Chalay Thay Saath is one of the most awaited films of the year; be it the amazing music or those beautiful locations, the audience just fell in love with this movie even before it released. Starring an ensemble cast of leading ladies Syra Shahroz, Zhalay Sarhadi, Mansha Pasha, and new faces, Osama Tahir, Faris Khalid, and Kent S. Leung, Chalay Thay Saath had its star-studded premiere last night. Here are a few pictures from the premiere:
The Stage Caught Fire In Wedding Function – Public Reaction
Lavishly decorated weddings have become trend in Pakistan. The extra lit up hall and a heavily decorated stage is everyone’s dream set-up. Well, a fire incident occurred in a recent wedding set-up in Gujranwala, the stage caught fire due to the electrical spark. The incident happened when the lights on the stage caught fire, the stage was loaded with flowers, the plastic flowers caught the fire. The fire was extinguished and everyone at the wedding remained safe.
The video was posted by the ace and talented Pakistani photographer Irfan Ahson. He said that he has posted the video for public awareness, Irfan wrote, “Posting for public awareness. Have seen this happen a few times myself. Please, take caution when using cold fire or pointing the highly power lighting rods too close to plastic flowers. Don’t know whose event it was but hope all were safe”. Here is the video link:
A lot of people showed their concern after watching the video. Many of the social media users shared their thoughts on the mal practices happen in the weddings. The public was of the view that these marquees charge millions of rupees but they don’t even provide emergency control equipment like enough fire extinguishers and better lighting. They also showed their concern on the untrained staff who could barely handle the situation. People were of the view that the people should not use firecrackers too. Here are comments:
What do you think about the story? Do let us know!
The Sister Duo From Jalan Dresses Up In Competition
The very famous sister duo these days is of Misha and Nisha, essayed by Minal Khan and Areeba Habib from drama serial Jalan. Jalan is revolving around two sisters, one man, and one maternal cousin. The two sisters Nisha and Misha have many differences but still, they adore each other. Misha (Areeba Habib) is the elder one and Nisha (Minal Khan) is the younger one. Apart from love, they possess two extremely distant personalities.
On the other hand, Asfandyar (Emmad Irfani) falls in love with Misha at first sight and marries her. Furthermore, Ahmer (Fahad Sheikh) loves Nisha a lot but Nisha wants something better. Nisha is already playing the negative character gracefully.
Recently the sister duo was spotted twinning in Hussain Rehar’s outfit.
A floral cross stitch number playing beautifully with shades of yellow, pink, blue and green upon an ivory base paired with organza dupatta is worn by Minal and Areeba.
Both the gorgeous ladies stuns in this beautiful outfit.
The Shooting Of Alvida Comes To An End
Drama serial Alvida is currently airing on HUM at 8pm on Wednesdays. The drama got a good response from the viewers because of a different story and the actors playing the leading roles. The viewers who liked the fresh pairing of Imran Abbas and Sanam Jung in HUM’s play Dil-e-Muztar are enjoying watching their favorite couple on television once again.
All through the shooting of this drama heart throb Imran Abbas who is playing the leading role in the play kept on posting pictures of the shooting on different social networking sites. Now that the shooting has ended Imran posted a special pictures with cast and crew in which he shared his happiness and sadness at the same time at the ending of the shooting of a drama he enjoyed a lot shooting. The Alvida team has big expectation from this project. Zahid Ahmed who is playing an important role in the play thinks that Alvida has everything that it takes for a drama to be a hit.
The Shooting Of “Mera Naam Yousuf Hai” Comes To An End
It looks like Imran Abbass thoroughly enjoyed shooting for his upcoming drama “Mera Naam Yousuf Hai” which has been written by Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar and directed by Mehreen Jabbar. Imran Abbas shared his feelings about how the whole experience with the team of the drama when the shooting concluded. He also shared pictures with his fans with the team on the last day of shooting.
The Shooting Of ‘Teefa In Trouble’ Begins
The shoot of Ahsan Rahim’s highly anticipated directional debut ‘Teefa In Trouble’ finally begins.
The film promises to be a power packed with action and romance. The pictures from the first spell are already surfing on the social media.
Produced by Lightingale Productions, Teefa In Trouble is a rom-com starring debutants Ali Zafar as the lead character ‘Teefa’ and Maya Ali as his leading lady, ‘Anya’. The film was announced last year, and Ali revealed the title in early January followed by announcing the leading lady Maya Ali in February.
The Shooting Of ‘Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad’ Is Wrapped Up
Last year the famous director Nabeel Qureshi announced that he will be releasing a new film in 2020 under the banner of Filmwala Pictures. The title of the movie is “Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad” which stars Mahira Khan and Fahad Mustafa in lead roles.
Nabeel Qureshi recently shared the news that the shooting of “Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad” has been wrapped up. It took him more than 50 days and many sleepless nights to shoot it.
He shared, “Its a wrap !!! Unbelievable 50+ days of shooting, sleepless nights and anxious days – Allah has been really kind – that we created something which we thought of an year back !!!”
“Its magical – expect something bigger than ever, it was only possible with the help of 100+ people including our crew, team, well wisher, frnds and actors ! We are back,” the director said.
Quaid e Azam Zindabad that follows the story of a notorious cop will feature Fahad Mustafa as the protagonist. While the female lead is none other than superstar Mahira Khan.
The mass entertainment film “Quaid e Azam Zindabad” is said to be an action-comedy with lots of twists and turns and quick-witted humor. The movie is all set to release on Eid ul Azha 2020.
The seven stages of grief
In life, we all experience sorrow and grief which can be associated with a death of a loved one, an end to a relationship, loss of a rays of hope in life and many various reasons. This grief can lead to depression, loneliness and isolation but one must work towards making themselves a better person, not getting drowned in their sorrows. From the outside, you might look like a normal person to others but from the inside, only you know you’re hurting. Normally, the period of grief lasts about eight months in which it starts to wear off slowly and steadily and if one is adamant to become well, it wears off in a maximum of six and minimum of three months. The period of grief has seven stages about which we will talk one by one:
Stage 1 & 2 – Shock and Denial
The first and second stage of grief if known as shock and denial. When you lose a loved one, end a relationship or lose a job; you are shocked by how and why it happened. You were not prepared for this to happen which ultimately leads to feelings of denial where you keep thinking and saying no this did not happen to me. This stage may last for weeks.
Stage 3 – Pain and Guilt
The third stage in the period of grief is known as pain and guilt. Once the shock wears off, you begin to feel physical pain due to the occurence of the uncertain event or events in your life. One must feel the pain fully and not deny it otherwise getting over something or moving on becomes difficult. One starts feeling mixed emotions during this time period such as sadness, pain, guilt, remorse and even try to do something stupid (please do not do this).
Stage 4 – Anger
In the fourth stage, feelings of anger start sprucing up. Frustration and anger bottled inside you makes way to be released. Getting our anger out obly helps in moving on to stage 5.
Stage 5 – Loneliness
Stage 5 is known as loneliness which we start feeling after our anger has made it’s way outside of us. Feelings of emptiness, despair and grief make their way to you. You’d feel like life has lost all it’s joy.
Stage 6 – Reconciliation
As you begin to let loose of the feelings bottled inside you, be it pain, anger or despair, you start moving on to reconciliation with your own self. When reconciliation makes it’s way to you, that is when you finally move on to the last stage.
Stage 7 – Acceptance
The last and final stage is known as acceptance. Acceptance with the occurence of the events. When you learn to accept, you allow yourself to deal with the situation in a composed manner. Acceptance leads to hope of becoming a better person and moving on with life.
You start to look at things with a ray of hope and prosperity while the future seems better. Thus, the completion of seven stages of grief and a content life.
The Secret To Weight Loss Which Is Very Easy
Faysal Qureshi’s morning shows are very often informative. He tries to focus on presenting the solution to those problems which people face on daily basis. Weight loss is an issue which effects many people. Faysal said on his show that on regular basis he gets requests that he should do a show on weight loss.
In order to answer the queries of his viewers, he asked Herbal nutritionist Salma Asim and nutritionist and chef Warda to come to his show. Among other things, Salma Asim especially pointed out the importance of a balanced diet when trying to lose weight. She said that people think that by abstaining from eating, they will lose weight and they do too but in an unhealthy way. She also shared that the skin, nails and the hair especially gets affected from these crash diets.
She said that the best way to lose weight was to eat healthy food which is also low in calories. She said that a crash diet has more disadvantages than benefits. Faysal Qureshi also said that there are no shortcuts to weight loss. He said that no totkas work unless you control your diet.
The Secret To Mahira Khan’s Glowing Skin
Mahira Khan is known for her beauty and talent. People ask her all the time what the secret to her beauty is and for the first time they have a definite answer. In a really cute video posted on instagram Mahira Khan gives a live demonstration of what her beauty regime is like. The fans will be surprised to know that Mahira Khan does not rely on expensive products to keep her skin looking fresh and glowing. On the contrary, she follows a simple natural formula using only two ingredients. In this video Mahira Khan showed her fans how they can completely cleanse their face using only honey and lemon. Mahira Khan first makes this mixture herself in the video. She especially has a tough time squeezing a lemon, something a lot of the fans can relate to and enjoy watching. After making the mixture she also applies it on her face. When she is done, she wants her phone back immediately which is also something everyone out there can relate to! Now, not only do the fans know what Mahira Khan does to look so glowing and fresh but they also got to see this super cute video of their favorite celebrity. Mahira Khan calls this the magic mixture! https://www.instagram.com/p/BnpJBe-ldMx/?taken-by=exclusive_mahirakhan https://www.instagram.com/p/BnpISQ8lyqf/?taken-by=exclusive_mahirakhan
The Secret To Juggun Kazim’s Clear Skin
Juggun Kazim, that very gorgeous actress who also happens to be a bundle of talent. Juggun Kazim has accomplished a lot for herself, establishing herself on a very firm footing in the society. She might not have done much work, but Juggun Kazim’s body of work is rather strong, more in quality than quantity.
However, there is one thing that everybody who sees Juggun, wonders. What is the wonder to Juggun’s beautiful and very clear skin. Juggun absolutely glows and that particular glow isn’t the result of any makeup. We know its au natural.
After being questioned so much about her clear skin, Juggun Kazim took to her YouTube channel to share the secret to her clear skin. Juggun shared a number of easy, homemade masks that would replenish your skin and give you that natural glow that Juggun possesses.
Juggun’s homemade masks can be made from easy to find ingredients that are often present in your home. She urges people to use these masks as directed and then rest for a while to allow your skin to rejuvenate and get that fresh look back.
The Secret Behind Sarwat Gilani’s Fitness
Sarwat Gilani is a gorgeous Pakistani actress who has worked in many famous dramas including Aazar Ki Ayegi Barat, Meri Zaat Zarra E Be Nishan and Zakham. Sarwat Gilani is married to Fahad Mirza, she is a mother of two adorable kids, the actress is popular for her fitness.
Lately, Sarwat and Fahad have appeared in Time Out with Ahsan Khan where they opened up about Sarwat’s fitness.
Talking about it Fahad said that it’s Fahad himself behind Sarwat’s fitness as he oftentimes says her, “I need a super fit wife”. He further said that now a days people mind such opinion and consider it body Shaming but basically it’s just being healthy, “I want her to be healthy & active”, said Fahad.
Talking further about it Fahad said, “Sarwat has been lucky in this regard, she used to consume milkshakes and eats parathas and eggs in breakfast but never gains weight, she goes to weighing machine and comes back happily with same weight, it’s us who gain a lot of weight even if we drink water, I haven’t had any sort of paratha for 6 years”
Talking about it Sarwat said, “I never had to do struggle to maintain my weight, it is just that I got a good metabolism”
The Second Trailer of ‘Geo Sar Utha Kay’ is Out!
A two-minute, bloody and action filled trailer of “Geo Sar Utha Kay” was recently released. The trailer shows four ambitious men trying to bring a change in Rajanpur. It also portrays friendship, hints at romance, unwavering resolve of four young men, and contains heavy dialogues too.
Shafqat Cheema had summed up the plot of the movie in these words, “It’s a story of how four best friends decide to change the fate of Rajanpur and when one of them is killed in the process, the three vow to avenge and change the system forever. It’s the story of how these young men realise the helplessness of every person in Rajanpur and involve the Punjab Police to help.”
Geo Sar Utha Kay will star Babar Ali, Sheharyar Cheema, Umar Cheema, Yasir Khan, Naeem Khan, Areeba Khan, Shafqat Cheema, Nayyer Ijaz, Ahmad Qaynaat, Rana Rashid and Mehmood Arshad in lead roles and we are curious to see that will a film that seems will take us back to the old Pakistani cinema days and ways, manage to gain public recognition?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1misp5Y-ec
The Sabzwari Family Had Fun At A Musical Night
The Pakistani showbiz industry only has a few families who have been famous over the generations for their work. One such family is the Sabzwari family. The patriarch of the house Behroze Sabzwari is an amazing talent of the industry. His son Shahroz Sabzwari has also been working in dramas and films for over a decade now. Shahroz is married to supermodel Sadaf Kanwal while his mother Safina behroze has also done a film. The talent runs in the family and they are also very particular about their values.
The Sabzwari family was attending a musical night at a wedding and they all were seen dancing and having fun as Arif Lohar performed his heart out. Behroze Sabzwari also shook a leg while all the other family members swayed to the tunes. Here are some beautiful pictures of this family from the musical night:
The Sabzwari Family And Mashal Khan Shine At A Wedding
Weddings are a part of winter culture in Pakistan. The chilly season means taking out your wedding ready finery as many couples get hitched in the season. Colourful events are held and there is song and music with people getting together for life. Our stars too take time from their busy schedules and attend weddings of their friends and acquaintances. Last night we saw a star-studded wedding event. The Sabzwari family shined bright while Mashal Khan also looked beautiful at the event
Sadaf Kanwal and Shahroz Sabzwari were present as wedding guests while the Sabzwari patriarch Behroze Sabzwari was also spotted at the wedding. Actress Mashal Khan came in a beautiful velvet outfit and looked nothing less than royalty. Here are a few clicks from the wedding as all your favourite stars were present to bless the newlyweds. Check out:
The Rumour Has It ‘Raees’ Is Getting A Sequel
Mahira Khan and Shah Rukh Khan starrer ‘Raees’ was a hit last year, people not only loved SRK in a not so romantic gangster avatar but also want to see him return to the big screens soon with a sequel.
Recently when a German firm gave a list of most pirated films of 2017 ‘Raees’ topped that list that is when Rahul Dholakia the director tweeted and said,
“#Raees most Pirated film of the 2017. Now how does one react to this?”
To which producer Ritesh Sidhwani replied,
“Look at the brighter side the audience we have for the sequel #RaeesReturns.”
Look at the brighter side the audience we have for the sequel #RaeesReturns
— Ritesh Sidhwani (@ritesh_sid) January 17, 2018
Naturally twitter lost it’s cool and this is what happened afterwards,
Ye bhi accha hoga na??? pic.twitter.com/NcP4NeBqQL
— MohammadNihal Yargatti (@iamnihal555) January 17, 2018
https://twitter.com/Asif_4rSRK/status/953831136936976384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftribune.com.pk%2Fstory%2F1616708%2F4-mahira-srks-raees-reportedly-getting-sequel%2F
sir we want raees return
— #SRKfan🙂07 (@naved_srkian77) January 17, 2018
https://twitter.com/MeFanSrkKhan/status/953685811555381249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftribune.com.pk%2Fstory%2F1616708%2F4-mahira-srks-raees-reportedly-getting-sequel%2F
Sir… we want #Raees2
— Mannat (@_Mannat) January 17, 2018
https://twitter.com/SRKsYODHA/status/953702836222681088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftribune.com.pk%2Fstory%2F1616708%2F4-mahira-srks-raees-reportedly-getting-sequel%2F
Sequel to #Raees ? #RaeesReturns 🙄 But He died in the Climax. Wait , are you thinking about His Child 🤔 Faizan ? Revenge or kind of that ? Idea is nice han 😉😉 https://t.co/nEkU6z5FGX
— Aavishkar (@aavishhkar) January 17, 2018
Only time will tell if we are getting a sequel or not but if we do, we hope to see more of Mahira in it if at all.
The Royal Visit Memes And Parody Are Here To Give You Laughter Fits
Pakistani’s meme game is going strong on the royal visit.
Pakistanis never miss any chance to make memes. As soon as any news related to any field is released their meme game starts.
Well, the royal couple has just arrived and visited places in Pakistan. Pakistanis have not missed this opportunity to show off their humor. Many Pakistanis took to Twitter and made fantastic memes on the royal couple.
Let’s have a look at some of the best memes which will give you laughter fits!
Well, the best is yet to come. How can we forget that the royal couple made an entry in style by rickshaw?
Check out this video to witness the amazing parody and get to know what Prince William said to rickshaw wala during the ride.
https://www.facebook.com/patarimusic/videos/379041882985676/
The Role Media Plays In Mawra Hocane Life
Mawra Hocane was lately spotted in an interview with “Mira Sethi”.
Mawra in her interview highlighted the role media plays in her life. Mawra mentioned that “Nowadays media does not have anything to do, they just publish anything which is trending without thinking that whether it makes sense or not”.
“I have made a personal solution to get rid of these kind of things. Of course it’s hurtful but at the end of the day I have to separate noise and relevant content myself”, she added.
Further Mawra said that “2020 helped me a lot in this process. I worked on it so that I could live a relaxed life and use my mind and potential on something better rather than messing up with this. I have to save myself on my own”.
The Rise of Wahaj Ali: From Rags to Stardom
Wahaj Ali is one of the top Pakistani actors who gained unparalleled fame after the huge success of his Geo TV drama serial Tere Bin. He was always regarded as a fine actor even before Tere Bin’s success. In Jo Bichar Gaye, he showcased his craft as a remarkable Pakistani actor. His other notable dramas include Ishq Jalebi, Ghisi Pitti Mohabbat, Fitoor, and Mujhe Pyar Hua Tha. Recently, fans praised Wahaj Ali’s mature performance as Bilal Abdullah in Geo TV’s hit serial Sunn Mere Dil.
Recently, renowned Pakistani surgeon and media figure Dr Omar Adil revealed the amazing success story of Pakistan’s most successful actor of current times.
Dr Omar Adil said, “Reema was conducting a show a few years ago, and I was helping her with her written work. She said to me, ‘I will send you a boy. Please hand over my script to him.’There was a kid who was very well-mannered and well-behaved. He was a decent boy, and I could sense that he lived a hand-to-mouth life. He was hardworking—he would take the script from me, hand it over to the channel, and then return it to Reema. That hardworking boy is now a superstar. He is Wahaj Ali. We are so lucky to have such dedicated and hardworking people”
It is pertinent to mention that Wahaj Ali began his career as a line producer in a famous TV channel. He assisted multiple famous anchors including Nadia Khan.
The rise of the Me Too Movement and importance of sex education
The Me Too Movement gained immense speed in Pakistan last year when Meesha Shafi accused Ali Zafar of sexually harassing her during a gig at his place. This movement gave, not only women, but also men the power to speak out against acts of sexual harassment which they have suffered through the hands of disgusting,filthy individuals. So how did the Me Too movement start?
MeToo Movement
The Me Too movement actually started way back in 2006, when Tarana Burke, a social activist and community organizer, began using the phrase on Myspace. The movement later began gaining momentum with women coming out with their stories of sexual harassment and abuse. It should be noted that the movement is not gender specific and involves men as well, which makes it equally horrific.
In 2017 and 2018, as many as 80 women came out with sexual harassment and misconduct accusations against American actor, Bill Cosby and American producer, Harvey Weinstein. That is when the movement actually spread more like wildfire with actress Alyssa Milano encouraging the use of the hashtag Me Too.
Me Too in Pakistan
As I mentioned earlier, The Me Too movement gained momentum in Pakistan when Meesha Shafi accused her friend Ali Zafar of sexual harassment. One year on, Ali being a powerful figure has not yet been convicted due to lack of “proofs”. But in all honesty, how can an individual provide proof for such heinous crime?
A guy suddenly gropes you or caresses your back, will you in the heat of the moment grab your phone and start recording? No, I don’t think so.
There is really no way to prove being sexually harassed. Harassment on the other hand comes in various forms. While physical sexual harassment is hard to prove, verbal harassment in which men tend to send lewd or crude messages to women on social media is much easier to prove.
Victim shaming and blame game
In this day and age, when the world has advanced so much, the victim of such a filthy crime still gets blamed.
“Its because of your clothes”
“You should have known better”
“Keep quiet for the sake of our reputation”
I really want to ask how can a person’s clothes be the root cause of harassment. Even women in burqas get raped, little babies get raped…and the most shocking of them all animals get raped!!
Men and #MeToo
The Me Too movement is not gender specific with even men being subjucated to this heart wrenching crime. Recently, Pakistani director Jami Mehmood had the courage to speak out of being a victim of Me Too. It was a brave act on his part to call out the predator and speak up against men.
Importance of Sex Education
With the Me Too movement on the rise and sadly showing no signs stopping as the victims are mostly shamed and perpetrators are left free to roam about. With the rise in sexual assaults especially against minors, children need to know what is right and what is wrong, and the difference between good touch and bad touch. They need to be aware of what will happen to their bodies and how to protect themselves.
The Rise and Fall of Ramadan Dramas
The Rise and Fall of Ramadan Dramas—Ramadan is a time of blessings and prayers for Muslims, but for Pakistani television, it has turned into a big business opportunity. Pakistani television changes its whole colour and tone for the month of Ramadan, but in the last few years, Ramadan programming has also become a victim of formulas. All dramas are generally made on formula, and the same is the case for Ramadan programming now.
Ramadan dramas which saw a big high on rating chats have been going through a sudden decline over the years. The public used to wait for Ramadan drama announcements every year but the craze is dying down and here we analyze why these shows are not performing with as much hype as they used to previously.
Commercialism at its Peak
After the massive success of the Barat series, Suno Chanda became the modern pioneer of Ramadan dramas. This sparked a trend, leading to a surge in Ramadan dramas every year. With millions of viewers tuning in for quality family entertainment, advertisers quickly took notice. However, over time, these dramas gradually shifted from storytelling to full-fledged advertisement campaigns.
While sponsorship is necessary to keep these productions viable, the blatant commercialism became hard to ignore. From milk and cheese products to mobile phones, excessive product placements started creeping into the scenes. This not only felt tacky but also disrupted the viewing experience for fans. Instead of being immersed in the magical world of fiction and family dynamics, viewers were constantly reminded that they were watching a sales pitch rather than a heartfelt story.
One such example is below:
Mismatched Pairings
The leading pair’s chemistry is what pulls the audience to a drama and that is an established fact. What made dramas like Suno Chanda, Chupke Chupke and even Chaudhary and Sons the hits that they were was the chemistry that the lead actors showed on screen. In recent times, Fairy Tale also had massive viewership due to the lead couple’s chemistry. That is something that is not being replicated anymore.
Many young actors are now thrown together to make a drama and there is no story to support their chemistry. This puts off the audience and thus the viewership of Ramadan dramas is declining day by day. There are no Arsal and Ajiya or Meenu and Fazi anymore.
Repetitive Storylines
How many cousin marriages can the viewers see before they get fed up? Yes, getting two cousins and marrying them off is the easiest storyline to come up with and like real life in our country, we see that happening in our dramas too. But at this point, most of these stories are being repeated year after year. The queen of Ramadan dramas, writer Saima Akram Chaudhary also took a break and stated in an interview that she stopped writing these shows as she felt that she had nothing new to write and the stories were getting pretty repetitive.
The Not So Scientific Formula
What worked in Suno Chanda was emancipation of a girl and realisation of her dreams. What worked in Hum Tum were soft male characters who empowered their women and what worked in Chaudhary and Sons was how generational trauma needs to be stopped and not transferred to the next generations. But channels thought that putting two cousin households together with the leads fighting all the time till they fall in love is what worked with the audience and they are replicating it every year in two dramas per channel. Result: Significant decline in viewership and hype.
Ticket To Stardom
Year on year Ramadan dramas started getting high ratings and the main leads became overnight stars. This is why they started becoming a launch pad for star kids to become an overnight success. People are now signing on to Ramadan dramas as a ticket to overnight stardom. Casting is not being done according to the characters. Yes, sometimes it works but most of the time it is backfiring. The makers are also now using old hit pairs to get eyeballs like they did with Aas Paas and Dil Wali Gali Mein this year.
No Ramadan Spirit
The Ramadan dramas started connecting to the audience because they were embedded in Ramadan culture, There was an underlying Ramadan storyline going on in the shows. It made sense and fans were able to connect with it with respect to them being marketed as Ramadan shows. The departure of Ramadan from these shows initially also made sense but many stories are now totally disconnected from the basic Ramadan premise and this takes away from the overall viewing experience. This is how they were incorporating Ramadan spirit in the shows before:
A serious re-invention is required now in order to bring back the charm of Ramadan dramas and makers need to stop recycling scripts!
The Rights and Wrongs of ‘Mayi Ri’
The hue and cry over a soap serial is quite unheard of but ‘Mayi Ri’ has attracted a lot of it. The tagline ‘child marriage’ was tempting enough to be explored. It also piqued the viewers’ curiosity. The viewers have diverse opinions about this drama due to its content.
The Characters and Story
One cannot help but think of Dua Zehra who quite ignorantly could have become a victim of this. There, the parents played their role and saved the girl from ruining her life. In Mayi Ri it is unfortunately the other way around. Parents forcefully married the two teenage warring cousins and put them in a room to live together.
The leading young man Fakhir can easily be termed as a spoilt brat, who is a mediocre student, has a girlfriend, and is a little intimidated by his nerdy cousin whereas the only passion of the girl is her education. The plot seems to be divided into three phases. The first twenty episodes are about them getting married and eventually accepting their relationship out the train to an ultimate wreck. Annie comes from the background of an almost failed marriage of her parents and the father (literally giving a competition to the ‘abba’ of Zindagi Gulzar Hai) left the family to the care of his elder brother who is the father of Fakhir. His father is a typical patriarch-stern and concerned at the same time.
For the second leg of the serial they showed them getting closer. He seems to be winning over the girl with the least effort by supporting her education and protecting her from the wrath of her father. It sheds light on how men get more credit for the little or even basic they do in our society. Makers should be lauded for not sensationalizing the romance, yet a nuanced portrayal might have redeemed the ‘disconnect’ between the events as rightfully felt by the audience. However, it is communicated how the entitlement that comes as a married man at such young age, a little bit of trauma bonding with her former cousin cum friend, a savior complex with his now wife, and being isolated after his girlfriend dumped him, brings in that instinctual side of accepting and forwarding the relationship. After all, it is not a Tere Bin.
Does Mayi Ri Glorify Child Marriage?
Now for the ones alleging the drama of the glorification of child marriage or showing a young girl being knocked up is nothing but a kneejerk reaction. Have we all not seen a fully bloated girl sitting next to us in a matriculation or intermediate exam gasping for air? Don’t we all feel sympathy for her? As for the glorification, isn’t it done in the teenage romances on Netflix making youngsters yearn for some sneaky moments? A huge chunk of the audience started fawning over the two leads bickering and caring for each other as if this is a ‘Suno Chanda’. This cannot be. It’s a show having a haunting image of a bewildered child bride on the poster and child marriage is the ugly reality of our society where 18.9 million girls are married off before they turn 18. More than anything, it raises a question mark over the sensibility of the audience. Are they just going to give in to two pretty faces on screen? It cannot be denied that the chemistry was more fueled by the pictures of leads showing off their warm friendship in the BTS. That could have been managed well by the production house so the narrative does not lose its impact. Choosing age-appropriate actors really did the part and added authenticity to the portrayal.
His reverting to his original careless self and escaping the situations after knowing the ‘good news’ is the most realistic reaction predicted to be shown in the last leg. Having a friend, a fellow victim by your side is a bonus in the toughest of circumstances but the boy was neither educated about the practical side of marriage nor about the whole process of raising a child. It is his conditioning and so in the character of him to find an escape from responsibility as huge as this. Annie on the other hand is already mature and childbearing will make her more practical and lonely like most girls and women in our society. This is the reality that hits home with this drama. This is not just a classic case of a forced early marriage where out of the two victims, the woman suffers more but also a depiction of a despicable union made in a male-dominated, orthodox, and illiterate household. Here the elders think that if they had done it, so will the next of kin without giving a thought to the lifelong impacts.
Closing Remarks
A soap is a longer format of story-telling and to fulfill its requirements there is endless family politics which at some points is tiring and exhausts the subject in Mayi Ri too. It’s not a ‘Rehaai’ of Kashf Foundation which got too dark to bear. It’s a journey of some characters that are palatable at some points in spite of being painful, giving insights into what we turn our gaze away from and into what could have been the best alternative. In short, it is real. While Fakhir, insists on staying in his boy mood, running away from his responsibilities and realities of life, it is in Annie one sees a silver lining. Her grit to break this vicious cycle of backwardness and the passion to burn midnight’s oil to achieve what she wants, against all odds, is palpable even through the screen. Posing a mirror to the masses and still grabbing their attention is the biggest win for the drama and the team should be appreciated for that.
Written by: Urwa Khurshid
The return of Aamir Liaqut Hussain
Famous media person Aamir Liaqut Hussain is all set to return to television screens from the third season of game show Inaam Ghar. The registration for the third season of Inaam Ghar is already underway. As per the official facebook page, this time the participant of the sow have to prepared and gifts will not be thrown to them as freebies like before.
Aamir Liaqut Hussain has also been promoted as the President of Entertainment division of Geo Tv. Aamir Liaqut Hussain last hosted the Ramazan transmission on Geo Tv. He also hosted the Ashura transmission few weeks ago which as per Geo Tv have achieved highest TRP.
Rashid Nazir Ali
The Released Film Actor In Law Premiere was just like a Fish Market !
The premiere of Actor in Law was a completely a mismanaged event. The place was over crowded, it seemed that entire city was invited to have a cinematic experience. The seating arrangement was for fewer people and invited guests were more in number.
The star cast made to the cinema 15 minutes late and the film was already started. Therefore people were busy watching the film and did not even notice that star cast has finally made to the cinema.After a few minutes film was stopped and Fizza Meerza stood up and informed the audience that movie will be played from the beginning as many people have missed the starting of the film. People resisted to the entire idea of playing the movie from the start but nothing changed.
After a while the rock star Atif Aslam left the show , the reason is still unknown. The entire event was a real mess. We hope next time Fizza Meerza and Nabeel Qureshi give us a more organized premiere.
The Release Of Chain Aye Na Is Delayed
After the trailer release of Chain Aye Na, the movie gained many speculations and assumptions about it. Most of them were so negative that the actors had to release defensive statements about it. Seems like the movie is again in the news now before its release.
The film was due to appear in cinemas on the twentieth of this month but now it’s been postponed till the eleventh of August.
The reason for this delay as given by Shehroz Sabzwari is that they could not promote the film properly. As Syed Noor has been on a trip to Bangkok, the team felt that they were not able to hold promotional events and appear on TV shows about it. After a recent appearance in a morning show, they are all set to bring Chain Aye Na to the attention of viewers before its release.
The Regal Invitation Card From The Ambanis
The Ambanis are one of the richest families in the world. With many high profile weddings happening in the Bollywood this season, including the much awaited joining f Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone and one of the most high profile weddings with Bollywood’s biggest star Priyanka Chopra marrying the Hollywood star Nick Jonas, the other big Indian wedding is of Isha Ambani daughter of Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani to fiance Anand Piramal.
The wedding invitations are ready as the wedding will be on the 12th of December and the invitations are nothing short of something at the royalty status. Clad in a box, the friends and family are mesmerized by the invitation along with the social media. Each invitation cost around 3 lakh INR which is equal to 5.5 lakh PKR. Absolutely regal! When you are the daughter of the world’s richest person, this was meant to be. Here is the first glimpse of the invitation and it is totally king sized:
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This is going to be an absolute king size wedding!
The Recent Victims of Dragging!
Any drama with the simplest story can be made engaging if its pace is steady. Obviously good acting counts along with mature writing skills (it’s not like anyone can write a drama) but the pace is what keeps us hooked.
Recently, our dramas reached India and were appreciated. The mature acting and writing was purchased, along with the fact that they have a few steady paced episodes unlike the dramas there. After this, directors , producers and writers should have started to work really hard in order to create more masterpieces which can be aired abroad. In spite of this, we are getting to see more victims of dragging!
1.Arranged Marriage:
I mentioned in a previous article that this drama needs to end. Despite that, it makes it to my list once again. The story is simple. A cheating, abusive, torturous husband manages to portray his innocent first wife as an evil woman in front of his parents and they give permission to this bechara to marry the love of his life. His second cunning wife is pregnant now and will probably lose her child as punishment for her sins.
This content did not need 20+ episodes but somehow ARY managed to drag it this far. Let’s see whether they’ll ever end it or not!
2. Chup Raho:
You knew this was gonna be here, didn’t you?
The topic is thought-provoking. When I heard about it for the first time, I thought this was going to be a fast paced drama telling victims of sexual abuse to stand up for their rights. But alas, I was mistaken. The drama is bold, but that’s not the issue here. The issue is the stretched and useless scenes which make viewers annoyed.
The most important thing is, that at least I don’t watch this drama for entertainment. I watch it with a serious mood in the hope that it will deal with the issue of sexual abuse. But that seems impossible.
3. Ishq Mein Aisa Bhi Haal Hona Hai:
Samra and Fajar’s father abandoned them because they were daughters. Samra and Adnan (Humayun Ashraf) are in love and newly engaged. Adnan’s cousin Neha (Hiba Ali) , who is an orphan and has been brought up by her khala( i.e Adnan’s mother) is a rebellious and rude girl who gets used by a rich playboy Shahmir (Yasir Mazhar). Adnan’s mother falls sick because of this stress and on her supposed deathbed asks, “Kon karega meri Neha se shadi?” (literally) And like a gallant warrior, Adnan decides to marry Neha to save his mother’s life. I don’t get what the dude was thinking but Samra gets it and she decides to end it with Adnan. There’s a side-track between Samra’s sister and her college mate who happens to be Shahmir’s cousin.
The drama is no doubt dragged. First few episodes were on Samra and Adnan’s endless calls, meetings and then the engagement preparations, the shopping spree and then finally the engagement. When Shahmir abandoned Neha and left for America with his newly wedded wife, there were endless crying scenes from Neha and then endless hospital scenes from her khala! Then Samra discovered what a cheat Adnan was and she cried for two episodes.
Let’s see what will happen when Samra’s mother finds out about Adnan and Neha’s Nikkah. I’ll keep tolerating the slow pace to find out who is Samra and Fajar’s father and what will happen to Shahmir now! SPOILER ALERT: I think it’s Shahmir’s father.
Feel free to share your thoughts on these and other dramas.
Areeba Mohsen
The Recent Update On Shoaib Akhtar & Dr Nauman Niaz Controversy
A few days ago, a massive controversy occurred between two ace professionals Shoaib Akhtar & Dr Nauman Niaz, the controversy became a national issue. After the victory of Pakistan against New Zealand, Dr Nauman Niaz and Shoaib Akhtar had indulged in an ugly spat in online show which became viral. Nauman asked Shoaib Akhtar to leave the show which was followed by Shoaib Akhtar’s resignation. Cricket Fans extremely got hurt by this awful event and supported Shoaib Akhtar.
Last night we saw the calmer sides of the two of the partakers Shoaib Akhtar & Nauman Niaz.
Lately, speaking to Geo television show Shoaib Akhtar said, ” I kept on waiting for the show host to apologize, but he did not, after a certain time I simply left the show but I kept calm in that time and forgiven him as well”. He said that he has no grudge with Nauman as he can’t keep things too longer and had forgiven him at the very same time. He said that he’s now fine and okay.
Dr Naiman Niaz also said “I had no right. To err is human and for that, I apologize. Not only once, but a million times. Shoaib has been a rock star. Whatever happened on camera was unbecoming.”
Dr Niaz said his father also told him that he has lost it and he must take responsibility of it because of the mistake he has made.
He further said that Shoaib was a star at the show and “I was a host and the incident shouldn’t have happened in presence of international stars, I apologize because I have hurt sentiments of fans”.
The Real Story Behind Sheheryar Munawar’s Viral Picture With Deepika Padukone
Sheheryar Munawar Siddiqui is a Pakistani actor and film producer. Sheheryar started his career as an actor with his debut in the Hum TV drama serial Meray Dard Ko Jo Zuban Miley in which he played the character of a deaf and dumb boy. He also appeared in Tanhaiyan Naye Silsilay, Kahi Unkahi, and Zindagi Gulzar Hai. He is currently appearing in the drama serial Pehli Si Muhabbat with Maya Ali which is their second collaboration after Parey Hut Love.
A few days back a picture of Sheheryar Munawar with Deepika Padukone went viral on social media. Both the stars met in Dubai and posed for a picture together. As soon as the picture went viral fans speculated that the actors might be pairing up for a project but later on, the photo was deleted from different social media portals.
Sheheryar Munawar has opened up about the real story behind his viral picture with Deepika Padukone in an interview with Rabia Mughni from Fuchsia Magazine.
He Said, “You might have seen that picture on social media for just 20 minutes and after that, I got it removed from everywhere but obviously not from every single social media portal. But thanks to the journalists and my PR team who have helped me in removing that picture after my request”.
He further added, “And nothing really happened, it was just a casual human interaction and we were together at a dinner for 2-3 hours. There is nothing like a project that we are doing together. Somehow the picture got leaked from there that I didn’t want at all because it could be problematic for her and me as well”.
Check out Sheheryar explaining the whole story in the video link below.
The Real Owner Of Parizaad’s Luxurious House
We all are in awe of the block buster Hum TV drama Parizaad. The drama has made a significant place due to its massive production, Steller starcast, brilliant storyline and excellent acting. Fans loved each and everything about Parizaad from the story to the
cast and the locations.
One thing that attracted fans’ attention was the big dreamy palace like house of Seth Behroz Kareem. The moment Parizard’s Promos and OST came, fans got hooked to the luxurious house of Parizaad. The house was beautifully shot from inside out. The house was lavishly used for all the scenes of the main leads.
Here, we would like to reveal the details about that house. Lately, Urdu Point reached out to the real owner of the famous house. The house is owned by Usman Zafar Cheema. The house used in Parizaad is worth 60 crore PKR, all the cars and Range Rovers that were used in the house also belonged to Usman Zafar Cheema. The house is located in Gulbergs Green Islamabad which was build in 2018. The total area of the house is 10 kanals. The build up area of the house is big but it has only 14 rooms, it has many lounges and corridors. The owner said that now people come and pay visit to his house after the drama. He said that there is Map guide video to his house on YouTube.
He said that the drama team used house and cars for around 13 days. Usman said that now his house is for sale. He said that he was reluctant initially after seeing the owner of the house in the drama as a gangster but then the makers consoled him and said that later it will belong to Parizaad who is a good person. He said that his family members also called him in Canada and reported to him that his house is coming in drama and now the popularity is massive.
Here is the video .
The Real Baaghis
This world never was an easy place for women but undoubtedly this struggle for survival has become a hundred times harder in today’s world or may be it always was this hard and it’s only now when women who were wronged have spoken for themselves and have forced us to open our eyes and see the truth that we so conveniently had closed our eyes to for centuries. The need to talk about where we went wrong has never been more relevant than now and there is no better medium to spread awareness than media, be it electronic, social or print.
As much as we need movies and plays telling stories of rape, sexual harassment, domestic violence and honor killing we also need stories that inspire. Women who have fought against all odds and have achieved the un-achievable. As much as the dark side of this society needs to be shown constantly we also need to show the audience that there’s still hope and that no dream is too big. Women who did not comply to the society’s definition of what a woman can and can not do, women who did not let their gender decide their limits, women who are the epitome of freedom and women empowerment.
Today we celebrate such women and their courage. Here’s a list of stories that need to be told through our TV serials and cinema.
1-Syeda Ghulam Fatima
The first time I heard of this superhero of a woman was when Brandon Stanton (the owner of photo-blog Humans of New York) shared her story and helped her raise $1.3 million for her organization, Bonded Labour Liberation Front Pakistan (BLLF). I had never heard of this brave woman or her cause ever before and that makes me terribly sad as I wonder how many other Ghulam Fatimas are still unsung and uncelebrated.
Fatima holds a master’s degree in Political Science from Punjab University. She has been campaigning for worker’s rights and against bonded labour in Pakistani brick factories, kilns. She has been threatened, attacked, and wounded because of her activism. Through her organization, the Bonded Labour Liberation Front, Fatima has established Freedom Centers where workers can go for protection and legal counsel. She is the elected General Secretary of Bonded Labour Liberation Front Pakistan. Alongside her husband, Fatima runs BLLF from a storefront in Lahore.
She helped to release more than 80,000 bonded laborers in Pakistan from all provinces since her engagement, and trained more than 600 women in alternative skills for poverty reduction. In September 2015, Fatima was awarded a Clinton Global Citizen Award for “leadership in civil society” in New York.
2-Shamim Akhtar
Shamim Akhtar, at 53 is Pakistan’s first female driver; she is one such example who decided to go against all odds to make both ends meet for her family and adapted to a role skewed toward gender based obstacles. Married off at 17 years, she quickly found out that she had to fend for herself and her children. In the face of considerable financial hardship, Shamim relied on her own intelligence and strength to take care of her children and marry off her eldest daughters. Her husband was never around, and left her for another woman.
She attributes her success to the Islamabad Traffic Police Training course that paved the way for her to show her the possibilities of being able to drive heavy vehicles as she had gained an excellent road sense and courage to defy all stereotypes associated with driving vehicles. Her untiring efforts later helped her gain a public service vehicle license, making her the first Pakistani woman licensed to drive trailers, tractors and trucks.
3-Samina Khayal Baig
Samina Baig comes from Shimshal village in Hunza Gojal, Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan, and was trained in mountaineering from the age of 15 by her brother, Mirza Ali. She is a student of Arts and began climbing when she was merely four years old. She is a high-altitude mountaineer who in 2013 climbed Mount Everest and then all Seven Summits by 2014. She is the first and only Pakistani woman to climb Everest and the Seven Summits. She is also the youngest Muslim woman to climb Mount Everest, having done so at the age of 21. Samina was the first to climb the peak Chashkin Sar (above 6,000 meters) in Pakistan in 2010, which was later renamed Samina Peak after her. She reached the summit of ‘Koh-i-Brobar’ (‘Mount Equality’) in 2011. Besides the Himalayas, Baig has been employed as a mountain guide and expedition leader in the Hindu Kush and the peaks of Karakoram. Baig has been a professional climber since 2009.
4-Kulsoom Hazara
Kulsoom Hazara, is a young enthusiastic, passionate and determinant Pakistani karateka who belongs to ‘Hazara Community’ located in Baluchistan. She is first female ‘karateka’ to represent Pakistan at international competitions. Despite of inadequate facilities and resources she is very optimistic about her future and vows of winning more medals for Pakistan. She participated in the 2012 Asian Championship, squaring off against fighters from various Asian countries. She is national Karate champion since 2003. She previously represented Pakistan in many international karate events like Islamic games, Asian and south Asian games and won many gold medals for Pakistan. Kulsoom is the only female player in Pakistan karate team who has hat-trick for wining 3 gold medals in 3 competitions and is still holding her record. Recently she took 2 gold medals in south Asian karate championship in new Dehli India and 3 gold medals in national games Lahore.
5-Sabia Abbat
Born and bred in Haripur, Sabia Abbat became the first woman from Hazara division to win the National Cycling Championship in 2013. Being a sports enthusiast at college where she represented the institution in various competitions helped. She saw a cycling competition in 2011 in Pania where the women could barely ride bikes and decided that this was a skill she wanted to learn. Back home, in Haripur, she practiced on her uncle’s cycle, fell a lot but kept at it. The cycling championship has nine events, six of which are held on a velodrome while three are on the road. Haripur has no facilities for training in cycling so for serious practice Sabia has to travel to Lahore. Sabia holds a Bachelor’s degree in physical education. She has been a National Champion, an army athlete and an inspiration and her journey is far from over.
6-Nergis Mavalvala
One of the most recent Pakistani woman to hit the international news headlines has been Karachi-born quantum astrophysicist Nergis Mavalvala, Associate Department Head of Physics at MIT, and a member of the team of scientists that announced the scientific milestone of detecting gravitational waves, ripples in space and time hypothesised by physicist Albert Einstein a century ago.
Dr Mavalvala worked with researchers at the US-based underground detectors Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) Laboratory to build sophisticated sensors to detect gravitational ripples created from the collision of two black holes some 1.3 billion years ago and had been hurtling through space to reach Earth on September 14, 2015. Dr Mavalvala, 47, attended the Convent of Jesus and Mary, Karachi, before going to the US as a teenager.
The article is already too long and yet this is the tip of the iceberg only there is so much more to where this comes from. Pakistani women are superheroes in true sense of the word and it baffles me why we do not celebrate these women and their stories as much as we focus on the stories that show women as the victim. We hope we get to see more plays and movies focusing on lives of these women in future. Let’s celebrate women for the warriors they really are.
The Raw Public Opinion On All Three Movies
Since we have been minutely following the public’s opinion on twitter about all three big films that have been released on eid day we are posting their raw opinions for you and they aren’t written by us. We aren’t misleading public for any of the movie almost all sort of comments are in it and remember the difference between them is not that big, all are average movies with one being the highest-rated on public opinion.
Paray hat love ‘s screenplay is trash, reported by public rest its great cinematic experience but people are angry that they aren’t kids to be fooled
Superstar is a decent average movie with a script that will go better with production.
Heer man jaa is said to be engaging movie by majority, there are negative comments too but it is with less flaws in its script, again the opinion is based on thousands of tweets and latest ones are attached here.
The Rangreza Stars Won’t Marry Actors!
Talking about the most watched shows this season, O Rangreza comes to our minds at once. The drama has managed to hook us from the beginning and people have fallen in love with innocent Qasim and the mysterious Sassi. Both the stars Sajal Aly and Bilal Abbas are ruling our screens right now. While on an interview, they both were asked if they will marry an actor. And their answers were straightforward NOOOs!
Bilal said that he always wanted to be an actor and obviously love his job. But it would be difficult for him to come back home and still talk about the same work environment where he spent the day. He wants a sense of space and a bit free time from what he does all day which won’t be possible if he marries an actress. Bilal is not willing to marry in his family. When asked about why he has so many demands, the actor replied with a witty response ke dimagh bohat ooper chala gaya hai!
Sajal, when asked the same question, said that she wants to marry someone with a more stable and “reputable” (she laughed) job since earlier she said in our society when you are asked about what you do and you say Acting, people say woh to theek hai parr kaam kya karte ho. So our Sassi though she loves showbiz in O Rangreza don’t want to get married to an actor in real life.
Both the stars were thankful to their fans who loved their drama and are appreciating their work. Lets see when will our Qasim and Sassi will find their life partners and will they stand with their statements of not marrying actors. Only time will tell!
The Ranch Cast In Real Life 2020
The Ranch is an American streaming television sitcom which debuted in 2016 on Netflix and ran for four seasons. It has 80 episodes total and ran from 2016 to 2020. The Ranch was particularly liked by the viewers and critics because of its characterizations and solid performances. Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson were seen on the screen together once again after the That ’70s Show in this series. The show is set in a fictional place Iron River Ranch and it centers around the life of the Bennetts. Most of the critics concluded that the sitcom overall was good for casual watching. There were also those who thought that the jokes fell flat most of the time and the series didn’t have anything new to offer. It was however really popular among the masses.
What sets The Ranch apart from other Netflix series is the fact that it was filmed in front of a studio audience. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly Ashton Kutcher shared that the first priority for the makers of The Ranch was to set the show in “small-town America. It’s the middle of the country, the heartland … yet nobody makes content for them, I don’t think the success of Duck Dynasty was an accident. I think that show was successful because it spoke to a specific audience that can relate to that life.”
Here are some interesting facts about the Ranch cast members and recent pictures of them from 2020.
[lwptoc]
Ashton Kutcher (Colt Bennett)
Ashton Kutcher is a popular American actor, producer, activist, and entrepreneur. Ashton’s career in the entertainment industry started with acting and modeling in 1998. His first acting project on television was That ’70s Show which ran from 1998 to 2006. He is a successful actor and model who also runs several businesses of his own. He has worked extensively for the protection of children and also established an international human rights organization in 2009. It is now known as Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children. He has done everything in his power to be a spokesperson for sexually exploited children and victims of human trafficking while actively doing whatever he can to protect them. His hobbies include working out, music, video games, and partying. He is a black belt at Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Danny Masterson (Jameson “Rooster” Bennett)
American actor and disc jockey Daniel Peter Masterson was born on March 13, 1976. In 2020, he was in the news for all the wrong reasons when he was arrested and charged with three rape allegations. He denied the rape charges and his wife was equally shocked by the allegations. If convicted, he could face up to 45 years in prison. Danny Masterson was one of the main attractions of The Ranch cast. He started his career as a model when he was only four years old. He was part of many commercials and even sang for some, by the time he was sixteen years old he already had extensive experience of being in front of the camera. He is married to the American model, actress, and singer Bijou Phillips since 2011 and the couple has a beautiful daughter.
Sam Elliott (Beau Roosevelt Bennett)
Award-winning American actor Sam Elliott started his acting career in 1969. He is known for his deep voice and well-acknowledged as a character actor. He is married to the American stage and television actress Katharine Ross. Apart from his impressive acting career and voice-over narrations, Sam Elliot was named the grand marshal of the Calgary Stampede parade in 1998. He rode in the procession before an estimated 300,000 spectators which was pretty impressive since such an opportunity is only given to some actors.
Elisha Cuthbert (Abby Phillips-Bennett)
Elisha Cuthbert became a permanent part of The Ranch cast from season 2 of the show. She is a Canadian actress and model who has been part of many notable films and television series. For many years Elisha Cuthbert was in all the hottest women lists published by leading magazines from 2004 to 2016. She can also speak French and she paints to relieve stress. Elisha Cuthbert is married to Dion Phaneuf who is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. Elisha Cuthbert and Dion Phaneuf launched a virtual 5K walk/run in support of Special Olympics PEI in November 2020.
Debra Winger (Maggie Bennett)
American actress and producer Debra Lynn Winger was born on May 16, 1955. Her acting career started in 1976 and even though she has been associated with the entertainment industry for such a long time and has won so many awards, in 1995 she decided to take a break from acting and was quite honest about the reasons. In an interview she gave in 2002 she shared, “I wanted out for years. I got sick of hearing myself say I wanted to quit. It’s like opening an interview with ‘I hate interviews!’ Well, get out! I stopped reading scripts and stopped caring. People said, ‘We miss you so much.’ But in the last six years, tell me a film that I should have been in. The few I can think of, the actress was so perfect”. After taking a long break she made a comeback in 2001 with the film Big Bad Love which was written and directed by her husband, Arliss Howard. Debra Winger married actor and director Arliss Howard in 1996.
Kelli Goss (Heather Roth)
Kelli Goss is a 28-year-old American actress who has done a lot of work on television. She started her acting career in 2010 with the Nickelodeon comedy series Big Time Rush. Her role in The Ranch is considered one of her best work so far. She has also starred in other popular shows such as My Name Is Earl, The United States of Tara, Hannah Montana, and Hollywood Heights. Her career took off in 2013 when she starred in The Young and The Restless. She is engaged to attorney Justin Wilmers.
Megyn Price (Mary Roth)
American actress Megyn Price started her acting career in the early 90s. She also has singing talent and she also directed an episode of Rules of Engagement. Her first television appearance was in one of the episodes of the famous television series Quantum Leap. Since then she has been part of many films and television series. Megyn married screenwriter, producer, and director Bill Lawrence but that marriage did not last long. Megyn is now married to Edward Cotner, who she was dating in high school but then they parted ways only to be united again. She worked as an investment banker for a year before starting a career in acting.
Dax Shepard (Luke Matthews)
American actor, writer, comedian, director, and podcast host Dax Shepard was born on January 2, 1975. Although he always had a great sense of humor, he never thought he had the confidence or the desire to actually take-up stand up comedy or acting as a career. However, he ended up taking training at the trained at The Groundlings Theater for improv and sketch comedy. It took him long eight years of auditioning to get his first paid acting role. Dax is married to actress Kristen Bell, the couple has two children. He dedicated a lot of his time to the Hollenbeck Youth Center which is an after-school program that provides an opportunity to at-risk inner-city youth.
Kathy Baker (Joanne)
Kathy Baker is an Emmy Award-winning American actress who has some memorable roles to her credit. She started her acting career in theatre and made her screen debut in the drama film, The Right Stuff in the year 1983. She has played impressive roles in more than 50 films. Kathy lives in Southern California with her second husband Steven Robman, who is a director and a producer. The couple got married in 2003. Kathy has a son and daughter with her first husband. Kathy is dead against plastic surgery, in fact, she has openly said that she wants to be the only American actress who does not want to get plastic surgery done. She is not afraid of getting or looking old.
Barry Corbin (Dale)
Barry Corbin is an American actor who started his career in the 1960s. He always wanted to be an actor even when he was a child he dreamed of performing someday. Barry studied theatre at Texas Tech University. Once he started his acting career, he carved a niche of his own and ended up winning many awards for his outstanding performances. He has always been really open about his struggles as an actor and has talked about how actors should always be ready to be rejected several times before they finally succeed.
Have you watched The Ranch? Which characters and actors are your favorites? Share your views.
The Quintessential Male of Pakistani Dramas
Our dramas usually focus on the lives of women and the female lead plays the central character. The stories are usually about her journey and transitions. It comes as no surprise since women make up the largest segment of the audience. But to better understand the female lead and her transitions, we need to understand the man in her life- rather the male lead.
Here’s a look at what comprises the quintessential man in our dramas:
- He will promise her the world while he’s courting her but once she becomes his wife, he constantly reminds her that his mother is the most important woman in his life and if she were to ever (God Forbid) disobey her, he wouldn’t hesitate to leave her.
- If his wife argues with him and/ or has issues with his mother (who, by the way, treats her like a slave), she deserves a slap.
- If the slap(s) don’t make her shut up, he must divorce her by instantly pronouncing Talaaq three times in a single breath.
- If his mother (who abhors his wife) accuses her of being unfaithful, he readily throws her stuff in a bag and kicks her out in the middle of the night.
- If his marriage is going through turbulent times while his wife is expecting, it must mean that she was unfaithful and the child belongs to another man!
- If another woman expresses an interest in him, he gets easily swayed.
- When confronted about the other woman, he gives his wife an ultimatum- she can either remain married to him and keep his name (but will definitely have to leave the house) OR she can carry the label of a divorcee for the rest of her god-forsaken life.
- His wife is not allowed to step out of her house except with the consent of his mother.
- Its okay for him to flirt with his classmates, his secretary, his cousin, his neighbour but his wife cannot talk to any of her male cousins after getting married since that will reinstate his belief that she is guilty of having an affair.
- He expects his wife to wake up before he does so she can prepare his breakfast, have his clothes ready and see him off. However, if she calls him during the day, he has every right to get annoyed since how could she be stupid enough to interrupt his day?
- He keeps reminding his wife that she is lucky to have been married to someone like him!
How many more can you add to the list? I’d love to hear your take. P.S This article is a satirical take on the male lead and is not intended to offend any actor in particular.
Kanwal Murtaza
The Quintessential Female of Pakistani Dramas
As a follow up to my earlier article about the quintessential man in our dramas, (Read article here: https://reviewit.pk/the-quintessential-male-of-pakistani-dramas/), let’s take a closer look at our female lead. Since most of our dramas are women-centric, it’s only fitting that we list out some of those unique qualities that distinguish them from others.
Here’s a look at what comprises the quintessential woman in our dramas:
- She believes her husband will live up to every promise he has ever made while courting her.
- She puts up with her mother-in-law’s unfair treatment towards her and continues to try her utmost to please her by getting up early, taking care of her tea-making duties, scraping and scrubbing without a single “uff”. It doesn’t matter that her mother-in-law continues voicing her contempt, she’s after the “Bahu of the Year Award”.
- When her husband slaps her, she keeps her silence since how could she possibly tell her parents how her husband really is.
- When her mother-in-law accuses her of having an affair, she cries her lungs out and would even drop to her knees and beg her mother-in-law to believe in her piety.
- When her husband questions her about the father of her baby, she suddenly turns silent and her only response is “Kya aap mujhe itna gira hua samajhte hein?”
- When her husband divorces her in a jiffy, she remains distraught for months endlessly and finds it difficult to convince anyone that it wasn’t due to any fault of hers. She loses her self-esteem and wonders what went wrong!
- She befriends the woman who is after her husband and in-fact, on more occasions than one, trusts her husband blindly enough to leave him alone with the other woman.
- When her husband takes a second wife, she is ready to accept and forgive him so long as he stays with her.
- She complies with the unreasonable house-arrest restrictions placed upon her by her mother-in-law.
- She keeps her silence and doesn’t confide in her husband when another man- be it her husband’s brother or an ex-stalker are pursuing her.
- She thinks that cooking hearty meals are sufficient to keep her man. She neglects herself completely and is more than content being a housemaid and puts her husband and in-laws first.
- Her family and friends constantly remind her how lucky she is to be married and she feels truly blessed!
How many more can you add to the list? I’d love to hear your take. P.S This article is a satirical take on the female lead and is not intended to offend any actor in particular.
Yours in watching,
Kanwal Murtaza