Transgender mockery isn’t new to us it is how our society operates and growing up here we all took it for a norm and never questioned it’s dynamics but it is high time that transgender alienation is eliminated from this society and they are given their due rights.

Launched by the Asia Pacific Transgender Network, the new campaign #ChangeTheClap aims to change this mindset. It’s about time transgenders are given equal opportunities and respect. Kami Sid, Pakistan’s first transgender model joined hands to support the #ChangeTheClap campaign that addresses the need to appreciate transgenders and stop the mockery.

https://www.facebook.com/WeAreAPTN/videos/1993826854169286/

The campaign also intends to raise awareness about the hurdles faced by transgenders and make a difference by simply uploading a video of yourself changing the way you clap. Each video posted will contribute to creating equal opportunities and educational outreach for the transgender community.

Many Pakistani celebrities stood by this cause and posted videos of themselves to show their support.

Model Cybil Chowdhry took to Instagram and captioned the video, “No matter how different someone is, they deserve respect and equality. I applaud these strong individuals for their bravery and valour. #ChangeTheClap”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcm1MB4lWTF/

Baaghi actor Osman Khalid Butt also shared his views on the issue. He wrote, “I grew up in a society where the very term ‘hijra‘ was, and still is, used mockingly to question masculinity; where the transgender community was seen as freaks of nature: to be indulged for a quick, nasty laugh; paraded, perhaps at weddings for entertainment, but never respected… never seen as human. No. This cannot continue. It’s time we change ridicule into applause. It’s time we show the transgender community that they are not children of a lesser God. Change your mindset. #ChangeTheClap #SupportTransgenderRights”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bck8t3sDvLJ/

Ace-designer Munib Nawaz wasn’t one to stay quite either. He also wrote that it was time to stop shaming transgenders.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BckgkClDEQ_/

The Bulbulay actor Ayesha Omer penned, “Change the way you deal with transgender people on a daily basis. Change the way you laugh or snigger at them on the roads. Change the way you think #ChangeTheClap”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bch_lfVBKVW/

Even Jawani Phir Nahi Aani star Ahmed Ali Butt shared his opinion, “A clap to seek forgiveness, appreciate and applaud the transgender community for simply being themselves. You have our full support #ChangeTheClap”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bchcerkl0rL/

Singer/Actor Asim Azhar joined the campaign as well and captioned his video “Majority of the trans people do not have access to education and jobs and are reduced to low level work only to be publicly ridiculed. It is high time we turn ridicule to applause, it’s time to #ChangeTheClap ?? ”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BckZk0ZAcDo/?tagged=changetheclap

Ushna Shah went all #ChangeTheClap as well and wrote, “More power to the transgender community! #ChangeTheClap #ushnashah #equality #freedom”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcmuVA1lMY2/?tagged=changetheclap

More celebrities are joining the campaign with every passing minute and we hope this initiative is a huge success because there can be no other way.

Do tell us about your stance on this.

Masala! Awards celebrated it’s 10th anniversary yesterday at the Bollywood Parks, Dubai Parks and Resort. The event included celebrities from India and Pakistan needless to say the event was super star studded.

All glamour aside we got to see some really disappointing outfits on the red carpet and thanks to that all our divas attending the event ended up in International Business Times’ worst dressed list.

The list included celebrities like Mahira Khan, Sridevi, Saba Qamar, Mawra Hocane, Ankita Lokhande and Daisy Shah.

“Wearing a Rami Ali gown with a serpenti diamond Bvlgari necklace, Mahira Khan just looked average. Apart from her hair and makeup, the gown didn’t do much for her overall look. She bagged the award for Asian Woman of Substance.” says the article.

About Sridevi the artricle stated,

“Sridevi wore a yet another Manish Malhotra gown that had a sheer neckline and cape with a sheer fringe dupatta. What’s with the giant crystals? This red carpet outing was a complete No No! She received an award for Cinematic Legend of the year.”

Saba Qamar and Mawra Hocane failed to impress as well,

“Saba Qamar’s outfit by Shehla Chatoor looked confusing! What do you think? She received an award for Best Breakthrough Performance for Hindi Medium.”

“Marwa Hocane was awarded the Social Media Sensation award but disappointed us with the rosy gown. It just didn’t click!”

Here’s the complete list,

http://www.ibtimes.co.in/masala-awards-2017-worst-dressed-sridevi-mahira-khan-daisy-shah-ankita-lokhande-disappoint-753082

Do let us know what you think.

Rangreza is all set to release on 21st December. With less than two weeks since its appearance on the big screen, this Urwa Hocane, Bilal Ashraf and Gohar Rasheed starrer is constantly impressing with its songs and teasers. Yesterday a new song Janasheen was released which is all about the folk mystical language of love conveyed in today’s musical notes.

The song is composed and sung by Qurram Hussain and gives you a trance like feeling with impressive lyrics, catchy tune and an interlude of Allah Hu repeatedly rising above the beats. The video has not been released yet but the audio does its job in making you look forward to it ;

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oitDkAdFsKo

Sanam Baloch’s younger sister Ghanwa Baloch recently got married with a lot of bling. The event was attended by a lot of stars from our industry. The divas of the party were Sanam herself who looked beautiful on all the days especially her traditional gota work lehnga on mehndi, Sabreen Hisbani who was her usual charming self and Hina Altaf who dazzled in whites and pinks. Here are some of their best pictures from the wedding celebration ; Sanam Baloch also danced with friends and family to an upbeat number; https://www.instagram.com/p/BcpwXS4jF00/?hl=en    

The celebrity couple Syra Shahroz and Shahroze Sabzwari will be seen together in a film soon. The news is that the couple has already signed the film. Syra has worked in Chalay Thay Saath before this and her other movie Agent Ghazi got delayed. Shahroz, on the other hand, was the part of Chain Aaye Na which was a box office disaster. This will be the first time that the couple will be seen together on big screen. Can the real-life couple bring magic to the reel life too? That is something to look forward too.

Do you want to see them together in a film? Let us know in the comments section below!

Osman Khalid Butt and Maya Ali are one of the most loved on-screen couples in Pakistan. They made a special place in the hearts of their fans with Aunn Zara and went on it strengthen it in Diyar e Dil. The fans even tolerated Sanam because of them being together as a lead couple. Whenever they meet, they always share it with their fans, be it a hangout, award ceremony or any other event. So this people’s favourite couple met yet again and Osman had a goofy video of them to share with the fans. Here watch Osman playing a musical Bollywood Diva and Maya complimenting his antics:

A post shared by Osman Khalid Butt & Maya Ali ? (@osmayaworld) on Dec 6, 2017 at 10:13am PST

Do you want to see both of them on screen together again?

Masala! Awards held in United Arab Emirates every year is an event that celebrates artists from both countries India and Pakistan, as the event celebrates it’s 10th anniversary this year Lollywood divas Saba Qamar, Mahira Khan and Mawra Hocane are all set to attend the award show this December the 13th.

Masala! UAE Editor, Lekha Menon revealed,

“Mahira Khan, Mawra Hocane and Saba Qamar will be attending the event, and we might have Meera as well!” 

Taking to Instagram, the magazine announced Saba’s participation in the show with a video.

Congratulating the Masala! Awards on their ‘fabulous’ 10 years, the Hindi Medium star added,

“I’m really excited to be a part of the celebrations in Dubai on December 13. Love you all. I hope to see you soon!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcemlkogM8l/

Sanam Teri Kasam star Mawra also took to Twitter and wrote, “See you in Dubai!”

See you in Dubai! 🤘🏻🙃 #MasalaAwards https://t.co/Cp7pCgKh49

— MAWRA (@MawraHocane) December 7, 2017

Apart from Saba and Mawra, rumour has it that Urwa Hocane, Farhan Saeed and Fawad Khan will also be attending the awards ceremony. Bollywood actors Celina Jaitly, Arjun Rampal, Govinda, Boman Irani and Daisy Shah will be gracing the occasion from India.

Amir Khan has just been evicted from I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, making him the seventh contestant to leave the show, reported Daily Mail.

Amir said his goodbyes when he was named as the next celebrity to be evicted. Leaving Jamie Lomas, Jennie McAlbine, Georgia Toffolo and Iain behind, Amir headed over to speak to Ant and Dec.

“I’ve had such a great time. I never expected it to be so good as I’ve never seen it but I conquered my fears and had the best time. I feared sleeping outside. I didn’t want to be around trees but now, I can be around trees.”

Leaving the show on his birthday, Amir stated,

“It was wonderful to spend my 31st birthday with an amazing team. I’ll remember that for life and tell my kids that I spent it in the jungle. Who else can say that?”

Also referring to his surprising lack of knowledge, Amir joked that he learnt a lot on the show such as

“there’s a woman prime minister and there’s cheese in cheesecake.” 

As the boxer walked down the bridge, he was greeted by his father. However, wife Faryal Makhdoom was no where to be seen. She did appear on a TV show saying that she can’t wait to have her husband back home.

Pakistani film industry has seen it’s worst in the last two decades but this decade not only brought the revival of mainstream cinema but will also be reviving our cinema at a more grass root level. Film-maker Jami Mahmood is producing a Sindhi feature film in Pakistan, which may possibly be the first since the recent rebirth of local cinema.

Titled Jugnu, it is directed by Ali Abbas Naqvi, an Iqra University faculty member. Speaking to The Express Tribune, Naqvi said the project initiated in 2013.

“I graduated from the University of Karachi in 2012. In 2013 we had a screening of thesis films in Aga Khan University, where Jami was part of the jury. After the screening, he approached us with an idea about a boy and his goat.”

The team then worked on the script for several years.

“We wrote 14 drafts and now the 15th one is the final, which we are currently shooting. We had to work on a lot of things and we realised that the city would be better off if it’s set in a rural environment. So, we spent a month in Moro to research and observe our surroundings and understand how people live to get a vibe. We decided to focus on issues that aren’t talked about a lot usually, such as weak electricity poles etc.”

He shared that the film also includes Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai’s vision.

“There is a local Sufi touch to the film and for that we have Saif Samejo as the music composer. It’s not finalised yet but there will be three or four songs in the film.”

Naqvi also pointed out that the film isn’t completely in Sindhi language and will have Urdu as well. The film-maker is inspired by Iranian films, especially Majid Majidi’s movies. He hopes to bring similar sensibilities to Jugnu.

“I just want to tell people a good story and this film has such a human story. I saw that when we were talking to people here, they related to it.”

Lack of cinemas is definitely a problem and Naqvi’s plan is to screen the movie in different festivals before he goes for a public screening. We wish team Jugnu good luck and hope to see our local cinema flourish even more.

Agha Ali has now joined the world of singing and creating music videos after doing a lot of powerful roles in dramas. His latest venture is a video song with the name Mein Wohi Aashiq, whose theatrical trailer is released now. It shows violence, action, drama and the hero, Agha Ali himself claims to be doing it all in the name of undying love and devotion he has for his lady love, played by Sarah Khan.

The video is produced by Team Agha Productions and directed by Ahmer Sohail. The trailer looks like an Indian film showing the romance between a well meaning but violent goon and an innocent beauty who is unaware of her lover’s agressive lifestyle. It is releasing on the 17th Of December, and then we will get to know the real story behind these scenes.

The wedding fever is on and the yearly held Bridal Couture Week is going on in Lahore. Many celebrities have graced the ramp for different designers in the three days of the show. Today Sba Qamar walked for Umsha by Uzma Babar. At the centre stage, her foot got slipped and she had a minor fall. But the lady showed why she is known for her confidence. She got up, gave the audience a confident look and continued with her walk. Here is how Saba is handling the situation like a champ:

A post shared by SpotlightPk (@spotlight.pk) on Dec 10, 2017 at 8:15am PST

Kudos to Saba for this confidence!

Muniba Mazari, the thirty year old paraplegic has been the Iron Lady of Pakistan for a long time now. People are used to see her smiling face on the screens, billboards and the social media where she is very active. Recently, however she has been caught in a whirlwind of controversies where she has been sued for 10 million by her ex-husband for defamation, the twitterati has turned against her for her anti-men statements, another artist has claimed she stole her artwork, and The Disability Association has ousted her. This is a lot of negativity for one person to handle. On top of this, her interview that she gave to PTV some five years back is going viral. In that one she said while answering a question about her husband’s attitude to her during and after the fateful accident that left her paralyzed from waist down;

“He was driving with me but Alhumdulillah he is fine. I am alive today and all the credit goes to him. I get emotional at times but he is such a real person. We are more than friends. When I cry he cries with me. But he tells me that I can do whatever I want to do. He doesn’t have any issue with my job and my work.”

 

Now in a recent speech, she said that her husband jumped out of the car and saved her life and now he is married again. Even though she said she is happy for him and was just sharing her struggle for normalcy, it created a lot of backlash. She was criticised left right and centre.

Some people however, still kept their support for her

Days after this row, another artist Laiba Baig brought her accusations to public eye that Muniba had been stealing her artwork and claiming it’s her own.

Now the Disability Movement has dissociated itself from Muniba saying that she is seeking sympathy and introducing idealism into disability. They said she is merely cashing in on her paraplegia rather than doing anything helpful for disabled people.

Amidst all this, Muniba has written a long post on Facebook which she has shared on twitter as well. It is rather long but if you really wish to know her reasons and logic, you must give it a moment.

To all of my followers, critics and supporters alike,

If you’re reading this and you are married and happy, I wish nothing but a blissful happily ever after for you. Remember that every marriage goes through its ups and down, but as long as you hold on to respect for each other, no mountain is too high and no storm is too great. May your beautiful relationship continue to shade each other and all the loved ones around you.

If you’re reading this and you are married but unhappy and struggling, then know that I am sending all of my love and prayers your way. Remember that you are not alone, that this too is only a phase of your life and like all other phases, this too shall pass. 5 years ago, I was where you are today. My PTV interview circulating around social media is from that time. It is emotionally exhausting to try and make a marriage work, to make sure you don’t wash your dirty laundry in public, to do the best in your power for your child, struggle with the insecurities of what the future may hold all the while maintaining the façade of a perfect marriage. I pray that when this phase is over for you, you too are judged, but unlike me, you are judged for all the right reasons. You are judged for being gracious, for giving your utmost to make the marriage work, and for putting your best foot forward despite screaming in agony on the inside. The relationship of marriage is worth the struggle and I pray yours is rewarded in nothing but positivity. No matter what the outcome, always always remember that in this time of struggle, you are not alone.

If you’re reading this and you are divorced and a single parent, then know that it may seem bleak and impossible to comprehend right now, but the worst is over. You cannot start healing until the problem festering in your heart is dealt with. And though divorce is perhaps the most painful way to handle the problems of your heart (or your life), it in no way means you have failed your children, your family and most importantly, yourself. Perhaps your win will come in the form that you will not be going through the day in day out anguish of feeling disrespected. Your win will come through knowing that you can now live your dreams without an anchor weighing you down. Your win will come through when see your children grow up in a house with one parent, but double the love, triple the respect and four times the happiness of not waking up in a hostile environment on a daily basis. Know that you are not alone, that I and countless others like me share your story. It’s going to be a rocky road of financial insecurities; perhaps you will suffer through custody cases of your child, just like I have been enduring for many years, having multiple people talk behind your back and label you are a disappointment, but remember that those people don’t even have the slightest idea of what this struggle is like. As hard as it may be, do not listen to them. They have not walked in your shoes. I have. And I want to tell you that it may seem impossible but yes, yes, yes, it does get better. That is my promise to you.

If you are reading this and you are divorced, a single parent, but also differently abled while being in the public eye – then please come have tea with me! I would love to meet someone who can help me understand how a paraplegic can be condemned as promiscuous, or keeping your ex anonymous can be labelled as defamation. Life is interesting, and with every stage and every phase you learn more and evolve more. To me, this change is not hypocrisy rather it is proof of a healthy progression in life. Imagine for a moment, being stuck in your present state of mind, and present state of life for all of eternity. What a frightening thought indeed!
None of us is entitled to the intricate details of marital struggles of our cousins, our friends, our neighbours, the girl at our office, the daughter of our maid, the teacher at our school. If we cannot offer them love, then the least we should offer is the freedom to maintain their privacy in this very personal matter.

Let us be kind to one another, starting with being kind to ourselves.

Muniba Mazari

 

There are always three sides to a story, and the truth always lies somewhere in between. However, we should not be so quick to judge a woman who despite her unfortunate accident and paralysis rose up and shone brightly. She so wanted motherhood that she is devoted to her adopted son despite not being able to do all that a mother has to do. She has full rights to take credit if she has fought and succeeded alone.

Fahad Mustafa and Mehwish Hayat created magic on big screen when they came together in Actor In Law. Now the makers of Actor In Law, Nabeel Qureshi and Fiza Ali Meerza are coming together with both the actors playing leads in their next movie Load Wedding. This will be the third project of these four together as they came together for the first time in Na Maloom Afraad where Mehwish did an item song, the second being the super-hit Actor In Law and now it is Load Wedding.

The film will release next year on Eid ul Adha. So even before the start of the year, big films are already being scheduled for special occasion releases which is a good sign for our film industry!

It’s that time of the year again when Pakistanis are busy in weddings which bring with them a whole new influx of fashion trends and glamour ideas. In the bling of the season, Pantene Bridal Couture week started from the 8th of December. It was a star studded affair with all the designers putting their best foot forward. These are some of celebrities who stole the show.

Team Arth 2 were the show stoppers for Fahd Hussayn. Shan and Mohib Mirza wore short black sherwanis while Humaima Malick wore a pink and gold gown and Uzma Hassan was stunning in maroon and gold traditional lehnga.

Mifrah’s collection has all the muted shades includes peaches and golds and were presented by models Cybil Chowdhry, Sadaf Kanwal, Saheefa and Sunita Marshal.

Showstopper for Reema Ahsan, Mira Sethi stunned in a luxurious plum lehnga and golden shirt that was heavily embellished. All her models were adorned in deep dark colours.

Humayun Alamgir presented a collection called “Poshak” which was full of dark velvet sherwanis. Bilal Abbas Khan walked the ramp for him in a deep red velvet sherwani.

Sajal Aly walked the ramp for Mohsin Ranjha. His collection was called “Gulab Sandesh” and  Sajal was beautiful in a mint blue short peplum  shirt and double layered flared lehnga.

The beautiful makeup for all the models was done by Team Nabila. It graviatated towards sheer base, highlighted skin, golden eyes and pink lips. Jewellery pieces were by Hamna Amir and included beautiful heavy birdal pieces.

First day’s collections were all gorgeous and we are excited to see what comes in the next two days.

Last year, on this day, Pakistan saw one of the biggest funerals in Karachi. It was due to the sad demise of Junaid Jamshed, once a pop icon and later a preacher who lost his life along with all other passengers as their plane crashed near Hawailian. This accident shook the whole country but life went on. Today as the year ends, people from all walks of life remember him. Celebrities also missed him and paid tributes to Junaid Jamshed as he had touched every life to some extent.

50 Sexiest Women from Asia is a list running from around 14 years in UK based magazine Eastern Eye and is based upon millions of votes. This year many Pakistani beauties also made to the list with Mahira Khan even reaching the top 5. This is the third time Mahira has gotten on the list. The other names are Momina Mustehasan, Humaima Malick and Armeena Rana Khan. Here are the ladies who got on the list with their ranks:

Mahira Khan on the 5th spot:

Armeena Rana Khan on the 22nd spot:

Humaima Malick on the 33rd spot:

Momina Mustehsan on the 37th spot:

Mehwish Hayat on the 50th spot:

And just to clear the curiosity Priyanka Chopra topped the list!

British Magazine GQ recently ranked the best dressed and worst dressed celebrities for it’s January 2018 issue and guess who’s on the list with many other heart throbs, yeap, it’s the Pakistani British actor Riz Ahmed.

Other celebrities making it to the list because of their chic red carpet looks include Ryan Reynolds and Andrew Garfield.

The guy who aced the list and bagged the first spot is none other than the eleventh Doctor Who Matt Smith.

Coming to the worst dressed list it turns out that the Game Of Thrones star Kit Harington actually knows nothing when it comes to dressing up for an event and ergo he ended up in the worst dressed list of GQ magazine,

Here are the complete lists,

Best Dressed:

1. Matt Smith
2. A$AP Rocky
3. Jeff Goldblum
4. Harry Styles
5. Andrew Garfield
6. Skepta
7. Riz Ahmed
8. Ryan Reynolds
9. Brooklyn Beckham
10. Alessandro Michele

Worst Dressed:

1. Kit Harington
2. Paul Merton
3. Shmee150
4. Jacob Rees-Mogg
5. Morrissey
6. PewDiePie
7. Louis Theroux
8. Marshmello
9. Elon Musk
10. Joe Wicks

As ‘Arth the destination’ is getting closer to it’s release date the promotions are making the headlines almost every day, this time it’s an interview Shaan Shahid gave while promoting Arth in a show.

When asked if he’d like to play a real life person in his film whom would he choose the 021 actor said that he’d be thrilled to play Pervez Musharraf in his biopic,

“I want movies based on history to be made in Pakistan. When Hollywood can make movies such as Zero Dark Thirty, then why not in Lollywood,” 

Moreover, the actor also shared that he would also love to remake Riaz Shahid’s Zarka.

When questioned about his contemporaries and their absence from the film scene the actor said that he didn’t burn himself all out he knew what he was doing and he stick to what he believed in,

“I didn’t burn out myself. I kept my pace for films. I am a product of films and I always focused on my destination.”

He shared that so many people tried to convince him to join television but he stood his ground.

“You have to stick to your ground and remember the relationship you have built with the audience.”

The Khuda Kay Liye star also shared some candid details of his life including the fact that he proposed his wife Amina within a week of meeting her,

“We met; we liked each other, within seven days I sent my mom to her place with a proposal.”

On his relationship with wife, he said:

“she understands my mission, she understands what I am trying to do in life and in the film industry.”

He also added that with his wife and his four daughters his household is rather women-centric and that his wife has a lot of control at home.

When asked why Shaan chose to remake an Indian movie given his vocal opposition of releasing Indian movies in Pakistan, he shared:

“My plan was to have a trade with India, I am an actor. I just think that our films don’t get the same space in India as theirs get here.”

He further argued that our artists don’t get the kind of respect in India that they deserve, our actors are not getting a visa to India, he said, adding

“it is not about money but izzat [honour].”

Shaan also shared that his upcoming movie will not be releasing in India because of the tense and hostile conditions there.

“If someone like Mahesh Bhatt isn’t able to release a [Pakistani] film, then I don’t know who can.”

The Khuda Kay Liye actor shared that currently the movies in Pakistan are being made in comfort zone.

“We need to enlarge the scope, and increase the pie, norms of the business have not been set up as far as entertainment is concerned.”

People are trying to control the cinema but they should know that

“it’s too early to own it.”

Let the people decide what they want, he remarked.

“Let new people come in. New talent should be given a chance.”

On the trend of movie promotions, Shaan remarked that it is a new trend associated with the evolution of the Pakistan cinema.

“Back in the day, there was a trust element between the audience and filmmaker, which was more than enough.”

On Arth-The Destination, he said that he wanted to pick a movie which resonates with people from both Pakistan and India.

“I wanted to make an art film, one which people from all age groups can relate to.”

He said that he approached Mahesh Bhatt, the director of Shabana Azmi starrer Arth, and he did not charge Shaan any money over movie’s copyrights.

“I took the script added something very valuable to it, changed the protagonist and structure of the movie. I wanted to show the ties between the two countries through this film.”

On the casting of Humaima Malik, Shaan, who has also written the movie’s script, said that she was the perfect fit for the role.

The movie is set to release this December the 21st and we wish team Arth all the luck.

Muniba Mazari had recently been going viral for her talk on an international platform where she walked the audience down the memory lane to the date of her accident. In 2008, after two years of marriage, Muniba and her husband had met with a fateful accident and she said that jumped out of the car even though he was driving it and saved himself. It seemed apparent from her conversation that his lack of care and support are what caused the rift between the two.

Her husband, Khurram Shahzad, an Airforce Officer, however had another story to tell and filed Muniba for defamation, demanding a sum of 10 million rupees. His version is that he was busy promoting her paintings after the accident to bring her back to normalcy but she had started taking an interest in modelling and that did not align with their family values.

In a series of tweets Muniba expressed her displeasure at the case;

The case is all set to appear in front of the court this month.

Fatima Effendi and Kanwar Arsalan are among the few couples who are still very much in love five years after their wedding anniversary.

To mark the completion of fifth year since they took their vows, the couple congratulated eachother in the most beautiful way;

The lovely couple also shared some photos from their latest photoshoot;