Cake is an upcoming Pakistani film starring Amina Sheikh, Sanam Saeed and Adnan Malik in lead roles. The film revolves around the lives of two sisters played by Amina and Sanam and some secrets in their family. Cake will release on 30th March 2018. The first look trailer for the movie is out and it looks intriguing. Here, have a look:
https://youtu.be/kfO09hOycng
The cinematography of the film looks awesome. What are your thoughts on Cake’s trailer? Are you going to watch it?
Parchi is an action packed film that is being promoted near and far ahead of its release. It’s trailers have also served well to pique up interest in audience. The movie stars Hareem Farooq, Ali Rehman and Usman Mukhtar, all very busy in promotions that are held across the country.
Parchi will also be the first Pakistani Film to release in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after its crown prince lifted the ban off cinemas after some 35 years. It will make an appearance on the screens nationwide on the 19th of December there.
Baaghi isn’t the kind of drama which gives you a lot to talk about since every episode reinforces the same messages which have been put forward repeatedly in every single episode for the past ten weeks or so. Every episode of Baaghi shows how different people whether they are strangers or members of her family, exploit Kanwal. Kanwal Baloch came to the city looking for a career because working in showbiz was her dream and also because she wanted to have a better life but now she is simply doing whatever it takes to help her family members financially and otherwise. So far, the writer hasn’t shown the actual nature of Kanwal’s work therefore I am assuming that she is earning all this money from her videos.
Kanwal ended her relationship with Shehryar after realizing that having a “normal” relationship might just be a dream for her. The “favor” Kanwal gave the police officer so that he would free her brother from prison had to be the most forced and unnecessary development in this episode which is why all the other developments which were linked with this one appeared to be pointless. Why didn’t Kanwal turn to Shehryar for help? She could have bribed this officer as well or asked someone else for help. Just like every week, the writer yet again put her in a situation which would highlight just how majboor she was. While I can relate to how the pressure her family is putting on her would push her to do something extreme, I cannot understand why this woman who has come this far is still so naive that she will allow anyone to use her! Unfortunately, Kanwal Baloch has been turned into a weak character and her story is going around in circles. Shehryar’s character hasn’t added much to the story either other than showing how Kanwal had to let go of a perfect companion because she wanted to focus on helping her family.
Kanwal’s bhabi proposed that she should go to the village with her where she could see her son, it would have been so much better if Kanwal put forward this idea herself. Kanwal’s brother’s attitude towards her has changed completely because he needs financial help from her constantly. Right now the focus is entirely on Kanwal’s relationship with her family and mainly on her brother because of obvious reasons.
Like every other episode of Baaghi, this one too was shouting out loud “please feel for Kanwal Baloch” but just like always I had a really difficult time staying awake while watching it. This drama lacks depth, intensity and enough content to cover 20 plus episodes. It has been dragging for weeks now and the fact that the story is highly predictable makes it even more difficult to sit through this show. Kanwal’s scenes are the same in every single episode. Pakistani drama makers have made plenty of quality dramas in the recent past and there are some really good dramas on air even now which highlight the problems faced by women in a male dominated society therefore Baaghi is definitely not the first or the last play to highlight these issues! The fact that it isn’t doing so too convincingly doesn’t make it the best one either!
There was a time when Pakistani writers were focusing entirely on how women are exploited by their in laws, bechari bahu was the most TRP generating topic but now it seems that sexual exploitation has taken the place of bechari bahu. While there are plenty of dramas which are doing justice to the topic and addressing it in a proper manner but there are many more which are using it to gain attention and popularity and excelling at it too!
Hira Tareen And Ali Safina have been blessed with a lovely little girl this week. While it was Ali Safina who brought us the news through his Facebook page and appreciated his wife for this wonderful gift she has given him, it’s Hira the new mommy who has shared the first glimpse of their gorgeous princess and her beautiful name “Mahgul” with us.
In a happy and excited Facebook post, she introduced her baby all decked up as the special little princess that she is;
The young and talented maestro of bridal wear in Pakistan, one of the oldest and most established names in Asian bridal wear, Mehdi got married to his beautiful wife Zahra in a festive star studded wedding. The bride stole the show on all three days with the most exquisite of bridals that we are sure Mehdi was keeping for her only. The couple looked amazing together;
The celebrations were attended by many famous names of the entertainment and glamour industries. Actors and models including Barbara Sharif and Cybil Chowdhry were spotted along with designers Maria B, Faraz Mannan and Shazia Deen. Here is a look at the fabulous guest;
The designs were all top notch and elegantly crafted;
Seriously, where has the story of this drama gone to? It is so obvious that the makers of Teri Raza are so not in a mood to end it that is why they are adding one hideous scenario after another to just churn out more & more episodes.
Where the focus should be on Suhana & the makers should be hurrying up in giving closure to her track, they shifted the entire focus on Talat, Zafar & Daadi as if the viewers were going to be thrilled seeing their story? When the side characters start taking more screen time, that’s when you know the writer has nothing left to show.
Talat met Suhana despite being told not to by her husband Zafar. Where Talat fixed her matters with Suhana, she ended up getting the threat of divorce by her husband? It is so amusing how these guys behave so dramatically over things only to later forget what they said before.
To be honest, seeing Daadi behaving like a lunatic actually scared me because I had a feeling that all the viewers of Teri Raza including me might end up like her, clueless & lunatic if this drama wouldn’t end in the near future. I am sure since Daadi is bored, has nothing to do & is quirky, she came up with a plan to act like this, in order to make Zafar realize that he can’t live without Talat, but then again, can anyone tell me, what is the purpose of all this?
Imtiyaz is still not over Suhana, so if this is how he was going to behave then what was the point of divorcing her? Well, for the first time Suhana felt that she ruined her relationship with Imtiyaz after she saw how much her mother was concerned even after her father threatened her with divorce, but then again it is going to be of no use since Suhana’s ego is too big to admit that she committed a huge blunder by getting married to Rameez.
It is funny how Suhana’s life has become a lie, she lied to her mother saying her husband makes a lot of money whereas in reality, all he does is play games on his phone! Seema’s concerns are valid & she is justified in feeling awkward about the way Imtiyaz is still not over Suhana & how he is still taking care of her expenses? Suhana really sounds like a hypocrite when she speaks about ‘khud-dari’ because if she would have been khud-dar, she wouldn’t have shamelessly accepted financial support from Imtiyaz, her ex-husband, the one she resented & despised! Anyways, please share your thoughts about this episode of Teri Raza.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
Today is Pakistani superstar Mahira Khan’s birthday and the lady didn’t go for over the top celebrations but cut the cake with her family. Mahira shared a very beautiful video of her birthday celebration but she was not the only one on the cake duty, her son Azlan also completed his duty of blowing candles and cutting the cake. The cute bond between the mother and son is something which will make anyone go aww. Here watch the beautiful video:
We wish Mahira Khan a very happy birthday!
Ohkay so, the production of Six Sigma, writing of Rida Bilal & direction of Yasir Nawaz; Khudgarz is a prime time drama airing on ARY Digital on Tuesday at 8PM. In a nuthsell, intense acting & spot on direction made the first two episodes of Khudgarz worth a watch.
The story revolves around Munawwar’s family which includes his wife (Shaheen Khan) who he has a strained relationship with, his son Hassan (Sami Khan) & a nephew Junaid (Syed Jibran). The main problematic factor in Munawwar’s life is Hassan. Hassan being the only son gets away with everything because he has such sort of personality where no one dares to confront him, except Munawwar but then again, for Hassan even his father is not worthy of his respect.
The main plot was focused on Hassan & his psychological issues. Hassan was once engaged to the love of his life Sara but because she couldn’t cope up with Hassan’s tantrums & chose her parents’ dignity over him, she called their engagement off. Hassan till date hasn’t been able to get over the fact that Sara rejected & insulted him & in stead of reflecting upon his own mistakes, Hassan has let this anger brew inside him which has made him a bitter & angry person. Hassan then got married to Abeer (Mansha Pasha), a loner who has no one in her life except Hassan. Hassan exploits Abeer & her love for him to the fullest because he enjoys the fact that she is full fledgedly dependant on Hassan for emotional & moral support. Even though Abeer is a marketing executive & does well for herself professionally but when it comes to her personal life, she has made it obvious to Hassan that she has no personality, no liking, no disliking of her own & all she wants is him & his validation. Even though Hassan has kept this marriage a secret from his family, Abeer hasn’t been able to convince him to make their relationship public. When it comes to Hassan, he doesn’t mind saying what’s on his mind & what he feels since he doesn’t believe in giving others a chance to explain, speak or be themselves in front of him. Hassan has some serious anger issues & no one has confronted him for that!
Junaid has turned out to be an ideal son for Munawwar & his wife, as he till date hasn’t been able to forget that when his parents passed away, it was his uncle Munawwar who not only brought him to his home but also dedicated his life to raise him like his own son. Junaid is a bit too submissive & he excels in everything, probably because he is conscious of the fact that his uncle has invested so much time, energy & money on him therefore it’s his way of returning him the favors he did for him. Since Junaid has turned out to be so brilliant & obedient, Munawwar chooses to make him a part of the family business which is run by him & Hassan. Junaid likes his batch mate Rabeea & she has a high regard for Junaid as they both are each other’s support system!
Well, Hassan chooses to get married to Munawwar’s best friend Amir’s (Mehmood Akhtar) daughter Aairah (Amina Sheikh), which was basically his family’s attempt of bringing him out of the depression that he went into after his engagement with Sara was called off. Hassan himself chooses to accept the proposal while keeping his family in the dark about Abeer his wife. Aairah is a psychiatrist who is pretty focused on her career & feels passionately about what she does.
Well, things gets dramatic when Abeer threatens to end her life when Hassan tells her that he is getting married. Since Hassan can’t get over the fact that Abeer might do something irrational, he leaves the moment before his marriage & tells his father over a text message that he can not get married. Just because Munawwar knows that Hassan is capable of doing something so irrational, he pleads in front of Junaid & asks hin to get married to Aairah. Aairah on the other hand feels that Junaid has no personality but just because her father pressurizes her, she gives in too & they both get married. Well just because Hassan finds Abeer’s neighbor & colleague (Salman Saeed) pacifying her in her apartment, he leaves while making up his mind that to get back to her, he will continue with his wedding with Aairah but when he reaches the venue, he finds out that Junaid & Aairah are already married. Obviously, things don’t sit well with Hassan & he creates a havoc but Munawwar takes a stand & tells him to accept the reality.
To be honest, during the first half of the episode, when the characters were getting introduced, I was actually quite interested to find out more about them but when the second half of the episode began & the actual story unfolded, I could already see that the story wasn’t something new or special. Yasir Nawaz is known for his craft & there is no doubt about the fact that he as a director elevates the level of the story but I can foresee that Khudgarz is going to be a story about the extreme characters with a prime focus on the villain Hassan.
I wish apart from Hassan, the writer had kept other characters normal & not too extreme where Junaid is a bit tooooo simple & Abeer is a bit tooooo majboor. I have a feeling this drama’s story will revolve around Hassan & his antics which definitely will at some point test the patience of the viewers because in dramas or stories like these, the culprits are given a freehand by the writers & they get away with literally everything because the writers make them too strong to be confronted or defeated by anyone. Another thing that didn’t really sit well with me was how Amir forced this marriage upon Aairah, a daughter he has raised with so much of love & a daughter he has empowered with education that now she is a well-known psychiatrist. I found it disappointing that Aairah’s father literally begged her to get married to Junaid as if he was her last resort? For a woman like Aairah who is so well educated & is perfectly fine without a husband, to be forced into a last-minute arranged marriage with a guy like Junaid citing father’s izzat as an excuse seemed a bit forced & not too intelligent.
I will definitely recommend this drama to those who are interesred in seeing a well-directed serial with some power-packed performances. Another perk is that since they are airing 2 episodes a week, it won’t be dragged to the limit where it might become hard to sit through. Sami Khan, Mansha Pasha & Syed Jibran, all of them did a wonderful job by literally owning their characters & giving them a perfect treatment. Amina Sheikh was perfect as a well-groomed, emotional yet focused & level-headed Aairah. Sami Khan was definitely the star of the show because he was phenomenal as twisted psychotic Hassan, it was surely a nice change seeing him play a character like this who was a naqaam aashiq but had something more to offer than that label. I just hope things don’t become monotonous where Hassan will have an upperhand all the time & others will be too majboor to face him or show him his right place. Let’s see. Please share your thoughts about the initial episode of Khudgarz.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
This was another episode of Dar Si Jati Hei Sila with some really solid performances to its credit and this time around too Zaini’s character stood out more than any other. The relationship dynamics between all the characters have been well established by now therefore the story needs to pick up pace. Although I would prefer a slow-paced and non-commercial venture like this drama highlighting an important social issue any day of the week to one of those commercial dramas which follow a specific pattern but I also feel that there is a great deal of repetition in every episode. A lot of things which are being shown in detail are also being said over and over again which is why there are times when you feel like some of these conversations do not add much to the story. The drama has a realistic feel to it which is why even with the slow pace it keeps your interest alive. Also, I feel that dramas like this one deserve to be watched so that Pakistani drama makers would have incentive to continue making dramas which serve a bigger purpose.
This episode once again showed how Joi ran the show in Noor Manzil. He managed to turn the entire situation around single-handedly. Sadia and Sila both would have loved the prospect of moving out of Noor Manzil and away from Joi but Joi wasn’t going to let that happen. He did everything in his power to make sure that ultimately Sadia refused to go to Canada. It was wonderful watching Sadia take a stand because she knew that Sila won’t be safe without her. Sila however cannot see that her mother is taking all these decisions to protect her. Sila’s impression of what is going on between Joi and Sadia is totally opposite to what is really happening between them therefore she sees things differently. She blames her mother because she feels that she is having an affair with Joi and perhaps also because in her opinion her mother has not done much to make her feel secure in Noor Manzil. There are times when you feel like Sila is taking out her own frustrations on her mother and for her hating her mother is an act of rebellion, perhaps something which makes her feel liberated. Yumna Zaidi and Saman Ansari’s brilliant performances make their characters easier to relate to and make you forget that you are watching a play! Both these characters are difficult to translate on screen but these brilliant actresses are portraying them faultlessly and effortlessly. Nauman Ijaz is absolutely exceptional as Joi. The exceptionally impressive performances from all these actors are one of the major reasons why I tune into this drama every week.
Zaini’s conversation with Raheel summed up the difference between how people perceive something and how it really is. Zaini’s character is turning out to be a breath of fresh air since she is the only person in Noor Manzil who thinks differently. While Joi managed to convince everyone else in the house rather conveniently that Sila had a mental illness, Zaini was the only one who wondered why Sila was frightened of everyone and everything without declaring her a “pagal”! She is also the only person, Sila ever has a normal conversation with therefore she knows Sila better than anyone else. I am so glad that the relationship between Zaini and Sila didn’t take a typical turn. Amna Malik and Yumna Zaidi also share great on screen chemistry which is why their scenes together are realistic and impactful.
The relationship between Joi and Aapa is very interesting and amusing at the same time. While Aapa is always busy judging everyone else, she has no clue what Joi is doing. She keeps on supporting Joi unconditionally and there are times when her scenes make you laugh as well! I absolutely love Sakina Samo in this role and I am waiting to see what role Aapa will play as the story progresses.
Overall, this drama has enough substance to keep me coming back for more but it would have been picture perfect if some of the scenes were chopped down and the pace of the drama was relatively faster.
How many of you watched this episode? Don’t forget to share your thoughts about it.
The year 2017 is concluding in a weeks time. With respect to cinema it has been a mixed year where very few films were able to succeed. Bollywood films which are the backbone of the cinema business also failed to repeat the success of 2016.
Like every year there were films which were banned or stuck in the censor board. Few films were released after countering the objections of the censor board.
The authority of giving screening certificates to the films (local or foreign) lies with the Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC). CBFC headquarter is in Islamabad and it also had regional sub-offices in Karachi and Lahore. CBFC members are appointed by government its members come from diverse backgrounds like civil servants, civil society, law enforcement institutions, journalists, law makers, artists, writers or film makers.
In 2011, after the 18th amendment of the constitution is passed, the right of film certificate and censor is delegated to the provinces. So each province can form its own censor board, however in absence of any board CBFC will continue their authority over the province. Since 2011 the provinces of Punjab and Sindh have established their censor boards, so at the moment three censor boards are functioning in our country.
Punjab Board of Film Censors (PBFC) has authority over the whole province of Punjab excluding the cantonment areas.
Sindh Board of Film Censor (SBFC) has authority over the whole province of Sindh excluding the cantonment areas
Central Board of Film Censors has authority over all the cantonment areas, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Federal areas of FATA, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. Since the provinces of KPK and Balochistan has not established their censor boards so CBFC also has authority over these provinces, until they setup their own boards.
Constitutionally all three boards are independent, but in practice the PBFC and SBFC follow the guideline of CBFC. If CBFC refuses to issue the screening certificate to a film, normally PBFC and SBFC also follow the same trend. There are few exceptions as well like Urdu film Swaarangi (2015) was allowed screening certificates by SBFC and PBFC, but CBFC refused its screening. In 2013, PBFC refused to issue the screening certificate to a Bollywood film Jolly LLB declaring it an all and all obscene film. But CBFC allowed the screening of the same film. As a result the film was screened in the cantonment areas of all the cities of Punjab, however it was not released in the cinemas outside the cantonment areas in the same city.
Historically CBFC is considered the most strict board out of all the three boards as many times a film cleared from the PBFC, SBFC fails to clear the CBFC criteria. CBFC is often criticized for its inconsistent behavior with respect to films certification.
In order to screen a locally produced film it must get a screening certificate from any of these three film certification boards. For the foreign films an additional step is required. At the first step the distributor writes to the Federal Ministry of Commerce with the intention to import a film. After examining the content of the film the Ministry of Commerce issues a Non Objection Certificate (NOC) to the distributor and the film is imported. Once imported the film must obtain a screening certificate from any of the three functional Film Certification Boards like a local film. The film certification boards can also seek the advise of Federal Ministry of Information for the screening of a film if the board does not reach a decision about the screening of the film. The information ministry has the authority to revert the decision of the censor board at any time. So even if a film is allowed screening by the censor board, the information ministry can still revoke its certificate.
After initial review the censor board can object on the content of the film and asks the producer to cut the objectionable material. In such cases normally the censor board refers the film to full board, where film maker has the right to challenge the objections of the censor board. If film maker refuses to cut or alter the objectionable content, then censor board either refuses to issue the censor certificate or refers the case to the information ministry for the final decision.
The most common reason put forth by the censor board to ban a film is anti-Pakistan or anti-religion content. Historically CBFC has been quite strict on this, especially any foreign film having a reference to Pakistan or the religion Islam mostly comes under the axe. More than 95% films are banned for the very same reason. The second most common reason is the obscene or vulgar content but very few films are banned due to this reason.
This article is a compilation of such films which faced objections from the censor boards or information ministry in the year 2017. Few of these films were ultimately released after the desired cuts or after the appeal from the film makers.
Raees (Banned)
Bollywood’s Raees starring Shahrukh Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqi and Mahira Khan was due to release on 26th January 2017 on India’s Republic Day. The film was based on the story of a Muslim criminal in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was the first Bollywood film of Pakistani superstar Mahira Khan. In Pakistan its distributor was Eveready Pictures.
There was a self imposed ban placed on the screening of Indian films in October 2016 which later lifted in mid December 2016. Since December 2016, the cinemas started the screening of old Bollywood films already imported, as the import of the new Indian films was still in progress. In the start of January, government provided the NOC to import two Bollywood films Kaabil and Raees. Both to be released on 26th January 2017 where both were supposed to be the new films to be released after October 2016.
Traditionally Bollywood films starring the Khans (Salman, Shahrukh, Amir Khan) had a tremendous success record on Pakistani box office. The highest grossing Bollywood film of the year in Pakistan had always been a Khan starer film. Therefore Raees was termed as the potential winner of the box office and the most anticipated film of the year.
The film was duly imported and presented before the all three censor boards. PBFC and SBFC cleared the film without any major cut, but waited for the verdict of CBFC before issuing the screening certificate. However CBFC had a totally different point of view on the same film which passed the other two boards. Due to the very same reason the film’s release was shifted to next week on 3rd February 2017. Whereas the other film Kaabil was cleared by the censor boards and it became the first new Bollywood film to release in Pakistan after October 2016.
As per the press reports CBFC termed the content of the film as anti-Muslim, as the the main protagonist was a criminal from the Indian Muslim community. The film was referred to full board, however even full board had the same reservations and referred the case to the information ministry. The distributor eventually requested the Information Ministry to clear the film which in the end also favored the CBFC’s stance. Thus CBFC denied the screening certificate to Raees, a decision also followed by the PBFC and SBFC. For this ban, the inconsistent behavior of CBFC was widely discussed and criticized in the press.
So film termed as one of the most anticipated films of the year was not released in Pakistan. Worldwide and in India it proved super hit and Mahira Khan became the first Pakistani female artist to star in a 100crore club Bollywood film.
Dangal (Refused censor certificate)
Bollywood’s Dangal starring Amir Khan was released in December 2016 at a time when the Indian films screening was facing a self imposed ban in Pakistan. The ban was lifted by the end of December 2016 and eventually new Bollywood films were released by the end of January 2017. In Pakistan its distributor was Geo Films.
Dangal proved blockbuster worldwide and once the ban on the Bollywood films was over the distributor decided to release it in Pakistan as well. In February 2017 the film was duly imported after receiving the NOC from the government. The film was supposed to release in early March 2017.
The film was cleared by the PBFC and SBFC but again stuck in CBFC. CBFC suggested few cuts in the film, the major cut was to remove or mute the Indian National Anthem at the climax of the film. The distributor consulted the respective Indian film maker who refused to go ahead with the suggested cuts. Amir Khan the protagonist of the film, publicly issued a statement refusing to cut the Indian National Anthem at the cost of releasing the film in Pakistan.
Thus CBFC and eventually PBFC, SBFC refused to issue the screening certificate to Dangal. After Raees, Dangal was another potential successful film which failed to pass the axe of the censors.
Despite this refusal, Dangal was screened on the television channel Urdu 1 on Eidul Fitr (in June 2017) and it aired the scenes which CBFC had found objectionable. PEMRA (the regulatory body of electronic media) issued show cause notice to the Urdu 1 on this breach of code of conduct.
Naam Shabana (Banned after 1 day of release)
Bollywood’s Naam Shabana a spy thriller was released on 31st March 2017 in Pakistan. The film was duly imported after obtaining the NOC from the government and passed by all the censor boards in Pakistan. To everyone’s surprise the same board revoked the screening permission after one day of screening with the reason “it portrays Pakistan in bad taste”. The decision of the CBFC was ironic as the same board has reviewed and permitted the release of the film.
The whole saga again highlighted the inconsistent attitude on part of CBFC.
Source: https://tribune.com.pk/story/1372212/taapsee-pannu-starrer-naam-shabana-banned-across-pakistan/
Raasta (Released after cuts)
Raasta was an Urdu film due to release on Pakistan Day on 23rd March 2017. Famous media personality Sahir Lodhi appeared as a writer,director, producer and hero in the film. The film also had a tough time with the censors which objected to the supposedly strong language in few dialogues and thus asked to cut the relevant scenes.
Sahir Lodhi being the film maker challenged the suggestion of the censor board, and pleaded his case before the full board. The situation delayed the release of the film by one week.
Eventually the film released with few cuts and proved flop.
Viceroys House/Partition 1947 (Banned)
Viceroys House was a British-Indian film released in UK on 3rd March 2017 and on 18th August 2017 in India. The film was directed/produced by Gurrinder Chadha a British film director of Indian origin. It was based on the events during the partition of the Indian Subcontinent in 1947 at the end of the brutal and oppressive colonial rule by Britain.The last viceroy of the British India was Lord Mountbatten, whose incompetency resulted in worst riots and killings of million of people during the partition of 1947. Lord Mountbatten , was also shown in this historical fiction film along with the other prominent leader of that era like Jawaharlal Nehru, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
The film was criticized for showing fake history and not highlighting the British authorities incompetency in dealing with the widespread riots and killings. There were concerns over the accuracy of the events as well the anti Muslim narrative of the film. Fatima Bhutto accused the film’s British-Indian director, Gurinder Chadha, of seeming “to take pleasure in laying the bloodshed and brutality of 1947 at the feet of two particular villains: Muslims and Jinnah”. It was, she wrote, the product of “a deeply colonised imagination … [a] servile pantomime of partition”. (Source: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/mar/03/fatima-bhutto-viceroys-house-watched-servile-pantomime-and-wept)
The film was released in India on 18th August 2017, with Hindi dubbing and renamed to Partiion 1947. In Pakistan, the status of the film “Partition 1947” release was not clear. The director Gurrinder Chadha tweeted that the film has been banned in Pakistan though there has been no official statement from the information ministry or any censor board on this. Following the story the English Daily, ET published the following remarks of SBFC, saying that the film has been refused the screening certificate.
Sindh Film Censor Board secretary Abdul Razzaq Khuhawar confirmed the news, citing the misrepresentation of Jinnah as the sole reason. “It’s a historical film and nothing negative is shown against Pakistan. The main reason for banning it was the misrepresentation of Quiad-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah,” he said.
“We felt his character was not portrayed correctly and it felt strange. Although the character only appears in a few scenes as the film mostly revolves around Lord Mountbatten, the actor didn’t look like Jinnah at all. If you had seen it, you couldn’t tell it was Jinnah. Otherwise, there were no issues with the film.”
The Sindh censors deemed it unsuitable, stating that “the political narrative contradicts the national interest of Pakistan.”
Source: https://tribune.com.pk/story/1487118/partition-1947-banned-pakistan-misrepresenting-jinnah/
Namaloom Afraad2 (Banned for one day)
Namaloom Afraad2 an Urdu film, was released on Eidul Azha on 1st September 2017 after duly passed by all the three censor boards. The film proved successful and entered its fourth week when first the Punjab Government (through the information ministry) and revoked its screening certificate.
PBFC put forth the reason that the Punjab government had received numerous complaints of vulgar scenes and dialogs in the film and thus the film was denied screening. Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza the director and producer of the film respectively announced their displeasure through social media and to challenge the decision in the court. The information ministry of the Punjab government after revoking the screening license asked the PBFC to again review the film while considering the complaints and concerns it had received. To everyone’s surprise the PBFC reviewed the film and again allowed its screening without any cut.
So the screening of the film continued in Punjab after a one day ban.
Verna (Stuck in the censors but later allowed screening)
Verna an Urdu film was released on the 17th November 2017. Being directed by Shoaib Mansoor, it was a highly anticipated film. As per press reports the film was cleared by PBFC and SBFC, but they waited the verdict of CBFC before issuing the formal permission. A film of revenge thriller genre, it covered multiple social evils prevailing in our society.
But CBFC raised multiple concerns on many dialogs, scenes and situation of the film. The film was referred to the full board for further review but again failed to get the permission without the intended cuts. The director/producer Shoaib Mansoor challenged the cuts suggested by the CBFC but failed to convince the board. However the board and film maker failed to reach on any agreement. As a result the planned premieres of the film were also cancelled. Thus the decision now lies with the Information Ministry.
The whole fiasco was also widely discussed on the social media. Few termed it all as a staged act to gain publicity for the film. After much debates in the media, the information ministry intervened and the film was cleared for screening by the CBFC without any cuts.
This act again raised questions on the eligibility of CBFC members. First CBFC was not adamant to release the film without cuts, and in the end cleared it without any cuts. Also once again a film cleared by PBFC and SBFC was stuck in CBFC.
Tiger Zinda Hai (Refused NOC by the information ministry)
Tiger Zinda Hai was a Bollywood film due to release on 22nd December 2017, starring Salman Khan in the lead role. Bollywood films in general are very popular in Pakistan, specifically the Khan starrer movies. The Khan starer Bollywood films always prove successful in Pakistan.
As per the process, the distributor of the film applied for the NOC to import the film to the information ministry. The information ministry seek the advice of the CBFC which after review the available trailer of the film advised against the film. CBFC termed the film as anti-Pakistan and anti-Muslim. Following CBFC’s advice the information ministry refused to issue the NOC and thus the film was not imported in Pakistan.
So it completes the list of the films of 2017 which were banned or had issues with the censor boards. Seeing the history of the troubled films with censors, it is evident that most of the films pass SBFC and PBFC, but struggle at the censor table of CBFC.
Out of the all three boards, CBFC has been the most inconsistent with regards to its censor policy. Especially when a film is denied screening after it had received the censor certificate. Naam Shabana and Verna are prime example of such behavior.!
Do share your thoughts with respect to the censor criteria of our censor boards. Which films should qualify to be banned as per your opinion
Thanks for your time and reading.
Rashid Nazir Ali
Parchi is an upcoming Pakistani movie which stars Hareem Farooq, Ali Rehman Khan and Usman Mukhtar in lead roles. The second song of the film is out. With Billo Hai being a mixture of a shaadi song and an item number, Imagine looks like some kind of attempt at mixing comedy and romance. The voices are lent by Mika Singh and Keka Goshal for the song and the video is a chaotic imagination with everyone trying too hard to look their best. Here watch the song:
Are you impressed by Imagine? Share in comments!
Ohkay so, all of a sudden the episodes of Alif Allah Aur Insaan have improved & they again are giving the vibes of initial episodes to some extent but the only track that remains boring & unnecessary is Zimmal’s, which reinforces the fact that there was no need of this track to begin with!
So, Nazneen is ready to try her luck at marriage one more time. I thought by this time she’d be done with it all but she is quite persistent I must say. Despite knowing that Taimur’s family is against her, Nazneen kept on giving edge to Taimur, which made it look like she was sickly enjoying the fact that a guy was chasing after her & was ready to forsake every relation that he had, for her. I don’t know what to make of Nazneen’s story though? Just because she failed at marriages & failed at love, does it mean she doesn’t want Taimur to go through the heart break because of which she is accepting his love? Let’s see if Taimur will be able to walk the talk!
Finally, the thing I so wanted Shahzeb to realize made it to his mind, which was Nigar Begum & her love for him. Shahzeb finally understood why despite giving it all, he could never win over Nazneen. It was because he himself once let down someone who loved him with all his heart. I am really liking Shahzeb’s journey whereas this was one such character that didn’t really appeal to me much in the beginning but his evolvement & journey is impressive. Shahzeb has just started his journey of self-discovery & spirituality & just in the beginning he got his answers as to what he did wrong for which he had to face such a tragic heart break. I am sure this will make Shahzeb even stronger!
Rani is trying hard to live such a life where the shadows of her past don’t chase her present & future but she really has no idea what she got herself into because no matter what she will do or wherever she will go, she will always be faced with the fact that she was once a courtesan & that is too heavy of a burden for her especially now when she has become a mother. Rani actually thought she will never live a moment of regret in her life but now all her life is filled with regrets & sadly, she can not undo anything. Barkat found out that even her husband knew what Rani did & where she went after she left her parents’ place but still even though she is heart broken & disappointed, being a mother she just wants to be reunited with her daughter Rani!
Well, I don’t know why I got a feeling that Arsalan will end up dying, just a gut feeling but I feel that Shaheer won’t let Arsalan & Zimmal get married, let’s see!
Overall, not as good as it used to be but still recent episodes of Alif Allah Aur Insaan have improved a great deal. The direction seems better & so does the acting. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Alif Allah Aur Insaan.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
In the year 2017 few artists and film makers were seen after a gap of few years on big screen. The comeback on big screen was pleasant for some of them or in some cases it was not much successful.
Here is a compilation of the artists who made a comeback in films, where I have chosen of gap of three or more years as the criteria of the comeback. The list includes artists, writers and directors. Name of Shaan Shahid is added twice in this compilation; as an actor and director.
Ainny Jaffri
Ainny Jaffri’s first film was Mein Hoon Shahid Afridi released in August 2013 in which she appeared as second heroine. After a gap of almost four years, her second film Balu Mahi as lead heroine released in February 2017. Paired opposite Osman Khalid Butt, Balu Mahi failed to perform at the Box office. Thus Ainny’s return to the big screen is not a successful one.
Qavi Khan
Qavi Khan is a seasoned artist of theater, radio, films and television. He returned to big screen with a supporting role from the film Mehrunnisa V Lub U (MVLU) released on Eidul Fitr on 26th June 2017. Though the film proved successful his role has limited screen space and his potential was not fully utilized by the director.
Dr. Hassan Waqas Rana
Dr. Hassan Waqas Rana rose to fame when his debut films as producer Waar proved block buster in 2013 and became the highest earning Pakistani film of all times. Soon after the success of Waar, Dr. Hassan Waqar and the director Bilal Lashari developed some differences and parted their ways. In December 2013, Dr. Hassan Waqas announced his second film Yalghaar as director,producer and actor. After three and half years of production Yalghaar finally released in June 2017. Yalghaar marked the comeback of Dr. Hassan Waqas as producer and debut as director. The business of Yalghaar was below expectations and it failed to recover its costs. The direction and acting of Dr. Hassan Waqas in the film was also not much impressive.
Shaan Shahid (As Actor)
Shaan Shahid is undoubdtedly the only superstar of big screen of current era. Shaan is a brand identity of Pakistani Cinema. Shaan’s last film was O21 released in October 2014 which was not much successful. After a gap of almost three years Shaan’s next film Yalghaar is released on Eidul Fitr on 26th June 2017. Yalghaar was a multi-star cast film and presence of so many characters impacted all the characters in the film. Like all the other characters in the film, his character was also not fully discovered. Yalghaar is definitely not the best work of Shaan. Though Yalghaar earned around 20 crore which is a more than handsome earning at the limited screens of Pakistan but it failed to recover its expenses and thus proved a loss for the producer and the distributor.
Adil Murad
Adil Murad is the son of the late great Waheed Murad. As a teenager Adil worked as hero in his debut film Raja Sahib in 1996. Raja Sahib proved flop and Adil never worked further in any film. After a gap of two decades (21 years to be precise) Adil returned to big screen with Syed Noor’s Chain Aaye Na (CAN) released on 11th August 2017. Adil appeared as villain in this film opposite debutant Sarrish Khan. CAN proved a box office disaster and Adil’s return was not memorable though his own performance was satisfactory.
Syed Noor (Director/Writer)
Syed Noor has been a pillar of the dwindling film industry based in Lahore in 1990s. His film in 1990s helped the film industry to survive another decade before film making in Lahore completely halted in the mid 2000’s. In 1990s his films Jeeva, Sargam, Sangam, Ghoonghat, Chor Machaye Shor, Hawain, Choorian revived the film business. 1990s will surely be remembered as the decade of Syed Noor in the film history of Pakistan.
Syed Noor’s last Urdu film Jhoomer was released in 2007, while his last Punjabi film was Shareeka in 2013. This year Syed Noor returned to big screen with the Urdu film Chain Aaye Na (CAN) released on 11th August 2017. Since its trailer release in June 2017, CAN was heavily criticized on social media and online showbiz blogs. The film production style was outdated, acting, treatment, choreography, music all aspects failed to impress. Syed Noor tried to reuse the success formula of 1980s and 1990s which failed badly. The multiplex’s audience of current era are quite different from the single screen cinema’s audience of past and perhaps Syed Noor failed to predict this huge audience gap. The audience paying ticket price of Rs. 500 – 700 perhaps has different demandsfrom the past year single screen crowd paying Rs. 20-50 per ticket. Thus Syed Noor’s comeback to the big screen was quite disappointing.
Khalilur Rehman Qamar (Writer)
Khalilur Rehman Qamar is a writer who also directed and acted on television. He wrote films as well as dramas. He joined the film industry in the late 1990s when film making in Lahore was near its extinction. He wrote films Qarz (Urdu-1997), Ishq Na Puchay Zaat (Punjabi-Unreleased), Nikki Jai Haan (Punjabi-1999) and Koi Tujh Sa Kahan (Urdu-2005).
After a gap of around 12 years he again wrote a film Punjab Nahin Jaungi (PNJ) released on 1st September 2017. PNJ proved smashing hit, the most successful film of the year 2017. KRQ’s dialogs and script proved the major highlight of the film. The story of the film was relatively simple but the well crafted characters, situations and powerful dialogs made it a worthwhile watch. KRQ’s return to the big screen was definitely impactful and cemented his place as a successful film writer.
Saba Hameed
Saba Hameed is a seasoned artists who worked on television and theater since 1979. Saba has worked in very few films. Her debut film was Main Ek Din Laut Ke Aoungaa (2007) in which she played the role of Humayun Saeed’s mother. Her second film was Good Morning Karachi (2013) in which she played the role of mother of the heroine Aamna Ilyas. Saba returned to big screen in 2017 with the film Punjab Nahin Jaungi, where she again appeared as mother of Humayun Saeed. Saba’s character was colorful and well etched out. She indeed did justice to the role and the success of the film made it a memorable comeback.
Waseem Abbas
Waseem Abbas is a well known face who worked on theatre, television and films. His debut film was Manzil in 1981 paired opposite Babra Sharif. Without much success Waseem Abbas worked around 15 Urdu and Punjabi films till 1992. His last was Mera Inteqam (Punjabi) released in 1992.
Waseem Abbas continued working on television and theater and in 2017 also made a comeback on the big screen. After a gap of 25 years he appeared in Punjab Nahin Jaungi (PNJ) as father of Humayun Saeed and husband of Saba Hameed. He completely justified his selection and owned his character in PNJ.
Sohail Ahmad
Sohail Ahmad is a famous name of commercial theater who occassionally worked in films and television. From past one decade Sohail pioneered a new genre of comedy current affair show on television in which plays the character of Azizi. His show Hasbe Haal is still popular.
Sohail worked in few films in 1990s in supporting roles. He also made a comeback to the big screen from PNJ. He did complete justice to his role as the grandfather of Humayun Saeed.
Shoaib Mansoor
Shoaib Mansoor is known for his selective and quality work. His first film as a director was Khuda Ke Liye in 2007 while Bol (2011) was his second film. With a decade long career in film making his third film Verna released this year.
His films are not mainstream commercial films and mostly covers the dark social issues. Despite the dark theme his script is not too preachy and conveniently delivers the intended message. However Verna proved a disappointment on many levels when compared to the previous two films of Shoaib. So the comeback of Shoaib received mixed response.
Rasheed Naz
Rasheed Naz is a seasoned artist who has worked in the films and dramas. His most prominent role in the Urdu films was the role of a religious leader in Khuda Kay Liye (KKL) in 2007. After KKL, he has not worked in any prominent role in any Urdu film. Rasheed returned to Urdu cinema with Verna. Unlike KKL here his role was brief as a cunning lawyer which he successfully delivered.
So it concludes the list of comebacks in the films released till November 2017. The films releasing in the month of the December are scheduled in the last week on 21st December and 29th December. The artists who will make comebacks from these films are mentioned next. Since these films are not yet released it is too early to comment whether the comeback is successful or not.
Tanveer Jamal
Tanveer Jamal is also a seasoned artists who have worked in many television plays since 1990. Tanveer has worked in only one film to date which was Zor (1998). Zor was directed by Syed Noor and Tanveer Jamal played a supporting role in it.
After almost two decades (19 years to be precise), Tanveer Jamal is returning to Urdu films from Rangreza releasing on 21st December 2017. Tanveer Jamal is playing the role of the father of Gohar Rasheed in this film.
Shaan Shahid (As Director)
Shaan Shahid also made a comeback as a director in 2017 with Arth The Destination(December 2017). Shaan started his career as a director from the Urdu film Guns N Roses Ek Junoon in 1999 which performed average at the box office. His second film as director, Mujhe Chaand Chahiye (2000) proved super hit and his most successful film as director. Moosa Khan (2001) and Daku (2002) were his two other Urdu films as director. In 2009 he directed Zille Shah, his first Punjabi film as a director.
With Arth The Destination, Shaan is returning to the direction after a gap of almost 8 years. Arth The Destination is a remake of Indian film Arth released in 1982.
As an actor Shaan has successfully transitioned into the new age Urdu cinema from the old defunct cinema. While many other names of 1990s cinema like Syed Noor, Sangeeta, Syed Faisal Bukhari have failed to get themselves aligned with the new age cinema, Shaan has been successful in both 1990s and now.
As a director, Arth The Destination will decide whether Shaan is also successful as a director in this new era of cinema or not.
Sakina Sammo
Sakina Sammo is a polished and versatile artist of our country who started her acting career from the PTV Karachi center. She rose to nation wide fame in the 1980s from dramas like Jungle and Deewarain. Back in 1980s Sakina also worked in few Urdu films like Badla in 1987. It was a time when Urdu cinema was declining while the success of the regional cinema of Punjabi and Pashto has eclipsed the Urdu cinema as well. Sakina never worked in any further films.
After a gap of almost three decades Sakina is returning to the big screen through film Chuppan Chupai releasing on the 29th December 2017. The film will release in few weeks time, and hopefully Sakina will make a memorable comeback and continue working in films.
Ahsan Khan
Ahsan Khan has been active in the films and television from mid 1990s. He started his career from films and with decline in the film production shifted his focus to television. His last film in a prominent role was the Punjabi film Ishq Khuda (2013). He then appeared in a cameo in film Sultanat (2015).
Ahsan Khan is also returning to the big screen in the lead role from Chuppan Chupai due to release on 29th December 2017. Ahsan Khan is paired with Neelum Munir in this film.
So it concludes my compilation of the comebacks in films in 2017. It is really encouraging to see that some polished names of our showbiz like Saba Hameed, Waseem Abbas, Rasheed Naz, Sakina Sammo, Khalilur Rehman Qamar have returned to the Urdu cinema. Hopefully the film makers provide these and other artists with meatier roles.
On the other end, the most discouraging comeback was made by Syed Noor who wasted the producer’s resources on a film like CAN. The treatment and execution of CAN was quite out dated and was not at par with the films of current era. Syed Noor has a legacy of his own, so he should either improve his film making style or restrict himself to writing only.
Another disappointing comeback was of Shoaib Mansoor who is known for his selected work. Verna is definitely his weakest work to date.
The return of Dr Hassan Waqas Rana as a producer (debut as director) was also not much impressive. As Yalghaar has many loopholes in all the areas.
Do comment about which comeback was the most impressive? Which artists you want to see again in the films?
Thanks for your time and reading
Rashid Nazir Ali
Hira Tareen and Ali Safina tied the knot three years ago in December, 2014 after an year long engagement. Both are gaining success in their respective careers with Hira getting roles in so many serials of today while Ali Safina is best known from his character in Takay Ki Ayegi Barat.
The couple has just been blessed with a lovely little girl today. They are overjoyed at being parents for the first time. Ali shared the news on his Facebook page today;
May the little blessing continue to be a source of happiness for her parents forever.
Every year has its own share of awesome trends, unimpressive trends and downright cringe worthy trends. A lot of them carry over from the previous years and while they should have died a natural death there and then, they still remain popular among people. They might not even look very pleasing to the eye but still keep on thriving because we have the natural tendency to gravitate towards styles that are seen on models and actresses, no matter how silly they look even on them.
Here is a list of some trends that popped up here and there throughout 2107 but they were always an aesthetic mistake, a blooper or just plain unsettling.
What had basically started as a comic expression in the last few years has now become a kind of mandatory thing for selfies. However, it still looks goofy and uncalled for. There is no point in holding a camera a few inches from your face and pouting, making a duck face or air kissing. I mean, literally no point unless you are doing it for your niece or nephew or some other small family member
It is always nice to add western pieces to your wardrobe but if they go totally against the cultural norms, then its no intelligent fusion, but merely cheap imitation. This year, there was an influx of skirts and skimpy dresses from our local designers which did not look well, either on celebrities or on young girls who wanted to follow them.
HD brows were the in thing this year and they definitely make you look younger and fresher than your years. However, the trend went overboard when some makeup artists filled in and extended the eyebrows a little more than necessary. They looked overly prominent, rather than natural which was what had inspired this trend in the first place.
These annoying filters which make normal human beings look like characters from the Animal Kingdom or the pots and plants in the garden, were here to stay this year as well. If anything, they increased in frequency and popularity. Nonetheless, it still looked ridiculous and degrading for people to modify their faces into cats or dogs or wear garlands get their message across.
Another silly trend which popped up in many faces like cold shoulder, low neck and shoulder lines and off shoulder tops this year also did not look pleasing to the eye. There is something unsettling about exposing skin this way and while each to their own, these types of dresses are not what you would like to add in your wardrobe.
The gothic trend of black lipstick came back this year after many many years and while it has come a long way in becoming better looking, there is still no hope for it to stay in your makeup stash, especially if you do make up for looking beautiful, fresh and soft. Who can do that with black lipstick, no matter how matte and cool it is.
The variety and hues of sunglasses this year have been refreshingly amazing and they are one of the best accessories to immediately uplift any outfit and mood. However, some types of shades that make you look like an optician or a visually impaired person or even Kabacha may look different and hip but certainly not beautiful and classy. For that you have to stick to some forms of retro glasses and not venture too far ahead into the goofy side of showcase. See, they didn’t even suit Saba Qamar.
I don’t know who originally thought of it that grooms should look more like brides, after all it’s their special day too, but a lot of designers have jumped onto the bandwagon and produced masterpieces like this one. Please don’t get offended, as these two are the current heartthrobs of Pakistan, but there is still nothing classy or trendy or modern or lovable about the bride and groom appearing in similar dresses; same embellishments, same formal fabric and even same dupattas. What is left? Some makeup and back combing and then it will the proud moment to celebrate gender equality !!!
The messy bun has remained very popular this year, and for good reason. What can be more empowering and liberating for a woman than to throw up her hair in a messy bun and still look stylish? True, but the messiness needs to be controlled. Too messy and you can easily fall into the untidy category, rather than cool and casual which was the original inspiration.
This year make up has been all about contouring and highlighting and sculpting your face. That changes the whole bone structure of your face. However, you still need to be cautious about the highlighter and use it sparingly. It should look like natural light fell on your face, rather than you applied shimmer with a very heavy hand. Some makeup artists have started highlighting quite a lot and when natural or artificial light falls there, the faces look anything but natural.
Do share with us if you got inspired by any trend this year, only to realize later that it did not even suit the model for it, so what hope do we mere mortals have !!
Dil Nawaz is a slave and she is following Alam Ara’s orders since forever. But the new twist to the story has finally put Dil Nawaz on the front foot and she has taken it in stride very easily. Alam Ara has long been her manipulator but she is not going to live very long. Her cancer will totally change the game for every character because she has enslaved not only Dil Nawaz but her sister too. Jahan Ara is the one who finds out that Alam Ara is suffering from cancer but she chooses not to tell her. Alam Ara has been shown as a truly obsessed character. Despite her condition, she is still only interested in getting money so she could buy abba jee ke khawabon ka gharr. Hats off to the writer of Dil Nawaz for making such beautiful characters. The way he has etched out the complexities of each character should be applauded. You will dislike a character in one second and will feel for him/her in the other. Even Alam Ara’s obsession is to keep her father’s name alive and she is trying to do it by hook or by crook.
Dil Nawaz has come on the front foot now. She is making herself known, as well as, is okay with destroying anything or anybody who will come between Fawad and her. She has fallen in love with him and will not let him go even if she has to disobey Alam Ara. Though Alam Ara wanted to keep her illness under wraps but Dil Nawaz knows now that she is weak and she will now never let Fawad go. She will go to any lengths to save her love. The writer nailed it here by not making her character consider her surroundings or consequences like a human would do, like Kiran did. She is a supernatural entity, wanting something and she will just go straight for it.
Jahan Ara is also coming out of her shell and sought help from the guy she loved, Tauseef. She is a normal person and is still sanely trying to help Alam Ara in this situation. She loves her sister and is trying to save her regardless of what Alam Ara did to her life.
Kiran is still confused though Baba Jee is giving her open clues that she has to do something. She is deceiving herself as well as her fiance. Her fiance seems like a nice person and offered to help solve the mystery she is indulged in. Maybe she will end up asking for his help in the coming episodes because there is no useless character in this drama. The writer even used Mariya’s character beautifully to showcase Dil Nawaz’s obsession with Fawad.
Dil Nawaz has actually set a standard for supernatural content in Pakistani entertainment. No one will levitate, no scary faces and still you will get hooked to the screen. Everyone has played their character to perfection and loved Neelam Muneer in every scene. She has managed to feel scary and look good at the same time which is truly a feat. Simply one of her best performances till date.
Looking forward to the next episode and waiting for Kiran’s character to come to terma with the situation. How did you people find Dil Nawaz?
So this episode was essentially the same as last one, except a few minor developments like Hadi has become more vocal about his interest in Khaani and his parents’ doubt has turned into certainty that their boy is after more trouble now.
Khaani on the other hand is busy in fulfilling her duties that she is shouldering after her brother’s death and her father’s paralysis. She has snubbed Hadi time and again but he is following her around the town, stalking her on her jobs and imagining her in his mind everywhere. He is thoroughly obsessed but we got to know it in the last episode as well. One interesting thing that stood out was the fact that till now, Khaani is a lot of things to him like his obsession and a threat to his feelings of power but he does not love her in the true sense of the word. He is basically just harassing her to clear the confusion in his mind as to how this girl cannot be deathly afraid of him. Later, Khaani was reminiscing his words but shockingly, she was not angry that he even thought of being in love with her after killing her brother in cold blood, she was merely thoughtful and worried. The promo also showed that he is genuinely concerned when his father tried to kill her and even wanted to take his life at his father’s attempt to murder her. These two scenes are giving inklings that Mir Hadi might eventually be the protagonist in this play.
Rest of the episode was strictly average and repetitive. This scene has been shown to death in Khaani’s household that one or the other of her younger sisters mention Sarim and the whole family is reduced to tears. While their loss certainly is not forgettable, showing the same thing again and again does not do the audience any favors, especially since Sana and Sara are both acting quite unimpressively. Sana Javed is doing a good job though she is still more made up and blow dried than her circumstances are shown. How does she get the time and money, working two jobs to help support her family who depend on her income for making the ends meet.
Sitara, Sonia, Mir Shah, Ali were all their own usual selves and there was not further development in any character, lead or not..
stay tuned to see what happens next week.
This was another episode of Mujhe Jeenay Du which made it impossible for me to feel for the characters and relating to their stories was next to impossible. Right now the writer is trying to show how Naseeb used one woman and now he is using Saira even though she is not comfortable getting physical with him. Although Mehreen Raheal’s acting is the only good thing about this drama right now but watching Shaheena play the victim doesn’t quite fit in. She didn’t make any sacrifices for Naseeb and neither was she honest with him. She always used to make Saira do all the work and then lied to Naseeb so many times to get Saira into trouble therefore even though Saira is suffering too but this is Karma. There was a time when Yasmin gave her the option of waiting for Naseeb to divorce Saira but she thought that she could easily dominate Saira and take over the house. Now that Saira is older and beautiful, Naseeb feels attracted towards her and doesn’t feel the same way about Shaheena. This change in Naseeb’s character is something entirely new and it also shows that Naseeb never really loved Shaheena but chose to marry her because he needed a woman in his life.
The latest development in the story was handled just as casually as every other important development in the past few weeks. After staying in her bed for a day Saira figured out she had no choice and later on she once again turned to her childhood friend for solace and support. Saira of course had no choice but showing that Saira is dreaming about Shabo and wishing some day she could be with him just ruins the overall impact her story could have had. Her track lacks depth and the viewers are not being shown what a girl in her situation would actually go through. The most strange part of these latest developments is that Saira never goes to see Yasmin. Although they are still living in the same village yet both these tracks have been covered in such a way that it seems like Yasmin has moved elsewhere and is not accessible. Just like all the other wonderful characters I fell in love with in the first 10 weeks of this show, Yasmin’s character too has also lost its significance completely. Although she was there for Shaheena when she needed her but Yasmin was a central character in the story therefore she should have been a part of every episode and her contribution to the story at this point was crucial.
Mohammadu and Shaheena’s track also took a new turn with this episode. Just like Saira, she also wanted a mobile phone although when she asked Mohammadu to do her a favor, I thought she was going to ask him to kill Saira! Mohammadu finally managed to convince Shaheena that he really was her well wisher and it is difficult to predict where this track will go from here. No one talked about Saira’s father’s murder in this episode therefore it remains to be seen if that development will impact the story in any way or not.
The story has gone completely off track since it progressed to the next phase and the characters which were once the lifeline of this show have lost their charm. Some of the characters which were introduced as central characters have been relegated to the background for no reason. Right now, Mujhe Jeenay Du isn’t highlighting any of the issues which it was meant to highlight which is the most disappointing aspect since I had really high hopes from this play especially because it started off so brilliantly.
How many of you watched this episode? Do share your thoughts about it
Mahira Khan has just performed in a social issue based story. Verna, her latest project was dark and showed the trials and tribulations of a rape survivor in our society. Shaan Shahid as everyone knows is a very blunt person and mostly speaks out what he thinks. This time he has given Mahira some advice. According to him, Mahira should not be doing very dark and heavy projects. Look at what he said:
What do you think about Shaan’s words? Share in comments!
Moomal Khalid is a Pakistani actress who is often seen in dramas playing different roles. The beautiful actress got married to model Usman Patel yesterday. She looked ethereal in an orange-red lehenga while Usman adorned a traditional golden sherwani. Here are the pictures from the ceremony:
We wish the couple a happy married life ahead!
Saawan, directed by Farhan Alam and written and produced by Mashood Qadri, is based on a true story of a disabled child who lives in a valley in the mountains of Balochistan is rejected by his father, intimidated by society, harassed by friends and left alone due to his disability.
The Pakistani Academy Selection Committee had selected the film to be submitted for Oscar consideration in the ‘Foreign Language Film Award’ category at the 90th Academy Awards, stated a press release but Pakistani film Saawan did not make the cut for the upcoming 2018 Oscars.
Tho the film was internationally celebrated and won many accolades including Best Foreign Language Feature Film award at the Madrid International Film Festival 2017 and the Best Film and Best Soundtrack Award at Salento International Film Festival in Italy.
Team Saawan is not looking at this as a defeat since they were competing against the best from all around the globe.
The shortlisted films for the Foreign Language Film category for Oscars at this time include: A Fantastic Woman (Chile), In the Fade (Germany), On Body and Soul (Hungary), Foxtrot (Israel), The Insult (Lebanon), Loveless (Russia), Felicite (Senegal), The Wound (South Africa) and The Square (Sweden).
Final nominations for all categories be announced on January 23, 2018. The Oscars ceremony will be held on March 4, 2018.
Feel like adding something to the story?
UN Women, is the UN organisation dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, has no specific agenda but to grab the opportunity to spread awareness against social norms surrounding gender roles, domestic sexism and mental and physical abuse.
The cast of Arth – The Destination or Arth 2: Shaan Shahid, Humaima Malick, Uzma Hassan and Mohib Mirza are on a similar mission. Team Arth has collaborated with the United Nations to launch a campaign called #EndViolenceAgainstWomen to speak up on and spread awareness regarding various forms of abuse – in order to terminate violence against women and girls.
Uzma Hassan who is playing the role formerly played by Shabana Azmi in the 1982 classic spoke on the respective subject explaining,
“When we speak of abuse, never does it occur to us that the concept of it could involve emotional havoc or embroil the internal sentimentality of a person or his/her psyche.”
She continued on to say,
“The mental image of abuse itself is that of a physical strike. But that’s not where it begins. Before it takes that form, a woman goes through psychological and emotional distress. That is what we need to speak of and that is where we need to begin our stories from.”
Shedding further light onto the subject, Humaima Malick elucidated,
“And to speak on this aspect of abuse is no minor a matter as the idea of it has always been misperceived. It’s about time that the victims start speaking up and unveiling their stories.”
Humaima also questioned,
“Who better than a woman who has been a victim of abuse to take a stand for herself and her rights? This is what motivates us to lead this campaign and empower women, whether they’re victims of not.”
Mohib Mirza, one of the lead characters of the film, frankly stated,
“We think that we have a right on other people’s lives. Sadly, that’s how we have been brought up. We feel absolute freedom in imposing our judgment on others, especially upon women. Such are the acts constituting and strengthening patriarchy in the society for a very long time now. We witness it but we don’t realise how poisonous it is.”
Speaking on the matter Shaan added,
“Arth is not just a piece of art. It speaks on actual issues, highlights real-life facts and reflects struggles that artists go through in their journey of life, especially female artists,”
The actor-director concluded,
“In comparison, a male artist does not face as many hurdles as female artists do. The added patriarchy, apart from the rest of the career struggles, always gets in their way. It is not just unfair to the artists but also to womanhood as a whole. And we want to focus on exposing this reality and changing mindsets so that women don’t continue to suffer anymore. Gender equality must be achieved.”
We wish team Arth great success for the movie and this campaign, way to go folks!
We all remember how viral this wedding went last year around this time, Urwa Hocane and Farhan Saeed’s wedding was trending all over social media and this year it’s going to be the sizzling hot photo shoot that the star couple had to celebrate their one year of matrimony.
The star couple started their celebrations with adorable posts for each other on their Instagram accounts.
The Jal front man took to Instagram to share his feelings for his wife and wrote, “One year has passed by and my love for you just keeps increasing. Thank you for everything you do for me, for us!I promise you that I will love you with all my heart and will keep you protected, always and forever! Happy Anniversary Baby!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcwCOWPlg-F/
Like husband like wifey, Urwa took to her Instagram and captioned one of her nikkah pictures with “Happy anniversary, Partner in Crime, Dance and Life – I Love You!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcwy_MRARtO/
After all this came the photoshoot that is one of a kind and is meant to give you some serious couple goals.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcxTpgVA5AM/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcxHXEDAsBv/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcxR0GYl8dB/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcxlU56l-ym/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcxNfvDlaBA/
This is all for now but we’re hoping to see more pictures from the shoot in coming days.
Hum Tv is all set to bring forth a new drama serial from the 22nd of December, called Parchayee. The lead roles are played by Sabreen Hisbani, Minal Khan and Hammad Farooqui. The story seems to be a mother daughter tale entwined in unpredictable circumstances.
The first teaser is about a mother getting married and scorned as a bride, torn between motherhood and her newly found responsibilities.
https://www.facebook.com/Parchayee/videos/1288912187881586/
In another one, Minal is making a Rangoli while she and Hammad promise a life of love to eachother.
https://www.facebook.com/Parchayee/videos/1288912187881586/
The last one looks like an ugly misunderstanding between the couple where the Hammad is angry enough to leave her Minal stranded on the footpath alone in pouring skies.
https://www.facebook.com/Parchayee/videos/1288913527881452/
Mahira Khan had gained immense popularity after she was signed against the the King Khan of Bollywood for Raees, by Rahul Dholakia. However, things got tense between India and Pakistan after the Uri attacks, prior to the its release and that resulted in missing of promotions by Mahira Khan.
Mahira however bore no grudge and took it all in a stride. In a recent interview, expressing her views on working in Bollywood and then being banned from promotional events, she said, “Whether it was Shah Rukh Khan or Rahul or Ritesh Sidhwani or Farhan Akhtar, they all have been so amazing. At the end of the day, it’s about films, which is bigger than all of us combined. The film needed to be released. The film had to do well. They were all amazing. They still are.”
Rahul Dholakia truly appreciated her dedication and optimism and blamed his people for turning against her. He tweeted,
Burka Avenger has been ruling Pakistani cinema since its release as one of the best animated Urdu movies. Now it has got another feather in its cap. The series was awarded the Art & Design Award at the 3rd edition of the National Innovation Awards, 2017 in Karachi.
This has been a great achievement as the series has also won the prestigious Peabody Award as well. Speaking of this new recognition, the director Haroon said, “It is an incredible honor to receive this award and it is a great effort by the Pakistan Innovation Foundation to encourage innovation in the country. Burka Avenger is a 100% made Pakistani product and it only became possible due to the hard work of the incredible team at Unicorn Black.”
This episode of Shayyad was extremely convincing because every aspect of the story was covered flawlessly. From Hani and Saad’s relationship to Salar’s intentions, all the developments were written and executed well. This episode also revealed Mahpara’s story’s background and the reason why she is a spinster. The best part of this drama so far is that the characters are not black and white, with the exception of Salar’s character which so far appears to be the bad guy only. I am waiting to find out why he is so controlling and also the reason why he is so bitter towards his mother in particular. Although Salar’s character isn’t the least bit likeable but Nauman Ijaz is absolutely phenomenal as Salar, every single expression tonight was timed perfectly and his body language is always completely in line with the character that he is playing.
The most important development in this episode was that Saad’s plan backfired. The reason for this was that Salar was willing to do anything at all to make sure that he got married to Hani. Salar’s conversation with his mother clearly indicated that his sole purpose right now is to make Hani his wife, after that he does not plan to go out of his way to make this marriage work. Salar is someone who is used to owning whatever he likes therefore when he felt that his marriage with Hani might be in jeopardy, he decided to change the date of the wedding.
The way Salar kept on insisting that Hani couldn’t possibly be happy because he wasn’t happy with this marriage showed how convinced he was that Hani felt the same way about him too. Saad finally revealed to Hani that for him she wasn’t just a good friend but since this was another one of those vague indications therefore I am wondering if Hani still knows what he actually meant. Before this, Hani asked him if he had done something wrong or if he was hiding something because she still didn’t have a clue why Salar was so upset. Everything is happening quickly now therefore no one has the time to pause and think why Salar is behaving like this. I especially liked the scene in which Saad tried to tell his father the truth. Although he mustered up the courage to tell his father what he had done but his father’s reaction changed everything. Had he told his father the truth, the focus would have shifted to him and the entire situation would have been even more complicated.
Overall this was an emotional episode but there were some light-hearted moments in this episode as well. Dada and Mahpara’s scene was one such scene. This was the kind of episode which keeps you at the edge of your seat because it was impossible to predict what the outcome of different developments would be. Few scenes of this episode reminded me of Dil Banjara, especially the turn in Mahpara’s track and the whole issue of dividing the assets just before marriage. Sadia Khan’s wooden acting once again stood out like a sore thumb. Her dialogue delivery is weak and her body language stiff. While all the other actors are doing complete justice to their characters, Sadia Khan continuously keeps the viewers wondering whether or not she will be able to translate the challenges Hani is going to face in the future realistically on screen in the upcoming episodes. Right now Hani’s character isn’t a difficult one to portray but even then she is constantly struggling.
How many of you watched tonight’s episode? Don’t forget to share your thoughts about it.
The year 2017 has been a mixed year for Pakistani cinema. Many new comers as well as established artists started their silver screen career this year. While it was successful for some, for few it proved a bumpy ride. Here is a compilation of names who started their big screen journey in the year 2017. The list includes the prominent artists, directors and writers. Adding the name of all the debutants of 2017 will make a huge list, so only prominent names are included here.
All the names are listed in the chronological order (from January 2017 – December 2017). The films in the month of December are releasing in the very last week, but the names of debutants in the December’s film are also included in this article.
Bilal Abbas Khan
Bilal Abbas Khan has rose to fame in a short span of time, by working in some prominent dramas. Bilal also started his silver screen career this year from Thora Jee Le (TJL). TJL was the first Pakistani film released in the 2017 in the month of January. TJL proved an immature attempt of film making and was heavily criticized by the critics as well as cine goers. Bilal played the main lead and his performance was satisfactory, but not enough to save the disjointed film like Thora Jee Le.
Rizwan Ali Jaffri
Rizwan Ali Jaffri is a model, actor and singer active in showbiz for past many years. His debut film TJL released in 2017. TJL was not successful and so does Rizwan Ali Jaffri. His performance as the lead in the film was quite immature. He looked stiff and pointless throughout the film
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Ramsha Khan
Ramsha Khan is a new comer working in many television dramas. Her debut film TJL released in 2017. Though the film failed but Ramsha’s performance was satisfactory in the film and she confidently carried the role of a working woman as well a mother of one daughter.
Haisam Hussain
Haisam Hussain is a trademark in itself who directed some marvelous dramas like Dastan. After television, Haisam also directed his first film Balu Mahi release in the February 2017. Technically his first Urdu film was Bin Roye (2015) which he left midway and later the film was completed by Shahzad Kashmiri and Momina Duraid and the credits of Bin Roye also mentioned these two as director.
Haisam Hussain did complete justice to Balu Mahi and his direction was praised by all the prominent film critics, bloggers and film writers. However despite this Balu Mahi failed to register any considerable success at the box office. The timing of the film clashed with Pakistan Super League (PSL), the premier sporting event of our country which could be a major factor the film struggled at the box office.
Sadaf Kanwal
Sadaf Kanwal is a leading model of recent years. She also started her big screen journey from the film Balu Mahi as the second heroine. Though Balu Mahi failed at the box office, Sadaf Kanwal looked pretty and glamorous on big screen and have the aura of a big screen star.
Sahir Lodhi
Sahir Lodhi is one of the prominent personality known more for their controversies rather achievements. Sahir is a multi-dimensional personality. After writing, direction, hosting, singing, acting on television,radio hosting Sahir finally bestowed the silver screen through Raasta released in March 2017. Sahir made multiple debuts as lead hero, director, writer, producer of Raasta. Sahir also announced to use all the profit of Rasta for charity as well as to further produce a prequel/sequel of Raasta.
Sahir has a huge following as his television shows get ratings as well considerable followers on the social media. But all those fans turned a cold shoulder towards Raasta as it proved a disaster at box office. Sahir’s pleasant dream of ruling the big screen (like he is ruling the tv, radio, social media etc.) proved a nightmare. Raasta was heavily criticized by the film critics and bloggers and in return Sahir also blasted away all the critics through live press conferences on social media and his television show. Sahir declared the film critics as agents of neighboring country India who do not want the local film industry to prosper as well insulting those who watched Raasta.
Abeer Rizvi
Abeer Rizi is a model who appeared as heroine in Raasta alongside Sahir Lodhi. Raasta was a disaster and Abeer Rizvi’s performance was wooden in the film.
Saeeda Imtiaz
Saeed Imtiaz is an American-Pakistani model, she also appeared in her first Pakistani film which was Raasta. Saeeda performed on a dance number which was quite tasteless like the rest of the film. Saeeda has earlier worked in an unreleased film Kaptaan in which she played the role of Jemima Goldsmith.
Aijaz Aslam
Aijaz Aslam is working on television for past two decades. Aijaz appeared in a cameo in Mein Hoon Shahid Afridi (2013). His first film in a prominent role was Raasta where he appeared as the elder brother of Sahir Lodhi. Aijaz’s performance was satisfactory in the role of a Police inspector in Raasta though the film bombed at the box office.
Saima Azhar
Saima Azhar is a model who appeared as second heroine in the film Raasta. Raasta was all about Sahir Lodhi and Saima has a limited screen presence in the film.
Syra Yousaf
Syra Yousaf is actively working in dramas from past many years. Syra’s first big screen appearance was in a cameo role in Ho Mann Jahan (2016). This year her first film in the lead role Chalay thay Saath released in April 2017. Syra was paired opposite Canadian-Chinese artist Kent S. Leong.
CTS was beautifully shot in the Gilgit Baltistan region and was based on Pakistan China friendship. CTS failed to perform well on the box office and Syra’s performance was also strictly OK.
Mansha Pasha
Mansha Pasha has been active on television for past many years. Mansha also started her big screen career from Chalay Thay Saath as the second lead artist in the film. CTS was not a success but Mansha Pasha’s performance was fine.
Osama Tahir
Osama Tahir works in television dramas and he also made debut from Chalay Thay Saath, paired opposite Mansha Pasha.
Sana Javed
Sana Javed has been active on television for past few years. She also started her big screen career from Mehrunnisa V Lub U (MVLU) released in June 2017. MVLU proved successful and Sana surely looked pretty as Mehrunnisa. But being the leading lady of the film she has very less screen time and dialogs and the characterization was not impressive.
Ahmad Taha Ghani
Ahmad Taha Ghani started his big screen career from Yalghaar, a film which has far too many characters and artists. Ahmad Taha Ghani played the role of a solider paired with Uzma Khan. His performance was satisfactory in the film.
Naeem Haque
Naeem Haque has acted in few dramas and also appeared in his first film Yalghaar this year. He played the negative role alongside the main antagonist Humayun Saeed. Yalghaar was flooded with characters, none of which flourished to make the desired impact.
Sana Bucha
Sana Bucha, a journalist who also hosted a current affairs show for many years ventured into acting from Yalghaar in June 2017. She played the role of a journalist in the film. Yalghaar was a multi star cast film where none of the cast member get a chance to flourish. She was paired with Shaan Shahid and her performance was satisfactory.
Adnan Siddiqi
Adnan Siddiqi is a seasoned name active in showbiz for more than 25 years. Adnan also worked in his first Pakistani film Yalghaar in 2017. He played the role of an army officer whose whereabouts were unclear in the film (like many other characters in the film). Like many other artists he was wasted in Yalghaar.
Aleeze Nasserr
Aleeze Nasser is an artist of Pakistani and Turkish ancestry. Aleeze worked in her first Urdu film from Yalghaar. She appeared as the wife of Adnan Siddiqi and has very few scenes in which she struggled to impress.
Atiya Khan
Atiya Khan is a model of 1990s who also acts on television. Atiya also worked in her first film Yalghaar this year. She appeared as wife of Aashir Azeem a senior security official. Like many other artists she has very few scenes and was wasted in the film.
Sarrish Khan
Sarrish Khan is the grand daughter of Santosh Kumar and Sabiha Khanum two superstars of Pakistani cinema. Sarrish is a USA citizen who worked in her first Urdu film Chain Aye Naa (CAN) released in August 2017. CAN proved dead flop at the box office and Sarrish was also not much impressive as the leading lady of the film.
Shehroz Sabzwari
Shehroz Sabzwari’s first film is Mushkil in 1993 as childstar and later in Khuley Aasman Ke Neeche in 2007. Both the films were directed by his uncle Javed Sheikh. His first film in the lead role is Chain Aaye Na released in August 2017. CAN proved dead flop and was also heavily criticized on social media as well as film critics. Shehroze also looked younger the heroine Sarrish Khan in the film.
Safina Behroz
Safina Behroz is the wife of seasoned artist Behroz Sabzwari and the mother of Shehroz Sabzwari. Her brothers Javed Sheikh and Saleem Sheikh are also active in showbiz for past four decades, but Safina has never acted in any drama or film. This year she also started her acting career from the film Punjab Nahin Jaungi. She appeared as the wife of Behroz Sabzwari (her real life husband) and mother of Mehwish Hayat (heroine) and did justice to her brief presence in the role of an urban middle-upper class mother.
Naveed Shahzad
Naveed Shahzad started her acting career from television in 1970s. She has worked in very few dramas. Her most prominent role in a drama was in Ghulam Gardish in 1990s. A gifted artist, it is an irony that many splendid artists of past have not worked in any Pakistani film. The obvious reason is the declining Urdu cinema in 1980s. With the revival of Urdu cinema many such artists are now working in films.
She worked in her first film Punjab Nahin Jaungi released in September 2017. She appeared as the grand mother of the heroine Mehwish Hayat and completely justified her selection with her perfect performance.
Azfar Rehman
Azfar Rehman is active on television for past one decade. He had a cameo in film Manto(2015) but his first film in a prominent role is Punjab Nahin Jaungi. He appeared as the second hero in the film and also performed in a song. His performance was impressive and hopefully he will get further projects with even meatier roles in the future.
Marina Khan
Marina Khan mesmerized many back in 1980s with dramas like Tanhaiyan and Dhoop Kinare. Marina has not worked in any film till Namalood Afraad 2 released in September 2017. She played the role of the mother of Haania Aamir, and was impressive and chirpy in her limited screen presence. She also appeared in a cameo in the film Punjab Nahin Jaungi (PNJ) also released in September 2017.
Hopefully we will see Marina in further meatier roles in upcoming films. She is also working in Parwaz Hai Junoon a film under completion.
Haroon Shahid
Haroon Shahid is a singer who started his big screen career from Verna opposite Mahira Khan. Haroon Shahid was not much impressive in his first outing on the big screen. Haroon’s selection opposite Mahira made huge headlines when the shoot of Verna started.
Zarrar Khan
Zarrar Khan has worked in many television dramas and then he took a break from showbiz and settled in UAE. He made a comeback to the showbiz through his debut film Verna. Playing the negative role, his performance was surely impressive. Zarrar has aura of a big screen artist, and he can prove a successful villain in the films in future.
Naimal Khan
Naimal Khan has worked in first film Verna in the role of sister in law of Mahira Khan. Her performance was satisfactory. in this role
Asima Sherazi
Asima Sherazi is a famous news anchor and journalist. Her first ever acting assignment was Verna in which she played her own self.
So it concludes the list of debutants in the films released till November 2017. The films releasing in the month of the December are scheduled in the last week on 21st December and 29th December. The artists who will make debut from these films are mentioned here. Since these films are not yet released it is too early to comment whether these debuts are successful or not.
Aleeze Gabool
Aleeze Gabool is a model who also acted in few dramas. Aleeze Gabool is appearing in her first film Rangreza (releasing on 21st December 2017) as second heroine. She is paired with Bilal Ashraf in the film.
Ghana Ali
Ghana Ali has been working in dramas for past few years. Her first film is Rangreza, in which she is playing a supporting role.
Seemi Pasha
Seemi Pasha has been active in modelling and later acting since late 1980s. After working in dramas for more than two decades, she is working in her first film Rangreza. She mostly performs the roles of upper class mother, and perhaps playing a similar role in this film too.
Uzma Hassan
Uzma Hassan is known for her impressive performances in dramas. Her first film Arth2 The Destination releasing on 21 December 2017 where she appeared opposite Shaan Shahid and Mohib Mirza. Uzma Hassan, is considered a mature and versatile performer having many powerful roles in dramas like Ullu Baraye Farokht Nahin. She looks impressive in the trailer and hopefully wont disappoint her fans in Arth2 The Destination.
Emu (Imran Momina)
Emu is a famous name of our music scene. Being part of the band Fuzon he delivered successful albums and singles. Emu is also married to the veteran stylist of our country Nabila Maqsood. Emu is appearing in his first film Arth2 The Destination. The nature of his role is not yet clear, but from the trailer he seems to be a musician in the film who is the friend of the main protagonist (Shaan Shahid).
Neelum Muneer
Neelum Muneer is a famous name being active in showbiz for almost one decade. She has worked in numerous dramas and now also appearing in films. Chuppan Chupai releasing on 29th December is her first film. Paired opposite Ahsan Khan, she is the only prominent female character in this film. She looks impressive in the trailer as a vibrant, confident bad girl.
Faizan Khawaja
Faizan Khawaja has been active in dramas for almost five years. He is the son of film producer and actor Rashid Khawaja. Faizan has also signed a Bollywood film few years ago though it was never released. Faizan is also working in his first film Chuppan Chupai in the role of a son of a politician who is kidnapped. His short presence in the trailer suggests his role is a supporting one.
Rehan Sheikh
Rehan Sheikh is one of the most polished and versatile artist of our country who own every character they have performed. He has worked in many dramas since mid 1990s where Aghosh was his first major drama. Rehan Sheikh’s first film was Actor In Law, where he appeared in a small role of a lawyer. His first film in a major role is Chuppan Chupai in a supporting role. Chuppan Chupai is a comedy film, and Rehan looks impressive in the trailer.
Mohsin Ali
Mohsin Ali is a director/writer who has directed many dramas like Meri Beti, Aisi Hai Tanhai. Mohsin has earlier written the film Wrong No (2015).Now his first film as director is Chuppan Chuppai which is a comedy film. The trailer of the films has already released and it looks a fine paisa-wasool entertainer. Seeing the previous portfolio of Mohsin Ali, we have high hopes from his debut as a film director.
So it ends my compilation of the prominent debuts in the year 2017. Since 2013 (with the so called revival of our cinema), almost every other Pakistani film consists of new faces. So every year we have many new debuts in the films, though most of these debutants have already been active in showbiz for past many years. This year too a mix of new and seasoned artists started their big screen career.
Do share your thoughts on the film debuts of 2017. Especially which one is the most impressive debut in your opinion.
Thanks for reading and your time.
Rashid Nazir Ali
Ohkay so, this episode was all about how family members make each other awkward in front of new people & in different situations & since there was so much reality instilled in all the conversations, I couldn’t stop laughing the whole time. What I love about Aangan is that it is a feel good drama. Despite being based on reality, it still changes your mood in a positive way & leaves you feeling good by the end of the episode.
So, this episode was focused more on Aqdas & the two way introduction. Aqdas was getting to know Hajra’s family & the entire family was getting to know Aqdas too. The first person to leave an impression on Aqdas was Zaitoon, I am sure all the mothers who have loved a specific cutlery set could relate to the emotional scar that Zaitoon had in her heart because even after so many years, she couldn’t get over the fact that Faseeha didn’t return her cutlery properly. It was so amusing how Sajjad, Asim, Hajra & Rubina were trying their best to make Aqdas feel at home while being wary of how Zaitoon & even Abba Jee could go overboard in front of him. This entire situation was basically a reminder of how the elders in our families are unapologetically themselves, because of which they don’t really filter their thoughts while their children try the best to rationalize their words.
Aqdas was more interested in Zoya than in Shaina & what I loved was that Shaina didn’t shy away from Aqdas keeping in mind what her mother told her. I really like Shaina’s character because she is not only honest, but logical & rational too. I loved the conversation she had with Hajra where she reminded her mother about all the things she usually said about Anila’s daughters. I love the fact that Shaina is polite but reasons with her mother in a way where she forces Hajra to reflect & reconsider her thoughts too. Hajra so wanted Shaina to make a good impression on Aqdas, almost putting up an act but Shaina chose to be herself completely & I am sure she saw Aqdas as Sadaan, that is why she was so casual & comfortable in front of him!
So, Hajra & Sajjad threw a party for the entire family because of Sadaan’s graduation & no surprises there, Aalu & Anila made sure to create nominal issues & blow them out of proportion. The best comical bit in this episode was the conversation between Zahid & Rubina where she covered up & turned filmy songs into patriotic ones. Rubina’s spontaneity was superb where she immediately distracted Zahid & presented a different version of the reality in front of him. The references of 1965 War & Tan tan tana tan were epic though & I couldn’t stop laughing!
So, Anila once again found a reason to play the victim & whine in front of her parents about how unfair they were in their dealings with bahus & betis. It was good that Abba Jee finally spoke up & told her to take things easy & not always come with an intention of spoiling the atmosphere in the house. The way Zaitoon continued with her prayers was so funny because this time even Anila knew that she was doing it to avoid her, lol. Aalu on the other hand couldn’t really stop giving Sajjad some life lessons while being ignorant of the fact that his own daughter was a fan of Sadaan. To be honest, even though the writer maintained that line but it was made obvious in such a nice way how Anila’s daughters got a bit too impressed with boys in their sight. I mean we all have those girls in every single family who walk an extra mile to get noticed by guys & their parents, as their only dream is to get married & settle down.
The sweetest scene was of Asim & Laila. It is so beautifully shown how they both give undivided attention to each other, how they take a moment & do special gestures for one another to portray how much love they have in their hearts. Even though Laila & Asim don’t have children yet but they still lead a better life because they have not allowed their childlessness to ruin their happiness.
Another interesting conversation was between Aqdas & Shaina where she challenged him & tried to make him understand that he shouldn’t actually bother about what Aalu & Anila were thinking about him. Just because Aqdas is new, he was getting a bit too conscious but once he will get to know everyone & will become aware of the family dynamics, he will learn that no one takes Anila or Aalu seriously.
This episode was entertaining too. I love how so much is happening in everyone’s lives & how they all are connected in a way that they all affect each other no matter what they say or do. I am definitely looking forward to the next episode. Since Aangan happens to be the last drama that I review in a week, I am glad I get to end my week on a positive note. The girl playing the role of Shaina did an amazing job & I love how effortless she is when it comes to acting. Qavi Khan & Samina Ahmed have given a perfect face to Abba Jee & Zaitoon’s characters, watching their scenes make me smile & they have so much of warmth which is beautiful. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Aangan.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
So, the makers of Khamoshi are trying to make a world record of repetition. According to the director and writer, the viewers have very low IQs and cannot understand simple things in one go. So, the poor people have to repeat everything thousand times to make the “complicated” things slightly understandable. Let us look into the complicated and mysterious emotions going on in Khamoshi.
THE LALCHI FAMILY! Do you guys get it? The family is super greedy but possess commendable financial skills. They are exploiting Arsala. The only thing that matters to them is money and they are multiplying it by some magical committees. In only thirty thousand a month, the guys managed to buy a whole truck of dowry. There is an evil sister in the family who steals her sister’s fiance, uses her money and still keep bad-mouthing her. And yes the Lalchi family doesn’t stop her from doing that. Why? There is no answer to that. But since the makers thought it is not easy for us audiences to understand that the family is greedy, they are repeating it again and again since 11 episodes.
THE GOOD GUY SHAHRAM! The guy is good. He has many philanthropy projects going on but he still comes to meet Bee Jaan (secretly Arsala). He is paying her way through all adversities and will finance her education too. But since he is an acha bacha, he will do everything with Khamoshi. His girl faces everything with Khamoshi and now he will follow her footsteps. One thing is worth mentioning that he does not remain Khamosh in front of Zubiya but Zubiya is too dumb to notice that the guy is practically yelling a big NO to her face. His partner in crime is Bee Jaan who wants to help the achi Arsala and looks like she does not care much about her own grand-daughter.
NAIMA AND ATIF! They are annoying! Do you get it? According to the makers, the viewers are not able to comprehend that this couple is full of themselves. Atif being the super confused character does not want Arsala to marry anyone. And from the preview of the next episode, it seems like he will be trying to make Arsala uncomfortable in front of a whole crowd on his own mehendi. Because why not? After all, he is super dumb!
But again, the makers think that viewers are not able to understand all this in 10 episodes, so they made another one to make them understand. I hope I am getting this right because there is no other reason to continue the same things.
P.S: Who did Zubiya’s wardrobe? The girl needs serious help. No wonders Shahram is not noticing her. Her mother is always more made up as compared to her.
Na Maloom Afraad star Mohsin Abbas Haider shared the news of his little angel passing away this morning. Only a month ago, he shared the picture of his beautiful angel who he named Mahveen Abbas Haider.
The little angel left this mortal world today and Mohsin has asked all his followers to pray for little Mahveen:
This is such a difficult time for the family. May Allah grant peace to the parents on such a huge loss. Our heartfelt condolences are with Mohsin and his wife. May Allah give them sabar!
So pondering over Pakistani Showbiz we can proudly yell at the world that Pakistani Entertainment Industry is not only about dramas since we are blooming in Film Industry as well. Indeed there is still room available to decipher Cinematography but I am glad how young blood played a vital role in revitalizing the Pakistani Cinema. This year film “Punjab nahi Jaungi” grossed almost 500 Million which is a great achievement for Pakistani Cinema and Showbiz Industry.
However only one Industry that is struggling to recover from commercial loss is Music Industry. Though efforts are being made to revive it but still more efforts are required especially re introduction of band culture. Only Film Industry can provide a major helping hand to Music Industry to recover from its loss.
This year is also filled with some great movie songs, here is the list of my top ten:
10. Phool Khil Jayein (Rangreza): A folk song performed by Maestro Abida Parveen and Asrar Shah from upcoming Movie Rangreza. Rangreza will be releasing on 21st December 2017.
9. Sanwar De Khudaya (Arth 2 Destination): Arth 2 is another most anticipated film of Pakistan releasing on 21st December 2017. It is a remake of Mahesh Bhatt’s Arth released in 1982, although full music album has not been released yet but Sanwar De Khudaya by Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is worth listening. The full length of song is 7 minutes.
8. Balu Mahi (Balu Mahi): A perfect party song along with Wahab Shah’s awesome choreography. Balu Mahi film was not a commercial hit but songs are worth listening. Aima Baig and Asim Azhar both did justice to its official track.
7. Zinda (Verna): In my opinion Shoaib Mansoor this time failed to enthral the audience as the film grossed only 90 Million in total. Gossiping over movie songs then “Zinda” song is worth listening. With Adnan’s efforts Soch band is marking its spot in music industry.
6. Kaif O Suroor (Na Maloom Afraad 2): Aima baig is now a rising star of Pakistan’s Music Industry. An incredibly talented singer with so much dynamism in her voice. With the blend of Aima’s voice together with Arabian music genre, Kaif O Suroor is a pure magical song from second highest grossing movie Na Maloom Afraad 2. This song will completely uplift your mood and boost yourself. An amazing song to be played in parties and road trips.
5. Billo Hai (Parchi): A punjabi bhangra song from an upcoming film “Parchi” starring Hareem Farooq, Ahmed Ali, Usman Mukhtar, Ali Rehman and Shafqat Khan. The film is expected to release next year on 5th January 2018. This song had already received more than 1.5 million views on YouTube and is perfect for Weddings and Parties.
4. Tu kya jaane (Balu Mahi): Composed and written by Sir Sahir Ali Bagga “Tu Kya Janne” is a heart touching sad song. The song is full of emotions and might left you in tears. The blissful voice of Sir Sahir will force you to fall in love with his songs.
3. Ae Dil (Punjab nahi Jaungi): Not only film did well on Cinema but almost every song of this film is simply music to your ears. With amazing melody and brilliant vocals of Junita and Shiraz Uppal “Ae Dil” deserves to be on 3rd spot. The song is enormously mesmerizing and you will listen to it again and again.
2. Sambhal Sambhal (Verna): “Sambhal Sambhal” is a peaceful romantic song of year 2017 and is simply music to your ears. Haroon Shahid might not have performed well as an actor in this movie but he did absolute justice to this song together with Zeb. This song deserves 2nd spot in my list.
1. Tere naal (Punjab nahi jaungi): Shafqat’s soul stirring renditions always creates a magic for his fans. Tere naal is a song with simple melody but each time you listen to this song you will love it everytime. I am happy that industry is building a portfolio of Wedding songs so that we don’t need Bollywood songs to cover our weddings. This is seriously a perfect wedding song and deserves to be on Number 1 spot in my list.
So what are your favourite movie songs of 2017? Please feel free to add the list
Mahira Khan won big at Masala Awards 2017 And was a sight to enjoy in a reddish evening gown, sultry eyes and teased ponytail.
She revealed that she was really looking forward to meet Seidevi and chill with her girls like Mawra Hocane on the festive evening. When asked if there is anything they should be knowning about her, Mahira’s reply was ;
“I think they know everything. They should know that I’m going to be taking a break. I want to work a little bit less. They already hate me for that but, this year I’m going to be working a bit less,” Mahira revealed.
Mahira is already quite choosy about her work and fans have to wait long to see her again. Let’s see how people fare with seeing Mahira even less than usual this year.
The teasers of drama Silsilay starring Muneeb Butt, Junaid Khan and Momal Sheikh are now out. Muneeb is paired with the beautiful Momal who lives in her very own land of dreams. The promo shows a promising story of their coming together in a softly romantic scene.
https://www.facebook.com/harpalgeotv/videos/1784577038232582/
Junaid Khan is paired with Hiba Bukhari Of Bholi Bano and their love story who is also shown daydreaming about her hero who seems engrossed in a book.
https://www.facebook.com/junaidkhanofficial/posts/1921089467931482
It looks like this tale of love and dreams and hopes will keep us hooked very soon.
Arth 2 is remake of Mahesh Bhatt’s 1982 classic of the same name. Arth 2 turned from an idea to a feature film back when Shaan Shahid met Mahesh Bhatt in 2015 and expressed the desire to remake the film, the story is pretty much the same and is set in current day Lahore, Pakistan.
“Arth is the first film with the DNA of an Indian story to be set in Pakistan. If we want to strengthen film trade between our countries, Arth’s model is a great way of collaborating,” Shaan stated previously.
Mahesh Bhatt has been drooling over the film ever since the beginning and when the new sound track ‘Murshed Ji’ came out yesterday it wasn’t surprising when he went all fanboy over it, took to his twitter and wrote “SENSATIONAL! Rahat Bhai and Bagga come together and set the screen ablaze. Shaan staggers you with his animal vitality!”
SENSATIONAL! Rahat Bhai and Bagga come together and set the screen ablaze. Shaan staggers u with his animal vitality! https://t.co/orwlZoxrTH via @youtube @mshaanshahid @sahiralibagga @RFAKWorld @HumaimaMalick @hammad_c
— Mahesh Bhatt (@MaheshNBhatt) December 14, 2017
Enjoy the full song
We loved the song just as much, did you?
Ohkay so, there was a time when I couldn’t wait to explore these characters. I was so intriguied by the idea of unique & new that I actually wanted to see what these characters were all about; their personalities, their thought process, their mindsets & sadly, at this stage of the drama they look nothing more than caricatures to me.
We have seen quite a few dramas where a couple of characters are different & unique but they still blend in the mixture, but honestly speaking, while watching the episode of O Rangreza tonight, all I could think of was how could each & every single member of the family be so messed up? Like what went wrong there? In the beginning, writer made sure to give us all an explanation for Sassi’s character but apart from that, he left everything on viewer’s imagination like when & why Khayyam grew cold towards Mumtaz? What went wrong between Tipu & Khayyam? When & how did Khayyam fall in love with Sonia & how did she know him? Why, when & how this entire family fell apart?
This episode was filled with all those scenarios which weren’t adding up to the story, like Tipu’s marriage, Meena’s aimlessness, Sonia’s paralysis & the best one, Mumtaz’s attempt to control Sassi? I mean all these scenarios are so different to one another & all the characters are so distant & aloof that I think if the writer hadn’t shown them as one family unit, that would’ve justified quite a lot of things because they don’t seem like one family & even if we try to reason, there is no justification enough to prove these guys right. We have seen a lot of dysfunctional families but this one is something else!
Umm, can anyone tell why Meena is not leaving? Lol! I mean Tipu is now getting married, so basically he has broken up with Meena, she did this advertisement so she made a few bucks, at least enough to get herself a one way ticket back to London, so why isn’t she going? The way she has turned into an overly concerned camper in this house is nonsensical. Meena’s involvement in Sassi’s life & her lectures to Qasim about her are so bizarre, like Meena literally had no issues with the fact that Tipu was getting married & there she is, being concerned about Sassi, her career & her future? There was absolutely no need for Meena’s character in the first place & now when the ‘relation’ because of which she was introduced has died, then why is she still here? Also, I still can not understand why a girl like Meena gets easily scared of a guy like Tipu?
Uf Qasim, well the less said the better. I know the writer tried the role reversal where Sassi was a man & Qasim was a woman in this relationship, but then no matter who you are, no matter how much you love someone, no matter how selfless you must be, no one compromises on a thing called ‘self-respect’. I would have taken Qasim seriously IF he had shown some signs of ‘self respect’ because yes, it ‘WAS’ cute that he would follow Sassi around, would hide his feelings from her but now, even after confessing everything, he hasn’t been able to change anything & still continues to be her puppet? So who takes a puppet seriously? Well I don’t!
Ummm I know Sana Fakhar tried her best to give her 100% in that scene where she was channeling out Sonia’s frustrations but I ended up laughing & then muting the TV because the acting at that particular moment was ummm hideous & things were a bit too loud there! I mean, what do we have to do with Sonia’s paralysis, as in how is it contributing to the story? We all know that Khayyam is smitten by her so he is going to now even make breakfast for her, something which he has not even done for himself, so? Matlab kya batana chah rahay hain?
The funniest joke of this episode was Mumtaz giving Sassi sedatives? Why did she do that? I mean this entire situation was a reminder of how a wild animal is tamed with the help of a tranquilizer, so is this how Mumtaz sees her own daughter Sassi? I mean why is it that we have never seen Mumtaz & Sassi having a proper conversation? Yes, in the beginning Mumtaz used to give Sassi some lectures but they didn’t have any affect on Sassi but now she has changed & even took a stand for her mother, so after that, why hasn’t their relation normalized? In this family, no one talks to anyone, no one sits down to find a solution, everyone is running away, shying away from one another & everyone is too busy messing their own lives! Tipu’s marriage was another joke where Mumtaz all of a sudden remembered that her son was a monster, so if she knew what & who he was, then why did she give in & allow him to have his hands on her property papers? Chalo weak characters bhi dekhe hain, bewaqoof bhi but Mumtaz kuch aur hi hai!
I think I would definitely commend the writer for coming up with soooo manyyy twisted & mentally deranged characters, I mean it is quite a tough job, so what if the story doesn’t make sense anymore, so what if the purpose of the drama is lost, so what if on the whole the concept is not working, at least the writer did achieve what he wanted to, which is, introducing the viewers with some veryyyy unique characters!
Honestly, I love Sajal & her acting, even I love her as Sassi despite the fact that her character isn’t working for me, but I am now getting annoyed with the way she speaks to Qasim especially, I mean that thing that she does with her lips, eeekh! Also, what was that, where she was trying to change her accent in an attempt to sound ‘maadraan’ (modern)? Uf, petty. Anyways, please share your thoughts about this episode of O Rangreza & say a little prayer ke ye drama jaldi khatam ho jaye!
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
