Current Final

Category: Entertainment

  • Salman Khan played a small role in Hrithik Roshan’s success

    Salman Khan played a small role in Hrithik Roshan’s success

    Hrithik Roshan became the subcontinent’s heartthrob when he made his debute at the age of 26 in ‘Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai’. The film, directed, written and produced by Hrithik’s father Rakesh Roshan, went on to become a box office hit.

    But in an interview, the ‘Dhoom’ actor revealed that he was incredibly nervous about his first appearance on film, doing everything he could to look good on screen including meditating, singing and acting classes, and even seeking Salman Khan’s advice on body building.

    “I knew the physicality was very important, especially for this film where I was doing a double role, Rohit in the first part and Raj in the second half. I thought it would be nice if I could, even physically show the difference between the two characters. So, I was training myself for a year but I was not seeing the kind of results I wanted to see.”

    Roshan recalled speaking to the ‘Dabangg’ star, despite not knowing him at all:

    “I did everything that I could, including calling the biggest star Salman Khan, who did not know me at all. I just asked myself who is the best in the business, it is Salman and I said, ‘I have to try this. I have to try asking him what you do,” he confessed.

    Roshan also revealed his initial dislike of the script, finding it to be centered too much around the female perspective, and recalled complaining to his father about it. “On the script level, I thought it was a girl film and kept complaining to dad, ‘You know papa, I have got nothing to do. All I am doing is laughing or looking good, or dancing. How do I show people that I can do things,” re-called Hrithik.

    The ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ actor confessed that after telling his complaint about the film to his dad, he remembered Rakesh shutting him down, by reminding him that he has no role in deciding the plot but is only acting in the film:

    “He said, ‘I am making a movie, you want to act in it, do. But don’t tell me how to make the movie. I am not making the movie to launch you, I am making it because I have an idea, you are acting in it since you suit the part. You are a newcomer who just happens to be my son.’”

  • Beware, Biparjoy: our celebs are armed with safety tips and they’re not afraid to use them

    Reports are coming in that 62,000 people have been evacuated from the country’s coastal line, according to Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman, and 75 relief camps have been set up at schools and colleges, according to Samaa.

    Celebrities and public figures are taking to social media to send helpful advice and prayers to those who could be affected by the natural disaster, as well as encouraging followers on social media to not listen to misinformation while stocking up on all the necessary things they need incase of emergency.

    Veteran actress Bushra Ansari shared a video of the sea outside her apartment to disseminate the misinformation that the storm had already reached Karachi, and sent her prayers to the resident’s of this city

    Philanthropist and actress Shaniera Akram urged her followers to help the ones living along the coast and whose lifestyle could be harmed due to the floods.

    Founder of ‘Something Haute’ Amina Haider Isani encouraged all her followers to bring their pets inside to a safer enclosure

    Actor Adnan Siddiqui sent well wishes to the people of both Pakistan and India, and prayed that the cyclone passes away soon.

    Actress Mishi Khan urged her followers to keep an emergency bag with them which included medicines, valuables, and cash etc, and to also remain in contact with friends and family members.

    There is no harm in finding some humor in dark times, like actress Ushna Shah can as she makes a funny quip about boarding a plane while a cyclone looms over Karachi

    “My flight to Karachi is taking off and there is a Cyclone warning there. I just want my husband to know that God forbid if the plane crashes & I don’t make it, I hope he finds happiness with someone new one day.. and I hope he knows she will never be as awesome as me. He will have settled. (It’s really sad that I have to give this disclaimer but I do: this is a joke).”

    https://twitter.com/ushnashah/status/1668738871440338947?s=20

  • TikToker Sundal Khattak taken into custody over Hareem Shah nudes case

    TikToker Sundal Khattak taken into custody over Hareem Shah nudes case

    TikToker Sundal Khattak was arrested on Tuesday by the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) in a case pertaining to the Hareem Shah nudes leak scandal. An Islamabad court has also rejected her bail. Express Tribune reported that the court also rejected Khattak’s request to arrest Shah for defamation.

    Khattak has rejected claims that she leaked Shah’s videos, accusing the TikTok star of defamation on social media because of which she was receiving death threats from her followers. She was directed by the court to file an application with the local police station on the complaints.

    Hareem Shah’s nudes were leaked on the internet in March. She released a statement on social media saying that it was her close friends who had made these videos and were responsible for the leak, and she was going to take strict action against them. Shah named her close friends, Khattak and Ayesha Naz, as the ones responsible for this leak, as they would spend a lot of time with the TikTok star.

    Shah went on to reveal that she had filed a complaint with the FIA against Naz, but the organisation did not take any action against her, despite her doubts. “Ayesha had also informed my other friends that she will leak my videos,” added Shah. “But I don’t really care about these videos.”

    Speaking to Geo, her husband Bilal said he will not leave his wife in her hour of need, and revealed that he was furious at the actions of Khattak and Naz, as they had been allowed in their home and even shared their rooms

    Bilal said he was horrified that the women would do such a thing to their close friend. He said they had violated and smeared the character of a woman despite being women themselves.

    “In my eyes, they have done a very ungraceful thing,” the husband spoke: “After we land in Pakistan, we will take every legal action which can be taken.”

  • ‘The beauty of humanity’: Adnan Siddiqui recalls kindness of stranger during Maat shooting

    ‘The beauty of humanity’: Adnan Siddiqui recalls kindness of stranger during Maat shooting

    The Pakistani drama ‘Maat’ aired over eleven years ago and featured a thrilling love triangle between two sisters Aiman (played by Amina Sheikh) and Saman (played by Saba Qamar) who fall in love with the same man, Faisal (played by Adnan Siddifiqui).

    Faisal first proposes for Saman’s hand in marriage, but after her rejection, he turns to Aiman. Watching Aiman and Faisal happy drives Saman to jealousy and she begins to plot the downfall of her sister.

    Years after the serial aired, Siddiqui took to Instagram to share a sweet memory of meeting a neighbor who lived next to the house where the drama was shot, and how an accidental encounter led to a memorable dinner, which the actor still remembers years on.

    The actor shared that once when he was heading back to the set after fearing he lost his wallet, he spotted the late Mr. Maroof pacing around worried because no one had visited him for dinner. The neighbor requested Siddiqui to join him for dinner, which the actor recalled was an incredibly memorable experience:

    “In that moment, I was struck by the extraordinary character and values that Maroof sahib embodied. Though he had limited means, his heart overflowed with generosity. His insistence on sharing his modest meal revealed a profound philosophy of life—one that emphasises the importance of giving, sharing, and finding fulfillment in serving others.”

    The experience taught him that true wealth is never about how much money we have, but how much we care.

    Read his complete statement below:

  • Lupita Nyong’o wears breastplate designed by Pakistani artist Misha Japanwala

    Lupita Nyong’o wears breastplate designed by Pakistani artist Misha Japanwala

    Oscar winning actress Lupita Nyong’o wore a stunning tuxedo and breastplate to the Tony Awards. She shared pictures of the silver breastplate designed for her by Yale college buddy and artist Misha Japanwala on Instagram, calling it an “out of body experience” in the post.

    “Honored, humbled, strengthened and energized to don this breastplate created by @mishajapanwala, which she cast and molded of my body.”

    Speaking about the significance of the body art, Nyong’o quoted Japanwala’s explanation about how her craft is designed to help destigmatize shame, and help women embrace themselves for who they are.

    “She writes, ‘The word ‘beghairat’ (translation: shameless) has become an anchor in my practice; thousands of people have used it to describe me and the work I create, in an effort to insult and shame me into silence. In reclaiming the word and understanding that the rejection of others’ narrow definitions of shame is one of the most powerful tools for liberation, I’ve come to deeply appreciate and respect what living a life of shamelessness truly means. My craft pertains to documenting our existence in the most truthful way I possibly can — I change nothing about the body and how it looks.I think that act of surrendering and allowing our bodies to simply be, is such a beautiful and powerful thing.’”

    Nyong’o also shared a video of her look for the Tony Awards, where she celebrated her best friend Saheem Ali’s nomination for ‘Fat Ham’.

    Lyongo also shared the forehead tattoo henna artist Sabeen, whom she had met in Karachi at Japanwala’s wedding, painted onto her shaved head

  • ‘Mere pass DDLJ hai’: here is another round of Shah Rukh Khan’s hilarious #AskSRK session on Twitter

    ‘Mere pass DDLJ hai’: here is another round of Shah Rukh Khan’s hilarious #AskSRK session on Twitter

    When Shah Rukh Khan announces another session of #AskSRK on Twitter, more often than not goes on to become a leading trend on Twitter, with fans coming up with all sorts of hilarious questions for the Badshah of Bollywood.

    Whether it is about his secret to not aging (we’re stalking him until he answers that), on-set memories, hilarious quips to fans and love confessions, here is a round up of all that went down in the recent #AskSRK session.

    The reason why he is King Khan

    Even minor hilarious things like these get a witty reply from the King of sass

    LOL

    That’s it. Shut down the bird app we got the best interaction ever.

  • The OG Pindi Boy Sheikh Rasheed ka new career?

    The OG Pindi Boy Sheikh Rasheed ka new career?

    Agar politics mein ziada maza nahi a raha, then every one should follow the start of Sheikh Rasheed’s rap career with the Pindi Boyz.

    The famous Rawalpindi politician set social media ablaze when he made an appearance in the rap group’s latest song ‘Pindi Aye 2.0’ in the begining. He can be seen sitting lazily on a sofa and puffing a cigar, while handing a black dossier to members of the band.

    The band, comprising of Hashim Nawaz, Zeeru, Hamzee, Shuja Shah, Usman Ghauri, OCL and Khawar Malik, gained fame on social media with their song ‘Pind Aye’ which has received 20+ million views on Youtube.

    On the surprise inclusion of the OG Pindi boy, Karamat told Dawn Images that it had taken them three years to convince the politician to agree to appear in their video. After chasing Rasheed for two months, the gang went to visit him at his house on the third day of Eid in order to shoot the intro.

    The group recalled spending two and a half hours with Rasheed, calling him very cool and laidback::

    “It was very chill, very laidback. He was like one of us,” Karamat revealed.

    The group also recalled how they asked Rasheed to just be himself, since he is known for his street smart style which is quite different from the the rest of the politicians. “Political stuff aside, he looked like Nick Fury while handing us the dossier,” Karamat remarked.

  • ‘3 billion allocated to finance films, health insurance for artists’: Marriyum Aurangzeb

    ‘3 billion allocated to finance films, health insurance for artists’: Marriyum Aurangzeb

    The Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Marriyum Aurangzeb, announced in a tweet two days ago that for the first time ever, the federal government has allocated at least Rs3 billion for the Film Finance Fund while Rs1 billion will be used to provide health insurance for artists.

    The minister highlighted the necessity of the move in playing a major role in the growth of the film industry, and in providing security for performing artists.

    Here is the complete tweet:

    “I am equally delighted to announce that funds have been allocated both for the Film Finance Fund and for Artists’ Health Insurance for the first time ever. Rs 2 bn have been allocated for the Film Finance Fund and Rs 1 bn for the Artists’ Health Insurance. I am certain that, jointly, these measures will play a major role in the growth of our film industry and improvement in the welfare of our nation’s Artists. This will play a key role in the promotion of Pakistan’s narrative, heritage and culture through films, as well as the growth of screen tourism in Pakistan.”

    In May, Aurangzeb had inaugrated PTV’s National Film Production Institute in Islamabad. At the ceremony, Aurangzeb revealed that the project will help in promoting Pakistan’s narrative worldwide, through screen tourism via the National Film, Culture Policy 2018, which states that cinema houses in the country will also be restored.

  • 41 years later, ‘Ankahi’ is still more progressive than current drama serials

    41 years later, ‘Ankahi’ is still more progressive than current drama serials

    If we were to tell you that a drama is on air on Pakistani screens, showcasing a feisty, independent woman who stands up against forced marriages, is living with her single mother and uncle but never laments about not being married or plots 24/7 to entrap a man? You would say petrol is mulk mein sasta hojaye ga, but Pakistani dramas kabhi itnay achay nahi thay.

    We’re sorry to tell you that there was a time when Pakistani dramas were progressive and revolved around empowered women who never waited for a man, but were powerful and independent. Despite airing decades ago, more and more Pakistani women are watching classical dramas from PTV, and expressing their shock at the kind of empowering, witty women in these shows who never tolerated abuse, or the horrifying kind of things Pakistani dramas today think that all women want.

    Take ‘Ankahi’ penned by the brilliant Haseena Moin in 1982, decades ago and yet appealing to a mass audience with its main lead, Sana (played by Shehnaz Sheikh) who dreams of being rich, is clumsy yet endearing, outspoken about standing up for her rights, takes on the task to become financially independent and starts working despite the opposition she faces from her relatives.

    Did we imagine that what would pave the way after the women of Haseena Moin like Sana, Sunia, and the countless women from her drama’s- would be Umera Ahmed’s Khirad? A woman who set romantic standards that despite being neglected, kicked out of her home while pregnant, you forgive the man and every thing is good in the end.

    There is certain charm in the way PTV classical dramas from the minds of writers like Syed Mohammad Ahmed, Moin and Anwar Maqsood still appeal to audiences. They wrote over a variety of topics, covering a variety of issues like domestic violence (Sitara Aur Mehru Nisa), family planning (Aahat) and even light hearted rom-coms about women trying to pursue the men they love (Tum Se Kehna Tha). These dramas were upfront about bringing stories about women, and the issues they face to the spotlight, regardless of how absurd it may seem. Aahat discussed how women in Pakistan are pressurised to give birth to sons, are taunted when they have families full of girl children, and even didn’t shy away from depicting what post partum depression looks like, when the mother (played by Sania Saeed) is quickly returning home after giving birth, despite being forbidden by her doctor, and how she is made to endure the separation from her daughter because of the pressure her family puts on her. And as Moin put it herself, more rebellious women challenging the patriarchy was the onus:

    “I created the bold woman character as a counterpoint to all male writers who were showing women as a miserable victim, crushed by the system, eternally self-sacrificing, nurturing, serving her husband even though he visited prostitutes. Oh, it was so degrading! I like writing rebellious characters, and I keep repeating them so that there is an impact. The only thing is, my mode is comic and my words are never harsh. During many interviews, I have been asked why I show strong women characters. It annoys me. Do they ask male writers, why they show strong male characters?”

    Fast forward to the year 2023, censorship is at an all time high, and it was the implication of consensual sex that set PEMRA after ‘Tere Bin’ after a string of scenes depicted domestic violence, stalking, slapping, attempted suicide- too long of a list to get into.

    A few days ago, during an appearance at Mazaak Raat, Syed Mohammad Ahmed spoke about how writer’s today are more munshi than writers. They lack the creative freedom they had in the past to write about topics of their choice, and how the fixed formulae of creating a hit drama involved women being battered and abused, rather than rebelling against the patriarchy.

    Listening to this and watching as one of the currently hit dramas in Pakistan revolves around two cousins getting married, and the woman being demonised because she wanted to marry rich, there’s no way to stop the despair from hitting in. The hole left by Haseena Moin will be difficult to fill, as the entertainment industry keeps its head buried in the sand.

  • Shoaib Akhtar is not interested in a second marriage

    Shoaib Akhtar is not interested in a second marriage

    Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar recently appeared on Hafiz Ahmed’s podcast where he opened up about whether he would get married for a second time.

    The speedster rejected the idea of marrying again, saying that he would remain committed to his wife. The cricketer said that although Islam allows men to marry multiple times, it also encourages men to remain faithful and kind to their wives:

    “You can get married four times, but I believe that once you’re attached to someone, they have left their home for you so you should leave your things for them as well. Be nice to her, kind to her. You should be an inspiring figure to her. You should have a strong character and shouldn’t pressurise her to do anything. I’m always straight forward and honest, I take care of my children and teach them the Quran.”

    The cricketer, who tied the knot with Rubab Khan in 2014, talked about the arranged marriage his parents had set up for him, when they met his wife’s parents during Hajj:

    “My mother had met my wife’s mother during the time they were completing Hajj, and during this visit she had taken a lot of care of my mother. When my parents came back, during that moment my mother introduced me to a girl and told me ‘This is your wife’, and I agreed to marry her.”

    Akhtar said they had a simple nikkah ceremony, which wasn’t open to public, with just a few people from his family and from his wife’s family.

    Akhtar went on to reveal that he is quite different from his conservative wife because of his liberal views, but he has never pressurised her to do anything that she doesn’t want to, including asking her to make media appearances:

    “My family doesn’t like coming on tv. My wife is very conservative, even though I am very liberal, very open minded. I keep asking her to go out and eat something, and she refuses.”

    Akhtar also added that he respects his wife’s preference which is why he doesn’t speak about their personal life during media appearances, to keep supporting her choice to remain a private figure.