Sajjad Ali is a legend of Pakistani Musical Industry. He has produced countless hits since the beginning of his career and is still doing so. Recently, we got to hear another voice from his family in Coke Studio 10. Yes, Sajjad Ali’s daughter, Zaw Ali joined him in Coke Studio and managed to earn the approval over her voice from not only the audience by one of the most successful and famous artist of this time, Ali Zafar.
This is the tweet that Ali Zafar posted in support of Sajjad Ali and his daughter:
Moving! My fav so far. @sajjad_official is always a league above the rest. And now his daughter all set to make a mark. Both lovely people. https://t.co/sfLzEvjvuw
Most of us seriously start thinking about our career when we enter college. We try to find the field we are interested in, can progress in, achieve our dreams in and after a lot of thinking and advises go for it. By 30s’ most have a definite, established career.
Of Course there are some who learn what they want to do with their life in a much later period of their life and it seems Mr.Aamir Liaquat is one of those. He still seems to be finding where exactly he fits. He started off as a politician, then became an anchor, then a political analyst and now has launched his own clothing line- AamirLiaquatAikPehchan
Aamir Liaquat shared a video on his twitter account showing the interior of his Dubai store and a lot of his pictures in which he is clad in various Eastern clothes:
More tweets with the hashtag AamirLiaquatAikPehchan followed:
ہم اقامہ چھپاتے نہیں، ظاہر کرتے ہیں وہ بھی بڑا بڑا لکھوا کر بورڈ پر۔۔۔بیٹے کی کمپنی میں نوکری نہیں کرتے ،دل میں کوئی چور ہے نا چوری کا شوق! pic.twitter.com/EkdwsiLxK4
The Hocane sisters have managed to make a name for themselves in the Pakistani entertainment Industry in a rather short period of time.Mawra Hocane, the younger sister of Urwa Hocane, is a successful model and actor. However, her list of talents don’t just stop here- she is also a very good dancer. Her performance at this year’s Lux Style Awards was a clear proof of that.
It seems like Mawra will be once again displaying how good of a dancer she is at the International Pakistan Prestige Awards 2017. Recently, she shared a post on her instagram account of herself posing with her choreographer,Wahab Shah.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYTlO6al1cH/
These Awards are being held to celebrate the 70th year of Pakistan independence. A total of 45 Pakistani celebrities will be attending these Awards which are to be held on 17th September in London. We hope Mawra’s hard work pays off and she delivers an excellent dance performance!
Ghairat continues to be interesting, engaging, impactful and convincing. So far, I feel the one thing which sets this drama apart from many other dramas which aired recently and dealt with similar topics is that it focuses on the reasons why even a girl like Saba, who is brave and intelligent would find it impossible to find an escape out of such a situation. Right from the first episode Saba has been shown as someone who tries her best to find solutions for problems affecting her or her family members. Although she was terrified of her brother even in the beginning of the show even then that did not stop her from speaking her mind. What I truly appreciate about her character is that usually the outspoken and confident women in our dramas are also the ones who land themselves into trouble due to their actions but Saba has been shown as someone who is intelligent and practical. Even in the most desperate of situations she tries to find a solution which is workable. In tonight’s episode she tried to convince her mother over and over again that she should try to find a way out because she knows that there isn’t much she can do in this situation. Iqra Aziz has been quite impressive so far, apart from her outfits and styling, everything else about the way she has translated her character on screen is remarkable.
Saba’s mother’s character is also realistic which is why even with all her weaknesses, I can’t help but relate to her. She is just as helpless as her daughter even though she wants to do something to help Saba. Her character also gives us hope that she might some day muster up the courage to take an extreme action to help her daughter and the preview of the next episode suggested just that. Samina Ahmed just like always has also done complete justice to her character. Zohaib’s character has also been etched-out flawlessly. He has to move to Islamabad but naturally he does not want to be away from Saba. You understand why he has not been able to help Saba in any way even though he has not been shown as a weak character but his limitations are easy to understand and you know that if he has an opportunity to help Saba, he won’t back off.
Usman’s character is a true reflection of all such monsters who think they are god. He was especially terrifying in the last scene of tonight’s episode. This man has absolute no remorse and his own ego comes before everything else. Jibran Syed owns his character completely which is why Usman’s character is not only ugly but also horrifying.
This drama truly makes me think about all those women who live under such circumstances and it is upsetting to think that no one comes forward to help them because it is considered the family’s “private matter”. Relatives like Zohaib’s mother even with all their good intentions have to take a backseat because they fear for their lives. Saba and her mother’s bond has to be the best aspect of this drama, this bond has only grown stronger after Iqra’s death.
Overall, this was another brilliant episode of Ghairat which laid the foundations for what is coming ahead. The preview of the next episode was very enticing, definitely looking forward to watching the next episode. However I do wish that the previews would be shorter because they tend to give away the major developments in the story.
How many of you watched this episode of Ghairat? Do share your thoughts about it.
Shaam Idrees, Shahveer Jaffery and Zaid Ali have been the fun trio for quite some time. The guys make funny videos and entertain millions of their followers. One of their friend got hitched so Shaam had to do a lot of fun at the ceremony. He did some pranks on Zaid and made a crude video of friends having fun at Zaid’s wedding. Watch below how Shaam and Sahveer ended in the couple’s seats:
Arij Fatyma has always been admired for her beauty and simplicity. She has just tied the knot and you will be surprised to see how gorgeous she looks on her wedding day.
Her slender frame looks amazing in a heavily embellished green sharara and long shirt. She wore traditional jewellery along, together with nose ring and matha patti. The groom looks very handsome as well in a cream sherwani. We wish them their happily ever after !!
So you know when you were a little child and would sometimes go through your things and pick up something which was nice but not toooo nice, something you like but not enough to not want to part with and decide to gift it to a friend/cousin who you are off to visit. Grab some coloured paper, one fold, two fold and all wrapped. The recipient likes the gift, oohs and aahs a bit, you are both happy – and the gift is forgotten soon. No? Maybe that was just weird me then. Point being – there are dramas which do not blow you away, probably do not stay with you very long – but they are a decent, pleasurable surprise that viewers enjoy for the most part. You like them while they are on air, can see everything is not perfect but then is not bad either. Tumhare Hain, in my opinion, fits that description like a glove.
My overview for the first half of the drama introduced the four main characters and how they meet and how some of them drift apart. I had imagined the drama to then focus on the marriages of the two main couples and while that remained to be the basic idea, Rayan and Aania’s paths crossed again. The whole buildup to the point where they finally meet, fight against their emotions and then give in – I knew it would happen inevitably. I figured the drama would then take either of the two very obvious paths – Rayan and Aania together or they go back to their own respective spouses. What I did not anticipate was actually being interested and drawn into the whole story, the way it was presented and the way the four main performers actually did justice to their characters.
Am I going to ignore how right/wrong/understandable/unforgivable it was for Rayan and Aania to be drawn towards each other again? Yes, I am. I’ll let that be their problem and Kamil and Zoya’s problems, haha. But seriously, while this could have been a drama about only an extramarital affair, I like actually how the story built up the scenario where Rayan and Aania knew each other before they got married, how they ‘tried’ to make their marriages work and how they decide to tell their respective spouses the truth. What somehow did not manage to click with me was the conviction in the realisation of what propels them to make their final decision. The repetitive ‘we have hurt good people’ was not good enough for me for surely they knew that would happen when they set upon the paths they had chosen. It made a bit more sense when Kamil and Zoya actually walked out and Rayan and Aania were left free to be together – but did not want to.
I think I knew where the story was headed in the last two episodes but still those two episodes were presented in such a way that there was still some room for speculation. I was not too impressed with Aania’s ‘ tum nay mujhay pyar karna sikhaya magar Kamil nay pyar nibhana sikhaya’ but yes, Rayan’s helplessness at realising he was about to lose his best friend forever was a tad more relatable. I also liked how the gap of three months was shown where Rayan and Aania had time to be in touch again but chose not to.
Besides the main story, I feel what appealed to me in this drama was the portrayal of other relationships too. The way Rayan’s father was disapproving of Zoya and how she managed to win his affection. How Rayan’s mother was not portrayed as a typical mother in law. I also liked how Rayan went to his father in the last episode. Zoya’s father seemed to have not totally forgiven her before he passed away which is why she saw a father figure in Rayan’s father and gave it her all. Zoya’s mother is one character I did not think highly of for she somehow ‘tricked’ Rayan into marrying Zoya and vice versa and also the tears that seemed to be the deciding factor for any of Zoya’s life decisions were very annoying. I was glad that Zoya finally asked her mother to cut her some slack and not push her into making decisions which would only further complicate her life. And – I liked how the male actors weeped much more than the female ones for a change – ha!
What I also found quite interesting was Zoya and Kamil’s relationship. Mutual friendship and respect and a glimpse of the kind of people they are. Where Rayan and Aania betrayed their trust, the two remained civil and Zoya’s visit to Kamil in the hospital and the mall meeting was very interestingly done. Where Rayan and Aania screamed discomfort and secrets when the four met, Zoya and Kamil seemed to share a pretty warm and comfortable relationship. Hats off to Rabab Hashim, Sara Khan, Agha Ali and Ahmed Hassan for portraying those emotions really well. While I felt Agha Ali and Ahmed Hassan faltered in their acting in moments such as the time when Rayan and Aania met in the park in the last episode and I could not quite gauge Rayan’s true feelings and Kamil’s overemotional declarations of love or the overly casual bromance with Rayan seemed a bit too forced at times but only at times which is why I am happy enough to think maybe that is what Kamil is all about.
I think of the four main characters, Zoya was probably my favorite. It was nice to see a character that seemed quite in touch with reality. Yes she eloped with Daniyal thinking he was her true love, wallowed in remorse and even self pity for a short while, was cajoled into a marriage at the time when she was quite vulnerable and not thinking clearly and then tried her best to make it work but was not stuck in the past nor self pity nor did she offer unnecessary apologies or tantrums. I liked how she stood her ground when she realized Rayan had betrayed her trust but also found the end quite in line with her character.
Like I mentioned in the overview as well, the simple treatment to this drama was definitely a plus. The focus on simple, everyday outfits, meal times, houses – somehow that really draws me in and makes me relate to the drama much more and Tumhare Hain did that perfectly. The story was not very new I know – but I am not complaining. Would I recommend this drama? Yes, if you have time off to binge watch something that you might want to forward a few episodes in but nothing too heavy duty or addictive or if you are not pressed for choices – then go for it
I can also not help resist adding that these two gave me some very serious hair goals – if there is such a thing, lol!
For those of you who watched this drama, what did you think? I will not say whether it should have ended this way or not – but for me, the ending worked. I still have that niggle of suspicion that Aania and Rayan might still have had some feelings for each other and that part was not very clearly given closure but hey, where I am all praises for this drama being so closely linked to reality – I can not expect every loophole to be promptly dealt with and closed so will let it go at that. Did you enjoy watching Tumhare Hain -would love to hear your thoughts
Kunwal Javid
P.S. Any recommendations of a drama on air that I may be missing – besides the very popular ones. I am on the brink (just about) to check out Bholi Bano. I know, I know – help!
Pepsi Battle Of The Bands has entered the critical phase now. Eliminations are going on in each episode. Episode 5 had to end with the elimination of one band resulting in the selection of top three bands for the semi finals. Four bands performed in this episode: Jasim Haider and the Pindi Boyz, Kashmir, Badnaam and Roots. My real feelings about the episode are that it was a simple repitition of the previous episodes. The performances and judgement style was so monotonous, it seemed like I was watching an older episode. Lets break it down in parts.
The judges were in form like the previous episode. They listened to the performances and gave their critique along with suggestions to the bands. If the judges had done this from the start the results would have been very different now. Fawad has really improved as a judge to be honest as in the beginning he was straight on praising every band. Meesha should not be included in the judges panel if Pepsi plans another season because she is never able to put forward what she is trying to say and mostly ends up agreeing with the other three judges. Ayesha is doing a good work on hosting since the last episode, she maintained in this one too.
Now coming to the bands, yes each band has a unique style and it is a great thing that they have formed individual identities for themselves but in this episode 3 out of 4 bands seemed like they are repeating their older performances and I am happy that judges pointed this out too. First performance was by Jasim Haider and the PindiBoyz who sang Yes Love by Dr. Aur Billa. This band has such a cool vibe going on that one will always find like dancing along with their funky beats but this performance was like they are running on a track with no turns so they will never change their pace or style of running. Same thing was going on with Badnaam who did a rendition of Shaam e Qalandar. They have a performance style and it is unique too but they should try to change it a bit. The way they performed Shaam e Qalandar was same like they performed Kala Jora. A difference must come with the changing songs. Kashmir did Waqt by EP and despite of the heavy criticism they got I found it okay. It was very Kashmir style. Roots finally made an effort today with their performance on Mera Dil Nahin Available by Vital Signs and this is the first time in the season I could understand why they were safe.
The bands which got in the danger zone were Kashmir and Badnaam, both of them did one more performance each and Pindi Boyz got eliminated. I actually found Pindi Boyz more entertaining in their last performance and their music sounded more lively as compared to Kashmir. Kashmir’s vocals were somehow getting overshadowed by their music too but still it was not Pindi Boyz’s day.
Zeb Bangash did a guest performance today and sang Sureela Sumandar and it was the first guest performance which did not settle much with me. The Disco Deewane was not hitting nerves it usually does when one listens to it. It was average.
Which band did you like in Episode 5? Share in comments!
Pakistan is a progressive country and is trying her level best to become a successful one. There is no doubt that Pakistanis have a lot of talent and just need platforms to showcase it. Recently, there has been a lot of talk of women empowerment throughout the globe and it has had a effect in Pakistan too. People have started speaking up about the injustices women face in Pakistan and women have also realized that they have a right to voice their concerns too.
Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy used her talent to create short-films highlighting the issues women in Pakistan face and Malala used her position of power to raise voice for educating young girls. A lot of films and television dramas were also created that highlighted the importance on women in our society.
All in all, nearly every field of art has acknowledged the power of women. However, the one thing we didn’t hear of was a female superhero. In this time and age where women are taking the forefront in International media we need one and here comes the good news, Pakistan is going to have its own female superhero comic book!
The name of the comic superhero is PakistanGirl . PakistanGirl lives double lives; as Sarah and PakistanGirl. Sarah is a young girl who loves to read, has a pet cat and hangs out with friends while PakistanGirl, her secret identity, is a strong woman with superpowers who uses them to help people.
PakistanGirl is the creation of Hassan Siddiqui, a graphic designer and art director from Islamabad, Pakistan. The comic book is due to be launched on 20th August, 2017 and we hope this project to be a success!
The story is moving forward at a slow pace but even then every episode has an important development to its credit and conversations which are not only well written but also translated on screen superbly. There are always some scenes in every episode of TDKKH which are somewhat tricky and had they not been directed so skillfully, they would have come across as OTT. The fact that the director Shahid Shafat has done his best to make all these scenes work shows clearly in the final product. In tonight’s episode the scene in which Maya runs after Saif while he tries to escape the situation he had put himself into, was one such scene. This scene could have been a complete failure if it wasn’t covered so quickly. MTSNH is a classic example of so many scenes gone wrong because of the way the director interpreted them.
Faris’ character is gradually turning into one of the most likeable male leads we have seen in recent dramas. The flashback scene in tonight’s episode finally revealed how Maya broke the news to Faris and showed his initial reaction. Faris’ character has grown in these past few episodes. Ever since he divorced Maya, he has not been shown thinking about her. On the contrary, Maya perhaps thinks about him more subconsciously then he does about her! Faris has obviously not moved on because you cannot move on this quickly but he is definitely trying. There was a time when Faris was focusing completely on taking revenge from Maya; he wanted to hurt her more than anything else. Right now however, he is focusing more on his own life and is not letting his feelings for Maya dictate the important decisions he makes in his life. The fact that it was Maya who was shown thinking about the time when she told Faris about her feelings and not Faris went to show that she was perhaps regretting her decision.
Zoya’s accident brought all those characters face to face who were not likely to meet at this point and I have a feeling that this accident will play a bigger role in the story. As much as I would like to connect to Maya’s mother’s reaction, I found it really hard to watch her scenes in this episode mainly due to the fact that Farah Shah went overboard with her expressions and dialogue delivery. Also, her dialogues are a little too extreme! The positive characters in this drama however are definitely the lifeline of the show. Faris, Dariya and Siraj Uncle’s scenes are always a treat to watch. Even though Maya is foolish and has been really selfish but I find it difficult to dislike her character maybe because she is already paying for what she did to Faris.
Uncle Siraj continued to persuade Faris that Dariya was the perfect soul mate for him and the viewers have seen these two getting closer with every passing episode. Faris depends on Dariya for emotional support but he thinks she deserves better, a logic which makes this entire scenario even more interesting and likeable. Sami Khan, Rehan Sheikh, Mansha Pasha and Ayeza Khan have been brilliant throughout. It is definitely good to see all these actors playing roles they are so well-suited for. The actress playing Lubna’s role also performed exceptionally well in tonight’s episode.
Overall, tonight’s episode was skillfully directed, edited really well and had some superb performances to its credit. I am looking forward to watching what turn the story takes from here, I am especially waiting to find out what Maya’s next move will be.
How many of you watched tonight’s episode? Don’t forget to share your thoughts about it.
Sayonee’s remake of the Coke Studio was one of the biggest flops in Pakistani musical history. The video of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Ali Noor’s song gained a lot of views on youtube, however, the reason that it did so is not good at all. Coke Studio’s Sayonee became the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons. Word spread on how bad it is and of course we all had to listen to the disaster from our own years to be sure.
The music director of the song, Salman Ahmad, however doesn’t believe what every media agency is saying- that Sayonee’s remake was a flat out disappointment. He used the twitter platform to defend the awful rendition of the song that Junoon sang in 1997. He pointed out the number of hits on the song and said that they show how successful the song’s rendition is. It seems like he decided to totally decided to ignore the hundreds of memes that were also generated in the song’s ‘honour’. Here are his defensive tweets:
I love so many great songs but I view them on YT or FB w/o leaving any comments good or bad. Majority of ppl view songs w/o commenting. https://t.co/fh2prdFltc
The festive occasion of Eidul Azha is coming on the Saturday 2nd September 2016 where four holidays from 1st September 2017 – 4th September 2017 are announced by the federal government. Such long holiday season provides a favorable window for film business.
Any such long holidays like Eidul Fitr, Eidul Azha, Christmas, Independence Day come with the screening of some big banner movies. Among all such long holidays; in recent times Eidul Azha has emerged as the most successful time of the year for the Pakistani cinema.
Since the so-called revival of Urdu cinema from 2013, the most successful Urdu film of the year has been released on Eidul Azha. The main factor for this can be the absence of a big banner Bollywood movie. On Eidul Fitr normally a Khan starer big banner Bollywood film is released which takes the lion share of screen shows and business thus reducing the chances of any local film. So it makes Eidul Azha more lucrative for local film makers and viewers.
From 2013, Eidul Azha holidays have seen massive business by local releases.
2013 > Waar earned a mammoth 23 crore in Pakistan and became the most successful Urdu film ever
2014 > Namaloom Afraad earned 12 – 13 crore to become the highest earning Pakistani film of 2014
2015> Jawani Phir Nahin Aani earned around 35 crore and became the most successful Pakistani film ever.
2016> Actor In Law earned around 24 crore to become the highest earning film of 2016. The second highest earning Urdu film of 2016 Janaan (which earned 17 crore in Pakistan) was also released on Eidul Azha. So collectively the Eidul Azha films earned between 40 – 45 crore in total in the local market. These films also earned well abroad in Europe and North America.
With such favorable response, the leading film makers target Eidul Azha holidays for their high budgeted films. This Eidul Azha two big budgeted Urdu films are releasing while one Urdu film is re-releasing.
Apart from Urdu, regional films in Pashto and Punjabi are also releasing on this Eid. Two Bollywood films are also releasing on this Eidul Azha. Though Eidul Azha is coming on Saturday 2nd September 2017, but all these films are releasing on Friday 1st September 2017 which starts the Eidul Azha holiday weekend.
So lets go through the films coming on this Eidul Azha.
Bollywood Films
Bollywood films are the life line of the Pakistani cinema industry. The consistent performance of Bollywood films in Pakistani cinemas has provided stability to this industry and has also attracted new investment. Bollywood films are very popular among local cine goers and attract viewers from all sections of society.
Two Bollywood Hindi films are releasing on this Eid which are Badshaho (بادشاہو) and Beimaan Love (بے ایمان لو). Normally the Bollywood film released on Eidul Fitr leads the business race against the local Urdu films. However the Bollywood films released on Eidul Azha have not been able to earn more than the local Urdu films. So if Bollwood film is the winner on Eidul Fitr, the winner on Eidul Azha is the local Urdu films.
Lets see the performance of Bollywood Eidul Azha releases since 2013.
In 2013, Waar earned 23 crore while Bollywood film Boss earned less than 10 crore
In 2014, Namaloom afraad earned 13 crore while Bollywood film Bang Bang earned less than 10 crore
In 2015, Jawani Phir Nahin Aani earned between 35 crore – 40 crore while Bollwood film Kis Kis ko Pyar karoon only earned around 6 – 7 crore
In 2016, all three Urdu films Actor In Law (24 crore), Janaan (17 crore) and Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hai (7 crore) earned more than the Bollywood film Baar Baar Dekho (3 – 4 crore)
As per the press reports out of the two Bollywood releases i.e. Baadshaho and Beimaan Love, Baadshaho is expected to earn more.
Urdu films
Urdu is the national language of Pakistan which is spoken and understood in all the provinces and regions of Pakistan.
The main business circuit of Urdu films is the Provinces of Sindh, Punjab and the Islamabad Capital Territory. Urdu films see a limited release in the provinces of KPK and Balochistan. In KPK and Balochistan, Urdu films are only screened in few cinemas of Cantonment area.
This Eidul Fitr two new Urdu films are releasing. Both these films are high budgeted big banner movies. One Urdu film is re-releasing on this Eid as well.
Punjab Nahin Jaongi (پنجاب نہیں جاؤں گی)
Punjab Nahin Jaongi (PNJ) is produced by almost the same team of Jawani Phir Nahin Aani (JPNA) released on Eidul Azha 2015. JPNA proved blockbuster and to date is the highest earning film of Pakistan in any language.
Like JNPA, PNJ also stars Humayun Saeed and Mehwish Hayat in the lead while Nadeem Baig is the director. The major highlight of PNJ is the writer Khalilur Rehman Qamar (KRQ). KRQ last wrote the film Koi Tujh Sa Kahan in 2005, so PNJ marks his comeback on the big screen after a long gap of 12 years.KRQ is known for his powerful and insightful dialogs and his fans surely expect a quality script here.
Sohail Ahmed a famous name of Punjabi commercial stage is also making a comeback on the big screen after a long time. Seasoned artist Naveed Shahzad who seldom works in dramas is also making her big screen debut. Saba Hameed is also returning to the big screen after a decade where her debut film Mein Ek Din Laut Ke Aaonga was released in 2007.
Azfar Rehman a well known name of television is also appearing as secondary hero in this film. It is his first prominent appearance on big screen, earlier he done a cameo in the film Manto (2015). Urwa Hocane who last appeared in Namaloom Afraad in 2014 is appearing in a film after a gap of three years from PNJ. Ahmad Butt is also playing a prominent role in PNJ.
PNJ is a film of family drama genre. The film is shot in the cities of Bahawalpur and Karachi and is expected to attract the viewers in the circuit of Punjab as well as Karachi.
In the recent years few films of Family Drama genre have proved successful like Bin Roye (2015), Ho Mann Jahan (2016) and Janaan (2016).
Namaloom Afraad 2 (نامعلوم افراد 2)
Namaloom Afraad 2 (NMA2) is the sequel of superhit Namaloom Afraad released on Eidul Azha 2014. NMA2 features almost the same cast which were in NMA namely Javed Sheikh, Fahad Mustafa, Mohsin Abbas Haider and Urwa Hocane. Nayyer Ejaz is appearing in a prominent role in NMA2, he had a cameo appearance in NMA.
The character of Amber Khan (wife of Javed Sheikh) in NMA has been shown dead and Marina Khan will be paired opposite Javed Sheikh in NMA2. Marina Khan is a well known face of the television dramas and NMA2 is her debut film.
The character of Kubra Khan is also not part of NMA2, instead Hania Aamir will appear in NMA2 paired opposite Mohsin Abbas Haider. Marina Khan and Hania Aamir are playing mother and daughter in NMA2.
NMA also featured Mehwish Hayat in the item song Billi. In NMA2, the super model Sadaf Kanwal is doing the dance number Kaifo Suroor.
Like NMA, NMA2 is also a comedy film. In the recent years films of comedy genre have proved the most popular genre in local Urdu films followed by films of action and family drama genre. So NMA2 is expected to give a tough competition to PNJ on Eidul Azha.
NMA2 is the third film from the producer Fizza Ali Meerza and director Nabeel Qureshi. Their previous two films NMA(2014) and Actor In Law (2016) were also released on Eidul Azha and proved the highest earning films of the respective year.
Bhai Log (بھائی لوگ)
Bhai Log is an Urdu film released in 2011. The film proved average at the box office. After a gap of five years the film is re-releasing on this Eidul Azha.
Bhai Log is directed by Syed Faisal Bukhari and has a long cast featuring Shamoon Abbasi, Moammar Rana, Shafqat Cheema, Babrik Shah, Nadeem, Javed Sheikh, Saima, Noor, Babar Ali, Meera, Sila Hussain and Nayyer Ejaz.
Syed Faisal Bukhari is known for masala commercial films and Bhai Log is also a loud action film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNa86RKvIv4
Punjabi Films
Punjabi is the largest spoken language in the Pakistan and for almost six decades Punjabi cinema proved the backbone of the Lahore based Pakistan film industry. However the popularity of Punjabi cinema has completely eroded till mid 2000’s. Very few Punjabi action films are now produced based on gandasa theme. Punjabi films are only released in the province of Punjab.
Two Punjabi films are releasing on this Eidul Azha
Sholay (شعلے)
Cast:Nadeem, Moammar Rana, Masood Akhter, Sobia Khan, Nisha Bhatti, Shafqat Cheema
Writer: Muhammad Kamal Pasha
Director: Shahid Rana
Producer: Muhammad Waqas, Muhammad Irfan
Suhaag Diyan Choorian (سہاگ دیاں چوڑیاں)
Cast: Haider Sultan, Suhaina Khan, Sonia Ali, Alia Khan, Raheela Agha, Qadeer Khan, Shafqat Cheema, Shahbaz Akmal
Writer: Nauman Ahmad Figar
Director: Shahzad Haider
Producer: Ishfaq Mughal
Pashto Films
Pashto is the second largest spoken language in Pakistan. Pashto speakers reside in all the provinces of Pakistan in considerable numbers. The circuit of Pashto films is the province of KPK (Peshawar, Mardan, Swat), Balochistan (Quetta) and Sindh (Karachi). Normally Pashto films are not released in Punjab but sometimes there is a limited release in the city of Rawalpindi. The famous artist of Pashto cinema are Shahid Khan, Jahangir Jani, Ajab Gul, Arbaaz Khan and Babrik Shah. Pashto films are mostly male oriented of action genre. The famous female artists of Pashto films are Sobia Khan, Afreen Pari and Dua Qureshi.
Pashto cinema has its own dedicated circuit and usually all the Pashto films recover their budget easily even if they are not successful.
Three Pashto films are coming on Eidul Azha which are Lambe (لمبے) , Shaddal Zalmay (شڈل زلمے) and Jurmo Saza (جرم و سزا)
Lambe (لمبے)
Cast:Arbaaz Khan, Sidra Noor, Ajab Gul, Afreen Pari
Directed by : Shahid Usman
Written by : Saleem Murad
Jurm Ao Saza (جرم و سزا)
Cast: Arbaz Khan, Jahangir Jani, Sidra Noor
Directed By : Arbaaz Khan
Shaddal Zalmay (شڈل زلمے)
Cast: Shahid Khan, Dua Qureshi, Jahangir Jani
Directed By: Arshad Khan
So it sums up the films releasing on this Eidul Azha.
Sajal Aly is a very popular Pakistani actress who is known for her innocent looks and amazing acting. Recently, she starred in a Bollywood film ‘Mom’ as Sridevi’s character’s daughter. The film became a massive hit in both Pakistan and India and she received a lot of praise on her acting.
‘Mom’ was not only good for Sajal Aly career wise, she also managed to find her way in the veteran Bollywood actress Sridevi’s heart and vice versa. The on-screen mother-daughter relationship between Sajal and Sridevi’s character helped in building real life relationship with her co-star.
She recently shared an adorable post regarding her on-screen mom on her official instagram account :
Zaid and Yumna are the cute couple of the week no doubt. From Nikkah to Baraat we had you covered with all the pictures from the ceremony. Here are pictures from the Walima ceremony of the pair along with their families:
The bride looked too cute in a simple pink traditional dress and the couple surely looks happy!
Shaukat Khanum is one of the most trusted charities we have in Pakistan. Many celebrities support it as Shaukat Khanum provides free cancer treatment to about 75% of its patients. After the successful operation of SKMCH Lahore, the second one opened in Peshawar and now the third one is under construction in Karachi. Ali Zafar attended an event for Shaukat Khanum with Imran Khan and both men looked really handsome together. See pictures from the event:
It is always good to see celebrities supporting good causes!
Morning shows have become an essential part of all entertainment shows we have in Pakistan. We can see two hours of strange entertainment everyday from 9 to 11 on all entertainment as well as news channels and most of the times wonder ye sabb mil ke humko pagal bana rahe hain! I quoted the famous Aunty Gormint because her words are gold, same as we keep having bad opinions about our politicians and still vote for them; we also keep getting annoyed by our morning shows and still watch them. Here are some too discussed topics of our morning shows which I find boring, annoying and sometimes offensive:
Make-up Techniques:
I personally love make-up and guilty of buying a lot of stuff which I myself even know I will never use. And I think ladies have an instinctual love for it from the moment they are born, so it should be a good topic to showcase in a morning show right? But NO! This is a Pakistani morning show and instead of giving out tips for everyday makeup we will do heavy bridal looks because everyone loves a dulhan. Haina? Even when the experts they call will talk about everyday make-up routine, the drill is to call someone from the audience and start ridiculing the way they may have applied their lipstick or foundation. All the hosts need to learn that this is not how someone will learn to do make-up and there are millions of tutorials on Youtube too so please just drop this now.
Gharelu Totkay:
Zubaid Aapa is the only one accused but we all know she is not the only one with totkas going on; on our television screens. She atleast has totkas for all problems going on in a common household. The experts we see in our morning shows only have beauty enhancing totkay. You can burn falanay badaam in falanay oils to get healthy hair. Or you can apply an amalgam of some unknown to the world herbs to get out that glow hiding inside the layers of your face. The one I hate is they will call upon a lady with olive skin tone and apply some scrub to her face and tell the audience kitna gora rang hogaya inka. Racist much han! Why do this man? These shows need to understand there are far bigger issues with people’s lives than just wanting to look like a super model (woh bhi gori) all the time.
Annoying Celebrity couples/Guests:
There are some fixed guests for morning shows which will be seen on every second channel you switch too. These include Kiran, Amber, Binita, Kanwar and Fatima, Rambo and Sahiba, Saud and Javeria, Saima Azhar and Nadia Hussain among others. You will see them playing annoying as hell games as well as laughing in unhumanly tones sometimes. They will be dancing a lot too which I never figured out the use of. The constant guests will be seen giving EXPERT OPINIONS on everything. How come you people are experts on everything, there they just make me envious. The couples will tell about their love stories one thousand times so that everyone can just learn them by heart. Morning show people! I’ll make this summarized for you: THIS HAS BECOME ANNNOOYYYIIINNGGGG!!!
Life Tragedies:
I hate it when these shows showcase people who have been a victim of domestic violence in different forms and even families of abused children. What will it bring them? Justice? Peace? No it just brings more agony when people all over the world start pitying them and what these shows will do? They will be showing guests dancing and doing makeups and using skin masks the very other day. I hate use of a person’s pain to gain TRP’S and these shows do that often. It is not just annoying but hateable too.
Shaadi Weeks:
I know you were thinking ke shaadiyan kahan gayin? Lo aa gayein! As far as I remember, Shaista Lodhi started this trend and Nida Yasir is the one to carry Shaadiyan to a whole new level. From underprivileged to celebrities everyone got married on morning shows. Some married couples got married again because why not. With over enthusiastic mehendis with people dancing their organs out to ajeeb o ghareeb rasmain we saw everything on these shows. Recently I saw Sangeeta Jee dancing on a re-shaadi and said to my mother: this bizarre dancing by such a legendary actress on an equally bizarre song is looking so bad and she made me realize: beta baaqi konsa bohat achay lag rahe hain! They make these shaadis annoying as hell and what are they showing the world? That we Pakistanis just care about crazy shaadis. We do a bit but our lives not just revolve around joota chupais and kheer chatwais(that seems like Nida’s favourite rasam though). And can these shows stop re-shaadifying people. It is too annoying seeing couples with school going kids getting married all the time.
Bonus Annoying topic: The King:
Yes this is a bonus topic because it just happens at one place as this is so unique and the King of the annoying party is SAHHIIIRRRR LLLOOODDDDHHHIIIII!!!! The man himself is a topic that gets people annoyed. Why I mentioned him separately? Simple he makes all of the above topics even more annoying. He starts singing and acting and claims he is better than the guests he has. I am sure he could have said he can sing better even to Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Sahab if he was alive and ever mistakenly came to his show. The Shaadi week he is doing currently and the vulgar dance steps he shows on his show can make even the tharki awaam vomit. About the expertise he can give all the opinions himself and does not want anyone else to do that. He is just the KING OF ANNOYLAND!
Morning shows are held all over the world and since we have them too, I think they should try to improve their content now as this is high time they move from izafa e hussan missions and stop insulting the intelligence of Pakistani women. Women also know what is going on around the world; talk about that too. Intelligent shows can also be done regarding makeovers and parenting. One does not has to look and sound crazy all the time. And for the argument that people like to watch masala in these shows, please understand you are feeding people kala namak in the name of garam masala which can only cause digestion issues in the long run and not good taste.
Pakistan’s Entertainment Industry has suffered lots of ups and downs since its inception, however, there is one department that has never stopped making us proud -the department of music. Amazing songs and artists have come out over the years and have made Pakistan proud on different platforms. However, as one would expect,music from olden times is forgotten as new music overtakes the throne. It’s pretty much like the stage of life- someone goes to give others space to showcase their talent. But, like some people are hard to forget, some songs are even harder. They just require renditions to fit in the time they are being played in. A gentle reminder of their greatness, if you will.
Making remakes of songs is a very tricky business, no one can argue with that. Unlike an original song, there are already hopes and expectations from the fans associated with a rendition. A comparison is also, of course, always drawn between the original and the remake. If the remake is better than the original than it is greatly appreciated and if it is not then it receives a lot of criticism too. Over the years, a lot of our old but gold legendary songs have gone through remakes not only in their place of origin (Pakistan) but in India too. In fact, a lot of superhit songs in India are the remakes of Pakistani songs.
Today, however, I am going to count down some of the disastrous remakes of our Pakistani legendary songs that have come out over the years. (The renditions sung by Indian singers, however, are not included.) The 5 songs below, according to me, did more damage than good. Either there was no synchronization between the voice of the singer and the tune, the beat of the song just didn’t match the lyrics, or it simply failed to sound good to the ears. Some of the most popular songs are made from taking risks but sometimes those risks produce a not very favourable result :
Sayonee – Rahat Fateh Ali Khan & Ali Noor
Sayonee is the talk of the town these days and for all the wrong reasons. The song was originally sung by Ali Azmat while he was in the band Junoon, in the year 1997. Coke Studio decided to produce a remake of this amazing song and even chose the best artists for it Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Ali Noor. However, they totally failed in their attempt to make the remake a success and please the audience. The song has managed to gain a lot of views on the internet thanks to how bad it is! Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, no doubt , has one of the best voices in the sub-continent but it seems like this song wasn’t made for him. In fact, in my opinion, this song is only meant to be sung by Ali Azmat in his style, powered by his strong vocals. Tweaking with this song brought down severe consequences in the form of embarrassing memes and blatant criticism on the internet. To say that Coke Studio’s version destroyed the essence of Sayonee wouldn’t be far from the truth.
Zara Chehra- Zohaib Hassan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPHhJ7voa5M
It is true that Nazia Hassan and Zohaib Hassan were a very popular duo back in the time but after the pop queen’s tragic, untimely death, Mr. Zohaib didn’t make much music and unfortunately after listening to him sing Chehra on coke studio, I can see why. He had even worked for Coke Studio before (Indian Coke Studio) but his performance never made it to the air. They probably didn’t enjoy his singing much either. His cover of his classic, Zara Chehra would have been a total loss had it not been for Amir Zaki’s guitar solo. I remember the high anticipations I had from the song because I had hoped Amir Zaki and Zohaib working together will produce one of the greatest hits of all times but the only enchanting aspect of the entire performance was watching Amir and Zohaib working together. I wish they could have at least met the benchmark if not surpassing the original version!
Dekha Na Tha- Bilal Khan & QB
My ears are still bleeding from listening to the cover. Seriously, dekha na tha kabhi aesa koi cover. Bilal Khan dived in Alamgir’s fabulous song with his auto-tuned voice and managed to make me shake my head in extreme disappointment. Alamgir’s a legend of our music industry, the least Mr.Khan could do was sound like himself and not a robot! Moving on to his partner, QB- the talented voice of our Music Industry who’s singing in the song clearly shows that she is not made for pop! Her vocals are no doubt good, but seriously misplaced. Lastly, QB and Bilal Khan’s robotic voice do not jell together at all! What the original version entailed was: Alamgir’s amazing voice, a good beat, smooth vocals, luscious music and stirring shift of scales. All of this was lacking in the cover. The ‘Jazba’ song didn’t have ‘Jazba’ enough.
Sone Di Tavitri – Shahida Minni
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pVjoCp6U5w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc5_DljyqWw
If I was to rate this song in terms of how bad the rendition is from the original , I’d be inclined to use the symbol of infinity instead of a digit because mere digits cannot do justice to just how awful the Shahidi Minni’s version of Noor Jahan’s ‘Sone Di Tavitri’ is. She’s brought in an arabic touch to the song and uses a sultry voice to replace Noor Jahan’s soothing yet playful one. Music is arguably one of the most powerful forms of expression that we have. Madam Noor Jahan surely understood that if her singing of patriotic, romantic, or even heartbroken songs was anything to go by. Her voice had the power to generate an emotional effect in one. Shahida Minni’s voice clearly lacks that. To top it off, destroying the beat of the song to produce something ‘new’ and ‘modern’ managed to ruin the entire song in a spectacular way. Kudos to her for totally wrecking the song.
Ye Jo Halka Halka Suroor- Farhan Saeed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOz1sVE4nyQ
Farhan Saeed has a great voice and is also a very hard working singer, I am not going to deny that but his rendition of ‘ye jo halka halka suroor’ didn’t touch my heart. To be fair, it’s nearly impossible for any singer to sing Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s song to the late singer’s caliber but this wasn’t even close to it. Farhan’s voice just didn’t jell in with the classical music composition of the song. If I hadn’t listened the original then Farhan might have gotten a green light from me but as far as comparing his version with the original one goes- it has failed to impress me. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s strong yet melodious voice is dominant in the original version while Farhan has equal parts of music and his voice. Nusrat’s voice is smooth like honey in some parts of the song and at others, it has a very gripping coarseness. Farhan’s voice sounds very immature and the overall product, rushed in comparison to the original. Singers should really think through whether or not they can perform to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s level before undertaking such a task.
Honourable Mention- National Anthem of Pakistan
The recreation of the national anthem of Pakistan by Strings was just terrible. National anthem is more than just getting the notes right. It should have feelings of love and patriotism for one’s country too. Coke Studio’s version lacked that. Completely. The singers seemed too determined to get the notes right and very little about emotions. I would especially mention Nabeel Shaukat and Farhan Saeed playing a greater part in ruining the anthem than just being emotionless. The verse they were given was executed by both the singers with extremely low and fading notes. I had to remind myself that this is a national, supposedly most patriotic song not some tune that an angrez would play at some funeral. Danyal Zafar’s voice didn’t seem necessary in the anthem either as it was overshadowed by both his brother and Momina Mustehsan. The one tiny portion that you can hear is at the end of the word ‘hilaal’ where he is completely out of sync from the other two singers. All in all, this is the perfect example of too many cooks spoil the broth. Sometimes simplicity is better than extravagance.
Hamza Ali Abbasi does not fit into either an actor’s seat, nor in a politician’s chair. He is a genre, a class in his own.
Recently he has shared some great news that he spoke on the public forum of Tedx Islamad.
Tedx is a forum where people with interesting stories to tell and profitable advice to give are welcome. It will be great to know how Hamza holds his own there. Considering the life he is leading and the controversies he inevitably finds himself into, Hamza Ali Abbasi on Tedx speaking out his lessons on life are certainly not to be missed.
Mikaal Zulfiqar and Zarnish Khan both have achieved immense popularity and admiration from their fans. Zarnish is a performance powerhouse and Mikaal is so good looking that just being himself on screen gets him casted repeatedly.
They are both now coming together in hum Tv’s upcoming project, “De Ijazat” where they will be playing the leads. Hareem is all praises for Mikaal calling him among the best human beings she has ever met. The drama is directed by Asim Ali.
Lets see how this fascinating chemistry between the two of them plays out in the drama.
All the provinces of Pakistan are amazing in their own boundaries, but Punjab has a special place when it comes to loud jokes, hearty foods and colourful occasions. Punjabis are probably the world’s loudest people who celebrate each event with all their hearts.
Yesterday on the sets of Salam Zindagi, Faysal Quraishi celebrated the cultural diversity of the most densely populated province of our beloved country. Those who joined him in the colorful celebrations were Asim Mehmood, Chef Farah, Hajra Yamin, Irfan Malik, Ali Hassan, Alia Jamshed, Nazia Malik, Rana Majid and Sherry.
The program was very entertaining with Punjabi jokes as well as discussions about the serious ascpects of Pakistani culture. Faysal Quraishi was at his best with tales of how around the smaller cities, people are so laid back that folks from urban areas get embarrassed at their restlessness and competition. There was Punjabi Bhangra as well as typical oily and hearty Pakistani meals.
The participants were as eager to dance as Punjabis usually are. Abrar ul Haq’s songs completed the essence of the theme. There was kinnay kinnay jana Billo day Ghar and Assan jana Mall o mall. Other songs relating to Punjab were also sung and danced at light heartedly. Mundia Sialkotia and Kuri Lahore Di served very well to get everyone on both sides of the stage tap their feet Punjabi style.
So, the idea of this article came to me quite literally while I was cooking. Yes, a huge part of my life does revolve around cooking but I was standing at the stove and chopping and wondering what do I cook. And how fabulous a pizza would be for a lunch option. Were there any deals going on at the pizza place we order from? Interesting combo meals? Sigh. Turn around to look at my laptop to see if anyone else commented on the article I posted recently. Dramas. Directors. Producers. Whoa, wait? I yell out at the kids who are up to no good anyway (summer holidays and all) to grab pen and paper and jot down whatever comes pouring out of my mouth. Ten minutes later, my junior reporters saunter off and I begin writing this in my mind.
With so many writers, directors, channels, production houses, actors and actresses we have become quite spoilt for choice as far as drama viewing goes. Besides the drama stories and their many clichés, over the recent years we have seen many ‘combos’ or ‘matches’ – some which work, some that do not and some that have a certain way of making sure we know what to expect given their track records. Let me explain as I categorize the many ‘matches’. Some of these categories are quite obvious, some observations of my sometimes very faarigh brain and some I would love to hear additions from you all
Writer & Director
Quite a few names come to mind here. I am not sure how mechanics of the drama industry work, where a writer has a preference over which director he/she chooses to work with or vice versa but these pairs have worked at least twice in the past – good or bad?
Fasih Bari Khan & Mazhar Moin – The Dark Knights
The few seconds I lingered on ARY while flipping through channels was all I ever saw of Qudusi Sahab Ki Bewa. But Faltu Larki had me hooked. A bit more research and a few comments made my readers here on my reviews on Faltu Larki left me a bit more knowledgeable – apparently this writer/director duo have worked together in the past too and their dramas are definitely not your run of the mill sort. While the ones I watched had humor albeit dark humor most of the time, it would be safe to say most of their dramas are a shade dark. At least for me.
Zafar Mairaj & Kashif Nisar – The Dark Knights Part Two
Zafar Mairaj has established quite a reputation for himself over the years. He is a popular name but the two dramas I watched of this duo seemed to suck me into a dark hole that I found very depressing and claustrophobic. Not to say, the dramas were lacking or good or bad – not judging here but it was not my cup of tea. Well, maybe only half cup – could not drink the whole mug, so to speak. The two dramas these two have brought to us that I am aware of are Sangat and Dumpukht.
Naila Ansari & Aabis Raza
Both new names to me – and seen together in Tum Yaad Aye, a play that I found very interesting once I got past the first few episodes. The two have another drama on air nowadays, Teri Raza which I have not watched yet and going by the reviews is probably not amazing – yet. Except Zahra’s latest review suggested maybe things have picked up and makes me wonder if there is another trend developing here with these two.
Writer & Production House
Farhat Ishtiaq & Kashf Foundation
Two dramas come to mind – Rehaii and Udaari and if I am not mistaken a third in the pipeline starring Sanam Saeed. Serious, heavy duty dramas (I could not bring myself to watch Rehaii) but they touch on topics that need awareness or rather, help take away the blindfold that many prefer to wear rather than accept these issues exist and need to be dealt with.
Samina Ejaz & Big Bang Entertainment
Where do I start and where do I end? Or can I even end because there does not seem to be any end in sight of this pair that seems to have hit it off very well! Expect something scandalous or out of the box from their dramas, I will give them that! Teri Chah Main, Beqasoor, Waada, Doosri Biwi – need I go on.
Actor/actress & Production House
Giggle. Snort. But needs to be said:
Faysal Qureshi & Big Bang Entertainment
Whether he is a ‘laadla’ or ‘sotaila’ I could not decide. For this name alone I would throw in Samina Ejaz too and make this a triangle. All three co exist in every other drama. Waada, Rang Lagga, Mera Yaar Miladay – I mean on the one hand FQ is definitely a ‘laadla’ and the choice for the male lead by Big Bang. But man, the drama?! Most of them are so cringeworthy and not worth watching, you are left to wonder why FQ is chosen to bear the brunt of all this each time. Sotaila much?
Aijaz Aslam & Aijaz Aslam Productions
The man produces it, hence shall star in it. I have no problem with that. I do not think many of us do either – if we had any thoughts on the dramas themselves in the first place! Which dramas you say? Umm, Shiza, Dil Ishq, Dil Ka Kya Karoon and Tum Meri Ho. Yep, those are drama names that have aired over the past couple of years. You’re welcome.
Neelum Munir & Aijaz Aslam Productions
This pairing came to my notice – I have no idea why. Neelum is not exactly my favorite actress yet manages to do a few dramas a year. She seems to have had a stroke of luck with Aijaz Aslam Productions in particular – and her luck has not run out completely yet for her latest drama Wafa Ka Mausam has been on air on TV One recently. Others include Anabiya and Dil Ishq.
TV Channels & Actors/ Actresses
Two channels come to mind primarily here –
Geo TV
I would be quite interested to know whether GEO TV had a phase where it managed to convince (ensnare) a few actors and actresses to act in only their dramas and not be seen for the most part on any other channel. Alas, my curiosity is piqued enough so I will probably let it go at that and never endeavour to know. Sami Khan, Rabab Hashim, Usna Shah, Asif Raza Mir, Faysal Qureshi – these faces were all over GEO and well, except for Faysal Qureshi who was probably let off the hook earlier or snapped up by Big Bang (whatever,whenever) the others seem to have been allowed to only recently spread their wings and fly and we have Sami Khan (on HUM and Urdu 1), Rabab Hashim (on ARY and HUM) and even Asif Raza Mir (Muqabil on ARY).
A Plus
There seem to be certain faces, albeit not very popular or well known ones but that appear in every other drama or well most of the dramas on A Plus. Even if I mentioned their names (which I do not know myself), they would most likely not ring a bell but I shall post pictures of two faces I have often seen – and that too only on A Plus. The first actress I have seen in Bhai, Intizar, Dumpukht and well (grudgingly accept) in Khuda Aur Muhabbat on Geo only recently. The other actress it pained me to watch one drama, Kaneez and I saw she made a comeback in another drama on A Plus recently – I never bothered watching the promo. I have never seen her before or after or elsewhere.
Lead couples
This one was a fun one to research. And I was quite surprised at how many names I came up with.
Aiza Khan & Imran Abbas
I missed out on Tum Kon Piya but I often read how the chemistry between these two was fasicinating. Apparently the same sentiments must have been behind Muhabbat Tum Se Nafrat – but not watching that one either so can not say whether sparks are flying or not.
Osmaya and Sajroz
I do cheesy. I often say I do not do KRQ, heavy duty etc – but cheesy I do. Even then, I have my ‘nakhras’ in cheesiness. Cheddar, mozzarella, feta – all good but this gouda, emmental, another level of cheesiness – too much for me. That is the level of cheesiness where this concept of naming couples falls for me. Osman Butt and Maya Ali have appeared in quite a few dramas together – Aunn Zara, Ek Nayee Cinderella, Sanam. The same applies to Sajal Ali and Feroz (yikes what was his surname again?) – Chup Raho and Gul e Rana to name the two that come to mind. Failed to wow me, but then must have worked for a lot of us – which is fine – for these couples have fans that refer to them with those ‘cute coupley’ names.
Sami Khan & Rabab Hashim
Sam-Ra? Sa-bab? Heck, these two have appeared in many more dramas than other couples that come to mind yet I have not found a ‘cute’ name to refer to them as one. Thought I would try my hand at it but nah. Piya Mann Bhaye, Mannat, Ishqaway – I am sure I am missing more! Both decent performers in their own right, something must have clicked for them to be cast time and again together.
Azfar Rehman & Sohai Abro
Huh? I know right. But together in Kaisi Yeh Paheli and Aadhi Gawahi. Yay or nay – anyone?
I could go on – maybe. Except that the whole idea of the article was to bring to light ‘matches’ that have been presented together at least a few times. I would love to hear which or any of the above ‘combos’ work for you or do not – or any that you could add to the lists
Kunwal Javid
P.S. I ended up cooking daal, korma and pasta in the end. I know, right. Then I have the nerve to complain of matches that make no sense :P
Alyy Khan has given some very amazing performances to date and he is widely appreciated for the intensity and realism he brings to his on screen characters. In both Pakeeza and Khuda Mera Bhi Hai, he totally owned his roles.
Recently he has been nominated in the Berlin Film Festival for his work in Saila Kiarat’s drama film “The Vallley”, which also starred Samina Peerzada. The movie is about the pressure kids of immigrants face. Alyy Khan plays the father of a young girl who attempts suicide.
Alyy was very proud of this recongition and shared the news on his Instagram;
Zaid Ali Tahir, the renowned internet comedian got hitched last week and his fans had multiple reactions after the news was confirmed. Zaid also shared the picture of his cute wife and the couple looks beautiful together.
Some people are as everyone one knows born to say negative things like:
But most of the people wished the couple and downright fell in love with the jori:
People also countered the ones who were uselessly criticizing by supporting the couple:
Some are heart broken too:
And here comes the best advice for the newly wedded couple:
This had to be one of the best episodes of MTSNH so far; the story moved forward at a rapid pace and all these developments were unexpected. Ami begum’s realization and Gulrez’s wisdom came as a complete surprise and for the first time these two characters had to be the best part of an entire episode. Ami Begum’s scenes were funny as well (and this time in a good way!). The way she asked her daughter to reassure her that she wasn’t such a bad person and later on her use of English language was hilarious! It was great watching her realize her mistake and making a decision which was going to hurt Gulrez but which was definitely better than the one she had taken before. Saman Ansari has always played an important role in all the dramas she has ever been part of therefore it was also a pleasant surprise watching Mehrunissa’s character which seemed unimportant few weeks back, playing a major role in making Ami Begum’s reflect upon her behaviour and actions.
Gulrez and Maheen’s conversation was the highlight of tonight’s episode mainly because of the fact that Gulrez turned out to be much more wise than everyone gave him credit for. Gulrez has always been shown as a sensitive person therefore watching him take such a bold step which was surely going to break his heart was very touching. Also, watching Maheen believing what he said instantly was a refreshing change since Maheen usually does not get convinced so easily. Ayeza Khan was phenomenal in this particular scene, the change in her expressions when Gulrez told her the reason why Waqar was all of a sudden saying something entirely different made this scene more impactful. Gulrez’s suggestion that Maheen’s baraat should go on his foxy was another brilliant addition to this scene. This was the most important scene because it had a major development to its credit and it was handled faultlessly.
Jia is investing all her time and energy into taking revenge from Maheen for what her father did. She managed to make Waqar think that Maheen might be playing games with him. Before his conversation with Jia, he was fully convinced that Maheen loved her. Jia has done all her homework and now when she shows Waqar the diary he will walk away from this marriage and I guess it is easy to tell now why everyone hated him so much. It still remains to be seen what happened to Gulrez. Will he die in an accident too just like his parents?
For the first time I enjoyed watching all the mind games which the characters played with one another because they are headed towards a definite direction. This episode also had some impressive dialogues which explained Ami Begum and Gulrez’s state of mind in particular. Although the story can pretty much be summed up as kon bane ga Maheen ka shauhar but even then the intricate relationship of all these characters with each other and also the fact that the drama is headed towards an interesting finale makes it a must-watch at this point at least. There are dramas which get slow towards the end and test your patience and then there are those like Mohabbat Tumse Nafrat Hei which test your patience for weeks but get really interesting towards the end!! Looking forward to the next episode because the promo looked enticing!
How many of you watched this latest episode? Don’t forget to share your thoughts about it.
Internet comedian Zaid Ali tied the knot last week. The couple is really happy and Zaid is over the moon. He kept his fans updated and now he has posted pictures of his baraat on Snapchat. The bride looked really pretty and innocent while Zaid looked like a perfect gentleman in his tuxedo. See some pictures of the couple from the occasion:
Sheheryar Munawar Siddiqui has become a famous actor and model. The talented actor has managed to gain a lot of popularity and success in a very short period of time. He has worked with top notch actors of our Entertainment Industry and proven that he is no less. A lot of his drama serials and his film ‘Ho Mann Jahan” come under his belt of success.
The hard working actor won Best New Sensation award at Lux Style Awards in 2013 and was nominated for the Most StylishFilmActor last year. This year, he has been nominated in the Best Actor category for International Pakistan Prestigious Awards 2017.He broke the news to his fans on his official facebook page in this post:
These Awards are being held in the celebrations of the 70th Independence day of Pakistan and will take place on 17th of September at the London Hilton Hotel, Park lane. According to IPPA’s official website – IPPA will be the first destination award event which will acknowledge the Pakistan’s film, music, tv, fashion and sports industry. The awards will be given on the performances based on the year 2016. A total of 25 Awards will be presented in IPPA and the show’s official broadcaster is Hum network.
Here’s a throwback to Sheharyar and Mahira’s performance in the Lux Awards 2016 on their film Ho Mann Jahaan superhit track, “Shakar Wandaan”:
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is no stranger to producing great music.His soulful voice transcends both nature and man-made boundaries. He does an amazing job at qawali, national songs as well as romantic songs. He is Pakistan’s one of the most valuable asset.
His vocals are not only recognised in Pakistan but all across the globe. Our neighbouring country India, has utilized the talent of his voice again and again in the form of playback singing for Bollywood films. Recently,the song from the Indian film, Bhoomi was released and people once again couldn’t help but be amazed by Rahat’s beautiful voice in the soft romantic number.
Lag Ja Gale’s music is composed of a mixture of traditional and contemporary instruments that glorify the strong vocals of our Pakistani singer. Listen to the song yourself and tell us what you think about it:
On Thursday, 24 August 2017, the famous clothing brand Khaadi introduced Chapter 2 at Dolmen mall, Clifton, Karachi. Through Chapter 2, Khaadi returns to its roots, involving hand woven garments. Khaadi had started off their business with hand woven clothes but due to their high expenses and low production rate, the hand woven garments had to move back to the passenger seat from the driver seat.
Chapter 2 involves cleaner, simpler looks and a classic silhouette that won’t be going out of fashion for a long time. It is a contemporary take on traditional hand woven fabrics; through high contrast, progression of color and composition.
There are high hopes of Chapter 2 to be a major success for Khaadi as the main aim of this is to not only bring the pure hand-loomed clothes back into fashion but also to make women comfortable and confident wearing them.
Khaadi is known to set fashion trends, introduced new fashion trends from time to time. Let’s see if they fulfill expectations and succeed with Chapter 2.
Episode 3 aired today and the artists lineup included Qurutulain Baloch, Areib Azhar, Akbar Ali, Sajjad Ali, Zaw Ali, Sahir Ali Bagga, Aima Baig, Humera Channa and Nabeel Shaukat. It was an average episode with some good and some not so good performances. No wow factor today either. One thing which I found a bit annoying today was that the young singers constantly shove angrezi accents in Urdu and other regional language songs which seems a bit off-putting. Lets get to all the songs one by one:
Laal Meri Pat:
Sung by Qurutulain Baloch, narration done by Areib Azhar and classical notes sung by Akbar Ali, Laal Meri Pat should have been a real good deal but it was not so. Music was directed by Strings. QB is indeed the best choice for this song and the other artists did their parts well too but the music? It was too mellow!! Laal Meri Pat should always make the listeners go all Dam Dam Mast Qalander and not act as some background music for relaxation exercises. It could have been so much better if the music had been kept a few beats higher. Music made it average.
Ronay Na Diya:
Ronay Na Diya marked the debut of Zaw Ali who is the daughter of Sajjad Ali. To be honest all my expectations died after what Danyal Zafar did but Zaw is really good. Yes nepotism is quite visible here but the girl is talented too. Music was also directed by Sajjad Ali who it seemed kept his part humble and threw spotlight more on Zaw and Zaw did not insult the opportunity and gave her hundred percent. I found the English part of the song a bit not needed but Zaw made it acceptable with her vocals. The accent issue was there in the song when Zaw kept angrezi accent in Urdu lyrics after she reverted from English to Urdu. Overall a good song and a good debut.
Baazi:
The music was directed by Sahir Ali Bagga who also sung it alongside Aima Baig. Aima is the new sensation for the season alike Momina. The girl is a good singer but choosing a Siraiki number for her was not a good choice. She gave her hundred percent but the accent issue was there with her too. She did not sound natural. Sahir did a fabulous job with his powerful vocals but to me the song was not the dancey funky type which they aimed to created. But since it is the time of internet sensations it may go out to be among the best for the season. Who knows!
Mujh Se Pehli Si Muhabbat:
A tribute was paid to the real queen of melody Malika E Taranum Noor Jehan by Humera Channa and Nabeel Shaukat. Music was directed by Meekal Hassan band. The best song of the episode hands down. Humera’s voice seemed as soothing as Madam Noor Jehan’s in original and Nabeel’s vocals were a treatful addition. They both nailed it. A best selection of duo for the said song. Music was so according to the vocals of the singers. A good one indeed!
Which song did you people like in this episode and which one you thought could have been better? Share your thoughts in comments!
Coke Studio season 10 isn’t as impressive as many had hoped for, considering that the 10th season marks a decade since the show began. Having faced with a lot of disappointment by the songs presented to the audience in the first and second episode of this season, fans were starting to lose hope that any new voice that would not only sound pleasing to their ears but also jell well with the music would not be found this season. The well established singers had already failed to impress with their performances but had successfully managed to generate a tonne of memes on internet in regards to their failed performances.
In these dark times, Aima Baig has come out as a ray of hope! The young singer sang the song titled ‘Baazi’ with Sahir Ali Bagga. She charmed the audience with her strong yet versatile vocals, if how viral the song video is going on internet and the appreciative comments are anything to go by. Sahir Ali Bagga directed the music along with singing it with her.
Aima has grown up singing both eastern and western songs and you can see both the styles mixing in harmony in this song. The western influence in the song is very subtle but it is there and we love it. Her voice sounds smooth as silk yet you can’t miss those strong, well-practiced vocals.
We also have to give it to Sahir Ali Bagga’s voice for perfectly complementing Aima Baig’s and just making the song much better than it already is. The song is a playful, folk song and you can see both the artists enjoying themselves as they sing it.
A lot of people on Web 2.0 have started comparing Aima Baig to Momina Mustehsan. Many are calling her Momina Mustehsan of season 10. Have a listen to her song below and tell us what you think. Is she really the voice everyone was waiting for?
Period dramas are a treat to watch. They can take a person far in a timeline if directed right. Dastaan is a perfect example of that. Even Sadqay Tumhare showed older Punjab beautifully. Another period drama is on its way. It will be based in the partition times. The cast includes Adnan Siddiqui, Hamza Firdous, Amar Khan, Asma Abbas and Haris Waheed among others. The drama is named Ghuggi. The drama will surely be an emotional ride and will show how people suffered during the difficult times. Here are some pictures of the actors on sets:
Ohkay so, what a spellbinding episode filled with spellbinding performances, like I seriously just didn’t want this episode to end & when it did, I was actually disappointed. This drama takes you to some other world, I haven’t felt like this in ages about a drama but O Rangreza is proving to be something else. I love love love the detailing with which this drama has been directed, like there are so many moments where you actually see how the director made sure to convey something without making it a bit too obvious. It ends up looking like a mystery box where you keep on exploring so many different things & it keeps you engaged. Loving it so far!
Who would’ve thought that the episode that began on such a light-hearted note would turn out to be so intense & deep. This shows the intelligence of the writer & his vision because he succeeded in grabbing the attention of the viewers through some very easy-going moments & when the viewers were having a good time, the story took such a turn that it engaged them further. I awed at the scene where Sassi went to meet Qasim, like it is so obvious that she misses him, but since her ego gets in the way, she doesn’t want to admit that. It was amusing how Sassi used Qasim to drift two friends apart & her strategy worked, whereas the one who was being used i-e Qasim was oblivious of the rumor Sassi had spread. Seeing Sassi standing alone while feeding the birds also showcased how she missed Qasim’s presence around her, even if she doesn’t realize but Qasim is like her one & only buddy that she grew up with, that is why she is used to the idea of him being around & now when he is gone, she finds ways to see him.
So, Sassi planned a big surprise for her father & she assumed that since Sonia would be with her, it will make her case stronger & she will be able to convey what’s in her heart to Khayyam because she knows he sees things differently every time Sonia is in the picture. Obviously Sonia had to fulfill Sassi’s dream because for her, Sassi is quite special too & there was no way she was going to refuse her request. Speaking of the overall ambiance that was created for Khayyam’s birthday at his home, I will say it was magical, all those candles & the sparkling hangings reflecting those lights were just beautiful. Coming to the performance of Sonia & Sassi, who would’ve thought that the scene which was appeasing Khayyam would turn into his worst nightmare. It showcased the double standards of Khayyam Sani perfectly where he didn’t mind everyone looking at Sonia Jahan; the one whom he is in love with but he just couldn’t stand seeing his daughter in front of the same crowd.
Coming to the confrontation between Khayyam & Sassi, it was intense & perfect, like I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen during that scene I must say Noman Ejaz & Sajal Ali were beyond brilliant during that conversation. So, Sassi like an immature child came & told her father that she wants to be like Sonia Jahan, while completely ignoring the fact that her father was not only disturbed but was furious as well. Since Sassi has never seen Khayyam like that, she couldn’t even read his expressions but just one slap changed everything. The inquisitiveness in Sassi’s eyes said it all, it was like she was seeing her father Khayyam for the first time & the man that she was looking at was unfamiliar to her so she was trying very hard to figure out who he was. Sassi, who all her life has seen Khayyam idealizing Sonia Jahan, looking at her with so much appreciation & affection in his eyes, could never imagine that he would react so sternly when she will try to fit in the same image too. Khayyam was open about it, he didn’t appreciate what Sassi did so he made sure to convey it to her & there were no two ways about it but for Sassi it was a shock of her life as she never could’ve imagined that she will be met with such a response from her father. From there onward, it was a bitter reality that Sassi had to deal with because now the image of her father has changed in her eyes & she has to figure out how she will deal with him.
‘Wo bachay nahi bigarte jin ke ghar mai koi bigaar dalne wala mojood na ho, bahar ka rang usi pe charhta hai jiss ka apna rang kacha hota hai’, oh well, it was ironic that throughout this conversation, Khayyam was blaming Mumtaz whereas if he would’ve had some insight, he would’ve realized that he was talking about himself. It is so obvious that Khayyam uses Mumtaz as a punching bag & for him, she is a soft target to put the entire blame on. It is surprising that it hasn’t occurred to Khayyam till date that Mumtaz has no influence on Sassi & she is basically his own carbon copy, because if he had paid a little more attention to Sassi in stead of directing all his energies on demeaning & blaming Mumtaz, he would’ve seen that he is the one who Sassi takes after. Khayyam has turned a blind eye & since he is so used to the idea of holding Mumtaz responsible for everything, he thinks everything that Sassi says or does is only because Mumtaz is a bad mother & she has failed at motherhood. However, one thing really caught my attention was Khayyam’s dialogue ‘na tum betay ko sambhal saki, aik beti baqi reh gai thi usay bhi barbaad…’, did they just imply that Khayyam & Mumtaz also had a son & may be they lost him? Is this the reason why Khayyam is so cold towards Mumtaz? Does he hold her responsible for it too? I wish they lift the curtain from this in the upcoming episodes as well.
Khayyam was obviously feeling bad for what he did & how he treated Sassi, but then again, he should know that this is exactly what is going to make Sassi believe that she can do anything that she wants because her father will always take a step down in front of her. Khayyam did tell Mumtaz that she should never ever blame Sonia, which is right, because in this entire situation, neither Mumtaz is at fault nor Sonia, it is Khayyam himself who still hasn’t realized that it was because of his obsession with Sonia Jahan, that Sassi started idealizing her too!
Sonia Jahan has met Khayyam & now she has started to desire more from this relationship, due to which she is compromising on her career, for which she has worked so hard all her life. This is exactly what her manager Mushtaq tried to convey to her that she is sacrificing her success, her career, everything because she has been distracted but Sonia chose not to pay heed to what he was saying. It is so obvious that Sonia Jahan is tired of putting up a facade, faking an image, that too for those people who only look at her from the outer surface & do not bother getting to know who she, as a person, as a human being is. May be this is what she has seen in Khayyam that his curious eyes are trying to get through her fake image, only to get familiar with her true-self, that is why she is ready to give up on everything because she wants at least someone to love her for who she is & she believes it is Khayyam who would do that.
Since Sonia has also started to expect so much more from Khayyam, she didn’t notice how he was screening her phonecalls, she just didn’t see how he was ignoring her because for him, what happened the other day was way too much of a burden to deal with. However, Sonia actually came to know what’s in his heart because may be she wants to make some final decisions regarding both her personal & professional life & Khayyam Sani’s answer will help her as like she said, what he thinks of her is what matters to her the most & nothing else. It did look like Sonia spread the news/pictures herself, as a publicity stunt because Mushtaq did remind her that the competition was cutthroat & she was being forgotten. I don’t know why but the way Sonia reacted to the news in front of Khayyam made me feel that it was basically a way for her to know what he was thinking, like if his opinion about her would change or will he still be as smitten by her as he was before this news made it to the media. This will definitely put Khayyam & his feelings to test because he never would’ve imagined that there would come a time when Sonia Jahan would expect something more from him & he’d have to prove himself to her!
Even though Qasim is pretty much out of the family, I like the fact that he isn’t forgotten & he always has these amazing moments which give us so much to love about him & Sassi together. His dream sequence again with Sassi was spellbinding, it was perfect & just beautiful. Also, the fact that the entire scene was shot in one go goes to show Bilal Abbas Khan’s & Sajal Ali’s caliber as actors, they just performed brilliantly & their chemistry is something else. Qasim has put Sassi on such a higher rank in his heart, he has the most beautiful feelings for her & he words them in such a unique way too for her but sadly, she had no idea about it. I want to see what will Qasim say in the future that will actually strike a chord & melt Sassi’s heart away for him because I am sure that moment would be magical too!
Overall, this episode was beautiful & I just didn’t want it to end. Once again, like I always say, the wait for next Friday is looking never-ending. I loved the way this episode was directed & written, like it started off from a light-hearted note but ended at such an intense moment. What will Khayyam’s reaction be? Really looking to find that out. Also, looks like Sassi will tell Khayyam what she is made of. Khayyam’s worries are far from being over, I wish in the course of Sassi’s rebellion, Khayyam himself realizes that he is solely responsible for how Sassi has turned out to be because in front of Sassi, he never gave Mumtaz an opportunity to have some authority, some control, some hold over their child & this was his biggest mistake. Noman Ejaz & Sajal Ali were the stars of this episode followed by Bilal Abbas Khan. I must say the amount of effort & hard-work the entire team has put in is evident. It shows that all the actors have put their heart & soul in these characters, that is why they are just exceptional. I must say I loved the detailing as well, especially during the dance performance, like it was so obvious that Sassi wasn’t good at dancing but she was just copying Sonia Jahan out of excitement, like where Sonia’s dancing was perfect, Sassi’s lacked finesse. Sajal Ali looked like a doll in that attire & Sana Fakhar looked beautiful in this episode as well, in both heavy dresses as well as simple ones. I will definitely appreciate the no-background-sound strategy in the scenes where the characters were having serious conversations, like it just helped so much in keeping the entire focus on what they were saying, it’s small things like these that make it a unique drama-watching experience. Massive props to the entire team. Please share your thoughts about this brilliant episode of O Rangreza.
Mehwish Hayat is a well known actress and model and we have to give it to her, she is really good at both the things. However, recently, she’s trying her luck in the department of music and in our honest opinion, we have failed to find her musical calling.
Despite her not being too good at singing, her concert tickets are getting sold out wherever she performs. We believe that is because of her flawless acting and the fame she has gained through that. Different fields are suited for different people and from the songs we have heard her perform, we can’t help but think that it’s better if she sticks to acting. After all, she has gained enough fame through that if the audience that comes to watch her at each concert is anything to go by. However, a few people do believe that she can get better at singing with time.
These days she is doing her first ever music tour in the U.S and performed in the city of Dallas last night. She already had a concert in Seattle and Los Angeles on 7 and 8 August respectively.
We aren’t sure if her audience enjoyed her singing at her concert last night but the singer sure did. She expressed her excitement for her performance as well gratitude for the crowd on her Instagram video post:
Internet comedian Zaid Ali has a massive fan following. The social media star started a countdown on his accounts that he was getting married. First of all people thought that maybe its a new prank by him but the man posted picture of his Nikkah and defied all confusions and rumours. He also shared a teaser picture of his wife on his Snapchat.
Many other pictures of Zaid came out with different ladies who has worked with and claimed that they were pictures of his wife. Zaid told all his fans that he will share the original picture himself on his twitter account. Now the man has pleasantly surprised his fans and has shared the picture of newly wedded couple with caption Mr. and Mrs. Zaid Ali. Here take a look at it too:
The young couple definitely looks beautiful. We wish them a happy married life ahead!
Mehreen Jabbar is one of the best directors we have in our entertainment industry. She has given countless projects to the television which will always remain memorable to the audience. Mehreen diverted towards films and has been working for film industry for sometime now. Her film Dobara Phir Se was also well-received by the audience.
Mehreen will now come back towards television with telefilms. It was earlier reported that her telefilm will air on Eid ul Fitr but it will air now on Eid ul Adha. The cast includes Hina Dilpazeer, Marina Khan, Muhammad Ahmed, Madiha Imam and Ahmad Zeb among others. It will show the story of two older couples with the youngsters’s story interwoven in between.
Lets see whether Mehreen’s comeback telefilm turns out to be a fun one or not!
It’s been 9 years today since the renowned Pakistani poet, Ahmad Faraz left this world. Across the country, homages are being paid for his unique and remarkable poetry.
Syed Ahmad Ali Shah, who the world started recognizing as Ahmad Faraz thanks to his pen name, was born on 12 January, 1931 in Kohat. He belonged to the Sufi family of Haji Bahadur and would’ve been 86 years had he been alive today. The Hilal-e-Imtiaz winner has 13 collections of poetry books under his name.
He began his career as a scriptwriter for Radio Pakistan and later became an Urdu teacher at Peshawar University.His poetry is most known for its romantic theme however, he also used poetry as his weapon for political resistance in the time of General Zia-ul-Haq.
The poet breathed his last on 25th August, 2008 but is still very much alive through his literally work.
