqa decided to focus all her attention towards her mother and everything else came later.

On March 23, 2006, Hadiqa was awarded the “Tamgha-e-Imtiaz” by the Government of Pakistan, one of the highest civil awards of the country, for acknowledging her services in the field of music and bringing good name to the country for over a decade. The award was announced on August 14, 2005, but the ceremony was on March 23 2006.

Hadiqa had released another video by the end of 2006. She was featured on UK based producer Khiza’s album Loyal To The Game. The album’s lead single, “Mehr Ma” featured Hadiqa. The song was a massive success in Pakistan and UK, and was seen as a great return for Hadiqa after her ballads in Rung. This was highlighted by the fact that Khiza’s same album in Pakistan was titled Mehr Ma and not Loyal to the Game. In the video, Hadiqa is seen with different hairstyles and outfits. Its reviews have been extremely favorable. Hadiqa also performed the same song at the 2006 Lux Style Awards.

In March 2007, Hadiqa was one of the many artists that were featured in a widely popular track called “Yeh Hum Naheen”. In this song, various Pakistani artists joined to send out a message that people should stop blaming Muslims for the innocent killings of other Muslims. The song also sends out an anti-terrorism message. Other artists in the song are Haroon, Ali Haider, Ali Zafar, Shafqat Amanat Ali, Strings, and Shuja Haider.The song had been picked up by international stations like Fox News and BBC, and had received over 70,000 downloads.

In 2007, Hadiqa Kiani released her fourth album, Rough Cut, which was her 1st Eastern Alt Rock album in collaboration with Aamir Zaki. With the release of Rough Cut, Hadiqa became the first Pakistani main stream artist to release a complete English Album.

In April 2007, Hadiqa released the first single from the album, titled “Living This Lie”, a song which talks about the stressful life of being a star. The same week, Hadiqa was named “Hotstepper of the week” for a Karachi based magazine. The magazine also stated that
“Ultimately, as long as Hadiqa is around, there is still hope for women in the patriarchal music world of Pakistan”.

Hadiqa’s second single that was released from the album was titled “All The Same”. Because of having limited audience for such genre of music, Rough Cut didn’t sell as much as Hadiqa’s older works. Many experts said that since an overwhelming majority of people in the country do not understand English, the album didn’t sell as much. However the single “Living This Lie” got nominated for “Best English Song” for “The Musik Awards” in 2007. But, due to the emergency situations in the country in 2007, the awards were called off. Hadiqa also got nominated for Best Female Singer in the same awards.

In August, 2007, Hadiqa was one of the performers for the London Day Parade at Trafalgar Square, London which was broad casted by Geo TV to celebrate 60 years of Independence for the country. Hadiqa was the only singer who sang completely live that day. She was also part of closing the show with the popular patriotic song “Jeevay Pakistan” alongside Ali Zafar.

Later that year, she also released an Urdu single titled “Zindagi” which was a rock themed song about the life (Zindagi) of Pakistani children. The song was released a few weeks after the London Day Parade.

Hadiqa did not perform much internationally as she did in years before, and even toured around Pakistan less frequently towards the end of the year 2007 (primarily due to the state of emergency and the turmoils the country went through). However earlier in 2007 (May 19) Hadiqa performed at Dead Sea Marriott Jordan for 28 Heads of States at the World Economic Conference. During her performance Hadiqa performed an Arabic song too.

Hadiqa performed on Ten Sports Channel at a 20-20 cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh on April 20, 2008 at the National Cricket Stadium Karachi.

On 13 August 2008, Hadiqa Kiani’s 2nd marriage officially came to an end.

Later in September 2008, Hadiqa was signed as a Brand Ambassador for another Uni Lever Brand “PONDS (Age Miracle).

In October 2008 Hadiqa went to Mumbai to shoot two new Music videos.

After coming back from Mumbai, Hadiqa was signed as the Brand Ambassador for a Shoe Company “Soul Collection” a Company owned by Service Shoes (the biggest local shoe making Company in Pakistan). As the brand Ambassador of Soul Collection, Hadiqa revealed the 1st reversable shoe of the world called Soul Mirror.
In 2009 Hadiqa became one of the judges for a Music reality show on GEO TV called LG-Awaz Baney Star (1st student singing competition in Pakistan).

Later, on 16th June 2009, Hadiqa was signed as the Brand Ambassador for LG-Mobiles alongside singer Shehzad Roy.

On 17th June 2009 a press conference was held in PC Hotel Karachi in which Hadiqa’s 5th Album (4th Pop Album) “AASMAAN” was released officially in Pakistan by Fire Records (the leading Music Record Company in Pakistan). The same day her music video “Sohnya” was released on various music channels.

From 2010 till 2012 she has been busy in various projects inside and outside Pakistan. These days she is doing a singing reality show (Pakistan Idol) as Judge

We wish her best of luck for future.

Happy reading !

S. Rasool

I must admit that I found this week of Pakistan Idol a bit better than the onsetting one. I know a few bits & bobs were still there which pulled the show from stirring the WOW factor but I am sure it is getting better.

This week the judges paid visits to Multan & Faisalabad for the auditions & some really good voiced surfaced. Before coming to those parts, I would once again raise an objection at the editing team of this show for using Indian Songs at the background to fit a certain situation or anyone’s selection. I am sure there are a numerous Pakistani songs which can definitely be used but to actually hear Indian songs in Pakistan Idol hardly speaks some sense. I really want to feel the touch of PAKISTANI music in Pakistan Idol but just because of the Indian songs in the background & even the Indian songs sung by the contestants, I am finding it hard to jump into the bandwagon of Pakistan Idol because till now it sounds more like Sub-continent Idol, they should’ve at least briefed the contestants for singing Pakistani songs but sad about that!

Another thing that really made me worried was the rudeness of the judges. Bushra Ansari proved herself in the first week that even though she has NO know-how of singing, she is here to revive her inner-conscience as one & she is going to give the contestants a hard time but to add to my woes, Ali Azmat seems to be taking the first place in being unnecessarily stern towards the contestants now. I know it’s a tough job to go out there & listen to thousands of people & for that you really need to keep your cool but at times I really felt that he & Bushra Ansari – both were quite rude & passed remarks which were uncalled for.

I found the Faislabad episode obviously better than the Multan one because in Multan auditions, more focus was on the humorous side & on those people who were there for time-pass. Not sure if they were paid actors or what but I know there are definitely a few people out there who suffer from a disease called ‘over-confidence’, so apart from that a few voices that surfaced brilliantly in Multan Auditions were Gopal Guddu Ram, Waqas Ali Vicky, Nadia Hashmi, these three got the Golden Tickets to Karachi but a few contestants are worth a mention here too. One of them was Dr. Mohammad Usman, who sang different songs with the guitar but without it, he sounded still better than many of them. I still believe that he should’ve gotten the ticket, if not for the final round, they should’ve at least selected him for the next round because he did have versatility which the judges keep speaking of.

One special guy who became a laughing stock was Naveed Ali who even sang the table of 2 in Urdu just because Ali Azmat asked him to. I am sheepishly ashamed to admit that I found that part way too funny & it left me in a laughter fit. That sort of humour was alright but I think it was now wrong on Naveed Ali’s part to actually appear in the auditions. LOL!

Ohkay so Faisalabadis shocked us with some awesome voices & those who got the Golden Tickets were Salman Cecil, Rimsha Noor, Mohammad Aijaaz, Ramzan Ali. They all were good but after listening to Aun Ali who happens to be the younger brother of Amanat Ali, I thought it was absolutely a wrong decision to let him go because his voice was just perfect. I really don’t understand what they are looking for because that guy had a complete knowledge of singing but according to Bushra Ansari he ran out of breath & hadn’t been practicing. I thought it was definitely a loss of Pakistan Idol to let a guy with that sort of a voice go & Hadiqa Kiyani’s remark on him was hideous where she thought he wasn’t taking his singing seriously, I must say he never sounded like one who didn’t take his singing seriously. In comparison to Aun Ali, I thought Rimsha Noor didn’t deserve to go to the next round at all. Maria Meer & Aqsa Rani both sounded nice too but yes their voice was one dimensional, hence, they didn’t make it through this round.

I am not convinced with the judges remarks at times because some people really sound good but are not qualified where as the other few really don’t sound that impressive but they get the Golden Ticket. They do say that they are looking for versatility so I think they must adopt the thing from Indian Idol where when the judges are not too sure of how much variety a contestant can offer, they make them sing 2 or at times 3 songs just to be sure & I think our Pakistani judges are being too hasty in giving the verdict here, plus I do really want to hear their remarks on the lines of technicality but the comments aren’t that convincing till now. Another thing that I noticed was, if Bushra Ansari is convinced with someone’s voice, she would try & influence the other two judges as well but if she ain’t convinced, she wouldn’t let them put forward their opinions too. I think if she is a senior in age, she shouldn’t act like a senior in singing too!

I’m taking Pakistan Idol for review every week because it would get a lot more interesting & I am sure people would have a lot to say about it in the coming weeks too. Do share who is your favorite so far. My favorites from Multan & Faisalabad are Nadia Hashmi & Ramzan Ali.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Nowadays Pakistan is under turmoil. There are increasing prices of goods and crime rate. Our law and order situation is definitely not in control. Whenever we switch on the television we hear news about target killing, bomb blasts, thefts and corruption. People want some relief and they need some sort of entertainment. Under such a situation, some talented people of Pakistan have launched political comedy shows. These shows are a very good time pass. They are not only a sort of entertainment but at the same time they give the politicians and the corrupt people some lessons.

Among these shows some of the shows are very popular like; Hum Sab Umeed Se Hain, Khabarnaak, Hasb e Haal, Mazaak Raat and Banana News Network. These shows are very popular due to some reasons; firstly they connect to the audience in such a way that they convey whatever the common man has to say. Secondly, they add up a humor to the serious issues of Pakistan and it doesn’t seem that depressing as it does while watching news and thirdly, these programs are informative as well. They are an excellent source of information and awareness a person can get. In this article I will describe these shows and I will also tell reasons why I like them. You can share your views in the comment section below.

Starting off with Hum Sab Umeed Se Hain, this amazing political comedy show of Pakistan is written by Dr. Younus Butt. I must say that this man is a genius and sir I truly respect you from the core of my heart and I am a big fan of yours. This show has different segments which include Ek Din Hum Sub Umeed Se Hain Ke Saath, News fuse, B-ads, Parody songs, Side news, Sochna vi naa, Bachey ghair siyaasi hotey hain and boiling point. In this show the main focus is on the poor people and the challenges that are faced by them. Talented actors mimic the politicians and tell them what is right and wrong. This show has been hosted by very popular actresses including; Saba Qamar, Mehwish Hayat, Noor Chaudhry, Mathira , Veena Malik and many more. This show is seen by people of all ages and people wait to watch the show.

Moving on to another famous political comedy show named Khabarnaak, this show is hosted by Aftab Iqbal and there are some people who add life to the show by their mimicry which include Honey, Mir Muhammad Ali and Saleem Albela. The main focus of the show is on the current affairs and the political scenario of Pakistan. This show discusses all the aspects of the society. This show features a segment of Zaban o Biyaan where the host Aftab Iqbal who is brilliantly talented corrects the wrong use of our language. Apart from this Naseer Bhai guesses the composer, lyricists and actors by just listening to the songs which are suggested. This is to add an element of joy. The comedians of the show add a lot of fun to the show and an hour passes just with the blink of an eye. It is indeed a wonderful source of entertainment.

Coming to the next political comedy show, Hasb e Haal has become very popular these days. This show has the honor of being the most watched program in Pakistan. Sohail Ahmed appears on Hasb-e-Haal as Azizi, while the rest of the crew Junaid Saleem and Najia are playing themselves. Sohail Ahmed is a very popular and talented actor we have in Pakistan. This show is an effort to raise the voice of the society. The popularity of the show is understandable in a society like Pakistan. This show has many segments including; Adabparay, Baitbaazi, Hasb e Mazzi, Hasb e Daak, Interview, Khabron par Tabsara, Mukhbariyaan, Off beat Hasb e Haal, Siasi film and tu tu main main.

The other very famous political comedy shows are Mazaak Raat and Banana News Network. Mazaak raat is hosted by Noman Ijaz who is himself a very good actor. This show also interviews some popular politicians and mimicry is done. Apart from this the show has a singing element in it as well. The comedians make the show a competition for the other political comedy shows. Coming to the Banana News Network, it is a comical spin on the happenings in Pakistan. It is a fictitious channel in which celebrities are mocked. The show features segments such as Sports Desk, News Room and Central Studio discussion. In my opinion there should be more shows like this so that our attention gets diverted. I really like all these shows because I do not see any element of show or pomp in them. They are based on realities happening around us and we have to face them. Apart from this I also wish that our corrupt politicians must see shows like these so that they get an overview of our sufferings.

Written by: Moomal Hassan

So, the much awaited show finally started this week, and I must say I was really disappointed with the first episode. The interview was all over the place, and it seemed more like Ali Zafar was taking Mahira’s interview than the other way round.

The interview was not properly structured and they were getting off-topic again and again. We barely learnt anything new about Ali Zafar from this interview. I would have loved to get more insight to his professional and personal life (We only got a little information). Is that not why we watch the celebrity talk shows in the first place?

There a few ups and then there were few downs during the whole interview. I simply loved the way Mahira introduced Ali Zafar with that one liner that summed up all his career achievements.

Why Ali Zafar was constantly flirting with Mahira was beyond me! It was hilarious and entertaining to watch at first, no doubt about that. But after a certain point I just got bored of his flirting. The way he was passing those mischievous looks and complimenting her again and again (how did you manage to remain so innocent etc. etc) was to keep the mood of the show light hearted, but then it really got out of hand after a certain point.

They did try to keep the show light-hearted which was the theme of the show, I would give them that. But since they were talking about so many things at one time, the interview just seemed short and incomplete. Maybe they should have opted for a longer interview. One hour is just not enough!

Rapid fire… I mean Turqi Ba Turqi (as Mahira calls it) was not a segment we have not seen before, but it was interesting to watch none the less. Ali Zafar was very quick with his responses and for me; this was one of the best parts of the episode. One response that stood out was his response to the word ‘Jawaani Deewani’ (He answered Mahnoor Baloch for those who do not remember). Mahira’s expression after hearing his response was priceless and Ali Zafar also quickly covered it up by talking about how young she looks all the time! (We all know what you meant Ali)

Another part I found really interesting was their discussion about their kids (Azaan and Azlaan). The way Ali Zafar’s described Azaan’s rockstar personality and the advice he would give to him in the future (concerning girls of course) was hilarious. How could Mahira leave Azlaan behind, and she started telling about her son’s ‘female attracting’ personality too! I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed this part. I also liked their dance on their song ‘Madhubala‘. They both were looking adorable!

Then of course came the part which Ali Zafar described as unsuitable for the Pakistani audience for the next 60 years. The scenario which Mahira gave to Ali was brilliantly enacted by Ali; it had a touch of humor, wittiness and spontaneity. It did take a different turn altogether in the end, but I personally enjoyed it.

It is too early to judge a show by its very first episode, but I hope we get to see less flirtation and more quality discussions (of course in a lighter mood since that is the main theme of the show).

I would rate this episode a 2.5/5!

Share your views of the first installment!

Mariam Shafiq

There are a number of legendary artists that Pakistan Film Industry has produced but there are only a few legendary artist whose children are proud to carry their legacy forward and enchant their name in the years to come. One of such outstanding legendary personality is of Madam Noor Jehan, whose daughter “Mina Hasan” is energetic enough to sprinkle glitters over the name of her mother

The resemblance to her late mother, Madam Noor Jehan, is striking just as Mina’s witty conversation reflects the singer’s style

But she quickly composes herself.

There is an inborn elegance and regality in the way Mina Hasan talks. It is also obvious that she led a pampered life. She is also a designer par excellence.

Being the daughter of Noor Jehan and wife of the Hockey legend Hasan Sardar, one would think that she has lived in their shadows all her life.

“Being part of her has given me so much confidence and has opened doors for me in the clothing business. When my partner in India introduces me as Noor Jehan’s daughter, doors start opening everywhere. In India Javaid Akhtar and Kiron Kher take very good care of me because of this privilege, just as the army circle here does because of my mother’s patriotic contribution during the ’65 and ’71 wars. My husband Hasan, who has a name for himself, takes a backseat when people find out who my mother is.”

Life with her mother was heaven. “An amazing parent,” she would cook for them, take them on vacations. She was always a mother first and Mallika-i-Tarannum later, with a huge sense of humour, and loved them fiercely.

Reminiscing ruefully, Mina says Noor Jehan was extremely intelligent and had an intimidating personality. She loved art and the fine things in life and instilled this in her children along with oodles of confidence. Ghalib being her favourite poet, she would quote him often and wrote poetry herself.

“She refined us.” She also knew what to say at the right moment. “When the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi visited Pakistan, he asked my mother to sing at a dinner. She readily agreed saying that as he was a guest she could not decline as she did his mother, Indira Gandhi, in India when she was their guest.”

Mina’s relationships with her extended family is inspiring. “My mother went through tough times during her career and acquired a big view of life in the process. All her daughters are headstrong because she pampered and smothered them with love.”

Her step-sister Zille Huma and brothers from Shaukat Husain Rizvi were very close to each other just as their children are. Both her brothers have died. “My father, Eijaz, remarried and we are close to my stepmother and three step-sisters. We all get on well and can’t think otherwise.”

Mina Hasan began designing for herself, family and friends as a pastime. “I’ve seen so much glitz and glamour in my life that it seems I have inherited it. I got into couture after my mother passed away. I had nothing to do when she died as my focus in life was just to take care of her during her illness. There was so much emptiness around me when she was gone that I would continuously cry. Distressed at my condition, it was my father who suggested I get into designing clothes commercially.”

With a diploma from London, children all grown up, Mina started making clothes for select clients and gradually expanded the business. “It can be tedious, the minute work, but even then I love it.” Her husband Hasan Sardar has been very helpful and has supported her throughout. She now supplies clothes to a few outlets. “I have opened a shop now, so let’s see how it all works out.”

The glamour through her mother and Hasan, the money and recognition through her work, have come in a package. “I strongly believe women should be independent and be able to make a living for themselves, that is why my daughter and nieces are all educated and working.”

Having always been into bridals and party wear, one year back she stepped into prêt and started sending her clothes abroad. “I design differently according to the taste of the country. India is into heavy stuff and bright colours and in America it’s semi-formal dark colours, black, peacock, etc.”

She admits her clothes are on the expensive side but women in Dubai, Delhi and Karachi, she says, know how to dress and go for quality. “Globally, people are becoming more aware of fashion and we, too, have fantastic designers here in the country.”

She went into prêt because it is casual and chic and in demand 12 months round, needing new designs constantly, whereas bridals are limited to seasons. “Designing is actually your imagination and creativeness and good cloth at work, it just comes out when you combine them. The degree helps but you have to have the talent in you. Like actor Mohammad Ali used to say when he would hear my mother sing, that you have to have a voice to sing.”

Noor Jehan loved to wear flashy clothes and dazzling jewellery and had a dress sense which her daughters were exposed to from a young age. “She was immaculately dressed all the time with her hair done up in an elaborate bouffant with a big flower. How you carry yourself is important, you might be wearing very expensive clothes but you look bad if you don’t have proper grooming. She was good at everything. I idealize her and have inherited the dress sense from her and decided to go for a diploma in clothes designing abroad because of the way she looked.”

Mina’s design orientation is Karachi-based, and she makes modern eastern clothes. Her environment was the Murree convent whereas her mother was Lahore-based and had to be glitzy due to her showbiz environment. “But then she could carry her jewellery and saris.”

Plans to present her clothes on the ramp are under way. She will do both prêt and bridal in a fashion show early next year, and is waiting for the right place and the right time.

Auctioning of personal items of famous stars is a known concept abroad. Noor Jehan being a legend, many people would be interested in owning her beautiful clothes. Such a thought has not crossed her children’s mind. “The concept of auction is unknown here. We haven’t thought about it and have distributed her clothes among ourselves. I would have auctioned her clothes for a good cause here if it was demanded.”

Having inherited the genes for singing from her mother, Mina loves to sing for her friends but has never gone public as Noor Jehan never encouraged her children to sing. She had an ustad for six months only. “Singing is more like a therapy for me as I get immense pleasure from it and my husband loves to hear me sing, but I will never perform on the stage.”

Having quite a few qualities herself does her daughter idolise her the way she idolised Noor Jehan? “I would hope so,” Mina says. The mother and daughter bond is quite strong and Alisha, her daughter, trusts her completely in everything. She left a job after getting straight As in America, coming back to Pakistan at her mother’s request, not questioning her once. “We have never been strict with our children but we have given them guidelines as well as their space, just as our parents did with us”

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This was all for you from her-side. Now, it is time for you to share your views with us.  Did it inspire you as well, the way she is carrying her mother’s legacy forward or do you have some other opinion about it?. Please, drop your comments beneath.

S. Rasool

We have seen many dramas which are based on the novels of Umera Ahmed and all of them are appreciated across Pakistan and abroad. One of such subject-oriented drama, which has recently got to its ending, is Kankar. Kankar is a message more than a drama. It is the message to all those women who has fallen victim to their husband’s family’s violence. It is a message which is delivered to the women of our society to strengthen their inner-spirit. It is a message to all those men who beat their women that they can never led a happy and respectful life if they engage themselves in activities which lead to putting women in difficult circumstances.

In all developing countries basic human rights are not guaranteed and this can’t be portrayed in a way better than getting it filmed in the form of a drama and conveying the message to the society.

For all those who couldn’t watch the drama for whatsoever reason. Here, is an overview.

Kankar means “stone” or “Pebble” in English. Its meaning has a strong relation with the drama serial. It revolves around a girl named,Kiran. She is a lively girl. For her parents, she has grown up now and it’s time to get suitable match for her. At last, Kiran’s family got one. It is Sikander who sends her proposal. He belongs from a higher class and due to this class difference his mother, Shaista (Sikander’s mother) opposes this relation at first but agrees later under her son’s pressure. Anyway they take the pledge and Kiran is very happy to be his wife. She falls in for him after the marriage but fate and chances take her life somewhere else as Sikander’s other faces began to reveal after some time.

Kiran’s family is class-conscious. Kiran has an elder sister Irim and parents in her family. Their relatives are wealthy and they also want to get a better position in society like them but the status-crazy realties do not like making any relations with them. They prefer kinship in other like-minded and like-status people.

Kiran is a practical girl with realistic opinions about life. She is enlightened and her opinions about love and marriage are based on reality. Thus she is neither rude nor biased about it. She wants to study further and make a career, her father also encourages her but like all mothers, her mum also want to grab a guy for her daughters.

When Kiran got married to Sikander, she was initially very happy but this happiness didn’t last – long. Kiran was time & again beaten by Sikander after some time of their marriage (who used to humiliate her on class & status). Kiran was never happy with this attitude and then finally asked for a divorce. Sikander then got married to his cousin arzoo on the pressure of his mother and kiran also gets married to her cousin who always loved her but was poor and couldn’t tell her the truth. Kiran was leading an average life then. No luxuries of life unlike at Sikander’s home. Later she gets to know about Sikander-Arzoo baby Hashir when Sikander’s mother-in-law sent sweets at Kiran’s place at that moment kiran realized that Sikander has changed but no, she was wrong. After some years Sikander also started to beat Arzoo and she too left her home. Then again a tense situation was created. On the other hand, Kiran was also facing some difficulties in getting settled to the environment of her second husband’s home. These circumstances created a dramatic situation in the serial. Finally in the last episode Arzoo met Kiran (both were cousins) and Kiran told her that she shouldn’t leave Sikander as now they are not just husband-wife but also parents. Kiran was settling at her home and Sikander settled at his own home with her wife and apologized Arzoo about his behavior and assured her that he will never beat her again

The drama carries a strong message to people of our society who often-ly humiliate women and think they are weak. This drama shows that not all women are same and can endure the pain of putting their self-esteem aside. The entire story depict the life of a woman who has faced domestic violence. This is a true picture, how men humiliate women. A strong stance is to be taken by women who suffer such violence and they should respond accordingly. She should be given her due-respect. Women are not weak. They are strong and this is the stronger side of a woman that she endures all pain, but mostly this side is taken as weakness and she is victimized to domestic violence. Every woman is special and every woman needs to be loved and taken-care of by their husbands.

Don’t forget to share your view underneath

Cheers

S. Rasool

These days in Pakistan almost everyday we get to hear news about little girls getting raped. This is a bold issue and it is at the same time very controversial but still we need to throw light upon it. These sort of issues were not this common previously. Everyone is in search of the cause of child rape but no one is finding ways to prevent this dreadful act from happening. Many of the morning shows have interviewed the culprits but what is actually the use of all this? Mostly the people who commit this dreadful crime are very less educated and they usually do not watch morning shows then how are we planning to teach them a lesson?

The point of this article is to give awareness to each and every parent out there. This awareness is to educate your daughters about rape as soon as possible. This extremely increasing news about child rape shows that this has now become a sort of trend. I am very sorry to say this but humanity is decreasing day by day and there is no difference between animals and people who commit this crime. It is so disturbing and depressing that in this year most cases of rape involve little girls whose age is in between 6 to 12 years. Tell me honestly that is this fair? Every one of us has daughter and sisters and if not then we do have mothers. Can we see them in the place of these little angels? The answer is never. However, one cannot control the other but as parents one should guide their children about this serious ill. In this article I will cover some points that every parent must tell their daughters because it is now or never.
The children usually consider weird and scary looking people as strangers and they do not talk to them but they must be told that not every stranger is wicked looking. These days behind the angelic faces demons are present. I would suggest each and every parent to please make your child understand that talking to any stranger will harm them. In case where they feel that some stranger is approaching them, they should call for help immediately. I am a university going student but still my mother tells me to go straight to university and come straight home. My mother says that for a female it is very necessary that she remains confident but this is for adults like us, not for little girls. They love to make friends and talk to other people but we need to stop this. Another advice here will be that one of the parents must accompany their child wherever they go. Children especially female children must not be left alone.

Another advice here will be that be friends with your children. Most of the parents scold their children and as a result heir children start hiding things from them. It is very necessary that you gain the confidence of your child and tell her to inform you immediately whenever any stranger approaches her or teases her. At times children get carried away when the stranger offers them some reward or gift so it is better to give your child the awareness of not to accept anything from any stranger. You can also start giving you children some gifts time to time so that they do not get attracted when some one else tries to give it to them. I know it is very difficult to make a young girl aware about such stuff but still we have to do this because the poor law and order system of Pakistan has made it necessary for us to take an initiative ourselves.
Apart from this in the crucial environment these days, it is very necessary to keep your child under you supervision or send an elder sibling along with the younger child. A girl who is alone is a prey for almost everybody so it is necessary to protect her.

One trick I came across while researching for this topic was that you can try playing a game with your child to prepare her for such incidents. You can act like a stranger and ask your child to respond. Just like we used to play doctor patient game and teacher student game in our childhood. In this way the child will also enjoy and at the same time she will get to know ways to overcome such troubled situations. Teach her to run away, yell loudly and say what exactly is happening. Sometimes when children scream, people around them feel as if they are annoying but actually they need help so it is necessary to teach your daughter to tell exactly what is happening, For example, “Help, this is not my Dad”, “Help, this is not my Mom”, “Help, I’m being kidnapped”, “Help, call the police”, Or simply “Help”. The more you make your child practice, the more she will be ready for any unexpected trouble.
These were some ways through which we can save our angels; you can also come up with innovative and informative ways to save our little daughters. May Allah almighty save us from being the victims of such a dreadful act.

Written by: Moomal Hassan.

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:

1. Bulbulay on ARY Digital:

Cast: Nabeel, Ayesha Omar, Hina Dilpazar, Mehmood Aslam, Fatima Nabeel & Nyle Rizwan

2. Dugdugi on ARY Digital:

Cast: Durdana Butt, Ashraf Khan, Shagufta Ejaz, Azfar Rehman & Nausheen Shah

3. Halka na lo on HUM TV

Cast: Barkat Ali, Uzmi, Agha Sheraz & Zalay Sarhadi

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

Cheers

S. Rasool

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.

Mariam Shafiq

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.

Do share your thoughts.

Thanks

Rashid Nazir Ali

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.

Blessings,

Nida Zaidi

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.

Written by: Moomal Hassan.

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.

Written by: Moomal Hassan.