Being one of the most well-loved celebrities, Humayun Saeed needs no introduction at all. The ‘revival of Pakistani film industry’ is something all the people in the industry are working for, and of all the celebrities involved in this much talked about revival, Humayun Saeed has been the most active in this whole process. His film, Jawani Phir Nahe Ani is the highest grossing Pakistani film worldwide, and at ARY Film Awards, it received a total of 29 nominations, winning 18. After a break from TV, Humayun Saeed has made his comeback with ARY’s Dillagi, which is being followed and praised by the viewers.

In a recent interview with Dawn Images, Humayun Saeed talked about Jawani Phir Nahe Ani and his comeback.

About Dillagi, “Dillagi does have its fans. Viewership ratings are great and it’s getting a lot of attention on social media. I had been very busy with production and Dillagi is the first drama that I have acted in the past four years. It’s the kind of role that I enjoy doing, subtle and romantic and it’s brought my fan following back in full force.”
Talking about fitness, ”I have just been watching my weight and eating healthy, and it helps. I am not against artificial procedures but I am scared by some of the results I have seen on people. A slight overdose contorts their faces into strange expressions. I am worried that the same might happen to me.”

Proud of his film, Jawani Phir Ani, Humayun says, ”JPNA was an ARY movie but I don’t think there was any bias at the awards. The jury consisted of industry professionals and, as I told Wajahat, there was no other movie that deserved to win in all those categories.”

When asked if he’s interested in Bollywood, “I am just not interested. I have so much work here as an actor and producer, I really don’t have the time.”

Humayun Saeed’s production house, Six Sigma Plus, churns out many drama serials every year, so when asked about the representation of women as weak, helpless beings, “It is never a priority to show women crying, but inevitably a lot of stories are like that. And there’s no denying that such dramas are hits. This, sadly, is the life that a lot of women in Pakistan live. They see the same happening to a woman on TV and they enjoy empathising with her. Eventually, there’s also a happy ending which makes them feel optimistic about their own lives. It’s a sad truth.”

Viewers are waiting for the dramatized version of Bin Roye. “There is so much crying in it and it’s very well-crafted. People are going to love it!”

Horror movies are right up my alley.I am always ready to grab some popcorn and enjoy a spine-chilling horror film so it’s no surprise that Aksbandh (previously titled Paranormal Karachi Nights), a 2016 Pakistani found footage horror film piques my interest.

Directed by Emran Hussain and co-written with Ayaz Samoo, produced by Naveed Arshad, Seemeen Naveed, Ayaz Samoo and Emran Hussain under the production banner of Cinematic Media, Big Idea Entertainment, Aksbandh follows six friends who set out on an fun adventure trip to Larkana, Sindh, to make a small found footage film, where things take a dark turn and they find themselves in danger.

The cast includes Ayaz Samoo, Saud Imtiaz, Danial Afzal, Bilal Yousufzai, Shehzeen Rahat, Mahrukh Rizvi and Arshad Ali. Most of them are not well-known names of the industry, but Ayaz Samoo has worked in spy thriller, 021 and Moor, for the latter he received AFA Best Actor in a Negative Role.

Talking to Dawn Images, Ayaz Samoo revealed, “When we started our script, there were only two characters instead of six. We incorporated more characters in order to make things more exciting and interesting. With fewer characters, there was a chance of monotony, something we wanted to avoid.”
On TV, Ayaz Samoo has mostly done comedy shows. “I left comedy to pursue serious roles, but it still remains my first love, I started my career as a standup comedian but wasn’t getting comedy roles on the silver screen. In Aksbandh, I saw my chance to do comedy on the big screen and I created the character of Sunny. I wanted the producers to know that I could still do comedy even after getting the Best Villain trophy at the ARY Film Awards. This was the right time to get back to the pavilion.”

The film was released across Pakistani cinemas on May 20, 2016.

The film Blind love was in the news last year because Mohammad Amir, the cricketer said in an interview that he was going to start his film career with it. Later on however he denied any such news and said he did not have any intentions of working in films. Mathira’s dance number which she kept on promoting on her twitter and instagram page already pointed towards what her role in the film was going to be like. The film “Blind Love” has been directed by Faisal Bukhari. Most of the actors seen in the film are the ones who are usually seen in dramas. Yasir Shah, Nimra Khan, Imran Bukhari, Aamir Qureshi and Mathira are more prominent in the trailer. The trailer shows that it will be the story of people who plan to rob a bank.

Watch the trailer here:

Hareem Farooq is one of the few actors that won a huge fan following in a short span of time. She has appeared in numerous dramas including Mere Humdum Mere Dost, Mausam, Dusri Biwi etc, but by far her performance as Arjumand in Diyar-e-Dil has been the most impressive, according to viewers and critics.
Hareem Farooq got the opportunity to work with the finest directors of the industry, and she will be seen in Mehreen Jabbar’s Dobara Phir Se, alongside Adeel Hussain.

According to Brandsynario, Hareem Farooq is producing her upcoming film, Parchi, which will be romantic comedy. She will also be playing the lead role in the film. Parchi will be directed by Azfar Jafri, who also happens to be the director of Jannan. The script is penned by Shafqat Khan, while Osman Khalid Butt, Azfar Jafri and Imran Kazmi are behind the screenplay. The film will be released under the banner of IRK Films, a company owned by Farooq and Imran Kazmi. Talking to Express Tribune, Kazmi revealed that the film is expected to release in October 2016.

According to Hareem Farooq, the film ‘Parchi’ has slapstick fun moments with equally romantic moments. We wish the team all the best!

The multi talented musician, actor and director, Jawad Bashir is busy in the shooting of his upcoming movie, Teri Meri Love Story. Before going on about this film, allow me to point out the obvious: the title is incredibly cheesy!

According to Bransynario, the cast includes Mohib Mirza, Ushna Shah, Omer Shahzad, Mohsin Abbas Haider, Uzma Khan and Laila Zubairi. The movie revolves around a girl who is about to get married, and the plot involves a love triangle. Kinda off-putting. The movie is being shot in Northern Areas and some of the scenes will be shot in Katas Raj Temple in Taxila.

Have a look at the pictures:

Drama serial, Humsafar changed the game for many artists, and one of these lucky artists is the super talented Quratulain Baloch (also known as QB). She is one of the most unique and distinctive voices out there, and for that reason, she is one my favourites.

Talking to Express Tribune, QB shared quite a bit about her work and experiences as a female singer.
Recently, she did a song, Aar Ya Paar, for Cornetto Pop Rock which was performed in Islamabad earlier this month. This was penned by the ambitious singer herself and produced by Noori. The song is special for QB, ”Not having a grasp on the language, I was able to pull off my philosophical take on life, my feelings and inspirations and how I have perceived myself as a human being.”
QB speaks highly of Noori, “When two crazy idealistic people meet, something extraordinary happens and this is what happened with our collaboration. It could not have been possible without the influence the band has had on all of us”.

About her over all journey and experience, “Our society is such that people want to be entertained by female singers but they don’t want their daughters singing. I’ve been very lucky in that department because I feel that there aren’t many female singers in Pakistan. Now is the perfect time for female singers to put themselves out there.”

Humsafar OST and Sammi Meri Waar are my favourite songs by QB, which ones do you enjoy? 

Adnan Malik is known and loved for playing Khalil in the wildly popular drama serial, Sadqe Tumhare. He appeared alongside Mahira Khan and they became a well-loved onscreen couple.
After Sadqe Tumhare, fans have been waiting for Adnan Malik to return to the screens. He is set to make a comeback with drama serial, Gypsy.

Talking to Dawn Images, he shared, “Sadqay Tumhare was such a learning curve for me and in its entirety, the whole process definitely took a toll on me; I had gotten emotionally involved with my character so I decided it would be best to take some time off, return to directing. As time passed, it became evident to me how much acting had fine-tuned my directing skills as well and I just knew it was time to go back to school. I read a bunch of scripts, there was also interest from across the border but nothing clicked quite like Gypsy.”
About his character, “I play the role of Sikander, who’s an aspiring photographer, a part of him that resonates with me because that’s what peaked my interest in the arts, when my father bought me my first camera. He’s a very rugged, outdoorsy kinda guy, very different from Khalil. There’s just this lightness to him. So the show revolves around this guy who’s a bit of a wanderer and his equation with two ladies, a non-traditional love triangle of sorts.”

Penned by Faiza Iftikhar, produced by Momina Duraid and directed by Siraj-ul-Haq, drama serial, Gypsy is expected to go on air on HumTV towards the end of 2016.
Adnan Malik will be seen alongside Mira Sethi and Mawra Hocane.

Here are some of the pictures:

Fawad Khan was welcomed by Bollywood with open arms. He made his debut with Disney’s Khubsurat, alongside Sonam Kapoor, which earned him not only loyal Indian fans but also the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. His latest film, Kapoor and Sons is also a major commercial success.

It’s just been confirmed that Fawad Khan will be hosting a special segment of The International Film Academy (IIFA) Awards in Madrid, Spain, alongside Karan Johar.
He will be the first Pakistani to host this big event.

Zahid Ahmed is a household name in Pakistan. Fans love him for his voice, his looks and his talent. He was seen playing negative roles in drama serial Alvida and Sangat but is seen playing a role which is completely opposite in the drama serial Zara Yaad Kar. Zahid Ahmed chatted with his fans on facebook yesterday in which he talked about what projects he is doing right now and he also talked about his likes and dislikes.

Zahid Ahmed revealed something about his upcoming project. He said,

“It is a very tough story. I play a father in distress, something I haven’t done before.”

He is also planning to sign another script by Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar. He will also be seen playing different roles, an action hero in Geo’s play and he might just step into the world of films this year too.

Zahid Ahmed also disclosed,

“I am like my character in Zara Yaad Kar in real life, I am very loving and compromising.”

Zahid Ahmed also told his fans which characters were his most favorite and which were his least favorite.

He also thinks that he still doesn’t know how he can use all this fame for some higher purpose but he keeps on asking Allah to guide him. Zahid Ahmed’s first love is theatre. He told his fans,

“I would love to do theatre again but it takes months to prepare and pays very little. If I ever got to an influential position. I would love to industrialize theatre so that the youth participates and gets paid.”

Zahid Ahmed also shared that Saba Qamar was his favorite co-star.

Syra Shahroz is the face of Al Karam Studio, and in her latest shoot for their Eid collection, she looks absolutely stunning.

Have a look at the pictures:

Directed by Shahid Shafaat, produced by Hamza Ansari and Hassaan Azher of Epiction Films, Two + Two (previously titled Jhol) is an upcoming Pakistani movie starring Urwa Hocane, Ali Azmat, Bilal Ashraf, Mustafa Qureshi, Saleem Mairaj and Babra Sharif.

Talking to Dawn, the producer revealed, ”90% of our shoot is outdoors, and we’re showing Karachi’s culture in areas like Ranchore Lines and even parts of Hyderabad.”
The movie is said to mark the return of Babra Sharif as she will be playing the role of Bilal Ashraf’s mother while Mustafa Qureshi will play the father’s character.

Nomi Ansari is also part of the team as he has done the styling for the film. According to Brandsynario, the technical team of the film hails from China and Singapore and all the stunts have been directed by the stunt manager of Jet Lee’s Hero. The same source reveals that Ashraf will be playing the role of a doctor, Azmat is anticipated to be seen as an avatar of a middle-aged cop while the stunning starlet Urwa is playing the part of a high-profile businesswoman.

Urwa speaks highly of her co-star, Bilal Ashraf, and through Instagram, the two keep their fans posted.

Ayesha Omer is a model, singer, actress and host. Best known for her role as Khubsurat in Bulbulay, Ayesha Omer is a prominent name in our entertainment industry.

Here are some of the pictures of her latest shoot:

Syed Atif Hussain is a well-known director with many popular dramas like Laadon Mein Pali, Asmanon Pay Likha, Maryam, Iqraar etc to his credit. His drama, Beqasoor is currently on air on ARY.

Recently, Syed Atif Hussain celebrated his birthday, and many celebrities were seen at the party, including the entire cast of Beqasoor.

The makers of the super-hit comedy, NaMaloom Afraad, Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza teamed up for film, Actor in Law, which is expected to release on Eid-ul-Adha this year.

Featuring veteran Indian actor Om Puri, as his debut film in Pakistan, actor and host, Fahad Mustafa, actress and model Mehwish Hayat, and actor and host Alyy Khan, the film is said to be a light romantic comedy with a focus on social issues.

Nabeel Qureshi, the director of the movie, is hopeful that the audience will enjoy this movie. “Actor In Law is a different story just like Na Maloom Afraad. In my earlier film, I picked a topic and played with humor around it. In this film, you will find me narrating another unique story. Main Lateefey nahi suna sakta to kahani sunata hon [I just cannot hear jokes, so I tell stories]. I am sure the audience will connect to the story with its engaging plot,”

On Twitter, Fahad Mustafa announced that the shooting has been completed.

On Instagram, Mehwish Hayat posted a picture and bid farewell to the crew.

Ali Kazmi is the son of veteran actors Rahat and Sahira Kazmi. We best know him from Jackson Heights, where he played Sikandar, an abusive husband. Viewers loathed Sikandar and that says a lot about Ali Kazmi’s convincing performance. Currently, we can see him in Sehra Mein Safar on HUMTV.

It is revealed that Ali Kazmi is currently shooting for the television prequel of The Taken trilogy by Liam Neeson. Talking to Dawn Images, he shared, ”I play Marzoki, a fast talking, sharp, quirky analyst,” He explained that the Taken TV series will explore the character of Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson – one of my favourite actors) in great detail.

“I am proud to be a part of the main cast. I play one of the good guys, no ridiculous casting or dressing. I’m really ecstatic to be representing South Asians in a good light and I’m happy that NBC is taking bigger and better steps for more diverse smart casting! The world is full of so many colours, why not the casting for TV, so it’s a step in the right direction.”
Talking to Express Tribune, Kazmi speaks about his selection, “It was a coveted role to bag. I returned from working on Dobara Phir Se and sent my tapes and they loved it. The director, Alex Graves has previously worked on The Newsroom, West Wing and Game of Thrones. For him to choose me for the role was a big deal.”

We wish him all the best for his projects!

Syra started as a VJ at MTV Pakistan hosting Bheja Fry and Most Wanted. With projects like Mera Naseeb and Bilqees Kaur, she rose to fame and became a household name. She made a special appearance in Ho Mann Jahan’s song, Shakar Wandaan, but apart from that, we haven’t seen her on the big screen.

Talking to PakistanToday, Syra revealed that she will be making her full-fledged cinematic debut with Chalay Thay Saath. “I kept getting scripts that I would like but something or the other about it wouldn’t sit right. This one clicked because it’s not just revolving around one thing; it will shed light on love, friendship, family values.”

About her character, she says, “I will be playing the role of Resham, who’s a doctor by profession. People have these preconceived notions about doctors being serious or very stuck in their ways but she’s not like that. She’s very fun loving and adventurous and the story is about her and her friends taking a trip up north.”

The producer, Beenish Parvez tells that the film’s like a travelogue but about everyday people like you and me. “The dialogues are very real, the story will start off on a lighter note and get a bit more dramatic as time will go by but still rooted in reality.

The cast of Chalay Thay Saath includes Behroz Sabzwari, Shamim Hilali, Mansa Pasha, Zhalay Sarhadi, Faris Khalid etc.

Here are some of the pics that Syra shared on her instagram:

Needless to say, Mahira Khan is a household name. Mahira Khan started as a VJ and got her big break with HumTV blockbuster, Humsafar, where she made us weep with her powerful performance as Khirad. She won numerous awards, including Lux Style Award for Best Actress. The fact that she will be seen alongside Shah Rukh Khan in her Bollywood debut, Raees, says volumes about her success as an actor.

Last night, the first ever Femina Middle East Women Awards were held at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai. The awards aimed to recognize and appreciate the incredibly talented women out there who are proving themselves in their respective fields.

Mahira Khan won the’Unstoppable Emerging Talent from Pakistan’ award. Clearly, she is unstoppable! Mahira looked absolutely stunning in a sari by Studio S, and her jewellery was from Zohra Rahman Jewellery.

It’s always a delight to see our talented people get recognized on an international platform. Have a look at the beautiful pictures from the event!

Also, it should not go unnoticed that mother-daughter duo, Talib and Maliha Aziz won the Unstoppable in Creative Design award. It’s pleasing that astronaut Namira Salim won the Unstoppable in Space Exploration award.

We are happy for all these beautiful women. Here’s to all unstoppable women out there!

Pakistani film industry is growing at a rapid rate. All those actors who once were confided to dramas only are now very eager to work in the films. Many stars from television have already showcased their skills on the big screen and now it is Sana Javed’s turn to do so. While talking to ET Sana Javed revealed,

“The story of the film revolves around my character which makes it all the more interesting. It is about Karachiities basically, so it’s quite relatable.” 

The film will be directed by Amir Mohiuddin. This will be Amin Mohiuddin’s debut as a feature film director. The script of the film has been written by Akhtar Qayoom.

Some actors who have recently joined the film industry are either not seen on television at all or they rarely work in dramas. Will Sana Javed leave dramas once she starts her film career? Answering that question, she said,

“Television is a medium that I first started off with and I do not plan on leaving it. However, I find films to be a bigger medium and a better platform for actors to project their talent and prove their skill set… It is certainly a dream come true for a girl like me.”

Usually after Pakistani films the next big step for some Pakistani celebrities is Bollywood and Sana Javed is open to the idea with some reservations. She said,

“I‘ll definitely take it up if it’s a good script. However, it is important that I feel comfortable doing the role that I have been assigned. If I am not at ease with it, I will promptly turn it down.”

Iman Ali has been associated with the modeling industry in particular for a long time but she has also been part of Pakistani cinema in the recent past which has made her even more popular. She enjoys acting and modeling both but is selective about the projects she chooses to work in. Iman Ali gave a brief interview to Women’s Own magazine. She was also the cover girl for their May issue and did a photo shoot for them.

Iman Ali is also known for not caring much about what people think about her. She gives very few interviews but whenever she does she is dead honest. Lately she has been the talk of the town because of her film Mah-e-Mir in which she plays the leading role alongside Fahad Mustafa.

When asked who her favorite person was Iman Ali said,

“My super cute, overly bubbly mom and one of my closest friends Fizza Ali Meerza. I am also really obsessed with Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Treudeau.”

Iman Ali also told in detail about her present and all time favorite songs. She said,

“My favourite songs are connected to some of my favourite memories. Right now I am in love with the Qawalli from Mah-e-Mir called Jag Musaffir by Fareed Ayaz and Abu  Mohammed. Another song I love is “Hello” by Lionel Richie my father once played it on repeat on a road trip to Abbotabad when I was a child. I also love Sajjad Ali’s Tum Naraz Ho because his voice is like a dream and the words are beautiful.”

Iman Ali also said that she loves being home in Pjs more than anything else. She is also a fan of Game of Thrones.

Here are some pictures from her photo shoot:

There was a time when Ramazan transmissions were only hosted by people who are considered religious scholars but now things have changed greatly. With the rise of private channels, the nature of these transmissions has changed. While the main spirit of the transmission surrounds around the holy month of Ramazan, there are other segments like cooking or questions answers segments which are added to these transmissions. Many celebrities who are actors, models or just hosts have hosted these transmissions in the past too. Ahsan Khan is one such prominent name.

This time Hamza Ali Abbasi and Ayesha Khan will be hosting Ramazan transmission on Aaj TV. These two actors are also being seen sharing screen in the popular drama serial Mann Mayal which airs on HUM. Ayesha Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi are also very close friends who knew each other even before they got famous or got into showbiz. Like all the other Ramzan transmissions this one too will be live. The transmission will start at 3pm and end at 9pm which means the celebrities hosting the show will be very busy in the month of Ramazan.

Adnan Sarwar is a talented director and actor who rose to fame with the film, Shah, a biopic of legendary Pakistani boxer, Syed Hussain Shah. On 21st May, Saturday, Shah went on air on ARY Digital, and after its TV run, Shah team uploaded it on YouTube.

Talking to Dawn Images, Adnan Sarwar reasoned, ”We knew so many people would be recording the film on (substandard) resolution (on Saturday). Our strategy was to counter the film’s piracy and release the film online on our own terms.”

With complete English subtitles and high picture and sound quality, it happens to be the first recent Pakistani film available on YouTube in this form.

Adnan Sarwar clearly knows what he is doing and had interesting things to say about the entertainment industry, ”Over the course of years we have been involved in the entertainment industry, we’ve made it a habit of doing things no one’s done before. We’re early adapters of technology. Even as musicians, we were one of the first to put our music up on Facebook pages. We realized early on that we can’t fight music piracy. It’s the same with film torrents.”

 He is hopeful about the future of Pakistani film industry, and also revealed plans for his next film, Parwaaz, which as he puts it, is a coming-of-age, emotional family drama that will be a completely different experience for him. Here’s hoping that he makes it big!

Blessed with a voice that stands out in the crowd, Hadiqa Kiani is a big name of our music industry. She received Tamgha-e-Imtiaz along with many international accolades.

The way she rushes to help every time a natural disaster strikes the country is truly admirable. She works with numerous charitable organizations including Edhi Foundation, SOS, Muslim Hands etc. She also happens to be the first woman appointed as a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador.

Recently, in light of Mother’s Day, she, along with her beautiful son, Nad-e-Ali, became part of Leisure Club’s new campaign. Leisure Club pays tribute to all the working mothers out there.

Here are some lovely pictures!

Vivacious and confident, Juggun Kazim is a well-liked actress and host, but lately she has set foot in the clothesline industry, too. Juggun has worked in notable dramas such as Pani Jaisa Pyar, Vasl etc.  She has come up with her own range of pret collection which will be launched on 27th May, 2016. Juggun was seen wearing dresses from her new collection in her morning show on PTV.

HHere are a few pictures of Juggun flaunting her new designs! 

Imran Abbas is known for his boyish charm even though it has been many years since he has been seen acting in dramas. He has played many different roles but the characters he has played the most are romantic in nature. Imran Abbas was seen criticizing Pakistani dramas in one of the Morning Shows in the recent past because he felt that Pakistani dramas were getting too bold and they were no longer family dramas. Imran Abbas also said that there was a time when he didn’t have much of a choice so he chose whichever project came his way but now he was in a position to refuse projects so he was only working in dramas which appealed to him. Imran Abbas has worked with the best directors and producers in the country.

Right now Imran Abbas is devoting all his energies to his next project which is the sequel of the play Khuda Aur Mohabbat. He is also seen modeling for different brands. His latest photo shoot was for a relatively new brand of Eastern wear Maaz Jee. Here are few pictures from the shoot: