The recently engaged couple Asad Siddiqui and Zara Noor Abbas is finally getting hitched. The festivities have started with a dholki and many friends of the couple including Asim Azhar, Yasir Hussain, Saboor Aly as well as family members were seen at the event. Zara looked pretty in her attire. Here are the pictures:
Sadaf Kanwal is one of the most sought-after models of our industry at this point. Starting from Miss Veet, she later proved her mettle in every field of modelling becoming the top choice for all designers and starring in a number of advertisement campaigns. She has also stepped into acting with Balu Mahi and also performed a dance number in Na Maloom Afraad 2. Sadaf has always been very discreet about her personal life but recently she posted a picture with the caption Mr Right and social media was set on fire.
She later removed the picture but nonetheless, the couple looks beautiful!
The age of social media keeps the people in media industry close to the general public at all times. From what they wore to what the ate, everything becomes part of the daily news. Controversies are a part of showbiz industry. Though stars always want to be clean and clear in front of the public due to paparazzi surrounding as well as the amount of interest in their personal lives lands them in trouble every now and then. Some actors actually create controversies to remain relevant. Every year we witness stuff goes on; some intentional and some non-intentional. The year 2017 also saw its share of strange controversies surrounding celebrities and some of them turned really ugly due to the amount of attention they got. From start to the end, here are the ones which got the most hype and some are still relevant:
Neelam Muneer’s Personal Video Leaked:
Internet went crazy when a video of Neelum Muneer dancing in her own car leaked. She was obviously with some friend and maybe that friend leaked it intentionally or it got out by accident but people were there to discuss everything from the song being played to her dance moves. She was wearing a white eastern attire and was visibly having fun with friends but the video made great controversy and she sure came under heavy fire.
Syra and Alishba Got Candid On HSY’s Show:
HSY’s show is the only celebrity show in Pakistan right now or you can say a true celebrity show. This season was much better than the last ones since the host tried to get things out of his guests. Many show off statements were made and all the celebs had something to say on one topic or another but Yousuf sisters stole the limelight. They not only had fun in the show but targeted every second actor/actress from the industry. Calling mega stars overrated to actresses alleged cosmetic surgeries; they spoke about each and everything.
Veena Malik And Asad Khattak Divorce Drama:
When the world thought of Veena Malik and Asad Khattak as the perfect couple with love in their home and their two beautiful kids, the couple gave a glance of an ugly truth about their relationship in front of the media. Veena wanted a divorce from Asad while Asad wanted their relationship to work. They went on different shows where they were called to put out their stories and reconcile. According to Veena, she was mistreated by Asad and he didn’t even take the financial responsibility of the family and Asad was just sorry while Veena was not willing to forgive. Finally, the couple reconciled on Waseem Bdami’s 11th Hour due to counselling by Maulana Tariq Jameel. They gave their relationship a second chance and both seem happy now.
Saba Qamar boycotted LSAs:
Saba Qamar made her Bollywood debut this year. Her movie Hindi Medium grossed more than 100 crores at the box office and people were praising her performance on both sides of the border. Suddenly after working so many years in the industry and giving a lot of convincing performances, she started getting the acknowledgement she never had before despite performing beautifully. She won nominations at the Lux Style Awards and people were taking them very seriously. But Saba being the outspoken person she is boycotted the nominations and the show and said that she has not done brilliantly the first time. She said that she has been working for a decade now and people are suddenly going gaga over her just because of the BOLLYWOOD STAMP! She openly questioned the credibility of the show. Later the host Osman Khalid Butt also made a joke on her boycotting the award show. Later in the year more actors also expressed concerns about the credibility of our award shows. But senior actress as Saba boycotting the biggest award show of the country made quite a news.
Sahir Lodhi Bashed A Girl During Ramadan Transmission:
Sahir Lodhi hosted a Ramadan transmission this year. Like all other transmissions, he also had debate competition and the likes on his show. A girl named Saba Rizwan also participated in the competition and while she was doing her speech, Sahir suddenly stopped her in a very dramatic way. He didn’t even listen to the full context and started shouting in extreme patriotism as what he termed his behaviour as. Saba later released a video in which she read the whole speech and people knew what she was actually going to say. Sahir was served with notices for the incident. The things went even uglier because during his patriotic outrage Sahir unconsciously gave a disrespecting statement about Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. As always Sahir later apologized for the whole scenario.
Amir Khan and Faryal Makhdoom Drama:
Amir Khan and Faryal Makhdoom remain in news for not so good reasons. Previously it used to be a spat between Faryal and Amir’s parents. But this time the couple had a falling out themselves and that too on twitter. They accused each other of infidelity and cheating and Amir called for a divorce. Later Faryal said that their social media is hacked but Amir clarified that nothing was hacked. The controversy went from apologizing to Amir’s family to Amir having a new girlfriend and then Faryal claimed that she was pregnant. Amir assured her of taking responsibility for his daughter and the other child if there was one in his words but they both were going through a divorce. Faryal was recently seen holding a picture of her ultrasound too. The most disturbing thing about this controversy: All this happened on social media!
Mahira Khan’s Leaked Pictures:
This was the biggest controversy of 2017. Mahira Khan and Ranbir Kapoor were caught by hidden paparazzi while they were smoking outside a hotel in NYC. People were talking about everywhere with many criticizing Mahira for her smoking, her dress as well as Ranbir’s presence. Her fans and celebrities supported her during this time though she herself didn’t respond to any speculations. Earlier speculations were made about both of them dating when they met at an event in Dubai.
These were the shocking controversies that happened in 2017. Social media and news feeds were full of these stories with millions giving their opinions. Fans defended their favourite celebs in some cases while other just became a topic for laughter and bashing. The controversies are a kind of excitement we wish do not come up to us. We wish 2018 would be a peaceful year and filled with great entertainment and yes LESS DRAMATIC too!
It is a heartfelt desire of every Muslim to perform Hajj and Umrah and every one of us tries to go to our Holy places. After completing his shooting spell in Turkey, actor Ahmed Ali Butt is also off to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah. He shared some pictures while travelling to the place every one desires to see. He got a picture clicked in front of the famous clock tower too.
Umrah Mubarak to Ahmed and may all Muslims get this opportunity to visit the Holy Kabah!
Sanam Jung is one of the most beautiful host/actress of Pakistan Entertainment Industry. She has ruled the hearts of her fans from her first appearance in Dil e Muztar opposite Imran Abbas. Sanam’s wedding pictures also took the fans by storm because Sanam looked ethereal in all her wedding functions. Last year, Sanam became a mother when she gave birth to beautiful Alaya and along with a bunch of responsibilities that come with motherhood, also came some post-pregnancy weight. Though Sanam looked extremely beautiful, many people criticized her for not losing the weight immediately. But Sanam has really worked hard in the past year and has lost a whopping 17.5 kilograms. She shared her transformation picture and thanked her trainer for pushing her to meet her goal.
We as a society have to learn that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes and a huge appreciation for this amazing transformation for Sanam Jung!
Maya Ali always looks beautiful and acts amazingly by as well. She is one of the few actresses of today who are still mostly natural and untouched surgically in their appearances. So if you need any inspiration for this back to back weddings’ season, Maya Ali is the person you should observe. She attended her friend’s dholki in an all black panelled and embroidered long shirt in gold with black and gold printed trousers and amazingly the combination looked great with a mustardy gold shawl draped to one side.
A gold clutch and fancy khusaas completed the look which she kept very youthful with blow dried hair, black lined eyes and nude lipstick.
As December nears its end, there are many things that brighten up the cold days. One of these is the Christmas Eve which was celebrated in Pakistan with a lot of festivities. Our celebrities also enjoyed themselves with family and friends and shared glimpses of their day on social media accounts.
Mawra Hocane wished the minorities a happy day and tried to lure Santa with a pair of fabulous slippers;
Sunita Marshall poses with her adorable little family and looked festive in her black Minnie Mouse headband;
Benita David matched her mood to her Christmas decorations;
Mahira Khan was on the sets of Rewind With Samina Peerzada and had a blast with the Christmas tree in an outfit fully suitable to the occasion complete with her elf hat;
Humaima Malick posted a photo of Christmas party with her friends from the industry including Cybil Chowdhry, Ammarah Hikmat and Tanyaa Afridi.
Angeline Malik took to Twitter to wish a happy Christmas to everyone;
So this episode took us from scene to scene but there was no further development in the story. Absolutely none. It was evident that Mir Hadi had fallen for Khaani but where do we go from here? And there were also a few big loopholes in the episode yesterday.
Firstly, lame attempt at killing Khaani by Mir Shah lacked conviction. Why would he, who in his own words comes from a family where they have been killing people for their own reasons for generations, hire an old inexperienced van driver who thought just hitting someone and making them fall down is enough for their death? Secondly, Mir Hadi was so concerned about her and genuinely believes that he loves her but he has not shown an ounce of regret at killing her brother yet. Unless he feels guilty at what he has done , you cannot believe that he has turned over a new life and the place to do that was before he was so actively pursuing Khaani. From his character development till now, he just seems an obsessive spoilt brat.
Khaani is a relatively sane factor in the story but an intelligent woman like her should have been able to guess who is behind all these anonymous gifts and flowers, but maybe she is too preoccupied with her family’s problems to guess her unnamed lover, which is understandable. Her father is quite upset at being paralyzed and her mother has to give up her life in order to care for him which is taking quite a toll on their household. She has arranged treatment for her father and is also fulfilling her younger sisters’ material wishes.
One thing that annoyingly stood out is the title now where Sana and Feroz are riding a bicycle lovingly. A drama that started with bloodshed cannot just so soon change into a romantic saga, seems very unreal. Hadi looks downright creepy especially in that scene when he went to check on her when she and her sisters are sleeping and staring at her in the bed. I totally failed to see that as romantic and then you see both of them on a love ride.
There are some credits to the play as well. The plot is unusual and depicts some seriously harsh realities which is good, but there is need for a slightly more realistic screenplay. Feroz Khan is doing a good job as the bad guy in the drama, who is very badly brought up and that makes him apathetic and oblivious to anyone else’s feelings except his own, but when he is promoted as the protagonist is where the plot lacks definition. Mehmood Aslam is also great as the ferocious and powerful Mir Shah. Khaani’s parents are also looking very natural and relatable as they fight their battles bravely.
I hope next episode will bring some pace to the story.
Writer: Akhtar Qayyum
Director: Amir Mohiuddin
Producer: Vision Art Films, MH Films and Malkani Films
Cast: Urwa Hocane, Bilal Ashraf, Goher Rasheed, Ghana Ali, Alyzeh Gabol, Seemi Pasha, Saba Faisal, Saleem Mairaj & others.
Rangreza is essentially a love story and like many other love stories which we have seen on the silver screen lately, this film too has a few social messages as well but unlike some other films which excelled in highlighting these messages while keeping the viewers interested and engaged, Rangreza falls short on many levels. The film is overcrowded with characters you feel absolutely nothing for and the love story doesn’t even start until after the interval. There is a lot of focus on the side characters who have nothing exciting to offer with the exception of Waseem Wallay played brilliantly by Goher Rasheed. Although the character itself is one-dimensional but the energy with which Goher Rasheed has translated it on screen makes it the only performance which stays with you.
Bilal Ashraf plays Ali Zain’s role in the film, he is a famous singer who falls in love with Reshmi (Urwa Hocane) who belongs to a Qawwal family. The family ties and backgrounds of both these characters are just as unappealing as the characters themselves. Bilal Ashraf’s performance is just as plain and forgettable as his character and Urwa Hocane too doesn’t get a chance to showcase her acting skills. Although there is zero on screen chemistry between the leads but it is also a fact that the screenplay is such that it does not even explore the relationship these two share. Ghana Ali gets a lot more screen time than she deserves just like many other supporting characters. Alyzeh Gabol’s cameo in the film is pointless to say the least! Saba Faisal gives a decent performance in the film although her character too doesn’t have a lot to offer.
Watching this film was like watching an average episode of a drama which doesn’t have a solid storyline and is badly executed. The film does not even have the edge of being visually pleasing and it doesn’t have a single well choreographed song to its credit. Urwa Hocane proved that she can dance really well in Punjab Nahi Jaungi but the director and the choreographer failed to make the most of her ability to do so. The most disappointing aspect of the film is that the leading pair is hardly seen together in a romantic setting. Rangreza has the most unimpressive cinematography and overall it has an artificial feel to it which is why you feel completely disconnected from the happenings all through the film. The dialogues are just as plain as the characters and the story and there are also scenes in which the dialogues don’t even make sense. Overall the film is a big “yeh shadi nahi ho sakti scenario” which leaves a lot to be desired and literally puts you to sleep. Unfortunately such films are the reason why the cinema-goers think twice before watching a Pakistani film!
Maya Ali is now a household name of Pakistani Showbiz. Within short of span of time she has taken the world by storm with her award winning performances. Her notable plays include “Aik Nayee Cinderella” “Aunn Zara” “Shanakht” “Mera naam yousuf hai” “Diyar-e-dil” “Mann Mayal”. Maya Ali will soon enthrall the audience in her upcoming Movie “Teefa in Trouble” starring Ali Zafar as lead male protagonist. The film is expected to be released in 2018. Apart from her professional Career, Maya Ali is well adored in her personal life. She is very down to earth and her self-effacing personality really counts in her success.
Besides retaining skills in acting, Maya Ali is a slaying model as well. On many occasions she just stunned the audience with her looks. Maya Ali is a true Fashionista and 27 times we were just carried away with her Style and Fashion.
1. Those coffee coloured hair leaning on her right shoulder as she looked absolutely striking wearing this pear coloured wardrobe.
2. This pose in a black outfit with shiny black straight hair will make you fall in love with Maya. A beauty in black.
3. This a hottie selfie with an IPhone while wearing pink skirt and a gold coloured watch.
4. Is at an American girl? A British girl? Don’t be baffled she is our own Maya looks enchanting in white shirt paired with denim jeans.
5. Isn’t she just looking like a Barbie doll? Wearing knitted woven shirt with wavy hairs and protruding eyes shrilling your heart.
6. Even if it comes to being simple she is matchless, how amazingly she carried this navy blue wardrobe and her straight brown hair looks mesmerizing.
7. Go Glam! Q-Mobile ad was definitely a treat to watch just because of Maya. You will be just carried away in this pic as your soul get stabbed with her upturned eyes staring at you and wavy hairs making her looks more prominent.
8. When it comes to following old traditions Maya Ali ensured that styling should remain on top. How resplendent she look with Maang tika on head along with traditional earrings while wearing multi-coloured sari with green and purple bangles.
9. A proud award winning moment. She just dazzled everyone on show with her dashing lavender empire waist outfit.
10. Deep set eyes in black sleeveless attire with wavy hairs makes this one a sizzling hot still.
11. She always managed to be different in award shows. This red mermaid silhouette apparel definitely made her distinctive among crowd in Lux style Awards 2017.
12. When attitude blends with style! A spellbind still in tortilla outfit and chandelier earrings.
13. No one can simply carry Nomi Ansari wardrobe with such grace like Maya. My eyes remained glued to the picture as she looked absolutely in this sea green full ankle length skirt.
14. Holding hairs from back of the neck to showcase her drop earrings while she slays you with her smile and downturned eyes. This is definitely a unique still of Maya and will pierce your heart.
15. Holy Moly! A still from bata TVC where she looked ravishing in this crimson red skirt.
16. That breath-taking still in Burgundy Sari with Tiara on head and brunette wavy hairs whilst she gaze you with wide set eyes.
17. It will certainly took you while to look at surroundings as your eyes remained glued to her ensemble. Such an exquisite style which only Maya can execute. By looking at her navy blue apparel I must confess that this is Fashion at its best.
18. This candid still in yellow sleeveless wear will crush your heart as she stares with almond eyes and brunette hair rolling over her face.
19. All those black are now glitters. How ravishing she looked in this black skirt and a collar necklace marking its eminence.
20. Glaring in the white long skirt and brunette hair she looks undeniably like a princess.
21. El Magnefico! When Navy blue top matches with Textured waves chocolate hair. This pose is an absolute killer.
22. Once again slaying in Nomi Ansari ensemble. Slate structured off shoulder blouse paired with godet skirt. Even if the background was not blurred it would certainly go unnoticed.
23. She loves wearing skirt. Once again looking charismatic in Berry blue blouse and godet skirt.
24. A flawless portrayal of Nomi Ansari Bridal Collection. She truly embodied a bridal look wearing Nomi Ansari’s bridal ensemble with tiara on head and full neck necklace paired with traditional earrings.
25. Yes Orange is also her favorite. An elegant look in simple Orange attire and those straight hair are also noticeable indeed.
26. A true ambassador of Maria B. designs. How gorgeously she rendered Maria B. linen collection in this still.
27. Lastly a showstopper. While representing Maria B. collection she stunned every on ramp in this attire along with Osman Khalid Butt.
So starting from the scratch and becoming a renowned Pakistani Actress, Maya Ali had indeed struggled a long way and faced immense criticism in her preliminary projects but hard work finally paid off. No wonder why she is a brand ambassador of Nomi Ansari, Maria B. and now BATA. Above all in real life she is a beautiful soul with a pretty heart.
Bestselling author Pankaj Dubey wants to cast Bollywood actors Alia Bhatt, Sushant Singh Rajput and Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in the film adaptation of his new book Love Curry.
Previously Dubey has produced indie films like Geelee and Naach Ganesh and a short film titled Maratha Mandir Cinema featuring actress Sarika and actor-lyricist Swanand Kirkire.
“I have already started scripting the film and thinking about the casting. As the story is mainly about three boys from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, I want to cast Sushant, Fawad for the two of them,” Dubey said.
“For the female lead, I think Alia can play the part. Let’s see how the casting goes,” he added.
Dubey launched the book on Friday night. The story of Love Curry revolves around three guys from three different continents who live in the UK. It shows how they go through a journey of their life, love and cultural identity.
Though the book is a light read and when asked what made him bring the element of identity struggle of South Asians within a western country, Dubey said: “I lived in London for quite some time for my study and work. I have seen how people are narrating their story of identity struggle.”
He added, “Though the time has changed drastically and thanks to the internet, people know that India is not a country of snake charmers anymore, there are snob people with disinterest and misconception regarding our culture.”
“But at the same time, I do not want to treat the issue with so much seriousness, rather wanted to focus on how these three guys, who are otherwise fighting against each other as Indian and Pakistani unite as one in a western country,” Dubey concluded.
Dubey’s Love Curry surely sounds like a story worth experimenting with but given the political stress between the two nations the question remains if he’ll be able to cast a Pakistani actor. Do let us know what you think of it.
Anwar Maqsood is an institution in himself for decades. The world famous playwright, lyricist, satirist, painter, poet, sculpturist and host has revieved many awards including lifetime achievement and Hilal e Imtiaz. The great man had now been awarded with an international award ; the honorary doctorate degree at the Greenwich University.
Here is to wishing more success to the 77 year old who is a pride of this nation.
These three episodes were also laced with superb dialogues, amazing performances, wonderful script and well flowing story. There were a few scenes though in which Faryal Mehmood’s (Mahi) acting seemed forced especially where she was telling Rameen about her brother’s love story and also when she was taunting him. It was meant to be a sister’s concern for her brother but it looked heartless and insulting. Everyone else including her shone throughout in rest of the three episodes.
Story wise, things are keeping pace and the thrill alive. Bali has advertised a reward of five lacs for finding Jajji in hope that his kids would be reunited with him. Mehr Chiragh’s seasoned eyes are suspecting something fishy but his guess is that it must be Iqbal’s brother who is called Jajji. Mojoo and the real Jajji tried to negate that thought as well as they could but Mehr Chiragh did not seem fully convinced. Waseem Abbas is doing a brilliant job as the cunning and seasosoned Mehr Chiragh who has a deep rooted grief for his murdered son which he disguises as black humour.
Mehr Punar is also amazingly well played by Aabi Khan as the conflicted young man whose mother has instilled in his every bone the seed of revenge for his father’s mother, yet life and its beauties keep on pulling him towards them: His expressions are always on point. He is desperate to kill Bali so he can get on with the business of living his own life. His mother did say that because he is in love, she will take away the responsibility of killing his father’s murderer away from him, but in actual she was making him feel guilty and has succeeded fully. Mahi is trying to talk him out of this bloodshed but it did not work.
Hukum ka beta Bali ko mar kay phansi charh jai ga toh kia Hukum aik bar phir nahi mar jayein gay or Hukum ki beti ko yeh nahi laga ga kay is bar Hukum ko un ki biwi nay mara hai
One thing that stands out in the play is that both Mahi and Rameen are outspoken and headstrong and both Farhad and Punar are obedient and duty bound sons. Jajji tried to send the kids back to America but Rameen would not hear anything about that and his father had to give in.
After a lot of thought, Jajji decided to call Yawar Kamal and ask what he needed from him. On meeting and seeing his determination, Yawar tried to convince Bali that Jajji has become their father now and won’t give up those kids but the revengeful and blood thirsty Bali has woken up once again and wants to go over Jajji’s dead body to reach his kids.
I am sorry Zuhra but I am not in control
Jajji truly loves Farhad and Rameen like his own and it will be traumatic for the kids to know that he is not their real father but this matter can be solved peacefully. The kids are old enough to understand the situation and even help their father out of it. They are not babies that Bali will just snatch away from Jajji and keep them in his home.
Punar and his mamoo have finally located Bali but Yawar Kamal comes in the way with his men and everyone gets hurt during the point blank firing. Mehrunnisa however is still more concerned about Bali’s murder than the fact that her only son and only brother could be fatally hurt. This whole story is weaved around one woman’s wrath and revenge who would not forget the death of her beloved husband.
The next episode brings Bali and Jajji face to face can’t wait to see how that one goes.
Shayyad is getting more interesting with every passing episode and although some of the scenes in tonight’s episode were difficult to execute but the director managed to translate them on screen without making them look too awkward. Like most of the other dramas written by Faiza Iftikhar this one too is unpredictable, convincing as well as realistic. I truly appreciate the fact that the writer did not make Saad an ultimate bechara although his character is such that he would have gained a lot of sympathies from the viewers had his character not taken the turn it took recently. The fact however is that the main reason why his character is more appealing than ever now is that he isn’t perfect. The evil and desperate plans he keeps on thinking about intentionally and unintentionally make it easier for the viewers to connect to his character. Right from the first episode Saad’s character has held my interest and even now his character keeps me guessing. Uzair Jawal was absolutely remarkable in tonight’s episode and overall too he has done justice to his character.
Tonight’s episode covered a great deal from light moments which covered the marriage functions to serious developments like Saad getting even more desperate and Hani sensing Saad’s true feelings for her. This episode showed that Saad isn’t even trying anymore to keep faces which is why when he went to take Salar’s measurements, he continued to say things which will put him off. Salar’s reaction showed that he was quite capable of controlling his anger if it suited his needs. Salar is also desperate to have Hani in his life but for completely different reasons. Apart from being controlling and rude, Salar is also very calculating. We have seen quite a few men like Salar in our dramas, characters who only reveal their true identity after marriage but it isn’t very often that the viewers are shown the mindset of a man like him on screen. He gets angry at a lot of things but only shows his anger if he feels that the situation is right. The intensity of his anger is also measured by the circumstances. Nauman Ijaz is the king of expressions, no matter what role he is playing, he always manages to impress the audience. He was a brilliant choice for playing this role.
Hani and Saad’s scenes together in the first half of this episode once again showed the difference between their feelings for each other and the second half covered the way Hani felt after realizing how Saad actually felt about her. Her initial reaction and the confusion later on was covered perfectly. Even though so far Sadia Khan looks much better than she acts but in this episode in particular the scenes were written and directed so well that her average performance could easily have been overlooked. Mahpara’s character so far doesn’t have a lot to offer because her scenes always show how left out and betrayed she feels. Her story is gradually being revealed and as long as she does not get a lot of screen time, her character is bearable.
The preview of the next episode was really enticing and well put together. Will Saad do something extreme to stop this marriage or will Hani end up blaming him for something he has not done? The best part of this drama right now is that it is impossible to predict what is going to happen next!
How many of you watched tonight’s episode? Do share your thoughts about it.
Ohkay so, another week, another interesting episode of Aangan. The best part about watching this drama is that since there are so many characters & almost all of them get a coverage in every episode, you never get a chance to get distracted as you are always getting to know one thing or the other about every single one of them which makes all the episodes quite happening & entertaining!
So, Saadan took a big step & introduced Afrah to his family as a ‘friend’, the thing which obviously didn’t sit well with both Hajra & Afrah for different reasons. It was quite intelligent of Zoya to take charge of the situation & it was amusing that she used Anila’s name to convince Hajra that she shouldn’t react recklessly as even Zoya knows that everyone gets scared of the idea that Anila might blow things out of proportion. Anila has no idea what sort of impression she has left on everyone where they all literally dread her involvement in any family matter. Well, Afrah could see that Sadaan was still skeptical about introducing her to his family & telling everyone that he wanted to get married to her. Being the eldest daughter, Afrah has some pressures too but Sadaan is too scared to take a stand for her at the moment. Hajra finally got a chance to say what she wanted to but Asim jumped in to save his nephew, but sadly even he got to hear a thing or two about himself & Laila!
I liked the father son conversation where Sajjad tried to get to know what was in Sadaan’s heart. At least Sajjad knew that he had to do something about it because the way Hajra was approaching things would only make Sadaan rebellious. Well, Anila’s daughter reminded her that she was contradicting herself, which was basically a subtle but good reminder of how people can have double standards when it comes to their own children. Anila doesn’t want her brothers to have a life of their own but she also doesn’t want her daughter to get married in her own family as she knows it ain’t easy living in such a big joint family. I like how the writer has shown that the daughters try to reason with their mothers, first Shaina & now Ramna.
So, Abba Jee & Zaitoon both got a chance to bond with Aqdas. Zaitoon is still not over her ‘bartan’ & her generosity whereas Abba Jee couldn’t stop bragging in front of Aqdas. The entire conversation of Abba Jee explaining what ‘tra’ means to Aqdas was so amusing, I loved it!
So, Asim finally made it happen & he got Laila the permission that she wanted to start a business. Sajjad pleaded their case too & Abba Jee was on board with it as well. It is so funny how Asim has earned himself a label of being Laila’s Majnu. Zaitoon’s feelings for Laila are amusing as well, since she knows she can not hate Hajra for she takes care of the entire family & also Rubina because she belongs to her own family, therefore Zaitoon has picked Laila to play the role of typical Saas for because she is the easy & the only option, but it is good to see that her husband tries to rationalize her behavior because he can see how Asim tries to maintain a balance between his parents & his wife. This entire love-hate relationship that both Abba Jee & Zaitoon have with Asim & Laila is actually quite sweet!
So, Aqdas finally decided to drop a few hints to Zoya & even though she ignored, the way she looked at herself in the mirror showed that he did pull her heartstrings. Obviously, it will take a lotttt – a lot of opinions, a lot of permissions & so much more for Aqdas to finally ask for Zoya’s proposal but it will be an interesting ride for sure!
I enjoyed watching this episode. I love tuning to Aangan for the fact that even though it shows some real kind of family politics but because all of that is conveyed in such a light hearted manner that you tend to enjoy while still understanding what the writer is trying to convey. Definitely looking forward to the upcoming episodes. Qavi Khan’s portrayal as Abba Jee is phenomenal & his scenes today were super enjoyable as well. Another attention to detail which I loved was the usage of Peacock feather as a bookmark in Quran Majeed, it was soooo sweet & so relateable, it just brought back so many memories. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Aangan.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
Finally, the story moved forward today and some of the prevailing Khamoshi was broken. The most expensive wedding of the drama history finally kicked off with Atif’s mehendi. His character is one of the most confused ones written in a decade may be. He does not want dowry but he takes it. He does not want Naima but he will marry her. And he hates Arsala but still will make a scene at his own mehendi because no one can stop him. He is a confused person and will show in every bit of his screen presence that YES I am confused! Why are you trying to get your ex-fiance back now while you are marrying her sister? The conversation between him and Arsala was the highlight of the show today. He flirted with his sister in law and then went on blaming Arsala’s Khamoshi for everything. The question is why were you misunderstanding Arsala in the first place and who cleared your misunderstandings now? Arsala did a good job by giving him a poetic shut up call. This was the right time to break her Khamoshi and she finally showed someone in her life his right place.
Naima might die due to hyper-jealousy before even getting married to Atif. She is more into bad-mouthing Arsala and Sabir. Girl! Just stop your fiance from flirting with Arsala. And stop your future mother in law from still dreaming of making Arsala her bahu. The way Atif’s mother knows what will be the consequences of her son’s rash decisions and is already regretting them is perfectly acted out.
The other family members are still stuck in financial calculations with Sabir mourning over the loss he has suffered. Arsala’s mother’s character has taken a 180-degree turn and no one has bothered to explain why. She is telling Naima to take whatever she wants and has no worry for Arsala’s future, this is becoming utterly confusing because she in the first place always loved Arsala more and never even wanted her to stay in Karachi. But now, all she is concerned about is Naima. She doesn’t even care about Guddu while Naima never even bothers to respect her.
Shahram came with a bang at Sabir’s door and looks like he will offer him money to get Arsala married to Atif. He is keeping his vow of standing silently with Arsala in every aspect of her life. So Khamosh larka is a good larka too and now we have to watch other episodes to find out how he will end up with Khamosh larki! All in all, it was good to see the end of dormancy and the story moving forward finally!
Eastern Eye, a UK based publication has just released a list of top Bollywood debutantes for the year 2017. Two of the top Pakistani actresses Mahira Khan and Saba Qamar also made it to the list.
Mahira Khan made her Bollywood debut opposite Shahrukh Khan in the film Raees. Raees was a super hit and Mahira became first Pakistani actress to join Bollywood’s hundred crore club. She looked beautiful in the role of Asiya and now her role has gotten her a place in the best debutantes list.
Saba Qamar also made it to the list due to her superhit Hindi Medium opposite Irfan Khan. Saba won hearts on both sides of the border with her portrayal of Meeta in the film and now she is one of the top debutantes too.
The queen of melody Madam Noor Jehan is one of the best voices sub-continent has ever produced. Today marks the 17th death anniversary of the legendary artist. Madam Noor Jehan has been not only a singer but an actress too. Her six-decade-long career is filled with many memorable tunes. From romantic numbers to patriotic anthems, whatever she crooned became a part of her fans hearts.
In 2000, Madam Noor Jehan got hospitalized and later died due to heart failure. Her funeral was attended by nearly half a million people. Today after 17 years she is still alive in the hearts of her fans!
Ohkay so, another week & another weak episode of O Rangreza. I just can not believe this is the same drama that had so much to offer & stayed amazing for like so many weeks. It just doesn’t seem like the same drama, same story anymore & it seems as if the writer lost the direction where he wanted to lead his characters to, that is why they seem clueless & the story seems stagnant. There was a time when slight touch of comedy worked really well too but now, through Tipu’s character that comedy is being brought back again but it just doesn’t work as it seems forced & Tipu’s character is anything but funny!
All the scenarios & every single character is so aloof to one another that you just find it hard to see them as a single family. Khayyam is busy taking care of Sonia, so not sure how long will it take him to tire himself out because Khayyam is used to being pampered & not pampering someone else. For a man like Khayyam who has been so selfish, it won’t be too long before he realizes that he was just infatuated with Sonia. Sonia got a notice to move out & Khayyam will most probably bring her with him to Mumtaz’s house!
The focus was on Meena & throughout the episode I was just wondering why is she being given so much of importance? Just when I was thinking she might do something to go back, she shared her plans of staying here forever because of Qasim. Meena is interested in learning about Islam so it was good that Mumtaz decided to help her but then also reminded her that it won’t be easy. Mumtaz’s question was the only thing that made sense in this entire episode where she straight away asked Meena if she was accepting Islam because she wanted to get married to someone?
Qasim finally revealed that he transferred his credit hours to some university in this city. Good to know that after being shoved around like a puppet, he decided to do something for himself but then again, I see no change in his personality since he is living in the same toxic environment, so there is no chance for his improvement. Meena did make sense though, that he shouldn’t stop Sassi from doing what makes her happy. I was wondering since Qasim knows what’s right & wrong for Sassi, then why doesn’t he know what’s right & wrong for him too? Is he always going to remain on a same track or he is going to do something for himself?
Mumtaz stopped Tipu’s marriage but before that, she gave sedatives to Sassi so that she doesn’t stop Tipu’s marriage? Does that even make sense? Like Mumtaz realized things weren’t right, so if that was the case, why did she support Tipu in the first place & not only that, went to such an extreme where she ended up hurting Sassi? Mumtaz has always known her son’s shortcomings so only to get back at her husband & to prevent him from selling the house, she handed over everything to conniving Tipu? Seriously? Even though Mumtaz is a simpleton & that’s how she is but I wish she had some sensibility & she wasn’t so absent minded to commit such stupid mistakes because being simple is no excuse for you to be stupid!
So Sassi auditioned but what’s next? What is going to happen then? It is amusing how everyone is so disconnected with each other in this family that except Qasim, no one is bothered about what Sassi is doing? It is like everyone has left Sassi on her mercy because they know she is a gone case. Meena helped Sassi & then asked for Qasim in return. It is funny that Qasim is being used as a barter bargain between the two ladies, but then this is what happens when you have zero personality because people then assume that you have no feelings, no heart, no mind, no liking, no disliking of your own!
Anyways, it was a boring episode because things are barely making sense anymore. The writer Saji Gul right from the beginning knew that the plot & the characters in this drama were different from the usual & he was even aware of the fact that O Rangreza wasn’t grabbing the attention of the viewers, so I think he should have kept his grip on the story under all circumstances because O Rangreza didn’t have the kind of plot to keep the viewers hooked by making the story stagnant with no development & zero evolvement as we all can now see that it got really boring real quick & that’s a fact. Please share your thoughts about this episode of O Rangreza.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
Rangreza starring Urwa Hocane, Bilal Ashraf and Gohar Rasheed is released worldwide. The premiere of the film was held in Karachi and many celebrities attended the event. The cast, as well as all others, tried to put their most fashionable foot forward. If all of them succeeded or not, you decide:
It is a trying time for Mohsin Abbas Haider and his wife as the couple lost their little angel Mahveen just after one month of her birth. The news made everyone shocked and caused great grief to all his fans when the actor announced the loss on his social media. Mohsin shared a poem on his Instagram which he wrote for his daughter at her birth. These are the words from a father to his daughter:
May Allah bless the little angel and give patience to the family to endure such a big loss!
This Pakistani British Boxer has his way of making headlines every now and then but this time it isn’t good at all.
Amir Khan , who is a practicing Muslim, took to his Instagram and posted a picture of the Christmas tree that he had decorated to surprise his three year old daughter, the boxer captioned this picture with, “While everyone’s asleep, daddy put the Christmas tree up. Lamaisah’s going to be happy.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bc3k_VUBFwa/
Many of his followers were offended by this and some even threatened the boxer’s life.
One troll wrote, ‘You must be dead and your family will be death. I promise and Allah must promise. I and Allah see you and check you. your angel of death came to see you,” reported Daily Mail.
Another user wrote, “That is a pagan practice. I mean you might as well eat pork…”
“True Muslim believers wouldn’t be putting a Christmas tree in their house hence he doesn’t represent a TRUE MUSLIM,” wrote a user.
Of course some of the followers defended the boxer too by stating that he was only trying to surprise his daughter.
An Instagram user wrote, “He hasn’t put the tree up to be offensive, his done it for his little girl, she is being brought up in a western country, and will see all her friends and places around her with them. Have you seen how many tress there are up all over Dubai and other Muslim countries? Saying he should die is way over the top!”
“Damn. Amir puts up a Christmas tree for his daughter, we go mad. Yet we go hanging around with some questionable people within our own community, don’t even deny the drug dealers who are pervasive in our community which people look the other way to. yet a Christmas tree was put up and the morality police are out in force. Hypocritical fools. If you have an opinion fine, if you want to pass on a message, fine. Just don’t be a tool. Rant over,” said another one.
In an interview some time ago Amir Khan had stated that he spends every Friday afternoon at the mosque near his training camp in California.
He said the mosque was his ‘favorite place to go’, adding, “I am not afraid of saying I am a Muslim. I think some people would be scared to say that they are Muslim, especially during the current time, but I am a proud Muslim. There are a lot of good Muslims out there who are against terrorism, who are against, you know, people killing each other.”
Even while he was a participant in the reality show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, he was reportedly allowed separate meals in order to make sure that what he ate was halal.
What’s your take on the story?
Finally one of the most anticipated films of this year Arth-the Destination is out. The premiere of the film was held in Lahore and many prominent celebrities attended the event. The leading lady Uzma Hassan looked lovely in a sari, while Shaan and Mohib’s families were also present to support them. Here take a look at the pictures from Arth premiere:
Ohkay so, Yaar e Bewafa came to an end & if I look back at the entire journey, the best description that comes to my mind for it is ‘sweet & simple’.
Yaar e Bewafa had such a story which didn’t promise fireworks or too much drama & even though it was predictable right from the beginning, the simple execution made the viewers look forward to the upcoming episodes because everyone could relate to the characters & felt a lot for them when they were struggling. What I liked the most about this writing was that the writer didn’t make the characters completely black & white & every single time he justified & explained why they would behave a certain way.
So, Zaid made it very clear to Fizza that she could not make him happy like she used to & she lost the place in his heart. Fizza tried really hard to earn her position back but Zaid told her clearly that his heart belonged to Amna & not Fizza. Amna introduced Zaid to a new meaning of love because in Zaid Fizza relationship, Zaid was the selfless one so he never really knew what it was like to be loved selflessly which Amna introduced him to, that is why he understood that she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
Amna decided to go abroad because she earned herself a job there but thankfully before she could leave, Fizza realized that she had to make amends & she had to accept the reality that Zaid was happy with Amna, therefore she had to bring her back in his life.
The note at which the episode ended was quite sweet because Ahmed also found his father’s love & got to be with him as before he was the one who suffered due to Fizza’s irrational decision. It was good to see that all of them found a way towards their happiness & things worked out for everyone.
Overall, it was a very good drama totally fit for binge watching because I am sure if watched that way, the slow pace of the drama wouldn’t be noticeable, which we felt while watching it on a weekly basis. The story was simple & straight forward. The way the director executed everything was brilliant. Yaar e Bewafa showed that simple stories can still work if they are executed properly. Imran Abbas & Sarah Khan were the stars of the show & Arij Fatyma acted brilliantly as well. I must commend the writer for making us fond of the characters of Zaid & Amna. Imran Abbas & Sarah Khan deserve a special mention for such a perfect chemistry & yes, the writer deserves a special mention for showing us a healthy marital relationship, which indeed was not only sweet but quite refreshing as well. Please share your thoughts about the final episode & the entire journey of Yaar e Bewafa.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
Cake is an upcoming Pakistani film starring Amina Sheikh, Sanam Saeed and Adnan Malik in lead roles. The film revolves around the lives of two sisters played by Amina and Sanam and some secrets in their family. Cake will release on 30th March 2018. The first look trailer for the movie is out and it looks intriguing. Here, have a look:
https://youtu.be/kfO09hOycng
The cinematography of the film looks awesome. What are your thoughts on Cake’s trailer? Are you going to watch it?
Parchi is an action packed film that is being promoted near and far ahead of its release. It’s trailers have also served well to pique up interest in audience. The movie stars Hareem Farooq, Ali Rehman and Usman Mukhtar, all very busy in promotions that are held across the country.
Parchi will also be the first Pakistani Film to release in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after its crown prince lifted the ban off cinemas after some 35 years. It will make an appearance on the screens nationwide on the 19th of December there.
Baaghi isn’t the kind of drama which gives you a lot to talk about since every episode reinforces the same messages which have been put forward repeatedly in every single episode for the past ten weeks or so. Every episode of Baaghi shows how different people whether they are strangers or members of her family, exploit Kanwal. Kanwal Baloch came to the city looking for a career because working in showbiz was her dream and also because she wanted to have a better life but now she is simply doing whatever it takes to help her family members financially and otherwise. So far, the writer hasn’t shown the actual nature of Kanwal’s work therefore I am assuming that she is earning all this money from her videos.
Kanwal ended her relationship with Shehryar after realizing that having a “normal” relationship might just be a dream for her. The “favor” Kanwal gave the police officer so that he would free her brother from prison had to be the most forced and unnecessary development in this episode which is why all the other developments which were linked with this one appeared to be pointless. Why didn’t Kanwal turn to Shehryar for help? She could have bribed this officer as well or asked someone else for help. Just like every week, the writer yet again put her in a situation which would highlight just how majboor she was. While I can relate to how the pressure her family is putting on her would push her to do something extreme, I cannot understand why this woman who has come this far is still so naive that she will allow anyone to use her! Unfortunately, Kanwal Baloch has been turned into a weak character and her story is going around in circles. Shehryar’s character hasn’t added much to the story either other than showing how Kanwal had to let go of a perfect companion because she wanted to focus on helping her family.
Kanwal’s bhabi proposed that she should go to the village with her where she could see her son, it would have been so much better if Kanwal put forward this idea herself. Kanwal’s brother’s attitude towards her has changed completely because he needs financial help from her constantly. Right now the focus is entirely on Kanwal’s relationship with her family and mainly on her brother because of obvious reasons.
Like every other episode of Baaghi, this one too was shouting out loud “please feel for Kanwal Baloch” but just like always I had a really difficult time staying awake while watching it. This drama lacks depth, intensity and enough content to cover 20 plus episodes. It has been dragging for weeks now and the fact that the story is highly predictable makes it even more difficult to sit through this show. Kanwal’s scenes are the same in every single episode. Pakistani drama makers have made plenty of quality dramas in the recent past and there are some really good dramas on air even now which highlight the problems faced by women in a male dominated society therefore Baaghi is definitely not the first or the last play to highlight these issues! The fact that it isn’t doing so too convincingly doesn’t make it the best one either!
There was a time when Pakistani writers were focusing entirely on how women are exploited by their in laws, bechari bahu was the most TRP generating topic but now it seems that sexual exploitation has taken the place of bechari bahu. While there are plenty of dramas which are doing justice to the topic and addressing it in a proper manner but there are many more which are using it to gain attention and popularity and excelling at it too!
Hira Tareen And Ali Safina have been blessed with a lovely little girl this week. While it was Ali Safina who brought us the news through his Facebook page and appreciated his wife for this wonderful gift she has given him, it’s Hira the new mommy who has shared the first glimpse of their gorgeous princess and her beautiful name “Mahgul” with us.
In a happy and excited Facebook post, she introduced her baby all decked up as the special little princess that she is;
The young and talented maestro of bridal wear in Pakistan, one of the oldest and most established names in Asian bridal wear, Mehdi got married to his beautiful wife Zahra in a festive star studded wedding. The bride stole the show on all three days with the most exquisite of bridals that we are sure Mehdi was keeping for her only. The couple looked amazing together;
The celebrations were attended by many famous names of the entertainment and glamour industries. Actors and models including Barbara Sharif and Cybil Chowdhry were spotted along with designers Maria B, Faraz Mannan and Shazia Deen. Here is a look at the fabulous guest;
The designs were all top notch and elegantly crafted;
Seriously, where has the story of this drama gone to? It is so obvious that the makers of Teri Raza are so not in a mood to end it that is why they are adding one hideous scenario after another to just churn out more & more episodes.
Where the focus should be on Suhana & the makers should be hurrying up in giving closure to her track, they shifted the entire focus on Talat, Zafar & Daadi as if the viewers were going to be thrilled seeing their story? When the side characters start taking more screen time, that’s when you know the writer has nothing left to show.
Talat met Suhana despite being told not to by her husband Zafar. Where Talat fixed her matters with Suhana, she ended up getting the threat of divorce by her husband? It is so amusing how these guys behave so dramatically over things only to later forget what they said before.
To be honest, seeing Daadi behaving like a lunatic actually scared me because I had a feeling that all the viewers of Teri Raza including me might end up like her, clueless & lunatic if this drama wouldn’t end in the near future. I am sure since Daadi is bored, has nothing to do & is quirky, she came up with a plan to act like this, in order to make Zafar realize that he can’t live without Talat, but then again, can anyone tell me, what is the purpose of all this?
Imtiyaz is still not over Suhana, so if this is how he was going to behave then what was the point of divorcing her? Well, for the first time Suhana felt that she ruined her relationship with Imtiyaz after she saw how much her mother was concerned even after her father threatened her with divorce, but then again it is going to be of no use since Suhana’s ego is too big to admit that she committed a huge blunder by getting married to Rameez.
It is funny how Suhana’s life has become a lie, she lied to her mother saying her husband makes a lot of money whereas in reality, all he does is play games on his phone! Seema’s concerns are valid & she is justified in feeling awkward about the way Imtiyaz is still not over Suhana & how he is still taking care of her expenses? Suhana really sounds like a hypocrite when she speaks about ‘khud-dari’ because if she would have been khud-dar, she wouldn’t have shamelessly accepted financial support from Imtiyaz, her ex-husband, the one she resented & despised! Anyways, please share your thoughts about this episode of Teri Raza.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
Today is Pakistani superstar Mahira Khan’s birthday and the lady didn’t go for over the top celebrations but cut the cake with her family. Mahira shared a very beautiful video of her birthday celebration but she was not the only one on the cake duty, her son Azlan also completed his duty of blowing candles and cutting the cake. The cute bond between the mother and son is something which will make anyone go aww. Here watch the beautiful video:
We wish Mahira Khan a very happy birthday!
Ohkay so, the production of Six Sigma, writing of Rida Bilal & direction of Yasir Nawaz; Khudgarz is a prime time drama airing on ARY Digital on Tuesday at 8PM. In a nuthsell, intense acting & spot on direction made the first two episodes of Khudgarz worth a watch.
The story revolves around Munawwar’s family which includes his wife (Shaheen Khan) who he has a strained relationship with, his son Hassan (Sami Khan) & a nephew Junaid (Syed Jibran). The main problematic factor in Munawwar’s life is Hassan. Hassan being the only son gets away with everything because he has such sort of personality where no one dares to confront him, except Munawwar but then again, for Hassan even his father is not worthy of his respect.
The main plot was focused on Hassan & his psychological issues. Hassan was once engaged to the love of his life Sara but because she couldn’t cope up with Hassan’s tantrums & chose her parents’ dignity over him, she called their engagement off. Hassan till date hasn’t been able to get over the fact that Sara rejected & insulted him & in stead of reflecting upon his own mistakes, Hassan has let this anger brew inside him which has made him a bitter & angry person. Hassan then got married to Abeer (Mansha Pasha), a loner who has no one in her life except Hassan. Hassan exploits Abeer & her love for him to the fullest because he enjoys the fact that she is full fledgedly dependant on Hassan for emotional & moral support. Even though Abeer is a marketing executive & does well for herself professionally but when it comes to her personal life, she has made it obvious to Hassan that she has no personality, no liking, no disliking of her own & all she wants is him & his validation. Even though Hassan has kept this marriage a secret from his family, Abeer hasn’t been able to convince him to make their relationship public. When it comes to Hassan, he doesn’t mind saying what’s on his mind & what he feels since he doesn’t believe in giving others a chance to explain, speak or be themselves in front of him. Hassan has some serious anger issues & no one has confronted him for that!
Junaid has turned out to be an ideal son for Munawwar & his wife, as he till date hasn’t been able to forget that when his parents passed away, it was his uncle Munawwar who not only brought him to his home but also dedicated his life to raise him like his own son. Junaid is a bit too submissive & he excels in everything, probably because he is conscious of the fact that his uncle has invested so much time, energy & money on him therefore it’s his way of returning him the favors he did for him. Since Junaid has turned out to be so brilliant & obedient, Munawwar chooses to make him a part of the family business which is run by him & Hassan. Junaid likes his batch mate Rabeea & she has a high regard for Junaid as they both are each other’s support system!
Well, Hassan chooses to get married to Munawwar’s best friend Amir’s (Mehmood Akhtar) daughter Aairah (Amina Sheikh), which was basically his family’s attempt of bringing him out of the depression that he went into after his engagement with Sara was called off. Hassan himself chooses to accept the proposal while keeping his family in the dark about Abeer his wife. Aairah is a psychiatrist who is pretty focused on her career & feels passionately about what she does.
Well, things gets dramatic when Abeer threatens to end her life when Hassan tells her that he is getting married. Since Hassan can’t get over the fact that Abeer might do something irrational, he leaves the moment before his marriage & tells his father over a text message that he can not get married. Just because Munawwar knows that Hassan is capable of doing something so irrational, he pleads in front of Junaid & asks hin to get married to Aairah. Aairah on the other hand feels that Junaid has no personality but just because her father pressurizes her, she gives in too & they both get married. Well just because Hassan finds Abeer’s neighbor & colleague (Salman Saeed) pacifying her in her apartment, he leaves while making up his mind that to get back to her, he will continue with his wedding with Aairah but when he reaches the venue, he finds out that Junaid & Aairah are already married. Obviously, things don’t sit well with Hassan & he creates a havoc but Munawwar takes a stand & tells him to accept the reality.
To be honest, during the first half of the episode, when the characters were getting introduced, I was actually quite interested to find out more about them but when the second half of the episode began & the actual story unfolded, I could already see that the story wasn’t something new or special. Yasir Nawaz is known for his craft & there is no doubt about the fact that he as a director elevates the level of the story but I can foresee that Khudgarz is going to be a story about the extreme characters with a prime focus on the villain Hassan.
I wish apart from Hassan, the writer had kept other characters normal & not too extreme where Junaid is a bit tooooo simple & Abeer is a bit tooooo majboor. I have a feeling this drama’s story will revolve around Hassan & his antics which definitely will at some point test the patience of the viewers because in dramas or stories like these, the culprits are given a freehand by the writers & they get away with literally everything because the writers make them too strong to be confronted or defeated by anyone. Another thing that didn’t really sit well with me was how Amir forced this marriage upon Aairah, a daughter he has raised with so much of love & a daughter he has empowered with education that now she is a well-known psychiatrist. I found it disappointing that Aairah’s father literally begged her to get married to Junaid as if he was her last resort? For a woman like Aairah who is so well educated & is perfectly fine without a husband, to be forced into a last-minute arranged marriage with a guy like Junaid citing father’s izzat as an excuse seemed a bit forced & not too intelligent.
I will definitely recommend this drama to those who are interesred in seeing a well-directed serial with some power-packed performances. Another perk is that since they are airing 2 episodes a week, it won’t be dragged to the limit where it might become hard to sit through. Sami Khan, Mansha Pasha & Syed Jibran, all of them did a wonderful job by literally owning their characters & giving them a perfect treatment. Amina Sheikh was perfect as a well-groomed, emotional yet focused & level-headed Aairah. Sami Khan was definitely the star of the show because he was phenomenal as twisted psychotic Hassan, it was surely a nice change seeing him play a character like this who was a naqaam aashiq but had something more to offer than that label. I just hope things don’t become monotonous where Hassan will have an upperhand all the time & others will be too majboor to face him or show him his right place. Let’s see. Please share your thoughts about the initial episode of Khudgarz.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
This was another episode of Dar Si Jati Hei Sila with some really solid performances to its credit and this time around too Zaini’s character stood out more than any other. The relationship dynamics between all the characters have been well established by now therefore the story needs to pick up pace. Although I would prefer a slow-paced and non-commercial venture like this drama highlighting an important social issue any day of the week to one of those commercial dramas which follow a specific pattern but I also feel that there is a great deal of repetition in every episode. A lot of things which are being shown in detail are also being said over and over again which is why there are times when you feel like some of these conversations do not add much to the story. The drama has a realistic feel to it which is why even with the slow pace it keeps your interest alive. Also, I feel that dramas like this one deserve to be watched so that Pakistani drama makers would have incentive to continue making dramas which serve a bigger purpose.
This episode once again showed how Joi ran the show in Noor Manzil. He managed to turn the entire situation around single-handedly. Sadia and Sila both would have loved the prospect of moving out of Noor Manzil and away from Joi but Joi wasn’t going to let that happen. He did everything in his power to make sure that ultimately Sadia refused to go to Canada. It was wonderful watching Sadia take a stand because she knew that Sila won’t be safe without her. Sila however cannot see that her mother is taking all these decisions to protect her. Sila’s impression of what is going on between Joi and Sadia is totally opposite to what is really happening between them therefore she sees things differently. She blames her mother because she feels that she is having an affair with Joi and perhaps also because in her opinion her mother has not done much to make her feel secure in Noor Manzil. There are times when you feel like Sila is taking out her own frustrations on her mother and for her hating her mother is an act of rebellion, perhaps something which makes her feel liberated. Yumna Zaidi and Saman Ansari’s brilliant performances make their characters easier to relate to and make you forget that you are watching a play! Both these characters are difficult to translate on screen but these brilliant actresses are portraying them faultlessly and effortlessly. Nauman Ijaz is absolutely exceptional as Joi. The exceptionally impressive performances from all these actors are one of the major reasons why I tune into this drama every week.
Zaini’s conversation with Raheel summed up the difference between how people perceive something and how it really is. Zaini’s character is turning out to be a breath of fresh air since she is the only person in Noor Manzil who thinks differently. While Joi managed to convince everyone else in the house rather conveniently that Sila had a mental illness, Zaini was the only one who wondered why Sila was frightened of everyone and everything without declaring her a “pagal”! She is also the only person, Sila ever has a normal conversation with therefore she knows Sila better than anyone else. I am so glad that the relationship between Zaini and Sila didn’t take a typical turn. Amna Malik and Yumna Zaidi also share great on screen chemistry which is why their scenes together are realistic and impactful.
The relationship between Joi and Aapa is very interesting and amusing at the same time. While Aapa is always busy judging everyone else, she has no clue what Joi is doing. She keeps on supporting Joi unconditionally and there are times when her scenes make you laugh as well! I absolutely love Sakina Samo in this role and I am waiting to see what role Aapa will play as the story progresses.
Overall, this drama has enough substance to keep me coming back for more but it would have been picture perfect if some of the scenes were chopped down and the pace of the drama was relatively faster.
How many of you watched this episode? Don’t forget to share your thoughts about it.
The year 2017 is concluding in a weeks time. With respect to cinema it has been a mixed year where very few films were able to succeed. Bollywood films which are the backbone of the cinema business also failed to repeat the success of 2016.
Like every year there were films which were banned or stuck in the censor board. Few films were released after countering the objections of the censor board.
The authority of giving screening certificates to the films (local or foreign) lies with the Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC). CBFC headquarter is in Islamabad and it also had regional sub-offices in Karachi and Lahore. CBFC members are appointed by government its members come from diverse backgrounds like civil servants, civil society, law enforcement institutions, journalists, law makers, artists, writers or film makers.
In 2011, after the 18th amendment of the constitution is passed, the right of film certificate and censor is delegated to the provinces. So each province can form its own censor board, however in absence of any board CBFC will continue their authority over the province. Since 2011 the provinces of Punjab and Sindh have established their censor boards, so at the moment three censor boards are functioning in our country.
Punjab Board of Film Censors (PBFC) has authority over the whole province of Punjab excluding the cantonment areas.
Sindh Board of Film Censor (SBFC) has authority over the whole province of Sindh excluding the cantonment areas
Central Board of Film Censors has authority over all the cantonment areas, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Federal areas of FATA, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. Since the provinces of KPK and Balochistan has not established their censor boards so CBFC also has authority over these provinces, until they setup their own boards.
Constitutionally all three boards are independent, but in practice the PBFC and SBFC follow the guideline of CBFC. If CBFC refuses to issue the screening certificate to a film, normally PBFC and SBFC also follow the same trend. There are few exceptions as well like Urdu film Swaarangi (2015) was allowed screening certificates by SBFC and PBFC, but CBFC refused its screening. In 2013, PBFC refused to issue the screening certificate to a Bollywood film Jolly LLB declaring it an all and all obscene film. But CBFC allowed the screening of the same film. As a result the film was screened in the cantonment areas of all the cities of Punjab, however it was not released in the cinemas outside the cantonment areas in the same city.
Historically CBFC is considered the most strict board out of all the three boards as many times a film cleared from the PBFC, SBFC fails to clear the CBFC criteria. CBFC is often criticized for its inconsistent behavior with respect to films certification.
In order to screen a locally produced film it must get a screening certificate from any of these three film certification boards. For the foreign films an additional step is required. At the first step the distributor writes to the Federal Ministry of Commerce with the intention to import a film. After examining the content of the film the Ministry of Commerce issues a Non Objection Certificate (NOC) to the distributor and the film is imported. Once imported the film must obtain a screening certificate from any of the three functional Film Certification Boards like a local film. The film certification boards can also seek the advise of Federal Ministry of Information for the screening of a film if the board does not reach a decision about the screening of the film. The information ministry has the authority to revert the decision of the censor board at any time. So even if a film is allowed screening by the censor board, the information ministry can still revoke its certificate.
After initial review the censor board can object on the content of the film and asks the producer to cut the objectionable material. In such cases normally the censor board refers the film to full board, where film maker has the right to challenge the objections of the censor board. If film maker refuses to cut or alter the objectionable content, then censor board either refuses to issue the censor certificate or refers the case to the information ministry for the final decision.
The most common reason put forth by the censor board to ban a film is anti-Pakistan or anti-religion content. Historically CBFC has been quite strict on this, especially any foreign film having a reference to Pakistan or the religion Islam mostly comes under the axe. More than 95% films are banned for the very same reason. The second most common reason is the obscene or vulgar content but very few films are banned due to this reason.
This article is a compilation of such films which faced objections from the censor boards or information ministry in the year 2017. Few of these films were ultimately released after the desired cuts or after the appeal from the film makers.
Raees (Banned)
Bollywood’s Raees starring Shahrukh Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqi and Mahira Khan was due to release on 26th January 2017 on India’s Republic Day. The film was based on the story of a Muslim criminal in the Indian state of Gujarat. It was the first Bollywood film of Pakistani superstar Mahira Khan. In Pakistan its distributor was Eveready Pictures.
There was a self imposed ban placed on the screening of Indian films in October 2016 which later lifted in mid December 2016. Since December 2016, the cinemas started the screening of old Bollywood films already imported, as the import of the new Indian films was still in progress. In the start of January, government provided the NOC to import two Bollywood films Kaabil and Raees. Both to be released on 26th January 2017 where both were supposed to be the new films to be released after October 2016.
Traditionally Bollywood films starring the Khans (Salman, Shahrukh, Amir Khan) had a tremendous success record on Pakistani box office. The highest grossing Bollywood film of the year in Pakistan had always been a Khan starer film. Therefore Raees was termed as the potential winner of the box office and the most anticipated film of the year.
The film was duly imported and presented before the all three censor boards. PBFC and SBFC cleared the film without any major cut, but waited for the verdict of CBFC before issuing the screening certificate. However CBFC had a totally different point of view on the same film which passed the other two boards. Due to the very same reason the film’s release was shifted to next week on 3rd February 2017. Whereas the other film Kaabil was cleared by the censor boards and it became the first new Bollywood film to release in Pakistan after October 2016.
As per the press reports CBFC termed the content of the film as anti-Muslim, as the the main protagonist was a criminal from the Indian Muslim community. The film was referred to full board, however even full board had the same reservations and referred the case to the information ministry. The distributor eventually requested the Information Ministry to clear the film which in the end also favored the CBFC’s stance. Thus CBFC denied the screening certificate to Raees, a decision also followed by the PBFC and SBFC. For this ban, the inconsistent behavior of CBFC was widely discussed and criticized in the press.
So film termed as one of the most anticipated films of the year was not released in Pakistan. Worldwide and in India it proved super hit and Mahira Khan became the first Pakistani female artist to star in a 100crore club Bollywood film.
Dangal (Refused censor certificate)
Bollywood’s Dangal starring Amir Khan was released in December 2016 at a time when the Indian films screening was facing a self imposed ban in Pakistan. The ban was lifted by the end of December 2016 and eventually new Bollywood films were released by the end of January 2017. In Pakistan its distributor was Geo Films.
Dangal proved blockbuster worldwide and once the ban on the Bollywood films was over the distributor decided to release it in Pakistan as well. In February 2017 the film was duly imported after receiving the NOC from the government. The film was supposed to release in early March 2017.
The film was cleared by the PBFC and SBFC but again stuck in CBFC. CBFC suggested few cuts in the film, the major cut was to remove or mute the Indian National Anthem at the climax of the film. The distributor consulted the respective Indian film maker who refused to go ahead with the suggested cuts. Amir Khan the protagonist of the film, publicly issued a statement refusing to cut the Indian National Anthem at the cost of releasing the film in Pakistan.
Thus CBFC and eventually PBFC, SBFC refused to issue the screening certificate to Dangal. After Raees, Dangal was another potential successful film which failed to pass the axe of the censors.
Despite this refusal, Dangal was screened on the television channel Urdu 1 on Eidul Fitr (in June 2017) and it aired the scenes which CBFC had found objectionable. PEMRA (the regulatory body of electronic media) issued show cause notice to the Urdu 1 on this breach of code of conduct.
Naam Shabana (Banned after 1 day of release)
Bollywood’s Naam Shabana a spy thriller was released on 31st March 2017 in Pakistan. The film was duly imported after obtaining the NOC from the government and passed by all the censor boards in Pakistan. To everyone’s surprise the same board revoked the screening permission after one day of screening with the reason “it portrays Pakistan in bad taste”. The decision of the CBFC was ironic as the same board has reviewed and permitted the release of the film.
The whole saga again highlighted the inconsistent attitude on part of CBFC.
Source: https://tribune.com.pk/story/1372212/taapsee-pannu-starrer-naam-shabana-banned-across-pakistan/
Raasta (Released after cuts)
Raasta was an Urdu film due to release on Pakistan Day on 23rd March 2017. Famous media personality Sahir Lodhi appeared as a writer,director, producer and hero in the film. The film also had a tough time with the censors which objected to the supposedly strong language in few dialogues and thus asked to cut the relevant scenes.
Sahir Lodhi being the film maker challenged the suggestion of the censor board, and pleaded his case before the full board. The situation delayed the release of the film by one week.
Eventually the film released with few cuts and proved flop.
Viceroys House/Partition 1947 (Banned)
Viceroys House was a British-Indian film released in UK on 3rd March 2017 and on 18th August 2017 in India. The film was directed/produced by Gurrinder Chadha a British film director of Indian origin. It was based on the events during the partition of the Indian Subcontinent in 1947 at the end of the brutal and oppressive colonial rule by Britain.The last viceroy of the British India was Lord Mountbatten, whose incompetency resulted in worst riots and killings of million of people during the partition of 1947. Lord Mountbatten , was also shown in this historical fiction film along with the other prominent leader of that era like Jawaharlal Nehru, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
The film was criticized for showing fake history and not highlighting the British authorities incompetency in dealing with the widespread riots and killings. There were concerns over the accuracy of the events as well the anti Muslim narrative of the film. Fatima Bhutto accused the film’s British-Indian director, Gurinder Chadha, of seeming “to take pleasure in laying the bloodshed and brutality of 1947 at the feet of two particular villains: Muslims and Jinnah”. It was, she wrote, the product of “a deeply colonised imagination … [a] servile pantomime of partition”. (Source: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/mar/03/fatima-bhutto-viceroys-house-watched-servile-pantomime-and-wept)
The film was released in India on 18th August 2017, with Hindi dubbing and renamed to Partiion 1947. In Pakistan, the status of the film “Partition 1947” release was not clear. The director Gurrinder Chadha tweeted that the film has been banned in Pakistan though there has been no official statement from the information ministry or any censor board on this. Following the story the English Daily, ET published the following remarks of SBFC, saying that the film has been refused the screening certificate.
Sindh Film Censor Board secretary Abdul Razzaq Khuhawar confirmed the news, citing the misrepresentation of Jinnah as the sole reason. “It’s a historical film and nothing negative is shown against Pakistan. The main reason for banning it was the misrepresentation of Quiad-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah,” he said.
“We felt his character was not portrayed correctly and it felt strange. Although the character only appears in a few scenes as the film mostly revolves around Lord Mountbatten, the actor didn’t look like Jinnah at all. If you had seen it, you couldn’t tell it was Jinnah. Otherwise, there were no issues with the film.”
The Sindh censors deemed it unsuitable, stating that “the political narrative contradicts the national interest of Pakistan.”
Source: https://tribune.com.pk/story/1487118/partition-1947-banned-pakistan-misrepresenting-jinnah/
Namaloom Afraad2 (Banned for one day)
Namaloom Afraad2 an Urdu film, was released on Eidul Azha on 1st September 2017 after duly passed by all the three censor boards. The film proved successful and entered its fourth week when first the Punjab Government (through the information ministry) and revoked its screening certificate.
PBFC put forth the reason that the Punjab government had received numerous complaints of vulgar scenes and dialogs in the film and thus the film was denied screening. Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza the director and producer of the film respectively announced their displeasure through social media and to challenge the decision in the court. The information ministry of the Punjab government after revoking the screening license asked the PBFC to again review the film while considering the complaints and concerns it had received. To everyone’s surprise the PBFC reviewed the film and again allowed its screening without any cut.
So the screening of the film continued in Punjab after a one day ban.
Verna (Stuck in the censors but later allowed screening)
Verna an Urdu film was released on the 17th November 2017. Being directed by Shoaib Mansoor, it was a highly anticipated film. As per press reports the film was cleared by PBFC and SBFC, but they waited the verdict of CBFC before issuing the formal permission. A film of revenge thriller genre, it covered multiple social evils prevailing in our society.
But CBFC raised multiple concerns on many dialogs, scenes and situation of the film. The film was referred to the full board for further review but again failed to get the permission without the intended cuts. The director/producer Shoaib Mansoor challenged the cuts suggested by the CBFC but failed to convince the board. However the board and film maker failed to reach on any agreement. As a result the planned premieres of the film were also cancelled. Thus the decision now lies with the Information Ministry.
The whole fiasco was also widely discussed on the social media. Few termed it all as a staged act to gain publicity for the film. After much debates in the media, the information ministry intervened and the film was cleared for screening by the CBFC without any cuts.
This act again raised questions on the eligibility of CBFC members. First CBFC was not adamant to release the film without cuts, and in the end cleared it without any cuts. Also once again a film cleared by PBFC and SBFC was stuck in CBFC.
Tiger Zinda Hai (Refused NOC by the information ministry)
Tiger Zinda Hai was a Bollywood film due to release on 22nd December 2017, starring Salman Khan in the lead role. Bollywood films in general are very popular in Pakistan, specifically the Khan starrer movies. The Khan starer Bollywood films always prove successful in Pakistan.
As per the process, the distributor of the film applied for the NOC to import the film to the information ministry. The information ministry seek the advice of the CBFC which after review the available trailer of the film advised against the film. CBFC termed the film as anti-Pakistan and anti-Muslim. Following CBFC’s advice the information ministry refused to issue the NOC and thus the film was not imported in Pakistan.
So it completes the list of the films of 2017 which were banned or had issues with the censor boards. Seeing the history of the troubled films with censors, it is evident that most of the films pass SBFC and PBFC, but struggle at the censor table of CBFC.
Out of the all three boards, CBFC has been the most inconsistent with regards to its censor policy. Especially when a film is denied screening after it had received the censor certificate. Naam Shabana and Verna are prime example of such behavior.!
Do share your thoughts with respect to the censor criteria of our censor boards. Which films should qualify to be banned as per your opinion
Thanks for your time and reading.
Rashid Nazir Ali
Parchi is an upcoming Pakistani movie which stars Hareem Farooq, Ali Rehman Khan and Usman Mukhtar in lead roles. The second song of the film is out. With Billo Hai being a mixture of a shaadi song and an item number, Imagine looks like some kind of attempt at mixing comedy and romance. The voices are lent by Mika Singh and Keka Goshal for the song and the video is a chaotic imagination with everyone trying too hard to look their best. Here watch the song:
Are you impressed by Imagine? Share in comments!
Ohkay so, all of a sudden the episodes of Alif Allah Aur Insaan have improved & they again are giving the vibes of initial episodes to some extent but the only track that remains boring & unnecessary is Zimmal’s, which reinforces the fact that there was no need of this track to begin with!
So, Nazneen is ready to try her luck at marriage one more time. I thought by this time she’d be done with it all but she is quite persistent I must say. Despite knowing that Taimur’s family is against her, Nazneen kept on giving edge to Taimur, which made it look like she was sickly enjoying the fact that a guy was chasing after her & was ready to forsake every relation that he had, for her. I don’t know what to make of Nazneen’s story though? Just because she failed at marriages & failed at love, does it mean she doesn’t want Taimur to go through the heart break because of which she is accepting his love? Let’s see if Taimur will be able to walk the talk!
Finally, the thing I so wanted Shahzeb to realize made it to his mind, which was Nigar Begum & her love for him. Shahzeb finally understood why despite giving it all, he could never win over Nazneen. It was because he himself once let down someone who loved him with all his heart. I am really liking Shahzeb’s journey whereas this was one such character that didn’t really appeal to me much in the beginning but his evolvement & journey is impressive. Shahzeb has just started his journey of self-discovery & spirituality & just in the beginning he got his answers as to what he did wrong for which he had to face such a tragic heart break. I am sure this will make Shahzeb even stronger!
Rani is trying hard to live such a life where the shadows of her past don’t chase her present & future but she really has no idea what she got herself into because no matter what she will do or wherever she will go, she will always be faced with the fact that she was once a courtesan & that is too heavy of a burden for her especially now when she has become a mother. Rani actually thought she will never live a moment of regret in her life but now all her life is filled with regrets & sadly, she can not undo anything. Barkat found out that even her husband knew what Rani did & where she went after she left her parents’ place but still even though she is heart broken & disappointed, being a mother she just wants to be reunited with her daughter Rani!
Well, I don’t know why I got a feeling that Arsalan will end up dying, just a gut feeling but I feel that Shaheer won’t let Arsalan & Zimmal get married, let’s see!
Overall, not as good as it used to be but still recent episodes of Alif Allah Aur Insaan have improved a great deal. The direction seems better & so does the acting. Please share your thoughts about this episode of Alif Allah Aur Insaan.
Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.
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