Sanam Saeed and Sarwat Gillani both need no introduction as they have established their places in the industry. Zindagi Gulzar Hai’s Kashaf and Dil-e-Muztar’s Zoya were seen together recently in a theatre play called ‘Dhaani’. If their performances onscreen have kept you hooked then this play would leave you awestruck. The play was co-produced by Shaan and Umar Sultan and written by Aamra Alam and Imrana Maqsood. Dhaani was one of the most hyped and well promoted theater play as the producer left no stone unturned to promote it as it had a lot of potential. Sarwat and Sanam were seen in different morning shows and they were also seen giving interviews to different news channels for its promotion. Well, it is obvious that this well promoted play was house full almost every day and was well received by the audiences. A lot of celebrities also came to the watch the beautiful performances by Sanam Saeed and Sarwat Gillani. The demand of this play exceeded everyone’s expectation and it was extended from its original 16 days (15^th May to 31^st May) to 19 days (till 2^th June). I must also add that they also hiked the price in the last three days!

The 75 minutes long play was a mixture of humor, sarcasm, cliched phrases and most importantly showed a very realistic environment. It was the story of two housewives Ruqaiya (Sanam Saeed) and Rashida (Sarwat Gillani) who happens to be each others’ neighbors. They are friends as well as foes; they argue, flight, gossip but in the end they are always there for each other. Sanam Saeed character is shown as an egotistical and dominating woman while Sarwat is more of a bubbly type with a typical middle class mindset. Ruqaiya shares her doubts about her husband having an affair with Rashida and this is what the whole story revolves around. Rashida with her typical middle class mindset starts filing Ruqaiya’s head with a baseless idea that her husband is involved with a ‘Gori Larki’ (They referred to her as the firaaq wali larki). Sarwat’s character never failed to add fuel to the fire which further increased Ruqaiya’s doubt on her husband. Well in the end, it just turned out be just the fantasy of both of their minds!

The best part of the play was the two bickering woman hurling acrimonious remarks at each other which were delivered in situations that were filled with humor and this made the audiences laugh! Ruqaiya’s character hailed from a slightly better off family while Rashida’s character was less well off and the love hate relationship between them was portrayed perfectly! The chemistry between Sanam and Sarwat was apparent as they also happen to be good friends in real life and this was reflected in their performances. The whole backdrop added more charm to the play and all the props were used perfectly. The highlight of the play was the mind blowing performances by both the main characters. Their expressions, dialogue delivery and comic timing was just spot on! The credit for this brilliant play also goes to its very talented director Umar Sultan whose direction gave life to this play. The writer also did full justice to the play as it has turned out to be a masterpiece.

Furthermore, there were two more characters who added more charm to the play. Rashida’s mother (played by Sundus Tariq) and Fayaz Chacha (played by Kamal Hussain) both gave their best. Fayaz Chacha’s character as an aging womanizer was a welcome treat and provided the audiences with a good dose of laughter and his performance was appreciated. Sanam Saeed and Sarwat Gillani’s exquisite dance moves on old songs also gave a fair share of entertainment to the audiences. The whole team of this play deserves a huge round of applause for their absolutely outstanding performances!

What is your opinion about this play? What will you rate it out of 5?

Mariam Shafiq

It leaves me with a thought always when I think about the upcoming Bollywood Movie ‘Creature’, starring Imran Khan and Bipasha Basu in lead roles. While half of the country seems to enjoy the fact that a Pakistani Artist has actually gotten a measure role against a popular actress, there are people like me who are thinking with a broader perspective. It might be an assuming fact that Imran Abbas has really got one of the biggest breaks when it comes to comparing it with other Pakistani celebrities working in India, the question still lies that how come Bipasha Basu got ready for a movie which is likely to make any success. The only charm that the movie by now has offered to the audience is the 3D tag attached to it and a little bit of excitement of watching this couple on screen. I have been taking feedbacks from our readers on our social media page and people are acknowledging the reality that Bipasha seems much older than Imran Abbas.

The theme of the movie revolves around the ideas that were once shown in the movie ‘Jurassic park’, where the dinosaurs will now be replaced by an unusual ‘creature’.

Here are a few random clicks taken on the set of ‘Creature’, Have a look!

This surely is an achievement for Imran Abbas to get his hands on an Indian movie and working with an actress such as Bipasha Basu, but again, the career of Bipasha now shows a big question mark!

Wishes

Nida Zaidi

Ayesha Omer’s most memorable role till now has to be Khubsurat from Bulbulay. She started her television career by hosting a show “Mere Bachpan ke Din” when she was very young. She worked as a VJ on MTV and Indus TV. Ayesha started her acting career from the sitcom “College Jeans”. Since then she has worked in many dramas. Ayesha Omer always wanted to be involved in performing arts. She is not just a host and an actor but also a singer and a model. Ayesha’s family is based in Lahore but in order to meet the requirements of her field, she has to live in Karachi. Ayesha Omer did her graduation from National College of Arts, Lahore and even when she was studying she was very much involved in performing arts, something behind the stage and at other times on the stage.

Ayesha feels that the fashion industry does not allow youngsters to come forward because there is a lot of lobbying and grouping. Probably due to this reason Ayesha Omer is not seen on the ramp very often now but prefers working on television and is now working towards building her singer career. Painting and singing is Ayesha Omer’s real passion. If given a choice she would much rather paint and sing than act, model or host.

Ayesha Omer comes across as a very down-to-earth person but one with a very strong personality. When asked during an interview how she felt about the success of her character and the fame it won for her in Bulbulay, she replied that it was teamwork and it would be wrong if she took the credit for it. Acting comes naturally to Ayesha, she is comfortable with comic and serious characters both.
Some people criticize Ayesha Omer for being confused because she cannot decide which field she wants to excel in. Ayesha Omer says that she likes to experiment with new things, she follows her heart and life is too short to not follow one’s heart’s desire. Therefore she believes in doing everything she wants to do. Ayesha also hosted a cooking show; so she has basically done everything that any other actress who has been in showbiz for a very long time has done.

Ayesha Omer has also designed clothes. Anoushey and Ayesha designed clothes for the clothing brand “Labels” which were liked by youngsters and were sold off very quickly. Ayesha would like to do more designing because she liked the response her designs got. Ayesha Omer’s mother has been a big inspiration in her life. She believes that she couldn’t have made it this far if it wasn’t for her mother.
Ayesha was also offered to work in Indian dramas but she declined this offer because she likes the appreciation Pakistani people have given her and would not let them down. She also doesn’t feel the need to work in Indian dramas. Ayesha Omer is definitely a jack of all trades, we wish her the very best.

The latest news is that Hum TV is going to be the next in line to air dubbed Turkish plays despite of all the criticism that the other channels that are airing the dramas are facing. It is a very disappointing development because Hum TV is one of the most favorite Pakistani channels. Hum TV has always promoted good Pakistani dramas. It has made a unique name for itself in all these years. It is very sad that Hum TV feels that they may lose the TRP race if they do not air Turkish dramas.

Even with all the wonderful dramas that are airing on Hum TV right now, they must feel that it is not enough. We may hear a lot of criticism against Turkish dramas but this move by Hum TV goes to prove that people do in fact follow these plays and even prefer them over some of the Pakistani plays.

It seems like the craze for Turkish plays is rising like an epidemic and all the fears and insecurities of our celebrities who were against these plays are turning out to be true.

Since its inception in 2005 Hum TV has worked very actively to revive the drama industry in Pakistan and has done a very good job of it too. From time to time some Indian shows were being aired on Hum TV but never has been a foreign drama aired on the channel. From time to time some Indian shows were being aired on Hum TV but never has been a foreign drama aired on the channel.

What do you think about this latest development? Do you think Hum TV is justified in taking this decision? Does this mean that no channel in Pakistan can be on the top until and unless it airs Turkish dramas? Please share your views.

I love to read interviews of my favorite celebrities and really like to watch shows with celebrity interviews; it is one of my favorite hobbies because it gives me an insight into the mind of the artists that I admire. Sometimes, some interviews can be a complete eye opener and may change your opinion about a particular celebrity in some way. I think that a celebrity’s personal life is pretty much of his/her own business but at the same time the celebrities must and do work very hard to maintain a certain public image. Maintaining this public image would mean not saying things that will disappoint their fans; they do owe their fans that much don’t they? Here are some things that I read in some celebrities’ interviews which completely baffled and disappointed me as well. I am not here to judge anyone, I just want to share these lines from some of the celebrity interviews and want your opinion on it. Also, some celebrities have “standard Interviews’ in which they are more of the target!

Noman Ijaz is one of my most favorite actors; the thing I admire about this actor the most is that he is confident enough to experiment with new roles. Many of the youngsters nowadays usually stick to the same kind of roles but Noman Ijaz will always be seen doing something different. Noman Ijaz usually refrains from giving interviews and goes as far as saying “I want journalists to get this message through your interview that I do not want them to approach me. And what’s more I charge money for giving interviews.” Noman Ijaz said this in his interview to Dawn newspaper some years back. The lines surely seemed shocking to me, not only this but he also said
“My criterion for accepting any project is money. I am not interested in who the director or scriptwriter is. It is money and only money that determines which project to go for.” It does not end here in reply to one of the questions he also said, “I really wouldn’t mind doing a film in India if somebody offered me a role. But never in Pakistan as they are worse than the overflowing gutter.”

I have to say that I was terribly disappointed to read this interview. I expected Noman Ijaz to br slightly more responsible with his replies but I guess he is a blunt person by nature.

Atif Aslam earned a lot of fame in a very short period of time by working very hard and not giving up. Atif Aslam is a very talented singer, there is no denying that but sometimes it seems like he is obsessed with the opposite gender and most of his answers revolve around how his life has a changed vis-à-vis girls in his life after achieving stardom. I was reading one of his interviews from a couple of years back in which he mentioned how he had to stand in the sun and change buses to go to college. On hearing that the interviewer asked “But life has turned around for you”. And Atif’s answer was as follows “It has. It was always easy for me to go on a date before becoming a star. That has changed now. It has become very difficult for me. I have had a steady girlfriend for two to three years but not before that. I couldn’t handle it two years ago. I’m a people’s person now. In fact, I’m public property”. I am not sure where exactly does this answer fit in but I have heard many such replies from him in other interviews. He is married now and obviously things will change but you do expect something a lot different from a star.

Javeria and Saud are one couple whose interviews always have great shock value! Saud’s interest in other women seems to be the highlight of the interview or it has to come up. Many times if some other woman celebrity is invited to the same show, Saud may have had some “history” with her too. I saw one interview with Saud, Javeria and actress Leila in a show and it was very obvious that Javeria was very uncomfortable and there were indirect references by the host as well as Leila to the history that Saud and Leila share. Javeria and Saud are always put in a tough spot by the people who interview them. I find it almost insulting; I think they should lay down some rules before giving an interview or going in a show.

Bushar Ansari is a very talented artist; she has proved her mettle not just in acting but in so many other fields as well. But in her interviews sometimes she comes across as a little too confident; which is never a good thing. The way she talked about her upcoming play “Mere Dard Ko Jo Zuban Miley” and how confident she was that it would be the next big thing was actually disappointing. I think no matter how much success an artist get, people who are down to earth always appeal to you more.

Do you read interviews? Do you watch shows with celebrity interviews? Are there any celebrities whose interviews or something that they said in their interview was shocking for you? Please share your opinion.

Ayesha Ahmed

British Boxer with Pakistani Nationality, Amir Khan is lately known not for his phenomenal performance in the ring but for his wedding ceremony that was held on June 1st, 2013, that is, this Saturday. Though living in Bolton City, UK, Amir’s wedding ceremony was held at Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan, New York and now the reception would soon be conducted once they get back to their home place, which is probably, the next week.

We did share a good collection of their engagement pictures which took place back in January 2012 and since then the couple is known for how great they look with each other and have been seen complementing each other on different occasions.

Keeping a deep notice of the hype been created by his fans on different social networking sites, it was HELLO magazine that found the occasion important to be covered and hence, will be releasing the wedding pictures in the upcoming reveal of the magazine, as tweeted by Faryal Makhdoon, Amir’s bride.

Here are a few clicks of the most important day of the couple!

The Couple

Amir Preparing a dance for ceremony with his cousins and friends

Amir’s Mehndi Ceremony

Wedding Ceremony

Amir’s home in Bolton. UK

For more pictures, Follow HELLO! magazine!

We wish the couple heartiest blessings on this new beginning of their lives,

Best Wishes

Nida Zaidi 

UK based Pakistani Boxer Amir Khan tied the knots with Faryal Makhdoom few months back. At the age of 25, Amir revealed about his plans to marry his girlfriend Faryal who was only 20 years old by then and the couple got engaged back in January 2013. The eve was celebrated with  £150,000 bash at the Bolton Wanderers’ Reebok Stadium. 

Here are a few clicks from the ceremony, have a look!

We wish a good life to the couple,

Blessings

Nida Zaidi

Anyone who watches Pakistani dramas appreciates and acknowledges the fact that Sarmad Sultan Khoosat is a very talented individual. He is not just a gifted director but also a very brilliant actor and a script writer as well. Sarmad Khoosat was born in a family where he was surrounded by artists. His mother worked with radio Pakistan, his father was a very famous television and film actor and even his grandfather had worked for the radio. One can say then that this inclination towards art was bound to be there. Sarmad Khoosat admits that he never thought that he was going to be associated with television in any way but that he wanted to be a doctor. He even took admission in a medical college but it didn’t’ quite work out. He ended up working with his father in his production house and that is from where the journey started.

Sarmad Khoosat started his career with the comedy play “wrong number” but he was noticed by everyone when he played the famous role of Cheeku in the one-of-a-kind sitcom “Shashlick”. Sarmad never felt as good in front of the camera as he did behind the lens. He assisted Jawad Bashir on the set of “Shashlick” too although he was very young at that time but extremely eager to learn. In 2007 Sarmad Khoosat’s first play as a director went on air, it was written by Bano Qudsia and was titled “Piya Naam Ka Diya”. Since then Sarmad Khoosat has worked with the number one writers, producers and actors in the country. He has directed some outstanding plays like Pani Jaisa Pyar, Hamsafar, Shehr-e-Zaat and many more. Rumor has it that Sarmad has also written a script for a film and is very interested is making a movie for the mainstream cinema. Sarmad Khoosat believes in doing projects that are different from what we usually see on television but his hands are obviously tied because he has to work with what the writers have to offer. Sarmad wrote a script for Hasan Askari as well some years back but the movie could not make it to the cinemas and was stopped halfway because of the issues between the producer and director. If given a chance he’d love to do something entirely different and being a true artist he would want to serve his people in some way through his art.

Sarmad Khoost feels disappointed that the people who are writing and producing for the television as well as the cinema are following the same old story lines and are not willing to experiment with new ideas. This of course can frustrate someone who has so many new ideas to offer and kills the creativity in young people. Sarmad feels frustrated with the way things work in the industry often enough because he is honest to his work. He is not willing to give up though and will surely reach new heights. Sarmad Khoosat is not just a very talented person but also very down to earth and hardworking. It is sad that artists who have new ideas and want to experiment cannot do so because the producers only want projects that will “sell”. It is partially the fault of the viewers as well who do not warm up to new ideas and we are stuck in a rut.

Written by: Ayesha Ahmed

After Mahira Khan, the next celebrity that Lux Style Awards invited for a live chat session is Mehwish Hayat. She has proved that she is more than just a face. We have seen her versatility in many of her shows. Recently, she also took up singing as a profession.She has two nominations this year in Lux Style Awards. First nomination is for the Best TV Actress (Satellite) for Mere Qatil Mere Dildar and second is for the Best Actress (Terrestrial) for the drama ‘Mein’. Fans asked live questions from Mehwish and she answered them on the Lux Facebook page. Here are a few of Mehwish’s answers from the Chat session:

• What is your Date of Birth and Zodiac sign?

6^th January and my star is Capricorn

• How would you describe yourself in one word?

Elegant

• What is your age?

I am as old as I feel!

• Any nicknames?

Yes, Mishu

• Which is your all time favorite dish?

Biryani

• What is your favorite color?

White

• Where is your hometown?

Karachi

• Which is your favorite place in Karachi?

Seaview

• What kinds of ornaments do you prefer to wear?

Bracelets and rings

• What are your hobbies? Any favorite past time?

I love to read books. Other than that I like to listen to music and I also like dancing

• What kind of music do you listen to?

Something that is soothing and helps me unwind

• Who is your favorite singer?

Toni Braxton

• Any song that you love listening to?

Spanish guitar

• Which is your favorite sport and sportsman?

Cricket. I like Jacque Kallis

• Which is your favorite book?

These days I am reading 40 rules of love by Elif Shafak

• What are your qualifications? Where have you done your schooling from?

I have done Bachelors in Commerce. I have studied from School of Excellence.

• Which is your favorite romantic film?

A walk to remember

• Who is your inspiration?

My mom

• Any favorite place that you love to go but haven’t been there yet?

Paris

• When do you plan to get married?

When the time is right…

• How many siblings are you?

1 sister and 3 brothers

• The most special moment in your life you think you can never forget?

It’s the one I can’t remember… it is when I was born!

• How old were you when you first joined the industry?

I was 8 years old when I joined the industry

• How did you enter the industry?

My mom is also a TV actress. Through her I entered the industry

• When did you realize that you could also sing?

I always knew I could sing. I have a family background of musicians but I recently took up singing as a profession.

• Who is your favorite costar?

Adnan Siddiqui and Ahsan Khan

• Are you working on any movie?

Soon… It’s in the pipeline. Keep checking my facebook official page for more updates.

• Is there any Pakistani film director that you want to work with?

Shoaib Mansoor

• Who is your favorite Pakistani actress?

Sania Saeed and Nadia Jamil

• Who is your favorite TV actor in Pakistan?

We have plenty of talented actors. It is difficult to name one.

• Who is your favorite Pakistani film hero?

Shaan

• Which actor do you think looks good with you on screen?

Ahsan Khan and Mekaal Zulfiqaar

• Any character that you would love to play?

Yes I would love to play Benazir Bhutto or Lady Diana sometime.

• Would you wander into theatre or stick to TV dramas?

I enjoy doing theatre as it is an outlet for the actress inside me but I would stick to TV dramas as well.

• Would you like to do comedy plays?

Yes, I can try.

• Is there any upcoming drama of yours on Hum TV?

Inshallah soon…

• Amongst your own serials, which one is your favorite?

Manjali, Mere Qatil Mere Dildaar

• Are you as smart and wise in real life as the character that you are playing in Mirat Ul Uroos?

I am much more than that!

• How many episodes are left of Mirat Ul Uroos?

Around 4 to 5

• Do you have any plan to do morning shows?

Not anytime soon…

• Which is your all time favorite Pakistani drama?

Alpha Bravo Charlie

• How social are you? Do you believe in making many friends?

I am actually pretty shy. I make few but close friends

• Do you have any best friend in the showbiz industry?

No

• Are you on Facebook? Do you have an official page?

Yes I am on Facebook and I do have an official page too.

• Which is your favorite Bollywood film?

Zindagi mile gi na dobara

• If given a chance which bollywood actor would you like to work with?

Farhan Akhtar… anytime!

And here are a few clicks from the Chat Session:

And here is her autograph for all her fans:

Mariam Shafiq

Adeel Hussain is one of the finest actors nowadays and has marked his presence in the industry with his outstanding performances in hit shows like Daam, Mera Naseeb, Mata-e-Jaan, and Mora Piya. He is also currently seen in shows like Silvatein and Jiya Na Jaye. Adeel has had the opportunity to work with the best there is in the industry and has had a very selective approach when it comes to choosing dramas which makes him stand out from the rest.

I am sure many of you must have noticed Adeel Hussain for the first time in the show Daam and thought that it was his first serial. Well, I certainly thought his first serial was Daam but I was in for a shock when I got to know that his first show was in the late 1990’s. He had made headlines for his performance in Zeba Bakhtiar’s ‘Aye Mere Pyar Ki Khushboo’ which was his first serial. He had performed with seasoned actors such as Faisal Qureshi, Badar Khalil and Shabbir Jaan and still managed to stand out because of his great performance.

He then became a part of the City FM 89’s breakfast show and worked there for a long time and made appearances on the screen from time to time in the form of advertisements, selective TV dramas, music videos, and tele-films like Duniya Goal Hai that ran in the Kara film festival. Adeel was not only interested in working on screen but also had an interest in the workings behind the camera. We only know Adeel as an actor but there is more to this guy than just acting. He is also interested in direction and has been assisting directors for a long time now so he has got a fair share of experience in direction too.

His first work as a director was a car commercial in 2008 for the HBL ‘Car to Car’ campaign and an unreleased brand entertainment project for the Telecom sector by the name of ‘Mera Mobile’ which he created and directed. He had also directed many documentaries like APWA (All Pakistan Women Association) which had turned out to be a beautiful documentary. He also made a documentary called ‘Bridged’ while he was shooting in New York for Mata-e-Jaan.

His talents and interests do not end here! He is also interested in writing, videography and photography. He likes to split his time between on screen work and his other interests and for those who don’t know he also has a visual content creation company called Vizor, which was made to showcase his existing photography, videography and directorial work as well as executing newer projects. He recently worked as a cinematographer in a documentary which was produced by Vizor Studios. This documentary was about the ‘Karachi United Football League’ which features children from slums of Pakistan who are being trained to play football. Talk about being multi talented!

When he entered the industry, he confessed that his parents were apprehensive and concerned about his future in the industry but he believed that he had a ‘vision’ at that time and he was sure that it would all add up and lead to something good. But now years later, I am sure they must be proud of their son’s wonderful achievements!

When asked about his costars in one of his interview he quickly named Amna Sheikh whom he had worked in three serials so far, ‘Amna and I always have a blast and we share a lot of laughs, respect and trust.“ Now we know why he has such amazing chemistry with her! He further adds on ‘I also enjoyed working with Syra Yousuf in Mera Naseeb and Mira Sethi in Silvatein.” He did not forget to praise Mehreen Jabbar who had directed two of his serials so far “Mehreen Jabbar is one director I enjoy working with. It is always fun as she is so experienced, focused and talented – its brings the whole experience up by so many notches”

On being asked about his most challenging project he replied “In TV, Mata e Jaan was quite challenging as I saw my character Ibad to be very complicated. Working with Mehreen Jabbar again meant putting extra effort and do my homework when it came to character subtext. She has a way of drawing that out of you, as a director. I’m very happy with the end result. I suspect I was loved the most in Daam as Junaid. Playing Faisal Ahmed in Mora Piya knocked the wind out of me! There was just too much grief in there.”

This 34 year old actor has won the hearts with not only his brilliant acting skills but also with his other multi faceted skills. I must confess that I am very impressed with all his work and I definitely hope we got to see more of his work in the future!

So what would you guys rate Adeel Hussain out of 10?

Mariam Shafiq