Hamza Ali Abbasi’s controversial questions and statements in his Ramzan special show have received many reactions from the public and celebrities. Most celebrities till now have supported Hamza Ali Abbasi because they believe everyone has the right to freedom of expression and Hamza Ali was only exercising that right. Waqar Zaka is the first celebrity who has come out and expressed openly how he feels about Hamza Ali Abbasi’s actions. In a long video Waqar Zaka discussed the issue of Ahmedis and the duty of the state towards non Muslims. Later on he went on to share why this whole thing was wrong.

Waqar Zaka said that Hamza Ali Abbasi could have discussed this issue behind the scenes and then asked a question. But what he did was not ask a question but share an opinion which was totally contrary to what most people believe in, which proves he was doing it all to get attention and publicity. Waqar Zaka apologized to Hamza Ali Abbasi before hand and said that he should admit that he was wrong.

Waqar Zaka supported PEMRA’s ban on Hamza Ali Abbasi and also criticized his stance after Jawani Phir Nahi Aani. He also requested Hamza Ali Abbasi to stop insulting his religion and understand it first and then talk about it.

Watch the video here:

Qandeel Baloch has done many things to gain cheap popularity but this time what she has done is bigger than anything else she has ever done before. Her scandal with Mufti Qavi did not only make her very popular but also effected Mufti’s reputation and career in the worst way. In the latest Press Conference today Qandeel Baloch said that she was getting many life threats ever since she revealed the real face of Mufti Qavi. She said that she needed security because her life is in danger.

Qandeel Baloch was very emotional all through the Press Conference and almost cried when she revealed,

“My sources have told me to stay underground. I have been confided within the four walls of my house, I have lost my peace of mind, I feel like a prisoner.”

She said that she was being punished like this because she brought the truth forward. She added,

“I have sent a written notice to the interior minister in which I have requested him to provide me security and protection. My life is in danger, my family’s life is in danger.”

Qandeel Baloch also said that she registered a complaint with FIA because her passport and identity card was being shown freely on social media. She said,

“No one has the right to show my legal documents on social media like this. Who are these people who are after me? I want to find out.”

Actor In Law is an upcoming Urdu film but with an English name. The shooting of Actor In Law commenced in start of this 2016 and completed as per schedule. The film will be released on upcoming Eidul Azhad,on 13th or 14th September 2016.

Audience have high hopes from this film as the same team of Nabeel Qureshi (director), Fizza Ali Meerza (producer) and Fahad Mustafa (lead artist) provided the super hit entertainer Namaloom Afraad in 2014 on Eidul Azha.

Actor In Law has Fahad Mustafa in the lead role like Namaloom Afraad paired with Mehwish Hayat. Mehwish Hayat also played a cameo appearance in Namaloom Afraad in the item song of Billi. Another highlight of Actor In Law is the presence of acclaimed Indian artist Om Puri.

Film: Actor In Law
Starring:Fahad Mustafa,Mehwish Hayat,Alyy Khan,Om Puri,Saboor Ali,Irfan Motiwala,Rehan Sheikh,Lubna Aslam,Saleem Mairaj,Saife Hassan,Rashid Khawaja
Written by:Fizza Ali Meerza
Directed by:Nabeel Qureshi
Produced by:Fizza Ali Meerza, Mehdi Ali
Music by:Shani Arshad
Cinematography:Rana Kamran
Production company: Filmwala Pictures
Distributed by: Urdu 1
Relese Date: Eidul Azha on 13th or 14th September 2016

The poster of Actor In Law was released last week and now today its teaser is also released.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlQB_40JGFk

Rashid Nazir Ali

Armeena Khan is a Pakistani-Canadian film and TV actress. She first starred alongside Azfar Rehman in comedy sitcom, Happily Married. Her drama serial, Shab-e-Aarzoo Ka Alam didn’t receive much attention but her acting in Muhabbat Ab Nahe Hogi was appreciated and although she played quite a flawed character, it was difficult for viewers to completely hate her. We saw her play a supporting character in Momina Duraid’s Bin Roye,where she appeared alongside two of the biggest names in Pakistani entertainment industry – Mahira Khan and Humayun Saeed. We will be seeing her in Reham Khan and Hareem Farooq’s Janaan pretty soon.

In a recent interview with Express Tribune, Armeena talked about working in Pakistani dramas and films.

Talking about the kind of characters she wants to do, “I have refused 10 dramas and three films this year. I don’t want to do the bechari aurat role.”

She shared that she can relate to her character in Janaan because she is like her in many ways. “Meena, in Janaan is a lot like me — a young girl who has just returned to her roots and is rediscovering them from a fresh perspective. It talks about the relationships you didn’t nurture and the beauty of the area you originate from. Meena is empowered, ambitious and ultimately falls in love with Pakistan like I did.”

Osman Khalid Butt has penned the script for Janaan. Armeena sat with Osman Khalid Butt while he was finalising the script for Janaan. “My habits were incorporated into the script like how I laugh and my expressions so you will see Meena in all of Armeena’s shades in the film.”

Armeena confessed that for her, playing a typical housewife in dramas can be a bit of a challenge. “My upbringing is not in accordance with the local culture or the daily activities of Pakistani housewives; so I had to study it — it’s not something that came naturally to me.” She also shared that she took acting courses at Pinewood and Ealing in London. “My shortcomings came to light but I realised that acting schools are great but ultimately it boils down to how centred you are in your character.”

Armeena refuses to endorse whitening products. “I can’t go down the Kim Kardashian route or endorse things that hurt people’s self-esteem because many of my fans are young women.”

She has already made her Bollywood debut with a film that didn’t receive much attention. “I am not averse to Bollywood because I’ve done that already but I have a strong sense of social responsibility. I am the first girl in my family to enter the media; so they have expectations of me as do my fans.”

In the latest episode of Star Iftaar, we saw the very beautiful and jolly Jana Malik. Sarmad Khoosat praised Jana Malik for being very hard-working and dedicated to her work.

I remember Jana Malik mostly from her PTV days. She also played the extremely conniving and scheming sister-in-law in Ek Tamanna Lahasil Si. Currently, viewers can see her in Sarmad Khoosat’s Mor Mahal. Again, this was one of those episodes where the main focus was on the dishes being prepared. I am disappointed that we didn’t get to learn much about Jana Malik; she has been associated with the industry for quite a long time so it would have been interesting to see her share her experiences. Khair…

Sarmad Khoosat prepared Quick Qorma (Shahi Style – reference to Mor Mahal, maybe? ;) ).

Umer Naru is a talented young actor, best known for his role in Pyare Afzal, where he played the gullible Mehtaab. He also played the very sweet and sensitive brother-in-law in Durr-e-shahwar and these days, viewers can see him take on the role of Shehzada Taimoor in Sarmad Khoosat’s Mor Mahal.

In a recent interview with Dawn Images, Umer Naru talked about his character and his experience working in Mor Mahal.

When asked about the most challenging thing about working in Mor Mahal, Umer answered, ”Shooting through the brain-melting summer, dressed in thick layers of clothing, whilst maintaining game face.”

The characters in Mor Mahal have to speak khalis, saqeel Urdu. Umer Naru was asked if that was a challenge. ”By the time we went into shooting, I was well prepared. And yes, I did learn quite a few new words along with their historical context. Words like saazindey, aseelein(female guards of the harem) and kornish…but mostly I picked up on the right pronunciations of words.”

He played the nice guy in Pyare Afzal, Durr-e-shahwar, Mirat-ul-uroos. Why is that? ”It so happened that those scripts passed the bare minimum standard I had set for myself. I don’t know if there is a trap and even if there is one I ain’t falling for it.”

Talking about his character in Mor Mahal, ”Prince Taimoor is an idealist, who wears his heart on his sleeve. He is a good-natured, naive young nawab who finds himself caught in unusual set of circumstances. His parents’ political disagreements and life choices have a direct impact on the course of his destiny.”

Umer Naru admitted that essaying the role of Shehzada Taimoor gave an opportunity to discover his strengths and limitations as an actor. ”I haven’t exposed myself like this on screen before. Sometimes, in emotionally charged or physically demanding scenes, the line between restraint and over emoting seemed thin.”

Umer Naru has done a lot of theater work. In 2012, an international Shakespeare festival was held by the prestigious Globe Theatre were 37 countries took part to perform Shakespearean plays in their native languages. Umer Naru went to England and got to perform in Taming of the Shrew. This was one of his most cherished experiences that helped him gain confidence.

PEMRA has issued many notices recently to different channels. In another move PEMRA issued another notice to Geo Entertainment and also banned Aamir Liaquat’s game show Inaam Ghur which airs in the month of Ramzan specifically. The show has been banned for 3 days from 28th June to 30th June. After that the host has to apologize on the show which will air on 1st July for all the mistakes which have been pinpointed by PEMRA in the notice. The host Aamir Liaquat will apologize to all the viewers in the beginning of his show and will follow the code of conduct from now on.

The reasons for banning the show for 3 days and asking for a live apology on television were many. Firstly, the reason was that Aamir Liaquat pretended to be a woman who was trying to commit suicide by hanging from the fan. Secondly, a man was shown cursing on live TV after he won a prize. Thirdly, a woman who called on the show used foul language. Fourthly, the host Aamir Liaquat danced holding a pole in one of the shows which was considered obscene by the members.

The representative of Geo TV asked the council to give him 15 days to give a reply to all these complaints. PEMRA has asked Geo to give an answer not later than the 3rd day of Eid.

PEMRA also said in its notice that next time anyone wants to use the uniform of the armed forces for commercial purposes, they have to take permission from ISPR first. They also asked game show hosts to follow the rules set by the society and adhere to the cultural values of the country.

The supporters of the show condemned this action on twitter.

When drama serial Khuda Aur Muhabbat first aired on Geo TV back in 2011, viewers fell in love with the heart-achingly sad love story, the beautiful characters and the poignant dialogues that left a deep impact. The first season was directed by Anjum Shehzad, written by Hashim Nadeem Syed and it featured Imran Abbas and Sadia Khan in the lead roles.

Now, fans are promised that Khuda Aur Muhabbat Season 2 will hit their screens very soon. It is a much awaited and anticipated sequel. Imran Abbas too is very excited about this project which is why he keeps his fans posted through instagram.

Have a look at the BTS pictures:

Fahad Mustafa, the host of the very popular game show Jeeto Pakistan celebrated his birthday today.

His family came to Jeeto Pakistan to surprise him. Ali Kazmi, who is Fahad Mustafa’s good friend and partner (the two own Big Bang Productions) can also be seen in the pictures.

Here are the pictures:

Here are a few pictures of Fahad Mustafa celebrating his birthday with his wife and daughter:

Famous TV personality Naseer Bhai, who was associated with Express News’ programme Khabardar, has passed away.

According to Express News, Muhammad Naseer, also known as the ‘music encyclopedia of songs produced between 1950 and 1980’, had been ill for some time and was moved to a Lahore-based hospital where he died during treatment on Sunday.

The 61-year-old host was famous for his sharp memory of vintage movie songs, producers, singers and other relevant information.

Naseer Bhai was more than just another face on television. Having memorised the lyrics of all Indian and Pakistani songs produced between 1950 and 1980, he was indeed a veritable encyclopedia of nearly three decades worth of music.

In an interview with The Express Tribune, he had revealed “I worked as a song recorder for nearly four decades to earn a living. This was during a time when there were no radios or tape recorders,” recalled Naseer, “I was young back then and my memory was quite sharp.”

Whole content is borrowed from the Express Tribune, http://tribune.com.pk/story/1130630/khabardaars-naseer-bhai-passes-away/

Rashid Nazir Ali

Hadiqa Kiani just came back from a trip to the Northern Areas of Pakistan. The scenic locations took her breath away. Her lovely pictures show that she had a wonderful time. She was accompanied by her beautiful son, Naad-e-Ali.

Yayayayay! Nadia Jamil is one of my favourite actresses and seeing her on the show was an absolute delight! I loved the intro where Sarmad Khoosat called her ‘mast malang’ – mood hota hai tou kaam karti hain, warna nahe karteen. This episode kind of made up for the past few boring episodes. Also, Nadia Jamil looked fresh and beautiful! :)

It was interesting to see how very passionate Nadia Jamil is about food and I think out of all the guests we have seen on the show, she was most the most enthusiastic about the dishes being prepared in the kitchen. ”Mere zindagi mein teen hi ishq hain: acha khana, bachay aur puppies.” I think Durr-e-Shahwar was the last drama that she appeared in. I really appreciate the fact that Nadia Jamil is very selective about her work and I am glad that she doesn’t settle for projects not worth her time. She does a lot of theatre plays, though, and loves working with children. Nadia Jamil herself is quite an interesting person; I really liked the idea of The Empty Place, which is basically a place where she unleashes her inner child and does whatever she feels like.

I like when Sarmad Khoosat asks his guests the one thing they want people to learn in the blessed month of Ramadan. Nadia Jamil talked about patience and tolerance of people’s opinions, which I believe, is the most important kind of tolerance.

Sarmad Khoosat prepared Hummus and Beetroot Salad.

Actor in Law, Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza’s upcoming film after the very popular and award-winning, Namaloom Afraad will hit the screens on Eid ul Adha this year.

The stellar cast includes Fahad Mustafa, Om Puri, Mehwish Hayat, Alyy Khan and Saboor Ali among others.

The shooting was completed a few weeks back and now the official poster is out. Have a look:

Yep, Mathira. Or, I should say, Innocent Mathira, because I am not kidding when I say that out of all the words (confident, vivacious) Sarmad could have used to praise Mathira, he decided to go for innocent and not once, but twice did he say that he admires Mathira for her masoomiat. What’s more, he said it with a straight face. But khair, it’s not like we know Mathira in person…

This is going to be a veryyy brief write-up (I wouldn’t even call it a review) because not much happened in this episode that I could discuss in detail. Mathira looked nice, though, and shared a bit about her Zimbabwean roots, which was kinda interesting to learn about. Mathira mentioned that her mother is an international chef. She also announced that her film, Blind Love will be released on Eid.

Sarmad prepared two foreign dishes and their names were umm not easy to pronounce or remember. Sorry…

I hope that in the next episode, we get to see an actor whose work we actually follow. 

After Ho Mann Jahan, Sheheryar Munawar will be seen in Nadir Shah’s directorial debut, Ghazi. Syra Yusuf shared the screen with Sheheryar Munawar in the last few minutes of Ho Mann Jahan for the song, Shakar Wanda.
Apart from these two, the cast includes Humayun Saeed, Aamir Qureshi and the veteran actor Talat Hussain.

Speaking about Ghazi, Sheheryaar revealed, ‘‘Project Ghazi is basically an action film, but has nothing to do with anti-terrorism and doesn’t campaign against India. As an artist, we have a social responsibility to reduce negativity and with Project Ghazi we are playing on metaphors, but have stayed away from controversies. There’s no point in adding hate.”

“The film does have a nationalistic sentiment, but in a whole new light. I believe it’s something along the lines of The Bourne Identity.”

The shooting of the film continues in the hill stations of Northern Pakistan. Let’s see how this turns out.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) issued on notice to Geo TV for airing inappropriate content, including ‘suicide scenes’ in its Ramazan transmission programme.

Well, apparently, Amir Liaquat is not taking the warning seriously because the guy’s more ambitious than ever! Listen to this: Amir Liaquat aims to break the previous world record of a 44-hour-long transmission to enter the Guinness Book of World Records.

He’s not leaving our screens any time soon, is he?

Last week, Maya Ali and Sadia Khan were spotted in India. According to Maya Ali, the two were approached for the same role.

Talking to Dawn Images, Sadia Khan revealed that they were approached by Lyca Productions, which happens to be the same company that made [the Tamil version of] Ghajini.
Sadia revealed that she is in talks for the female lead opposite Akshay Kumar in film Ikka, which is said to be a remake of a popular Tamil movie. It revolves around two lookalikes and focuses on farmers’ suicide due to corporate encroachment.

Earlier on, there were reports suggesting that Sadia was auditioning only for a song, but Sadia corrected, “It’s not a song, but a whole film. I’ve read the script, and the role offered is fantastic.”

When asked if Maya has turned down the offer, Sadia answered, “It’s too early to answer that since the talks are still in progress.”

Sanam Baloch is one of the most well-loved actresses of the industry. She has given us some stellar performances in the past; she was flawless as Kiran in Kankar, we loved her in Durr-e-Shahwar and the best of all, her power-packed performance in Dastaan is unforgettable.
Fans have been waiting for their favourite actress to return to the screens, and good news for them: the wait is over!

In an interview with Express Tribune, Sanam Baloch revealed that we’ll be seeing her in a short film directed by the brilliant Sarmad Khoosat and penned by a writer who fails to disappoint – Umera Ahmed. The film pays tribute to Marium Mukhtar, the first female fighter pilot of Pakistan to die in the line of duty. Marium Mukhtar died after a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) FT-7PG aircraft crashed near Kundian in Mianwali District in the northwest of Punjab, Pakistan on November 24, 2015. “When I came to know it’s about Marium Mukhtar and I had to portray her, I decided I have to do it no matter what, although I was in talks with someone else as well for July.”

Sanam admits that she always gets nervous about working on a new project and this time, she is nervous and excited at the same time because the role is quite challenging. “I’m very nervous. I’m always nervous about every project I sign. I always leave my work to the Almighty with a prayer that He will look into it. This time I’m extra nervous since it’s going to be my appearance after so long. This particular short film is going to be very challenging for me. I’ll have to live the life of someone extraordinary.”

Sanam Baloch is not only a fine actress but is also very selective about her projects. “There are good dramas being aired these days but there are not much of them as they used to be. I’ve gone through a lot of scripts in this time but there was nothing that really appealed to me.”

With her hosting a morning show, the schedule gets a bit hectic. “Due to the tight schedule, it gets pretty hard for me to sign any serial or anything. A few days back, Fahad Mustafa announced on his show that we both are doing a serial together. Although he has announced, but I’m pretty worried how I’m going to manage it all. Sometimes it’s extremely stressful and tiring for me.”

Sanam Baloch has fans across the border and one of them happens to be Indian actress Vidya Balan who raved about her acting in Kankar. “I was indeed honoured. Who doesn’t like being praised for the hard work they’ve done? She is such a versatile actor. If it would’ve been someone else, I would’ve still been happy, but then again it was Vidya Balan and that charm was altogether something else for me. It takes a lot of courage to praise someone; it is not easy to get appreciation in this industry, especially by bigger names. It’s a very nice gesture from her side.”

Sanam Baloch believes, and rightly so, that actors need to take a break so that they don’t lose their charm. ”Isn’t it good if people are eagerly waiting to see you? They get bored sometimes seeing the same faces on every channel – in every drama serial. I think a break is pretty important. I have a couple of offers but I would not like to delve much into it. Let’s see how things work out.”

Ayeza Khan and Danish Taimoor are the most good looking, talented and most loved young star couple of the television industry. They are also one of those were few star couples who consider it their duty to share every moment of their life which is special to them with their fans. Ayeza Khan particularly keeps her fans updated at all times. Right from Hoorain’s birth Ayeza Khan especially generously shared her pictures at every stage with the fans because of which Hoorain is loved just as much by fans as her parents. Hoorain is not even 1 year old and she is already a celebrity. This child celebrity made her modeling debut few days back with her parents. Maria B. launched her eid collection which consists of formal attire not only for women but also for children and men so choosing this beautiful family was the best choice for this photo shoot. There were few other models involved in the shoot too but it was Ayeza Khan, Danish Taimoor and Hoorain Taimoor who stole the show.

Ayeza Khan also shared the experience of shooting with Hoorain. She said that it wasn’t easy shooting with a little child but she loved the end product.

Here are some pictures from the photo shoot:

No words can describe the shock and grief at Amjad Sabri’s sad demise. Yesterday, we lost an incredibly sincere and humble man who touched the lives of many with his soul-stirring qawwalis that will long stay with us.

Just a few weeks back, the list of the artists set to appear in Coke Studio Season 9 was revealed, and fans were anticipating Amjad Sabri’s Coke Studio debut. Amjad Sabri collaborated with Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan to sing the famous and well-loved qawwali, Aaj Rang Hai. Last month, Amjad Sabri had talked fondly of his collaboration with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, “About 40 years ago, my father and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan read this kalaam at a dargah in Karachi and 40 years later, Rahat and I are reading it again [on Coke Studio Season 9].”

It is produced by one of the six producers, Shani Arshad. Talking to Express Tribune, Shani voiced his shock and grief at Amjad Sabri’s death. “To me his death comes as an even greater shock because I had only recently worked with him on the qawwali for Coke Studio.”

“I think it will be a fitting tribute for Amjad Sabri and a great surprise for his fans as he’s done a remarkable job on the single.”

String, the mentors of Season 9, said, “The tragic death of Amjad Sabri is a huge national loss. In spite of his great success nationally and internationally, he was a gentle and humble person, treasured and respected by everyone who met him.”

A production crew member revealed, “Unlike majority of the artistes, Amjad and Rahat did not require multiple takes to nail the track. They recorded the song in one go instead.”

This will be a fitting tribute to Amjad Sabri and a fine way to bid farewell to the legend. Amjad Sabri will be dearly missed.

Amjad Sabri’s loss is being mourned by everyone who loved him all around the globe. His fan following and the love people felt for him was evident from the number of people who came out in this scorching heat even when they were fasting to bid farewell to him. All the news channels reported that people were crying and wailing because they could not bear to say goodbye to him. Everyone has to die one day but what makes Amjad Sabri’s demise more saddening is the way he was killed. He was someone who always spread love but in the end he was killed by people who only know how to hate.

Here are some memorable pictures of Amjad Sabri with his children and wife on Sanam Baloch’s show. His mother, brother, sisters can also be seen in the pictures. He has left behind 5 children, 3 sons and 2 daughters.