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It’s not impossible to have our own individual style, says Abbas Ali Khan

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Abbas Ali Khan thinks that we need to stop getting influenced from Bollywood.

He told Something Haute at the trailer launch of Chalay Thay Saath:

“It’s not impossible to have our own individual style.”

Abbas has created the musical score for CTS and it sounds like he has done a great job.

“I wanted the music to sound Pakistani so we made sure to use instruments that are used in Pakistan. For example, since the film has been shot in Hunza, we used instruments such as the rubab. We have also incorporated traditional Chinese instruments specially made in China, as some of the film is shot in China. What’s interesting is that the raag of Pakistan’s mountainous regions is very similar to the raag used in China. It’s beautiful how the two sounds came together.”

It seems like Abbas put  lot of planning in order to come up with a great musical score.

“Nowadays film music sounds too similar to Bollywood music. I love Bollywood and I regularly watch their films, but we need to get out from under their shadow and create something that’s ours.”

“Mooroo is a perfect example of original Pakistani pop music. He has a unique sound; his music doesn’t sound like Bollywood or Hollywood or anything else we’ve heard lately.”

Abbas also talked about ‘Chitta Chola’, the song he worked on for Patari Tabeer:

“When I first heard the song, I started working on the music using traditional instruments like the tabla and the dholak. But that was creating a sound that has been done to death now. So I decided to go down a completely different route. That’s why the music is very electronic and it falls under dream pop, a new music genre. I’m really thankful to Patari that they trusted me and gave me a chance to experiment.”

It was very painful for me to leave Pakistan, shares Shabnam

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Shabman, the senior actress who was the poster girl of Lollywood in the 1970s broke into tears while she talked about leaving Pakistani and its film industry in the late 1990s.

“It was very painful for me but I did it for my family, especially my father, who suffered from a heart attack in Bangladesh while I was in Pakistan,” said the film star at the literary festival organised by Old Ravians Union (ORU) at Government College University (GCU), Lahore.

Shabnam had a whole session dedicated to her named: ‘An interaction with Shabnam Ghosh’.

“I lived and worked for almost three decades in Pakistan, how could I forget the people who gave me so much love and respect,” said she.

When she was asked about the Bangladeshi cinema, she said:

“It is in the same condition as Pakistani cinema nowadays.”

She said the actors were not very demanding when she worked in the film industry, adding that “they were no concept of five-star hotels as they used to stay in tents most of the time during outdoor shooting.”

She also mentioned that her husband, music director Robin Ghosh was very supportive and understanding of her film life and never asked questions when she came home late from work.

The festival opened with a session which paid glowing tributes to Bano Qudisa. Poet Yasmeen Hameed, Anees Ahmed, the son of Bano Qudsia, Prof Dr Saadat Saeed and Dr Khalid Sinjarni talked about the late writer.

In the third session, Usman Peerzada, Feryal Gauhar and Sarmad Khoosat deliberated on cinema in Pakistan. Yasmin Tahir, Editor Rashid Rehman and Navid Shahzad shed light on the life and works of Syed Imtaiz Ali Taj and chief justice SA Rehman.

Veena Malik Was Bearing All Financial Expenses & We Support Her Decision Of Divorce, Shares Veena’s Father

Pakistani actress Veena Malik has ended her three-year-old marriage with Asad Khattak after a family court granted them divorce.

The 33 year old star filed for divorce in January this year. “There were issues between Veena and Asad but no one knew about it. Asad is still in shock after she filed for divorce. Asad will try his best to continue the marriage because he does not think it is a practical decision, especially now that there are kids involved,” a source close to Asad told The Express Tribune.

The insider further revealed, the differences between the two started when Veena resumed working in showbiz. “They started fighting a lot when she began participating in the entertainment industry again,” added the source.

However, earlier this month Asad tweeted some candid pictures with Veena and wrote, “A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. I LOVE U my world,”

According to sources, Veena filed a plea in a Lahore court on January 6, 2017 for a khula (dissolution of marriage) from her husband, which was issued in favour of the actress on January 31, 2017.

Veena Malik Was Bearing All Financial Expenses & We Support Her Decision Of Divorce, Shares Veena's Father

In conversation with Images, Veena’s lawyer revealed, “According to the court, three notices are sent to the defendant to present himself before the court, if he fails to do so (which Asad did in this case) then the court issues an order in favour of the plaintiff (Veena).”

“Veena’s reason for the dissolution of marriage is that Asad changed after marriage, his personality became ‘complicated’ and his demeanour became negative,” he added.

The court has given a unilateral decision because of Khattak’s unavailability. “The couple have 90 days to reconcile and if the defendant still fails to show up in court the divorce will not be reversible,” shared the lawyer.

Veena’s father, Malik Aslam revealed to Images, that even though Asad was a partner in his business, “he was not as financially stable and the couple had a lot of problems.”

“We all tried for three years to make things right, including Veena. When controversies regarding her shoot in an Indian publication came out, I was the first one to support her and stand up against what was being said to her and this time I am with her, the decision (for a khula) she made was right and I stand by her.”

He added further, “Even though their marriage has ended, my relation with Asad will remain the way it was, like a son and a business partner.”

Speaking to Samaa News, Veena’s father revealed more details.

Summing up the whole conversation: Veena’s father revealed that they tried to solve the issues but the marriage failed and he’s satisfied with his daughter’s decision. He further shared that Veena was bearing all household expenses.

Veena Malik married Dubai based businessman Asad Khattak in Dubai on December 25, 2013. They have two children and according to the father, Veena will have custody of the children as she is the mother.

Famous Pakistani Celebrity Veena Malik Get Divorced (Exclusive Video)

Popular film actor Veena Malik has parted ways with husband Asad Khattak after 3 years of marriage.

According to sources, Veena Malik had filed a plea seeking divorce in the Lahore family court in January as the couple had developed differences. The court in Lahore accepted Veena’s ‘khula’ (divorce) application and ruled in her favour after non-pursuance of the case by Asad Khattak. Veena will be returning 25 per cent of the ‘haq mehr’ (dower money) to Asad Khattak and will get an alimony of 0.5 million dirham.

Veena and Asad tied the knot in December 2013 in a court in Dubai and have two children.

5 Times Urwa Hocane’s selfie game was too strong

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The Hocane sisters are everyone’s favorite. From their versatile acting to their on point dressing, everything about the sisters is flawless.

However, today, we bring you 5 of the most gorgeous selfies of Urwa Hocane.

When she wore a black choker and looked into the camera with all the grace and confidence.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMO8moWjcBz/?taken-by=urwatistic

When she took this simple selfie and her mascara was on point.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQU40sTjP-6/

When she clicked this mirror selfie during New Year’s celebrations and looked like a total diva.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOvC2PID060/

When she rocked this selfie with a very cool hat and gave us winter outfit goals.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOm5GyIDBcK/

And finally, when she took a breathtakingly beautiful selfie on her wedding day and we instantly fell in love.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOU3JkkDMj4/

5 breathtaking BTS photos of Chalay Thay Saath

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Chalay Thay Saath is an upcoming Pakistani movie which has been shot in the northern areas of Pakistan. With its amazing trailer recently out, we decided to bring you 5 of the most beautiful BTS shots of the film.

The movie stars Syra Shahroz, Kent S.Leung, Zhalay Sarhadi, Mansha Pasha, Behroze Sabzwari, Faris Khalid, Sherbaaz Kaleem, Shamim Halai and Osama Tahir.

The photo amidst the grand mountains as a chirpy yellow van passes by.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMJjq7mg9sg/?taken-by=chalaythaysaath

The aesthetic shot which features Syra, a wooden door and tea.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQYlrnCg3Wf/

The shot where Zhalay is sitting next to a burning fire which seems to be depicting and symbolizing her face expressions.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQBG2hgAx4_/

The click where Syra is busy with the beautiful kids of Hunza and the picture has captured the warmth of the moment.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMgtYmLA4q8/

And finally, the great blue sky overlooking the beautiful mountains.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMl1WWPgKZd/

Titli Episode 8 Review – Drama Queen!

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Titli continues to be a typical yet entertaining play which has so far been quite fast paced which could be one of the reasons why it keeps you glued to your television screens. It reminds me of dramas like Tum Kon Piya, Mohabbat Ab Nahi Ho Gi and even season 1 of Malaka-e-Aaliya. All these dramas also did not have anything grand to offer but the best thing about them was that they were entertaining and logical. I must add that it is great watching a drama which shows that sometimes men also face situations after marriage which require a lot of compromise and women don’t always compromise and can be quite unreasonable too. Also, not all the women in this play are like Nayla therefore we are not watching stereotypes. Nayla’s mother’s support for her pretty much sums up why she is so used to getting away with everything. Now that she has a husband who is compromising and does not believe in playing games, she knows that she does not need to change in order to stay in this marriage. All the scenarios in this drama are also very realistic probably because the story of the play is based on true events, which is why it is easier to connect to all the happening and the characters.

So far Ahmed has played a major role in making sure that his marriage stays intact. He talked about leaving Nayla in the previous episode but his parents made it clear that it was not an option. Nayla is a clever woman who knows how to control her husband which is why every time he demands something from her or protests in any way she gives him a reason to change his attitude towards her. This time around she faked the pain in order to get the kind of attention she wanted and to make her husband feel guilty. The scene in which Ahmed looked at Nayla first when they are lying down and later on she looked at him thinking he was sleeping was remarkable because it was one of those scenes which say a great deal even when there are no dialogues involved. Ahmed feels nothing but admiration for Nayla even with all her flaws and Nayla cannot look beyond Ahmed’s dark complexion!

Titli Episode 8 Review - Drama Queen!

Nayla’s mother has more in common with her than she has with Zara. She did not think that it was important to ask Zara what she wanted because she knew that she didn’t want to go ahead with this engagement. She was not willing to taking a stand for Zara but she always puts Nayla’s happiness before everything else even if she wants something which is highly unacceptable. Nayla’s mother is also materialistic which is why she got Nayla married to Ahmed and accepted this proposal as well. Nayla’s refusal to stay in her parents house and watching her acknowledge the fact that she was too used to living a luxurious life definitely was an interesting addition. It made it pretty clear why Nayla wasn’t just going to walk out of that marriage. She had a lavish lifestyle and not much was expected from her in return therefore she had no reason to leave Ahmed. At the same time she finds it impossible to respect Ahmed and takes him for granted.

I enjoyed watching this episode of Titli and am waiting to see how the story progresses in the upcoming episodes. All the leading actors gave solid performances in this episode as well but I can’t help noticing that the supporting actors (actor who played Nayla’s boyfriend and her friends in tonight’s episode) in Titli and in fact in most of Urdu1 dramas are not the least bit impressive.

How many of you watched this latest episode? Do share your thoughts about it.

Our safety should be our priority rather than taking photos: Man falls into Neelum River while clicking a photo

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In the Neelum Valley, a tourist slipped off a few rocks and drowned into the Neelum River on Thursday according to the police.
Humayun was a resident of the Gulberg area of Karachi who was visiting the valley with his family.

Travelling to the Neelum Valley, the family stopped their car by the roadside near Sathriyan in Athmuqam, some 80 kilometres from Muzaffarabad.

They decided to take some photos by the banks of the Neelum River.

Police said that Humayun had climbed on top of a large rock to take pictures of his daughters with the river in the background. But he lost his footing, slipped and fell into the raging river.

Locals rushed to the spot to help fish him out but failed to save him.

This is an important reminder for everyone that safety comes first.

LUMS among world’s top 300 Business schools

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Palestinian theatre troupe to perform at NAPA

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KARACHI  : 

National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) is back with its annual international theater and music festival. It will take place from March 16 to April 2. The event will have 24 performances featuring local theater productions as well as international ones.
Napa artistic director, Zain Ahmed while addressing the media at a press conference on March 9 said:
“We started this International Theatre Festival in 2012 with six plays. This year, we will have a record 24 performances. This is the biggest festival we have ever organised.”

Napa programmes director Arshad Mehmood said one of the motives behind the festival is to make more people come to watch theatre.

“We would like to see more people inclined towards arts and artists, who showcase their talents on the stage. We want people to break out of their television-watching routines and put down the remotes. We hope to achieve that through the festival.”

The 18-day festival will include five music performances and five plays by international participants from Italy, Nepal, Germany, the United States and Palestine.
Zain shared:
“This is possibly the first time that I’m aware of, that a Palestinian theatre group will be performing in Pakistan.”
He also said that Napa had planned to invite troupes from India as well but decided against it in light of the recent tensions between the two countries.

BTS Shots From The Sets Of ‘O Rangreza’

Bilal Abbas, is one of the most promising additions to Pakistani drama industry and is currently seen in Rasm-e-duniya. He has given some great performances in the past and we’re already waiting his next project titled ‘O Rangreza’ opposite Sajal Ali. The drama directed by Kashif Nasir is currently under production. Expected to air soon on Hum Tv, O Rangreza also stars Nouman Aijaz and Sana Fakhar in pivotal roles.

#orangreza #humtv soon.

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Lahore Music Meet will commence on March 11th

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Lahore Music Meet’s third edition at Alhamra Art Centre is all set to take place on Saturday, March 11, 2017. The vision behind it is to promote and develop the entertainment industry of Pakistan.

“The event is being organised to support the Pakistani film industry and we hope it will play a constructive role in trying to resolve issues faced by musicians,” LMM organiser Natasha Noorani told The Express Tribune.
The event will include musical performances and lectures as well.
Since the past two years, LMM has seen many music personalities and budding singers. This year, the organizers are expecting a bigger turn out.
“We identified many issues faced by the music industry in the past two LMM’s and this year we hope to do the same. We have convinced big names like Sajjad Ali and Ali Azmat to take part in this year’s festival as well,” added Noorani.
Meesha Shafi, Momina Mustehsan, Haniya Aslam, Javed Bashir and Arshad Mahmood among other local singers will also conduct lectures on the occasion.
Story telling sessions will also take place including Patari Tabeer, Women On The Scene, Art Sound and Space, Sore of a film, Heritage & Archiving: Preserving music in Pakistan, Presenting the Presenters, Story telling through dance, Talking Tablas and Beats and many others.

Abdullah Qureshi’s Dastaan Is Out

Gone are the days when musicians would struggle to reach producers because singers are now rising to fame through the power of internet. Abdullah Qureshi is one of those singers who first came under the spotlight as a YouTube artist recording his own renditions of famous singles and earned a solid fan following for himself.

Abdullah Qureshi had been throwing hints for his upcoming original and it’s finally out. He released the music video called ‘Dastaan’ and we must say he did a pretty good job.

Trailer of ‘Geo Sar Utha Kay’ Is So Like Gundasa Films

2017 has been a pretty disappointing year so far, in terms of cinema. None of the films have been praise worthy (except Balu Mahi which was good but still not unique.) An upcoming film Geo Sar Utha Kay is the latest talk of the town. The trailer of the film released last year but came to light recently only. The film is so much like old Pakistani Punjabi films and is based on the story of a gang.

This action movie is being directed by Nadeem Cheema and is written by Nasir Mehmood. While the cast consists of Babar Ali, Shehryar Cheema, Umer Cheema and Nasir Khan in pivotal roles. The film is expected to release this year itself.

Being shot in rural areas of Pakistan, Geo Sar Utha Kay is based on the gang of Rajanpur which was involved in criminal activities including murders and kidnappings. The group named ‘Chottu Gang’ led by Ghulam Rasool. The village was then cleared by the Pakistan Army through the operation, Zarb e Aahan.

Hania Amir Looks Gorgeous In This Latest Photshoot

The dubmash queen Hania Amir is the latest sensation of Pakistan. After impressing us with her film and leaving us spell bound with her delightful performance, the Titli actress is now the face of Paparzzi’s latest magazine cover. She always has something interesting in the pipeline and her latest photoshoot for Firdous Lawn is not to be missed as she looks flawless and extremely cute.

Empowering Women: Mahira Khan Is A Vision In Alkaram’s Latest TVC

Pakistani brands are finally moving on from extravagant factors and focusing more on the content of their advertisement. It’s great to see that brands are now taking an initiative of highlighting obstacles a women faces in her life.

We’re loving the way Alkaram have upped their ante this year with empowering message featuring Mahira Khan. The ad shows the difficulties faced by a women in her daily life and teaches to overcome them with strength. The diva Mahira Khan stuns with her elegance and persona and looks absolutely ethereal in the Spring Collection by Alkaram.

Nazr e Bad Episode 13 & 14 Review – Interesting Developments!

Ohkay so, as always, these two episodes of Nazr e Bad were interesting too. So far, I really like the pace of the drama because every week, both the episodes bring a lot of new developments with them & because of that, there seems to be no margin for repetition, which most certainly needs to be avoided in a drama like this. I must appreciate that the writer & the director so far have stayed true to the subject & that is why everything that they have shown till date makes complete sense & is a realistic portrayal of what actually happens when someone gets involved into all these matters.

So, Ahmer & Abeera got caught by Almas & for the first time, I found Almas fair in the way she dealt with the entire situation because she not only blamed Ahmer, but she blamed her own daughter as well. Obviously, Humaira had to convince her mother to stop blaming Abeera because she knew that by putting the entire blame on Ahmer, they’d be able to pressurize Shafeeq to get both of them married but seems like Parvez had another agenda on his mind.

Parvez shifted to a new place & once again, it seems pretty appropriate for all his rituals because it is already possessed by those who he works with. Parvez has not only found confidence in himself but he has also learnt the art of manipulation because he knows he can play with people’s minds by manipulating them & if that doesn’t work, he has some other tact up his sleeve too. Parvez knew that in order to ruin their lives & to further torture Nusrat especially, he had to use his sister Abeera & get married to Baber & not Ahmer because that will serve as a bigger punishment to the entire family. The way Parvez reacted & tortured Abeera showcased his double standards where he couldn’t stand the idea of his sister being emotionally involved with someone but on the other hand, he himself is after Maham to an extent where he is trying to get her divorced so that he can get married to her!

I found it unconvincing that Aftab was looking for a financial help & he was now pressurizing Maham to seek it from her father Shafeeq. Considering that that Aftab himself comes from an affluent family, should mean that he can rely on his father more than anyone else. Also, his constant reminders didn’t seem justified because Maham kept on telling him that her family was already dealing with a lot of stuff so in this case, in stead of waiting for things to normalize in Maham’s family, Aftab could’ve once again asked his father if he was ready to help him or not.

Shafeeq & Nusrat were the new targets of Parvez & he succeeded in parting them because he knew that just because Nusrat was a staunch & practicing believer, she could bring some obstacles in his way. Parvez knew that he won’t be able to control Nusrat so he decided to part her from her husband because Shafeeq seems to be an easy target. I found it quite convincing how they showed that first Parvez decided to target Shafeeq’s professional life & then his final blow was to ruin his personal life too. So far they have shown all the concepts with utmost accuracy, so I was wishing that the Molvi would tell Shafeeq that he & Nusrat didn’t get divorced as it will be counted as the 1st one as in Islam the actual process of divorce takes place over the course of few months. I am not too sure how I feel about this development in Nusrat & Shafeeq’s track but it was definitely hard to see Nusrat suffering that too when she hasn’t done anything wrong. Yes, a few things might not seem convincing at this point like Aftab’s demand of financial help & Nusrat Shafeeq divorce but yes, if we look at the overall perspective, it is being shown how Parvez is getting them tangled in their problems so much where he is building pressures from every side, be it financial, personal or professional!

We also got a new character & seems like she is going to bond well with Parvez because she intends to use him for her personal agendas. I want really want to see what more does this track has to offer & where will it take Parvez, obviously for now he will make a lot of money but I want really wish it serves a bigger purpose. I am keen to see when Nusrat or Maham will find out that it is Parvez who is behind all the problems that their family is facing & more than that, I am interested to see what solution they will come up with.

Overall, these two episodes were quite interesting & I had a great time watching it, minus those few scary scenes where they showed Parvez’s conversation with the other beings. :/ I will however say that so far Azfar Rehman acted decently but in these two episodes, especially in the emotional scenes, I found his acting quite forced, effortful & unnatural. Rest of the cast did a great job. I am really happy with the pace of the drama & I so wish they maintain this pace till the drama will last. So far everything seems promising & it does make me feel that they have a lot in store for us so let’s hope they keep on unfolding new chapter week after week. Please share your thoughts about these two episodes of Nazr e Bad.

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Shaan & Reema Are All Set To Light Up Our Screens

Shaan and Reema are one of the most iconic couples of Lollywood, and are still known for their strong screen presence and striking chemistry. In past few years, Shaan and Reema have been spotted together in few commercials and have also walked the ramp in BCW.

And now Lollywood’s most celebrated couple Shaan and Reema Khan have paired up for an upcoming project. Few days ago Shaan and Reema were spotted with ace photographer Abid Saleem. If rumours are to be believed, then both of them have collaborated for an upcoming tvc. Were more than excited to see them together since it’s surely going to be a chartbuster.

Reuniting the famous #Jori #Shaanshahid #Reema #comingsoon @noman.syed @farooqmannan @abidsalim

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Sang e Marmar Last Episode Review – An Epic Journey!

Ohkay so, finally the journey called Sang e Marmar came to an end. I will say that I was finding it hard to keep my interest alive in this episode because I felt there was a lot of focus on things which didn’t seem important but now when it has ended, I feel the director & the writer were saving everything for the very last moment & just because of that, I will say that this entire journey has had a very complete ending which is commendable. Even though the drama-makers tied the loose ends, they still left a lot for the viewers to interpret & imagine, which makes it quite interesting. For the very last time, I will thank the entire team of Sang e Marmar for giving us one of its kind drama to enjoy for so many weeks & I’d also like to congratulate them for their success. Who says the viewers only want saas-bahu sagas, 10 wives stories, dukhyari bechari diaries? Sang e Marmar, as a successful drama proves all of those drama-makers wrong who believe that viewers aren’t intelligent & they will only fall for ghissi pitti stories. Thank you so much Team Sang e Marmar for proving all those drama-makers wrong, I am sure all your viewers must be full of pride & praises for you right now!

So, to be honest, even though I found Sherbano’s apology & her decision of starting afresh genuine & heartfelt, I really didn’t think she deserved to be forgiven so easily & more than that, I really didn’t think she deserved so much of coverage in the last episode at that because I didn’t feel any sympathy for her as she ruined her life because of her own ego as well. Just because Sherbano sighted the mood to make amends, she wanted Torah to forget about all those promises that he made to her & to himself when they both got married. At that moment, I really found Torah justified in drawing the lines & telling Sherbano off clearly that he would never ever treat him as his wife just because she wanted. Even though Torah was a villain but I feel the way Gulistan & Sherbano treated him like a doormat was definitely something that he didn’t deserve. Torah himself was a result of fake pride & ego that Gulistan held onto dearly all his life & I still blame Gulistan for all the things Torah did because no matter what, for a child to see his mother getting brutally assaulted at the age of 11 is unimaginable.

Sherbano reminded Shireen of how she was making Gulistan & Shameem suffer, may be that’s the reason Shireen decided to get married to Torah because she found no other way to escape from them. I feel in this episode, Sherbano’s attempt of redemption & Shireen’s decision of getting married to Torah turned out to be quite sudden & out of the blue. I so wish that in stead of giving the coverage to Bano’s heartbreak & her sob-story, the director & the writer had given us some sort of explanation regarding what forced Shireen & Sherbano to come to these decisions.

Shireen didn’t know that Torah was a paranoid who had some serious trust issues. I definitely knew that even though Torah felt sympathetic towards Shireen when he saw Sherbano beating her up but his proposal definitely came with an ulterior motive, where he wanted to make the final blow & punish Gulistan by torturing his daughter as she was all that was left to be used. Shireen actually gave into Torah’s fake emotions & thought she could move on but she was also reminded of what she meant to Torah because he found out that she was interested in Aurang. The sadness in Shireen’s eyes was portrayed so beautifully by Kubra Khan, I actually felt for her. I really wish, even though I have always liked Shireen’s character & still have no issues with her but I wish the writer hadn’t turned her into a helpless woman who only found marriage as the last & final resort to make things betters or to shape her future because this marriage of hers turned out to be short-lived too so I really feel the writer & the director could’ve definitely done this without this entire Shireen/Torah marriage!

Now, let’s talk about the scene that sealed the deal & marked the ending of Sang e Marmar; the confrontation between Gulistan Khan & Torah Khan. First off, it was quite interesting to see that ever since Torah knew that the ball was in his court & everything turned out to be according to his plan, the change in his body language depicted his over-confidence, because who would’ve thought that a guy like Torah who always posed to be Gulistan’s well-wisher would now look into his eyes & remind him of all the wrongdoings that he has committed till date. Torah still had a point though because all the things that he said left Gulistan speechless because there was no justification that Gulistan could give for beating Rakshi & pushing her to death. Once again, the factor of unpredictability played the part because just when I was losing hope that Gulistan & Shameem would never find out who the real culprit was, Torah Khan ended up confessing his own sins that too in front of the parents of his victims. I am sure no one could’ve imagined that Shameem would be the one who’d pull the trigger & put an end to Torah. I always had a feeling that may be it would be Shireen who’d do that but seeing Shameem firing the bullet somehow completed the picture & made the ending perfect. I loved loved loved how Shameem never left the sense of justice because even though she killed Torah, even though she once again showed her husband that she will stand by him no matter what, even though she proved to be a loyal wife who couldn’t see her husband being mistreated & even though she proved that she was a mother who was still mourning the loss of her 2 sons, she reminded Gulistan that everything that they have faced so far was because of the faulty foundation that he laid. Shameem knew that she took matters in her hands & she was feeling weak, but she still had the courage to remind Gulistan once again that all of this was definitely his fault but just because she was his wife, she was bound to be loyal to him & she was bound to protect him while still being aware of the fact that her husband was the root cause of all these problems! What a beautiful character & what a complete ending!

What I love about Sang e Marmar is that all the characters were so dynamic & their thought process was made so much clear that you could understand what they were doing & most importantly, the reason behind their moves. Even though we all did feel that Torah was wrong & he went overboard, but somehow while blaming him, we never forgot to blame Gulistan Khan because he was the reason why Torah Khan turned out to be like that. Later, when we were made familiar with Gulistan’s background, while still finding him wrong, we always reminded ourselves that he was a result of a faulty upbringing & all those wrong morals & values that his father instilled in him. Another little detail which the writer didn’t forget to add was showing that Gulistan was also suffering from some sort of disease, like at that moment I was reminded that Gulistan lived the way his father lived & he will most probably die the way his father died. I feel Gulistan got the punishment that he deserved at least in this life because he will obviously have to answer for all his sins in his Afterlife too but this life of his turned out to be a nightmare & he most certainly accepted it because he knew he was guilty – another beautifully covered aspect!

So, I really am finding it hard to describe in one word the sort of a journey Sang e Marmar was but the only word that comes to my mind right now is unique. Sang e Marmar was unique because it touched upon so many subjects in such a befitting way that forced us to think as well. How many a times do we come across such dramas that compel us to do some thinking? How many a times do we come across such characters who we form such a strong connection with? Sang e Marmar was a complete journey which gave me so much to take with me now that it has ended. Even though the writer covered so many aspects but the one thing that I will always always always respect him for would be the subject of Riba & the dire consequences that he showed in this drama because somehow everything wraps around it & it definitely serves as the crux of all the lives that were directly & indirectly involved in it. It started off with Baran Khan because he was involved in Riba, he passed it on to his son Gulistan, Gulistan passed it on to Gohar, Safiullah & raised his entire family with the illegal means & that is why, slowly & steadily Gulistan was reminded of the curse that he himself held onto all his life.

I will thank Mustafa Afridi for giving us Sang e Marmar. I will thank Saife Hassan for directing a drama like Sang e Marmar so brilliantly. I will thank the casting director for choosing such an amazing cast that did justice to all the characters & now let’s talk about the heroes of this drama; Noman Ejaz, Sania Saeed, Masroor Paras, Kubra Khan, Syed Tipu Shareef, Uzma Hassan, Kaif Ghaznavi, Omair Rana, Najeeba Faiz, Hassan Noman, Mikaal Zulfikar, Sharmeen Kashif & all those supporting actors who did their jobs really really well. I feel if it wasn’t for all these amazing amazing amazing actors, Sang e Marmar wouldn’t have been what it is. Kubra Khan, Kaif Ghaznavi & Uzma Hassan deserve a special mention. Sania Saeed & Noman Ejaz are going to be remembered as Gulistan Khan & Shameem for such a long time because of their characters & their phenomenal performances. Hassan Noman also added a touch of humor which made things quite lighthearted & fun plus his Pushto accent & mannerisms as Bulbul were phenomenal. Last but definitely not the least, Masroor Paras, for portraying the grey character of Torah Khan to perfection, I must say Noman Ejaz ko ankhain dikhane ke liye bohat himmat chahiye & the way he acted in the last scene, he deserves an award for that. What a brilliant performance by all the actors. I will however say that in the title image, they should have replaced Mikaal Zulfikar with Masroor Paras because Torah was more important & a bigger character than Aurang & after this drama, he is just as big of a star as Mikaal is. Also, Mustafa Afridi deserves a special mention for such amazing dialogues, like it is such a rarity to see such intense situations backed with such powerful dialogues. Now that this drama has ended, it has left me feeling content because everything fell in its right place! What a journey! Thank you so much Team Sang e Marmar once again.

I will thank all my beautiful & amazing readers who made the discussions so interesting & amazing & special thanks to those who shared their perspective with utmost respect. I will also thank those disrespectful readers who turned Sang e Marmar into a matter of life & death because they reminded me how blessed I am to have a real life rather than sulking over reel life & its characters! Thank you to both the lots. Please share your thoughts about this epic journey that will be known as Sang e Marmar!

Keep Supporting,
Cheers,
Zahra Mirza.

Frieha Altaf gets awarded for her lifetime achievements

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Frieha Altaf is the woman who brought the red-carpet trend in Pakistan. She is the woman behind revolutionizing the fashion industry of Pakistan. And now she has finally been honored for all the work that she has done.

Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WCCI) organized an event to celebrate the achievements of women in Pakistan on International Women’s Day 2017.

The event was held at Governor House where all the amazing and successful women were awarded for their efforts and for making this country proud.

Frieha Altaf was among the 7 successful women who were awarded for their efforts. They include: Maheen Khan, Nabila Maqsood, Sultana Siddiqui, Shaista Effendi and few more.

This is an extremely proud moment for all the Pakistani women and we wish them more success.

 

 

Ahmad Shahzad teaches the lesson of hard work in latest TVC

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Pakistani commercials are getting more creative and more real as time goes by. As much as ads can annoy us when they pop up in the middle of our favorite drama, we can’t help but admit that we enjoy them too.

Amidst the PSL fever which the nation was going through, Milo launched an ad featuring Ahmad Shahzad where he talks about determination and hard work.

https://www.facebook.com/seeme.productions/videos/886701068033034/

The ad shows Ahmad in his element; staying fit and playing cricket. He says a couple of motivational lines while kids surround him. The message behind the TVC is to motivate the youth to not give up on their dreams and stay true to dedication and hard work.

We must say Milo picked the right guy for this ad!

This Latest Ad Honours Special Pakistani Athletes & Is A Must Watch

Yesterday, when the whole world was celebrating Women’s day, Pakistani brands also took an initiative to show their best in order to support the women of our country. Pakistani cooking oil brand Soya Supreme’s latest TVC that pays tribute to women on Women’s Day speaks volumes about encouraging female empowerment in our country.

The concept of the advertisement is beautiful as it’s nothing like a typical tvc but has a lot more to offer. The advertisement is shot in Northern Pakistan and shows the journey of special Pakistani athlete Sabahat Tariq who will represent Pakistan in Special Olympics World Winter Games to be held in Austria this year.

G-B’s first female judge, Amna Zamir- a role model for women

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Amna Zamir is a resident of the Hunza Valley. She completed her LLB from international Islamic University Islamabad in 2004. She went on clinch the top spot in the federal public service commission (FPSC) competitive examinations in 2006. She was then appointed as a civil judge in G-B Judiciary.

Despite being part of a male dominated  judiciary and legal community, Zamir  made her presence felt as she quickly decided hundreds of cases which had been pending for a long time.

She travelled to England in 2009 after winning the Chevening scholarship from British Council and completed her LLM in Human Rights Law.

“She is a highly competent judge and I must say she has elevated the stature of the judiciary,” said another lawyer Shakeel Ahmed.

According to court officials, Zamir has been discharging an average of 100 cases per month including civil, criminal and family cases.

Having made her mark in the court, Zamir recently received an award as a top performing British alumni.

British High Commissioner Tom Drew gave her the UK Alumni Award last week for being an outstanding individual.

The Study UK Alumni Awards recognise the outstanding achievements made by UK alumni and celebrate the impact and value of a UK higher education.

According to the British Council, after completing her post-graduate studies from the UK, Zamir had been associated with various civil society organisations which offer free legal aid and advice to those who cannot afford to seek quality legal services.

More power to Zamir and many like her!

 

 

Myra Lakdawala becomes the fastest Pakistani woman

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Myra Lakdawala, a Pakistani student at The University of the Pacific has set a new record for Pakistan by breaking a 5-year-old record set by Olympic runner Sumaira Zahoor.

 At the Johnny Mathis Invitational in San Francisco, Lakdawala set this record.
Despite not being able to come 1st, 2nd or 3rd place, she still set a new record in Pakistan with 19 minutes and 3.01 seconds on the clock for the five-kilometer race.
This has placed her at the 20th place out of 33 participants from universities and colleges all over Northern California. She is also the first Pakistani woman to represent her country in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
We are very proud of this young woman and we wish more Pakistani women keep making us proud.

Fawad Khan Makes Comeback To Music & We’re More Than Excited

Fawad Khan, the charismatic individual has won hearts through his exceptionally good looks and talented acting. The chocolate boy who has made us proud on the other side of the border is all set to return to music with Pepsi’s upcoming musical venture. Pepsi is all set to make a show-stopping entry into the music industry with their music venture which will launch soon.

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“The show totally focuses on harnessing fresh talent,” a source close to the core team of the show told The Express Tribune. “And not just new talent, the purpose of the show is to bring forward new Pakistani bands and their music.”

Apart from giving a platform to new faces, the show will be spearheaded by some of the most well-known faces of the entertainment industry and apparently even Fawad Khan is involved. “We don’t know in what capacity but Fawad is definitely involved in the show big time,” said the source.

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We can’t deny the fact that anything that has Fawad Khan in it speaks class and grace, and we’re eagerly waiting for this one.

Fawad Khan – Biography, Family, Wedding, Wife, Son, Daughter, Movie, Dramas

Miandad has Imran Khan’s back

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Javed Miandad and Imran Khan were supportive of each other during their playing career and it seems that their bond is still the same even after all these years.

Javed Miandad has something to say about the situation where Imran Khan has faced huge criticism for passing the ‘phateechar’ remark regarding the foreign players in the Pakistan Super League final.

“These are regular cricketing terms and every cricketer knows them. In Karachi we have been using these terms from ages”, said Miandad in a TV show.
“I don’t consider them problematic at all, because I know the background of these terms,” he said.
He also said that attention should be paid to Najam Sethi’s allegation that England star Kevin Pietersen did not participate in the final due to Khan’s remarks.

“It is a huge allegation, and it needs to be highlighted, especially after Pietersen has come out and clarified that it was his own decision and Imran Khan had nothing to do with it, English players never play if there is a security risk and we all know it already.”

Miandad even suggested Imran’s statement isn’t even an issue. “The whole nation saw when they [politicians] fought in the national assembly,” he added. “This is a real issue.”

 

 

Tum Hee Ho’s trailer is distasteful and boring

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Pakistani filmmakers often make us proud and as the audience which is witnessing the revival of cinema these days, we are always very supportive of the content which filmmakers bring to us.

However, that does not mean that we start supporting whatever comes our way. And the latest trailer of the upcoming movie, Tum Hee Ho is an example of that.

The trailer features the leading couple romancing with each other in cliched dialogues and amidst natural surroundings. The make up seems overdone and the dialogues sound poorly written.

And then suddenly, the trailer moves towards a party or item song where you see Mathira dancing and living it up in gawdy outfits.

In all honesty, the trailer leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

You can watch it here:

https://www.facebook.com/Lollywoodfilmindustry/videos/578929802309659/

The movie by Sangeeta stars Danish Taimoor, Qurat-ul-Ain, Mathira, Sajid Hasan and Amber Khan.

See Pictures: Amanat Ali Ties Knot With Sarah Manzoor

Amanat Ali who stole our hearts with his rendition of Tujhse Naraz Nai Zindagi in Indian reality show, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, has tied the knot with his lady love Sarah Manzoor. Designer Sarah Manzoor and Amanat Ali exchanged the rings in 2016 and are officially married now. The duo got married at Badshahi Mosque with close friends and family. We must say these two make a great couple and we just can’t help but adore how perfect they look together.

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Reviewit wishes the lovely couple all the best for their union together.

Kolkata Knight Riders Not Playing Any Match Against Peshawar Zalmi

PSL brought cricket back to Pakistan and amidst all political and safety concerns, Pakistan’s government and army forces managed to pull of a safe PSL final in Lahore. The whole nation witnessed the biggest events of the year and we couldn’t be more happier. And a cherry on top was the latest new which broke out last night. The news of a 3 match series between IPL Champions Kolkatta Knight Riders and PSL Champions Peshawar Zalmi took internet by storm.

Many media outlets and news publications reported that Shah Rukh Khan, the co-owner of KKR has proposed a 3 series match between KKR and PR at a neutral venue, if the government of India and Pakistan permits.

According to Dawn, Shahid Afridi said, “Shah Rukh congratulated me and suggested a T20 series between Kolkata Knight Riders and Peshawar Zalmi.” Optimistic about the prospects of such a series Afridi added, “If the government of both countries allow it, the matches can be played on a neutral venue like England or United Arab Emirates.”

It was also reported that despite the heightened tension between the two rivals, Afridi appeared hopeful for the series.

However, all the news’ turned out to be rumours since Kolkatta Knight Riders have denied any such claims and it is reported that Shah Rukh Khan isn’t even aware of any such proposal.

With this, KKR have put an end to all speculations!

Chalay Thay Saath’s trailer is out and we love it

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Pakistani filmmakers have been on a roll since quite some time and they come out with great movies every season. Adding to the list of much awaited movies of the year is also Chalay Thay Saath.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRTljYthiWE/

Chalay Thay Saath stars Syra Shahroz, Kent S.Leung, Zhalay Sarhadi, Mansha Pasha, Behroze Sabzwari, Faris Khalid, Sherbaaz Kaleem, Shamim Halai and Osama Tahir.

The movie is shot in the northern areas of Pakistan and is of the genre of romance and drama. The trailer just got released and we love it.

https://www.facebook.com/chalaythaysaath/videos/1658414944453603/

The trailer features the whole cast on their way to a road trip in the northern areas of Pakistan. The striking elements of the trailer include that the scenery and natural imagery is beautiful. The amazing chemistry between Syra and Kent will strike you instantly and you’ll be left wanting for more.

Apart from elements of humor and aesthetically pleasing imagery, the trailer moves towards a dramatic setting as fights break out between different characters.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRWJ1dlhALo/

Hence, the trailer ends on a mysterious note making us curious about how will these amazing characters deal with issues in front of them.

In conclusion, the trailer has left us wanting for more and we can’t wait to see the movie when it releases on 21st April.

Ahmad Shahzad’s Q & A Gone Wrong, Twitterati why you so bad?

Pakistan’s cricket player Ahmed Shahzad keeps hitting the headlines. Albeit for all the wrong reasons. We all know that he’s quite active on social media and the selfie king keeps us updated time to time.

Last night he held a Q&A session on twitter.

However, social media can turn ruthless at times and that’s exactly what happened with Ahmed Shahzad. He did had a good time with some of his followers but was hit with some trolls too, which were pretty cold-hearted and most of the twitterati asked him about his career. Where some said sweet things, the others trolled and some even asked completely irrelevant things.

Meera’s mother has been issued an arrest warrant

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Film actress, Meera is often under media’s spotlight surrounding some controversy. However, this time around, it is her mother who seems to be involved in a controversial issue.

Her mother is apparantly dealing with some legal issues as she has been issued non-bailable arrest warrant by an anti-corruption.

Shafqat Zahra, Meera’s mother has been accused of illegally owning a three canal land of a citizen Azmatullah.

After she didn’t mark her presence in the court, that is when the warrant was issued.

Even previously, Meera herself has been accused of treachery and theft.

Sharmeen Obaid’s new project will create awareness for women

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SOC Films is launching Aagahi – Apnay Mustaqbil Ki to mark international women’s day, 2017.

Aagahi means awareness and it aims to educate women about their rights in Pakistan.

In the next 12 months, SOC films will release a series of videos in Urdu and other regional languages which will explain and clarify the legislations affecting women and how the legal provisions can be applied.

The series will answer many questions like how to file an FIR, what does the law state on instances of rape, sexual harassment, divorce and inheritance and what is the procedure for reporting issues like these and who should be approached for help.

Other topics include forced marriage, divorce rights, inheritance rights, domestic violence, sexual harassment and acid and cybercrimes.

“I have travelled the length and breadth of Pakistan and one thing that has always struck me is that we women know very little about the rights that we have in this country. We have little understanding of the court system and how to navigate it and aren’t always aware of the ways we can protect ourselves,” said Sharmeen. “This is why SOC Films has collaborated with the Women’s Action Forum and undertaken the project Aagahi through a series of videos, which we aim to disseminate for free, across Pakistan. We hope to educate women about their rights and how they can assert them.”

The series is in collaboration with women’s action forum. Aamina Sheikh’s voice has been used for the series.

Women’s Day: Messages From Your Favourite Celebrities

Women’s day is celebrated all over the world on March 8 for accelerating gender parity. On this day, people celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women.

Many women and men used to hesitate to call themselves ‘feminist’ but the trends have started to change for good. Many famous Pakistani celebrities joinned #HeForShe campaign which invites men to take part in the conversation for gender equality and talk about gender issues faced by both parties.

Many of our favourite celebrities shared inspiring and empowering messages for women to encourage them.

Some of them had beautiful messages to share.

#womansday2017 #happywomenday

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YOU are the answer. You are your own savior. Be the woman of your dreams, always. Love X ?? #womensday

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Happy Women's Day ❤??

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I have a long way to go before I can critique any other actor, shares Hassan Niazi

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Pakistani cinema is going through its revival stage currently. And as much as we love the mainstream movies,  sometimes, non-mainstream movies come out too. Ashir Azeem’s Maalik was just that.

Maalik talked about the political issues and corruption in Pakistan and was therefore, banned by the government.

Hassan Niazi played the role of the Chief minister of Sindh and now, he has been nominated for Best Actor in a negative role at the Nigar Awards.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPxihJ7BswZ/

While speaking to The Express Tribune, Hassan Niazi expressed:

“It feels amazing! You know as they say, sau sonar ki, aik lohar ki. This is my first big nomination, so it’s great”

When told that this nomination would encourage other filmmakers to step out of their comfort zone, Niazi said:

“I don’t really think so. Most film-makers are not happy with the way Nigar Awards are coming back,I just watched someone on television speak about how the way they returned was unprofessional and all. I don’t know but it doesn’t seem like anybody sees it as an encouraging move. And then, most film-makers don’t know how to make a film here.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQAgtbGB_ia/

“It’s the same people from the drama industry who bring in the same sensibilities to film. We need film actors, directors who the audience is willing to pay for. You know, musicians say that you need to listen to different kinds of music to expand your vision. It rings true for actors and film-makers too. We need to watch different kinds of cinema and then we can explore different characters and narratives.”

“It will take some time. Of course, I don’t know enough to offer any solutions yet. My seniors have taught me everything I know and I have a long way to go before I can critique any other actor,” he said.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQDqQluBnpy/

While talking about his future projects, he said:

“I cannot reveal much but both of them are masala entertainment films. After Maalik, I am stepping away from controversial cinema.”

“I don’t think controversy should be my selling point. I was praised a lot for my character in Maalik but we shouldn’t rely on controversy.”

We can’t wait to see how well does Niazi perform on the big screen again.

Triple H just acknowledged the video of the Pakistani groom who made an entry like him at his wedding

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Wrestling has a huge fan following in Pakistan and one fan took his love of wrestling till his wedding day.

One Pakistani guy recently entered his own wedding the way famous wrestler, Triple H used to when he was an active wrestler. Ahmer walked in carrying a WWE world championship belt and pyrotechnics were on his left and right exactly depicting the same scenario at a real WWE ramp.

You can watch the video here:

https://youtu.be/XCiBeWSybHw

However, things got very interesting when Triple H actually watched the video himself and posted about it on twitter. He even shared the video.

We are surely amused by this entry by the groom and we hope he motivates others to have such fun themed weddings.

And we are sure, apart from the happiness of getting married, the groom is over the moon for getting an acknowledgement from his favorite wrestler too.