We have seen many dramas which are based on the novels of Umera Ahmed and all of them are appreciated across Pakistan and abroad. One of such subject-oriented drama, which has recently got to its ending, is Kankar. Kankar is a message more than a drama. It is the message to all those women who has fallen victim to their husband’s family’s violence. It is a message which is delivered to the women of our society to strengthen their inner-spirit. It is a message to all those men who beat their women that they can never led a happy and respectful life if they engage themselves in activities which lead to putting women in difficult circumstances.

In all developing countries basic human rights are not guaranteed and this can’t be portrayed in a way better than getting it filmed in the form of a drama and conveying the message to the society.

For all those who couldn’t watch the drama for whatsoever reason. Here, is an overview.

Kankar means “stone” or “Pebble” in English. Its meaning has a strong relation with the drama serial. It revolves around a girl named,Kiran. She is a lively girl. For her parents, she has grown up now and it’s time to get suitable match for her. At last, Kiran’s family got one. It is Sikander who sends her proposal. He belongs from a higher class and due to this class difference his mother, Shaista (Sikander’s mother) opposes this relation at first but agrees later under her son’s pressure. Anyway they take the pledge and Kiran is very happy to be his wife. She falls in for him after the marriage but fate and chances take her life somewhere else as Sikander’s other faces began to reveal after some time.

Kiran’s family is class-conscious. Kiran has an elder sister Irim and parents in her family. Their relatives are wealthy and they also want to get a better position in society like them but the status-crazy realties do not like making any relations with them. They prefer kinship in other like-minded and like-status people.

Kiran is a practical girl with realistic opinions about life. She is enlightened and her opinions about love and marriage are based on reality. Thus she is neither rude nor biased about it. She wants to study further and make a career, her father also encourages her but like all mothers, her mum also want to grab a guy for her daughters.

When Kiran got married to Sikander, she was initially very happy but this happiness didn’t last – long. Kiran was time & again beaten by Sikander after some time of their marriage (who used to humiliate her on class & status). Kiran was never happy with this attitude and then finally asked for a divorce. Sikander then got married to his cousin arzoo on the pressure of his mother and kiran also gets married to her cousin who always loved her but was poor and couldn’t tell her the truth. Kiran was leading an average life then. No luxuries of life unlike at Sikander’s home. Later she gets to know about Sikander-Arzoo baby Hashir when Sikander’s mother-in-law sent sweets at Kiran’s place at that moment kiran realized that Sikander has changed but no, she was wrong. After some years Sikander also started to beat Arzoo and she too left her home. Then again a tense situation was created. On the other hand, Kiran was also facing some difficulties in getting settled to the environment of her second husband’s home. These circumstances created a dramatic situation in the serial. Finally in the last episode Arzoo met Kiran (both were cousins) and Kiran told her that she shouldn’t leave Sikander as now they are not just husband-wife but also parents. Kiran was settling at her home and Sikander settled at his own home with her wife and apologized Arzoo about his behavior and assured her that he will never beat her again

The drama carries a strong message to people of our society who often-ly humiliate women and think they are weak. This drama shows that not all women are same and can endure the pain of putting their self-esteem aside. The entire story depict the life of a woman who has faced domestic violence. This is a true picture, how men humiliate women. A strong stance is to be taken by women who suffer such violence and they should respond accordingly. She should be given her due-respect. Women are not weak. They are strong and this is the stronger side of a woman that she endures all pain, but mostly this side is taken as weakness and she is victimized to domestic violence. Every woman is special and every woman needs to be loved and taken-care of by their husbands.

Don’t forget to share your view underneath

Cheers

S. Rasool

These days in Pakistan almost everyday we get to hear news about little girls getting raped. This is a bold issue and it is at the same time very controversial but still we need to throw light upon it. These sort of issues were not this common previously. Everyone is in search of the cause of child rape but no one is finding ways to prevent this dreadful act from happening. Many of the morning shows have interviewed the culprits but what is actually the use of all this? Mostly the people who commit this dreadful crime are very less educated and they usually do not watch morning shows then how are we planning to teach them a lesson?

The point of this article is to give awareness to each and every parent out there. This awareness is to educate your daughters about rape as soon as possible. This extremely increasing news about child rape shows that this has now become a sort of trend. I am very sorry to say this but humanity is decreasing day by day and there is no difference between animals and people who commit this crime. It is so disturbing and depressing that in this year most cases of rape involve little girls whose age is in between 6 to 12 years. Tell me honestly that is this fair? Every one of us has daughter and sisters and if not then we do have mothers. Can we see them in the place of these little angels? The answer is never. However, one cannot control the other but as parents one should guide their children about this serious ill. In this article I will cover some points that every parent must tell their daughters because it is now or never.
The children usually consider weird and scary looking people as strangers and they do not talk to them but they must be told that not every stranger is wicked looking. These days behind the angelic faces demons are present. I would suggest each and every parent to please make your child understand that talking to any stranger will harm them. In case where they feel that some stranger is approaching them, they should call for help immediately. I am a university going student but still my mother tells me to go straight to university and come straight home. My mother says that for a female it is very necessary that she remains confident but this is for adults like us, not for little girls. They love to make friends and talk to other people but we need to stop this. Another advice here will be that one of the parents must accompany their child wherever they go. Children especially female children must not be left alone.

Another advice here will be that be friends with your children. Most of the parents scold their children and as a result heir children start hiding things from them. It is very necessary that you gain the confidence of your child and tell her to inform you immediately whenever any stranger approaches her or teases her. At times children get carried away when the stranger offers them some reward or gift so it is better to give your child the awareness of not to accept anything from any stranger. You can also start giving you children some gifts time to time so that they do not get attracted when some one else tries to give it to them. I know it is very difficult to make a young girl aware about such stuff but still we have to do this because the poor law and order system of Pakistan has made it necessary for us to take an initiative ourselves.
Apart from this in the crucial environment these days, it is very necessary to keep your child under you supervision or send an elder sibling along with the younger child. A girl who is alone is a prey for almost everybody so it is necessary to protect her.

One trick I came across while researching for this topic was that you can try playing a game with your child to prepare her for such incidents. You can act like a stranger and ask your child to respond. Just like we used to play doctor patient game and teacher student game in our childhood. In this way the child will also enjoy and at the same time she will get to know ways to overcome such troubled situations. Teach her to run away, yell loudly and say what exactly is happening. Sometimes when children scream, people around them feel as if they are annoying but actually they need help so it is necessary to teach your daughter to tell exactly what is happening, For example, “Help, this is not my Dad”, “Help, this is not my Mom”, “Help, I’m being kidnapped”, “Help, call the police”, Or simply “Help”. The more you make your child practice, the more she will be ready for any unexpected trouble.
These were some ways through which we can save our angels; you can also come up with innovative and informative ways to save our little daughters. May Allah almighty save us from being the victims of such a dreadful act.

Written by: Moomal Hassan.

Who does not want to laugh? Everyone wants to have a cheerful environment around itself. Watching sitcoms is one of the ways to surround oneself with laughter and joy. It is not lesser than a blessing that our TV networks are showcasing good comedy shows which have so far gained a whole lot of appreciation. Even sometimes, people themselves try to imitate these cheerful comic characters at their homes to create a joyful environment around. A number of TV channels are broadcasting good comedy shows but there are certain ones which almost no one misses to watch. The three  most famous sitcoms, these days, are:

1. Bulbulay on ARY Digital:

Cast: Nabeel, Ayesha Omar, Hina Dilpazar, Mehmood Aslam, Fatima Nabeel & Nyle Rizwan

2. Dugdugi on ARY Digital:

Cast: Durdana Butt, Ashraf Khan, Shagufta Ejaz, Azfar Rehman & Nausheen Shah

3. Halka na lo on HUM TV

Cast: Barkat Ali, Uzmi, Agha Sheraz & Zalay Sarhadi

In Pakistan sitcoms are more popular among the people as compared to conventional dramas. But the number of sitcoms being produced by the Pakistan drama industry is much less than the number of conventional dramas probably because sitcom is a format difficult to define in detail. The field is broad, as is often the comedy.

It has undergone significant changes over the years only to end up, to some extent, back in the same place. Sometimes it holds a mirror up to society to reflect the changes going on in the world, and sometimes it’s a show about nothing

The sitcom may be unique among artistic media in its ability to focus on relationship in a dualistic sense: it moves not only internally within the framework of its context but also externally by cultivating a deep relationship with its audience. The sitcom slowly, almost imperceptibly, invites the audience to become part of its constructed community. What makes this model of relationship possible is the accessibility of the comedic character and, more significantly, the permission comedy gives us to acknowledge and accept our own failures and even sinfulness.

The ethical fragility of the hero not only drives the narrative of the comedic piece but also serves as a point of accessibility for the audience. The apogee of the comedic narrative usually involves the hero in a place of moral conflict, driven equally by his higher and lower desires; but the context is usually of the most ordinary sort, with minimal stakes.

Perhaps even more significant is the ensemble element of the sitcom, which provides a collection of diverse personalities that allow viewers multiple opportunities to find someone with whom to identify.

The sitcom is the most populist of genres in the most populist of mediums and has traditionally brought with it a strident, moralistic tone. While other television genres, like the procedural drama and the historical narrative, are infused with moralistic undertones, their quality depends almost entirely upon maintaining a level of ethical nuance and ambiguity that the sitcom does not require.

Moreover, we can observe that in Pakistan there is strong inclination towards this genre. The reason behind is, less entertainment packages are available to the people. Over time sitcoms acquire a kind of second life, where people who don’t even watch a show perceive the program as being extremely influential

As the media hype builds for the show, writers go beyond objective reviews to actually using their newspapers and magazines to push a controversial sitcom into the limelight so that more people will watch.

No matter how one categorizes these programs or how much influence the new reality trend has on the medium, the fact remains that television comedies are not realistic. It’s impossible—because TV is not reality.

In the end, it can be summarized that sitcom industry in Pakistan is not big, but it can’t be denied that it is undoubtedly a great one. We still remember the sitcom “Family Front” (PTV) and we shall not be forgetting BULBULAY too. They have a great and long-lasting impact on their viewers

Do you agree with these thoughts? Comment underneath and share your views

Cheers

S. Rasool

We have been hearing back to back news of many upcoming Pakistani movies, and the latest entrant in this category is the independent movie ‘Dukhtaar’. The cast includes Samiya Mumtaz, Mohib Mirza, Saleha Aref, Asif Khan, Omair Rana and few others.

The main attraction of this movie is its unique story line which revolves around a young mother, Allah Rakhi (Samiya Mumtaz) who kidnaps her ten-year-old daughter on the day of her daughter’s forced marriage and makes a run for it to save her daughter from the ill-fate ahead. A powerful tribal leader is then on their trail and pursues the runaway mother and his child bride. The conflict between the mother and daughter; and the opposed forces is the center point of the story. This movie highlights the social issues that are being faced by women in Interior Khyber Pakhtoon and Interior Punjab.

Afia Nathaniel the director, producer and writer of this movie is a LUMS graduate. She established Zambeel Films in 2008, with a vision of producing local films for global audience. Earlier, she has done three short films; Toba Tek Singh, Long After (Muntazir), and Butterfly as writer, producer, director, and editor. She has been nominated and won many international film and documentary awards till now.
This film is funded by Worldview which is a CBA [Commonwealth Broadcasting Association] Project that aims to improve UK public understanding and awareness of the developing world through the mainstream broadcast and digital media. Worldview supports producers who aim to bring the richness and diversity of the wider-world to UK audiences.
It is a proud moment for all of us to see that the male dominated film industry is now been taken over by females too who are just as capable as males with the technical and creative expertise. Afia is a valuable addition to our list of film-makers as she has diverse academic knowledge and work experience even outside Pakistan. She has won the support of an international forum like Worldview on the basis of her talent, knowledge and expertise. Previously, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s documentary ‘Saving Face’ had won the Oscars.

The film is attracting attention internationally with its Gotham Award nomination which will be held in the New York City. The Gotham Independent Film Awards are now in their 23rd year and are wholly for the benefit of independent films and this time Pakistani entry Dukhtar has made it to the “Live The Dream” award category introduced by Calvin Klein to support women filmmaker in their post-production and distribution endeavors. It is one of the three finalists of this year, the other two movies that are nominated are: Beneath the Harvest Sky and Awol. Dukhtar is co-produced by Afia Nathaniel, one of Pakistan’s most exciting filmmakers and founder of Lahore-based Zambeel Films, and Muhammad Khalid Ali, a seasoned producer at The Crew Films.

According to Afia Nathaniel, “The film is a powerful story about a mother’s personal quest to save her ten-year-old daughter from an arranged marriage to a tribal leader. It is also Pakistan’s first road-trip thriller shot in the surreal landscapes of the northern areas. The Gotham awards nomination for the ‘Live The Dream’ award comes at a great time for us as we continue with our post-production and strategize for our eventual release in various markets, including Pakistan.”

Since, it is the first road trip movie of Pakistan; we can expect to see some exciting locations and thrilling scenes that would keep us on the edge of our seats. This film will also be released in Pakistan very soon!

Dukhtar is going to portray the ignorance, obliteration, and backward mentality that is prevalent in our society. Through these independent movies based on social issues, we can educate the society and bring the social evils into the limelight.

This is another movie worth looking forward too. It is not a mainstream movie, but the story is gripping enough to make you go to the cinema.

Mariam Shafiq

Showbiz is called a short-lived career, mainly for main stream actors as timeline for performing leading roles is relatively limited.  There is no definite set duration how long one can perform in main roles, it depends upon popularity, market value and how fit a person maintains himself/herself in front of camera.

Generally career of main stream female actors is short if compared to male actors who enjoy a relatively longer run in leading roles. This trend is almost universally followed, where male actors rule for a longer period as compared to female actors. Many male actors keep appearing in lead roles in middle and old age some time even with much younger female lead.

Speaking of Pakistani showbiz scene the trend is also followed here where life time of heroes is much longer then heroines. In urdu films the prime example is Nadeem who started his career in mid 60’s and appeared as a hero in films till late 90’s with much younger female actors like Attiqa Odho, Madiha Shah, Neeli and Zeba Bakhtiyar. Whereas with some exceptions, career of heroines were relatively short. Similarly, Sultan Rahi in Punjabi cinema and Badar Munir in Pashto cinema have appeared for decades as heroes.

Television in Pakistan has not been as vibrant as film industry was for quite long, but from past seven eight years television has emerged as a flourishing industry, providing opportunities to many new actors. With increase in drama productions, many actors have established themselves in leading roles. A look at leading performers, reveal that similar trend for male actors also prevails in our television too. Many of the leading male performers are continuously coming in lead roles for almost twenty years or even more than that. Lets look at the careers of some leading male actors who fall in this category and still appearing in young roles opposite much younger female artists.

Faisal Rehman: has started his career in 1980 from film Nahin Abhi Nahin, where he was paired with Shabnam and Aarzoo. Faisal appeared in many films throughout 1980’s and then took a break from acting. In films he was mostly paired with Baabra Sharif. He is coming in leading roles in many dramas since early 2000 in leading roles opposite Ayesha Khan, Sunita Marshal, Sajal Ali.

Waseem Abbas: is coming in films and dramas from early 1980’s. His films were not much successful but he was a popular television actor. He still appears in secondary lead roles opposite much younger female artists like Aamana Sheikh in Mera Sayen 2 and Yasira Rizvi in Man Ke Moti.

Nauman Ejaz: has started his career in late 1980’s (1988-1989) from films and television. In films he appeared in side roles and went unnoticed whereas on television he had some successful dramas relatively early. Though Nauman never mentions he has worked in films. In his earlier dramas he appeared opposite Saba Hameed (Pat Jhar on PTV) and Samina Peerzada (Sophia on PTV). While Nauman is still appearing in lead roles, recently both Saba Hameed (Qarz on ARY) and Samina Peerzada (Rehaai, Durre Shewaar on HUM TV) have appeared in roles of mother of Nauman Ejaz. Some other female actors who appeared opposite Nauman in 90’s were Attiqa Odho, Seemi Zaidi, Fazila Qaazi, Iffat Omar, Maria Waasti, Savera Nadeem, most of which have now either quit acting or appearing in character roles. But Nauman is still a popular choice in lead roles.

Asad Malik: also started his career from films in 1990, and then appeared on television after not much success in films. Asad Malik break through role was in drama Dasht in 1993 as a Baloch Sardar opposite Fazila Qaazi. Asad Malik also appears in lead roles or secondary lead like in Maat on Hum TV opposite Saba Qamar.

Aijaz Aslam: started his career from commercial and print modeling in early 1990’s. His famous ad was of a shaving cream. His first drama was Kashkol in 1994, where he was paired with Seemi Zaidi and Seema Rizvi.Kashkol was a successful drama and Aijaz enjoyed overnight fame in the role of Roshu. Aijaz has recently performed in a main role in Geo TV drama ‘Kiss Din Mera Wyah Howay Ga’ opposite Aiman Tariq and in ARY TV drama parchaiyan opposite Sana Khan.

Faysal Qureshi: started his career from films in early 1990’s. His first films Nangay Paon, Panah, Saza all were released in first half of 1990’s, neither of which were succesful. Faysal rose to prominence from television drama ‘Boota from toba tek singh’ in second half of 1990’s, in which he was paired with Farah Shah and Mishi Khaan. Since then Faysal is consistently appearing in lead roles till now.

Adnan Sidiqi: started his career from modeling in early 1990’s. His first major role was in drama Uroosa in 1992, opposite Mishi Khaan. Adnan is still coming in leading roles, like in Maat on HUM TV opposite Saba Qamar.

Nabeel: started his career from films and then television in early 1990’s. His notable appearance was in drama Din in 1992 and then in drama Dhuaan. Nabeel now mostly appears in lead roles in sitcoms most famous one is Bulbulay opposite Aisha Umar.

Humayun Saeed: started his career from television in 1995-96 from PTV drama Farz Aik Qarz and Yeh Jahan. Humayun has enjoyed a successful career on television especially in second half of 1990’s and 2000’s when he mostly appeared opposite Saadia Imaam. He appeared opposite Mahira Khaan in drama Neeyat on ARY Digital. As compared to other artists in this article, from past few years Humayun performs in selective dramas, one or two drama in a year. He has focused more on his production house.

Noman Masood: started his career from PTV drama Shahbaz in 1994-95. He got fame from drama Bandhan opposite Nadia Khan. Noman Masood still appears in lead roles.

Few other names than may be added are Adnan Jilani, Moammar Rana and Kashif Mehmood

Surprisingly age is considered a sensitive factor for female actors, but most of our male artists in this article have also never made their age public too. Also viewers attitude is somewhat biased towards male and female actors in this regard. A female artist is instantly labeled as aged, daadi amman, whereas male artists are mostly not pointed as their female counterparts.

Do share your thoughts.

Thanks

Rashid Nazir Ali

Not every domain is open for all. What happens when a wrong field is chosen is that a person not only spoils his career in trying to match the standards of that field, but also puts a full stop on his real talent. We have been talking about different celebrities so far and have also been criticizing some for their bad acting quite often. I just gave it a thought and have compiled a list of 5 celebrities who have wrongly chosen their career.

1)      Shehzad Sheikh

The son of one of the leading actor Javed Sheikh, Shehzad sheikh has aimed really high by continuously trying hard to act. It comes as no surprise that he fails each time to impress the audience by his skills, which he assume to have inherited.

Yes, he is good looking, tall, and trendy, there lacks a stardom feel on his face. Shehzad could have made his name even better in something like sports, business, and production or even in finance.

It is really hard to imagine him as a model even; watching him on screen with emotionless expressions is out-of-will for most of the viewers.

2)      Kashif Mehmood

*Tada*,This man overacts a lot. If you are following Ishq Humari Galiyu main, you will agree that because of Kashif Mehmood’s unneeded overacting, the drama has lost its originality. There are strict fathers, even Gaiti’s father holds more or less the same shade but again, Kashif has not followed the character well. This is not for the first time but he has always been an over-actor, when he cries, he cries like Shahrukh Khan (at least tries to), when he speaks, he tries speaking like Sunny Deol or someone like Punjabi terrestrial movie.

I perceive Kashif as to be a good host, a trainer or lecturer, or may be as a political leader even. He sounds diplomatic, he speaks loud, he is confident, but for me, he lacks acting!

3)      Sahir Lodhi

Sahir had been enjoying some great respect as a radio host and people were literally following him for his show, The Sahir Show which used to go on air on FM 103. I had been his fan and the special segments he introduced in his show were really great. However, the moment he deviated from his actual talent, he lost it all, all of the respect, all of his fame. He is taken as a matter of laughter on social media. No matter how much the channels now pay him for dancing in talk shows, he has significantly lost his followers with the loss of dignity in his personality. And, yes,  he is completely a failure as an actor.

Sahir Lodhi seems to be a capable man who knows what audience wants to follow when even the audience doesn’t know about it. It’s a big thing you see. He could have done pretty well as a fashion designer after being a RJ.

4)      Gohar Mumtaz

‘Phir Ayi Tanhai’ in Gohar Mumtaz’s career and it was obvious. Gohar earned prominence for his guitar playing and vocals and enjoyed female fan following for his looks soon Jal launched itself. However, our celebrities should give it a thought that looking good doesn’t mean always to turn you into an actor. Gohar’s acting was totally unbearable in Tanhaai, and I am afraid that he might soon appear again on screen as per the news of Umera Ahmed’s upcoming drama where Gohar has been casted in the lead role.

Gohar is a singer, so it would have been wiser to stick to his actual talent and cash his real worth.

5)      Noman Habib

Have you watched MHSA? Well I have. Noman Habib’s acting in the film is something I cannot actually rate in the film. He didn’t do justice to his role at all and at times I sensed a famine touch in his dialogue delivery in the movie, May be it was how the character was written to be. Now that Noman Habib will be appearing in comedy sitcom ‘Bunty I love you’ on Hum TV, I am afraid that the channel and the actor, both will suffer with such a bogus idea.

Noman is no doubt, good looking, his career in modelling and fashion designing could have made him more famous-and-Useful.

That’s all for now, please feel free to share your views about the list. Also, add some of your analysis related to the topic.

Blessings,

Nida Zaidi

In an icy cold morning of the chilly winters, you go to your college or workplace what is the first body part that gets cold? The answer is definitely the hands or the nose. Imagine a very smooth fur covering your hands in this chilly morning, what will it feel like? Obviously it feels amazing. Your trendy and favorite mittens will never let the cold climate harm your hands. Now moving on, when you come home, tired and exhausted in a chilly evening, what do you want to do? I will tell my secret here; I would want a big mug of hot coffee or hot chocolate and a warm furry blanket to cover myself up. As soon as I tuck myself in my favorite blanket, I start feeling my secret love for winters. If you have ever felt the same do let me know through your comments. And I do read each and every comment on my every article so your feedback is very much appreciated.

Fur has been the basic winter attire since the beginning of time. When there were no fashion trends and people didn’t know anything about clothes they used to cover themselves up with fur. Fur is very beneficial for a cold climate as it protects and warms up the body. Previously, it all used to be about survival of the fittest so the people used to hunt furry animals like bears, foxes, minks, rabbits and many others for the purpose of their fur. Since today the trend is being followed. Fur is still in fashion and it is also a need. It is the style statement of people who love to dress themselves up for the love of winters. Many of our famous celebrities wear furry coats and scarves in winters. Fur makes you look trendy and at the same time very elegantly dressed up. If someone wears something made out fur he or she usually stand out in the crowd. This is what makes fur popular among people of all ages.

The most famous brands that produce fur are named as Dior, Burberry, H&M, Gucci, Chanel, Versace, Prada and Zara. These brands have been selling these furry products at very high prices and this shows the importance and demand of fur made products. People die for fur and they are willing to pay huge amounts of money to get the best fur made products. Mittens, Hats and coats have always been necessary in winters but these days, snoods, neck warmers, scarves and much more new products are introduced. These products are highlighted as highest ranking products in fashion. In the countries with extreme environments people benefit from furry socks, furry slippers, cozy knits and many other products made out of fur. Those products protect them from frost bites. Not only in countries with extreme climate but also in normal and moderate winter countries, people still prefer wearing fur because it is very much in fashion these days.

These products provide a soft and comforting sensation. The furry neck warmers are very close to the neck and prevent the chills felt on the chest. For me the love of winters is all about cuddling and snuggling while getting the required warmth. Fur is also used to make cuddly and furry stuffed toys. No child resists on the very soft and adorable stuffed toys. These small furry things give you a relaxing feeling. I will give my own example here, since my childhood I have had this strong love for my furry stuffed toys that I can never ever think of living without them. Still today I sleep with my extra large cuddly and furry teddy bear and if I go some where I always take it along. If due to some reason I can not take it then sleeping becomes a big problem for me.

This is how people get attached to things made of fur because it is very comforting. Moreover, in winters the prefect gift someone can give is something made out of fur. A gift which is weather specific is very special and appreciated because it gives comfort and happiness at the same time. Furry accessories or soft and furry stuff toys or pet animals will definitely give you a tight hug from that someone special in return. Try for yourself and do let me know in the comments section below if you have ever experienced something special or you made someone feel special like this.

Written by: Moomal Hassan.

There are some characters that irritate you to death. I’m not talking about the actors, it in fact is their ability to act with such finesse that they make us hate the respective character and some who arouse same reaction due to their clumsiness, and they are not necessarily evil. Here is my list of annoying characters.
1. Maham (Shakk)
Maham and her husband (forgot his name) are top in my list. Woman like to gossip. Understandable. What on the earth is wrong with the husband?? The couple is annoying exactly the way their characters are sketched, they have acted very well that they made the viewers hate the characters.
2. Arham (Mujy Khuda pe Yaqeen hai)
With a similar bechara type role, same old clothes and style of acting is topped with annoying repetitive dialogues. Areeba coupled with Arham added fuel to my irritation with her powdery makeover and nude or pink lipsticks. Another annoying thing about the drama is the dull and awkward interior of Arham’s house. I had the guts to watch few episodes only so I do appreciate the people who are still watching it.

3. Zoya (Sitamgar)
Sitamgar aired on Hum tv last year. Sajjal Ali played the role of Zoya (for me it was Sajjal’s worst character up till now). Call me heartless or whatever I absolutely had no sympathies for the dying girl, I in fact wanted to throttle her myself each time she called Faisal Rehman “Zubi”.

4. Gaiti and Kiran (Rishte kuch Adhoray se)
First of all this drama is amongst the most irritating, disgusting and senseless dramas aired ever and coincidently it is also credited with two utterly annoying characters Gaiti and Kiran. They have me perplexed, cannot decide which sister is more annoying.
5. Samina (Mere Humrahi)
All the negativity, intolerance, pessimism and hatred towards all are personified in this character. She manages quite well to remain unhappy and makes sure other are too. Her expressions and gestures are always spot on, always complementing her dialogues and character, standing her character really requires patience.

6. Neelum (Numm)

Whether it is the character or the Kanza Wayne’s acting which makes her unbearable I’m not sure. Most of the annoyance is created by her inaudible, mispronounced and distorted words and on top of that her below average dialogue delivery as well. She certainly seems clueless, barely familiar with acting. The actress and the character both are equally annoying.

7. Bhari Sarkar (Aseer Zadi)
I wasn’t expecting Sania Saeed to choose such character, maybe she opted for it because of being different than her usual picks. The way she delivers her dialogues, her attire, her throaty and hoarse voice and the bright, inappropriate lipstick colors are the reasons that make her infuriating.

Do share the character you dislike or that annoy you.
Faiza Cheema

Time to time new colour trends emerge. There is some sort of a fashion and every one wears something related to that color. As in winters dark color trend emerges and people start wearing blacks and blues and dark purple shades. Same as this, in summers people prefer lighter shades like beige or baby pink and yellow etc. Apart from this there are some neutral colors as well and they can be worn in almost every season like white, red, orange and green.

I will be discussing the color green in this article. Many people get bored of the trends of colors. It is natural if we see everyone wearing the same color we usually start getting tired of it so at that moment green is color that breaks the trend and makes you look fashionable at the same time. At the time when you are fed up of watching the same colors then try adding green to your wardrobe, jewelery, bags, shoes and even other accessories. Green is a very cool color. One thing I always feel when I see green is the feeling of walking on wet grass. It actually gives me a soothing feel. Green is a color of vigor and courage and at the same time peace and relaxation.

Apart from this green is our flag’s color so we must be in love with it. It has so many shades including; parrot green, bottle green, olive green, apple green, sea green, lime and so many others. A green bag can actually make you stand out in a crowd. It’s the color of freshness and coolness. The biggest advantage of this color is that it suits almost every skin tone. This is what makes it popular. It is a very pretty color which goes with fairer skin tones and also with tanner skin tones. It is a great combination with white, beige, peach, black, navy and many other colors. I will definitely recommend it to every one of you. Try wearing it and see the change.

It is very important to choose the perfect shade of green. Try to watch yourself in all shades and see what suits you best. Green can be worn as a plain color or you can add different shades in one dress. Apart from this you can add more feminine items such as polka dots, ballet flats and pink shaded mufflers. What I do is in winter specially, I have a bright green colored long coat, I match it up with blue skinny jeans and a bronze sweatshirt and I m ready to go. Sometimes I open up my hair and sometimes I tie them up. Another advice is that if you have dark colored hair use lighter shades of green and if you have lighter hair then use darker shades of green. Green and red is not a good combination for me atleast.

Dark green can be blended with other shades of green like pastel green and mint green. This creates a very different yet stylish look but this does not mean that one should wear everything colored green. It will look odd. It is necessary to break the colors you wear. Contrasts are more in these days so try to wear contrasting colors. A pastel green jean looks very trendy and graceful with dark green top or printed shade in green Bag. To give trendier look you can use mint green accessories, like watch, bracelets, bangles, earrings, rings and other much more. You can also use mint green clutch and nail paint for chunky look.

Mint green is very lovely color and has many beautiful contrasts. You can use mint green accessories with golden, silver, pink and lemon shaded dresses. This will certainly look fabulous. Especially in summers its very perfect and fantastic color to glamorize your look. Mint green is very energizing and different from others. This is a great shade for almost any occasion. Either you wear in morning or evening. Not only in parties but also can wear for causal purposes. However, be careful to wear this color in small portion, otherwise you risk turning from a princess in to a frog. Last but not least, if you are bored with black or other dark colors and want to bring change then spinach green can be the best option to go. This was what I knew about green. Give your valuable comments if you know some more interesting ways to look perfect in green. Your comments are appreciated.

Written by: Moomal Hassan.

“Freedom of expression” was among the basic rights granted to the people of Pakistan by its constitution in 1973 but that freedom was not actually utilized as much effectively earlier on. It was only after Mushraf allowed private channels to operate that this right was used to its full capacity. First it was through independent reporting both in print and electronic media and then it was the “unbiased” views and reviews that gave the sense of freedom to the people. But not all of the people but only a few “Privileged” ones who were termed as journalist or more broadly, analysts.

Internet had made its inroads in the country in late 90’s but social media became a reality only after Facebook and Twitter became popular in late 2000’s. Social media was started with a basic idea of connecting people with their friends and family on cyber space where they can update each other about their thoughts, activities and other daily life routines through status updates and sharing pictures etc. Like in international arena, social media gathered a huge number of people around it in Pakistan as well.

Presence of thousands and thousands of people on social media made these big guns of electronic and print media to start strengthening their arm in this media as well. But unfortunately instead of using this media according to its specifications, media person’s and media houses started using social media as bill board or advertisement slot for their shows and alerts from their respective fields.
There are several aspects of activity that media persons have on social sites and they must be analyzed thoroughly before jumping to conclusion.

FACEBOOK

As lead runner in social media, Facebook provides with much more chance to elaborate your actions and thoughts. When looked into the Facebook pages of many media houses like Dawn.com (270K fans), GEO News (700K fans) and DunyaNews (332K fans), one thing was found common, there was no roam for user participation. Only competent to post on these pages were the admins of the pages and fans of the page were not allowed to post anything. This was a great question mark on the credibility of those who claim to be the “voice of the people” but they don’t allow voice of the people on their social networking platform.

Moving forward to the entertainment channels and their high ranking Morning shows, one thing was found common on their pages just like their original programs, “similarity of content.” From HUM (495K fans) to ARY digital (322K fans) and from Maya Khan (14K fans) to shaistawaheedi (67K fans) and even the great SanamBaloch (198K fans), everyone had the same kind of photo covers, same content being updated and same no-response-to-the-users-at Facebook attitude. Posting from the fans was also not allowed on these fan pages as well except on page of HUM. Only left out in this category was the fan page of URDU 1 (216K fans), who had same cover photo on the lines of rest of the entertainment channels but the channel was responsive to the comments made on their posts. Another plus on their page was that their content on the page was much more creative and unique as compared to other rival Facebook pages.

When Facebook pages of famous news analysts and current affairs programs was searched, it was found that Major Players like Hamid Mir, Kamran khan, M. Malik and ShahidMassod either were not in possession of their own pages or their pages were highly outdated. NajamSethi’sAapaskiBaat (25K fans) was limited to uploading topic of their program and subsequent videos of the programs. TalatHussain (257K fans) was found to be promoting his personal website saachTV on his page. Hasb-e-Haal(200K fans) was also uploading their videos only. News Beat with Paras Khursheed (134K fans) of Samaa channel was also just posting details of their agenda for the night. With the exception of News Beat every page was giving access to the fans’ post but there was no feedback on these posts by the anchors. Hasb-e-Haal occasionally use these post by fans to make funny jokes.

Conditions were far better when pages for RJs and FM channels were checked. Samaa FM 107.6 (260K fans) was continuously updating with some fabulous content and was also responding to the fan’s comments although they were not also allowing any posts by the fans. Wes Malik (15k fans) from FM 89 updates statuses and also uploads his playlist from last night. He allows fans post and even responds to the comments. FM 89 (50K fans) was also allowing fan posts and responding to the fans’ comments.

Twitter

Twitter is an easy way of communication in social media. With a limit of 140 characters and remarkable user interface for Mobile users, it makes connecting and sharing much easier. When looked for accounts of the leading Media persons most were found here and even those who didn’t consider FB as worth of their time like Hamid Mir(318K followers), Mohammad Malik(111K followers), Cyril Almeida(22K followers) and many more. But the elitist attitude was even visible here. Major media anchors were either tweeting or retweeting and when they were not doing that they were indulging into conversation with those from their own circles. None bothered to reply to those thousands and lakhs of followers. With only the exception of NajamSethi (191K followers), Malik and Hamid Mir none else was replying to the tweets or responses of common people. Some who made it to the list of “Arrogance” are Babar Sattar (20K followers) Mohammad Hanif from BBC Urdu (24K followers), Mansoor Ali Khan (68K followers), Umer Cheema (70K followers) Talathussain (200K followers) and Kashifabbasi (45K followers)

Conclusion

Now all the above mentioned stats and observations brings out a hypocrite attitude of the media channels in front of us. Media who lash out criticism on all and sundry but when it comes to receiving criticism or even any kind of feedback from general public on social media, they turn a deaf ear. It is not a valid point that the type of comments and abuse directed to these pages make them ban specific users or restricting anyone from saying anything about them. This is just like Government’s act of banning mobile phones and Skype to counter terrorism. It is responsibility of media houses and media anchors to educate their followers and fans on social networking sites. This can add to a real credit on their part that they educated people to voice out their differences in a systematic and non-abusive way.

Their devil-may-care attitude is visible enough in the comment section of their posts where people even do promotions of their own pages and groups and they don’t even bother to report or remove such comments. Another exposition of recklessness of these media anchors and celebrities comes out when they don’t do anything about dozens of fake accounts that run by their name. Just telling people that it’s not your original account is not enough. These analysts have a responsibility to report such accounts and pages to the concerned authorities as they are used for promotional purposes on social media.

Our country has lot to learn from this freedom of media and especially the chances that social media promises to provide. This is not possible until some of the reasonable and responsible members of the society start taking this media seriously. Opportunities offered are even vast then print and electronic media but all it needs is proper understanding of this media. It is about time that media giants start taking it more than a mere publicity tool in their hands.

Waqar Ahmed

At a time where we are deprived of quality celebrity interviews (thanks to the ridiculous interviews taken by morning show hosts), ‘TUC The Lighter Side of Life’ is a breath of fresh air for most of us. This is no doubt that this is the most awaited show of the season as people are looking forward to see their favorite celebrities in a proper celebrity talk show. The cherry on top is Mahirah Khan as the host of the celebrity talk show. We have seen her as a VJ when she has hosted the live show ‘Most Wanted’ on MTV Pakistan. She has also hosted ‘Weekends with Mahira’ on Aag TV and judging from her past shows, we can expect some good quality interviews from her. The talk show will go on air from this Saturday at 9:10 pm on Hum TV and on Aplus at 9:00 pm.

Her guest list includes Fawad Khan (Yes folks, Mahirah will interview him), Sheheryar Munawar, Adeel Hussain, Saba Hameed, Javed Sheikh, Ali Azmat, Ali Zafar, Shoaib Akhtar, Shoaib Malik, Bushra Ansari, Ayesha Omer, Sanam Saeed, Zeba Bakhtiar and many more.

Here are a few snapshots of the celebrities that would be seen in the show:

I must say, Mahirah is looking absolutely gorgeous in all her dresses! I have a lot of expectations from this show.

Here is the wonderful OST of the show!

So which celebrity are you looking forward too?

Mariam Shafiq

We have recently seen many youngsters coming in the line of acting in Pakistan Drama industry. Out of these energetic youngsters, there are only few ones which don’t only have good acting-sense but also have good looks at the same time that helps them to engage themselves with the viewers via their dramas. Shehryar Munawar is one of these fresh faces. We have noticed his performances in a number of Pakistani dramas and undoubtedly he performs very well though he doesn’t possess a professional degree in the field of acting.

Whether it be “Zindagi Gulzar hai” in which he played a supporting character with famous faces like Fawad Afzal Khan or “Asmanoun Pay Likha”’ in which he is currently playing lead character, the hazel-eyed boy has proved himself a great professional actor.

Unlike other actors who live, breathe and dream of acting, Sheheryar just stumbled on it. He was sitting on a job offer from an excellent multinational after completing his bachelors programme. But instead of just going the normal 9-5 route, he thought he’d take a year-long break and do the kind of fun stuff that he’d reminiscence about when he turns 40. Acting turned out to be one of them. When he told his family, including his elder sister who went to Harvard, there was a lot of trepidation

His acting is divine. But the bad news here is, he is acting only for one year, after that he will head off to get his postgraduate degree that his parents agreed on. In this one year he has to do as much as he can and has been successful as he has already made his position in an upcoming Pakistani film “Kambakht“. His fans hope that his parents extend that one year to forever or else they will be heartbroken.

Shehreyar has not only proved himself a great actor but also as a model too. Shehryar Munawar is a versatile actor. So far he has done a number of projects and all of them went quite successful. His fans want to see him in more lead characters and in more dramas as well. Currently, he is doing only few projects. He believes in the fact that the focus of an actor should be in quality of the drama and not the quantity therefore he has not engaged himself in a large number of TV projects.

Moreover, you will be very astonished to know that he likes “Fatima Bhutto”. He appreciates her and he has a soft corner for her. This is something about his personal life. Also, he is a sporty guy. He loves to play games from the years of his school.

May be you will not be able to see much of Shahryer Munawar in the coming years as he might take a break from his acting career for pursuing his postgraduation. But his fans are going to miss him a lot. In a very short span of time he has won the hearts of a number of people via his excellent acting skills and his looks as well

So, all you die-hard fans of Shehryar, you guys need to be patient and wait for his return back. For the time being enjoy his dramas.

He has put a lot of effort in winning the hearts and it will definitely not go in vain. He is the next rising star. We should keep our fingers crossed and hope to see more of him to entertain us.

Those who have seen his performance and appreciate him as an actor, you guys should post beneath about the performance which you think is best from all of his performances so far. And don’t forget to tell us whether you too think that Shehryar is the next rising star

Cheers

S.Rasool

Ahmed Bashir was a famous writer, journalist and intellectual of our country. Ahmed Bashir was a progressive writer; he faced hardships for his writing and thinking during martial law of general Zia in 1980’s. In those days he even wrote in newspapers under some ghost name to avoid censorship and ban by government.

Ahmed Bashir has written many books and used to regularly write columns in newspapers. He received training of film making from UK and produced/directed one film Neela Parbat in 1969 starring Taalish, Husna and Mohammad Ali. Neela Parbat was written by famous Urdu writer Mumtaz Mufti. Neela Parbat is considered one of the few art films made in Pakistan and it was also second Adult Only (18+) film of Pakistan due to its sensitive and unconventional storyline in which an elder man (Taalish) falls in love with her adapted daughter (Husnaa), whereas Husna was in love with son of Taalish (Muhammad Ali). The film was a bold experiment by Ahmed Bashir and made well ahead of its time.  Neela Parbat failed at box office and Ahmed Bashir never made any other film.

Ahmed Bashir passed away in 2004. For current generation Ahmed Bashir maybe an unknown name, and he is more known due to his talented daughters the famous one of which is Bushra Bashir now Bushra Ansari. Ahmed Bashir was married to Mehmooda Bashir and they had four daughters and one son, his son lives in United States while all her four daughters are in Pakistan in the field of arts and literature.

Here are details of famous members of Ahmed Bashir Family

Parveen Aatif: is sister of Ahmed Bashir, she is a columnist and fiction writer in Urdu and Punjabi. Parveen Atif has also written few dramas on PTV. She also produced one drama in which Humera Arshad (singer) appeared in leading role for the first and last time.

Neelum Ahmed Bashir: is the eldest daughter of Ahmed Bashir. She is a fiction writer and poet, she writes in Urdu and Punjabi.

Sumbal Shahid: is the second eldest daughter of Ahmed Bashir, she is a singer and actor. She has also hosted famous show Golden girls on Geo television. Sumbal has appeared in numerous serials in supporting roles like Takay ki aayegee barat. Though a talented artist, sumbal appeared on screen quite late. Sumbal is married to a military officer and has two sons.

Bushra Ansari: is third daughter of Ahmed Bashir and is most famous of all. She started her career from Kaliyan a famous puppet show on PTV, Uncle Sargam fame. She is famous for doing comedy roles, but has equally proved herself capable of doing tragic and serious roles. She is also a  fine singer. Bushra has also written some dramas like ‘Meray Dard Ko Jo Zuban Milay’ on Hum TV and ‘Neeli Dhoop’ for PTV. Bushra Ansari is married to Iqbal Ansari who was director in PTV; he is now a director in Geo Tv. Bushra Ansari has two daughters Nariman Ansari and Meera Ansari.

Asma Abbas: is also an actor and singer. She is the youngest daughter of Ahmed Bashir. She was seen on PTV in program kaliyan and also in famous parody of ‘Haye Meri Angoothiyan’ as ‘Malika Pukhraaj’ (and Bushra Ansari as Tahira Syed) on PTV in 1984. After which Asma took a long break and returned to acting in early 2000’s Famous serials of Asma are ‘Akbari Asghari’, ‘Saari Bhool Hamari Thee’, ‘Man Ke Moti’. Asma is also married and has two sons and one daughter.

Iqbal Ansari: is husband of Bushra Ansari. He was a producer/director in PTV. Iqbal Ansari has produced many remarkable plays on PTV like Karawaan and Ajayeb Khana.

Nariman Ansari: is elder daughter of Bushra Ansari and Iqbal Ansari. She worked as a director for TV. Her famous play as director was tele-film ‘Neeli Dhoop’ on PTV which was also first play written by Bushra Ansari.

Meera Ansari: is younger daughter of Bushra Ansari and Iqbal Ansari, she has done modeling and appeared in various commercials of some big brands, like Pampers, Head and Shoulders, Pert Plus, Olpers

Shahood Alvi: can also be added in the list. He is a relative of Iqbal Ansari. Shahood is a top performer and has appeared in many dramas on TV.

On ending note, here is a Punjabi poem by Neelum Ahmed Bashir a satire on current political situation

Do share your thoughts.

Thanks.

Rashid Nazir Ali

It’s important that women who feel comfortable with makeup should wear it properly, be sure of the shade that best suits you and use correct items of application to allow for a better appearance and long lasting look.

Now-a-days there is an increasing number of women don’t go out without making up. They want to show the best to others, and make a good impression.

Pakistan fashion industry has a good number of groomed make artists. Some of the renowned ones are:

1. Nabila (@ “Nabila):

Nabila acclaimed hair designer and stylist from Karachi, first opened up her salon in May 1986. She has redefined fashion, style and imagery in Pakistan. Throughout her 26 year career in the beauty industry, she has contributed extensively towards refining the image of the media industry.

Nabila clasps eclectic and original styles both in her work and in her own sense of fashion. She is known for her specialized touch, be it hair styling or dramatic make up for shoots. At Nabila, the creative team works with all aspects of hair, make up and styling, believing that individualism and attention to detail are the key in customizing styles.
Each stylist at Nabila has been trained in structures and comprehensive training programs that include courses from prominent training academies, international stylists and constant updating of trends & techniques by none other than Nabila herself.

2. Saba Ansari (@ SABS):

Karachi based beautician Saba Ansari has made her place in the Pakistani fashion industry in the last 10 years by working on large scale projects that have left everyone in awe. During her successful career, which is still doing wonders, she has been responsible for the spectacular hair and make-up of various fashion events and shows. She has also worked with many top Pakistani models, photographers, T.V directors, choreographers, singers and many reputed fashion designers. The dedicated stylist and make-up artist entered the world of beauticians after having done courses from prestigious institutions such as OPI Dubai, Schwarzkopf institute of Germany, Guinot institute of Paris, Lolane of Thailand, and L’Oreal Thailand. Her list of awards includes the Indus Nesvita Style Award in 2007, and the 2006 and 2007 Lux Style Award in the category of Hair and Make-up. ‘Sabs Salon’, which came into being in 2001 is amongst one of the biggest and renowned beauty salons of Pakistan. Some of the services of Sabs Salon are hair styling, colouring, haircuts, and different types of massages and facials, and most importantly make-overs, especially bridal make-up.

3. Aliya Tipu (@ Alle’nora):

In the world of beauty and glamour, Alle’Nora becomes the perfect personification of girl’s dream to look dazzlingly beautiful with all her values, desires and individuality. Since its establishment in 1997, Alle’Nora has successfully established itself as one of the top salons in Pakistan.Makeup artist Aliya Tipu is the creative artist behind the entire team of Alle’Nora, who undoubtedly knows how to create magic with her brushes, like a bold painter splashing the magic of his imagination into canvas. Besides, Aliya always makes sure the entire makeup is done by her for ultimate perfection.Fashion stylist Aliya Tipu has over 22 years of experience and is an active member of Tony & Gay and Vidal Sassoon. She believes that each bride deserves a special look which best suits her personality, her face structure and her specific desire to look beautiful on her special day. Aliya is famous for her amazing and mesmerizing eye make-up and she feels that eyes are the most essential part of every girl’s face and must be accentuated to the maximum.Currently Aliya is also bestowing and teaching her mesmerizing makeup skills to her daughter Aana A. Khan. Both mother and daughter work tirelessly to maintain the standards and professionalism of Alle’Nora.Alle’Nora is surely outclass and unmatched in terms of quality and service. It has separate areas for waxing, manicures, pedicures, facials, makeup, plus a dedicated hair salon area. Besides, a large waiting lounge with AC and TV to make the brides’ guests comfortable while they wait. Complimentary coffee, tea, juice and snacks are also served. Large generators are on stand-by to avoid any inconvenience or discomfort in case of power-outages. Another convenient service at Alle’Nora is the child care which is provided to their guests while they receive beauty services. And plenty of parking is always available.

4. Ather Shehzad:

Is the most renowned name in the world of glamour and Pakistani entertainment industry. Ather Shehzad is basically a single entity shared by two of the most creative persons Ather and Shehzad.Fashion stylist Ather-Shehzad has been announced as the best designer of the year and has won the LUX Style Awards two years in a row for their mesmerizing makeup techniques to transform the fair-to-middling into unforgettable faces.Ather Shehzad has his own salons and studios exclusively for those who want to look eccentric and charming!

5. Babloo Kazmi:

Fashion stylist Babloo is one of those devoted people, who have devoted their life to revolutionize Pakistani fashion industry. It’s been 15 years to the Fashion stylist Babloo is working tremendously in the Pakistani fashion industry. Fashion stylist Babloo started working at a tender age of 14 to earn bread for his family. He faced many problems at the start of his career. Fashion Stylist Babloo worked very hard to overcome those hurdles, especially during the initial stages of his professional carrier. With the passage of time Fashion Stylist Babloo become popular among the Pakistani Fashion personalities, as Fashion Stylist Babloo has worked with almost all the prominent face of the Pakistani Fashion industry and Pakistani Showbiz industry.Fashion Stylist Babloo says that Fashion celebrities carry his given make-over easily but it’s challenging to prepare the face of the people belongs to the silver screen. In this case, Film star Resham holds the given looks of the Fashion Stylist Babloo very artistically.

Which one is your favourite artist or do you think there is someone who I have missed out in the list ?. Do share your views in the comment box beneath

Enjoy reading!

S. Rasool

Our Showbiz is crowded with multitalented celebrities who have proven their worth in various fields of entertainment industry. Likewise many of the singers gave a shot at acting and luckily some of them turned out way better actors than expectations.

Ali Haider

Ali Haider is first in my list for the sole reason that he worked in a play “Tum se Kehna tha” (adaptation of “While you were Sleeping”) in the 90’s. Starring Marina Khan and Farhan Ali Agah the play was success. Ali Haider did some other ventures as well including few telefilms for Hum Tv but he there isn’t any major accomplishment to his credit as an actor. Currently he is doing a sitcom “Ek aur Ek Dhai” on Ary Digital.

Ali Azmat

Ali Azmat recently appeared in “Waar”. He worked in a Ptv drama during the 90’s when he still had spaghetti hair but my memory fails me after that I have no recollection of anything and couldn’t find anything on net either. If anyone has watched his drama then please do share.

Ali Zafar

My first memory of Ali Zafar is from “College Jeans” and he was a favorite like the rest of the cast. He worked in projects like “Landa Bazaar” and “Kanch k Par”. He has become a star in India after working in movies “Tere Bin Ladin”, “London, Paris New York” and “Chashme Badoor”.

Ahmed Ali Butt

Ahmed Ali Butt and Fawad Khan had two separate underground bands namely “Entity” and “Paradigm”. They worked together in the Sitcom “Jutt and Bond” and merged their bands as well. Ahmed Ali Butt later worked in “Inspector Khoji” and “Rubber Band” airing on Ptv and Ary Digital respectively. He has tried his luck only in sitcoms all of which were huge successes. Being an ardent fan of Ahmed Butt and his sitcoms especially “Inspector Khoji” I keep hoping for a similar project :D

Fawad Khan

Fawad Khan first acting venture like Ahmed Ali Butt was “Jutt and Bond”. He started paying more attention towards his acting career which is said to be a reason behind disbanding of the band earlier, few other members also had other priorities. Anyhow Fawad Khan has given us hit like “Daastan”, “Humsafar”, “Khuda k Lye”, “Akbari Asghari” and “Kuch Pyar ka Pagalpan”. His recent projects hadn’t been engaging like the earlier ones but there is always hope for betterment, particularly for FK fans.

Junaid Khan

Like many contemporaries Junaid Khan has also tried his luck in plays like “Yahan Pyar nai hai”, “Mata e Jaan hai tu”, “Maliha Madiha”, “Qadurat” and “Ranj e Aashnai”. None of his dramas had been ground shattering and more importantly all of his roles were similar except Qadurat’s

Atif Aslam

Atif Aslam went directly for big screen for his only acting project till now i.e. “Bol.

Goher Mumtaz

Goher has appeared in drama serial “Tanhai” along with Sohai ali Abro. I found in acting somehow monotonous and at times he seemed expressionless and detached from his surroundings. For me he the weakest singer turned actor up till now. He will be appearing in Umera Ahmed’s first sitcom “Cookie” soon.

My favorites are FK and Ahmed Ali Butt, who is yours?

Faiza Cheema

It is a well known fact that our eastern culture is renowned for its delicious spicy food. Pakistan is a country where each province has its own unique food dishes. Lassi-Paratha, Brain Masala, Mutton Roast, Fried fish etc are some of the mouth watering food dishes popular in our country. We can not only enjoy these food dishes in the restaurants but now MASALA TV has made us capable to cook these scrumptious food dishes at homes. It became the first 24 hours cooking channel for Pakistan that was broadcasted in Urdu. In November 2006 people of Pakistan experienced the launching of Masala TV and from then onwards it has become an integral part of every household. Masala TV has introduces many different recipes, cooking experts, professional chefs, health consultants and informative shows that made the channel a favorite of millions. Masala TV is a part of Eye Television Network and is not just popular in Pakistan but is broadcasted worldwide and appreciated by many Pakistanis living abroad.
The slogan of Masala TV “add some masala to your life” became a very popular line and turned out to be very catchy. The marketing of the channel was very strong and soon it became a hit. Masala TV has become a cooking teacher for thousands of viewers who watch their favorite cooking shows daily on it. This first step towards a cooking channel changed the entire cooking show market in Pakistan.

Most popular shows:

1. Live@9 by Chef Gulzar

About the Chef Gulzar:

Chef Gulzar Hussain is a significant food personality and professional chef who certainly knows how to deal with herb and spice to bring out the best flavors in authentic Pakistani, Continental and Japanese cuisines.
As a professional and genuine Chef he acquired training in Japan and worked 12 years on learning and getting acquainted to Japanese culture and food style. Chef Gulzar has been associated with leading Pakistani channels like TV 1, ARY, Indus, Masala and Hum TV for number of cooking shows.A chef who himself is a food enthusiastic and has a passion to cook and serve the best to people of diverse culture. He understands the distinction and characteristics of various food tastes of people belonging to their culture. Chef Gulzar enjoys preparing juicy grill Bar B Q’s and rich in proteins Sea food dishes and is food maniac itself. He usually prepare plenty of Bar B Q’s and Sea food dishes in his cooking shows which are packed with advices for new comers in cooking profession as well as for girls willing to learn at their home. Currently he is doing “Live@9” on Masala TV

2. Food Diaries by Zarnak Sidhwa

About Chef Zarnak Sidhwa:

Zarnak Sidhwa is a cooking expert who started off with her cooking passion at a very early age. She was one of the few lucky people who not just realize what their passion is but also get a chance to make it a way to earn their living. Zarnak took her cooking training from the popular chefs and experts in the cooking industry. Zarnak Sidhwa’s recipes became popular not just in her Parsi community but amongst many food lovers.
Zarnak started her catering business from her home about 8 years back and her popularity slowly reached many people and she was able to develop a niche market for herself. Belonging to a Parsi community her interest is in revising and refreshing the original Parsi recipes and reviving them not just amongst his friends and family but amongst all the foodies. Zarnak Sidhwa’s delicious desserts and cakes are famous. Her Christmas cakes and Weddings cakes are claimed to be innovative and scrumptious. Currently she is doing “FOOD DIARIES” on Masala TV.

3. Tarka by Rida Aftab

About Chef Rida:

Chef Rida Aftab entered the world of media in 2005 with a show named “Pak Raha Hai Kya” and people wholeheartedly accepted her as a new talent of the cooking shows. Her early success was a resultant of Chef Rida’s interactive behavior and irresistible dishes she prepared.
She entered the Television industry with a lot of experience in her work. Chef Rida Aftab’s recipes are simple to make and take less time in preparation. The well known and easy to find ingredients used in the recipe have become the attractive point for the people. She has worked with many TV channels till now and all her shows have received great appreciation. Rida Aftab is a creative person who has the art of transforming a complicated recipe into a simple dish. Currently she is doing “TARKA” on Masala TV.

4. Handi with Zubaida Tariq

About Zubaida Apa:

Zubaida Apa versatility was new to Pakistan and she had a lot to prove when she was recognized firstly by few of her Husband’s colleague for the delicious lunch she used to give to her husband for office. With uniqueness in hand and natural instinct to produce the tastiest cuisine either for family or afterwards in a cooking shows. The 68 years old Zubaida Apa started creating thrill in cooking world.
Worked for numerous famous TV channels like ARY, Geo TV, Masala TV and has done quite a lot of cooking show. Cooking for Zubaida apa comes naturally by a will to learn and she has proved it by her massive range in Pakistani cuisine which can surely make taste buds alive. Hard work, Determination to be a best cook has made her do about 1000 cooking shows. Currently she is doing “HANDI” on Masala TV.

5. Daawat by Chef Zakir:

About Chef Zakir :

The man generally knows how to mix up the ingredients to give it a mouth watering aroma in the entire kitchen with great tasting cuisines. His cuisines are not limited till 5 star hotels and cooking shows and he has also worked for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). The 46 year old veteran chef has innovated tones of recipes like Chicken Ginger Vietnamese Style, Marzipan cookies, Southern Fried rice, Juicy BAR B Q’s in his own distinctive. Expertise in Pakistani and Asian cuisines he produce enticing meals by mixing up the best of the ingredients and furnishing them pleasingly to bring water in mouth.
People in each house hold of Pakistan are following him for years what he is defining and portraying. Not only in Pakistan his recipes have crossed the border, and now is trending overseas countries as well. Chef Zakir currently works and hosts his own cooking show for Masala TV. Currently he is doing “Dawaat” on Masala TV.

6. Masala Morning with Chef Shireen Anwar

About Chef Shireen:

Cooking expert Shireen Anwer was brought up in an environment where cooks prepared the food and for this reason she was unable to fry an egg even when she got married. She claims to hold interest in cooking from an early age but never got a chance to do so until she got married. She then took proper classes to learn how to cook from cooking experts in Pakistan, UK, USA, India and other parts of the world where she got a chance to visit.
Shireen Anwer started her own cooking classes and till date thousands of ladies have benefited from her teachings and Shireen Anwer’s recipes. She started with her own cooking show on a Masala TV and became popular amongst the masses very soon. Shireen Anwer says that she is inspired by Zubaida Aapa and Chef Mehboob. Her passion and love for cooking has also inspired her to become a favorite of her fans and she is admired by thousands of cooking show lovers. Currently she is doing “Masala Morning” on Masala TV.

After reading this article you must be thinking to watch atleast one of these Chefs on MASALA TV and trying one of the many recipes. Do share your comment which chef is your best or which chef inspired you the most.

Cheers

S. Rasool