The Jaranwala attacks have shocked the entire nation after the town’s Christian community came under siege on Wednesday by a violent mob. Speaking to The Current, a local resident said violence broke out after a Christian father tried preventing a group of boys from harassing his daughter.
“This is a case of harassment. A girl from the Christian community was being teased by some members of the Muslim community and when her father and brother tried to stop them, allegations of blasphemy were raised.”
Since the incident went viral on social media, politicians including Interim Prime Minister of Pakistan Anwaar ul Haq Kakar have come forward to condemn the riots. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) the Premier said that strict action would be taken against those who violate the law and target minorities.
I am gutted by the visuals coming out of Jaranwala,#Faisalabad. Stern action would be taken against those who violate law and target minorities. All law enforcement has been asked to apprehend culprits and bring them to justice. Rest assured that the government of Pakistan stands… https://t.co/GHWUGA1NNq
Celebrities in Pakistan like activist and singer Shehzad Roy have taken to social media to condemn the incident and called for justice for the Christian community residing in Jaranwala.
“If the state does not arrest each and every person involved in it through video footage and make an example, then we are doomed,” tweeted the ‘Laga Re’ singer.
Pehlay bolnay se dartay thay, Ab na bolain to dar lagta hai… "If the state does not arrest each and every person involved in it through video footage and make an example, then we are doomed @anwaar_kakarhttps://t.co/U25W1SEkTu
‘Kuch Ankahi’ actress Sajal Aly called the violent attack ‘shameful’ and tweeted that there is no place for violence in religion.
Such a Shamfull act! Absolutely heartbroken & disgusted. I strongly condemn this act of violence against minorities. Praying for unity and peace. https://t.co/KS9vBksiw6
Actress Azekah Daniel slammed the incident as ‘not Jinnah’s Pakistan’ and asked why do people not show the same respect to a church that they demand for a mosque. She also called on mainstream media organisations and journalists of Pakistan to report against the growing ethnic violence against Christians in Pakistan.
“This is NOT Jinnah’s Pakistan! I strongly condemn this atrocity against the Christian community. Why can’t show some respect for Holy places be it a Church or a Mosque? I stand against these atrocities and unjust acts of violence! I DEMAND JUSTICE FOR ALL”
“Today we are witnessing the beginning of ethnic cleansing in Pakistan. Pakistani Christians are being persecuted,Church burnt down & the whole colony ablazed,will you raise your voice for us?”
We’ve seen how creative Pakistani artists can get. Every few weeks some art form or the other goes viral. Recently, a viral Tiktok trend re-imagined how Wes Anderson films would look if they’re set in Pakistan, enamoring thousands of people. Now, a Pakistani artist who goes by the name Booray on Instagram, imagined how Batman would shape out if he was in Karachi instead of Gotham.
The results are astounding.
Christian Bale? Nah, Fawad Khan would play Bruce Wayne to a T.
Since the artwork went viral on Twitter, thousands are already hoping that after the success of Maula Jatt, the powerful duo are cast in the film, if it ever gets made.
Alia Bhatt’s recent Beauty Secrets interview with Vogue has gone viral, but for all the wrong reasons. A clip from the interview has sparked backlash, in which the actress reveals that while she was dating her now husband, Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor, he didn’t allow her to wear lipstick when they were going out.
“When we used to go out at night he would say ‘Wipe that off’”, the actress commented.
It should be good to mention here that there is a 10-year age gap between the two. Alia was 17 years old when she began working on ‘Student Of The Year’ when Ranbir dropped by on set, and joked to director Karan Johar about whether he should marry her.
Since the clip went viral on Twitter, users have expressed outrage on Ranbir’s relationship with his wife. A few months ago, the actor was slammed for body shaming Alia during a livestream, while she was pregnant with their daughter Raha. Then, he was criticized for saying that he hopes Raha doesn’t have Alia’s personality, because “she talks quite loud and is vivacious.”
alia bhatt saying that ranbir kapoor hated her w lipstick so everytime they went on a date he’d ask her to wipe it off is so ???? im sorry if a man told me how to and how not to wear makeup i would acc dump his ass
Many users pointed out how Ranbir Kapoor has qualities similar to a toxic boyfriend, as one user put it:
“Ranbir is one of those toxic men who finally settle with much younger women they can easily manipulate. she might be happy doing whatever he wants but it’s still a sad situation esp with her background.”
ranbir is one of those toxic men who finally settle with much younger women they can easily manipulate. she might be happy doing whatever he wants but it’s still a sad situation esp with her background https://t.co/g7qk9oYLmf
Men like Ranbir Kapoor tend to choose partners whom are accommodating and they can exert control over. His chocolate boy or whatever image leads to people overlooking his huge red flags. https://t.co/5yUQdZRwb6
— 건투를빕니다, 이번 생은 어차피 모두에게 처음이니까🫶🏻🫶🏻 (@Hae_Mastani) August 15, 2023
At that point it’s in Gods hands now like she saw the signs and decided she liked the color red https://t.co/lNBcsqbxqF
Pakistani singer Asad Abbas has passed has passed away from double kidney failure. His death comes a few weeks after he went viral on social media, asking for financial aid to battle the disease. His official Facebook page has shared a post announcing his death, stating that the Coke Studio singer had fought till the end.
Asad Abbas, who had also sang the popular OST for the drama ‘Raqs-e-Bismil’, gave an interview to Daily Pakistan where he revealed he needed Rs 50 million for his treatment, confessing that his family had spent all their savings to fund his kidney transplant. Actors Imran Ashraf Awan and Adnan Siddiqui had come to the aid of the singer, requesting his followers to help Asad Abbas as he battled financial distress.
Abbas had begun singing at age fourteen, rising to fame after winning the Pakistan Sangeet Icon competition. He was once the lead singer for the Meekal Hassan Band , and had also sung the track ‘Mahi Gal’ for Coke Studio Season 6.
The second season of the critically acclaimed Amazon series ‘Made In Heaven’ came back on screen after a four year break, exploring darker topics like domestic violence, colorism, and transphobia. However, the show has been accused of plagiarising content. Social media users are demanding that show runners Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti give credit to a Dalit author.
The episode ‘The Heart Skips A Beat’ received critical acclaim for featuring a Dalit woman getting married in to a Buddhist man in an inter-caste ceremony. However, many who watched the episode observed the close resemblance between the female protagonist, Pallavi Menke, a Dalit author who writes a book ‘Coming Out’ narrating her experiences as a Dalit- to the real life author Yashica Dutt, who had written the same book. Dutt has taken to Instagram to address the controversy.
On her Instagram post, Yashica shared a picture of the Dalit wedding, calling the depiction a triumph, but also demanded that show creators stop stealing the works of minority communities and to formally give her credit for her work.
"Made in Heaven" is a web series in which Radhika Apte is a Hindu Dalit who marries the Buddhist way instead of the other way around. For the first time in the history of Indian cinema, the Buddhist wedding system has been shown on screen.#MadeInHeaven2#MadeInHeavenpic.twitter.com/qJkEZ6jB1K
“Before I came out as Dalit in 2016, there was no vocabulary to identify the process of revealing your Dalitness after hiding it for years and owning it with pride either. Today, in 2023, there is both. Dalit directors like Neeraj Ghaywan have revolutionised our cinematic language by showcasing unapologetic Dalits in Bollywood, a tradition that has an even longer history in Southern cinema,” wrote the author.
“;The Heart Skipped a Beat’, the fifth episode of Prime Video’s Made in Heaven is no less than a cinematic triumph, when it comes to showcasing what it truly looks like for a Dalit woman to take her power back in this casteist society.”
Addressing the issue, Dutt wrote it was empowering to witness a woman on the popular series speak about how her grandmother used to scrub toilets, and asserts her self before her partner. But she did not see the director giving her credit.
“The scene where the Dalit author, who is from Columbia, has written a book about ‘coming out’ and talks about her grandmother ‘manually cleaning toilets’, asserts her selfhood with her life partner-to-be, gave me chills. It was surreal to see a version of my life on screen that was not, but yet was still me. But soon the heartbreak set in. They were my words, but my name was nowhere… The ideas I cultivated, that are my life’s work, that I continue to receive immense hate for just speaking, were taken without permission or credit.”
“Dalit’s have a long history of being taken from, erased, ignored, obliterated from our own stories. Dalit women in particular are the easiest to take from , what’s the worth in their labor they’ve created anyway. It’s for everybody to claim.
Except this time, I’m reclaiming my work, my worth and my contribution to the discourse and history, defying the order of what’s expected of me as a woman who is supposed to fine tune the ‘register of her rage’.”
Bollywood actors Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor are considered one of the hottest celebrity couples within the industry, and now the actress has revealed details of her first meeting with her husband, with whom she shares daughter Raha.
Bhatt is currently promoting her Netflix film ‘Heart Of Stone’ where she stars along with Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan. During an interview with Netflix, the ‘Gangubai’ actress said that at her audition for the 2005 film ‘Black’, she met Ranbir, who was working as a film assistant.
Although Alia didn’t get the role, the two met again in 2012 during ‘Student Of The Year’ which was directed by Karan Johar, where Ranbir visited on set. During an episode of ‘Koffee With Karan’, actor Ranveer Singh took everyone by surprise when he revealed the son of Rishi Kapoor had dropped by during the film shooting, and joked with Karan about whether he should marry Alia or not.
It’s been five years since Bollywood superstar Sridevi passed away in 2018 from accidental drowning in Dubai, leaving behind a celebrated legacy with films like ‘Chandni’, ‘English Vinglish’ and ‘Mr India’. The beloved Indian actress starred with Pakistani actors Sajal Aly and Adnan Siddiqui in the 2017 release ‘Mom’, and the two have always remembered her in fond words.
Aly commemorated the Bollywood icon by sharing a picture of her on her Instagram stories with the caption “Happy Birthday! I miss you”.
In an interview with BBC Asian Network, Aly had praised the late actress, stating that she was “like a mother to me” and discussed her experience of working with her on ‘Mom’ by recalling how kind the ‘Mr India’ actress was to her.
“…The first thing a good person and a good actor would do is make the other person comfortable,” the ‘Ye Dil Mera’ actress gushed. “She was that kind of actor. She had a lot of empathy and kindness towards me. For instance, I had that one scene where I was wearing this red dress and when I got ready she was like ‘Oh! You should curl your hair more!’ She was acting like a mother to me, although she was just a co-star. But the fact that she cared about how I’m looking and how I could look better, that is something that stole my heart.”
The host recounted meeting Sridevi for an interview for a film at her house, where she praised Sajal, by saying she’s someone “you need to lookout for.”
“I didn’t know she said that about me, but of course in some interviews she pra
ised my acting a lot. These kind of compliments, I get scared because I feel the pressure. I never talk about her a lot and the relationship we had, it’s something I can’t explain. Because it was really real.”
Aly was also close to Sridevi’s daughter Janhvi Kapoor, whom she could emotionally connect with because both of their moms had passed away.
“We met after six years[in Dubai],” recalled Aly. “When my mother had passed away as well as hers. Probably because of our mothers as well we got a lot more closer. So I connect with her and she connects with me. We used to keep in touch but then she started her career and she’s busy with that.”
Kapoor shared a picture of her mother on set on her Instagram, writing that she wished her mother was still here today.
“And today as I’m on a set on your birthday I wish more than ever I had you with me like this, so we could convince everyone it was actually your 35th and not 60th birthday. And you could tell me if I’m pushing myself hard enough or not. And I could see in your eyes if I was making you proud. I know you’d be happy seeing us try, in your memory. Every day. I love you, you are the most special woman on this planet.”
The National Icon Awards 2023 were held on Sunday with the top celebrities of Pakistan in attendance to watch their colleagues be honored for contributions to the field of arts and culture.
Popular A-listers like Mawra Hocane, Wahaj Ali and Fawad Khan were present at the ceremony.
Actor Wahaj Ali received the National Icon Award 2023, while veteran actors Meera and Resham watched on along with the outgoing Minister for Information, Marriyum Aurangzeb.
Nadia Jamil shared a clip of the outfit she wore to the awards, thanking Marriyum Aurangzeb for recognising an industry that had been aching for the respect and support of the state.
I don’t dress up a lot. And I never go to award ceremonies. But could not refuse Sultana Siddiqui Apas invite and decided to attend an award ceremony and enjoy spending some time amongst our industries most dazzling stars. Was humbling to meet the foundations of our industry.… pic.twitter.com/h8jlYhrNVb
The actress also lauded producer Zulfikaar’s comments on the need for smaller cinemas which are cheaper, since bigger cinemas charge around Rs 1500-2000 per person to watch a film.
Most important comment I heard tonight at the ceremony at Gov House was from pioneering producer of the industry Zulfikar Sahab about how the need of the day is small cinemas all Around the country. The big cinemas are expensive with tickets worth 1500-2000 rps. We need smaller…
Producer and actor Humayun Saeed called it a “privilege and honor” to be acknowledged by the state, and praised them for implementing the Film and Music Legislation which will help revive the film industry.
A privilege & honour to be acknowledged by the state. Thank you Government of Pakistan for not just the Icon Award but also for finally implementing the long awaited Film & Music Legislation facilitating the film industry in more ways than one @GovtofPakistan@Marriyum_Apic.twitter.com/JZ03VoNfsG
Actor Fawad Khan spoke about hoping that the film industry becomes independent to the point that it doesn’t need to rely on the government for support.
On August 14, the National Independence Day of Pakistan, entertainment and sports stars are celebrating the occasion by sharing messages of hope and prosperity with their millions of followers. Let’s see what some prominent figures have to say.
Singer and activist Shehzad Roy shared a song by Imran Akhood, who wrote a song about every Pakistani’s right to make a fair living.
Happy Independence Day. @imranakhoond one of the most brilliant guitarists of Pakistan, plays for the song with the concept that every Pakistani should receive a fair living wage, not just the minimum wage set by the government. pic.twitter.com/KQtalhHKcU
Actor and producer Humayun Saeed prayed for Allah to bless the nation with strength and traits that lead to progress and prosperity.
Happy Independence Day. May Allah bless our beloved Pakistan with strength and our nation with traits that lead to progress & prosperity. Pakistan Zindabad 🇵🇰 🇵🇰 🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/JGIiVrjuAp
Cricket player Shaheen Shah Afridi celebrated the day with a post on his Instagram stories, praying for peace and prosperity.
Singer and actor Ahmed Ali Butt shared an Instagram post where he hoped one day, Pakistan would truly meet the definition of ‘Azaadi’ by being ‘debt-free, progress-minded and not suppressed.”
The weekend is here and we know you need to divert your attention from politician shenanigans. We get it, your brain is completely drained and you can’t make a decision on what show to watch. You need a change, a good distraction so we’re suggesting Korean dramas.
Yeah okay, you can’t watch shows with subtitles because its too distracting (but then how did you grow up watching Bollywood because their shows have different accents too, right?) It’s true that many of us are completely taken aback by how quickly and suddenly the Korean wave has gripped the entire world. But most importantly, how did Korean dramas suddenly become every woman’s comfort show?
I’ve been watching Korean dramas for the past three years and one of the things that drew me in was the gorgeous story telling, and how women in these shows were complex, well written, never shying away from reveling in their internal conflicts and desires to be the way they want to be. Coming from a lifetime of watching Bollywood or local television dramas where dramas written for women involved sexism, violence, or poorly, flat characters ending with happy marriages, changing my comfort watch seemed more like putting my mind at ease. Another thing, people commonly have shared as a token aspect they have come to adore about Korean dramas is how they offer an escape to a reality and culture completely different from their own. Quite commonly since the pandemic began and more people were locked up inside, Korean content offered a sense of ease with its architecture, the food or customs, and even how themes like building your own family offered a sense of relief for millennials bound by patriarchal customs of South Asian countries.
Give your doubts some ease, and take our advice that yes, there is a good reason why you won’t stop hearing Jung Kook’s ‘Seven’ on the radio. Take it from us and dedicate your Saturday night to one of these five recommendations we’re offering you, based on some of popular tropes loved by social media users.
If you love high school romances, then watch ‘True Beauty’
If high-school romances are what you love, then this is the drama you should watch. And also, if you’re completely into watching hot men, then yes Chan Eun-Woo is a good option. It follows an insecure teenager Lim Joo kyung, who was bullied for her looks and decides to change schools, as well as start wearing more makeup. As she navigates learning to be comfortable in her own skin, as well as her budding romance with the school’s resident hot boy Lee Su-hoo, you won’t help but get drawn into the wholesome storytelling, as well as how lovable and endearing Joo kyung is.
‘Fake dating but he falls harder for her’? Take ‘Her Private Life’
Deok Mi has a secret- she’s obsessed with the boyband White Ocean, like she’s obsessed OBSESSED. Watches all their concerts, runs a fan blog dedicated to Cha Si-An, even has posters all over her apartment. But when during a work assignment, she is snapped by paparazzi and mistaken to be Si-An’s girlfriend, quickly turns her into a target for hyper fan girls and makes her life even harder. When her boss, the uptight, stingy Ryan Gold steps into pretend to be her boyfriend to dispel the rumors, they agree to date until the rumors die down and everyone is convinced Si-An is taken. Ryan even has someone else, nothing will happen right…right?
Friends to lovers will make you wail, but not the way ‘Romance Is A Bonus Book’ will.
The worst day of Cha Eun-Ho’s life was when the longtime love of his life, and childhood best friend Dan-I married her high school sweetheart, completely sealing his heart to the possibility that anyone would suit him as he ascends the world of publishing. But the ground completely crumbles under his feet when he finds out that five years later after they cut off contact, Dan-I is homeless after her husband abandoned her and their daughter to make a new family. The two decide to live together, much to Eun-Ho’s dismay, as Dan-I takes on a job as an intern and obscures her CV to pretend she is a college dropout, not a marketing professional with years of experience. But as much as the two try to remain friends to keep their plot going, Eun-Ho realises he isn’t over Dan-i, and neither is she over him.
Enemies to lovers is *chef’s kiss*? ‘Shooting Stars’ will make you wish you had someone
Oh Han-Byul is the cranky, over-worked PR manager working for a leading celebrity agency, where she is directly responsible for handling Korea’s top celebrity, Gong Tae-Sun. His endless requests and hectic fanbase is the reason why Han Byul has a depleting dating life, no social skills, and a lifelong agenda to be the one to put Tae Sung in his grave. But as a scandal emerges which puts their relationship in a different light the two realised they are both heading towards a path that would be difficult to turn back from.
He’s a human, she’s an immortal being? ‘Legend of the blue sea’ is definitely for you
Forbidden love between an immortal being and a mortal will clench your heart, but this korean drama will become the reason why you cancel the last part of your social life. Heo Jung-Jae is a con-artist, a way to support himself after cutting off his father and supporting himself. He tricks billionaires into handing them their valuable assets to him, and escapes without a trace. But during a vacation to Spain, his accidental encounter with the mermaid Shim Cheong forces him to confide into his past life as a Joseon emperor who made the fatal mistake to fall in love with a mermaid and brought about his doom.
