Category: Entertainment

In a groundbreaking moment at the 2025 Academy Awards, No Other Land, a documentary co-directed by Palestinian journalist Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, won Best Documentary Feature. This marks Palestine’s first-ever Oscar win, a historic triumph for the filmmakers and their cause.

The film sheds light on the struggles of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, a West Bank village facing demolition by Israeli forces. Adra, at the heart of the documentary, risks his safety to document the destruction of his homeland, while Abraham, a Jewish-Israeli journalist, joins him in amplifying the story. The powerful collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers stood out among nominees Porcelain War, Sugarcane, Black Box Diaries, and Soundtrack to a Coup d’État.

During an emotional acceptance speech, Adra reflected on the ongoing hardships faced by Palestinians. “About two months ago, I became a father, and my hope for my daughter is that she will not have to live the same life I’m living now, always fearing settler violence, home demolitions, and forced displacements,” he said. “We call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people.”

Abraham echoed Adra’s sentiments, emphasising the inequality that exists between them despite their shared cause.  “When I look at Basel, I see my brother, but we are unequal,” he said. “We live in a regime where I am free under civilian law, while Basel is under military laws that destroy his life.” He also made a plea for an end to the suffering in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages taken on October 7, stating, “There is another way. It’s not too late for life, for the living.”

The film’s victory is particularly significant given the challenges it faced in distribution. While it has secured deals in 24 countries, including the UK and France, it has been largely self-distributed in the US. Earlier in the evening, the filmmakers also showed their support for Palestine on the Oscars red carpet during their interviews, further reinforcing their message.

With No Other Land’s win, the filmmakers hope to spark global conversations about justice, equality, and the urgent need for political solutions in the region.

Adrien Brody won his second Best Actor Oscar on Sunday for his role as an immigrant architect in The Brutalist.

The 51-year-old New York actor previously won for The Pianist at age 29, becoming the youngest winner in the category at the time.  

With this win, Brody joins legends like Daniel Day-Lewis, Tom Hanks, Anthony Hopkins, Jack Nicholson, and Spencer Tracy as multiple Best Actor winners.  

Brody has a personal connection to his Brutalist character, Laszlo Toth, as his mother, photographer Sylvia Plachy, also immigrated from Hungary to the US. “I understand how that journey affected her life and work,” he shared at the Venice Film Festival.

Brody has starred in several Wes Anderson films and has worked with many famous directors, including Woody Allen, Peter Jackson, Spike Lee, Barry Levinson, Terrence Malick, Roman Polanski, and Steven Soderbergh.

Speaking to The Current, actress Sidra Niazi responded to the ongoing trolling she has been experiencing, allegedly by cricketer Babar Azam’s fans, after she answered, “No one,” when asked who her favourite cricket player was.

Acknowledging that celebrities get “trolled all the time,” she noted, “This time, something really alarming and disturbing happened. I didn’t even say anything, yet I was trolled.”

Clarifying her response, she stated that she did not take Babar’s name nor specifically target any player.

Quoting some users who outed her home address and hurled abuses at her deceased parents, Sidra Niazi questioned, “Who are these people? Why doesn’t someone like Babar Azam address this?”

She went on to point out, “If you look at other international players, they are not just great cricketers; they are role models. The way they speak, the way they handle issues, the way they emphasise mental fitness and the right approach – that’s what makes them respected figures.”

“But when we compare them to our heroes, where does Babar stand? What is he teaching his fans? Why doesn’t he say something?” she questioned.

“I am also surprised by Babar’s silence on this,” she added, emphasising that Pakistan’s cricketers are bigger stars than TV or film celebrities, their fan following is massive, and people idolise them, but “What are these so-called heroes teaching their fans? Why don’t they step forward and address such issues?”

She went on to point out that Virat Kohli was out of form for four years, was criticised, and is still being asked to be dropped from the Champions Trophy squad. “Criticism is fine,” she added. “But our people take things to an extreme level without knowing anything. I think it’s high time we start addressing these issues.”

“It’s really disturbing. I can’t even explain the thoughts running through my mind. It’s like being pushed into a state of anxiety,” she said, sharing her sentiments.

This week’s episodes of Meem Se Mohabbat had everything—heartbreak, emotional confrontations, and a glimpse of hope. From Roshi’s silent suffering to Talha’s inner turmoil, each scene left us feeling deeply connected to the characters.

Sabika deserves praise for trying to accept Mohid, though it might be too late to win his heart now. The grandfather can see that all efforts may go in vain as Mohid might have already made up his mind. Also, Mohid has now met Roshi, and nothing can beat Roshi’s warmth and their connection.

 
Talha and his father sharing a coffee mug was heartwarming, showing how Talha needs his father every step of the way. Talha’s father should have interfered earlier and spoken more openly with him, trying to make him see that his actions were unfair to himself and everyone around him. 

He cannot project his demons and insecurities onto Roshi. 

The episode brilliantly showed Roshi’s reaction after hearing the news of Talha’s marriage to Sabika. She gets frustrated at Mahi, then breaks down in her room, opening up her heart and revealing how much Talha’s words had damaged her self-esteem. 

Dananeer’s performance was beautiful and moving. Even when she accepts the proposal and turns her back so no one can see her tears, it was so emotional.

 It showed how girls can be utterly broken inside yet still show a strong front to save their ego and self-respect.

 After seeing Roshi completely broken, we question if Talha could have been gentler and more respectful in telling her to stop interfering in his life. 

Will he ever realize the damage he has done and the pain he has caused Roshi? 
Shariq has been successful so far in getting his proposal accepted. We wonder why his mother is okay with Shariq not using his name. Well, he couldn’t enjoy his win as Roshi blocked him over the phone. 

We can’t wait to see what happens when they come face to face. Mahi’s advice to Roshi was spot-on. She should decide to marry carefully and not let this one incident rule her emotions and judgment. The drama shows how girls often sacrifice everything to protect their self-respect and overcome embarrassment. 

Mohid is deeply emotionally disturbed, which was obvious from how he broke the toys and was wary of Talha when he tried to touch him. He no longer trusts him. 

Mohid and Roshi’s interaction over the iPad, where she tells him a story, and he goes to sleep, was heartwarming. The other two tracks don’t interest us much right now and seem unnecessary. We wish they had been told more engagingly. Talha is troubled by the news of Roshi’s wedding, and it is now playing on his mind.

Sunita Ahuja, the wife of Bollywood star Govinda, has finally addressed reports of their divorce after 37 years of marriage.

Days after Indian media first reported that Govinda and Sunita Ahuja have been living separately and she has filed for divorce after he allegedly began an affair with a 30-year-old Marathi film actress, Sunita spoke out to refute the rumors.

In a video circulating on social media, Sunita denied all such reports, saying, “If there’s anyone who can dare to separate us, me and Govinda, from each other, please step forward.”

She clarified her past comments about living in separate houses, explaining, “Living separately means when Govinda joined politics, party workers used to come to our place. Our daughter has grown up now; we wander around the house comfortably in shorts, which is why we took an office space near our house.”

Indian media outlet Zoom TV first reported earlier this week that Govinda and his wife, who have been living separately for some time due to their contrasting lifestyle choices, have decided to end their marriage of 37 years and are headed for divorce.

Another report from Bollywood Now suggested that Govinda’s alleged affair with a 30-year-old Marathi film actress was the reason behind their divorce.

However, Sunita’s manager dismissed the divorce rumors, saying, “This is not true.”

Govinda’s lawyer Lalit Bindal also clarified that Sunita had filed for divorce from him last year. However, they have sorted their issues, and the couple is happy together now.
Govinda has been married to Sunita Ahuja since 1987, but they kept their marriage a secret for four years.

YouTuber and stand-up comedian Munawar Farooqi has once again become the target of Indian extremist groups.

A petition has been filed against Munawar Farooqi’s new show Hafta Vasooli, which premiered on February 14, under the BNS and IT Act.

The petition claims that “religious sentiments have been hurt” in Munawar Farooqi’s show, leading to legal troubles for the comedian.

Advocate Amita Sachdeva shared a copy of the complaint on her X (formerly Twitter) account.

In her post, Amita Sachdeva alleged that “Munawar Farooqi has been accused of promoting obscenity and insulting different religions, and the use of profanity is also common in his show.”

The complaint further states that Hafta Vasooli violates cultural values and negatively influences the youth.

A formal request has been made to register an FIR against Munawar Farooqi under the IT Act and other relevant laws.

Following this, the Hindu organization Hindu Janjagruti Samiti has also demanded a ban on the show, stating, “Munawar Farooqi’s show uses obscene language, which is unacceptable in public.”

The complaint against Munawar Farooqi and the demand to ban his show surfaced after podcaster Ranveer Allahabadia’s comments on India’s Got Latent.

Earlier, Indian comedian and creator of India Got Latent, Samay Raina, has deleted all videos of his show from YouTube following a heated controversy.

The controversy began when Ranveer Allahbadia, also known as BeerBiceps, commented  on “parents and sex” during  Samay Raina’s YouTube show India’s Got Latent. 

Police arrested actor Sajid Hassan’s son, Sahir Hassan, along with three others during a raid in Karachi’s Defense area as part of an ongoing investigation into the murder of 23-year-old Mustafa Aamir, who went missing in January.

During interrogation, Sahir Hassan admitted to selling drugs via Snapchat for the past two years, earning approximately Rs 1.5 million weekly, according to The Express Tribune. He further revealed key figures involved in the illegal drug trade, including businessmen, politicians, and other influential personalities.

He described the drug distribution system as highly organized, dismissing the idea that dealers approach students directly. “It is wrong to assume that we go to educational institutions to sell drugs. Instead, students place orders through an online mobile app, and deliveries are made to specific locations,” he disclosed.

According to Sahir, dealers first befriend students and introduce them to weed. “Initially, only a few students buy, but within months, the number of buyers increases significantly,” he explained.

SSP Shoaib Memon confirmed that two major weed supply groups operate in Karachi. “One group smuggles weed illegally from California, while the other sells Iranian weed,” he stated. Following the dismantling of the network involving Mustafa Aamir and Sahir Hassan, “50 percent of weed sales in the city have stopped, making it less accessible to users,” he added.

Additionally, SSP Memon revealed that 20 key drug suppliers have gone into hiding, and law enforcement is intensifying its crackdown on the Iranian weed group. “None of the accused have fled the country,” he assured.

Sahir Hassan admitted to purchasing drugs worth crores through courier services, paying Rs 4-5 lakh weekly for deliveries, as reported by Express Tribune. He also disclosed that the drug money was deposited into his father’s manager’s account. Furthermore, he revealed that he had worked as a model for five years and had been using weed for 13 years.

Investigators confirmed that both Sahir Hassan and Mustafa Aamir were among Karachi’s leading drug dealers, even utilizing the dark web for transactions.

These revelations have exposed the scale of the illegal drug trade in the city, prompting authorities to intensify operations and dismantle major networks.