An upcoming Pakistani film ‘Azaadi’ starring Moammar Rana and Sonya Hussayn is making headlines across the border. Azaadi highlights the story of a man who sacrifices it all for the freedom of Kashmir and how his vision is carried forward by young people he inspires, the film will show the struggle of Kashmiris.
Hence, it did not go well with the neighbouring country. Indian media is not happy with the film because it highlights the issue of Kashmir and also because the actors working in the film have also worked in India before and according to them, are now featuring in an anti-India movie.
The news is highly exaggerated, as the reporters said:
“Azaadi is an unholy design to malign Kashmir and paint a picture that is far from facts!”
“Two of the lead actors have done several films in Bollywood. The lead actress is hoping to do a role in Bollywood, while they all are being part of the propaganda machinery in Pakistan to romanticize this cause”
Meanwhile, in an earlier interview with Dawn, the director Imran Malik revealed about the film:
“The film has elements of patriotism, a very powerful love story, some action scenes – a film has never been attempted on such a big canvas in Pakistan before”
Here’s the teaser of Azaadi:
Starring Nadeem Baig, Moammar Rana and Sonya Hussayn, Azaadi will mark the directorial debut of Imran Malik, the son of veteran film producer/director Pervez Malik. Imran has also written the story while his brother Irfan Malik has produced the film. Azaadi is expected to release this year.
Fawad Khan always manages to cast his magic on us. His killer looks, and powerful acting skills have made him the most wanted celebrity in Pakistan. His recent TVC for Bold Body spray is all you need to see today. The star power of FK has made the TVC worth a watch!
It is not the first time he has starred in the brand’s TVC. Being the face of the bodyspray, FK is impressing the audiences once again. He’s sporting his usual Macho look in the TVC.
Aamina Sheikh and Sanam Saeed have a lot in common; they are both very comfortable in their own skin, they are multitalented, they have been around for a long time and they do not give interviews on television very often but I never knew that these two stars were such good friends too. I have watched all episodes of Tonite With HSY which have gone on air so far and I must say that I feel that some of the shows are not as spontaneous as one would hope for them to be. Whenever HSY invites celebrities who are his close friends he asks calculated questions which are designed to give a certain type of information which these celebrity guests (probably) want the viewers to hear. Also, I feel that a candid interview is one in which the celebrities do not only share details about their professional life but also talk a little bit about their family life. Even the information which both these guests shared about their professional life just did not seem enough.
I will discuss those points which for me were the highlight of the evening. I absolutely loved Sanam Saeed’s take on whether or not celebrities should get plastic surgery done. She thought that if a minor change in someone’s facial features could affect their career in a good way then they should definitely get it done but if someone is already getting a lot of work then they don’t need to make these changes. She also said that she will never endorse fairness creams or get treatments done to change her complexion no matter what.
Both the actresses talked about breaking stereotypes and I was left wondering what they meant because both of them have been cast in stereotypical roles as well and both of them have played the victim many times. I would have liked to hear more from them about their recent projects and how the experience was, the most recent being Dil Banjara and Pakeeza. Aamina Sheikh’s comment about Urwa and Mawra that they were both the same was funny! There were multiple questions with Humayun Saeed as an option and Urwa and Mawra’s name came up more than once. One thing which the viewers learned was that Sanam Saeed looks up to Saba Qamar and Mahira Khan. Sanam Saeed did a great job guessing the names of the celebrities.
Sanam Saeed and Aamina Sheikh’s answers to all the questions were somewhat similar and personally I feel that if there was a little more diversity in the questions – both of them didn’t have to answer the same questions – the show would have been more interesting. Overall, I would give this particular episode of HSY 5 out of 10 because it missed the chance to explore different dimensions of Sanam Saeed and Aamina’s Sheikh’s professional and family life. Also, the show started with HSY interviewing Shehzad Ghias Sheikh and before going on a commercial break HSY said “I want to know just as much as you do, stay tuned.” which implied that he was going to continue interviewing Shehzad but then he moved to the next segment of the show after the commercial break. I also missed the segment in which he asks his guests to say something about a particular celebrity or asks questions like who was the most overrated actress in the year 2016 or which role they could have played better. Basically, there was a conscious attempt from his side to avoid controversies which showed that every episode of Tonite With HSY is going to be tailor-made to suit his guests’ needs.
How many of you watched this latest episode of Tonite With HSY? Do share your thoughts about it.
A post shared by Sanam A Baloch (@sanamabaloch) on
There’s a good news for all her fans out there because the lady is making a comeback to the world of acting and we are super excited. The Kankar star took to Instagram to break the news.
A post shared by Sanam A Baloch (@sanamabaloch) on
Yes, you heard it right! Sanam Baloch has signed an upcoming drama starring Sarmad Khoosat and Shahroze Sabzwari. The play will be directed by Abid Raza and will go on floors today.
The film stars Urwa Hocane as a businesswoman while Ali Azmat plays the role of an Ayaash cop. Bilal Ashraf was supposed to play a pivotal role in Jhol.
The story moved forward considerably in this episode and the developments in tonight’s episode proved that Sammi’s story has some interesting and unexpected twists in store for the viewers. I am all for promos which are misleading and the preview of this episode was just that! Although most of the times it is easy to tell what way an important development in the story will go by looking at the promo of an episode but that was most certainly not the case here. I loved the surprise element and anyone who has not watched this episode yet should not read the review right now because it will surely spoil the surprise.
Sammi’s refusal came as a very pleasant surprise and honestly speaking I heaved a sigh of relief when Sammi’s headshake took this track to a completely different direction. Sammi insisted she wanted to go home even though she knew she will be killed when she goes there. Apart from Mawra Hocane’s overall look which is a little too polished for a girl like her, everything else about Sammi’s character is right on point. Although people who claimed to love her once have betrayed her in the worst possible way but even now for her home is where her family is. Anyone who is in Sammi’s situation would have a difficult time trying to convince themselves that they are not only completely alone but also that people they spent all of their life with want to kill them for no reason! Sammi feels lost in this new city and she knows that getting married to Salar will not end her misery. I think the only reason why Salar “loves” Sammi is that he feels the need to protect her and that could be because he saw his mother struggling while he was growing up. Salar’s advices to Sammi were spot on and I was hoping she will eventually turn to the media for help. I am waiting to see how Sammi’s track progresses forward from here on.
I wanted to see Chandni as Sammi’s mentor, someone who helped her get independent but Chandni’s character has taken a very different turn. Given the circumstances, I must say that Chandni’s reaction isn’t surprising at all. She is looking out for her own self and she does not feel the need to protect a girl she barely knows. She only called her contact and asked him to tell Sammi’s brother where she was because she could see that her son was not listening to her at all. She was never shown as a social worker but as someone who was very practical and bossy therefore her reaction was in line with her character. Salar is the only family she has and she is not going to let Sammi take that from her. I enjoyed Sania Saeed’s performance a lot in this episode. I love how her tone and expressions change when she is on the phone with someone. She makes sure that the person on the other side has no idea what her actual state of mind is!
Salima got a chance to spend some “quality” time with her husband, she also felt sorry for him because he was bed-ridden and she decided to be flexible. I really liked the way she found out who Rashid’s mother was planning to get him married to. Naheed had no idea what Salima was talking about and she ended up telling her the truth. Saman Ansari and Nadia Afghan both are powerful performers, I always look forward to their shows.
Ama Zarina’s conversation with the Chaudhrani and the constant threats from her effect the Chaudhrani even though she tells her off every time. The scene in which Ama Zarina is making future plans for his son while Naheed checked him was amusing. Now that she has found the perfect girl for Rashid she isn’t dreaming of one son but she wants more!
Sammi is turning out to be an interesting play; the variety of characters and the multiple tracks in the story make it engaging. The preview of the next episode was brilliant, I am dying to find out what will happen to Naheed and Sammi both. I am also wondering if Chandni will have a change of heart. Really looking forward to the next episode.
How many of you watched this latest episode? Don’t forget to share your thoughts about it.
The prestigious PAS Awards were held on Saturday, April 15th in Karachi, to commemorate the best advertisements and campaigns conducted over the last year. The event started with the opening performance by Sara Haider followed by a few more performances and finally a closing performance by Noorie. The event was attended by many popular celebrities, scroll down to see the pictures.
We all expect Pakistani films to hit the screens on the expected release dates however, this almost never happens and Yalghaar got delayed several times due to production and technical issues.
Now, Waar producer Hasan Waqas Rana’s much-anticipated action movie Yalghaar is finally hitting the theatres on Eid-ul-Fitr 2017.
Bilal Ashraf took to social media to make the announcement.
A local publication got in touch with Bilal Ashraf, and here’s what he said, “I am super excited. It’s probably the most anticipated Pakistani movie ever. The wait was definitely worth it. You will not be disappointed.”
Further on, he said, “It’s is something you guys haven’t seen before, and you will know it for yourself as the trailer comes out soon.”
“I’ve seen the first two minutes of the film and I just say it’s a cinematic treat! Something that is never seen before in Pakistan,” he added.
The film has been written, directed, and produced by none other than Hassan Waqar Rana, whose Waar went on to become a blockbuster film. Yalghaar stars Humayun Saeed, Shaan Shahid, Bilal Ashraf, Adnan Siddiqui, Gohar Rasheed, Umair Jaswal, Amir Qureshi, Ayesha Omar, Sana Bucha, Aleeze Nasser and Armeena Rana Khan in pivotal roles.
A short video posted by Adnan Siddiqui on his Facebook account is a prove that we know very little about him.
He, along with Bilal Khan had a short jamming session last night in which they performed a rendition of the famous song ‘Main Tenu Samjhawan Ki’ by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and boy, are they good!
The PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week 2017 ended last night and served the masses lots of glitz and glamour.
Noor by Sadia Asad, Ali Xeeshan, Asifa Nabeel, Adnan Pardesy, Republic by Omar Farooq, Sania Maskatia, So Kamal and Nabila Salon presented their trends for the year on the final day. The red carpet of the show was graced by some of the country’s biggest names.
The screenplay, the dialogues, the performances and the makeovers had to be the best part of tonight’s episode. I am quite impressed by the fact that team Mohabbat Tum Se Nafrat Hai has been completely successful in transporting the viewers to their world. The overall feel of this episode was completely different from that of the previous episode but it was equally novel and I felt an instant connection with all the characters. Although this episode was not as perfect as the last one but it was engaging nevertheless and definitely gave me a reason to look forward to more. The first scene was absolutely brilliant, the way ama begum looked at Maheen and the OST playing in the background while Maheen cried, made this scene more powerful. It was a very clever move by the writer and director to keep the suspense alive by introducing Waqar Ahmed’s character in the end because most of the viewers are more interested in finding out more about his character than any other.
In tonight’s episode the viewers saw how all these people who hated Waqar Ahmed now, once looked forward to his arrival excitedly. Maheen, who now is completely lifeless was once full of life, carefree and adventurous. Gulrez’s (Shehzad sheikh) character got a lot of screen time in this episode and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the way this character was translated on screen. I couldn’t have imagined that a drama which started off on such a serious note would make me laugh not once but many times in the second episode. Gulrez is Wali’s brother and his love for his foxy was the highlight of this episode. Maheen, who is his cousin, “stole” his car to make him miserable and to extract money from him as ransom.
The scenes covering everyone’s reaction when they found out that Gulrez’s foxy had been stolen were priceless. Everyone sympathized with the thief more than Gulrez and Neelam thanked god that it had been stolen! Although I thoroughly enjoyed everyone’s reaction and Gulrez’s fascination with his car but Ami begum completely stole the show not only because of those witty dialogues – “bechara Gulrez, bechara chor”“chal angrezi mei bol” – but also because of Saba Faisal’s exceptional performance. Everything from her make-up to her body language and dialogue delivery is flawless. No other actress could have been performed this role better than her. Her character is very appealing but her acting makes it even more so.
One aspect of Mohabbat Tum Se Nafrat Hai which I completely love so far is the way all these family members are connected to each other. You don’t have to make an effort to understand how close all these people are to each other. It is also great watching Ayeza Khan experimenting with her looks and choosing projects which are different from one another. Gulrez is the kind of person who wins you over with his innocence instantly but you also understand why a girl like Maheen would not want to spend the rest her life with him. It has been a long time since I watched Shehzad sheikh perform, he did complete justice to his role in tonight’s episode. This episode ended with Wali dropping the bomb on Maheen and Waqar Ahmed entering the house.
So far none of the actors in this drama have been typecast, which is another aspect which makes Mohabbat Tum Se Nafrat Hai a must-watch. We don’t know much about Waqar’s character just yet therefore I am hoping that Imran Abbas’ character will also have a surprise in store. The background score was used effectively in this episode in all the scenes. This episode also ended too soon just like the previous one mainly because of the fact that the viewers have so many questions in their mind and it will take a long time for all of them to be answered. Watching this episode was a lot like reading a novel too, the only difference here is that when you are reading a novel you can read all you want to satisfy your curiosity and to find out what is going to happen next but in this case the viewers will have to be very patient.
I absolutely love the way the script has been written and executed so far, it is very classy! My favorite dialogue from tonight’s episode, “Tum jesa nahi dekha Gulrez Ahmed, tum mare nahi shaheed huve ho!!”
How many of you watched this episode? I would love to know which dialogue and scene you liked the most from this episode. Do share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Legendary cricketer and former Test captain Waseem Akram has now stepped into another profession, he has joined Careem Pakistan as Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
According to a leaked document, Wasim Akram has been appointed as the Honorary Chief Executive Officer of Careem. However, latest reports suggest that Wasim Akram is joining Careem as a CEO, but only for a single day and won’t be running the company or its operations.
Careem has surely upped their ante by appointing one of the most experienced captains of Pakistan.
The past few months have not been great for the Pakistan film industry. Four significant films released in 2017 but failed to do well at the box office. However, Pakistani cinemas have finally managed to get back the masses with latest Hollywood film Fast & Furious 8.
The eight edition of the Fast & Furious franchise, broke all day one records in Pakistan. According to reports, F8 collected a sum of Rs 40 million on the very first day and registered the biggest opening in Pakistani cinema.
Here are the top three highest openings in Pakistani cinemas:
1) Fast and the Furious 8: 4.0 crore
2) Fast and the Furious 7: 2.7 crore
3) Jawani Phir Nahi Aani: 2.2 crore
Faysal Qureshi and Sarwat Gillani are going to grace the small screen in Big Bang productions’ upcoming drama serial, Yaar Na Vicharay.
Penned by Samina Ejaz, directed by Ali Faizan with production from Fahad Mustafa and Dr Ali Kazmi of Big Bang productions, Yaar Na Vicharay follows the theme of complicated men.
The teasers of the play released recently and judging from the teasers, ARY’s upcoming drama looks pretty intense and we must say the stellar cast has raised our expectations!
Faysal Qureshi plays the character of a complex man while Sarwat Gillani seems to be pretty scared. Besides Sarwat Gillani and Faysal Qureshi, Yaar Na Vicharay also stars Shahzad Noor, Madiha Imam, Shabbir Jan and Adila Khan in supporting roles.
The dazzling Mehreen Syed is one of the most sought after female models in Pakistan. From fashion shows to hosting, she has done it all. Reports suggested that Mehreen will be hosting the red carpet for the Lux Style Awards 2017. However, it is still not confirmed whether she’ll be able to do it or not because she is hospitalised due to severe intestinal infection.
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on Thursday fined two private TV channels, Abb Tak and Channel 24 for airing false news following a complaint lodged by Inspector General of Police (IGP) A.D. Khawaja.
A fine of Rs.200,000 and Rs.300,000 was imposed on ‘Abb Tak’ and ‘Channel 24’ for “airing baseless, defamatory and unverified allegations against the complainant.”
PEMRA further instructed both channels to air an apology and make sure that all the content they air is in compliance with the Electronic Media Code of Conduct 2015.
Oh my! As if the lives of all these characters were not happening enough, these past four episodes unleashed further mayhem. Yes, I know the haveli characters are quite absurd but I like how each track in general is dealt with and one is not bored while watching the drama. This drama has wit, masala, heartbreak, revenge – each character is fighting its own battle in its own way.
Where do I begin? Probably with Paro for she seems to have lost her carefully maintained composure. She wavered when she felt Bhaijaan may end up marrying Paro but dealt with that aptly and nipped that story in the bud. Or so she thought. But Bhaijaan and her showdown had me on the edge of my seat. Watching Paro lose all control and Bhaijaan speak (!!) with the whole scene ending with the slap was definitely a scene to watch. That seemed to set the ball rolling with Paro being reminded of how she scorns love or so she feels she believes she does and unleashes all hell on Paashi when she is called to school by her teacher. Paro’s love or obsession, whatever you may call it seems to envelop her where she cannot see or feel anything else. She was blinded with rage when beating Paashi but the way her demeanour changed when Bhaijaan grabbed her arm made me recoil and be drawn in at the same time. If that is possible. It seems as if that conversation with Bhaijaan has made her lose all control for she hurls insult upon insult at Anwaar Sb and him grabbing her throat (yawn) did not garner such an intense reaction from me as did what he said about how he knows she has her sight set on Bhaijaan. I mean, what?! Raaska knows, Jahan Ara has it figured when she says to Paro about having a ‘chor’ in her heart, even Anwaar knows so why has everyone kept mum about it? And talk about facades, why was Anwaar Sb so lovely dovey then if he had the truth figured out? Making the most of the attention from a younger woman?! Mindboggling.
And Bhaijaan. Bhaijaan is like a bear just rousing from a deep slumber. He has found his tongue and also figured out how to use it. So to speak. Which is actually what he is doing, ha! I liked how he wrestled with himself internally wondering whether he should intervene to save Paashi or walk away to avoid another showdown with Paro – and chose the former option. I am a bit curious though – where is Paro’s anger coming from? All because she loved Bhaijaan and he did not reciprocate her feelings? How did they first meet? Did he give her any false ideas or hopes? That is one part of the story I am still waiting for to unfold.
I am a bit amused by Anwaar Sb’s personality – his leniency and relative open mindedness with the next generation. He tells Paro to leave Paashi alone saying children make mistakes. He admits to Raaska later that Jahan Ara is most likely innocent. Paro’s verbal diarrhoea has sent him running into Raaska’s arms and she is not complaining either. Even though he has been so unfair to Raaska, she has always cared for him so the kitchen scene, in spite of everything, still felt sweet.
Jahan Ara is consistent – she continues to confuse me. Like a flower billowing in the wind, she bends towards whichever direction the wind blows. Yasir approaches her and the viewer is left unsure whether she loves him or not. Bhaijaan speaks to her and you think she wants nothing more than to be married to him. This woman is the doe eyed look personified. So if she has seemingly ‘friend zoned’ Yasir, then why give him those looks and accept small tokens of appreciation and all the handholding! Then the tentative small smiles accompanied with holding her dupatta as in the picture below when he calls out to her. Also the same doe eyed look and the small smile she gives Moazzam Ja when she sees him. No, do not get me wrong – not being the moral police here. Mera Jahan Ara say koi laina daina nahin except that she is confusing Yasir, Bhaijaan – and moi!! Although – her latest conversation with Yasir when she seemed to be admitting her feelings for him made me wonder if that is what she really did? So jaatay jaatay is that what she has done – admitted she loves Yasir but must go ahead with this marriage because that is what his parents want? Help please!
Enough of Jahan Ara. Things are only worsening for Erum and I can only wonder why she is just taking it all? She seems to have enough of a backbone so why not pack her bags and leave? Yes, I get she felt that maybe in some way, Taabish may still care for her and that hope does not let her leave but still! Her retorts when she is yelling at Taabish and the three musketeers (his mum and sisters) appearing made me laugh out loud.
Anwar returned and left. And I will also leave it at that. Moazzam Ja seriously gives me the creeps and I thought he finally gave Faiza the creeps too when he told her his white sari and chocolate (err what?!!) stories but the way her head jerked up when Yasir mentioned the upcoming marriage made me think she might snap out of her momentary leap into Moazzam Ja – free state and wreak havoc all over again. Sigh. And Moazzam Ja – uggh can we please call him MJ? I guffawed when Tajwar Bi promised him a bride prettier than Faiza and he agreed like a toddler who is crying over a lost toy and is promised a brand new one. A better one. Guilty of having used the same tactic myself with my children when they were toddlers, I could not believe it was being used here and the irony of it being used to ‘replace’ one bride with another was not lost on me. But then MJ is confused and although seemingly smitten when he saw Jahan Ara, he is still meeting Faiza. And MJ’s mum?!! I spoke too soon- rather thought too soon when after these three episodes I sighed with relief at being spared any of her scenes and then in the fourth episode, smack, there she was in all her glory. Literally.
I said it before and I will say it again – Faltu Larki is not the kind of drama that we all tune into at 8pm and then rave about. It is not everyone’s cup of tea but yes it definitely is mine and that too a kadak one! I love the humor, the wit and the insults which hit quite close to reality. Jahan Ara being openly labelled as prettier than Faiza, extra ‘charbi’ on Nimo, Mushtari not being a judge of prettiness – it makes me marvel at the actresses too who have taken all this in stride in the name of the drama. Like most of us (I think), I too have outrageous thoughts and sometimes retorts at the tip of my tongue which I do not utter which is why it tickles me and amuses me no end when all these characters blurt out whatever they think and feel – with no filter! I can not explain how really but after these four episodes I was left with this strange thought that all the women in this drama are strong in a way yes, but all faltu in a way as well. As in their place in life. I had pinned Jahan Ara as the faltu one, but Erum is a misfit in her in laws, Faiza in her desperation to be married has made herself look so desperate and useless, Paro with her revenge and unrequited love has chosen a path that makes any of us question her purpose in life, women of the haveli – enough said.
I wrote an overview because I was honestly quite taken with this drama. I had not planned on doing a weekly review but one of the comments on the overview stating that Faseeh Bari Khan’s dramas are normally wrapped up within 30 episodes and then the events of these episodes made me really want to share my thoughts and hear everyone else’s. At this point I am very unclear about where things will lead for Jahan Ara. Will Bhaijaan step in for Raaska also seems to feel bad for Jahan Ara. But if that happens then will she agree to marry Bhaijaan for I feel she cares about Yasir now? And how will Yasir’s parents snap out of their greed? What will become of Paro? Next week’s episode’s promo gave us an insight to the ‘young love’ that is also part of this drama and that did not seem to be a very promising end. Will that finally break Paro? With the drama airing two days next week I am definitely looking forward to seeing what will happen. This drama is in a league of its own and each actor and actress has performed their character so well. In my opinion, Hina Dilpazir, Samiya Mumtaz and the actress playing Paashi are hands down the best. I am still chuckling over ‘uloo ka gosht’ and ‘laraayi shuru nahin huee aur yeh teen a jaatay hain (Erum to her in laws). What did you all think of these episodes – would love to hear your thoughts.
When we talk about Showbiz Industry we talk about our Celebrities and happenings in industry. We all know celebrities in a limelight, of course what they do all goes in public well. All the happenings in their professional and personal lives always become talk of the town.
Astonishments are everywhere and you can find it in Pakistani showbiz industry as well. It is always good to know about your industry and the more you know, the more you will encounter yourself with some interesting knowledge about Pakistani Celebrities and Industry.
Pakistani artists never fail to surprise us and hence I am going to shed light on some interesting facts about our celebrities that you might be unaware of it before.
1. Anoushey Ashraf is a dynamic style icon of industry, who started her career as a VJ and is now a popular fashion model and skilled host. Did you know Anoushey Ashraf is younger sister of Natasha Qizilbash? A popular model of her era who notably appeared in music videos of “Goray Rung ka zamana” by Vital Signs and “Zaalim Nazron se na dekho” by Ali Haider.
2. Did you Know Ayeza Khan and Fawad Khan had actually worked together? We are still waiting for them to share screen but they had worked together for a Telenor Commercial aired in 2012. They both looked so decent. After this they never appeared together in any project.
3. Did you Know Jazz Commercial “Bol ke lab” aired in 2008 featured all popular actors of current Era Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Ayesha Omer, Danish Taimoor, Sunita Marshal and Emmad Irfani. At that time people hardly knows them and now they all are considered as most expensive celebrities of Pakistan except Sunita and Emmad. Surely within a decade they all have achieved their dreams specially Fawad and Mahira.
4. Did you Know Hareem Farooq weight was 103 KGs before entering in industry? To become an actress she reduced her weight up to 40 KGs. Hareem is a true example of passion and determination.
5. Did you Know in Coke Studio Season 3 Fawad Khan sung Sajjad Ali’s popular song “Bolo Bolo” and Sanam Saeed is one of the backing vocals along with Zoe Viccaji and Saba Shabbir? Who knows that just after 3 years in 2013 they will rock as a lead couple in one of the most popular and hit drama “Zindagi Gulzar Hai”
6. Did you know Ayeza Khan never worked with any renowned actresses like Saba Qamar, Mahira Khan, Sanam Saeed, Ayesha Khan, Sanam Baloch, Ayesha Omer etc? She made her mark in Industry all by herself and without performing with any popular names. If you remember Ayeza holds the title of most googled Pakistani celebrity of 2014.
7. We all know that Alishba and Palwasha are Syra’s sisters but did you know they were actually four sisters and not three? Alishba is the second eldest sister, their elder sister Ruqqaiya Yousuf unfortunately passed away while fighting with cancer and she never made it to television and neither on any social media platform. After Alishba, it’s Syra and the youngest is Palwasha Yousuf.
8. Did you know Atif Aslam recorded his first song “Aadat” with his own pocket money of Rs15000 only? Rest is history, now people all around the globe plea to watch him live in concert.
9. Did you know Sakina Samo wanted to cast Maya Ali as a lead actress for drama serial “Muhabbat Subah Ka Sitarah Hai” but Umera Ahmed opposed this decision because previously drama serial “Amber Bail” based on her novel failed to get audience attention due to bad casting decisions by Sakina Samo. Umera Ahmed didn’t want this to happen with MSKSH and hence Sanam Jung was chosen for a lead role considering her performance in Dil-e-Muzter.
10. Did you know the first ever lead cast of Bin Roye consist of Fawad, Mahira, and Sanam Baloch? Fawad and Sanam rejected the offer due to their other commitments. Fawad Khan got replaced by Humayun and Sanam Baloch was replaced by Armeena Khan.
So are you aware of any interesting facts or hidden realities of our Industry, then please feel free to share it.
It’s the wedding season, and we’re in love with the uber-gorgeous Pakistani sweetheart Minal Khan’s latest photoshoot for the Real Jewellery. The actress looks as beautiful and graceful as ever! The entire makeover, including the hair and makeup, has been done by Nadia Hussain.
The 10th PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week commenced on 13th April 2017. The first day showcased the collections by HSY, Misha Lakhani, Saira*Shakira, Kokab Alvi, Zonia Anwaar and Generation by Khadija Rahman and Sania Studio by Sania Maskatiya, Zainab Hameed. Teena Durrani, Fiza Salqain and others are presenting their collections today, on the 2nd day.
From the red carpet to the ramp, Pakistan Fashion Design Council Sunsilk Fashion Week (PSFW) kicked off on a high note.
Mahira Khan is on a roll these days! After her success in Bollywood, she’s all set to be seen in Bilal Lashari’s next and Shoaib Mansoor’s ‘Verna’. Verna is written, to be directed and produced by Shoaib Mansoor, under ShoMAN Productions. The film will be distributed by Hum Films.
Besides Mahira Khan, the cast of the movie also includes Haroon Shahid, Zarrar Khan and Naimal Khawar in pivotal roles.
Pakistan’s newest youth icon Hania Amir is soaring high after her debut in the entertainment industry. The beautiful actress rose to fame with her impressive performance in Janaan and managed to bag some films and dramas. She’s all set to be seen in Parwaz Hai Junoon opposite Hamza Ali Abbasi.
In an interview with Instep, Hania Amir shared her experience working on the air force film PHJ. “We had to do a lot of training because we play cadets in the film. We used to wake up early morning and play basketball and perform all sorts of exercise like push-ups and kicks. We also did horse riding there. All of this was done to get into the skin of our characters.”
She further explained that at times the cast had to shoot in extremely cold weather. “We also shot in freezing temperatures in Naltar. It was -22 when we shot there and we have scenes in which we’re falling in the snow. After the scene would be shot, it would take us half an hour just to get warm because our socks and gloves would get wet from the snow.”
I believe everyone here on Reviewit knows what I personally feel about our commercial morning shows & the level of the detest that I have for them. I think when I first started writing for Reviewit, may be the 2nd or the 3rd article that I wrote was about morning shows discussing their ridiculousness & sadly, in all these years, that opinion of mine in general hasn’t changed. However, I will definitely say that I am glad we have ‘The Morning Show’ on ARY News which is hosted by Sanam Baloch. Yes, I will admit that I am quite biased when it comes to Sanam Baloch because she is one such celebrity that I like & enjoy watching on screen as an actress and also as a morning show host. I remember liking Sanam Baloch’s hosting when she was conducting her morning shows on Hum TV & ever since, I have really liked her personality & energy on screen because I feel if there is one such lady who knows how to conduct an interview & make the conversation interesting, it is Sanam Baloch.
Even though I am not too much into morning shows but every now & then, I do tune to them to see the interviews of the celebrities that might interest me but I will say, every time I have tuned to The Morning Show, it has been a pleasant surprise because of Sanam Baloch. I really feel the team of this morning show puts a lot of hard work & does a whole lot of home work before inviting their guests because of which their host always seems well-informed & the show looks well-researched. Even though Sanam is mostly seen fan-girling over every single celebrity that comes to her show but I find this quality of hers quite admirable because she seems genuine & honest.
To be honest, I always skip those episodes where she is seen discussing the benefits of fruits & veggies or the episodes where she invites beauticians or health experts but then again, since these shows are watched by ladies as they have an access to the television in the early hours of morning, these sort of topics are covered to cater to the people who might have interest in them so these episodes seem justified & necessary as well. Though I may be wrong, but I think this has to be one such show where Sanam Baloch doesn’t rub skin whitening & lightening to everyone’s face, which is something that I appreciate the most as it shows her caliber, her maturity, her mentality & her vision as a person & also as a host.
I will say that the way the team of The Morning Show makes sure to invite legends to their show is commendable but their job doesn’t end there because they make sure that their guests feel special & are given utmost respect which they are entitled to. I have seen a few interviews of celebrities like Mr. & Mrs. Rahat Kazmi, Bushra Ansari & her sisters, Rashid Farooqi, Touqeer Nasir & today, I got to watch the interview of Salman Shahid. In all these shows what I liked the most was how all these senior actors were treated by Sanam Baloch & how interesting & decent her questions were. It is actually refreshing to see such big names being welcomed to the show for the sake of a conversation so that the viewers can get to know them better in stead of just using them as TRP generators or just fillers which is something that usually happens in the rest of the shows mostly. May be this is exactly why those celebrities who never ever make appearances on any other shows choose to share a conversation with Sanam Baloch because of the nature of her show & also because of Sanam Baloch herself as she engages in a conversation in such a wise manner that you enjoy watching the entire episode.
This is something that I & Fatima intend to continue where we will be randomly watching a celebrity interview & will cover it to spark a discussion. So, as this was the first time I was writing about Sanam Baloch’s morning show, I decided to give a general overview so that the readers who want to tune to her show for the sake of these interviews but are skeptical about it know that they shouldn’t be because her show is not like Jago Pakistan Jago or Good Morning Pakistan where they will find the hosts discussing about their newborns or husbands!
So, Salman Shahid, the legendary actor who has given almost 40 years to the industry was the guest of The Morning Show & I must say, I enjoyed each & every bit of this episode as it was actually quite interesting getting to know him & listening to all of his experiences. Salman Shahid has been a part of the industry for such a long time & he started off by telling that he was a student of Government College Lahore when he first made an appearance on PTV by doing a 25 minute play called Jawan Fikar, which was written by Sarmad Sehbai. After this he was approached by Shoaib Hashmi for his first drama & then there was no turning back. It was quite interesting to know that Salman Shahid’s mother was also the part of the industry & she had the honor of working in the first ever live drama that was broadcast on PTV.
Salman Shahid told that he wanted to become an architect but became an actor as he had this aptitude for acting which he believes he inherited from his mother. Since, he was exposed to the industry at such a young age because of his mother, he felt that this was something that he could do. It was interesting how Salman Shahid discussed the dynamics of the industry back in that era because according to him, this job didn’t pay much but since he was a college student, for him getting Rs. 60 per drama was more than enough.
While talking about the nature of his work, he said even though he has earned quite a lot because of the dramas but what he enjoys doing the most is theater & movies because there’s a time restriction & these projects get completed in a short span of time in comparison to dramas. He also recalled his first experience of facing the camera which was interesting. Salman Shahid also discussed how he started enjoying his fandom in later stages of his career because at first when people started noticing him, he would get agitated by the idea of someone following him around to have a conversation with him.
Sanam Baloch then did a rapid fire round & it was amusing because it looked like he was trying to get past most of the questions. What’s even more interesting is that he didn’t have much to say about the young actors like Mehwish Hayat, Mahira Khan or Fawad Khan, so he just tried to ignore those questions with a smile & a little bit of excuse. The rapid fire might not have given us much insight but it did however shed a light on his easy going approach towards life.
Adnan Shah Tipu later joined in the show only to give tribute to him & share his side of the story about what it was like being Salman Shahid’s friend. The Morning Show’s team also arranged video messages of Mehreel Raheel, Abdullah Farhatullah & Sadia Khan where they only had good things to say about Salman Shahid which in general told that he was quite a supportive senior & shared a great rapport with all of his co-actors.
At the end of the show, Salman Shahid parted by saying that everyone should remember that their work is bigger than them because if they’d do that, they will respect it even more. Overall, it was quite an interesting conversation & the way the interview was conducted was brilliant too. I really hope we get to see more interviews of such celebrities who have been a part of our industry for such a long time as we only know them by face but because of shows like these, we’ll be getting to know them as a person too.
Only a week is left till Pakistan’s most celebrated Lux Style Awards 2017. However, the credibility of the show is always questioned due to the biased nominations. Recently, Imran Abbas expressed his feelings about the nominations and now it’s Saba Qamar who has decided to skip the show.
We all know that Saba is not just a talented actress but a very confident lady as well. “Although I am nominated for three different plays, I will not be attending the LSAs as a protest,” Qamar told The Express Tribune. “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.”
“I have been working in the Pakistani entertainment industry since 2004 and no brand or award show has ever approached me in all this time. Now that I have come back from India, every brand and every award show is running after me. It’s almost as if they just noticed my presence,” she stated.
Saba is all set to make her Bollywood debut with Hindi Medium opposite Irrfan Khan. The trailer of the film released recently and Saba was showered with lots of praises for her impressive performance and strong screen presence.
Ohkay so, I think they really need to stop here because even though I am quite good with this sort of stuff, Nazr e Bad makes me feel that I am faint-hearted as it is getting a bit too scary for me, which again is not a complaint and just a testimony on how convincingly they have shown everything. It is actually commendable how they have used the quotient of horror & thrill in this drama which might not be too prevalent but whenever needed, they rely on it and use it in the most apt manner. So far everything that has happened in the story so far makes a lot of sense & yes, at times the viewers might feel that the negatives characters are getting away with everything but the fact is they have just started having their time of glory but I am sure their time of misery is just around the corner & I can not wait to see that & I am sure it will be just as convincing & worth the wait.
I so wish there was more to Aneesa’s character. Yes, if I look at the pace of the drama, then the things that happened with Aneesa & how her chapter was closed within this week makes a lot of sense as the director rightfully didn’t drag her chapter but then again, she was the only one who could give Parvez a hard time but sadly, he got away from the entire mess a bit too seamlessly. Parvez being a man with a lot of insecurities & even more secrets to hide obviously grew anxious when he saw that Aneesa wasn’t someone who’d listen to his orders just because she signed a marriage contract with him. Aneesa’s decision of hiring Maham despite Parvez’s disapproval went to show that Parvez sensed how far she could go because Aneesa was trying to get in touch with Maham. It was a bit too obvious that Aneesa could’ve used Maham later on as well in order to blackmail Parvez or to keep his hands tied, but then again, Parvez being Parvez resorted to the shortcuts & got rid of her.
I think everything that Aneesa went through was quite realistic, like Parvez definitely knew how to put an end to her chapter where he made her hit Hashim with her car & later made her death look like a suicide so that people could easily see it as a reason behind her decision of putting an end to her life. I so wish before dying Aneesa could’ve called Maham & had spoken to her but sadly, looks like Maham has to put up with a lot more before she will eventually find out the truth about Parvez. Even though Aneesa did say that she would personally meet Maham but if only she had known that she didn’t have much time left to do that. It was sad seeing a mother of a child dying just because a shallow & weak man like Parvez was such a quitter that he couldn’t deal with Aneesa. At this stage, it is actually quite frustrating seeing Parvez winning at everything. He got a huge amount of money as a result of getting married to Aneesa so now he got rid of her because he was too impatient to deal with her & also because he couldn’t wait any longer to get married to Maham especially when he could see himself in a position to provide everything to Maham that he thought she wished for & wanted!
So, Maham obviously under the influence of Parvez’s spell decided to get married to him. Obviously, Parvez created such scenarios so that he could emerge as a hero & a savior in front of Maham & Nusrat especially to score some brownie points. Maham wasn’t herself anymore & that was elaborated beautifully by Sarah Khan because just by looking at her expressions you could see that she wasn’t in her right state of mind. Parvez being a coward that he is made sure that Maham was the one initiating the talks about marriage because he knew that then she might stick to it & even fight against anyone who’d oppose this marriage, which eventually turned out to be the case. I wish Nusrat had held her ground against this marriage but seeing how Maham was too convinced to move on in her life, she gave in too easily. Obviously the note at which this week’s episode ended came as a surprise to me because looks like Maham automatically woke up from a deep sleep & found out that her worst fears materialized, which were getting married to Parvez & being his wife. The scene where Parvez made all those promises once again showcased his weak personality where he asked Maham to love him because deep down even he knows that she has only gotten married to him because he clouded her judgment & not because she actually loved him or wanted to get married to him.
The preview of the next episodes seemed quite interesting, looks like we have a new character that is going to be introduced. Not sure what his contribution in the story is going to be but it does look like he is going to be an interesting character. I just can not praise the pace of the drama enough where when done with one chapter, the writer & the director effortlessly move onto the next one because they have so much in store for us. I wish Shazia stops being such a dimwit & stops following Parvez’s orders because he has literally started exploiting her feelings & her trust by using her for his own benefit. Even though Parvez has dodged so many bullets but I so wish at least Shazia does the honors & tells Maham everything. Abeera did however find out about her mother & also suspected her brother being her teacher but since she is a hopeless case & character, it would be a mistake on my part to expect that of all the people she’d save the day because she is so petty & her caliber is so low that by giving away Maham’s clothes to her sister, she thought she scored a win. Aneesa’s part in the play ended but she definitely made an impact & left quite an impression. Hajra Lallji was phenomenal as Aneesa, she portrayed that character brilliantly, where she was twisted but authoritative, yet you could understand her thought process, it was sad that her life ended so tragically but she surely left an impact. Sakina Samo deserves all the praises for giving such a wonderful treatment to the character of Almas, like she has embraced such a dark aura & has added so much negative energy in this character that actually speaks volumes about Almas’s personality, which is commendable!
I must say, even though in a few episodes I found Azfar Rehman’s acting quite weak but now he is back & if I look at Parvez’s journey till date, Azfar has surely given him such a perfect treatment. When the drama began, Parvez’s attire & overall personality showed that he was a non-achiever & didn’t have much going in his life but ever since he learned black magic, not only he attained this self-confidence & money but his personality changed complete where now you can see how well-kempt he looks & how he has this aura which shows that he has achieved quite a lot so far. I must say the way Sarah Khan has makes a switch between the two mental states of Maham is phenomenal & worth the praise, like Maham would look completely herself in one scene the very next moment, she’d look clueless & indifferent, which shows that at this minute she is under the influence of a spell. It definitely shows that the director had this attention to detail which makes this a complete package & he along with the actors worked really really hard to get this result. Even though the subject is different but it surely has become my favorite drama & I will make sure I don’t forget to add it in the annual lists praising it for being so phenomenal. I don’t know why but seeing the way Parvez woke up right in the middle of the night & continued with his rituals gave me a feeling that things won’t be as smooth between him & Maham as he promised them to be. Like Shazia always says, jo maza justuju mai hai wo pa lene mai nahi hai, so may be now that he has eventually earned Maham & when the novelty will wear off, he might not value her. This could be completely wrong but this is purely my assumption since Parvez is a man with a lot of complexes & insecurities, so you never know that he might take revenge on Maham for all these years of rejection that he faced because of her. Let’s see. It is so interesting & I am so looking forward to the rest of the drama. Thank you Team Nazr e Bad for doing a wonderful job! Please share your thoughts about these two episodes of Nazr e Bad.
Gorgeous lady Saba Qamar has done several popular TV shows and telefilms in Pakistan. She debuted on the silver screen with Main Manto in 2015 and won our hearts. Now, her Bollywood debut Hindi Medium is all set to release on 12th May 2017, and we are more than excited!
Hindi medium is a light-hearted romantic comedy film about a young couple from Chandni Chowk, eager to blend into Delhi’s creme de la creme. In an interview with Images, Saba Qamar spoke about Hindi Medium and revealed that she’s in talks for a biopic.
“It’s a very different topic yet very relatable; people will be able to connect to the story. It’s every household’s story in a way. Every home has kids, those kids need to get an education and have to learn certain languages.”
“We have even more issues; we need to know Arabic to read the Holy Quran, we need to know Urdu to converse in society but for a good job, we also need to know English… So we’re quite the jack of all trades, don’t you think?”
“English is very important of course because it’s an international language but to think that if they don’t know English that person is completely useless is wrong. You can’t and shouldn’t judge someone’s capabilities based on the language they know.”
Talking about her experience of shooting the movie in India, Saba revealed, “It was wonderful; they treated me with respect and love and the overall experience, whether it’s shooting with team or working in Bollywood, was great. I faced no such issues.”
“I respect everyone’s views and political opinions but I feel like those shouldn’t affect the entertainment industry. Art shouldn’t have boundaries.”
“I’ve always been a huge fan of his work. He’s very down to earth and humble, a very comfortable co-star. He’s a big superstar obviously but he never behaved like one, at least not with me. Maybe I’m blessed,” she added.
The Lahore Se Aagey star also revealed that she has a biopic drama in the works.
Year 2016 was full of surprises because the Pakistani Drama buffs were in for a treat as a few drama makers decided to break free from the monotony of rating-chipping tactics and decided to give viewers some beautifully unforgettable dramas that had nothing to do with clichés. Where in the previous years, viewers were rolling their eyeballs hard over the same stories wrapped in a new packaging repeatedly, which more or less revolved around damsels in distress or marital problems, year 2016 came as a breath of fresh air because the viewers all of a sudden got a variety of the subjects that our drama-makers decided to explore. Some dramas were educational and some were just plain love stories done extremely well that they blew the viewers away.
Pakistani dramas have always held a special place in viewers hearts all around the globe because they have been a source of family entertainment. Sadly, for quite a few years our industry saw a dip in the quality of the dramas that were being produced and aired because it looked like every other drama-maker was making dramas for the commercial reasons and didn’t really care about the family entertainment for which our viewers tuned to dramas in the first place. Year 2016 brought a drastic change with it because all the blockbuster dramas sealed the deal that the viewers were done with the done-to-death stories. By making unique and different dramas popular, Pakistani drama audience showed that in they were done with dukhyari dukhtar dairies, they were done with the stories filled with clichés and most importantly they were done with the dramas which only showcased extra marital affairs, dysfunctional marriages and family politics. This is the reason why some of the over-hyped and star-studded plays didn’t really get a positive feedback from the viewers whereas in their comparison, those dramas which had unconventional themes and narratives did really well.
It is about time that the drama-makers come out of their fixation with such commercial sort of dramas that they make only with the intention of grabbing the ratings because the Pakistani drama viewers are intelligent and they proved it by welcoming the changes that some of the drama-makers made last year. 2016 surely was a great year for the drama buffs as it restored the faith people had in Pakistani dramas because a few drama-makers showed that they still cared and still took pride in their work. 2016 can safely be labeled as the year that changed the trend drastically and broke the monotony which is why now when we have transitioned into 2017, we are seeing some different dramas already. Let’s revisit all those beautiful dramas that we fell in love with last year and let’s discuss those dramas that all the drama-makers should learn lessons from:
Besharam
Besharam was probably the first drama after so many years which showed a perfect and healthy marital relationship that the two strong individuals shared. Both Mishi and Haider came from completely different backgrounds, where Mishi was a model and Haider was a politician – both headstrong and independent people who got married on a whim made the viewers fell in love with their love story. The writer of Besharam Sarwat Nazeer seemed to be on a challenge where she wanted to show how normal marriages work, where both a husband and a wife come together to solve their issues by communicating with each other. Mishi and Haider did everything that normal couples do, where they would talk their problems out, they would share a cup of coffee, surprise each other, give space to each other, understand and respect each other as well.
Since viewers were so used to clichés, when everything between Mishi and Haider seemed to be sailing smoothly, everyone expected a U-turn or a very drastic accident because the viewers couldn’t really grasp the fact that things could be this ‘normal’, ‘conventional’ and ‘amazing’ in a Pakistani drama of this day and age. Saba Qamar and Zahid Ahmed’s phenomenal chemistry made Mishi and Haider’s couple even more special.
Besharam came with a lot of beautiful lessons which never seemed preachy or boring but always had a meaning that actually stirred the emotions in the right direction. It was beautiful seeing such a head strong woman walking an extra mile to make her marriage work by pleasing her husband and respecting her in-laws. Similarly, it was quite refreshing to see a husband resolving his wife’s family issues too. Besharam surely is one such drama that our drama-makers should pay heed to and take notes from, especially because it showed how normal marriages work in most of the circumstances and how these sort of stories can resonate well with viewers too. Besharam’s popularity actually sealed the deal that the viewers know how to welcome stories that have nothing to do with dysfunctional marriages and they can actually watch and enjoy simple love/marriage stories with a smile on their face as well.
Dillagi
Dillagi was a love story which did not only have an unconventional leading lady but it also had a hero who was like no other. Unlike many other love stories, this one was not about the zalim samaj or gherulu zindagi ke masail but it showed how a woman who wants to take revenge will do anything to make the man who bruised her ego suffer. Dillagi was a trendsetter which showed that love stories don’t always have to be typical. Anmol’s character, her reasons for getting married to Mohid, ways in which she tried to make him miserable, the progression of this track from hatred to love and most importantly the message in the end that she was still just as adventures and bold as she was before are few reasons why Dillagi was anything but run-of-the-mill.
Pakistani drama viewers have seen innumerable heroes who fell in love with a seedhi sadhi larki (because she is the ideal candidate for the job!) and fought hard for getting married to her but Mohid is probably the only hero in the history of Pakistani dramas who fell in love with a girl because she was anything but seedhi sadhi. Most importantly, he loved this woman right till the end even with all her flaws. The iconic dialogue “Mohabbat andhi nahi faragh dil hoti hai, aaib dekhti hai magar nazar andaz kar deti hai!”summed up why Mohid was so willing to not only ignore but even accept everything wrong which Anmol ever did. This wasn’t the only cliché which Dillagi questioned and gave a brand new connotation of. Apart from this, the age-old saying “everything is fair in love and war” was also questioned by the writer in such a way that anyone who has watched Dillagi will always remember that particular conversation between Mohid and Anmol.
Drama serial Dillagi also had some extremely poignant, deep and meaningful dialogues to its credit which stayed with the viewers long after they were done watching the play. Mehwish Hayat and Humayun Saeed’s on screen chemistry and captivating performances made their characters and this love story magical, novel and unforgettable.
Mein Sitara
Mein Sitara showed the real face of the world of glitz and glam. It highlighted the pain and suffering in the life of a film star by showing how misleading public images can be. It showed what a big price some people have to pay for continuing to survive in the world without giving up. Mein Sitara was extraordinary in more ways than one. There are hardly any dramas which have delved so deep into the life of their leading characters the way Mein Sitara did and it did so without getting stagnant or repetitive. The story started when Sitara was a 10 year old girl and it ended when Sitara’s daughter grew up to be a director and it was engrossing right till the end.
The most notable aspect of this drama was that every phase of Sitara’s life was elaborated in a convincing and engaging manner. Her personality traits, her strengths and weaknesses and most importantly her unwillingness to give up turned out to be one of the most endearing aspects of this drama. Sitara was a leading lady like no other; she had been used, misunderstood and even abandoned but every time she came out even more strong, ready to take up her next challenge.
The best part of this drama was that no matter how slow the pace of the story got it always managed to transport the viewers to another world; Sitara’s world! Mein Sitara had some remarkable performances to its credit. It was a complete package and a trendsetter. All those writers out there who are scared of experimenting and look for shortcuts should take inspiration from Mein Sitara. It can also be a source of motivation for all those directors and producers who want to stick to the same old formulas because they are afraid to experiment.
Preet Na Kariyo Koi
Preet Na Kariyo Koi was one such drama that had a plethora of emotions, there was love, there was revenge, there was betrayal, jealousy, possessiveness, helplessness, devotion, dedication, deceit, denial, fearlessness and regret. Preet Na Kariyo Koi was one such drama that dealt with all these emotions in such a convincing manner and the writer Amna Mufti made sure to convey all of that through the characters brilliantly. Preet Na Kariyo Koi was a story about Goshi, a grey character which you could hate but feel for at the same time because her psychology was elaborated clearly and realistically. Understanding a grey character like Goshi was no easy feat but the writer made sure to show her entire journey in such a manner where everything that she did ended up having a justification by the end of the episode which helped the viewers a great deal. Even though Goshi was the central figure of the drama but the rest of the story was supported by such beautiful characters too which filled your heart with warmth and made you connect to them too.
Preet Na Kariyo Koi showed a fearless young girl who could go to any extreme for the sake of the man she loved, where she could hurt her father and her mother-like aunt too but later she realized the importance of her family despite living in the denial for years and years and despite failing at almost everything at a certain point in her life. It was a complete journey that Goshi lived through and a transition that she showed which was tackled with so much of maturity by the director. The writer took a risk by showing a girl like Goshi because chances were that her character wouldn’t sit well with the viewers but the way viewers reacted to it showed that they were ready to see unconventional leading ladies on screen too. This was Hira Mani’s first project as the protagonist and she showcased her talent as an actress brilliantly.
This drama dealt with the aspect of regional politics, power and authority that comes with it yet how they can end up becoming shackles for someone. This drama had so much going for it where the crux of the story was all about Goshi’s struggles, but the overall treatment was so refreshing as they brought the essence of interiors of Lahore to life. Drama makers surely can learn from Preet Na Kariyo Koi how and where to stop, like if they want to show things that can be a bit too heavy and unconventional for the viewers, there’s always a way for it. Preet Na Kariyo Koi surely was an intelligent piece of writing directed intelligently as well that is why people stayed glued to their screens and actually looked forward to it.
Sang e Marmar
This show blew all the viewers away and it is still fresh in everyone’s memory. When Sang e Marmar began, no one actually knew that they were in for a rollercoaster ride of emotions and if there’s one word that actually describes Sang e Marmar the best, it is unpredictable. Sang e Marmar’s story was set in the small town of KPK, highlighting Pukhtoon culture and its weaknesses in such a convincing manner that those who belonged to the region ended up testifying in the favor of everything that was being shown without getting offended. The reason behind the realism in the story of this drama was the fact that the writer Mustafa Afridi himself hailed from KPK and that is why, he knew what he was showcasing in this story.
Sang e Marmar was all about revenge, ego, misunderstandings and then redemption. While watching Sang e Marmar, the viewers felt that they watched this entire journey and grew with the characters to this extent that they started understanding them and their perspective effortlessly. The best part about this drama was that the villain Torah Khan was never considered to be the villain until he started crossing the line because the writer presented him in such a way that his story actually stirred sympathy for him as he was deeply hurt by another villain Torah Khan. It was probably after a long long time that the drama covering tribal animosity and family politics did so well with the viewers because it was a presented with such uniqueness.
Sang e Marmar has to be the first such drama in Pakistani history that spoke against the concept of Riba and showcased its cons in such a manner that it did compel the viewers to think about this subject. It showcased how Riba literally ruined generations of one family and how those involved in it ended up losing everything, their family, their pride, their respect, everything. Another beautiful aspect of Sang e Marmar was that despite living in such an environment where women hardly had any rights, all the female characters in this drama were headstrong and believed in making their own decisions, be it Shameem, be it Bano, Shireen, Pari, Durkhane, Gulalai or even Palwasha, all of them had something or the other going for them without having much authority or control over their lives.
Sang e Marmar surely was a breath of fresh air even though its story was quite heavy and the situations were quite heart-wrenching. This is one such drama that definitely can teach drama-makers a lot of things especially a thing or two about the fact that how without sensationalizing any subject, they can just stick to the point and convey the story in such a convincing manner. Sang e Marmar’s cast, direction and writing turned it into a blockbuster and not to be missed, the situational comedy that kept things light hearted and the amazing, deep and meaningful dialogues that acted as a cherry on top.
Tum Yaad Aye
Tum Yaad Aye was a classic family drama which reminded many of the viewers of the golden era of PTV dramas when relationships in general were mostly explored by the writers and a love story was usually a side track. It was the story of a family which went through good times and bad ones and later on it showed how these changes effected their lives and personalities. Zaini’s character was another reason why drama makers should learn lesson from this drama because most of the writers are bent on showing perfect heroines who can do no wrong. Zaini made some terrible decisions in her life but in the end she proved that if you have a solid upbringing then you eventually achieve your goals and learn from your mistakes. The focus on a girl’s career and education was another refreshing aspect of this drama especially because it was done in a brilliant manner.
The highlight of this drama was its unconventional yet appealing characters which were beautifully etched-out. Another reason why this drama was different from the rest was that the writer covered all aspects of the story thoroughly without banking on shortcuts. The overall treatment given to the play was also impressive, it did not have any over-dramatic twists and turns but had plenty of quality content to keep the viewers hooked to their television screens.
Udaari
Udaari was an exceptional play which had some groundbreaking developments to its credit. This was not the first time that a Pakistani writer had written a story revolving around child abuse and rape but it was definitely the first time that a rapist was taken to court and the victim herself testified against him even though she did not have the support of her mother. This drama showed that rapists deserved to be punished for their crime and that raping someone was not a ‘mistake’ but a criminal offense, an idea which is very basic but is completely missing from those dramas which deal with the issue.
Udaari was also extraordinary because it showed that a victim with her own will and inner strength can turn herself into a survivor. The idea that it wasn’t the victim who needed to feel ashamed because of what happened to her was also an important aspect of this drama. Everything changed the moment Zebu started believing that she was a survivor and not a victim, Imtiaz’s confidence was completely shaken when he saw the self-belief with which Zebu confronted him and it also turned the legal case around.
This wasn’t the only powerful message which Udaari put forward, it also showed how people who had resources can help people who are not that fortunate, achieve their goals. None of these women would have achieved so much if they did not have the moral and practical support of their educated and well-off friends. Sheedan’s character was also very inspirational, for a change the viewers saw a woman who did not need a man to look out for her and who stood by all the women associated with her whether it was her daughter, her neighbor or her neighbor’s daughter.
Udaari was truly inspiring, it was filled with positive messages, it was thoroughly entertaining and most importantly it has quite a few phenomenal performances which gave a new identity to some very famous actors. Ahsan Khan and Bushra Ansari in particular did exceptionally well in their respective roles.
So, these are the dramas that we believe set the bar high and came as breath of fresh air because of their unconventional narratives and characters. These dramas had so much newness to offer that the viewers loved the change and felt that the makers of these dramas restored their faith in Pakistani drama industry. Please share your thoughts about these dramas and feel free to speak about more such dramas that according to you can give a lesson or two to our drama-makers?
One of the most famous dramas of 2016, Udaari not only impressed the audiences in Pakistan but across the borders as well. And it looks like, Udaari’s Paa Imtiaz has a huge fan following in India. After Alka Yagnik, Bollywood actor Aditya Pancholi is also sending lots of love and wishes to Ahsan Khan, who rose to fame on the other side of the border with his impressive performance in Udaari.
Best known for her role as Khoobsurat in Bulbulay and Natasha in Ladies Park, Ayesha Omar has become one of the most demanding and reputed stars of Pakistani industry. She is now all set to prove her competencies in her upcoming films.
Speaking to Instep, Ayesha opened up about her career, movies and the surgery as well. “With a sitcom like Bulbulay that is on-air four times a day, there is truly a lot of exposure and I can’t control that,” she observed. “I am always on people’s TV screens and they feel I’m a part of their lives, their households. With movie-stars, there is a little distance because there isn’t as much accessibility.”
Sharing details about her film, “Rehbraa is spread-out in different parts of the country. From interior Punjab and Sindh to Lahore and Karachi, we’re constantly travelling while shooting. This also happens to be our crew’s first experience on a film so naturally things weren’t always organized; there were delays and basically a lot of trial and error. But I don’t blame them. Since we’re a growing industry we don’t have infrastructure in place just yet, we don’t have trained teams,” said Ayesha.
Discussing her experience on the film further, Ayesha said, “Our director is someone who knows his craft really well and is also able to tell his actors what he expects from them. In Pakistan, mostly directors let actors explore their characters but actors love being directed and that is something that I’ve experienced on Rehbraa’s set.”
In Rehbra, Ayesha will play the role of a middle-class girl named Bubbly who lives in Punjab.
“If I have an emotional scene, if I am crying the entire day or I’m howling in a cave, I obviously can’t snap out of it the very next minute,” explained Omar. “Some characters I had also gotten very attached to because I had started seeing things through their perspective. Some I look up to, some I am very inspired by.”
She is scheduled to have a collarbone surgery this June in the aftermath of a traumatic car accident that occurred in 2015.
“I couldn’t do anything for an entire year,” she said recalling the accident. “I still have injuries, my ability to perform certain tasks is currently impaired and I can’t work on projects that involve a lot of physical exertion, dance or travelling since I am constantly in pain, and Rehbraa includes all of that, so it’s been extremely tough.”
When asked about the response on the song, ‘Turn up the Music Mr. DJ’ The bulbulay actress replied, “The moves were adapted according to what was possible for me. The choreographer knew that I had a broken collarbone,” Omar stated. “Even my doctors had advised me to not put that kind of pressure since my body is still compensating for the injury. I had already committed and I am the kind of person who doesn’t back down at the eleventh hour. However, I do feel I could’ve done a lot better. I could’ve moved more freely and with abandon.”
She further said, “People don’t realize it because they don’t see it. A lot of people around me still don’t know that I have a broken bone, because they think I’m completely healed. You can’t always complain and crib. This industry is so cut-throat and ruthless that nobody even cares about what you’re going through. They just believe in face-value.”
Ayesha is not bothered if the screen time is less, “For some people it is but for me it’s not an issue because that is something secondary. With Yalghaar, it wasn’t a concern because I knew that the entire film revolves around my character. I am not bothered about the number of scenes I have because I know every scene I’ve done will leave an impact.”
In the age of social media, privacy is a luxury. “People get a sneak peek into our personal lives. It is quite an invasion of privacy.”
“It has shortened the duration of time it took in becoming a star. Some people also start setting their value on the basis of the number of followers they have. We need to understand that our masses are not on Instagram or Snapchat. I’ve shot in villages and I go up-north and everyone recognizes me, not because I’m on social media, but because they watch Bulbulay.”
When asked about her co-actors, “We’ve been working for so long and we’ve gotten used to shooting in all sorts of conditions. We put up a front and never let the off-camera drama show on the camera. Newcomers are not used to that but I don’t blame them because it takes time and patience to get to that stage. When one starts off, comfort is something that is taken into consideration, but that can’t be. The show simply must go on,” she concluded.
We all loved the trailer of Saba Qamar’s Bollywood debut ‘Hindi Medium’, and now the very first song of the movie is finally out. The song called ‘Suit Suit’ is a popular upbeat Punjabi track, sung by Guru Randhawa.
The song features Saba Qamar and Irrfan Khan, trying to fit into the ‘high-class society’ to get their daughter admitted to an English medium school, Saba is also seen donning a bold look!
Pakistan’s rockstar Atif Aslam is on a roll these days. After the announcement of hosting the LSA 2017, he’s now set to do another music video. A few pictures from the shoot of his upcoming song are taking the internet by storm, and his new look is not to be missed. Atif is seen sporting a clean dapper look, and we are sure he’s up to something completely desi.
Lux Style Awards seems to be getting bigger with every passing day. Now that the awards are just a week away, another latest report has got us all excited.
The bubbly girl Mawra Hocane is all set to take over the entertainment industry. According to a report by Instep, Mawra Hocane might be the next LUX girl.
The starlet has been hinting about a mystery project for quite some time now. Mawra posted on her social media accounts that she has bagged her life long dream project. So, is this the dream project she’s been hinting about? If yes, then she’s surely the new Lux girl.
Making her debut with a small screen drama then moving onto Pakistani film debut, Sajal Aly has made a huge name for herself. Sajal has it all going for her – she’s cute, pretty and is all set to leave a mark across the borders as well.
In an interview with Hello Pakistan, Sajal Ali opened up about her acting career, co-stars and Bollywood debut.
She spoke about her first break in the drama industry, “I was invited to do an activity for a production house at a local mall; right from the get go I was told that my voice was too thin.”
Sajal is inspired by TV actors, Nadia Jamil and Sania Saeed, who have always outdone themselves in powerful female roles, “I’ve been lucky enough: I have had some wonderful characters presented to me literally on plate.”
Sajal also has her favourite roles, “Gohar-e- Nayab with Ahsan Khan as my co-lead is my favourite play. My own family tells me that I am very much like that girl in this serial.”
“Sannata is also one of my favourite projects. I bring a lot of emotion to my roles,” said Sajal. “It’s a lot of work, and frankly, acting is not just about the good life; or about fame and fortune – it’s about emotions that are inside of you and the energy and commitment required to work with them.”
Her views on her co-stars are also pragmatic: “If you’re into your character, you don’t have to be friendly and comfortable with your co-stars on a personal level – it’s better to be proficient, do your work and get it over with.” She is also quite wary of limelight and publicity; “I run away from awards, I don’t believe in them,” she said bluntly.
She likes her own company, “I enjoy my own company,” shares Sajal.
Sharing further shared about her Bollywood debut, “I have always aspired for something challenging. It really was quite a unique experience. All one got to eat was cheese and bread, which I couldn’t stomach daily; interestingly the Indians bring also sort of foods with them on their travels, from papar to achaar! Since this was one of my first times abroad, my mother went with me to Georgia and would even cook for us. I really needed the emotional support, someone to fall back on during this new experience.”
Sajal is in her twenties and has been working really hard. “Women in Pakistan need to get out of self-suppression and self-victimisation, Only then can we raise a generation of strong individuals. Change starts from within you.”
When asked about her debut Pakistani film, Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hai, Sajal replied: “The experience was great, it wasn’t too different from the television screen. I just didn’t want to do something which was not like real life and it was a beautiful experience to play the mother of a child in this film.” Dramas still continue to inspire Sajal, “Our television is our identity,” she said.
“I still haven’t completed my bachelor’s so I can’t really apply for a full-time programme, but filmmaking classes and courses would be useful,” she added.
Sahir Lodhi made sure to promote his big debut in Pakistan’s cinema in full swing. However, the movie received negative reviews, and recent reports suggest that Raasta has ended its run in the cinemas.
The film’s fate is very unlucky in theatres across the nation. After Thora Jee Le, Balu Mahi and Whistle now, the fourth release of the year ‘Raasta’ has deadly bombed at the box office.
The film which released on March 31st failed to gather any buzz and opened to empty cinema halls all over Pakistan. The film was removed from the theatres among Lahore and Karachi on the third day of its release and failed to leave a mark. All in all, Raasta failed to maintain it’s run at the box office and emerged as a flop.
With his good looks and inimitable charm, Fawad Khan has a massive female following in India. He might not work in India again, but B-town celebrities can’t stop gushing over our heartthrob. And Karan Johar is all praises for Fawad Khan.
During his media discussion session at London School of Economics, when asked if he would work with Pakistani artists again, here’s what he said:
“I think some of the most exceptional talent comes from Pakistan. And I had the honour and pleasure to actually direct Fawad Khan. I have seen his exceptional work, and it was immensely brave of him to did what he did in Kapoor and Sons. I think after 6 actors had said no to that role, it was tremendously courageous of him to say yes. I wish that our cinema and cinema, in general, could be exposed to such enormous talent like Fawad Khan.”
Karan Johar answering a question on #FawadKhan.Didn't like the way he started,liked the way he ended,loved the applause(for Fawad)he receivd pic.twitter.com/vPeu9aJmdK
Fawad Khan has worked with Karan Johar in two of his production ventures. Fawad did both Kapoor And Sons and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, back to back. He was also slated to do another film, titled Raat Baaki with Katrina Kaif. However, it might never happen due to the ongoing ban on Pakistani artists.
Shoaib Malik, who scored a century in third ODI against West Indies has dedicated his awards to his wife, Indian tennis player Sania Mirza, on their seventh wedding anniversary.
Shoaib tweeted, “My award is dedicated to you for showing me the power of dreams & here we are celebrating our 7 years MA!.”
He recently won the man of the match and the man of the series award in Pakistan v/s West Indies ODI.
When the two neighbouring nations were busy in proving their superiority over each other, Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza managed to send the message of leave and peace by tying the knot on April 12, 2010.
