Getting nominated in Emmys is a big feat. No, not big – a huge feat! And this time, not one, but two Pakistan-born international actors have made it to the list of nominated.
Beginning with Riz Ahmed, he has been nominated as a Lead Actor in a Limited TV Series or TV Movie category for his performance in HBO’s The Night Of. Ahmed played the role of a college student, Nasir Khan who gets wrongfully accused of a murder. The Night Of has also received a nod for the Limited Series Category.
Other than this, Ahmed has also been nominated for another category as the Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, for his appearance in Girls. After hearing about his nominations, the contented Riz Ahmed tweeted:
Being nodded with a nomination for his role in Masters of None as Dev Shah, Aziz Ansari also earned another nomination in the Writing for a Comedy Series category. Moreover, the show has also been nominated in the Comedy Series Category.
This is not the first nomination for Aziz Ansari, as he previously received for nods for Emmys last year and bagged one for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.
With the expectations already high and mounting up to the sky, we can only wish that these actors bag the win again.
Read the rest of the 69th Emmy Awards nominations here.
The soon-to-be singer Danyal Zafar might very well be known as the brother of Ali Zafar, but he has got some balls of talent on this court too. The artist is making his debut with Coke Studio Season 10 and he is already floating above the clouds with excitement and joy. The singer cum guitarist and songwriter will be giving new life to two old songs in Pakistan’s leading musical series.
While expressing his delight over the much awaited debut, Zafar in conversation with the local publication house said:
“I always dreamt of a debut that could best help me express myself as an artist in such a way that my music could also connect with people. There are two aspects to this, one: the platform where you launch your music, this is where I was lucky enough to be considered worthy of appearing on Coke Studio – a dream comes true. Two: the music itself. He added, “Sometimes when you are working on a song that’s already been created, it’s a gamble – whether or not it’s going to be something you’ll like or whether is it true to your essence as a musician or not. I am glad that I have been very fortunate in both instances.”
Getting such a huge chance on almost no experience he said:
“As far as my experience is concerned, it was like these two extremes, on one end there was this slight pressure and nervousness – the fact that musicians I’ve grown up listening to are right there, watching and waiting for me to prove myself. And when it happened, it was just so overwhelming.”
Appreciating the efforts that are being put by everyone, on and off the stage, in Coke Studio Zafar chimed:
“Everyone involved, on and off the stage, was so amazing in their own individual capacity as artists, they empowered me so much and by the time we got done I was in this surreal state of trance. I couldn’t hear anything, all the post recording banter was suddenly in super slow-mo, voices fading out like I was in a movie. It took me a while to absorb everything. I am very exciting about putting my work out there and to growing as a musician in the years to come.”
We wish Danyal Zafar all the best for his impending debut, and hope that he is going to be a rock-star like this brother.
Mahira Khan and Saba Qamar have been compared from time and again; more after they both debuted in India. Though Mahira with her killer looks became Zaalima across the border, Saba and her on-point acting skills definitely aced the Indian cinematic industry. Since then, there is no stopping the comparison between too, with the weight being on Qamar’s side.
Entertainment fanatics had constantly been poking Mahira for being jealous of Saba. Now, she has come forward with an explanation. The Humsafar actress has said that she is not jealous of the appreciation that Saba Qamar has been getting across the border.
She further said that it is totally a hoax claim that she is jealous of Saba. Explaining her stance, she said that Saba is also a Pakistani artist and performed exceptional in Hindi Medium.
The actress, claiming her seniority in the industry, also stated that the actors should continue working on exceptional projects with their outstanding talent so that Pakistan is recognized throughout the world.
Punjab Nahin Jaongi is an upcoming movie starring Humayun Saeed, Mehwish Hayat, Urwa Hocane, Sohail Ahmed and Ahemed Ali Butt. The trailer of the movie is already a hit with 2 million views. The movie will release on Eid ul Adha. First song from film Tere Naal is released and its a colourful romantic number. It is sung by Shafqat Amanat Ali, Music is given by Shaani Arshad and lyrics are of Sabir Zafar. Watch the song below:
Dua Malik is the sister of Humaima Malik and Feroze Khan. Dua has hosted a show but is not very active lately because she has two young adorable children to take care of and she is spending some quality time with them. Since the biggest event for Muslims Hajj is around; Dua has announced the happy news that she will indeed be one of the lucky people who will perform Hajj this year. She took to her instagram and expressed her excitement on this blissful news.
We congratulate Dua for being chosen for such a blessed journey!
Project Ghazi was a highly anticipated film for Pakistani cinema but things didn’t go well when the movie’s release was postponed on the premier night just one day before the release. The film is said to have a lot of technical issues especially with sound. But the delay didn’t only shocked the audience but cinema owner’s as well.
Kamran Yar Khan of Nuplex Cinemas said: “We updated our website as soon as we found out, I saw Project Ghazi’s Facebook post at 1am that the release date has been pushed back. I called the distributor and she confirmed the news to me. As soon as the news broke customers who had pre-booked tickets for the film were annoyed, but the cinema had that covered. As per our policy, we give the customers the option to get a refund or exchange the ticket with another film. Of course, we received numerous complaints after Project Ghazi was postponed. Our phone line has been ringing non-stop since last night. It’s very rare that release dates get postponed, it has usually been the case with Hollywood films, but a first for a local film.”
He explained the position of the cinemas and also had an advice regarding premiering the film: “It’s an unfortunate position for a cinema, it’s regretful. The producers and distributors don’t understand that we, the cinemas, have to face the customers. We deal with them directly and get caught in the middle. Pulling a film after a premiere is unheard of, especially after a successful premiere (in terms of crowd). They [the filmmakers] shouldn’t have premiered it. There is no precedent for such an incident; this has never happened before.”
Mohsin Yaseen of Cinepax was very straightforward: “I thought the filmmakers made the right decision. I saw the film the morning before the premiere and I have never seen such a bad film in my life, I’m happy [the film has been delayed], now people will see a different film altogether, I haven’t faced any issues after this decision came about. I am happy that a film which is incomplete and is technically not sound has been cancelled. When the filmmakers previewed the film at the premiere they knew it was not complete. It’s a good and wise decision because the public would’ve rejected it.”
He further added: “Please see the film and make the necessary changes to it. The people behind Project Ghazi woke up after the premiere and realised that they’ve missed details in the film. I want to be really harsh but I will restrict my comments to myself.”
All the cinema owners got news of the delayed release via Project Ghazi’s Facebook page and were not informed beforehand.
India might be considered ahead than us in a lot of things when the Entertainment Industry of both the countries are compared but according to Raghav Sacha Pakistani Music is much better than India’s. Sacha told a foreign news agency,
Pakistan comprises a mammoth independent music segment and its musicians are much more evolved as there is lesser ‘bastardisation’ of a musician in the neighbouring country as compared to Bollywood.
Raghav has spent 15 years of his life as a music composer, composing for Bollywood hits like Rustam, Kabul Express and One Two Three. In addition to these, he has also worked on several independent projects.
He also praised the segregation of different music genres in Pakistan.
They (Pakistan) have a very big independent segment. There is Sufi, rock and more. They attempt songs and give them a different light because there is lesser ‘bastardisation’ of a musician.
He also mentioned the problems with Bollywood music:
In Bollywood, what happens is that you are making a song for a film which is directed by a person. Even the director is probably not much involved in music making. It’s basically the producer who is putting in the money and then the label. So, by the time the music is made by the music director to the release time, there are multiple changes made to the song and it ends up losing soul because too many cooks spoil the broth.
He further said that if the Coke Studio of Pakistan and India are compared, the vast difference in the quality of the product is very visible. He believes that the reason for this is that independent music is given a lot of importance in Pakistan.
Sonya Hussyn is a very beautiful actress who has made her mark with a lot of lovely roles. She is very versatile and be it a damsel in distress or a tomboy or a shaded woman, Sonya carries it all with grace and dignity.
Earlier, her image was of a very simple elegant girl that has an aura of delicacy around her. Now she has ventured into slightly bolder roles and looks amazing in all of them.
Her acting career is marked by a number of dramas where she was appreciated widely for her acting skills, the prominent ones being Marasim, Main Hari Piya, Farwa ki abc, Nikah, Shikwa and Hasil. Her debut film Moor got her nominated for the Best Actress Award in 2016.
Sonya got a surprise midnight birthday celebration from her parents, which she is so happy about.
She then spent the day in the very rewarding company of needy people at the Eidhi Centre for homeless people. That was the sweetest ever gesture by her.
She posted some pictures of her with orphans from the Eidhi Centre school as well, sharing some genuine happiness with the kids who need it the most.
On her 26th birthday today, we wish Sonya all the best in her personal and professional endeavours. We hope to continue seeing her with all the more power and with her usual subtle, gentle expressions that are so effective in getting the messages across to her viewers.
In case you didn’t know, I made up the last one but I would be in full support if such a bill in passed in our national assembly. Afterall, ludo is the only game that has the power to ruin even childhood friendships and the strongest bonds. It’s the game of ludo that makes and breaks relations in Pakistan.
One might argue that the game was forgotten with the advent of smartphones and apps. It is true that all the boardgames had to suffer from a major set-back and watch in silence as “Candy Crush”, “Piano Tiles”, “Angry Birds”, etc. took their place. But not anymore! Ludo Star was launched on the app store earlier this year and has taken the world by storm, especially Pakistan. In fact, it seems like this game has become Pakistanis’ Addiction! Have a look at people’s views on this game:
Dil to Bachcha hai!
I think I am mature enough to take big decisions of my life. also me: I must win this ludo star game or the world will end.#Ludo
The advent of Bollywood industry by our many stars has lead to an aura of friendships and mutual compassion between the two industries. They are there to root for eachother and congratulate and support eachother for the successes that come their way.
Mawra Hoccane has recently launched the advertisement for Lux with fellow beauties Maya Ali and Mahira Khan. She looked absolutely gorgeous on the day of launch;
We are certainly not the only ones who noticed her for this. She has received a very encouraging tweet from across the border by Sooraj Pancholi, whom she is very good friends with to congratulate her ;
Mawra replied in the same tone by vowing that they will celebrate this together once they get to see eachother again ;
There had been some rumours and speculations about the relations between the two, but both of them had cleared that they are just good friends. It’s good to see artists keeping their friendships despite the borders between them.
The second teaser of Arth 2 is out. This time we will be introduced to Uzma Hassan’s character. Uzma looks so different and beautiful and it looks like she was definitely perfect for this role. Arth 2 is releasing in December and we have high hopes. The film stars Shaan Shahid, Uzma Hassan, Mohib Mirza and Humaima Malik. Even Uzma was excited before the teaser release. See what she said:
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa directorate of culture is working to revive live theater once again in order to promote peace and educate people regarding the social issues.
While talking to Dawn Images, the officials have reported that the theatrical activities will soon be revived. Young live performing artists would be selected through a media advertisement and seasoned theater actors would be hired to impart training to them.
Ajab Gul, a famous film actor is optimistic about the project. He has also shared his opinion over it while speaking to Dawn Images.
He said, “I offer my services to contribute to the said project. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has no dearth of talent. Before launching live theatre, it is also important to start teaching ‘art’ as subject at our colleges and universities.”
According to the culture deputy director, Shahbaz Khan, government has approved some important projects that would be executed next month. Some of the important projects are: creative entrepreneurs, two- day seminar on intangible cultural folk heritage, revival of glazed pottery and more. He also said that some units, associated to the project have already started working now. Research and documentation unit has started collecting important data on artists, poets, writers, artisans, scholars and academics. An online multilingual magazine, ‘Yoon’ has been launched by the language and literature unit. The e-magazine has already earned appreciation from the online readers.
Officials have also reported that an art academy, library and art gallery are also the part of this project.
Since, theater being a powerful medium to reach the masses could help in building a peace narrative within society.
The journalist and ARY News presenter, Iqrar-ul-Hassan is enjoying some family time in London. He has been spotted with his wife and son while vacationing over there.
Here are some clicks of the beautiful family relishing some time together while away from home.
One of the fresh faces from our morning shows, Sanam Baloch celebrated her birthday yesterday. The actress turned morning show host, Sanam is one lovable girl who is admired a lot among the audience.
She celebrated her birthday on the sets of her morning show. The audience and other celebrities found pouring in a lot of love and wishes for her. Have a few glimpses of her birthday celebrations on the sets on her morning show of ARY News.
This was not the end of her birthday celebrations and the festivity continues on the sets of her drama serial ‘Teri Raza’. Sanam has also posted pictures on her official instagram from the sets of her drama serial. In one of the pictures she has spotted cutting a cake while the other cast members cheering her. In the other picture she was found holding a bouquet and has thanked Fahad Mustafa, the producer of ‘Teri Raza’ for sending it to her and making her day special.
After tonight’s brilliant episode, it would be safe to say that Mohabbat Tumse Nafrat Hai has finally taken off! The character development and the turns in the story in the previous episode and this one have shifted the story to a completely new direction. Two weeks back if someone told me that I will be able to relate to the characters, feel for them at some point, and would actually be interested in the drama, I wouldn’t have believed them but surprisingly enough even though the direction of the drama still isn’t flawless but the story and the characters definitely have me totally hooked. A big reason for this is that the story is finally moving forward and for a change the focus is on the main leads. The viewers already know only too well what is at stake here therefore watching Maheen gradually coming into terms with her feelings, Waqar admitting how he feels about Maheen openly and Gulrez believing that Maheen is meant to be with him, has given rise to a no-win situation which keeps you at the edge of your seat! Jia’s track which seemed completely useless few weeks back is also turning out to be interesting. Jia was always shown as a friend who kept you guessing and not someone who gave negative vibes therefore I am wondering what she will do next.
A great deal changed in tonight’s episode and it was good to see all the characters showing their real feelings instead of keeping the viewers guessing. Maheen thought she was hurting Waqar by getting engaged to Gulrez but she has realized that she couldn’t have been more wrong – she isn’t only hurting Waqar but she is also losing him and she is not ready for that. Maheen has always been shown as someone who would want to be in control, someone who would like to have the last word and that was the only reason why Maheen initially made her decision but this time around she is finding it really hard to stick to her decision. Maheen choosing the blue dress even though Fajr informed her why her mother rejected it said a great deal about her frame of mind. Ayeza Khan’s performance was up to the mark in tonight’s episode; she translated all the emotions impeccably.
Waqar has always been one character which was easy to connect to (with the exception of those 2 episodes in which he got slapped & afterwards) and also someone we have all been rooting for therefore feeling for his character comes naturally and makes you wonder why he was treated so badly by everyone in the opening episode of the drama. No one plays the love struck but heartbroken hero like Imran Abbas. He is always convincing in such roles therefore I have to say that this episode belonged to him. Kinza Hashmi has also been doing complete justice to the role assigned to her. Fajr’s character has also been the most likeable character in the drama even when the drama as a whole had didn’t have a lot to offer.
Even though the ever-present background score could have proven to be a huge distraction in this episode but the scenes were so well written and the actors did their work so well that all the scenes had an impact. Also, Maheen wasn’t wearing the same outfit which she chose for the engagement. Despite of these minor glitches here and there, the episode as a whole was powerful; the dialogues, development in the story and the performances were right on point. The only confusion right now is that Waqar’s parents were also in the same car which had an accident therefore I am wondering howcome Jia’s mother was with them too.
Overall, the drama is definitely much more interesting now than it was two weeks back therefore anyone who completely gave up on this drama should tune into it now.
How many of you watched this episode? Do share your thoughts about it.
We have recently seen celebrities going switched off and everyone was wondering what is wrong. So here we got it! It was a campaign for Sting and the good news is all the celebrities are switched back on. We can see Mehwish Hayat, Feroze Khan, Anoushey Ashraf, Ayesha Omer, Mehreen Syed and Minal Khan getting back to their usual selves. See what they posted today:
And we are happy to see our celebs switched back on!
One of the most amazing consequences of being an actor is that you get to see so many new places and are exposed to different cultures, multiple languages and other metropolitan things. Each new country that you visit enriches your experience and increases your exposure of the world as a person.
The very beautiful Mahira Khan has been to Beirut recently for international award ceremony and very successfully bagged two awards from there. Then we saw her for the new ad launch ceremony for Lux along with gorgeous beauties Maya Ali and Mawra Hoccane.
In an informal behind the curtain interview, Mahira talked about experiencing Beirut and how she loved the Lebanese food. She also shared how she tried her hand at speaking Arabic but it is not very easy to speak a new language and specially onstage. Watch Mahira sharing her experience about it ;
Rising to stardom with social media, Qandeel Baloch became one of the most controversial figures to have ever existed in Pakistan. Murdered on 15-July-2016, it is just a day away from the death anniversary of “Fauzia Aman”.
While she was rebuked by everyone, by and large, in her life, just after her death a partition became within her followers and haters. It is her death which made people realize that a life was lost due to social seclusion. So, a year later, filmmaker Saad Khan is reviving what Baloch used to be by bringing about her life from the eyes of people who knew her the best.
The stories been uploaded on a Facebook page called Qandeel Ki Kahani. They are the excerpts from interviews conducted by Saad and documentary filmmaker Tazeen Bari with Qandeel’s sister and mother and aim to highlight Qandeel’s working-class life.
The introduction on the page states:
“Qandeel Baloch successfully climbed the socio-economic ladder in a country where the class you’re born into dictates who you are, what opportunities you’ll get, and what you can do. She defied all that and became Pakistan’s social media superstar. Rest in power, Qandeel (1990 – 2016)”
Head over to the page to get an insight into the life of the most debated personality of Pakistan, and her connection with the late philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi.
Ahsan Khan has become the king of our hearts, since the day he stepped into the industry. Not only was he known for his charming looks, but his on point acting is what made him even more loved. After Udaari, there was no stopping Khan’s fame and love by the fans. But, if you think that was all the admiration you can get out for him, then you are wrong!
Ahsan Khan in his drool-worthy new look will make you fall for him even more!
Did you see the handsome hunk? Oh, he seems the absolute Greek God of beauty! And, one more…
We can’t help but wonder whether this new look has to do anything with his upcoming role. Drama or a movie? This man has us bewitched and completely in drapes. We still don’t know what this exciting new look is for.
All we can do is wait till Ahsan pulls off the curtains behind the reason of this new look.
Meera Jee has once again taken a 360 turn in her comments and stance which she had earlier. While it was just a day or two ago when she said that Imran Khan should stop pushing hard for the government, today she has taken a U-turn again. This time, becoming an astrologer, Meera has predicted that the next election win will definitely go to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
She further said that Pakistan Muslim League and Nawaz Sharif will continued to be exposed further for the world to see. Meera Jee went on to say that the nation is with Imran Khan and they all are gearing up for his win in General Elections, 2018.
What’s more is that she will be getting married soon, but isn’t ready to reveal the name of her partner to-be just yet. You know, evil eyes and all. Right? She believes that every time she comes clean about her marriage, countless obstacles are created in her path to happiness.
For all we can guess, Meera has her way with antics to get media attention.
Yasir Nawaz has successfully tried his hand at almost all fields of showbiz in Pakistan. Starting as an actor initially, he has now produced and directed many TV plays, and now a movie, Mehrunnisa V Lub U starring Sana Javed and Danish Taimoor.
Lately, we have come to know that Yasir Nawaz is also going to play a part in the much anticipated drama Baaghi expected to air on Urdu1. The play is about the life of Qandeel Baloch, a social media star in Pakistan who lost her life at the hands of her younger brother.
Saba Qamar, as we all know, is playing the role of Qandeel herself, with a number of prominent actors playing the other characters in this story of her life. Talking about his particular role, Yasir said that he had met Qandeel once before she became a social media star, and spoken to her over the phone many times later. He said that he could sense there was something upsetting about her life that made her the way she is and that she was not very stable mentally. He further added that the aim of the play is to demonstrate that it is never right to kill somebody, based on the differences of your opinions with them.
He believes that we as a society need to know that the power of granting life and death lies with the Almighty only. He further added that his role is a small one and the show belongs to Saba Qamar who will be telling the whole story and everything that Qandeel went through by impersonating her.
Project Ghazi’s premier was a disaster, as reported by every media outlet and the people that witnessed the horror. The film was originally scheduled for a Friday release but got postponed right after its premiere on Thursday night. The film is said to be filled with technical issues especially regarding the animations and sound.
According to a report published in The Express Tribune, lead actor Humayun Saeed believed the film was incomplete beforehand.
I have worked in the film so I knew the dialogues but even I couldn’t understand anything.
He further expressed his dissatisfaction with the project saying,
Project Ghazi relies heavily on dialogues to explain the storyline and if it’s inexplicable, there is no point. The film cannot be judged right now.
According to the actor, he had been telling the producers to postpone the film for about a month.
Project Ghazi has potential as a film, so why not wait and deliver a better product to the masses? I don’t know but maybe the producers were under some pressure from the brands or something that made them continue with the premiere.
He admitted that it wasn’t that bad but said that he walked out halfway through the premier because he knew he had to stop it from releasing.
Everyone is aware that Pakistan’s film industry is still a growing one and Humayun confessed that this is the reason most of the ‘made in Pakistan’ films suffer from bad sound.He informed that this exactly is the reason the production goes abroad and uses foreign technologies and resources to make the sound effects bearable and even enjoyable.
We dub the dialogues usually. Even India does, because we don’t have the equipment and expertise to sync it on location. For Project Ghazi, we didn’t do dubbing so I knew something was going to go wrong.
The Bin Roye star predicted it will take at least four to five months to fix Project Ghazi’s issues and finally release it.
Everyone was excited about today because it was the date that Pakistan’s first ever superhero movie was supposed to be launched. Alas, things didn’t go as planned for ‘Project Ghazi’ as the premiere of the film turned out to be the biggest nightmare of all involved in the project. A lot of technical difficulties surfaced during the screening of the film, making it an unbearable watch and so just a day before it’s release date, it got postponed.
Guess who stepped in to talk about this on their instagram page?
Sheheryar Munawar? No.
Syra Shahroz? No.
Humayun Saeed? No.
It is Shahroz Sabzwari! And that too to promote his own film!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWhYGBegvNV/
But we got to give it to him for making the post that clearly mocks ‘Project Ghazi’ cheesy and cute. The ‘love you’ aimed at his wife, at the end of the caption is just adorable.
Shehroz’s Chain Aye Ga’s trailer was heavily criticised by everyone on social media.Now social media is having the discussion that both Project Ghazi and Chain Aye Na are competing with each other in a contest of “Battle of the Failures”.
Despite everything, we hope and pray that Project Ghazi’s technical difficulties are all sorted out and it comes back as an amazing film. Being our country’s first superhero film it’s success will make a great example for its followers!
The first song of India’s film Baadshaho, “Mere Rashke Qamar”, meaning, ‘the moon is also jealous of your beauty’ is all about the budding romance between royalty, Ileana D’Cruz and rugged Ajay Devgn. This sufi romantic song has the most soothing lyrics, the tunes of harmonium and mandolin and the soulful voices of late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and his nephew Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.
A lot of covers of the famous song have been made in the past but this is the first time Rahat has attempted the song. The remix made by him is obviously not good as the original considering it’s nearly impossible to reach Nusrat Fateh’s level but it is catchy and sounds pretty good too. Have a listen and be the judge yourself:
Here’s the original song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0eqTgyoUYM
All the remixes that bollywood has been making of our songs in the recent years makes me wonder has Bollywood no creativity of her own?
Imran Abbas has won many hearts all over the country with his good looks and emotional acting. Recently, however, his looks are not quite the same. His cheeks are much more fuller, even to the extent of looking swollen.
Imran Abbas’s chiselled features looked wonderful on him, but with the recent change in his face, his face seems to have lost its angles and become quite different to how we are used to seeing him. Unfortunately, he seems to have joined the list of celebrities who don’t look quite the same as we had initially seen them and loved them so much for those genuine faces.
Here are a few pictures of how the heartthrob used to look earlier;
Now here are a few pictures in which he looks very different to his own self. Maybe some people prefer his later looks, that is entirely up to the fans. But one thing is certain, there is sonething that has definitely changed in the stud’s face. Have a look;
Recently Fahad Mustafa gave an interview to Images in which he claimed to be the only Pakistani actor who has won stardom and mass appeal without doing any project in Bollywood. This didn’t go well with many people. Even Shaan responded to this by saying:
“A lot of good actors have never went to India yet they have been quite popular here including Waheed Murad, Shahid, Rahat Kazmi, Usman Peerzada, Umar Shareef, Faisal Rehman, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Bilal Ashraf, Faisal Qureshi, Nouman Ejaz and Danish Taimoor.”
What I want to discuss today is whatever we may say about our artists going to Bollywood, the fact is many of our artists have received more recognition and love from the audience after going to Bollywood. Even the industry acknowledged them more after their successful Bollywood stints as they start getting nominations and increase in paychecks. Here are some examples:
Saba Qamar:
Saba Qamar is a very versatile actress. She has done all kinds of roles and has justified them with her talent, hardwork and zeal. Whether it is a role of a dukhyaari larki in Thakkan or a vamp in Maat, Saba always did justice to her roles. Saba is and was among the top league actors in Pakistan when she opted for Hindi Medium but what happened afterwards is not hidden from anyone’s eyes. She gained 100 times more love from her fans and audience for her work in the film and suddenly she was the hot favourite of the industry with nominations and praises pouring from everywhere. She raised her paycheck too according to the reports. She boycotted the LSAs this year despite having two nominations and acknowledged this change of attitude herself by saying:
“Although I am nominated for three different plays, I will not be attending the LSAs as a protest,They never bothered to honour me during the past 12 years and now that I have the Bollywood stamp, everyone is acknowledging me all of a sudden.”
Sajal Aly:
Sajal Aly is the new addition in Lollywood to Bollywood list and every one has seen how much recognition she has got and was loved to bits for her role in the movie Mom. All of a sudden people who used to bash her for sometimes her looks and sometimes her damsel in distress roles became her ultimate fans and were writing WE LOVE SAJAL on every social media platform. The truth is Sajal has always been a very talented and expressive actress. Be it her role in Nanhi and Behadd or even Gul e Rana Sajal has nailed every character beautifully. Her film Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hai despite being a local release was an average success. But people’s love for her has increased four folds after the release of Mom.
Atif Aslam:
Atif’s magical voice had a lot of admirers before too but after his track featured in a Bollywood movie; there was no looking back for the star. He is loved and admired now on both sides of the border and his tracks are no doubt a necessity for many Bollywood films. Though he is immensely talented he may not have made this big without the Bollywood part in his life.
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan:
Hailing form the clan of Ustaad Fateh Ali Khan and nephew and successor of Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rahat is no doubt a legend and maestro for music. But his fame was actually elevated to the status it is on today after he lent his vocals in Bollywood and today he is one of the huge names of the music industry in Pakistan as well as in India.
Veena Malik:
Yes her work definitely is not of the nature of the stars mentioned here but her names demands an inclusion as if not for Bollywood we would not have been even considering her anywhere today. Veena did a hit movie Mohabbatan Sacchiyan and also did some shows. Mostly she used to be in news for her affairs and little controversies but her stint in Big Boss and limited work she did in Bollywood gave her world-wide recognition. If not for Bollywood she would never have got this immense popularity.
Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan:
Well I personally think they were bigger stars even before going to Bollywood but Bollywood did wonders for them. Mahira is seen mostly talking about Raees in all shows in place of her work in Pakistan and she would as debut opposite SRK is not a small thing. This provided her international exposure. Same is the case for Fawad, even Indians started counting him as the fourth Khan of Bollywood. Not to forget an increase in demanded fee come with success in Bollywood.
Yes there are many stars who have achieved a lot of success without going to Bollywood like Shaan Shahid, Reema, Mehwish Hayat, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Shehryar Munawar and many more but there is no denying to the fact that going to Bollywood is like having a success stamp on your CV. Whenever anything bad happens in India, Indian stars and awaam start bashing and accusing Pakistan mercilessly without any proof and there is never any answer from our stars. The way Fawad and Mahira were stopped to work in Bollywood and none of the the Pakistanis were allowed to do promotions in India recently shows how much love they hold for us. The way Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was treated on the tax thing on airport and Atif had to cancel his concert once are not hidden from the audience either. But our stars are always seen speaking about the love and support they get in India despite how much humiliation they themselves or their country is facing. They will never utter a word against them even if it is a fact. This is all because its bread v/s dignity and bread is always the winning contender. Whatever anyone may say it remains a fact that going Bollywood can place a lot of jam and nutella on one’s bread. Share your thoughts about our stars working there and never defending themselves or their country and what do you think of audience giving more love to stars who go to Bollywood?
The popular TV show, ‘Battle Of The Bands’ is returning soon after fifteen years. The show that has produced two famous bands of the country that are ‘EP’ and ‘Aaroh’.
The official social media page welcomed registrations for new bands 2 months ago and there is no official news from them since then. However, lately Mahira Khan and Meesha Shafi have tweeted about the show as follows:
There is also a speculation that Meesha Shafi, Fawad Khan and Atif Aslam would be collaborating on the show and Meesha’s several retweets also confirm it. There is also a news that Shahzad Hasan will be in the judges panel again. However, there is no official news available about the event yet.
Sana Javed and Danish Taimoor were on Sanam Jung’s show to promote their film along with the director Yasir Nawaz. Danish was shown a picture of him and Ayeza on the sets. He responded to that by saying that he normally does shoots with his wife only and Sana Yasir could not take it and started roasting him on the show. Watch video to know more:
Sania Saeed is a very versatile actress. She has proved her mettle time and time again and has always been loved by the audience. Be it Aseerzadi or Sammi she knows how to do a role and is always a treat to watch on screen. Sania has worked with countless actors and actresses in her career. Sanam Baloch asked her to explain her co-star each in one word and see how she responded:
Walking on roads has become a serious issue for women in Pakistan. And even working at office setups is not very safe. Reason is the cheap mentality of people who judge them and think that women who are working outside their homes are some kind of walk in prizes for them. We all have faced these issues at some point in our lives. Watch the story of a working woman that how she has faced these issues in and out of her work:
Over the years, our drama industry has given us many beautiful names. To count them would not be an easy task but few of them will always resonate in the history of television. However, there are some who appeared on television during PTV era but unfortunately vanished from the screen too soon. These talented artists quietly slipped in to the shadows but their remarkable performances have immortalized them.
I would try to recall and talk about such beautiful faces of Pakistani dramas, who were once the luminosity of screen but have obscured somewhere today. They were volcanoes of talent, born with a lucky charm of ruling the hearts.
Shehnaz Sheikh
A versatile drama veteran and theatre director Shehnaz Sheikh who has been seen in some outstanding PTV dramas such as ‘Tanhaiyan’ and ‘Ankahi’ from where she got immense popularity. She has also appeared in some famous TV shows, ‘Uncle Sargam’ and ‘Yes Sir No Sir’ in which she captured the hearts of audience but soon after she disappeared from the screen. People always wanted to see her more but she restricted herself from acting. She had a reason for staying away from dramas. She once said that she didn’t see any diversity in characters she was offered at that time and therefore parted ways from acting.
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In 2010, she came into limelight again by directing a theater play ‘The Mousetrap’ which was greatly acknowledged by the audience.
However, the acting career of Shehnaz Sheikh was short-lived yet highly remembered. People expected to see her in ‘Tanhaiyan Naye Silsiley’ which was the sequel of her famous play ‘Tanhaiyan’. ‘Tanhaiyan Naye Silsiley’ was aired on ARY digital but unfortunately the expectations of watching her perform once again didn’t meet the reality and we didn’t get to see more of her.
Shehnaz Sheikh has backed off from television since a long period but she prevails in most of the hearts even today.
Rahat Kazmi
One of the most learned actors of our drama and film industry, Rahat Kazmi is not only a wonderful actor but has been a brilliant anchor person of his times. He saw success on both small and big screens during 1970’s and 1980’s. ‘Dhoop Kinarey’, ‘Nangay Paon’, ‘Parchaiyan’, ‘Saraab’ are some plays in which he has showed his extraordinary acting skills. He was also seen in movies like ‘Insaniyat’, ‘Khandaan’, ‘Saima’, ‘Jann-e-Mann’ and many more to count.
I think the serenity of his personality reflects in his performance that has enchanted the audience over years. Unfortunately, he is also among those actors who left television too early and made our drama industry deprived of a precious gem.
In 2006, after a prolonged break he was seen again in in a drama serial named ‘Kaisey Kahon’. Watching Rahat Kazmi once again on television was a treat to one’s eye but he was not seen again in any dramas since then.
Sahira Kazmi
Sahira Kazmi, one of the most talented names of our drama industry has also been very popular on television over the years. ‘Parchaiyan’, ‘Teesra Kinara’, ‘Qurbatein aur Faslay’ are the most remembered drama serials in which she acted alongside her spouse Rahat Kazmi. The couple appeared in the lead roles and were highly acclaimed.
She disappeared from the screen in 1980’s and thus one more beautiful face of our television was lost. She was not only a gorgeous actress but was also a striking director. She has directed some renowned dramas like ‘Dhoop Kinarey’, ‘Zaib-un-Nisa’, ‘Aahat, Hawa ki Beti’ and many more. Although she has greatly contributed as an actor and director during the golden era of PTV but soon distanced herself from acting that has made her admirers melancholy.
Marina Khan
A beautiful actress and a lovely television director Marina Khan is also among less seen personalities of television today. ‘Tanhaiyan’, ‘Dhoop Kinarey’, ‘Nijaat’, ‘Padosi’, ‘Khaali Hath’ are some of her memorable plays. She enjoyed popularity on television during 1980’s and 1990’s but then she vanished from screen for many years. Marina then opted to stay behind the cameras and started working more as a director.
In, 2005 she appeared in a drama serial ‘Kaisey kahon’. She was again seen in 2013 in ‘Tanhaiyan Naye Silsiley’ which was also directed by her. In the following year, she appeared in a light comedy drama serial ‘Jackson Heights’. The return of Marina Khan to television delighted her fans again and they were overwhelmed by her screen presence.
The contribution of Marina Khan as a comedy play director is enormous. She has directed the plays ‘Azar Ki Ayegi Baraat’, ‘Dolly Ki Ayegi Baraat’, ‘Takkay Ki Ayegi Baraat’ and ‘Annie ki Ayegi Baraat’ that has been greatly enjoyed and appreciated by the viewers. In these plays she has taken the situational comedy to a level which is unparalleled.
Recently there is a good news for all the Marina Khan lovers that she will be doing her film debut in upcoming movie ‘Na Maloom Afraad 2’ and will also soon appear in another Pakistani movie ‘Parwaz Hai Junoon’. Hence there would be a chance to get a glimpse of her again. She would also be coming in a mystery serial ‘Dhund’ on TV One, as announced by a social media page of the channel itself.
The aforementioned personalities are few of my personal favorites whose non-availability from screen has always been deeply felt by me. Their absence has created a void that can never be filled. It is heartening to see Marina’s comeback a few times on television, but her prolonged absence from the drama industry would be hard to compensate.
Please feel free to recall more famous names from PTV era who left acting too soon or return after a long break. Share in the comment box below.
TV One is now bringing a mystery series, ‘Dhund’ to the television. It has been written by Syed Mohammad Ahmad and directed by Farrukh Faiz. The cast of the series looks promising since some big names from the drama industry are there including Sania Saeed, Maria Wasti, Sawera Nadeem, Marina Khan, Asif Raza Mir and Mohammad Ahmad himself.
Three teasers of ‘Dund’ are out that have already attracted the audience. The release date of serial is 15th July, at 9.00 pm on TV One. Recently the drama launch and blogger meet up was also organized where cast with some other television personalities were spotted. Lets have some glimpses from the event below.
Malala Yousafzai’s name and fame is no stranger to Pakistan. While there are many people in her favour, there are some who debate the appreciation and attention she has received. Yesterday marked her 20th birthday and she has received many messages from people around the globe. One such message that caught our eye was from none other than the reigning queen of our screen, Mahira Khan. In a very sweet message, Mahira has wished the youngest Nobel Prize laureate on her twentieth;
Mahira is a self confessed feminist and she has achieved loads as a woman and as a single mother. Her tweet for Malala was specially nice because it is always great to see women uplifting women from all walks of lives. It empowers us all to stand together and cheer eachother on. Way to go Mahira and Malala !!
Zoheb Hassan has his fans excited all over the world since he announced the upcoming release of his solo album called Signature.
The teaser of one of his songs Silsilay from the album has been released and it has much increased the anticipation of what will hopefully be one of his most poplar albums.
The nineteen second trailer is a very simple one and shows Zoheb walking towards his luxury car. He is all formally dressed and looking very handsome. Then a woman’s reflection is seen smiling in the rear view mirror of the car and how the video tells us the story of the song waits to be seen.
Recently Saeeda Imtiaz did a photo shoot for the famous designer Annus Abrar for his Bridal Collection of 2017. Annus released few clicks of the shoot on his official social media page in which Saeeda looks gorgeous.
Meera is probably one of the few actresses that nearly everyone in Pakistan, who has even little knowledge of showbiz, knows. She’s been known to make controversial statements, be part of controversies or just give more heat to a controversy every now and then.
These days, the political situation of our country is pretty tense and of’course Meera Jee had to not only choose a side between PML-N and PTI but also to give advice to the leader of PTI.She has advised Imran Khan to allow PML-N to complete its tenure and wait for next elections as believes PTI will form the next government.Patience Khan Sahab!
As long as PML-N will remain in power , they will largely be exposed to nation. Therefore, Imran Khan should wait for next election rather than doing some thing to bring to end PML-N government.
She further claimed that the people of Pakistan support Imran Khan and PTI and so the next government will be PTI-led government. Not only PTI but the entire nation is united against corruption, she added.
