Author: News Desk

Superstar Mahira Khan and veteran actor Humayun Saeed are currently busy promoting their upcoming film Love Guru, which is set to release worldwide including Pakistan, on June 6.

The trailer of Love Guru was released last month, followed by several songs that have been receiving a positive response from fans.

Mahira Khan and Humayun Saeed have been on a whirlwind tour promoting the film in the US, UK, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and are now continuing its promotion across Pakistan.

Recently, the duo attended a promotional event where Mahira Khan spoke to the media and made a heartfelt request: “Please pray collectively for the success of the film.”

At the same event, Humayun Saeed showered praise on the film’s director Nadeem Baig, saying, “He is the best director in the country.” He added humorously, “He takes full money from me, but he is the best director.”

Mahira Khan also offered a prayer during the event, saying, “May Love Guru earn more than 100 crores.” She then turned to the audience and requested, “Everyone say Ameen.” She further added, “Now we will pray collectively for the film and everyone will say Insha Allah.”

A video of Mahira Khan’s prayer and her appeal for collective support quickly went viral on social media, sparking a wave of reactions.

While many appreciated her sincerity, some users criticized the actress, writing that she was “praying for the film’s earnings and success” rather than for more meaningful causes.

TikToker Areeka Haq has faced backlash for her problematic claim that some girls deliberately leak their own inappropriate videos to regain fame and media attention.

She made the shocking statement in a recent interview with Nukta, saying: “Many TikTok girls these days are leaking their inappropriate videos themselves. A while ago, couples on TikTok would make videos together and become famous. But once that trend faded, some girls started leaking videos to stay in the spotlight.”

She further remarked that, “This strategy actually works. These girls get fame again. Earlier, I thought something was happening to them, but now I feel the girls themselves are responsible.”

However, Areeka clarified that not all cases are the same. “Only a small number of girls leak their own videos. Most of the time, girls genuinely suffer,” she said.

Areeka also stressed her own position on the matter, stating, “I didn’t need to do anything just to stay relevant in the media. I’ve never made such videos with any boy.”

Despite making such serious allegations, Areeka did not name anyone. Her remarks come at a time when alleged explicit videos of several TikTokers, including Minahil Malik, Sajal Malik, Samia Hijab, Imsha Rehman, and Aliza Sahar, have surfaced online, sparking widespread conversation around privacy, exploitation, and self-promotion on social media.

Aside from the controversy, Areeka also opened up about her personal struggles as a content creator.

“I started making videos after matriculation, before getting admitted to the eleventh grade. I first made videos on an app called ‘Music Alley’, which later became TikTok,” she shared.

She said her growing popularity attracted criticism both online and offline.

“I was criticised the most after I did a music video with Asim Azhar. People also targeted me when I got into university. The criticism was constant.”

According to Areeka, social media personalities are often treated as public property.

“People feel they can say anything about us. They used inappropriate words too, and all this pushed me into depression,” she revealed.

She credited her recovery to the support of her family, friends, and particularly actress Saba Qamar.

“Saba Qamar took my number from Asim Azhar and called me. She talked to me and helped me come out of depression,” Areeka said.

Actress Aymen Saleem has spoken out against the troubling portrayal of abuse in a recent drama, calling it out for romanticising harmful behaviour in the name of storytelling.

Taking to Instagram, Aymen posted a strong statement criticising the way a female character was shown tied up with ropes by her husband a scene that was framed with romantic music and gestures. Without naming the drama, she expressed her deep concern over how such content is being normalised.

In a powerful Instagram story, she said, “Enough is enough. I’m deeply disturbed by the way a recent drama is portraying abuse  tying up a woman with ropes, showing it in romantic or bold light, and then normalising it as part of a love story.”

She criticised how such scenes are being packaged as entertainment and said this trend is harmful, not harmless fiction. “This isn’t entertainment. It’s dangerous storytelling,” she added.

Aymen pointed out that women in Pakistan already face many struggles within marriage including patriarchy, emotional and physical abuse, and societal pressure. In such a reality, media has a major responsibility.

She wrote that dramas should promote relief, strength, and progress not show harmful acts as expressions of love. “We’ve made strides in showcasing strong, self-aware female leads and breaking generational curses. Why are we slipping back?” she asked.

Calling for change, she urged writers, producers, channels, and especially actors to be mindful about the stories they support and choose.

“This is not just fiction – this shapes culture,” Aymen warned.

She ended by reminding everyone that scenes like these do not reflect love they only make abuse look normal.

Aymen’s statement has sparked conversations across social media, with many supporting her stance and calling for more responsible storytelling in Pakistani television.