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

Pakistani media is a very rapidly growing institution. This increasing media has developed a war in between these famous channels. Some media anchors are still fighting for right path and ethics. In this article I will be focusing on the top five anchors of Pakistan. This list is made on the choice of the viewers and their fan following. Some of them are high ranked on the basis of the ratings of their channels. Your opinion is very much appreciated so do come up with your suggestions.

Starting of with the top notch veteran journalist Talat Hussain, he is ranked as the top most among this list. This ranking is on the basis of his bold and positive opinions about the certain issues happening in Pakistan. He has a whole lot of work experience; he has worked in PTV, Aaj TV, Dawn news and also in Express News. I find this anchor as very honest and straight forward. He is a great anchor and also a very clean person in his personal life as well. I have also met him personally and he is a very down to earth personality. He was offered to become the care taker minister by the government but he refused to do so. Nowadays he has started working with Bahria University Islamabad and this is a great opportunity for the students of the university.

Second among the list of the top five anchors of Pakistan is Moeed Pirzada. He has completed his masters in internet and media regulation. He has also done masters in International Finance and Economics. He also has a huge work experience. Moeed Pirzada has worked with Dunya TV, PTV news and Waqt news. He interviewed international celebrities like Hillary Clinton, Jaswant Singh and Richard Holbrook. He is not a good writer but he is a great anchor. He also has a solid grip on international affairs. He is currently working as director world affairs and hosts a popular talk show Sochta Pakistan. In this program national, regional, strategic, social and educational issues with leading politicians, analysts and policy makers are discussed in detail.

Third among the list is Nadeem Malik. He is currently working in Samaa TV and Aaj TV. He is in the list of top five anchors because he has an unbiased and neutral opinion for all sorts of issues. He has a very soft style of speech. He has interviewed the Sri Lankan and Afghan Presidents and also the Malaysian Prime minister. He also has expertise in economic affairs. He has worked with PTV and CNBC Pakistan. Nadeem also served as the Bureau Chief of Islamabad for CNBC Pakistan and hosted talk show News Guru. He has longstanding associations with news organizations and business journals. He has contributed to dozens of local and international news journals as a freelancer, including BBC Online, Asia Times and The News International.

The fourth among this list is Muhammad Malik. He is recently working with Dunya News and has previously worked with Jang group as well. He is also a straight forward anchor. For an anchor it is a very important to be focused on what you are saying by being totally unbiased. He is a very liberal person but he has never had any double minded point of view. He never uses his opinion for misguiding others. Viewers usually get carried away with certain misguiding views and statements; this is why an anchor must know what to say and how to say whatever he wants to. He is very well known for his stinging writing style and spot on analysis.

The fifth among this ranking is Absar Alam. He is a senior journalist and a news anchor. He worked for Geo Network and is working nowadays with Aaj TV. He speaks the truth no matter what. He has received many life threats but still he works for the truth. In such challenging and upsetting situations he never looked back and performed exceptionally noteworthy. Along with all these excellent anchors, our country has many other anchors who work day and night for our sake. They strive hard to provide us awareness and keep us updated. Hamid Mir, Kamran Khan, Javed Chaudhry, Shahid Masood, Mubashir Lucman, Kashif Abbasi and many more. These anchors have made our news programs a hit. We should support them and give all of these people a very positive feedback so that they work more hard and keep us informed about the things happening around us.

Written by: Moomal Hassan.

PTV has given us many unforgettable plays that even after many years, or in case of some dramas, decades they are still cherished and appreciated. Those dramas are used as an example not because of their glamour (which they lacked unlike dramas now a days) but as a complete set of entertainment, quality and values.
One genre of which PTV has produced many memorable serials (a particular favorite of mine) is patriotism. Sunehray Din, Alpha Bravo Charlie, Dhuwan, Wilco, Aahan, Zanjeer, Angar Wadi and Laag are among the dramas that will be remembered for long. Though few of the above mentioned dramas are Kashmir related, I’ve included them in the list, firstly because they were equally emotionally charged and thrilling dramas. Secondly, we are fed with the belief since infancy that Kashmir is our part (a controversial debate though) and hence their plights are ours as well, and these were some great dramas that deserve to be remembered.

The first three mentioned dramas had not only strongly constructed plots with witty and powerful dialogues they were exceptionally emotive and moving. Those dramas had tragic components as well but those tragedies did not had the depressing effect, which dramas of present day have. The struggles and difficult lives of our soldiers evolve patriotic feelings, create awareness about their dilemmas and problems. There is desperate need for such dramas not only for our moral boosting but also for the sake of our somewhat ethically and morally deteriorating generation whose sole purpose appears to be utilization of night packages (the image portrayed by Tvcs).

Waar is a film of the same genre but since I haven’t watched the movie I cannot comment on it or either compare it with the aforementioned dramas. Patriotic dramas and movies are biased, it is an understandable fact. When our nation happily watches propaganda movies of Bollywood (which are most of the times extremely anti-Pakistani) without raising any objections then why there are objections on such Pakistani projects. We have lots of senseless dramas these days, having patriotic dramas on air will be a treat in addition to the fact that in the current circumstances of our country we need positive dramas.

What is your say about patriotic dramas, do share your views.
Faiza Cheema

Ever heard of the famous saying, ‘If you are a man, look like a man’? While some of the male celebrities are known for wearing more makeup than female celebrities, there are a few good looking hunks in our entertainment industry who earn even more fan following for their changing looks, especially when they carry beard pretty well.

Here are 10 of my favorite stars who look extremely amazing in their manly looks with a beard on screen.

Have a look!

1) Atif Aslam

Atif seems to have had adopted this new look after his marriage and since then he is seen carrying this beardy look with him. Atif’s fan, however, love him for his vocals and watching him with or without a beard, both are equally exciting for them.

2) Fawad  Khan

This man enjoys a huge fan following for reasons undefined at times. Either it is his acting, his looks or his persona, he is now loved by drama lovers altogether. It is easy to predict that besides the requirement of the role, he prefer to keep a beard as he is casually spotted with a beard normally.

3) Shahid Afridi

Lala rules the hearts of cricket lovers and he surely is one of the legends of Pakistani cricket. On comparing his previous young looks with that of now’s, you will find that he has really groomed a lot and some of the credit for his good looks go to his beard too.

4) Imran  Abbas

It is more than a need for Imran Abbas to have a beard to make him look old. This young looking celebrity is often seen with a beardy most of the times and seriously, he looks better this way.

4) Mikaal Zulfiqar

No matter how much you doubt his acting credentials, Mikaal holds a charm which itself speaks on screen. This ‘Gora Munda’ seems better with a beard to me. He adopted this look in Manjali as Taimoor, and will again be seen carrying this beard in ‘Mohabbat Subah Ka Sitara’.

6) Adnan Siddiqui

Adnan is Adnan with no alternates, with no replacements. While the age seems to appear on face, Adnan’s beard makes him look even more gentle-more stylish.

7) Hamza Ali Abbasi

The Jack of all trades, the Afzal of Pyaare Afzal, the Waar guy, an actor, a director and a scriptwriter, Hamza Ali Abbasi has greatly attracted a decent fan following in late 2013. Even he looks even better in this look. 

8) Danish Taimoor

Danish Taimoor has groomed really well as an actor and stands on number 8 in the list for me. It seems like Danish too has identified the secret of his looks and so is he seen with a beard most of time.

9) Agha Ali

The newest of all, Agha Ali has earned a considerable fan following for his acting skills. He looks good to me in all forms (*sighs*), but with a beard, he looks even better.

10) Osman Khalid Butt

Who knew that Humsafar’s parody will make him grow this much. That is how I first noticed him and since then, Osman has been working really hard to get his hands on reasonable ads, dramas and photoshoots. Neil Nitin Mukesh look alike Osman looks great with a little shave put on!

Its now time to hear from you readers, please share your favorite ones and feel free to comment on this list, Forum is all yours :)

Blessings,

Nida Zaidi

Who doesn’t want to look fashionable?  But in order to follow the latest trends and taste of the market, one needs to put their boots on and look out what is currently popular in the world of fashion. To fulfill this desire of fashion lovers, an influx of young and energetic people are coming in the fashion industry as fashion designers. One such name is of “Sania Maskatiya”. Sania’s signature aesthetic has come to be regarded as a balance between elegance, comfort and practicality. Sania Maskatiya’s brand won its first Lux Style Award for the achievement in the fashion design-luxury prêt category and was also nominated for achievement in fashion design- prêt category at the coveted Lux Style Awards 2012. In 2013, the label earned two prestigious Lux Style Awards nominations in the Luxury Prêt and Prêt-a-Porter categories. Lets know more about her via an interview.

1. How did u manage to make your name in fashion industry in such a small period of time?

Sania Maskatiya: I think God has been really kind to me and has rewarded me for all the sheer hard work and effort that is put in the business. We put in a lot of effort in whatever we do and we strive to provide our consumers the best possible product. I am thankful to our consumers and critics who appreciate the handwork that goes into each piece.

2. What inspired you to choose this profession? And what is the fashion philosophy behind your label?

Sania Maskatiya: Since childhood I was always fascinated by colour and patterns. I was one of those kids who loved scribbling and playing with colours and was attracted to pattern and even after so many years I still get excited by all of it. This is one of the main reasons why I got into designing. I specifically chose art subjects in my O’level and A‘levels, thus pursuing a career in design was nothing but obvious for me. My brand is synonymous with providing luxury and celebrating individual styles. We are known for our signature drapes and prints. We take pride in combining traditional techniques with contemporary silhouettes to create visually appealing designs.

3. Who is your inspiration in Fashion Industry, the ones you like to follow? Local and International both.

Sania Maskatiya: All the seniors in the industry like Bunto, Faiza Samee, Rizwan Beyg etc have always been a great source of inspiration as all these designers paved way for all the youngsters to pursue careers in fashion industry. Internationally, Chanel, Mary Katrantzou and Matthew Williamson are my favourites.

4. It must be a proud moment for you as Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy wore Saina Maskatiya at the Oscars. Do you plan to market your label to the masses, Internationally?

Sania Maskatiya: It was nice of Sharmeen to contact me for the clothes as I have always supported all that is Pakistan and with Sharmeen’s achievements a No! was not even an option .we were delighted when she wore the outfit to the Oscars. We do have an international clientele and we have multiple stockists around the globe. However, we would further like to increase our reach to international clients.

5. With a lot of Fashion Weeks happening around a year, do you think its a positive change for fashion in Pakistan or you see more repetition of same designs as designer don’t get time to prepare for the next fashion show?

Sania Maskatiya: I think competition is extremely healthy and with so many fashion shows happening, the Pakistani fashion scene is changing for good. I believe all the designers put in a lot of effort in putting up shows. Also, all the designers have a choice to participate in whichever fashion shows they want to and that way everyone has time to plan and produce collections.

6. Fashion weeks can commercialize and boost up Pakistan’s fashion industry at a large scale or do we have a long way to go?

Sania Maskatiya: Of course, fashion weeks are a major source of introducing your brand to the masses and I believe they have helped our industry in infinite ways.

7. How do you balance your professional life with personal life?

Sania Maskatiya: On the home front I have a fantastic support system of my mom and mother in-law. Work is a team effort, my amazingly talented design team and my business partner and brother Umair Tabani share the workload.

8. Any advice to fashion followers?

Sania Maskatiya: Take pride in who you are and don’t just follow trends blindly. Each one of us is unique in our own way, cherish that!

9. Some tips to the newcomers in Fashion Industry? The do’s and don’ts for them to be successful.

Sania Maskatiya: For all the young people I would like to quote that “there are no shortcuts to any place worth going”, therefore the only way to succeed is to work hard persistently. Along with hard work, it is extremely important to strive to learn new things every day.

Cheers

S. Rasool

Starting her acting career with a power-shot, Saba Qamar is one of those rare celebrities who are loved by a huge audience, irrespective of age, for their acting skills. The very talented and the very versatile Saba Qamar have proven herself always that for her, acting comes naturally. Whether it is humor, negativity or romance, she knows how to handle different shades, maintaining her individuality. What comes much as a surprise is the fact that Saba has always managed to keep a good balance between the work on private channels and the offers coming from terrestrial channels.

Here are 3 latest shared facts about Saba by Saba, herself.

 It is said that every person in this world has seven look a likes. The case is the same for our celebrities as well. This article is based on my research and observation. I have found out some of the celebrities from around the world who resemble our Pakistani celebrities. During this research I was amazed by some of the pictures because they looked exactly the same. For a few seconds I was like Oh My God, this is truly unbelievable look for yourself and do not forget to give your feedback about it. If you have some other look a likes in mind then do let everyone know because this is entertaining information to share. Before starting I want to share this with you all that these celebrities may not be hundred percent a like but they do have the same outlook.

Angelina Jolie is a very talented Hollywood actress. She has a square shaped face with big almond eyes and protruding lips. These lips are her basic point of attraction and this is what makes people go crazy. Apart from her facial characteristics she has long hairs that are also very prominent. Now coming towards the Pakistani celebrity that somehow resembles Angelina Jolie, is Mahira Khan. The shape of their faces, the prominent jaw bone, the shape of their lips and the hair matches a lot. Their nose shape also matches a lot. Most of all the space between the nose and lips has the same shape which is quite interesting. Over all they look quite a like.

Moving on to the next observation I made, is of Akshay Kumar the highly paid Bollywood actor with the very popular Pakistani celebrity Shamoon Abbasi. The first look of these two celebrities matches a lot. The shape of their faces is very similar. Their forehead is broad and even the shape of their heads match. If we take a closer look the shape of their ears also match. I was astonished to see such a high level of resemblance. This is normally not observed while these two people talk but yeah when they are quiet then the similarity is clearly visible. Coming to the shape of their lips, it is also very clear that they match. The only difference I can feel is that Shamoon Abbasi has a broader face as compared to Akshay Kumar.

The next look a likes that I have observed are Celina Jaitley, a Bollywood actress with the Pakistani actress named Farah Ali. These two girls have a high level of similarity. Their hair, face, cheeks, nose and even eyes are 80 percent same which is very much confusing. I was very confused when I was going through their pictures. I have never seen such a high level of similarity. Farah Ali has a nose shape slightly different from Celina Jaitley otherwise their faces are very much similar.

The famous morning show host, Farah Saadya is the favorite of almost everybody who watches morning shows because her shows are very different from other morning shows. She has such a sweet smile that brightens everyone’s morning. Her look a like that I found is an Indian actress named Tina Desae. She is not very popular as far as I know but her face is very similar to that of Farah Saadya. Their eyes, smile, face shape and also their jaw bones have a lot of similarity. In some pictures they were not looking similar at all but in some of them their resemblance level highly increased.

More over the famous Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan who mesmerizes everyone by his dancing and acting talent has a face shape similar to that of the Pakistani actor, Shaharyar Munawwar. Both of them have the same first impression. Their eye shape, nose shape and most of all face shape matches a lot. I was shocked because previously it never clicked in my mind that they both resemble each other but when I searched then I came to the conclusion that my identifying sense is weak because they both match each other a lot. Only a fool will think that they don’t.
These were some of the Pakistani celebrities with their look a likes from Hollywood and Bollywood. Apart from them, there are others too. For example; Syra Yusuf and Pixie Lott, Ayesha Alam and Cameron Diaz, Fawad Khan and Tom cruise and many more. I will be glad to hear you feedback. Let us combine our observations and come up with other interesting look a likes.

Written by: Moomal Hassan

Most of the people in Pakistan were waiting for the first episode of Pakistan Idol including me! I was thrilled to see Bushra Ansari, Ali Azmat and Hadiqa Kiyani on such a platform. With the cheesy and quirky Bushra, pioneer of sufi rock Ali and the pop diva Hadiqa, this show was bound to make quite high waves across the entertainment industry. First episode generally left a good impression on the audience but it wasn’t described as “the greatest” either. There were few cliché’s which were quite obvious.

Few of the participants seemed to follow some kind of script in a best joker competition! For example the one imitating Salman Khan! OMG showing off his “dollaaas” and the judges making fun of him! Yes it was hilarious, I was ROFL. Then there was this Madonna cum Lady Gaga cum eye to eye! I was like What is he trying to do or trying to prove! These kind of performances made me believe that that Geo is trying to make fun of people just to make some TRP. I do believe during the audition there would have some over enthusiastic young people doing this stunt just to get noticed or enjoy themselves but it was the job of the editor to show the real blunders not the scripted ones with prolonged introductions!

Coming to another important point, one of the participant was shown as a poor boy earning bread and butter for his family. His dream to participate in this show was shattered when he was rejected. I am not saying he should have been selected, but his state of affairs shouldn’t have been dramatized so much! They were proving a point that someone’s money or background doesn’t matter, but on the other hand they are looking for a complete package i.e. Good voice, singing skills, beauty, education and style. Now, this complete package cannot come without having extra bills in your pocket. Yes I know this is an entertainment show, the performers should have all these qualities, but dramatizing someone’s poorness is not what I wanted to see in a show. My mother was so touchy at seeing that poor kid that she said at least they should sympathize with the child. On one hand we are having multi million dollar show and on the other hand we are showing a poor family with not ample food to feed their children let alone health and education.

Apart from these few things, the show has started off well if not great, lets see how it proceeds further. this was just a start, I am hoping to see good quality Pakistani talent coming to limelight with this platform.
This is my opinion what is yours?

Ayesha Khan

Bollywood has produced a number of fine actors right from the very beginning. It is an unhidden fact that Bollywood actors are appreciated all around the world including Pakistan. One can find crazy fans of Shahrukh khan, Ambitabh bachan, Akshay Kumar, Ranbir Kapoor, Kareen Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and many others. From every section of our society we can easily find people who are die-hard fans of Indian actors. And when their films hit Pakistani cinemas they are the first ones to grab their tickets & book their seats. There is a strong influence of their culture and tradition in our society and therefore one can relate why the actors are so applauded.
Recently I was in conversation with one of such die-hard fan of Indian actors who visited the famous Madame Tussauds Museum in London. It was not surprising for me when I came to know that wax statues of a number of Indian actors have been kept in the museum and these statues are very popular among the visitors. Let us have a virtual look over these statues:

i) Aishwariya Rai Bachchan

ii) Amitabh Bachchan

iii) Shahrukh Khan

iv) Kareena Kapoor

v) Hrithik Roshan

vi) Madhuri Dixit

vii) Salman Khan

I hope you all must have liked them. Drop your comments underneath, please.

S.Rasool

Pakistani Drama Industry (PDI) is doing way better than Indian Drama Industry (IDI). We all know that there was a time when Indian dramas were penetrating our society. At that time, revival of the PDI was needed. Then there came a period when PDI started to flourish and started to produce good dramas that became very popular among the people. Viewers started to switch back to Pakistani dramas and turned down the Indian culture. This period is termed as the “REVIVAL OF PDI”. There were some very basic reasons which drove the Pakistani viewers to start accepting the Pakistani dramas v/s Indian dramas. Some of them are:

i) Realistic v/s Unrealistic depiction
ii) Focus on story line v/s focus on make-overs
iii) Short time period v/s lengthy time period
iv) Sensible choice v/s Insensible choice of actors
v) Strong plot v/s weak plot

i) Realistic v/s Unrealistic depiction:

The Pakistani dramas were more realistic than the Indian dramas. The viewers can relate to the dramas. They depicted the true picture of their society, their problem and their issues whereas the Indian Dramas were un-realistic in nature so slowly and gradually they went unpopular and finally died out e.g Kasauti Zindagi Ki, Kyunki saas bhi kabhi bahu the, kahani ghar ghar ki etc. Today a great number of people from our society want to tune in Pakistani dramas channels rather than Indian drama channels because of this major reason

ii) Focus on story line v/s focus on make-overs:

There was more focus on make-overs, styles, costumes of the drama actors and renovation of sets in Indian dramas rather than storyline but Pakistani dramas were based on stories and the sets were also designed accordingly. Also the costumes chosen for the actors of a particular drama filmed in Pakistan was in relevance to the story line of the drama. This was lacking in Indian drama

iii) Limited & short time period v/s unlimited or lengthy time period:

The traditional Indian soap serials usually used to last for a long time (a year or two or even more sometimes). The viewers usually lost interest in watching such long engaging serials whereas Pakistani dramas were prepared with a defined scope, time period and were lesson oriented. Usually these lesson-oriented dramas got more popularity and acceptance from the viewers than former ones.

iv) Sensible choice v/s insensible choice of actors:

The choice of actors as per the role’s need and demand was ensured in Pakistani dramas. This aspect was lacked in Indian drama from the core. You would usually see a girly looked female actor performing the role of a mother in Indian dramas. Obviously, this kind of lack of sensibility from the selectors of actor was noticed by the viewers and was unacceptable, so people inclined towards Pakistani dramas which were more sensibly fabricated.

v) Strong plot v/s weak plot:

This is the fore-most triad which led to successful Pakistani Dramas. You can easily imagine a drama which consists of finest cast and crew and lacks a strong story-line, such kind of drama most probably never survives and fails to win over people.
By lying out some of the many factors which led to the triumph of PDI, I by no mean, claim that there weren’t and aren’t any unsuccessful Pakistani dramas. All I want to say is viewers, accept only those dramas which they think will live up to their expectations.

The PDI should understand, now to produce good stuff for their people else their efforts will go vain. I have seen some Pakistani dramas recently that are not doing well. The storyline is far away from reality, to name some “Rishtay kuch adhory se”, “Ishq hamari galioun mein” etc. It is high-time that the PDI realizes their flaws and try to fill up the left gaps else they will again loose their potential viewers.

What do you think about the current situation of PDI?

Have your say

Cheers

S.Rasool