Actor Veena Malik’s life has always been chock full of controversies. Hence, her decision to not settle down before 2015 seemed quite apt at the time she released a statement regarding her plans to get married. However, staying true to her spontaneous self, Veena took everyone by surprise when she tied the knot with Dubai-based businessman Asad Bashir Khan Khattak

“It all just happened as destiny would have it. We met at the US Consulate in Dubai, where he had come for some paperwork and I was there for an interview. Later, as I walked out he followed me and introduced himself,” shares Veena. “The conversation landed on the fact that both of our fathers were from the Army. Eventually, when our parents were introduced, we found out that our fathers were in fact friends from their time in the Army.”

While it surely seems to be a case of ‘accidental love’, what is more astounding is that they got hitched within 10 days of meeting. “He proposed to me within just five days of our introduction and I was taken aback. I asked him ‘when’ and he just said, ‘tomorrow’,” says Veena.

Following the sudden proposal was a whirlwind nikkah ceremony and an intimate lunch for friends and family. The sheer speed with which Veena’s life has taken a turn is potentially a testament to the widespread romantic notion, ‘when it’s right, you just know’. “He is the man of my dreams. He loves and he adores me. I have found him to be a very interesting, loving and caring person. He is the man I want to spend my entire life with,” says Veena, who is clearly smitten with Khattak.

However, it was only in November last year that the media was abuzz with reports of her getting married to businessman Umar Farooq because they were reportedly in love. “Umar and I clicked as friends; there was nothing more between us but the media created a lot of hype!” asserts Veena.

For now, Veena is looking forward to new beginnings and busy planning her wedding ceremonies; one each in US and Dubai and two in Pakistan. The one in the US is expected to be a grand white wedding, just the way she wants, whereas the two functions in Pakistan will be held at Rawalpindi and Kohat.

While Veena seems to have made up her mind on letting bygones be bygones, news of her marriage wasn’t welcomed pleasantly and was overshadowed by her past. Rumours about her ex digital manager Prashant Pratap Singh, hacking into the privacy of her account and accusing her of fraud and betrayal were rampant soon after her marriage. But Veena says she is unbothered and considers it to be unimportant.

“Oh, that is now a thing of the past. Yes, the account was hacked, but now we will sort it out via a court battle. I have already planned to take legal action against him,” she clarifies. “I was at the peak of my career. [But as] always, I listened to my heart and life is amazing now. I have been blessed with the most loving husband and the most amazing in-laws. In showbiz, you do face rumours and people are still in shock about my nikkah, but this is reality.”

Having remained in B-town for quite a while, Veena is now planning to move to Washington with her newfound love. “India was only meant for work. I knew that from the beginning and hence, I never invested in a house or a car. I will be living in Washington now but I will still continue working as well as singing,” she says.

Luckily for Veena, her husband also seems to be in complete awe of her. “Veena is a complete package. She is a wife and a friend to me,” says Khattak. In the wake of recent controversies, Khattak was quick to support his wife, asking her fans to follow her new Twitter account and he remains firm on protecting her in future, as well. “I am a Pathan and I know how to protect my wife. She will be my wife forever,” says Khattak.

S. Rasool

QMobile’s new Tvc created quite a buzz on social media right from the moment when Kareena was signed for it. It is the biggest budget ad ever made in the advertising history of Pakistan, most of it clearly went into Kareena Kapoor’s pocket and rest was wasted on her attire and styling. This biggest budget Tvc however is a disappointed in every regard. I will not comment on the cell phone, it is purely about the advertisement, its budget and outcome.

It’s not that I’m against Kareena Kapoor but honestly any leading Pakistani model or actress could have done way better job than her. Kareena charges quite a sum for international brand ads, for this advertisement she had to travels abroad since it was shot in Thailand for which there were additional charges. All in all Kareena charged 14 million INR roughly equal to more than 2 crore PKR. On the other hand production team for the advertisement was called from New York.

I understand Q-Mobile is not a Pakistani company and for them its not mandatory to take Pakistani models but still… There are few reasons why a Pakistani celeb could have been more suitable:

1- She obviously got the biggest chunk out of the budget and any Pakistani celeb would’ve cost trifle as compared to her.

2- Pakistani beauties like Mahira Khan, Mehreen Raheel or Ayyan are not only regal beauties they are equally stylish and trendy and would have carried any of the styles gracefully and elegantly, their record of working in Tvcs speaks itself.

3- Kareena Kapoor seems like she is overacting a bit in the ad, even the expressions are mismatched at some places. Pakistani Showbiz have countless actresses could have worked better with genuine expressions.

Apart from that none of her clothes or hairstyles is appealing or maybe my aesthetic sense starts hibernating when this ad comes on air. The black/purple gown and the white/green/black blazer or whatever it is are particularly hideous. She looks comparatively better in the last part attired in black with fairly better hairstyle too but who can carry red lipstick than our very own MK?? And the way Kareena utters “I Noir, do you?” is out and out annoying. The CEO of Qmobile stated the reason behind her casting was her huge fan following in Pakistan. Taking in account the budget, international model and production team, this ad is a disappointment.

Faiza Cheema

If you are music freak or a reality show lover, a housewife or a student, in short any one, you have one thing common with every other person here and that is the busy slots which you have reserved for Pakistan Idol. It is certainly a moment of proud to have our own reality show with so much of talent representing Pakistan. Now that we have our 24 contestants finalized, it is really important to rethink about the selection of the judges for Pakistan Idol. I, personally, am ok with Hadiqa  Kiyani and Bushra Ansari and their judging capabilities but as for Pakistan Idol, we had some better music icons who could have done a real better job.

Here are 5 of my favorite judges whom I wanted to see as judges. Let us see how many of you agree this time.

1)      Abida Parveen

Abida Parveen would have been a perfect match for a show as big as Pakistan Idol. She was invited as judge in Voice of India preciously and also judged the joint venture of Pakistan and India.  

2)      Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

It was extremely a shock not to see him judging it in the first place. After watching ‘Rishtay Kuch Adhooray se’, I started assuming that Rahat Fateh Ali Khan would be judging Pakistan Idol for sure but his absence has not only disappointed me a lot but has also raised questions on the selection committee of  Pakistan Idol.

3)      Sajad Ali

Sajad Ali was previously considered for this judging but somehow things didn’t work and he was dropped out of the choices. Sajad Ali’s presence would have added more charm to this reality show.

4)      Shafqat Amanat Ali

Not even Shafqat? I mean we have some great musical icons and none of them have actually been offered this huge responsibility?

5)      Waqar Ali

Waqar Ali is the most popular composer here in Pakistan and could have been a good option for judging the show.  Not to mention, Anu Malik in Indian Idol has had been the only consistent judge as it is important to have a composer in the judging panel.

All from my side! Are you satisfied with the judging capabilities of the selected judges? Please Share.

Blessings,

Nida Zaidi

There are some of our celebrities who are found to have a firm believe on a famous saying ‘Badnaam Gar Hongay To Kya Naam Na Hoga?’ and for that they are unanimously  hated by Pakistanis all over the world.  Let us now see how far you agree with this list!

1)      Zardari

The former president of Pakistan, the husband of Benazir, the father of Bilawal, stands first on the list. He has had been in the politics soon after his marriage with Benazir Bhutto. He took the lead of one of the most influential political parties of Pakistan and was soon elected as the President of Pakistan after the death in an assassination attempt on Benazir. Throughout his govern, Pakistan’s economy kept suffering and he stayed unbothered about the recessions which forced his own countrymen hate him.

2)      Mathira

Everyone in the showbiz desires to earn fame and popularity and for that, some of them choose the way to win the hearts with their hard work and talent, while some of them win screens by selling their morality. Mathira started her career as a late night live TV host where her boldness and controversial dialogues got her some recognition. She tried to launch herself as a singer with her soundtrack ‘Jadugar’ which too failed badly. The actress is now looking towards India and will now also be seen in some Indian movies.

3)      Veena Malik

Veena, despite of all her talents in the field of acting, comedy and mimicry, has lost her respect in the eye of Pakistani audience after her FHM magazine controversy. It seems like India will now be her major target as there is hardly an open vacancy for Veena within the country. People love to hate her for all her melodramas and cheapness that are increasing day by day.

4)      Aamir Liaqaut

He seemed to be a sober man initially when he was first seen hosting AalimOnline. People, including me, started respecting him as a person but wonders to this, his other side was soon reflected in a leaked video where he was seen using abusive language during the show in the breaks. He on screen image was severely destroyed but after fixing his issues with the channel, Aamir was again given the limelight on the same channel.

 No matter how far the channel now highlights him, the impression his leaked video has placed on him, is hard to get rid of.

5)      Waqar Zaka

Probably for his bluntness or for his daring attitude, Waqar Zaka took his reality show ‘Living on the edge’ to a level of prominence. However, he taken as an irritating soul by majority of the sober audience, hence, is found in this list.

6)      Sahir Lodhi

I still remember how much I used to follow his live show on FM 103 seven year back. He, for his resembling voice with Shahrukh Khan has done some great work on radio but just like Aamir Liaqaut, he too fell for quick. Sahir Lodhi becomes unbearable at times for his overacting.

7)      Meera

Lollywood and Meera are two of those entities which want to be in news. Meera has now lost her charm which she had been enjoying for her work in Lollywood. Her latest video controversy has further forced the audience to reconsider their thoughts about Meera.

8)      Malala Yousafzai

Though this young girl has taken a bullet for her love towards education and the support she had been showing for the promotion of education in Pakistan, many citizens suspect her truthfulness and suspect her for playing a role written by foreign authorities. While the world respects her for her bravery, Pakistanis still have second thoughts about her.

9)      Hamid Mir

These days if you are blunt, batameez and frustrated, congratulations, you have all the qualities to become a host. Hamid Mir, again a character launched by GEO TV, is hated by many of the viewers for his wrong analysis when it comes to India. Many of the viewers also started considering him as a RAW agent on the basis of his controversial statements.

These were the people who are hated by majority of the people here in Pakistan, I could think of. It is now your turn to add more to the list.

Wishes,

Nida Zaidi 

Here is a list of celebrity brothers who are a part of Pakistani media. Do add if you remember any other set of celeb brothers.

Javed Sheikh and Saleem Sheikh

Javed Sheikh and Saleem Sheikh are perhaps the oldest brothers in Pakistani Showbiz. Both of them are good actors but somehow Saleem Sheikh failed to achieve the stardom Javed Sheikh has achieved.

Yasir Nawaz and Danish Nawaz

This multitalented duo is quite famous for their comedy shows though Yasir Nawaz initially appeared in some very serious and good roles. Danish Nawaz on the other hand rarely appears in a serious role.

Sami Khan and Taifoor Khan

Sami Khan is one the most talented actors of Pakistan and has given outstanding performances in many dramas. Taifoor Khan who appears in side roles is also a singer but initially he was guitarist in a band (I cannot recall the band name neither can find it on net, if anyone remembers please do share).

Ali Tahir and Faran Tahir

Ali Tahir rose to fame after Teen Bata Teen and has been a part of it ever since. Faran Tahir on the other hand mostly works in Hollywood however he recently appeared in Samjhota Express, written by his father Naeem Tahir and directed by brother Ali Tahir.

Adnan Jillani and Kamran Jillani

Both of them started their career from PTV and saw the apex of there too.

Agha Ali and Ali Sikandar

Agha Ali rose to prominence right in the beginning of his career however Ali Sikandar hasn’t been able to grab other than side roles.

Yasir Jaswal, Umair Jaswal and Uzair Jaswal

Yasir Jaswal was former vocalist of Irtaash Band but I became acquainted with him from the Fasi Zaka Show of which he used to be a regularly guest few years ago, Umair and Uzair Jaswal though well known in Islamabad gained nationwide fame though Coke Studio. Every one of them is playing a part in altering the fabric of Pakistani music industry in their own exceptional way.

Hamad Farooqi and Faraz Farooqi

The twin brothers became part of showbiz through the dance show Nachley and have performed in many dramas since then.

Faiza Cheema

This time around, we were lucky enough to get hold of pretty and tall Nadia Hussain – a model who matches the international standard. A dentist by profession, and a mother of two, Nadia is a perfect combination of model-cum-mum. When on ramp she stirs the crowd with her electrifying presence. She has even tried hosting for a show on TV. Let’s take a look at her likes and dislikes…

My biggest asset:
My height

I wish I could:
Travel all over the world

One person I would love to dine out with:
Madonna

My worst nightmare:
Getting dependent on someone

One thing I hate about myself:
I love to eat

Something I would like to remember:
My past

My strength:
My patience and endurance

My weakness:
Brownies

I regret:
Nothing

I feel over cloud nine when:
People compliment my kids

The most embarrassing moment of my life:
When my mother-in-law, who is a doctor by profession, gave me a tetanus injection

Something that I am strongly possessive about:
My space

I get turned on by:
Good smell and intelligence

When feeling low I prefer:
To be pampered

The most unforgettable moment of my life was:
My 25th birthday which I celebrated on my honeymoon

What touches me the most:
Poverty

If I could be another person I would like to be:
Angelina Jolie

What bores me the most:
Small talks

Which one will you prefer: music videos, fashion shows or TV hosting:
Fashion shows, then music videos and then hosting

My message:
Live and let others live too!

S. Rasool

Decorating one’s face and body is one of the most coomon human behaviour. People use these cosmetics mostly for emotional reasons by eradicating the feelings of worry and guilt. Cosmetics and beauty products arouse the feelings of satisfaction by assuring the good looks and well-being of an individual. Cosmetics boost up the glow, attractiveness and trustworthiness in both men and women. Cosmetics make you look younger and elegant by increasing the contrast between the natural skin tone and facial features. Cosmetics are actually the beauty products covering the very large range from just a lip liner to foundation, perfumes, deodorants, beauty creams, hair sprays and much more. Cosmetics have the power that can change the way people look at you. To make you look more elegant, attractive, younger and sensational I prepared the list of the top and most popular cosmetic brands that are better than others and are a sure way to your flawless and impressive looks.

Clinique is one of the most widely used cosmetic brands of the world. Clinique is regarded as the first ever cosmetic brand that is allergy tested. The products of Clinique are recommended by the dermatologists that further attracts a great number of customers towards this brand. make up usually depends from skin types of the individuals because every one has a totally different skin type but clinique gives youa whole range of products that are suitable for all skin types. It is interesting to note that the products of Clinique are produced differently in different countries, depending on the local climate conditions and skin features of the customers.

MAC stands for make-up art cosmetics. It was founded by Frank Toscan and Frank Angelo. MAC produces a great collection of cosmetics products. It does not only address the needs of some particular class, rather the products of this brand are produced for different customers keeping in view the needs of all classes. MAC is world’s 9th best cosmetics brand in 2013. It offers a wide range of producs including foundations, eyeshadows, lip shades and much more. MAC signs top celebrities for their brand ambasadors an this is what makes their brand more popular.

Maybelline is another one of the best cosmetics brands in Pakistan. The products of this brand are widely popular in all parts of the world. Women, particularly while getting ready for some parties, always prefer to use the cosmetic products of this brand. These products help them to look pretty and make them attractive in presence of different kinds of people. I personally love the lip shades of maybelline, they are super glossy and soft and it is very easy to wear them.

Revlon is one of the oldest beauty companies of the world which is largely known for manufacturing lips-sticks and other make-up products. The skin care products of this brand further add to the popularity of it and customers put great trust in buying its products. Its nail colors and hair colors are extremely amazing. This makeup brand is very reasonable and many people can afford it easily.

L’Oreal Group is another one of the best cosmetic brands in 2013. The products of this brand are my personal favorites. This brand started its business from manufacturing the hair color related products, but gradually expanded its horizon as the time passed. The cleansing and beauty products of L’Oreal Group are regarded as very much better than any other brand. This cosmetic brand has more than five hundred products related to perfumes, skin care, hair color, and many more. This brand of cosmetics is the best in the world and has been considered as one of the most popular brands in 2013.

More over Etude is basically a South Korean based brand which has emerged on the scene in a very short period of time. In no time this brand has become very famous and the reason is just the quality of the products of Etude. The products of this great cosmetics brand are mostly known for their affordability, reliability and trustworthiness. The huge and wide range of color collections attracts a great number of customers to buy the products of this highly famous brand. These were some of the make up brands that are famous in Pakistan in the year 2013. We hope to have many new make up brands in the upcoming years as Faryal Makhdoom the wife of Amir Khan the boxer is also planning to launch a new make up brand for the asian girls. You can give your comments that what brands do you use and why?

Written by: Moomal Hassan.

Pakistani dramas are finally getting the worldwide recognition which they deserved. The hardwork of Pakistani producers and actors are finally paying off and their work is getting appreciated by worldwide audiences.

There are a lot of Asian foreign viewers all over the world especially in places like America, India, UAE and Canada who appreciate the Pakistani content and give them preference over other content that is aired because of its unique stories and brilliant acting.

The drama that gained recognition for Pakistani dramas worldwide is the show Humsafar. A medium budgeted serial which managed to touch the hearts of people worldwide because of its simple story, brilliant acting and high production values. It gave Pakistani dramas International recognition and a platform for Pakistani producers to prove themselves. Before Humsafar, only the drama serial ‘Tanhaiyaan’ had reached the Arabic audiences when it aired back in the 1990’s.

Humsafar has been a remarkable piece of entertainment and was also enjoyed by the Indian audiences when it went on air on the Indian channel, Rishtey. According to BizAsia, Humsafar managed to break a record for Rishtey for being the first non-film/event to attract such a huge rating at the weekend.

The serial Humsafar was dubbed into Arabic and was recently aired on MCB- Bollywood (a middle-east channel) with the name Rafeeq-Al-Rooh which means Soulmate in Arabic. It took no time for the show to gain immense popularity and after a few episodes, it became the most watched serial on the channel and was declared a huge hit. Previously, Pakistani dramas were not recognized much in the Arabic world because Arab’s already have so much variety to choose from, but now Pakistani dramas have also entered the Arab market and has carved a niche for itself. This is a moment of sheer joy for all of us Pakistanis!

Here are a few comments on the show on MBC Twitter page:

The next drama to follow Humsafar on the same channel was Malaal which had Faisal Rehman, Sarwat Gillani, Imran Abbas and Deepti as the main leads which was again appreciated by audiences.

After the success of Humsafar on the channel, Fawad Khan has become a phenomenon in the Arab world on a grand scale. Here are a few comments posted by his fan on his MBC profile on twitter:

 The latest news is that on high demand another one of his serial, Zindagi Gulzar Hai is going on air on the same channel. Zindagi Gulzar Hai is another hit serial of Pakistan which had Fawad Afzal Khan and Sanam Saeed as the main leads. It has already created waves in Pakistani, now let’s see if it will gain the same response in the Middle East. Zindagi Gulzar Hai will also dubbed into Arabic just like Humsafar. Here is the Arabic promo of the show:

We hope that many other Pakistani serials air for the audiences in Middle East in the future too!

Mariam Shafiq

In the light of countless lives that were lost in the war against terror, it seems like an obvious choice for Shehzad Rafique to make a film that pays tribute to the young ones relentlessly fighting on the frontline.

“I had been searching for a script to follow-up Ishq Khuda. I was divided over the idea of making a comedy or an action film, but a politician’s statement made the choice very easy for me,” explained Rafique.

“I just couldn’t understand how he [Munawar Hassan] could make such a careless statement about the armed forces fighting on the frontline,” he added.

The film Salute will not be an ISPR-funded project. In fact, it will be Rafique’s attempt to explore the questions of morality surrounding extremism, and will give thorough insight into the journey of an individual from a man to a martyr. Film is an important medium that can be used to challenge extremist ideologies surrounding war on terror, and, more importantly, religious intolerance.

“This film will not be made on an agenda in terms of funding. It’s sort of a tribute to the journey of a young man and the challenges he faces on his way to becoming an army officer,” said Rafique.

“Till now, every film I have made always tries to address a broader question. I am over 40, I don’t feel the need to make a fun film. My target is to make an issue-based film that is serious.”

Even in an earlier movie, Rafique touched upon a sensitive topic. His previous film Ishq Khuda aimed to challenge the notion of extremist ideologies by addressing the idea of true love and spirituality. It also openly challenged rigidity and the fundamentalism that has flourished on a societal level.

Salute is currently being scripted by writer Tariq Ismail. He is hoping to cast Ahsan Khan in the lead role, with Nadeem Baig and Atiqa Odho as part of the cast, depending on availability. He will shoot major portions of the film at military academies as he feels that it is time to move beyond the methods of formula filmmaking. “The things that have to stand out in every film are emotions and sentiments. This is the only formula that matters. The rest is your story, your characters, and your topics,” said Rafique.
It is worth mentioning that Rafique is planning on giving young directors a platform under his production banner. He said that he plans on grooming his assistant directors for feature films and would be launching them in the near future.

When Assistant Director Hasnat Afridi was asked to give some insight on this upcoming movie Salute, he said, “This is not your typical story on the armed forces. Whatever I have seen of the script is very original, because it gets into the details of how one man becomes an army officer and the hurdles he comes across.”

He said that the film is not necessarily about the armed forces, but focuses primarily on patriotism and an officer’s life. Afridi disclosed that the film would be shot in Swat and Karachi and have some scenes shot in America, as well, since there is a parallel storyline set there.

“We are planning a lot of interesting things for the film. The main point is that the story will focus on the officer himself and there will be an element of patriotism. We are also planning on including a large production team, so that we can introduce more young people to the film industry,” said Afridi.

S. Rasool

As 2013 has come to an end and it is a new beginning of a new year, while searching for a topic to write on I decided to highlight the major changes our entertainment industry went through. Some of the changes were very positive and brought a huge positive impact on our industry and some were totally negative. I will highlight the major ones and there impact on the industry. In 2013 the Pakistan Entertainment industry kept getting bigger and better, people returned back and started investing again in the cinemas and theatres. Many ventures took place and many of them changed the entire structure of the industry.

The biggest change or we can say the biggest comeback of the Pakistani cinema was with the film Waar. This film was the result of a three year hard work and it smashed many records at the local box office. The dialogues, the action and most of all the acting of the Pakistani actors need to be appreciated. This film is not only popular in Pakistan but it also had its launching in Dubai and other major countries. Bilal Lashari the director of the film plans to make many other films like Waar and give a new face to the Pakistani Cinema. We need new talent to work in the field of entertainment and media in Pakistan because this is the only way to revive the industry.

According to me the revival of the theatre also took place in 2013 with the wonderful plays of Anwar Maqsood. He took a start from Pawnay Chauda August and it sequel Sawa Chauda August. Both of these plays were popular in a huge number of audiences. They were shown in many of the major cities of Pakistan including Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. Aangan Terha and Half playt were the other plays that also became famous. His work is timeless and this is why he is very popular among the people of Pakistan. People like Anwar Maqsood are the living legends of Pakistan. They are the people who are an inspiration for the youth and we have a lot to learn from them.

Coming to the music in 2013, a program named Lahooti live sessions started. This was a platform that gave a totally new dimension to folk music. Saif Samejo, accompanied by young volunteers from Sind, started preserving the sounds of Sindhi folk without any form of sponsorship. The quality of the music produced as a result of this venture speaks volumes of the service this will prove to be for cultural preservation. In my opinion programs and platforms like these must be encouraged because this is the only and easy way to preserve and show our culture to the outside world.

In the year 2013, Pakistan formed its very own National Oscar Committee which consisted of seasoned academics and artists. This committee was headed by Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy. This committee had to face a huge criticism but still it didn’t lose hope and this is what made it successful. It made the film named Zinda Bhaag which was Pakistan’s second ever entry to the foreign film oscar race after the gap of 50 years.

More over Hamza Ali Abbasi turned out to be the most promising actor after his excellent roles in Main Hoon Shahid Afridi and Waar, while Aamina Sheikh was definitely the female star of the big screen. She offered memorable performances in both Lamha and Josh. This year, she also introduced Youmatter, a smart phone application aimed at raising Breast Cancer awareness. Apart from this, Zoe Viccaji turned up as one of the most hardworking female singers in Pakistan, because she has consciously worked on her shortcomings as a vocalist and her intent to improve with each offering reflects in her songs. She is undoubtedly the voice of the year, a voice that was heard in every jingle, some catchy OSTs and brilliant solo tracks. She was all over the billboards for Cornetto Music Icons and Coke Studio.

These were some of the major new happenings in the entertainment industry of Pakistan in 2013 and we are hoping anxiously to make a bigger and a better start with this New Year. Let us all join hands and make a promise that we will contribute whatever we can to work as for the nation and this will be our new year’s resolution. If every individual take an initiative, our country will never be backward. So lets make a new start, shine a light and send it on.

Written by: Moomal Hassan.

Initial years of Annie’s life

Annie was born in Lahore on 27 March 1987. She came to UK at the age of 6 months. She grew up in East London and later moved to Essex with her parents.

Annie was brought up in a multicultural town. She became a part of the East London Dance Company during her school years.

Annie’s Music Career

Her music career started in late 2005, when Annie, sitting bored at home, started humming a melody. She met a music arranger through a friend, who helped her compose the very simple, yet catchy song “Mahiya.”

Annie was encouraged by family and friends to take it a step further. She got in touch with a record company and preparations for an ordinary video were made.

The video was soon released in Pakistan. With her simple rendition and style of singing, along with catchy lyrics, the song became an instant hit. It started getting ripped from the video to be sold separately.

Mahiya became the most accessed Pakistani pop song on the Internet for in 2005 and 2006.

Awards and honours 

Annie won “The Most Wanted Song 2006” viewers choice award at TMA Pakistan, “The Most Wanted Female” 2006 and 2008, “Pride Of Performance” from the 14th August Committee Oslo, Norway and many more awards as her career progressed.

Bollywood cinema moguls Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt expressed their desire to use Annie’s song Mahiya, for their movie “Awarapan,” which consequently gained her more fame and fan following.

After the success of Mahiya, she started working with various charities, raising awareness for education and health. Also within this short span of time, Annie became a household name and endorsed high profile brands, including Pepsi, Telenor and Tony & Guy, becoming the most popular female artist in Pakistan to date.

She has also walked the ramp as a showstopper at the 2010 L’Oreal Karachi fashion week, for BNS couture.

2010 proved to be a lucky year for the star. On 25th November 2010 Annie released her UK Debut single “BE MY BABY” along with the remix of the track done by the UK’s Top DJ Judge Jules.

Along with music her charity work was also recognized when she was appointed to be the Goodwill Ambassador for the International Red Cross on September 23rd, 2010, in Norway, where she raised money with the Red Cross for the flood victims in Pakistan by supporting and contributing in various activities. All the proceeds from her UK debut single “Be My Baby” were donated to the flood victims in Pakistan.

This honour gave her the opportunity to represent Pakistan on an international level.

Success : Collecting laurels

In June 2011, Annie was the first South Asian celebrity to be featured in LOOK, a high-end fashion and celebrity weekly magazine coming out of The UK.

The same month, she launched her café in Lahore, which is located in one of the most popular areas and was an instant hit among the youngsters. AK Lounge continues to grow with the star herself.

She is the first Pakistani Artist to endorse a Label internationally. In August 2011, she signed a contract with Lebara, a telecommunication company, in Norway, for their current campaign. Besides newspapers and billboards, she can be seen on every bus, tube, train and their stations in Norway.

She has collaborated with the famous British – Norwegian boy band “A1″ for a single “Just 3 words” and has performed at the Emmy Awards in Oslo and also at the O2 Academy.

Annie has recorded another new single ” Tujhe Yaad Kiya” produced by the award winning Rishi Rich which released on the 17th October 2013.

We wish her a very best luck for her future in her music career

S. Rasool

With the winter increasing rapidly, our lips get dry, hair get static and most of all noses get red. In all this our shoes also start getting damaged. Winter’s harsh elements, wear leather shoes out. Salt stains emerge after a few heavy snows and ugly cracks form after weeks of damp weather. However, that can easily be prevented. This winter, we can save our soles by using these simple steps for wintertime shoe maintenance. This article is to solve the shoe problems of the readers. As shoes are a very important part of ones personality and people have to change their shoes regularly in winters, this article will be helpful for everybody. In winters, the shoes that are used are made of leather, fur or mostly or suede. It is easy to clean and preserve these shoes by using some simple household things.

Starting off with the salt stains on the leather boots, white vinegar is the solution for this. Many people use this trick to solve the problem by mixing white vinegar with water and applying it on the shoe with a cotton ball or a cloth. Once you find the stains vanishing then rub it with a dry cloth and repeat the process if needed. Many other ways are also used to remove the salt stains from leather shoes, which include; a good shoe polishing and using salt stain removal products. If you have other techniques as well then please share with us through your suggestions. Now coming to the hunter boots, rubber boots like these develop a bloom that resembles the salt stains but it is a naturally occurring phenomenon. Olive oil when applied on this can help keep the boots safe. Apart from this warm soapy water must be used to clean these sorts of boots regularly to keep them safe from the winter.

Sometimes there are cases in which dirt gets stuck in the suede shoes. Most of the time we don’t clean shoes more often this is what creates problems and makes the shoe look worn out. In this case there are products such as suede eraser or suede bars they can be used to erase the stains and blemishes from the suede shoes. Other alternate of this is a white rubber eraser; it can do the trick as well. Just use it gently but first it is necessary to test on a small area to see whether the eraser is causing any harm or not. This is because sometimes an eraser can cause discoloration as well so you should be careful for that. Apart from this a suede brush can also help is removing mud and stains. It restores the nap of the suede and it can also help to remove any parts of the debris left after using the eraser. If a brush can not be used, try using a baby wipe for cleaning after the usage of the eraser or a small amount of detergent can be mixed with water to remove the dirt and give the final touch.

Sometimes the shoes that have fur as their part are often seen becoming rough and the fur becomes tangled and dirty. The answer of this problem is none other than corn meal. It is corn meal not corn starch. They are two completely different things so be careful. Corn meal basically absorbs the dirt and oil that gradually builds up on the fur. You will have to put the shoes in a brown paper bag or any sort of sealable thing that is big enough to fit the shoes, then add a cup or maybe two of corn meal and seal the bag and shake it well. Let the shoes stay as it is for an hour and then take them out and use a brush to remove the residues of corn meal. This will clean all the dirt which is stuck in the fur. Now coming to the issue of the fur heading off in different directions and looking messy, all you have to do is use a slicker brush which is actually used for the dogs and cats. It will allow you to comb the fur and make it look as good as new.

These are some of the issues with there remedies which are easy to adopt and good in showing results. I will suggest all the readers to take help from this article, follow the instructions and make your shoes safe and clean during the winters. If you have some other ways to solve the winter problems of shoes then do let me know by giving you precious and valuable comments in the comment section.

Written by: Moomal Hassan.

I am not much of a cricket fan but there is little option left when you have cricket freak brothers who are entitled to keep you informed even when you don’t want to know anything. But yesterday was an exception, I got hooked to the show my brother was watching namely Bolain Kya Baat Hai. It was the 1000th anniversary celebration of the show (those who watch it will know that Shoaib Akther and Mohammad Yousuf are part of it as analysts), so yesterday Shoaib Akhtar was given the responsibility to host the program.

They talked or Shoib Akthar talked (since M.Yousuf usually contributed with 2-3 syllables :P) about their experiences, the fun they had, shared some personals etc. Some of the senior like Saqlan Mushtaq, Azhar Mehmood, Moin Khan participated through live calls. Their laughter and lighthearted talk was worth watching and thoroughly entertaining especially for the cricket fans. They shared their little secrets for the first time on screen for example who had worst dressing in the team :P, Waqar Younus, Saqlan Mushtaq, Shoaib Akhtar and Azhar Mehmood were declared worst dressed and Waseem Akram and Inzimam ul Haq best and decently dressed Pakistani cricketers by unanimous decision of Shoaib Akhtar and M. Yousuf. Waqar Younus was praised more by Shoiab Akhtar than the others though, he said “Me ne Waqar se bohat kuch seekha hai per us jesi dressing nai seekh saka…red shirt, yellow pants aur white shoes”. Since Shoaib Akhtar was hosting he did most of the talking, forcing M. Yousuf to participate (half of Shoaib Akhtar’s comments were directed towards him) and the actual host only participated through his uncontrollable booming laughter. M. Yousuf; a tightwad, Shoaib Akhter’s bullying of M. Yousuf in the beginning of his career (lol he made Yousuf iron his clothes on their first international tour together) and Shoaib Akhtar’s own aggressive behavior, his partying and kind of self-obsession which made him oblivious of all of his teammates and international players as well were among the topics they discussed but in a very light mood and amusing way.

Bolain Kya Baat Hai throughout its journey of 1000 episodes has done a lot for the minimal Pakistani cricket. The program inaugurated with Moin Khan, Rashid Lateef and Iqbal Mirza who are main pillars of this program that has supported not only the older batch of cricketers, they supported the current batch and the youngsters as well, aided both Moin Khan and Rashid Lateef in establishing their academies (by broadcasting their matches) of cricket which are providing a platform for novices.

The 1000th anniversary celebration was a treat to watch, Shaoib Akhter’s spontaneous and witty comments complemented with M. Yousuf’s smiles and rare comments kept me grinning constantly. Unfortunately I couldn’t watch the whole program because of WAPDA’s meherbani, and it isn’t available online yet.

Faiza Cheema

Meera’s career with the Pakistani media industry has been riddled with controversy. She gained fame with a TV commercial back in 1994, and since then has moved on to act in over 200 films. Besides Lollywood, Meera has also worked in several Bollywood films as well.

Lollywood star Meera caused a stir when a marriage certificate obtained by the media revealed the actor has been married to Pakistani-American airline captain Naveed Pervaiz for over two months now

Meera had announced her engagement with Captain Naveed, but did not mention a wedding.

There are rumors that the marriage certificate has been made public and revealed to many TV news channels. The marriage certificate identifies the groom as “Naveed Perveez” and the bride as “Irtaza Rubab” (understood to be Meera’s real name).

According to the document, Naveed was born in 1978 and Meera on Dec 12 in 1977, which makes her 37 years old.

Rumours of the couple’s possible marriage first began circulating in February 2012, when Meera’s family reportedly accepted Naveed’s proposal

The groom’s family said the plan was to hold off public announcement of the wedding until 2014, when both parties would host a proper wedding ceremony complete with festivities.

The bride, however, denied news of the ‘nikkah‘ released today, and told that she was completely focused on her hospital for now.

Meera has said in the past that people are intent on maligning her unnecessarily to disturb and distract her from her efforts for building a charity, which is intended to provide free cardio services to the impoverished people of Haroonabad.

S. Rasool

People go to astrologers and palmists to see what will there life and destiny be when there is another way to know about yourself. The eye colour of every person tells his or her full personality and only people who can read faces can understand it. This has now become a trend. It was a stereotype that we used to hear since our childhood that people with grey eyes are traitors and not trustworthy. As we grew up we came to know that many of our good friends had grey eyes so typically it is not correct in all cases but mostly the result is true for the majority. Eye colour defines a person’s nature, habits, way of thinking and also the desires.

People with brown eyes are attributed as very smart and independent. Along with this strength the people with brown eyes are also termed as shy and introverts. Introverts are mostly not trusted by many people as they listen to the secrets of others but do not disclose anything about themselves. They like to keep themselves private but they are fun loving in nature. They like to make people laugh and have fun. Apart from this the people with brown eyes have a great sense for fashion and they are very creative. This is why many fashion designers are having brown colored eyes. The brown eye colour is much common and people who have that are considered as attractive, confident and adorable. They have an affectionate nature and care very much about their family. Also an important feature of brown eyed people is that they are self confident and very determined, persevering people. They are nature lovers, spiritual and can be very strong headed at times. Brown has many shades as well like light and dark brown but this result is for all brown eyes in general.

People with blue eyes are very attractive and beautiful. They are bubbly and outgoing which makes them extroverts in nature. Being extroverts, results in gaining the trust of many people. These people are very loyal and sincere. Once they become friends, they are very kind and loving. These people are very smart and creative. Along with this they have the confidence to talk to anyone at any time. They are not shy at all and this is what makes them more popular among others. Blue eyes are better known for mesmerizing others so keep them safe and use them well. They try to remain anonymous after doing good deeds. They have a peaceful kind of a personality. People who have blue eyes should get happy about the fact that their eye color is very desirable and is often associated with youthfulness. It has been noted that the blue eyed people mostly have long lasting relationships. They are pretty, peaceful, kind and smart. Those who have deep blue eyes are spiritual people and also possess a good power of observation.

People with green eyes are very passionate when it comes to love and relationships. This is a very rare eye colour. These people value trust and long term friendships and relationships. Green eyed people are somehow a little bit jealous. These people think after saying not before saying and this is what makes them a bit childish. Green eyed people are adventurous and fun loving. They love to be near the ocean. They are calm and very intelligent. Green eyes are often considered as having a certain mystery in them. People with green eyes are found to be mostly curious by nature and are intelligent. They go well together in their relationships and are passionate people. They have an incredible zest for life who want to live life fully. Jealousy is a factor which is often termed as the negative feature of their personalities.

It has been observed that people with grey eyes are wise and gentle individuals and are the least aggressive. They are known for their sensitivity, a flexible attitude and their inner strength. They possess a style of analytical thinking and are rational and clear in their thoughts.  People like to be around people with grey eyes as they are calm and in control in a quiet, non-obsessive way. People who have black eye colour are often considered as trustworthy and responsible. They don’t like to tell much about themselves and are also known to have strong spiritual bent. Hence they are mostly termed as secretive people. However they are passionate and lively as well. They don’t leave their friends in need. They are optimists and won’t rest when they have to demonstrate they have to do something. They know how to prove their worth to others. See what your eye color tells about your personality and give your valuable suggestions.

Written by: Moomal Hassan